Bo I've had this p a long time okay i' like to call to order the city council meeting of uh September 5th 2024 Kim would you take roll call please council member schroer here council member Wilson here council member Hatton here may Bop here um please uh join me for the Pledge of Allegiance pled the flag of the United States of America to The Republic from which it stands one nation under God liy and Justice and Justice thank you first item of business is that we adopt the agenda I make a motion to adopt the agenda is there a second I'll second all those in favor I um next I believe is the um consent agenda um there are two things A and B uh and one is approve monthly claims and then approve the March 7th 2024 city council meeting minutes is there a make a motion to approve the consent agenda is there a second I'll second the motion all those in favor I now we're at uh item number three public comments see a couple of people in the audience that don't look familiar to me as far as uh being on the city council or mayor um yeah would you just tell us your name and put your name and address down there please yeah my name is Kanan Martin I actually live over in Lakeland um I'm the general manager for the green canopy and I just wanted to take an opportunity at this meeting to thank kind of the neighborhood and everyone for being like pretty friendly and welcoming and allowing us to open our doors and I wanted to invite people down to come see we've really made some big changes on the inside of the building and this month we'll be making additional changes aesthetically to the exterior um so I think it would be nice if anyone mayor council um any uh staff were interested in coming down and checking out having a little VIP tour outside of kind of the normal business hours I wanted to open that up to you all I'll drop off some cards with everyone and maybe get the ball rolling by emailing Kim an initial kind of reach out um but mainly I just wanted to thank everyone in the area for kind of General acceptance of us and and just a nice warm welcome it's been really a pleasure so far serving the community and I want to make sure people understand the varet things we offer in terms of services as well as um products so if anyone has an opportunity to come down and check us out I think that'd be great so thank you thanks thank you Dennis Lund 16555 First Street South in Laken Shores uh Mr mayor council members I to thank you for running the city where you have it's uh we as the whole Community have done a great job so I really appreciate that I have two general comments to talk about one is with respect to uh specifically the uh cannabis ordinance that we've got in place that expires on January 1st um we as a community have to make a decision is whether we're going to try to do any local regulations as allowed under state law um for th for that uh type of business and um or if we're going to just default to whatever the state or the county has for rules in that area uh so I'm curious as to what we've got for plans what I can do to assist with those plans to come up with the local ordinance that fits the the community's needs that's item number one item number two is um we have a small police budget and I don't know if we have a noise ordinance and with uh the county road split split jurisdiction between probably the county and Lakeland and Lakeland Shores I'm not sure if there is any enforcement mechanism at all for uh noise complaints and if they're this is mainly transport a noise on the county road businesses around have been very respectful I appreciate that uh but uh when there's you know hundreds of motorcycles going by in the course of a morning it uh or an afternoon or an evening it can be pretty disruptive to U the enjoyment of the properties in the area so I don't know what we've got uh for options in that area but I certainly don't want to see us spend a whole boatload of money for no real return and getting the noise making public if that's the term um unhappy with us as a city so I'm not sure what we've got for options in that area well as to number two uh the noise I mean the noise on the river is not quite as bad but uh you know they have those whatever they are cigarette or cigar boats or whatever that go up and down the river that uh truly is uh you uh it's very minimal compared to motorcycle noise uh as far as the number but it's still rather aggravating as far as I'm concerned there doesn't seem to be any uh uh attempt by as far as I can tell living on the river that uh any attempt by any police which I assume is the sheriff um you know to do anything about those particular boats uh you see the sheriff out there uh not necessarily when the boats are going by but you know you do see them and um so I'm sympathetic to your noise complaint uh as well as you know the motorcycles which of course at this time of year everybody feels like they have to be out riding their motorcycle I guess um you know we could uh you know um call up the sheriff I suppose no uh mayor council members it's a public roadway and most city ordinances first off the county has jurisdiction and it has to be ongoing noise it has to be for a certain time yes so they got us on the flood run but otherwise it's are you basically what you're saying is is that um I mean I've never really understood it but uh you know we all have Mufflers on our cars um and yet motorcycles seem to get great joy out of you know um gunning the engine whether it's coming under the 94 Bridge or wherever they are starting off from if it's a bar that type of situation so I I don't understand why I understand what you're saying about a continuous noise factor it's it's specific like 5 10 even it's up to 15 minutes continuous noise so somebody driving through on a bike it's not going to fly and I will also tell you that the Washington County Sheriff's Department does not have a decel meters so okay so what you're saying is a phone call to the Washington County Sheriff would be nonproductive I I believe so but you feel free okay any other discussion on that point um now we have the ordinance uh cannabis ordinance which right at the moment there's a moratorium that lapses at the end of uh December of this year um I actually thought we were before I saw the agenda that we might be discussing that tonight but uh Kim do you have any idea as to it's been worked on by the Consulting planner we're still waiting because the state hasn't put all their rules and regulations in they don't yeah the eggs