All right, we'll call the meeting to order. Please stand if you're able 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. >> Welcome everyone. Uh, Brie, take the roll call, please. >> Mayor King, >> present. Council member at large Austin >> present. >> Council member Hely >> present.
>> Council member Posma >> present. >> Council member Baskin. >> Council member Waller >> present. >> Council member Fischer >> present. >> Council member Obala. >> Mayor we have a quorum. >> Thank you B. Uh item number one is a
motion for the adoption of the agenda with two additions. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion carries. Item number two is a motion approving our minutes from October 6th, 2025 meeting. >> So move. >> Second. >> All in favor?
>> Opposed? >> Motion carries. Uh nothing under recognitions and awards. Item number three. Item number four is a motion for the consent agenda. >> So move. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> opposed. That motion carries. Uh moving
on to public hearings. Item number five is a public hearing on street improvements on 14th Avenue Northeast, 18th Street Northeast, 19th Street Northeast, project 25303. The amount to be assessed is 1,153,565.33 at 5.75% interest for 15 years. Um,
is there the presentation of the project and association assessments is a call for written objections. Was there any written objections, Mr. Lang? We have not received any. No. >> Thank you. Um 5C is a motion to adjurnn and continue the hearing for those properties for which written objections and there has been none.
>> And 5D is a resolution declaring the cost. Looking for a resolution to declare the cost. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Three. >> Council member Hely. >> I. >> Council member Posma. >> I.
>> Council member Waller. >> Hi. Council member Fischer. >> Hi. >> Council member at large Austin. >> I. >> Resolution passes 5-0. >> Thank you. Item number 5E is resolution
adopting the assessment role. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Brie. Please. >> Council member Hely. >> I. >> Council member Posma. >> I. >> Council member Waller. >> Hi. Council member Fischer.
>> I. >> Council member Austin. >> I. >> Resolution passes 5-0. >> Thank you, Bri. Item number six under petitions and request is a motion approving our four-way stop sign at 2nd Avenue Northwest and Main Street. Stephen.
>> Yes. So, we've talked about this downtown area a couple different times throughout the last few years about what to do with the existing signal lights that were there and uh the installation of the temporary bumpouts and stop signs that were installed. And we brought back
to council at the last work session from what we were hearing from engineering staff and also from the police department. Gave council some feedback there about the Main Street and Second Avenue intersection. And at that discussion, it was recommended to move forward with a four-way stop at that
intersection, which would be adding stop signs for north south traffic on Main Street. >> Okay. Back to a four-way, just no stop lights, stop signs. >> Council, any questions? >> And they're going to keep the bumpouts, right? >> Correct.
>> Looking for a motion approving the four-way stop signs at Second Avenue Northwest in Maine. >> It's all moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? I I opposed. Motion carries. Item number seven is a motion reviewing the variance for a detached accessory structure request. Ali
>> mayor and council, this property is located at 15086th Avenue Northwest at the October 14th, 2025 meeting of the Austin Planning Commission. The commission reviewed a request from the petitioner for a variance uh which from city code which limits total aggregate of all structures, accessory structures
to,200 square feet and limits detached structures to two. The petitioner has requested to add 160 square foot shed in addition to two existing detached garage garages. Um the total square footage with the proposed addition is 1,310
square ft and the total coverage with all structures at 30% 40% is allowed. Uh two property owners who received notice of the public hearing attended the meeting in support of the prep petitioner's request and or were just interested. There was no opposition. After reviewing the planning commission
with five members present, recommended approving the variance of five to zero. The planning commission made the following findings and regard regarding this request that the requested variance is in harmony with the general purposes and intent of the zoning ordinance. That the variance, if granted, would not alter the essential character of the
locality in which the property is situated. That there are circumstances unique to the property not created by the landlord or land owner. The land owner intends to use the land in a reasonable manner not permitted by the ordinance. Do you have any questions? >> Council, any questions for Miss Wallace?
