Uh, call to order the Forest Lake Airport Commission meeting. Um, Jolene, would you take the role, please? Um, Commissioner Bane >> here, >> Commissioner Monson >> here, >> Commissioner Steeler >> here, >> and it looks like Commissioner Galmire and Lynch are absent this evening. >> All right. Um, do I have a motion to approve uh the agenda? >> So moved. >> Second. All in favor? I >> I. >> Passes unanimously. Uh, that brings us to the open forum portion of the meeting. If there's anyone here that wants to speak to any issue at all, let's come to the lect turn and take all the time you want. And I don't think we need to wait any longer. We'll move on to the next since there's no one here, we'll move on to number four, the regular agenda. Uh regular agenda item A is to approve the meeting minutes from uh February 4th. Is there a motion to approve the meeting minutes or any changes or additions or I don't have any changes or additions to the minutes. >> I'll make a motion to approve. >> A motion to approve. Second. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Second. All in favor? I >> I >> I. >> Minutes are approved. Okay. Um B on this list is the financial claims of uh February and March. >> And Mr. Mr. Chair, if I might, I I just noted in a brief staff report that I included in the packet that um the prior airport manager began a practice of including those for the airport commission's reference. It notable that the airport commission is not responsible for approving those claims. Those are done by the city council. Um so just like some direction from the commission if you'd like to continue seeing those in your packet. I think it's great information to see where dollars are being allocated. Yeah, I don't I just don't we don't need to approve them. It's not a bad idea to send them out to us. We if we see something that looks odd, we can ask the question and maybe we can something will get cleaned up if it's if it's, you know, an expense that we don't think is correct. >> So, um yeah, let's just move forward that way that we see it, but um we don't need to do any more than that or just ask if anybody has any discussion on it and move right on. >> I I agree. Um okay. Um, did anyone have any comments or concerns on this list? Did do you have any, Jolene, anything you wanted to bring up specifically on it? I I didn't Nothing jumped out at me. So, >> yeah, nothing really jumped out. Pretty standard operational claims there. Nothing out of the ordinary. >> Yep. Uh, we will jump to the agricultural lease which is due to be renewed. Jolene, >> thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, and in fact, the lease that the tailor are currently operating under is expired. Um, so we are working hard to get this lease back on track so that they can they they're continuing operations as normal in anticipation that the city would want to continue with this lease agreement. Um, so staff tonight is proposing that we enter into a five another five-year lease agreement with Taylor Farms. Um the leased space or the land has been reduced from the prior lease agreement because in 2023 the city did sell off one of the parcels that the tailor were previously farming and that had been contemplated in that previous lease agreement. So the acreage is reduced in this lease agreement. Um we're proposing the starting lease amount at $118.80 80s per acre, which can tabulates to approximately $13,000 annually for this first year. And then staff is proposing that we continue on with the 2.5% increase each year of the lease term. These rates are consistent with regional averages. Um I did a little bit of a deep dive into the U of M extension service and their recommendations on lease rates and we're right in the ballpark consistent kind of right in that spot between where Chicago County lease rate amounts are and Washington County. Um, you know, Washington County is a pretty big county. There's a lot of farmland down in >> Cottage Grove, which is probably getting a bigger, >> right? >> It's a little bit more expensive. So, we're proposing that we we start at at these amounts and that um if the commission is comfortable with it, we we get this this lease agreement on the council for approval and final execution. >> And 2.5% is pretty darn close to what the CPI comes out at. It really vary. That number varies, but >> it really is. And and the tailor did ask that we maybe the commission look at possibly a lower rate. Um because right now there's a slight downward trend, but during the last lease agreement there was significant upward trends and some downward trends. 2.5 just seems to be a nice middle ground. I mean, I I it's really up to others, but I mean, if you wanted to throw out there that we could adjust it for per the CPI every year, but that just puts some risk on them that they could get hit with, you know, 2.9% or something like that. >> It does. >> I would think they'd be okay with the 2.5. >> Candidly, they they they did share with me that they're absolutely comfortable. They just wanted to throw it out there in case the commission wanted to consider it. >> Staff would recommend that we maintain the 2.5. It certainly simplifies things at 2.5. Um, any other discussion from any commissioners on that? So, do you need a uh a motion from us to move it ahead at 2.5? >> Yeah. So, if we could get a motion to recommend approval of the lease agreement um for city council consideration. I would appreciate that. And then secondly, just wanted to touch a little bit on the additional ask that Taylor Farms had. You may have noted in my staff report um they're asking that the city post some signage on the property that is let me see I can pull it up here if you give me a second okay so um this parcel here. This isn't all of the parcel. This parcel here are part of the lease agreement. The tailor maintain this parcel here. Um, and they aren't compensated for doing so. They don't pay for a lease for this. Um, they're not truly farming it. They're really just mowing that property. Um, they said that they appreciate the improved aesthetics when they do so. Um, and then they will use that hay that is mowed from that property for feed for their livestock. They've noted that there's significant a lot of folks tend to use this as a dog run or a dog park. It's kind of an ideal location for that, right? It's not officially a dog park by any means and city does not advertise it as such. but they're just asking that perhaps the city post some signs to ask folks to clean up after their pets. And the reason that they're asking for this is because they do like to use that hay that they mow