Mound City Council — Transcript
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Code Enforcement Activities
Cannabis Macro Businesses Regulations
2027 Preliminary Levy and Budget
2027 HEDA Tax Levy Approval
2027 Street Utility Improvement Project Study
Votes (6)
Consent Agenda Items 5 A-E
Dissent: None
Moved by Unknown [00:03:00] · Seconded by Unknown [00:03:04]
The council considered and approved the consent agenda, which included several resolutions (2663 upholding a city manager decision, 2664 for a public gathering permit) and Ordinance 082026 regarding property line/curb maintenance (later discussed in detail during code enforcement presentation), along with a pay request for asphalt maintenance.
Presentation on Code Enforcement Activities
Dissent: None
Moved by None · Seconded by None
City Planner Johnny Manhennett gave an overview of his code enforcement duties, citing challenges with abatement power for non-nuisance violations (e.g., zoning, solid waste) and the extended timeline for resolving issues like high grass due to current procedures and contractor availability. He clarified the purpose and impact of Ordinance 082026 (adopted earlier on consent agenda) in requiring property owners to maintain public right-of-ways. Manhennett also outlined potential future amendments, such as shortening compliance deadlines and refining definitions of 'junk and debris.' Council members inquired about public communication strategies, contractor limitations, and the handling of anonymous complaints, confirming that complainant identity is private data.
Consideration/Action on Ordinance Number 9, 2006, Amending City Code Regarding Cannabis Macro Businesses
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Castellano [00:32:17] · Seconded by Unknown [00:32:21]
Development Director Sarah Smith presented Ordinance 09-2026, which is a legislative housekeeping amendment to update the city's cannabis regulations, specifically for macro businesses, to align with new state statutes. City Attorney Scott Lansman clarified that the changes merge medical and adult-use cannabis supply chains and definitions, not impacting the city's buffer requirements or retail license limits. The Planning Commission had previously recommended approval. A public hearing was held, with no public comments.
Approve Proposed 2027 Levy, Proposed 2027 General Fund Budget, and Set Budget Meeting Date
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Castellano [00:44:48] · Seconded by Unknown [00:45:25]
Deputy City Manager Waya Miy presented the preliminary 2027 tax levy of 9.85% and the general fund budget. She explained that the higher-than-target levy includes a buffer due to uncertainties related to the water treatment plant bids, which will influence utility rates. The city plans to refine and reduce the levy to its 7.79% target by December. Council members raised questions about FTE counts in the budget book, administrative cost allocations for the liquor store, changes in the emergency preparedness budget, and a significant increase in projected interest income due to more accurate forecasting and high money market rates.
Approve Proposed 2027 HEDA Tax Levy
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Castellano [00:46:17] · Seconded by Unknown [00:46:27]
The council, acting as the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HA), approved the proposed 2027 HEDA tax levy. Deputy City Manager Waya Miy noted that these funds are specifically earmarked for maintenance and facility repairs at the U. Mound transit center.
Request to Authorize Study for the 2027 Street Utility Improvement Project
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Castellano [00:54:25] · Seconded by Unknown [00:54:40]
Bryan from Bolton and Menk presented a request for authorization to conduct a feasibility study for the 2027 street and utility improvement projects, focusing on streets in the Three Points Boulevard area due for full reconstruction (2005) or milling/overlay (2007), plus a lift station rehab. The study will utilize ground-penetrating radar to inform optimal rehabilitation methods. The strategy is to conduct studies early to capitalize on favorable bidding conditions. Council members sought clarification on the scope of roads to be studied (including potential alternatives south of Three Points) and inquired about providing cost estimates for the study upfront, noting an approximate $12,000 in staff costs.
Notable Quotes (10)
chapter section 42-6 allows for abatement of violations within chapter 42, things defined as nuisances such as grass or junk. But as I just mentioned, um other violations don't currently offer for an administrative um abatement or citation proceeding. So I'm leaning pretty heavily on voluntary compliance for most cases right now.
The amendment that you all put forward or that I brought forward for your adoption this evening um allows for us to now add into our nuisance code not just the maintenance of your property but of abudding non-improved parts of the right of way. So, this will allow me to be able to order a resident to manually take care of this because absent a resident doing this, we have to call out um a city crew and we don't have city staff time um to send the public crews out every time someone doesn't mow up to the curb.
I'm really into that second bullet point and we talked about this I don't know a long time ago with um previous city manager and stuff and it was like a capacity thing of like how do we make sure that we can enforce something that we're going to change and you know so I'm curious as to how that like the details of that because I know a lot of other cities do it and
the identification of somebody who makes a complaint is private data and so it wouldn't be accessible to the public.
It's rather a housekeeping type of activity. This isn't really anything substantive. our our big amendments were done previously when we adopted the cannabis regulations as well as the licensing regulations that followed shortly thereafter that were incorporated into our city code to include the zoning ordinance and the buffer requirements.
What this is dealing with is um types of licenses that are out there similar to um alcohol license, different types of alcohol licenses. This it's this is what we're dealing with. It's uh the new cannabis law that is will go into effect January 1st of next year is basically merging the medical and adult use um supply chains because at one point you had to you had medical um growing and you had uh um non-medical growing and now it's called the macro business where you can have them together and that's what this reflects.
our goal target it with that follows the financial management plan is that 7.79% and so you'll see that that water and sewer levy it has been taken out. Um there's a number of factors that are going to influence what our final levy ends up being. One of them being a water treatment plant. And so um it's challenging to know how we're going to get down to that 7.79 without knowing if we're going to do a water treatment plant. Um so we give ourselves this buffer.
what I can tell from previous budgeting bud budgeting strategy is that um the city was like significantly under allocating what actual revenues for interest were. So, we were saying we would, you know, in the budget only get, you know, 20 or $30,000 from interest when in fact we were collecting much closer to $200,000.
We are also as part of our investigation and the study planning to do some ground penetrating radar which is an above ground remote sensing product which would tell us exactly how much pavement and how much gravel is there so that we can make an intelligent decision and come back with recommendations to you all about whether or not we feel it needs a full street reconstruct or we can do any of the other methods.
we like to stay ahead of those things and make sure that Mound is a a beneficiary of bidding things, I'll say in air quotes, early so that we um we hit the sweet spot where contractors are hungry and they give us good prices, especially knowing that there are some difficulties in the area like getting materials here and things like that.
Ordinances & Resolutions (15)
Upholding city manager decision.
Approving a public gathering permit for Our Lady of the Lake parking during an event.
Addressing the maintenance of weeds between property line and curb, effective January 1st.
Payment of $16,000 to MP Asphalt Maintenance for crack seal project 2606.
City code chapter related to nuisances, enforced by the city planner.
City code chapter related to zoning, enforced by the city planner.
Amending city code regarding cannabis macro businesses to align with state statute.
City code chapter related to licensing, specifically for cannabis regulations.
Preliminary tax levy for 2027, recommended at 9.85%.
Preliminary general fund budget for 2027.
Approving proposed 2027 tax levy, setting debt service levels, approving proposed 2027 budget, and setting the budget meeting date.
Preliminary tax levy for the Housing and Redevelopment Authority for 2027.
Approving the proposed 2027 HA levy.
Plan that includes the 2027 street and utility improvement projects.
Ordering preparation of a report for 2027 street and utility improvement projects 2701, 02, and 03.