Otherwise, looking for a motion. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion carries. Item number eight uh is accept accepting these donations for the 2025 fourth grade junior fire program. Applebees, Arby's,
Austin Bruins, Austin Park Recreation Forest Board, Forestry Board, uh, Caribou Coffee, Culver's, Dairy Queen, Domino's, Echolanes, El Patron, Games People Play, Godfather's Pizza, Hardies, Hi-Ve, Kenny's Oak Grill, Perkins, Pizza Hut, Pizza Ranch, Q Doba,
Scooters Coffee, Smite Companies, Sweet Reads, Taco John's, Tenderade, the Hormell Foundation, and Walmart. Thank certainly thank all those local uh establishments and the park and rec board for those that donation for the 20 2025 fourth grade junior fire program.
We appreciate looking for a resolution to accept those donations. >> Move. >> Second Bri. >> Council member Hely >> I. >> Council member Posma >> I. >> Council member Waller >> I. >> Council member Fischer >> I.
>> Council member at large Austin >> I. Resolution passes 5-0. >> Thank you. Great. Uh, moving on to item number nine, granting the planning and zoning uh department the power to contract for the removal of junk and or legally stored vehicles at the following location. 103 21st Street Northwest, the
Fihole property. >> So move second. >> All in favor? >> Opposed? >> That motion carries. Item number 10 under the addition is a petition uh expanding the American Legion liquor
license to the patio area free. >> So previously the American Legion had their liquor license expanded to their parking lot uh per Minnesota state that um is not allowed. Their parking lot
cannot be um a licensed uh premise where you can serve alcohol. So, they've updated their premise to be to their outdoor fenced patio area to the east of their building. They've provided the necessary documentation and worked with
the building inspector to get that completed. So, the clerk's office is requesting the council authorize approval of this expansion. >> Thank you, Bri Council. Any questions on this? Anyone's looking for resolution? Some move. >> Second, Bri.
Council member Heli. >> I. >> Council member Posma. >> I. >> Council member Waller. >> I. >> Council member Fischer. >> I. >> Council member at large Austin. >> I. >> Resolution passes 5-0. >> Thank you. Item number 11 but 12 on our
packet is approving the purchase of a 938 catwheel loader. Stephen. Anything on this other than your backup? >> Yeah, I'll just talk about it a moment. Um, apologize for the late edition on this, but some of these numbers we just received this morning and wanted to bring it to you. So, our original plan
was to uh lease a loader that we would then purchase after the lease expired. And so, our our funding options for that is option number one shown on the attachment where we would lease the loader for $21,000. Um, after the lease was about to expire
in March of 2026, we would then purchase the loader for $270,824 for a total cost uh for this loader of $291,824.70. Uh, so once we kind of were figuring those numbers, we thought, well, let's
just reach out and see what uh what it would cost if we just outright purchased it right now. We know we're going to purchase it in March. What What possibly could we save in in holding fees from the from the company if we were to just purchase it now here in the fall in
November? And that actual outright purchase price today would be $280,445.17. That's option two on your handout. So, we would save $11,000 almost $400 in interest costs if we were to just
advance funding from 2026 into 2025 to allow us to just purchase this now. And we would combine our original lease dollars with our 2026 CIP dollars to make this purchase. Um, and so we wanted
to bring this to council and see if you're interested in advancing some dollars to save some money or if you want to just go with our original plan of leasing it and then purchasing it after the lease. If if you do want to go with option two, which is accelerating this a bit, it would require a budget
adjustment to move those dollars ahead from 26 here into 25 for this purchase. So, just wanted to make you aware of it and uh look for what your desires are. >> Thank you, Stephen. appreciate the savings council. It's your desire. Go with option two in advance of funds
if you can save 11,000. >> Anybody else have any input on that? >> Stephen, I really like the fresh look on this and always looking for a chance to save money. Is there is this a piece of equipment that we've leased in the past? The same style. Like is there any chance that after using this for one season, we
might realize this isn't what we want or need? We currently have two 938 loaders and this will replace one of them. So, we already have this style. We know this is what we want. We actually leased one very similar to this a couple years ago to try out some different features that
it has. So, we feel comfortable this is the model that we want. >> Okay. Yeah. Then I I just assume save 11 grand. That's for sure. >> Looking for a motion. Make a motion move to buy the loader for
the 280 280 option number two. >> Okay. Any uh is there a second? >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I opposed. >> That motion carries. Thank you. >> That's a resolution. >> Resolution. Option number two. Then we
have to go with the resolution. >> All right. Thank you, Bri. Go ahead. So, let me um council member Hely >> I. >> Council member Posma >> I.
