Okay, here we go. Well, good evening everybody. Uh this is the Tuesday, August 19, 2025 meeting of the Adina City Council. And before I call the meeting to order, uh just a reminder, as director Benerrod indicated to all of you that we are doing these
meetings on a hybrid basis. People are able to watch online, call in uh at particular points in the meeting for community comment if they have something they wish to share that's a concern of theirs with the council uh or if we have any public hearing matters as we do tonight. We have one public hearing
matter. Uh folks may call in and then we'll have live testifiers here potentially uh in the audience that wish to testify as well. So uh having provided that information, I'm going to call the meeting to order and ask our clerk Sharon Ellison to call the role of the council.
>> Council member Agne >> here. >> Council member Jackson here. >> Council member Pierce >> here. >> Council member Risser here. >> Mayor Hublin >> here. Next is the pledge of allegiance. I aliance 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. >> Thank you everybody for that. And we have a form of meeting agenda that's been published uh with
regard to tonight's meeting. Is there anyone anyone on the council or a staff member which wish who wishes to modify the agenda in any way? >> All right. Is there a motion to approve the meeting agenda as published? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Jackson moves. Member Pierce seconds the
adoption of the meeting agenda as published. Any further discussion? Those in favor of adoption of the meeting agenda is published say I. I. >> I. Opposed. Carried. The meeting agenda is adopted. Next thing on that meeting agenda that was just adopted is uh community comment. and we talked a
little bit about that and we're going to have folks in the audience come up first. Uh give us your name and your address. Remember, you've got three minutes and uh we've got a familiar face with us this evening. One of our one of our colleagues uh and um eager to hear what she has to
say. So, and anyone else in the audience who wishes to speak? So, go ahead. You can lead us off. >> I will. Nancy Greer, 5225 Graan View Square, Unit 216. I am here to follow up on an email regarding the need for additional safety signage at Grand View
Square Crosswalk over Eden Avenue that I sent to the city council along with sever several other people on July 24th. Since the only person to reply to me was state rep, I will recap what I said in the email. I included several more
petition signatures from Avador to add to the 133 signatures that I had previously given you. Along with those several um with those were several 2023 email exchanges between Nick Baller and Kathy Owens. As you know, Mr. Baller is
the city's traffic safety coordinator and Kathy Owens is a resident at 525 5225 Grand Square. September 22nd, 2023, CA Kathy had her first email exchange with Miss Mr. Baller about a warning
flasher that the Adina city safety committee ultimately recommended installing on even ad avenue later that fall. There were several follow-up emails. It is now one month shy of two years that the request has been was made and no advanced warning system has been
instal installed. Representative Ukim asked me if I would like to meet and discuss the issue. I said that I would and we are meeting on September 9th at 11:30 a.m. at the senior center. I am inviting all the council to join us if they would like. I hope to give her a
tour of the crosswalk and the curve. I am also requesting that the council members take a trip on Valley View Road. There is a pedestrian crosswalk at Concord. A block prior to Concord is Virginia. It has an advanced warning flasher as does Ashov going in the other
direction. What you will see is a straight road that doesn't need an advanced warning system as there isn't any obstructed view of the c conquered crosswalk. I am hoping that one of those advanced warning systems can be ro relocated to the curve on Eden Avenue
where it is needed. I really don't think it should take two years to procre procure a safety feature and wonder if it was ever ordered. I would like to point out to the council that all the units of the Grand View Square complex pay property taxes. In our building,
there are 70 units and I will say that our unit is starting to resemble the taxes we paid in Lynen Hills for a house that was twice the size of our current home. I think some of our tax dollars could be spent to keep us safe. Don't you? I know it has been suggested that
we walk up to the light at Vernon and Eden cross there. Sounds reasonable until you really look at what you were asking. The people using the crosswalk range in age for the most part between 75 and 85. They have to walk up to the light. Hope the people turning right
onto Eden are paying attention to them and not looking to see if anyone is turning left. I can attest to the fact that they do not pay attention in the crosswalk. If they survive, then they have to cross at the exit from the gas station, the entrance and exit to Adina
Family Physicians. They have to walk through Jerry's parking lot where you would think drivers are paying attention to people going in and out of Jerry's, which include not only senior citizens, but young children and their parents. They do not. Then you want them to reverse the process on the way home.
