Okay, we'll call the uh mean the Lakeland Shore City Council meeting of January 8th, 2026 at approximately 6:34 p.m. Um, you take roll call, queue, please. >> Council member Schroer >> here. Council member Zan Miller here. >> Council member Ericson >> here. Mayor Bishop >> here. And uh you join me for the pledge of >> allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Uh, is there any discussion concerning the adopting the agenda? If there is none, we have a motion to adopt. >> Motion to adopt the agenda. >> I'll second the motion. >> All those in favor? Hi. >> Uh going to part two is the consent agenda which is a approved monthly claims and b the November 6, 2025 meeting minutes. Um is there any uh discussion concerning either one of those A or B? If not, uh can we have a motion to approve the consent agenda? I'll make a motion to approve the consent agenda. >> I'll second it. >> All those in favor? >> I I going to part three, unfinished and new business, consideration of resolution number 2026-01, fire department benefit increase. Is there somebody from the public that's here to speak on that? >> Okay. Go for it. >> Mike Cruz with the secret fire department association. >> Wow. President of the firefighters association. >> So, uh, we're here to get approval for a benefit level increase from 5500 to 5925. These all have this sheet. >> Yes. And these are all audited numbers. That was our our benefit level increase policy. We have to maintain 150% funding ratio. We we don't we don't go below that. >> You said 115%. >> Yep. Is is what we came to an agreement with years ago. >> Y >> So we don't go below 115 and we go in $25 increments. So with the 5925 that gets us to 115.25% funding ratio. And those are again audited numbers that year ending 2024. So we're actually a year behind the way the auditing stuff works. Um and as of December 31st of uh 2025, we actually right now our funding ratio is 125.8% funding. So, we're just asking you for to approve a $425 increase to 5925, which gets us to the 115.25% funding ratio. You wish to say anything in addition. The only thing I'd add to it is that the uh current 120% that Mike was talking about in is calculated with the new benefit level in there, even though we're not actually at it yet until it's been approved, but the treasur decided to put it in there to show you where we would be if that were in there because this is actually a benefit increase that we should have come to you like September. October 25, but our policy says we have to use audited numbers. Our audit was late coming back to us. We didn't get it till November. We ran the figures and started scheduling and not everybody works during Christmas. Okay. >> So, I think I was at a meeting uh the five city meeting last one that was held and was there some talk about you asking the cities to go below 115%. >> There was we um we talked about as a group trying to go get it lowered. >> The the reason that is because it costs so much to put somebody on and we have several members that are already at that age where they could retire. And so there's really at the years of service, there's really no um incentive for them to stick around because our benefit level is low compared to every other municipality around. >> Um so if they would could stick around another two or three years with the by dropping that, that's an incentive for them to stay because we don't we can't offer more money to stay. We're not sports athletes where we can just go to the next team and play. Plus training people is extremely expensive and it takes a couple years to get somebody up and running. So, if we can extend someone's career a couple years and get benefit out of them, that's great. And and I know a lot of the people that are my age or a little older or retired can get down to the trucks sooner, get the trucks on the road quicker, and have that much more experience to offer to the community. That's why we're asking if we can drop that down to keep people around a couple more years. >> And if you uh if you look at our projections over the last eight or nine years, you know, we we calculate and in the projection we bring it down to 115%. But with the market returns and once a year comes in, we've always been over that. We projected 115, we come in at 120. Uh we bring it down to 115.5. We're always high. So, we're trying to eliminate that spread because at 15% that extra 15% right now amounts to almost a half a million dollars that we can't allocate towards benefits. We have to hold that in reserve to meet the standards. And what we're our theory is that if we've been able to do that 115 and come at 120, we were to 110, we could probably come in at 115 using the same strategy that we've been using for the last eight or nine years. So, we'd like to give it a try