>> Council member Waller >> I. >> Council member Fischer. >> Hi. >> Council member at large Austin >> I. >> Resolution passes 50 approving a purchase of the 938 cat wheel loader. >> Thank you Bri.
>> Uh moving on to report or citizens addressing the council. There's any citizens in the audience tonight that uh wish to speak to council that of items that weren't on the agenda or are not going to be on the work session. Hearing none uh reports. What? Sure. Come on forward
and give us your name and address, please. >> My name is Shland. I live here in Austin 70th Avenue Southwest. >> Just one second. >> Is it that one? >> Yeah. Just one second. >> Okay. Miss Havlin, what what can we do for you? >> Tom already. >> Everybody get that?
>> Yep. >> Okay. Awesome. Thank you. Thank you to the mayor and city council. As I said, my name is Shelley Hland and I'm here this evening on behalf of a group of people that are concerned about the unhoused or homeless people in Austin here. I come to you with professional
experience in this area, having worked at SEMCAC for over five years. I work with the homeless on a daily basis and we are here this evening to ask the city council to amend the zoning ordinance to allow a conditional use
permit for a warming center here in Austin. A warming center will serve unhoused people here. Over the last five years, there have been an average of 83 people per year that are homeless here.
So, for the purpose of this conversation, unhoused is anyone lacking a fixed regular and adequate nighttime residence. And that can include people living on the street, living in a camper, storage unit, their vehicle,
couch hopping, you know, one relative to a friend to another relative, back and forth. Every single night is somewhere new. And here's some information from SACAC why a warming center is needed. To
date, as of today in 2025, 65 people have been identified by SECAC as unhoused. That includes 58 adults and seven children. From 21 2021 to 2025,
60 plus people annually have come to SECAC, have come to me for housing support. Not everybody comes to me. There are more people here that are homeless, but not everybody comes to SECAC. Okay? And a warming center would reduce
harm that unhoused people experience, which includes, and there are numerous studies, and I could cite them all for you, but we do not have time for that. Um, unhoused women are 44 times more likely to be raped.
and violent assault among homeless people is 49% more than the general population. Okay, this solution is most more cost effective than housing any individual in jail or even one night.
And here are just some demographic demographics. Like I said, 2025, 65 people. 2024, 98 people. 2023 78. 2022 110.
2021 69. And their ages range all the way infant up to age 72. The majority in this community are Caucasian, but all races in this community have been represented by these numbers.
And we got to remember these numbers. There's statistics, but they are human beings as well. And a lot of barriers to housing here. There's a lot of complex processes. And because some of these homeless people have been a victim of a crime, their ID is stolen. Well, you
can't get a lot without an ID. You can't if their social security card is stolen, you cannot you cannot prove who you are without your ID. So, a lot of these barriers other than that are the price of rent in
Austin has skyrocketed. Okay. Rental deposit fees. Landlords want a lot more money now. Some of them are asking for double deposits. A lot of homeless people, their phones are stolen. They don't have any money to get a phone. Now having said some of
them do not have money. The majority of the people that I have worked with in all these five years they have income. They are working. They have earned income or it could be social security, SSDI something. But they do have income.