Don't you think that's a lot to ask of senior citizens? This may be hard for all of you to believe, but in what seems like a blink of the eye, you will be in your 70s and 80s. I think the mayor will agree with me. It goes by in no time. I
think you will want your elected officials to keep your safety front and center as we do. >> Please. >> Thank you, Mr. >> What? >> Thank you. >> Yes. Please. >> Thank you. Do you want to make that part of the record? Absolutely. >> Would you want it to hand it to the clerk, please? And she'll make it part
of the record. >> All right. Thank you for coming this evening. Anyone else in the audience that wishes to address to council in public comment on a matter of concern to them? >> Anybody online? >> I have no one online for uh community
comment. >> Let's turn then to manager Neil. Um I don't know if you want to address this continuing issue at Grand View Square or or not. Therefore, they have any knowledge of >> what I I would suggest is is I will talk with Mr. Scipion and some of his
colleagues at engineering and we'll put try to put together the current uh status of what's happening out there for you and we our commitment is to have that ready in reply by Friday of this week. That's our standard commitment. >> What about the issue of the advanced warning system that she says it's been
two years since they were told they were going to get this advanced warning system. >> We'll we'll take a look at that. >> Okay. All right. Uh, and then you've got some supplemental information from our last meeting, I think, to report out on. >> I do not we I do not have any responses
to community comment from last night. >> Um, because there were no things that you needed to >> question. Right. >> Okay. All right. Um, we next thing in the agenda is the consent agenda. Is there anyone on the council that wishes to remove an item from the consent agenda?
>> Hearing nothing. Is there a motion to approve the items on the consent agenda in a single motion? >> So moved. I second. >> Member Jackson moves member Agnu seconds the adoption of the items on the consent agenda in a single motion. Any further discussion? All those in favor of adoption of those items on the consent
agenda in a single motion say I. >> I. >> I. Opposed carried. Those items are adopted. Uh consent agenda items are approved and adopted. All right. We're going to go next to um a public hearing matter that we have and um
it is the only public hearing matter and we mentioned that earlier and it's a potential um bond sale that we may be involved in as a conduit organization. So, good evening. >> Good evening. >> I want to introduce Nelly Chick Brewer.
Nelly is number two work in our finance department and she's here tonight to kind of shepherd this particular item for you. All right. >> Okay. >> Thank you, Miss Chick Brewer. Welcome. >> Thank you. Um, so today we're here to ask um for public hearing as well as approval of the issuance of revenue
bonds by the um National Finance Authority on on behalf of the Centurion Foundation. Um the Centurion Foundation is taking out a bond to make improvements for the Auroral Transitional Care facilities. Since the
project is in the city of Adina, we have to give them host um approval to go ahead with the issuance. It should also be noted that um the issuant does not result any liabilities to the city of Adina since we're just acting as host
approvals. Um the city council did approve um a public notice for this on the June 17 council meeting. So with that, I do have representatives for the borrower in case you have any questions for them.