aren't all in the basket yet basically it it it'll be November December it could even be your first the January meeting so but there will be a public hearing scheduled and you will be adopting an ordinance okay and where are we going to get that ordinance from from the Consulting planner okay the league has just started putting models of ordinances on their website but yeah we've we've been a touch and and we're going to be working on that thank you uh will that then the public comment and input into that ordinance would be at whatever meeting we end up holding to update that ordinance to establish the ordinance um I requ and if we decide to not have an ordinance is that an option you know I was reading over something earlier on uh which I got in the mail this is basically the this here which is the Cannabis legislative updates and considerations and I can't remember when I got it this is spring 2024 okay they do talk about a a a website it if you want the Cannabis Planning and Zoning handbook for Minnesota counties and this was basically directed at the counties um download the handbook at www.men counties. org under resources and jobs okay and I have no idea what you'll find there because uh I didn't read this particular I cut it out when I or saved it when it came in the mail but uh I uh haven't done anything about exploring that particular website okay thank you um mayor and council members that just be the city will be adopting their own ordinance and and the ordinance will take place in because you have a moratorium right now so that ordinance will be related to use to what to use run that by me again retail establishments okay it will be related to that the city has to put something in place right I mean in other words we can't depend the on the county doing it for us no no you need to put your own ordinance in place and you will and so if nothing else I mean we have to have a meeting in December anyhow or November one or the other to approve the final Levan budget but the uh so if so conceivably would be doing that at that time yes I mean we won't be calling a special meeting we'll be doing it during oh yeah you'll be doing it during your regular yes okay yep okay and it will be before the end of the year yep and if we didn't and there was a moratorium lapses that means that if let's say we did the ordinance in February of 2025 that means that people that are looking for licenses to sell cannabis would conceivably be able to do so during that period in which we have no order well mayor and council members that's really tricky because there is no location to do this except for one so um let's just yeah let's get into the detail later but the city will be putting their own ordinance in place Y and I am going to try and have the the City attorney here for that meeting because the city can not and again I don't want to get into all this detail now because we don't have the draft ordinance but the city cannot put an ordinance in place that eliminates no I understand that okay I mean you can't say that 2 miles from the school for instance correct one com one Mr Mayor one comment on that the the state law does allow a th foot from limitation from a school and 500 from a daycare facility but of course the final rules on there but that's what the law reads whether the rules will read the same or not and St Paul is discussing other communities are discussing that so it's it's a topic that's out there yeah the ordinance cannot not prohibit one use right so understand within the city okay is there any other discussion on two concerns and questions by Mr lung apparently there isn't thanks so hopefully that answers some of your question okay other than the fact that we're totally I'm totally unprepared to even discuss it until we actually have U some sort of ordinance in front of us okay whether be adopted from some other city or whether it be the one that they send to us from some establishment I can only assume that you're looking for a license sir well I want to do what's best for the community and we want to make sure that we understand what else going to take place with that so we're at we're more than anything we're staying on top of understanding the law staying on top of understanding saying on top of what other cities counties are doing okay and just preparing the best we can for the future that so and right at the moment other than that 12,500 uh you know population basis for per retail site you know is there any County or whatever they have County and let's be very clear also mayor and council members the state is going to issue these licenses yeah I understand that there's certain people that have the social Equity thing the whole mhm b game it's a major it's all changing every day get product gets pulled off our Shelf weekly because of this or that new product comes in it changes too so we're just it's it's a constant it's a constant educational battle and it's been a rotating door that's why we have not brought anything forward at this at this point it just keeps changing I do want to put us out there too we are constantly talking to attorneys and trying to understand this so if anyone has additional questions thanks I want to hand out these this is just my card it's got my personal cell phone number my personal email on it you have anything to reach out ask I want to give you one as well of course so we want to we want to play ball we want to make sure we're doing the best for the community um we do have a family business we want to be um well with no other further public comments we close the public comment uh part of this hearing or meeting uh we're going to unfinished in new business under four that would be a consideration of resolution number 2024-25 preliminary budget um [Applause] so in looking over the numbers it doesn't appear to have changed a whole lot from one year to the next is that correct I mean there's a slight increase in the in the revenue and a slight increase in the costs of uh you know different things that we have no control over such as fire and police we have money available all correct yes yes the 20125 budget budget yeah I'd like to talk about uh putting some money in the Fire Relief Association um well let me ask this Kim let me ask you one question is there any money out there I I believe there is okay that were required to spend or it was given to us with the idea that we would spend it um that is sitting there that if we don't spend it we're going to lose it well the public safety funds