and see what happens. If it if it starts coming in too low, we can adjust the increase and you know instead of maybe targeting 115, we'll target 116% on our projections. >> But we want to get it closer to a real number where we're not the cities aren't sticking their neck out. We've given them some reassurance and our bene our members are getting the highest benefit we can. We're trying to get that keep that balance. You guys goes through the same thing every year with your budget. >> You know taxpayers want this but they don't want to pay this. >> And it's a juggling act which you always have to monitor and you have to we have to look at trends in the market. You have to look at our membership and who's getting up there, how long have they been on, are they committed to another five years, 10 years, whatever. And those are all things that we have to factor in. And I think we've got a good program going. >> One thing the the two new members on the board or this money is it's not from the city residents. It's paid through by your homeowners insurance. There's a line on your homeowner policy that gets paid to the state and the state refunds the city which our five cities. They take the check and they mail it to Afton and Afton gives it to the fire relief association for them to put in their this fund. So it's like this increase isn't going on our property taxes or anything like that. So, >> and it's it's money that is classified as as tax revenue because it is a fire tax that's on your insurance premium, >> right? >> So, it can only be used for retirement benefits, >> right? >> Like the city of Minneapolis gets the same fire state aid that we get. They get a larger a larger portion their check is about $2 million a year, >> but they can only use it to offset their cost of their employees being in peril. >> Yeah. >> And if it if it covers if it more than covers it stays in that allocation to be used for benefits. They don't doesn't go back into the fire department's general fund or anything like that. They have to maintain that in the benefit column. So, it's it's something that every fire department in the state gets and we're controlled by the state as to what we can do with it and how we can how we do it. It's a very very regulated program. So, it's it's uh it's been working, you know. >> Thank you. >> So, one more thing I'd like to add is this is a big retention thing for us in the position that we're in to keep people around a little bit longer. uh since I've been on going on 27 years, we've lost three people to Bayport because they're paying right now like 121 13,000 a year and we're getting a lot less and they don't do they don't have an ambulance service up there like we do. So, we get I think you the community here gets more bang for their buck by having us um keep keep us around a little bit longer. And that's all I have for that. But I have a few other things that we'd like to from the fire department general membership would like to thank the community for this last pancake breakfast. We served over 600 people. We collected uh $543 pounds of food for the food shelf and then there was a $50 cash donation that somebody we passed along to the food shelf as well. So we'd like to thank the community for showing up. >> Which food shelf do you use? >> Uh it's in Still Water. There's not one right here, but I don't know where it was installed on >> Highway 36, I think. >> So, I don't know. >> I mean, there's one at Valley Outreach. >> Yeah. >> But, uh, >> yeah, that's over by the CL. >> I think that's the one. >> Yeah. Health partners. >> Yeah. >> That's all we got. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Is there any discussion concerning what we've just heard and concerns about what we just I don't want everybody to speak at once. >> Nope. I'm good. >> With that in mind, can we have a motion to adopt the resolution 2026-01 fire department benefit increase? >> I make a motion to adopt the resolution 26 or 20261, the fire resolution increase. >> A second. Without any further discussion, all those in favor >> Thank you, >> Mr. Mayor. Council member, may I interrupt and ask you to sign this resolution so I can stand problems. Unless you're okay with the picture, >> I can take it. Mr. Mayor, uh, one thing I'd like to add is that I see we've got we've got a new council member this year and we always offer what we kind of nickname fire relief 101, which is like an introductory to what the fire relief association is, how we operate, and how we distribute the money. So, if you ever have any questions, give us a call. Jim knows how to get a hold of us. He can arcade even if we're at home. >> And if you ever want to have a a group meeting, you know, you can set that up as a workshop. >> Awesome. >> You know, you might be attending