All right, we'll call the meeting to order. Please stand if you're able for the pledge of >> allegiance to the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
>> All right, welcome everyone. Glad you were able to make it through some of the city traffic uh and construction. Uh roll call please. Thomas >> Mayor King >> present. >> Council member Large Austin >> present. Council member Waller >> present. >> Ain present. >> Present. >> Kelly
>> present. >> Walla >> present. >> Fisher >> present. We have a quorum your honor. Thank you Tom. Item number one is a motion for the agenda. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Um with the additions. >> Second. So moved. Whatever you need. >> All in favor. >> I.
>> Starting off good. That was item number one. >> Item number two is a motion approving our minutes from July 21 of 2025. >> So moved. >> I second. All in favor? >> I opposed. >> That motion carries. Item number three under awards and recognition. Say it's
not true. Jim Hollyy say it is not true. Um before Jim gets to give his 15-minute speech I would like to make in front of everybody. Uh share a funny story that some of you may have heard goes back a few years when there was a fire department issue and we had a work session across the uh right through the
hallway there and got a little bit later and and Jim had come with fellow firefighter and friend um uh what was it? Um, oh gosh, >> remember >> Tiger? It was Tigner. He leans over leans over and says, "Hey, uh, Tiggy's got a way. Can you give me a ride home?
It's a block from me." I said, "Yep, I got you." Knowing full well in my head what he's going to experience when we get out in that parking lot. So, sure enough, the meeting gets over and we walk out in the parking lot and >> Jim sees what I'm driving that day. Happens to be a little scooter and he his comment was, "Holy fiddle sticks."
Something like that. Something like that. And I said, "Yeah, hop on. Hold me like you love me." And we didn't depart the parking lot more than half a block because whatever you do, just do not drive by the fire department. The wrong thing to tell me. So, we circled that bad boy honking the horn.
Jim on the back of my scooter. So, I'm going to miss that guy. Jim, congratulations. 18 years with the fire service. The fire service certainly uh near and dear to my heart because my dad was a fireman and I appreciate what you do dayto-day. and to be able to uh retire and hopefully have a long retirement. Uh we certainly hope the
best for you and and do appreciate the service that you provide and just the entertainment for heaven's sakes. But great guy. I know I know everybody you work with and I see folks here, you know, um Tom Schulty, you recognize him because he's not wearing the dress blues like some of the firemen here that are in these dress blues. But a lot of
support you have here with the firemen and their and their firefighters and their family and and uh to just kick off his retirement. Chief, do you have any words? Yeah, Jim actually spent 22 years in the fire uh fire department. He's became a member in 2003, went full-time in 2007,
and now he's able to retire here in 2025. Uh I think the day he gave me the letter, that grin has been on his face ever since. Um yeah, Jim is a a hardworking individual that we could always count on at the fire department. Um did anything
he asked of him um and and did it to the best of his ability. um man of many talents and we're truly going to miss him. >> Yeah, appreciate it. Um we do have a a card and I did the block lettering myself, Jim, >> and uh in a plaque here. So, I'd like to present that to you. If you want to say
a few words, too, that'd be great. >> I really don't >> I want I want pictures. >> I hope you got Make him right over the screw with Thank you again, Jim. Enjoy your retirement. I'm sure I'll see you around the neighborhood. Uh moving on, since we
do have a retirement, we have a new firefighter, Ian Caruso. Jim, you want to tell us a little bit? >> Out with the uh experienced, in with the new. >> Um Ian Caruso started the fire department in January of 2003. Um, he's
been part-time since then. >> 23. >> 23. That's it. >> Oh, 2023. My bad. >> He was two. >> He wasn't even born in my bad. But I'm young. >> Um, so I think Ian was bit by the the
fire bug early. Wanted to become a firefighter as soon as he got going. Um, we're extremely lucky to have him. So, um, the other night we figured he may be the youngest full-time member of the fire department ever. >> So, um, he's got a lot of years ahead of
him. Um, he's got a great attitude. He's smart, he's talented, and we're looking forward to a lot of years with him in the fire department. >> That's excellent. Well, welcome aboard, Ian. And I I think you have your girlfriend or fiance, Maddie, that's going to pin >> What's fiance? Pin something on, Jim. Is that right?