So they are contributing members to this community. And we as a group have identified that Catholic Charities has a warming shelter model that would work well here in Austin and particularly given that community support is here. And I will invite Rudy
from Catholic Charities to the >> um you know before we get too far down. This is going to be a standalone item on our work session. So I I want to give you guys maximum time. It's on the agenda for with after the the council meeting is over. Then we will if you
prefer to do it now, I'm not going to get in your way. We'll hear it either way, but this will be a topic on our work session. >> I would do it now. >> Okay. >> Good evening. My name is Rudy Null. I am the director of housing and shelter programs with Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota. I live I'm in
Rochester. Do you want my address still? >> Sure. >> Okay. 218 13th Street Northwest Rochester, Minnesota 55901. Um, I've been with our program since we first started in 2019. And the way it came about was we were having a lot of
folks in our skyways, parking ramps, um, and the city reached out to Winona, which had a, um, a seasonal shelter program that was open. So, we kind of tweaked that model. So, we've been open since December of 2019. Uh, it intended to be just a seasonal shelter, but then
grew into a year- round facility once we learned that. I mean, we were pretty much at capacity with 30 folks um right away from the get-go. Um over the years, we've continuously grown. Uh I would say we've been pretty much at capacity for the last like going on our third year.
Last year, we opened up a overflow site um when we partnered with Salvation Army. Um so last year at the height of our the winter season, we were sheltering anywhere from like 80 to 90 people a night. I know that some of the concerns when you have a shelter um is
the fact that some people think that if you build it they'll come. We've done some data tracking and we found in the last 6 months that a lot of our folks that are coming to the shelter that were brand new were actually people in our own community. Um some of them were housed at one point became uh been
housed or excuse me they were housed became homeless and then housed again or homeless again. And so a lot of the folks that we see coming through are people that are in our community. We see a lot of folks that are coming to the shelter because of the Mayo Clinic. Um, a large percent of our folks think that
they can come to the Mayo Clinic, get seen right away, um, and they realize that they can't. Another part is, um, folks come to Rochester for treatment and sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't. Um, I think the other concern that we've heard in the past
about the shelter system is that, you know, we are a low barrier shelter. So, that is just a location for a lot of just um I don't know, just uh bad activity. Um, but we've worked really hard with our Rochester Police Department. We try very hard not to have
to call them. Um, sometimes when we do it's at the the it's at the last resort that we call them, but we really practice just deescalation, trauma-informed, crisis management, and like literally we don't have to call police. Very often do we have to call
them. It's usually something that's going on in the parking lot, but not inside the shelter. Um, so I just uh am excited to be a part of this and just be able to share Catholic Charities's interest in helping create the shelter. Um, we definitely believe that regardless of what your situation is,
everybody is worthy of shelter, especially during the cold one. So, thank you. Good. Thank you, Rudy. >> All right. Um, reports and recommendations. Craig, >> I have nothing but Mr. Sehon and Lang
have a couple items. >> Arm wrestle. Jason, >> my money would be on you anyway. >> Thank you. I will be brief. Um, I was asked to provide an update on the farmers market for 2026. Uh, so the
board met uh a couple days ago to talk about the farmers market, the Cedar River farmers market. So, there will be an increased push for marketing and promotion with the idea not only to attract more um attendees to the farmers
market, but also more vendors as well. Um we are looking to connect with local community garden growers and um we have a lead on a primary vegetable grower. That's one of our uh goals is to have more vegetables at uh present at the
market. Um and then also looking to fill a uh a market manager position. I think that's pretty important for the ongoing operation and mo and promotion and marketing of the of the event. Um and then we are also excited we meaning the
farmers market board and group uh to be part of the food city initiative brought out uh through the 2045 comprehensive plan that you might have read about but um it's all I know for now kind of give you an update as we learn more but I'd be happy to answer any questions anybody else
>> council any questions Mr. Sean >> is this a farmers market by the Salvation Army? >> Yes. Correct. You just trying to push it to get more vendors to make it >> a little bigger or >> Yeah, bigger, better, um get more vendors so there's more product to be