for feed. And when there is dog excrement in there, they can't use that hay for feed. Now, um Chair Steeler did make a good point when we were chatting about this earlier. There's wild animals that go through there. Wild animals are clearly not going to clean up after themselves, but this would minimize the problem. Um, I've talked with public works. They're they're comfortable with posting some signs, and we actually do have a couple signs here. Let me see if I can get this to >> So, we have a couple signs in in stock um that that the city received when we did a bulk order of some dog bag receptacles. So, we have these in stock. There's some existing posts there that they could probably be attached to. >> Do we have bulk dog bag receptacles? I mean the like dispensers and and receptacles. >> Yeah, we do have some of those. There have been some posted up by cooling camp now. I just know because I see them as I'm walking my dogs out there. Um and they're in a couple other locations, too. I think there's quite a few at Lakeside Park as well. >> So, these are just standard signs that came with those and they're just extras. >> So, we have them on hand. Um, it really truly would just be staff time to install them. These are quick installs. It wouldn't take a lot of work, especially if they're being attached to an existing post. Um, public works did propose the two areas that are noted with the red dots there. You know, we we could post a sign every three feet and make it probably still wouldn't be effective, but it's an effort. Um, you know, I I appreciate the fact that the the tailor are mowing that. I know that aesthetics are important to this council and I I think that it's it's a benefit to the city that they're doing that. So, I think this is a a good return for that. >> Yeah. Very little cost for us if especially if we already have the signs. So, absolutely. Um so, this just be part of our approval of the of the new lease agreement with the tailor. >> Correct. >> So, we have a motion to approve our >> Sure. I'll make a motion to approve the updated lease agreement with Taylor for the lease of the land for farming and the installation of the signs. >> A second. >> A second. Uh any other discussion on No. Um all in favor say I. I. >> I. >> And that moves on. Uh the officers issue is next on our list and since there's only three of us here, we'll probably pass on that. Um >> that is just fine. I just wanted to give this commission a little bit of an update. So our code is not very clear as to how often that election of officers should occur. It actually doesn't state that it should be done on an annual basis. So my recommendation would be and if the commission is comfortable with it being that we didn't have any changes to this commission this year that we maintain the status quo um if chair steeler is comfortable with that >> do we want to create an a a schedule that it should be done on even number years or odd number years or >> I would propose that in um and and then at the same time we also just clean up the language in that chapter of code to specify that we don't need a treasurer. We don't need a secret I don't believe that there's a secretary contemplated, but I think a chair and a vice chair is appropriate for this. >> Yes. >> So, >> yeah, let's let's do that next meeting. We'll clean that up and uh and get that moved through. That would be that would be good. >> Yeah. So, I will draft up some proposed language and we'll have that ready in June. >> Yeah. Okay. Great. Thank you. Um lease default updates. Yeah, we had the the city attorney's letter regarding lease defaults. What's the status on that? >> Just wanted to give this commission a brief update on that. I don't have a whole lot, but um we I did just receive confirmation that those letters just went out last week by certified mail. Again, we were going through some transitions here at the city. Um legal counsel um is the point person on sending those letters out given some other things that she was tasked with and then due to vacation schedules, those did go out. We haven't heard anything back from those lease holders. Um, but I would expect that we would have a more detailed update at the June meeting for this commission. >> Okay. Um, any staff updates that we haven't covered? >> Yeah, I just have one really brief update for the commission because of the I'm sure you're all aware that we are now into road construction season here. My favorite time of year and I'm sure yours as well. Um so on the on your screen you can see uh highway 61 and 202nd as part of the highway 97 construction. There have been some pretty significant close calls at this intersection here. >> Been been a big accident on I think it was the very first day I came by there. Yeah. Anyway, >> um we've been in touch with MDOT. We've had our public works staff out there, public safety and um engineering staff just to take a look. Uh right now we're proposing that we just close this intersection so that folks can't turn on and off of 61 from Forest Road or from 61 onto Forest Road. It's just becoming increasingly dangerous. We just wanted to bring it to the commission's attention just because of the proximity to the airport. But in in consideration of public safety, it's It's the right thing to do. Uh, no one likes >> a stop light there. Right. >> Right. No one likes detours. Um, and and everyone's natural inclination is to find a shortcut to subvert the detours. And unfortunately, what happens is that we end up in situations where there's increased accidents and close calls. And there's a lot of school kids coming out of the the high school and stuff in this area and trying to shortcut the the detour. and we're just going to do what we can to increase public safety here. So, we just wanted to bring that to your attention. Um, our staff has been in touch with business owners in the area just to discuss it with them before anything is finalized. We want to get their blessing for this. Um, because we don't want to have any further negative impact on the local businesses. Um, public safety and police department is continuing to increase patrols in this area too. So, I just wanted to put that on your radars just due to the proximity to the airport and forest road there. >> Okay. >> Otherwise, I don't have any further updates this evening. >> Mr. Mayor, you have anything? >> Nothing. Just thanks for your service. >> Yeah. Thanks, Mara. Anything? >> Nothing for me, >> Kurt? >> No, sir. >> No, I don't either. Is there a motion to adjurnn? >> Motion to adjurnn. >> And a second. Uh, all in favor? I I >> I think we set a record tonight.