>> Yeah, we're gonna have Maddie pin his badge on for him. Right on. You guys want to step forward right in front here so everybody can see you and get some pictures, too. >> Make sure you poke him at least. >> Yes. Before you give it a good one. Yeah. >> Make it hurt. Yeah. Make it hurt.
Remember that. >> Not real unless you draw him low. Nice. Excellent. Very good. And welcome. Thank you uh Austin Fire for showing up in support and congratulations on your retirement and long years of service there Jim and Ian. Welcome. Uh moving
on, we also have a Salvation Army, some new folks uh uh running our Salvation Army. Uh Lieutenant Juan Hernandez and Omeira Cervantes. You want to come and introduce yourself a little bit? Thanks, folks. Thanks. >> Welcome to Austin and and thanks for
what you do this for the Salvation Army. Thank you for your time. My name is this place home. We are very grateful to be here. We are very very very excited for the
opportunities we have and we are here to serve. uh the Salvation Army uh mission is to serve and we embrace that and thank you Mike for
uh make this possible and for this opportunity and and we hoping to serve the community. We hoping to to be here for a couple years and and
even though we are Packers fan, but >> Austin Packers, right? Was that what we heard? >> We are very grateful. Uh we went out uh meeting the community and and during our
uh food pantry during our uh uh meals uh we have the privilege to meet uh the community. We are very very excited for for the future that this community and for the partnership with the Salvation Army in the city of of
>> Excellent. Where did you stop before Austin? Where was your >> I'm originally from Mexico. Uh then I live uh 22 years in Wisconsin, two years in Chicago in college training and this is our first appointment. >> Oh, really? Well, that's great. Exciting.
>> So, she's from I'm from Puerto Rico. I moved 16 years ago, seven to Wisconsin when we got married. Then two years in Chicago. We got two teenagers, >> uh girls. Uh and we're happy to be here
to have this opportunity to serve. Uh so wherever they send us because we don't know where we're going in the next three five years. Uh this is going to call be our new home and always going to be in our heart.
>> Thank you for open the the city for us. >> Uh it has been a great experience so far. >> Well, thank you. We were happy to have you and I I saw the gentleman back here when you mentioned you're a Packers fan. He was shaking his head. So I don't think you're getting any food donations out of that guy. Food donations are going to
>> They already in my office and my door. They already put uh Vikings. >> Oh, is that right? Good. Mike very uh we are very excited uh uh to be here and we are very grateful. We thank the city because the city have been very
welcome and receive arms and we are very happy. >> So if you need us, you know where to find us. >> Absolutely. >> We are neighbors. So we are here for you. >> Excellent. Thank you so much. >> Well, thanks for coming, introducing yourselves. Appreciate it. Thank you. >> Thank you. All right. On to item number four, the
consent agenda. Need a motion. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> motion carries. Under award bidding. Uh item number five is receiving bids for the 2025 sanitary sewer lining project. Awarding the bid. Stephen.
>> Yes. Council had budgeted 750 $775,000 for a project to line sanitary sewers in different areas of town. We identified two main neighborhoods being the Wildwood Park neighborhood and the Sterling neighborhood. Both of those
they're unique neighborhoods where the sanitary sewer lines actually run down the backyards. They're not out in the street. So they're uh you can imagine folks have a lot of trees and different things in their backyards. So, uh, there's potential for root issues, um, in those areas. They're also difficult
to access. So, those were some of the two areas we wanted to tackle first. So, before you tonight is, uh, bids for that sewer lining. We had four bids. Municipal pipe tool was the low bidder at $651,441.95. So, with that, uh, we have funding using
our sanitary sewer fund to fund this project, and we would recommend awarding the bids to municipal pipe tool. Very good. Anyone have any questions? Mr. Lang, >> otherwise I'd take a resolution motion for resolution. So moved.