sold and um just more of a one-stop shop and uh you know just make improvements and then also >> what happened last year while it was smaller. >> Uh last year I think was an improvement from the year before. Um there was a local one of the local vendors kind of took charge. That's part of the trying
to find a market manager position because we didn't have one last year. So, one of the local um vendors, if you will, who's a farmer, kind of took charge and she and her uh family and and farm um took over the promotion and
actually it it went pretty well. I mean, I know early in the season you could get some early harvested items like rhubarb and uh asparagus and some other things like that which you weren't able to get the year before. So, um I think there was some improvement, but the idea is to
build upon that and continue to grow. >> Thank you. >> Good. Thank you, Jason. >> Stephen, this past weekend there was a closure of I90 which created some additional traffic through Austin, both vehicles,
semis, wayward wayward folks. Um there were some uh issues out on 14th Street with a signal. One of our temporary signal lights out there got hit by a semi on Saturday morning. Um but for the
most part, I believe everything went about as good as to be expected. Um, but I wanted to let the council and and the public know that there's going to be additional weekend closures and overnight closures coming up as they look to try to complete some of the work and get things open there at the Four
Street Bridge. There is some work that they have to do over traffic with the underside of the bridge that will require some overnight closures. Uh, those will be in the coming weeks. I believe there is another planned weekend closure this upcoming weekend, but we'll
wait for Mandot to get out official news on that, but I do believe um they're planning a weekend closure coming up for to create and do more work for the the shorter crossovers that they're going to be implementing through the winter. There's some additional work that needs to be done on that. So, we'll continue
to keep the council and the public informed as best we can, but ultimately we'll rely on MDOT to put out those formal notices on closures. We'll get them posted to our Facebook account as soon as we know, but um be aware it's a little bit of a fluid situation as they
look to try to finish things up. There will be some more overnight and full day weekend closures in the in the coming weeks. >> Very good. I appreciate the update. Council, any questions? Mr. lying on that bridge.
All right. Uh on to city council. Uh Paulie, >> nothing. Your honor. >> Laura, >> um a few things. I want to encourage our um youth artists anywhere in Mau County to apply to the call for art that the Culture and Arts Commission has put out. You can find out more information about
it on the Austin area arts website. Um we're collecting um art that will be jury reviewed and then um turned into graphic wraps on utility boxes in Austin. Um this is a way to um fight the tagging and help beautify our city. Um I
also want to remind the public that the deer hunt is on. Um if you're out using the nature center or Todd Park and see a sign about the deer hunt, it's still okay to use the the park. Never a bad idea to wear something bright uh when you do. Um thank you to the parks and
wreck uh department. We've had 250 trees um planted uh this fall um which is a great step forward on a long journey that we'll have to recover from emerald ashbor. And then finally um I wanted to congratulate the pride committee um for
putting on pride a couple weeks ago. Um it was not all smooth sailing, but um they handled it very well and uh I noticed they've really leveled up um their leadership and and um it was a great event. So that's it. >> Thank you, Jeff.
>> Uh yes, library board met on the 14th of October. They're excited for the launch of Millie the Mil Pond Monster. Uh bringing Millie to life was a great collaboration between a number of people and organizations. The opening event was
on the 16th from 4 to 6 uh with more opportunities with Millie coming in the future. Uh they are looking at forward they are looking forward to updating the strategic plan in 2026 and already have some new ideas brewing. They also reviewed and approved several library
policies around programming material selection and reconsideration and meeting rooms and no changes were needed. That's all I have. Your honor. >> Thanks Jeffy. Uh just a congratulations to the H. They wrote and were awarded a
$5 million grant to replace uh piping in the Twin Towers. And that is a big resource. And we're here talking about um housing for folks. That is a great important source of low-income housing for Austin and the greater community.
And protecting that what 50 60 year old investment is is key. And u $5 million is a real big grant. So kudos to them. >> Yeah. Thanks, Mike. Becky, >> nothing. >> All right. Uh, with that, looking for a motion to adjourn to our November 3rd,
2025 meeting. So, moved. Is >> there a second? >> There was a second. Second. >> All in favor? I >> opposed. We are adjourned. Take about a fivem minute break and we'll uh go into the work session. >> Thank you.