Uh we'll call a meeting to order. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation indivisibley and justice for all.
Good evening everyone uh and welcome. Tom, take the roll call please. Mayor King present. Council member at large Austin present. Council member Waller present. Baskin present. Osma present. Ellie present. Fisher present.
We have a quorum your honor. Very good. Thanks. Tom. Looking for item number one. A motion for the agenda. So moved. Second. All in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. Under item number two is a motion approving our minutes from our May 5th, 2025 and our May 12th, 2025
meeting. So moved. Second. All in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. Under item item number three is recognitions and awards. We have the Buddy Poppy Proclamation and I will read it. Whereas the annual distribution of buddy poppies
by the veterans of foreign wars of the United States has been officially recognized and endorsed by governmental leaders since 1922. And whereas VFW buddy poppies are assembled by disabled veterans. And the proceeds of this worthy fundraising campaign are used exclusively for the
benefit of disabled needy veterans and the widows and orphans of deceased veterans. And whereas the basic purpose of the annual distribution of buddy poppies by the veterans of foreign wars is eloquently re reflected in the desire to honor the dead by helping the living.
Now therefore, I, Stephen M. King, mayor of the city of Austin, Minnesota, do hereby proclaim May 23rd and 24th, 2025 as Buddy Poppy days. And I urge all patriotic citiz citizens to wear a buddy poppy as mute evidence of our gratitude to the men and women of this country who
have risked their lives in defense of the freedoms which we continue to enjoy as American citizens. And uh like to present this to Scott Weekman. If you want to come forward, please Scott. Oh, great. Thank you. I didn't have
enough high fee for [Laughter] sales. Thank you all. [Applause] Like Steve was saying, this goes into our relief fund, it's called, and that's
used exclusively for veterans, for families, widows in Orphans, and then support within more county and Austin. So, it stays local most of it, but some we do give to the national. So, thank you. We appreciate it. Hope we see you with all your poppies. Thanks, Scotty.
All right. Right. Item number uh under item number four, a motion for the consent agenda. So moved. Second. All in favor? Opposed? Motion carries. Under petitions and request, we have item number five is a resolution approving the 2024 audit report. Tom, as was
presented at the last work session by the auditors Craig Copenhagen from Clifton and Larsson Allen. They gave us again an unqualified or clean bill of health. Um, our unassigned fund balance ended up at 56% at year end, but again, we transferred a million4 out at the
beginning of this year for trees and the police vehicle. So, we should be down again below 50%. Our expenditures for the general fund ended up at 96% of budget um with the difference being unspent capital and police officer vacancies. And our revenues came in at
101. So, right on budget as proposed. A big thanks to our staff, especially Kim, Melissa, and Michael. They handle literally hundreds of thousands of lines of data each year. Um, but also a big thanks to the employees and department heads for watching over everything. We don't pass an audit without everybody
following your guys' policies and procedures. So, we appreciate the support. Very good. Thank you, Tom. Thank you for everyone on their the work with this making this audit shine. So, uh, with that, looking for a resolution for number five. So moved.
Is there a second? Second. Council member Waller. Hi. Baskin. I. Oma. I. Heli. I. Fisher. Hi. Council member at large Austin. Good job everyone. I resolution passes 6. Your honor. Thank you. Tom. Item number six.
Resolution approving the wastewater treatment plant six-month extension agreement. Stephen. Our current 30-year agreement with Hormell Foods to accept wastewater discharge from the Hormale production plant is set to expire on May 31st of 2025. We've been in
conversations with them about extension or renewal of this agreement. Uh but we aren't it's not finalized and we're not ready to bring it back to council or to their folks for approval yet either. So what we're asking for tonight is a just a temporary six-month extension to the
existing agreement. All the same terms would apply. It's just a six-month extension to November 30th of 2025 or until the parties enter into a new wastewater treatment agreement, whichever occurs first. So, uh, this just buys us some more time to finalize the necessary and get the necessary
approvals. So, we would request council approval of this. Thank you, Stephen. Council, any questions, Mr. Lang on this? Looking for a uh resolution? So, moved. Second, Tom. Council member Waller I
Baskin abstain. Oma I Ellie I Fiser I council member at large Austin I resolution passes 50 with one abstaining your honor. Thank you Tom. Item number seven is a resolution declaring the structure at 1043rd Avenue Southeast as
hazardous. Need a resolution. So moved. Second. Tom. Council member Waller. I. Baskin. I. Hosma. I. Hely I. Fisher hi. Council member at large Austin I. Resolution passes 6 your honor. Thank
you Tom. Similarly uh item number eight's resolution declaring the structure at 808 9th Street Southeast as hazardous. Need a resolution? So moved. Second. Tom. Council member Waller I. Baskin. I. Hosma. I. Ellie I. Fisher. I.