>> Second. >> Council member Waller. >> Hi. >> Baskin. >> I. >> Oma. >> I. >> Ellie. >> I. >> Obala. >> Hi. >> Fisher. >> Hi. >> Council member at large Austin. >> I. >> Resolution passes 70. Your honor. >> Thank you. Item number six. Uh, big
surprise. Uh, point of sale. We have a little this is our third meeting I think formally on it and I firmly believe that everybody on this DS and everybody in the audience wants what's best for the city of Austin residents infrastructure everything. I I guarantee we all do. How we go about it is going to be a little
bit uh more of a challenge, but we're up for that challenge. I think what I'm hearing in the past is we do need to put the brakes on this thing at least until March one, get things figured and sorted out. I'm hopeful that that's what we can do because I do believe when you have $3 million or three million gallons of waste water going on a regular day to
that plant and then it rains an inch and you get 10 million there's there's some infiltration going on whether it's private homes whether the city's city sewer system uh certainly we all have a hand in it and we can't have that kind of volume treating that kind of clean water uh when it rains. So we do need to
do something and I'm hopeful that we can get some some mutual resolution. We're looking for council's uh motions or conversation, whatever you want to do here, council. >> I uh move that we approve as amended. >> That puts it out till March one. Get a
committee together. >> Right. Okay. >> I'll second that. >> Got a motion, a second. Any further discussion? Then looking for uh Tom might as well take a roll. >> It's a motion. >> Okay. Uh all in favor? >> Opposed?
>> Motion carries. Thank you. So, we'll put that out. Stephen will just get a committee of select people together that are helpful and we'll make this thing work. Thank you folks. >> Do we have to do it? >> Oh, yeah. >> For 6B for the adoption of the
ordinance. Need an ordinance or resolution. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Council member Waller. >> Hi. >> Baskin. >> Ima. >> Hi. >> Ellie. I >> Oawa. >> Hi,
>> Fiser. >> Hi, >> Councilman. Large Austin. >> Well, hopefully we get this thing figured out um in a positive way. Um and since it's moving forward anyway, I'll >> Ordinance passes 70, your honor. >> Thank you, Thomas. Thank you folks for
uh all the information that you provided and interest you have in this. I think we can get the where we need to be. So, appreciate your interest, >> Mr. Mayor. If people want to be involved in a stakeholders group and give input to the edits, how would how contact >> Stephen, you'll be the point person on
this, right? >> Yeah, >> please reach out to me if you're interested in being part of the committee. >> Okay, very good. >> And I would agree. I mean, I think a good step forward. I know there's a lot of stuff that we've got to figure out here. So, let's at a minimum push it back to March and continue to kind of
work through all the details. So, and thank you for everybody that's been involved and raised their voices and at the end of the day, if we move forward with this, we've got to make sure that we've got it functioning well for everybody in the city. So, I think it's a good step forward. >> Thank you. Moving on. Item number seven
is a resolution approving fees for temporary cannabis event permit registration. agree. >> So, I included some information in your packet, but as part of Minnesota's cannabis legalization, um the Office of Cannabis Management is
going to start accepting applications for cannabis event organizers starting August 1st. The city ordinance has already designated that these types of events are not going to be allowed on city property, but the clerk's office is going to recommend implementing a daily
fee of $100. And this is mirroring the fee that we currently charge for community festivals. So this will help offset administrative and enforcement costs. So we're asking that council approve the fee. Let me know if you have any questions. >> Where would you envision something like
this happening if it can't be on city property? >> It would be held on private property. >> But so just people's homes. They got to get a license for >> hypothetically maybe in the ballroom at >> um Double Tree. >> I see. All right. Very good. Thanks, Bri. Uh, looking for resolution item
number seven. So move. >> Second, Tom. >> Council member Waller. >> I, >> Baskin. >> I, >> Oma, >> I. >> Heli, >> I. >> Obala. >> I, >> Fisher. >> I, >> Council Member Large Austin. >> I,
>> Resolution passes 70. You're on. Thank you, Tom. Item number eight's resolution granting the theater liquor license to the Paramount Theater. Three. So back in April, um we had Paramont Theater looking to obtain a theater liquor license. We don't have this type of license in the city of Austin. So um we