All right. Thank you. Yeah, >> I'm happy to give you 30 seconds. That would be good. Thank you. >> I'm Jeremy Alum with Barnes and Thornberg. Uh we represent the Centurion Foundation, which is an Atlanta based uh nonprofit organization that works with healthcare facilities around the country. Um, as mentioned that, you
know, these bonds will be issued by a different issuer, but because the project is located in Edina, we have to hold a public hearing locally under the federal tax law, and we have to have approval from the local government uh prior to proceeding. So, so that's why we're here this evening. It's the existing Aurora on France facility. I
was there today visiting the facility. Very nice facility. Will continue to be will continue to be operated uh by uh the folks that operate it, which are part of Fairview Health. So, um, again, this is kind of I hate to say it's formality, but it is a formality under the federal tax code that we we hold a
public hearing and and put this in front of the local government. >> Understood. Thanks for being here. >> You bet. >> Um, any questions from council members at this point in time? Okay. This is a public hearing matter. I'm going to open
this up for public testimony. Is anyone in the audience who wishes to uh testify regarding this matter? this request. All right. The request again is to uh potentially authorize the issuance of revenue bonds by the National Finance
Authority for the benefit of Centurion Foundation in France Avenue 6,500 France Aurora on France as we all know it. Uh transitional care and assisted living facility. Okay. Uh Director Benerrod, anybody
online? I don't have anyone on the line just yet for this public hearing because there is a brief delay in the broadcast. I would recommend we wait about a minute before moving on just to make sure no one's trying to to dial in right now. My clock shows that it's 712. I'll come
back to you at 7:13 or when I have a caller, whichever is first. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Mayor. >> Yes. I just wanted to add uh one section here and that is u uh usually we we have a pause but we have the public hearing
we close it later and we act at a subsequent meeting. Uh the request tonight is to open and close the public hearing this evening and to take action on the proposed resolution this evening. Yes. >> Understood. Okay. >> Yeah. And I don't know if in the in the interim period here where we're waiting to see if anybody comes online land if
you want to comment further on uh our historic uh role in some of these situations where the property happens to be located in Adina. >> You know those of us in the non-legal non-financial world call this a conduit financing. Uh we've done many of them over over my career here. They all
almost always associated with a a healthcare um and a healthcare institution. In other communities, they they might also be connected to a a university or a college financing for for housing is another where area where
you see these. But this for us was we we haven't done one in a while. So that's where this one comes from. >> And there's no risk for the city. >> There's no risk for the city. Um as as the proponent mentioned, it's it's a formality in in US tax code.
>> Anybody come online? >> I don't have anyone online, sir. We'll take it in two phases here. First of all, is there a motion to close the public hearing on this matter? >> So moved. I second. >> Jackson moves. Men Agnu seconds the closure of the public hearing with
regard to resolution 2025-72. Any further disc further discussion on that motion. All those in favor uh of closing the public hearing with regard to resolution 2025-72 say I. >> I. Opposed. Carried. The public hearing
is closed. Uh, and the next action step, uh, if council cares to take it, would be to have someone move to approve resolution 2025-72, which would authorize the issuance of revenue bonds by the National Finance Authority for the benefit of Centurion
Foundation, France Avenue. Is there a motion to that effect? >> So moved. >> Braggen move. Member Pierce the adoption of resolution 2025-72 as stated. Any further discussion? All those in favor of adoption of the
resolution 2025-72 as stated say I. >> I. >> I. Opposed. Carried. Resolution. Resolution 2025-72 is approved. Adopted and approved. Good luck with everything. >> Thank you. >> Thanks for being here this evening.