which you've already you know donated some no there's no sunset on that okay so those dollars are out there and do you have any ballpark figures how many dollars those are um that's 14,000 something like that should be on here I guess what I'm talking about is uh one of our issues with the fire department is we're losing personnel and trying to keep them um we're not how would I say it other comp competitive with the retirement fun fund and so what I'd like to do is you know if we can make a motion to give I don't know if this is a Time just talk about it uh money to the relief Association mayor council members that would be separate from your preliminary budget prary we'll talk about this you certainly can um if you want to make that motion within the budget yeah is there any other discussion concerning the prelimary budget you think the cost of the Tim you think the fire protection is going to increase there have we got totally given to the cities yet or no no but I'm sure it's going to be around 5% all that we know should be done but it I don't I just don't see it being a negative any Le no or going down as it's shown yeah it's showing here going down yeah I don't see that either yeah that's because the building went on oh right the the the fire the building is paid the note on the building is paid off best loan I ever signed for yeah well and there is for this report that the the treasur put together there's an increase in in expenses overall so there is an increase there um and there is a a levy increase so yeah and again that would be a separate uh yeah that's not coming out of your general fund no so it wouldn't be part of the budget okay thank you is there any further discussion concerning the resolution for the preliminary budget that said can I have a motion by someone to uh uh approve the 202 2024-25 preliminary budget I'll make a motion to approve the uh resolution number 202 24-7 2025 preliminary budget all second all those in favor I I is that good enough Kim oh yes um going to B under four is consideration of resolution number 20248 2025 preliminary Levy um this would establish the 2025 general fund final Levy certification at $11,750 is there any discussion concerning this uh um resolution it's about approximately uh $4,200 more than last year's that's what that's kind of amazing when you think about it so with no further discussion uh can we have a motion concerning resolution 20248 I will make a motion to approve the resolution 20248 the uh preliminary Levy for 2025 at 19 $1,735 okay I'll second it uh all in favor hi hi hi going to KCK through them here five um Council and staff reports Kim you have any staff updates um mayor council members I will just note that the land use application did come in for that building but it was incomplete so that's why it's not before you tonight they are revising the site plan and getting more information on the Well andwer from the uh County that was needed required for submitt uh to move forward and process that application um I am not I do not like to talk about violations but I will say the wmo um had through doing some inspections there were some violations on a property and that is is absolutely being corrected the wo is going to be out on site again next Wednesday okay and that was the one we got the email on yes yep it's taken care of good thank you um uh council member schroer you have any uh you want to add besides the uh request for money for the relief yeah I guess what I'm looking at is we're losing members and trying to keep not saying they're you know trying to keep them hang around is by up in their retirement and I would like to $10 for every person in the city so it's we have 343 people so $3,340 to donate to the relief Association in other words what I'm very disappointed with uh and I hope other City councils listen to this but they probably don't uh is all that the safety money that we got from the state uh it's kind of embarrassing that how much money made it back to the fire department and so I want to with if with given this money I can go to our fireboard meeting next two weeks and say this is what we're donating contributing to our firemen and I'd like to see other communities step up cuz $65,000 would you know so basically our St Croy Valley our five cities we have 6,500 people so if every city gives 10 bucks per person that $65,000 would help a lot uh right now we're a little under 5,000 per year of service for our firemen uh Bayport is close to 10 and we have some members looking at hitting their Mark and then cashing out and maybe going to going to bport going to Eden Prairie and working a couple weekends and working there for seven years and getting 15,000 a year plus their hourly pay so we have to do some creative stuff to work on keeping these guys to stay in the valley so this is not a unique problem it's everybody's having everybody's having it with the I'm going to use the hourly PID firefighter volunteer firefighter it's just really difficult and there's like Bayport I mean they have Anderson window they have so much more fire Aid coming from the state that goes into that fund from Bayport than we do because of the property value uh up there and uh we don't have the commercial businesses we don't have the commercial businesses we so that's what I would like to see so anyway it's it's uh I mean in the 13 years I was on the board it's we we did have at one point we were somewhat competitive but really we were always $1,000 less than than like Bayport was and it's a tough you know I mean it's just that money comes from our fire Insurance to the insurance company to the state and then the state gives it to actually afon because they're the largest city and then they P give right to check to the fire department that's money yeah and so it's it's it's I mean I'm I was on that what Tim's doing now on the relief Association it's it's a difficult there's a whole lot of figuring out that goes into that that is rough to track but because of their these other places now like Maplewood they don't have volunteers anymore they're all full-time I mean that's the direction this is going I I have no idea where it's going to go down here because it's that's they want they're talking about full-time firefighters cuz right now our budget for our fire department is like 650,000 with our fire department and ambulance service with the equipment the building maintaining the building granted the building just came off but we should have kept some of that money to help