Council member large Austin. I. Resolution passes 6. Your honor. Item number nine is uh a motion granting the planning and zoning department the power to contract for the removal of junk and/or legally stored vehicles at the following location. 9A the residence is 1010 Avenue Southwest, the Dornick
property. Need a motion. So moved. Second. All in favor? I motion carries. Item number nine listed as A, but I'm sure it's 9B. address is 307 2nd Street Southeast, the
Maktazuma property. Need a motion. Second. All in favor? I opposed. That motion also carries. Are there any citizens in the audience wishing to address the council on items that weren't on the agenda? Seeing none, hearing none.
Reports and uh recommendations. I have nothing but Grayson, Steven, and Julie have items. Wow, it's a lot. Who wants to go first? Jason, Stephen, or Julie? Okay, Julie. All right. Well, I passed out our 2024
annual report summary from the library. Uh, Minnesota public library annual report to the Minnesota Department of Education. The data is submitted to the Institute of Museum and Library Services for its public libraries in the United States survey.
Um, so what we do then is that report is 30 or 40 pages long and is really hard to interpret without all of the corresponding computer information that explains what all the numbers mean. So we've been doing this infographic. Um, a few things I just wanted to highlight. Again, libraries build communities. In
2024, the our library uh visits increased 21% over 2023. our meeting room use, which makes sense. We added those a couple new study spaces and in the library in 2023. And in 2024,
we had a 90% increase over 2023. Those rooms got used 2,248 times. Um, and then another interesting data point was that our registered card holders, we had an increase of over 940
um, new registered car holders at the library last year. So, just a little bit of information there for you. And if you do want access to the full report, I can get that to you. Thank you, Julie. Jason, honorable mayor and council,
um, want to remind everybody, so two things. One, our the Austin Municipal Pool opens two weeks from tomorrow. We remind everybody to let their friends and neighbors know we are still looking for some lifeguards. Um, we have partnered with the YMCA and we are going
to offer a class I think June 2nd, 3rd, 4th. More information will come out probably tomorrow. Anybody's interested in acquiring the lifeguard training, they can reach out to me, uh, call the parks and recreation office and we can get that information um, out there. And the other thing, just a reminder, we do
have scheduled for June, Saturday, June 7th a park board. Um the June meeting is actually going to be a park tour and the park board wanted to invite city council. So I did send an email out. Uh I've heard back from a few of you. Few of you are probably looking at your
schedules still. Um so just want to remind you June 7th is a Saturday. We'll meet at 10:00 at the nature center uh 10 to 12 and then we'll go back inside the nature center for about a half hour for some Q&A but um invite you to attend uh if you would like and if you have
questions about it let me know as well. That's all I had. Good. Thank you Jason Stephen. Oh I thought you wanted it. No you can regarding the uh public works week. I thought maybe
that's what you might have wanted to say, but mayor's going to cover it, too. Okay, go ahead. Good. Okay. Thank you. Very good. Thank you for the segue, Stephen. We are honoring a couple of our departments in different national weeks. Uh so last week, we didn't meet, but
last week was uh National Police Week. And so I will we read that one first. Uh last week from May 11th to 17, communities across the nation observed National Police Week, a time to honor the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers, those who gave their lives in the line of duty, and
those who continue to serve with courage, compassion, and dedication every day. National Police Week is a time of remembrance and reflection through memorial services held throughout the country. Americans came together to pay tribute to the fallen, support their families and and colleagues, and express deep gratitude
for the continued commitment of those who wear the badge. Here in Austin, the mission of our police department is clear. To safeguard the life, property, and rights of our diverse community. This is not just a statement. It is a guiding principle that informs the work of every officer every day. Our officers do not serve alone. They work in
partnership with the very community they protect with professionalism, integrity, and respect. They help ensure a safe environment for all who call Austin home. So today, we pause to say thank you. Thank you to those who have lost we have lost in the line of duty. Your
legacies will not be forgotten. And thank you to those who continue to serve, the men and women of the Austin Police Department who respond to every call with dedication and heart. Your service does not go unnoticed and your sacrifice will never be taken for granted. We see you, we stand with you,
and we honor you now and always. Thank you to Austin Police Department honoring them. National Police Week. Also now this week recognizing the National Public Works Week from May 18th to May 24th, 2025. This week we proudly celebrate National Public Works Week and
recognize the hard work, dedication, and behind the scenes excellence of our 56 public works employees. These men and women serve as the backbone of our city's infrastructure and daily operations, working across multiple departments to keep our community safe and functional. From the roads we drive
on to the wastewater we create to the buildings and facilities we rely on, public works is there making sure it all functions as intended. Our public works team includes staff from a wide range of specialized areas. Engineering Department, planning, zoning, building and rental departments,
street department, central garage and mechanics, sewer maintenance department, wastewater treatment plant, arena and building maintenance, sign department, transfer station, street lighting and airport. The f the scope of their responsibility is truly impressive.