with people from other cities, you know, if all five council show up, that's even better. But, you know, a lot of these guys have been on for a number of years and more familiar. And a lot of this might sound foreign to you, but I want you to know what you're voting for. >> Thank you. >> Moving on, we to 3B, consideration of resolution number 2026-02, the 2026 schedule. >> Mr. Mayor, council members, this is the exact same schedule as 2025. A couple of additions were made in 2025. A couple of these did go up. Um but there are none proposed this year. >> And Kim, uh as far as you're concerned, whatever's been going on as far as uh you know, building permits and that type of thing are generally speaking running smoothly that they have gone in the hole in any of them. That's correct. >> People paid what they're supposed to pay. >> Yes. Include including the uh right ofway um $5,000. So people are like that one. They like that one. >> I wonder why. >> Okay. Is there any discussion concerning resolution number 2026? Actually 02. Y >> I think mine it >> mine actually may have one at the top of it. >> So I can correct that to a two. >> Yep. >> Is there any discussion concerning the fear to be no further discussion concerning the fee schedule that seemed to have worked well last year and hope will work as well this year. I have a motion to uh for accepting resolution number 2026-02 the 2026 fee schedule. >> I'll make a motion to uh adopt the 20262 2026 reschedule. >> I'll second this. >> All those in favor? >> I then moving on to 3C, consideration of resolution number 2026-03, appointment list. Um, Mr. Mayor, council members, I will note it's the same as the fech schedule. Um, if it's the same as you guys determined in 2025. Um, that's what's before you. If uh you >> Thanks, guys. >> would like to discuss changes. That's >> thanks for what you do. Well, I don't think John has a choice listed as mayor, does he? >> What's that? >> You don't have a choice listed as mayor, do you? >> Oh, but I've only got a year left. >> Yeah. Um, is there anything on here that anybody sees that boy just piques their interest and says, "I wish I would be the person that could do that. You don't want to give up your position, Tim, as the covert inspector? >> No, it's a good just walk down the street. That's works out pretty good. >> You don't appear to be the only one in town. I think the only culvert. >> I don't know where Hive is going across the street to check the other side, though. Would there by any chance be someone that would like to propose a a motion to adopt the uh 2026-03 appointment list? >> Motion to adopt the 2026-3 appointment list. >> I'll second the motion. >> Sorry. >> Um that uh second by Mr. Schroer. Uh all those in favor >> I >> Mr. Mayor and council members, I will just note after those corrections are made, both will be posted on the city's website. >> Just curious, Kim, is there anybody is there a way of telling how many people actually access our website? >> Me, there's one. >> Yeah, >> me. I know Randy years ago used he must add a clicker and I said, "Do you deduct the times you look at it?" >> You're good. >> Okay. Going to uh item four, council and staff reports. Uh Kim, do you have anything to add? >> I do not. >> Um Mr. Uh, I have one thing. I have a compliment the building inspector uh printing out the permit package and dropping it off. They have a dropbox to drop them off over the city of West Lakeland at their building, which is nice. That works out good. So, kudos to that. Aaron, >> I have nothing. Roger. >> I have I have nothing. Um, basically I think uh things have been running fairly smoothly. I haven't gotten any complaints on the roads. Uh, we do have a new contract that needs to be signed sometime I think before March or April. >> The end of May. >> End of May. >> You'll get through this season. >> Yep. It's usually a three-year contract and we can discuss the adequacy of uh of Tri County's uh roadwork. uh at that time. Um beyond that, uh there's very little going on. Uh Kim, is there um I've noticed that uh Bob Lynn's property there, they still are storing stuff outside along between the fence and the the building. Um and I think it was brought to his attention a while back. Has there been any uh movement on his part to say, "Geez, maybe we should put that inside or >> Oh, he said he was going to take care of it immediately, but apparently he has not." But I didn't know that. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> As far as I know, he has not taken >> I'll give him a call again. >> Yep. Okay. Thanks. Appreciate that. Um beyond that, I have uh nothing additional to add. Uh so with that in mind, um have a motion to adjurnn this meeting. >> Motion to adjurnn. A second. >> I'll second that. >> All those in favor?