brought this to council. We looked at allowing them to serve alcohol beverages during film screenings and different events. They have um presented the city clerk's office with all the certified documentations that we require for this
license. So, we are recommending approval for this license and looking for council approval. >> Council, any questions for Bri on this? >> Nope. I think it's a great step forward. I would move that we approve it. >> Excellent. Is there a second? >> Second, >> Tom. >> Council member Waller
>> I. >> Baskin. >> I >> Hely. >> Enthusiastic. I >> Oala. >> I only get one vote though, right? >> Chicago. >> Fisher. >> Hi. >> Council member Large Austin. I
>> resolution passes six or seven to zero with >> not so council member Fer >> item number nine moving on um is a resolution approving paid family medical leave private plan Trish >> good evening mayor and councel uh as you
may be aware uh effective January 1st 2026 the state um has adopted and will be implementing a paid family uh uh leave under the paid Minnesota paid leave law. Um the state will be
administering that, but uh entities have the option of um adopting a private plan. And so in in accordance with that and their regulations, uh we did work with one of our current providers and
went out to bid for a private plan. and uh MetLife came in as the low bid with a two-year rate guarantee. Uh so it is less than the state premium. So um it is a savings to the city. Uh the MetLife plan will mirror the state of Minnesota
plan as we are required to do. Um so this is hopefully also ease of implementation and um and running the program. Metife has had uh has done this in other states. So they are familiar with this
type of leave uh law and administering it. So u with that I would uh request approval of Metife for our private plan for 2026. >> Very good. Sounds like the best outcome. Thank you Trish. Council any questions? >> I have just a math question because I'm
not so good at scale. Um, if we approve this 79% plan, correct >> and I earn $100 on my paycheck from the city, the city is going to pay 39 and I'm going to pay 39 cents into the fund
on $100. Is that the right math? >> Right. Yeah. Right now, where it's anticipated that we're moving forward with the 50/50 split. Okay. >> As um allowed and stated under the state state plan. Um, so that would be the anticipated. Um, if anything were to
change uh during negotiations or anything that might be different, but as of right now, we would be um moving forward with the 5050 split. >> And Trish, the benefit, building up Laura's question, then the benefit for doing this and having a lower premium rate is then I don't have to pay, if we
did like the state, maybe I'm paying 55 cents, the city's paying 55 cents. So there's a lower cost for everybody. >> It's a lower cost for both the employer and the employee. Okay. >> Um, plus a 2-year rate guarantee. Uh, the the state's plan will um review the status of the and the health of the plan
as of January 31st of 2026 for a possible increase than in 2027. So, we have a two-year rate guarantee. >> I' I'd also throw out um really don't overlook how beneficial I think it will be for the city and our employees to have a private
private organization that we're going through. Um because any organization that goes through the state, you're going to have a brand new department set up with brand new people trying to administer this benefit right off the bat. Um I think it's going to be choppy, let's just say. So
>> years into cannabis, we haven't figured out. Why would you say that? >> So, you know, this is something that our employees are it's it's going to be a benefit that they get that hopefully will go very smoothly with the other benefits that they get and they'll have a one-stop shop for all of this stuff. >> Yep. I I would agree. I would anticipate
Metife since they've done this before um should be smooth for our employees. So, it's a benefit in that way as well. >> Excellent. >> So, here's the other scale question. Assuming this goes through and gets all the way through labor negotiations, what's the annual added expense to the
budget for the city? >> If we're pay if we end up paying half, you're probably in the range of 70 65 to $70,000 is our half. per year our additional cost. Yep. >> Thank you. >> All right. Any other questions for
Trish? If not, looking for resolution. >> So move. >> Second. >> Council member Waller. >> I. >> Baskin. >> I. >> Bosma. >> I. >> Heli. >> I. >> Obala. >> I. >> Fisher. >> I. >> Council member Large Austin.