Maintenance of 122 and a half miles of roadway. Operation of 10 snowplow routes. Maintenance of 100 blocks of roadway each year, including seal coating, crack sealing, asphalt patching, and alley resurfacing. Reconstruction of 25 to 30 blocks of
street per year. Oversight of 120 miles of sanitary sewer with 25% of mains cleaned annually. Management of 2,500 manhole structures and 9,000 service connections. Operation of our wastewater treatment facility, the city's most
valuable asset at $175 million, which treats six million gallons of waste water daily. Maintenance of 15 miles of pedestrian trails and oversight of 2 and a half miles of flood mitigation walls and earthn levies. As we take time to
acknowledge public works week, let us recognize not only the scale of the work being done, but the dedication of the people doing it. Their commitment to safety, service, and stewardship is what keeps our city running smooth and strong every single day. Thank you, city of Austin public works employees for your
incredible service to the community and the residents of Austin. And I understand there's going to be a pizza party out the shop here this week. So, well done. And thank you uh to both departments, the public works and as well as the as the police. Uh we cannot do it without you. Cannot have a
functioning city, no doubt. So, thank you. Uh on to city council comments. Paul, uh, just to thank all the department heads and Tom on the fabulous audit this year. Thank you. Thanks, Paul. Laura, I want to say thank
you to uh, Verin Vanvoo and her whole team at Parenting Resource Center for Taste of Nations. It was another great event and I happen to know uh, the heavy load it is to plan an outdoor event any time of the year in Minnesota. So, um really love seeing the community there
and um also had some delicious food from the food trucks. Um 4th Avenue Fest is coming up on June 4th. Um there will be live music. Uh Jojo Green is the headliner uh on the live stage. There's also Open Swim at the pool. Um the WOW
mobile metal lab will be will be back with metal art making um and lots of other fun things. So, be sure to get out to Horus Austin Park between the library and the pool on June 4th. And then finally, um the Southeast Minnesota Arts Council is doing a grant workshop at the
Artwork Center on June 5th. Um Mau County and Austin organizations do very well accessing um those grant funds for arts and culture activities, but individual artists in our county do not do particularly well. Um and so just from a point of pride, I'd love to see
more of those grant funds flowing in. So, if you know of any artists that would include musicians, um, theater arts, writers, um, visual artists, uh, anything along that line, encourage them to go check out the grant workshop June 5th at the artwork center. Good. Thanks,
Laura. Jeff, uh, yeah, the public, uh, the library board met last week. Uh, some of the highlights of the meeting were the ILS migration occurred during the week of April 28th. public won't notice most of the changes which were more behind the scenes in nature uh went
through mostly well for the the library. Um they received another grant for Millie the Mill Pond monster project. Uh this one will pay for the signage, landing, etc. Uh kudos to Julie and the library staff for securing grants while engaging the community to support this
community art and learning opportunity. And the summer reading program kicks off June 2nd with a foam party and food. the information and calendars have gone out to the public. Thanks, Jeff. The uh highlights of the annual report which
Julie handed out earlier. So, that's all I have. Thank you. Thank you. Uh nothing your honor. Jay, nothing your honor. Nothing your honor. You're good. All right. Thank you. Uh in addition to reading those uh statements on the National Public Works Week, I I want to
thank Stephen and Holly for going along on a field trip with me today. I I know it's uh sometimes unusual to get out of the office, but I like these field trips. I've taken playing with Craig and I've also taken recently with Jason Sehon. I just think that you get the uh there's a there's a lot that goes into that and I think there's a lot of
feedback that we would get on by being in person rather than through an email. So, appreciate your willingness to jump in the truck and go to the my field trip with me today. Also uh Sunday uh yesterday I had the occasion to uh be in in church service where there was a baptism going on too and there was a medical emergency right in front of me
and uh called 911 and helped what I could during this church service going on and wanted send appreciation to Tim Hansen and and Tim Olsson from the fire department and uh I think it was Aaron Yanganger responded from the PD along
with the EMTs from Mayo but to to to their their deaf touch of of uh helping with that medical during the middle of a church service was unusual, but they did a fantastic job and I was able to see it firsthand. So, their response time was great. Their response
to this woman was great. So, I really appreciate that um the services that you guys provide. So, thank you. The fire department has all the best Tims. They do. As as I introduced this woman, she was just coming back and I said, "This is Tim Olsson." And then right behind him was Tim Hansen and I said, "This is
also Tim." And Tim Olsson said, "The better looking Tim. nice to have a sense of humor and those kind of things. So, appreciate all the all the work that every department does, but just happened to highlight that yesterday. So, thank you. Um, with that, looking for a motion to adjourn to uh
Monday, June 2nd. So, move second. All in favor? I opposed. We are adjourned to we'll take a fiveminute break to the work session. Thank you.