other stuff fut main now we're going to need Windows and you know and uh uh it just it's an ongoing thing and we just need to you know we can have a fire department and all equipment if we don't have the guys there we guys there nobody pulls the boots on it they don't put fires up very well so my question to you Tim is is you know basically you want us to approve something like this so that you can go talk to the other City councils to twist their arms or I well I'm going to go to I'll say it at our fire department at our board meeting but then I'm probably going to go and I told uh our share that I'd be willing to go to the other city councils and talk about how disappointed I am in and the commitment we're making to our fire department so is it possible for you to do that without us actually appropriating the money at this particular time Mr council members what I would suggest is is do that but because we're on right Council updates no action should be taken be on the next agenda but what I need to get is the the next meeting we don't know when that will be but um get the actual figure yep I I just do want to be clear for the notes what were you suggesting $10 per every citizen in town 34 3,400 bucks 334 people we have yeah so 3400 yeah about 3400 yeah 334 okay I I believe huh to be correct 3340 yeah okay yeah 3,340 yep okay um that's at the last s yeah I will have that at our whatever meeting it is I will have the actual figure you have that still in public safety yeah um so you certainly could uh the public safety funds are just for Public Safety they were very strict about that you may want to donate more right well here's my thing is out of the five cities we almost got $280,000 and so far you mean was given to the five cities five cities yeah and maybe I think Aton gave 20 we gave five you know I'm like why do we give more and you guys to help you know uh I think Lakeland gave 10 St Cy Beach was 15 and I don't know what St Mary's point was but it was the total was under 50 Grand and out of the five cities we got 280 so it's kind of sad you know when we need resources over there you know so that's my sticking point okay yep um you have anything else Tim no that's it council member Wilson um I don't know if I talked about this or not so I'm going to throw it out here uh the uh kitchen compostable waste starts next month in the garbage for and I believe I the data I have at home was preliminary so I don't have the actual stuff and I think there was something in the county update the yeah but it basically is a you can go to the Environmental Center get a bag and it goes in your garbage that's all you have to do and then bag it up and they they take it out at pigs ey or wherever they go with it and uh it's just a volunteer program for kitchen compostable waste and uh as or as my wife says coffee grounds you know yeah and uh um it starts in October in our city and uh that's that's my entire update right there is compostable waste thank about it yeah the only thing that I I mean I read something about it okay and the only thing I I wasn't not questioning whether you're accurate or not but maybe I am uh dealing with what you do with it I mean I knew you were supposed to go to the Washington County probably hazardous waste place or wherever it is to pick up the bags but um as far sense to drive down there and get them yeah as far as uh you know depositing it in your regular guard garbage is compared to having to take it back to the No No you don't take it back there you put it in regular garbage and when they offload the right they tip the truck they will be separating those bags out but I did notice they do have a site somewhere you can if you're happen to be going right I mean the one up north is what yeah you had something Dennis um yes uh the county will be sending out supposedly to each address a postcard explaining this in the next few weeks yeah and where it's been rolled out in other parts of the county you don't have to go get the bags you can order them and they'll deliver them to your door in a box of 50 or whatever you can buy them on Amazon too and they compost up really well cuz they're in my garbage so okay uh Tim H um yeah I guess just a real quick brief on what Tim was saying is I think he we're concerned about the volunteer fire department or paid volunteer fire department but uh it's the retention people don't want to be firefighters anymore time is important so trying to retain the ones you have is pretty important so yeah that's all he's he's just you know we're looking for ways to retain the current firefighters we have otherwise we train them that cost us money and then they leave for some other place where they can make much more money yeah it's it used to be just training was five grand for a firefighter yeah used to be yeah that's that's a then you you throw in turnout gear and you know you're up to five digits real quick eight grand for turnout gear yeah and that that is a life expectancy on that if you use it or not anything else uh Tim no that was it go on yep thanks um nothing from the mayor as far as I'm concerned I there were a couple storms that came through Second Street North there was a tree blocking half the road I uh cut that up the uh the part that was in the road and since then uh some tree companies's taken the rest the tree as well as another one on it in that property away I did cut some brush along uh Fourth Street uh just be on that hill or just uh going up uh uh going east on Four Street and um think I did an adequate job but I you know uh if anybody's wants to look at it they can uh tell me that I need to go back and uh clean it up a little bit more beyond that uh there's a couple places that I uh this has more to do with my road work uh than the mayor's job but it uh basically uh there's some places that I usually get to in the fall which would be at the end of um your street there Tim um and um as well as uh over there off of uh quel um let's see between Third Street and uh whatever that is right there by uh um I could name the people that live there I can't name the street um so I usually hit those both because they tend to encroach upon the road I could ask the homeowner to do it but I find it faster to do it myself and uh if it's a beautiful fall day I don't mind being out there um other than that uh I haven't got anything additional to add so um I guess at this time we need a motion to adjourn I'll make a motion to a turn city council meeting I'll second that all in favor all e e