>> Hi. >> Resolution passes 70. Your honor. >> Good. Thank you. Thank you, Trish, for your work on that. Uh item number 10 is a resolution declaring the structure at 700 10th Street Northeast as hazardous. Holly, >> welcome back by the way. Welcome back.
>> Um so this property was actually a hazardous structure some time ago and was bought in tax forfeite. Um the individual uh just never uh got off the ground uh to be able to do anything with the property. Uh it's in an industrial
zoned area and he had uh ideas about uh fixing it up uh as a residence which wasn't allowed. Um and so now we're at this impass and he's just essentially taking anything of value out of it right now. Um and so it's just left open. Uh no doors windows. It's in pretty bad
pretty bad shape. >> All right. Thank you. >> We're looking to secure the the building and to uh probably eventually remove it. >> Very good. Thank you, Ali. And council member Fischer had a motion. Is there a second? >> Second, >> Tom.
>> Council member Waller. >> I Baskin >> I. >> Oma. >> I. >> Ellie. >> I. >> Obala. >> Hi. >> Fisher. >> Hi. >> Council member Large Austin. >> I. >> Resolution passes 70 yard. >> Uh thank you. Item number 11 is our addition. uh approving an agreement with
mindot for routine maintenance along trunk highway 105. Stephen, >> yes, we do this every two years with Mandot and their bianium cycle. It involves uh allows the city to get reimbursed for doing some minor maintenance on Highway 105 through
Austin. It's it's essentially a a nice agreement because residents expect us they expect that to be plowed along with all of our other city roads. it would won't wouldn't look good if we lifted up our plows on 105 and waited for MDOT to come in and plow. We want to be plowing that, you know, in conjunction with all
of our other roads. So, this allows us to get some reimbursement for that for the plowing, the sanding, any minor patching that we do on that roadway. Um, give you an idea, in previous years, the the bianium. So, like the last contract
we signed had a 4.5% increase over the previous years. Um, our 22 to 23 cycle was a 3 and a.5% increase. Before you tonight, these numbers for 26 and 27 represent a 3 and a.5% increase. So, there's a small small percentage
increase each year. Um, and that's kind of where those numbers have been historically as well. So, with that, we'd recommend council approval for execution of this agreement with Mindot. >> Very good. Thank you. Any questions for Mr. Lang on this item? >> If not, looking for resolution. So move
>> second. >> Council member Waller. >> Hi. >> Baskin. >> Hi. >> Oma. >> I. >> Hilly. >> I. >> Obala. >> I. >> Fisher. >> Hi. >> Council member Large Austin. >> I. >> Resolution passes 70. Your honor. >> Thank you. Moving on to citizens
addressed in the council. Anyone here in the chambers wishing to speak to council of items that weren't on the agenda? >> Hearing none. Moving on to reports and recommendations. Craig. >> Uh, I don't have one, but Mr. Lang has one. >> The mayor mentioned it at the beginning
with the starting of the Oakland Avenue project. You know, I just want to mention to everyone in the public that we recognize that uh the end of July, early August is not the optimal time to start a major project like this, but there's lots of other circumstances that go into it. And our our focus this year
is getting the fourth street and Oakland Avenue by the high school intersection completed because next year fourth street bridge will be open a lot of and 14th street will be under construction. So all that traffic will be funneling toward Four Street. So recognize that um
starting this project and having it carry into the start of school wouldn't be isn't the perfect situation, but we need to get the full street intersection done to try to make next year a smoother construction year for traffic and everything else. Um in addition to that, we're also going to jump down and we've
started work today down by the fire station. So the focus of our 2025 construction season on Oakland Avenue is to get the fourth street intersection done and then get the two blocks on each side of Main Street completed. So from first street northeast to first street
northwest. That is our main focus here for 2025. And we'll work with, you know, I mentioned to the school district, I said, you know, we do an intersection like F Street that has probably six different contractors that will be
working in that intersection. So, we're not only trying to coordinate work in the intersection amongst those six contractors, but we're also trying to pull those contractors from other projects they're working on, maybe working out of town, working on state projects, whatever that might be. So just there's a lot of lot of things in
play and we're working on projects like this and trying to coordinate all of that try to get work out as quickly as possible provide as least amount of impacts to everyone as possible. So we understand timing isn't perfect but we're we're working with what we have to
try to narrow down the scope of work for 20. >> Thank you Stephen. Appreciate the update. >> Uh on the council Becky >> nothing. Jason, >> happy fair week. >> Thank you.
>> Uh, welcome back, Holly. Excited to see you back. I'm sure we've got piles of problems for you to address. So, >> thank you. It's good to be back and feeling healing up. It's better every day. >> Good. Uh, and then I just want to uh let folks know I appreciate the folks who have reached out about um kind of the
strange high-pitched noise that's kind of coming from the wastewater treatment plant area. Spoke with Stephen. We're going to take a look at it and see. Um, you're not crazy. There is a noise coming from that area. And it's interesting where the sound travels. We're hearing it up on Skinner Hill in particular right now. So, going to look
into it. Can't promise we'll have a quick fix right away, but we're going to dig into it because I agree that it's not a pleasant sound. >> Thank you, Mike. >> Uh, nothing, your honor. >> I want to mention that Austin Artworks Festival is August 23rd and 24th. Uh,
they're looking for volunteers as always. It's a super fun gig and you get a free t-shirt for your two hours of of volunteering. So, check out their website to do that. Um, I also want to say that um I really appreciated our first budget discussion last week. Um,
and thank you to uh the library board for attending. Um, it's excellent to see that engagement and I hope we continue to see folks um really here uh listening for the budget discussions because I think they're important. I I really like doing it this way and giving uh more
time for the department heads to talk to us directly and and us a chance to listen. Um so I hope we keep this um this method up in future years. And then finally, I want to tell Mr. Lang um that uh I happen to get my chiropractic
services from Dr. Bowlingberg who was of course impacted by the the closure of um Fourth and Oakland. And so I happened to go in there a couple of days after the intersection closed and she said, "Well, I tell you what, Laura, it's a lot easier for us to turn right and get out
of our parking lot at night now." So there's always an upside. >> Rivercloud is a sol. >> Thank you, Laura Obala. >> Um, I want to say congratulation to Jim for his retirement on the fire department. Uh, thank for his work for
all these years and um, again welcoming the new one. So thank you. Okay. Uh the only thing I had to report is uh uh Craig and I had a wonderful night last night at the Benine Independence Day celebration in the wall places Maple View City Hall and there
were so many comments from the folks that were were invited there as uh to celebrate with them that this is happening in Austin, Minnesota. Technically Maple View, but I think it's an awesome address. But it's absolutely amazing the festival out there and they they they can put on a party. There was
no doubt they were music was thumping. I'm still feeling it. Um might have had one or more alcoholic beverages. The food was amazing. So appreciate the invite and uh they're amazing people and their culture is just beautiful. So um
Wednesday's employee appreciation pizza party at the uh fairgrounds. Right. Wednesday I will be gone. I'll be in Illinois. I can't make it. But it's two slices of pizza. I feel terrible for missing that. But uh get out there if you can for the city employees. Thank you for putting that on. the engagement committee on that, I'm sure. Um, and
then the uh August anniversaries are as follows. These people have been with the city uh some for 24 years, some for one. Uh Kristen Olsson with the library, 24 years. Josh Kunzie, fire 11. Hans Gilbert, fire 11. Julie Kleinfelter, library, 11 years. Congratulations,
Julie. Luke Reese, nature center, nine years. Emily Sulttus, library, eight. Jeremy Mason, sewer maintenance for eight. Joe Johnson, street maintenance uh for seven. Ryan Mason, facilities building maintenance for seven. Craig Hegy, wastewater treatment plant, two
years. Aiden O'Hara, police, one year. And Owen Smith, sewer maintenance, one year. We thank those folks and happy anniversary for uh their years of service. With that, looking for a motion to adjourn to Monday, August 18th. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor?
>> I opposed. >> We're adjourned and we'll take about five minute break till rewind tape and get the work session going. Thank you.