And Mr. Chick Brewer, thank you for being here too. >> You're one you're one and0. You got a big win right out of the box. Yeah. Okay, we're going to move on to the next portion of the agenda, which is reports and recommendations. We got several
items to deal with here. The first item is one that we see every uh meeting, it seems like, as a resolution involving the potential acceptance of donations on behalf of the city of Edina. Uh this uh this uh meeting we have resolution 2025-71
which has a couple of recommended uh um gifts in it for and we need to approve those gifts. Is there anyone that cares to move the adoption of resolution 2025-71? >> So moved. I second. >> All right. Member Jackson moves. Member Agnu seconds the adoption of resolution
2025-71 which would accept donations on behalf of the city of Vina. Any further discussion? All those in favor of adoption of resolution 2025-71 say I. >> I opposed. Uh that resolution is adopted. The gifts that are reported in
this particular reporting period are to park and rec Stacy Grimes. Uh a tree at Ardan Park value of $350. Same as those chairs we've approved over at the at the senior center. Uh communications Ambrosia coffee uh for
the communications department. $60 of gift card prizes for city hall selfie day. So, that was interesting. I'm sure Director Benrock can tell us a little bit more about that if you're so inclined. Um, all right. Next item on the agenda in this portion of the agenda
is potential issuance of a conditional use permit for the uh electric uh vehicle maker Rivian. And this is at 3510 uh Galleria. And we had a good discussion on this a couple weeks ago and I think there are some changes that
have been made uh by Rivian which uh I think are are helpful. And so we'll turn it now to you uh Addison to have us, you know, walk through it walk through the matter for us. >> All right. Good evening, mayor, members of council. Uh this is a request for a
conditional use permit for Rivian uh to allow for an automobile agency selling new unused vehicles in the PCD3 zoning district. Uh this item was first introduced at the August 6th meeting where uh you also held the public hearing. So Rivian is proposing a small 3200 foot vehicle showroom inside the
mall. They would also have six vehicles on site available for test drives. The staff recommendation tonight is to approve resolution 2025-64 approving the conditional use permit. Um and in response to comments at the last meeting, Rivian and Galleria have provided some additional information and
made some changes. So, one of those items is a letter I think you should have on the DIS. It's a letter from Galleria's fire protection engineer. Uh, and that confirms that the sprinkler system in that tenant space does meet the O2 standard that was recommended by the fire marshall. Um, another change is
a revised floor plan with the addition of an exterior door uh directly to the tenant space to address the fire marshall's concern about, you know, in the event of a fire being able to pull a vehicle out of there directly rather than having to pull it through the mall. Um, they've also provided some
additional information on battery safety as well as a letter from Galleria Management expressing their support for Rivian uh with the addition of that exterior door to the plans. Um, and so with that, in addition to myself being available for questions tonight, uh, we have our fire marshal, Dave Miller. We
have Paul Wagner, property manager of Galleria, and we also have, uh, several members of the Rivian team, uh, joining us virtually tonight. And I think, uh, if you'd be all right with it, uh, they'd like to, uh, present the revised plan to you quickly and then respond to any questions from the previous meeting.
>> Very good. Thank you, M. Lewis. All right, go ahead. We can have them makes our presentation. >> Okay. So, we'll turn it over to Hannah Woo from the Rivian team. >> Let me let me ask first if any council members had questions of you.
>> I have a question. >> Yeah. I think member Jackson, did you have one? >> I have one, too. Yeah. >> Um, thank you. So, you just stated that there were some changes, but I'm looking at the resolution and I don't see those as conditions on the resolution. What is it that we would be voting on tonight?
Um, so there should be a condition that it's based on the material presented tonight. Um, I guess if we want to just be super clear, you could add, you know, a condition saying that, um, you know, with the addition of the exterior door, um, and I guess subject to any of the
other conditions from the fire marshall's letter that you'd want to impose. Um, they've been agreeable to it and presented information that they're willing to, you know, comply with with some of those. Um >> I yeah I'm just looking at this and
I think that's something we should have in writing. >> Okay. >> And I don't see it specific enough. So um so I'd like to see something before we close out on this if that's possible. >> We we could craft those or have the attorney craft those additional
conditions writing so that we can look at them before we vote. >> Yeah, that'd be great. Thank you. Mr. Kendall, can you take care of that? >> I can do that following the meeting. I don't think I can have it ready tonight unless you want me to.
>> I think we wanted we want to have we I think the notion would be to have you hand write those additional conditions like exterior door. Um >> well, I don't know, Mr. Lewis, why don't you tell us what are we missing here so we can >> So, there's I think four recommend
recommendations from the fire marshall that uh were recommended conditions and it it appears that Rivian and the Galleria team are going to meet three of these. Um so you could just add compliance with with those three conditions. We could specifically state,
you know, a condition be added that they include the exterior door. um that they have a 30% max charge on all the vehicles kept inside the showroom um and that they provide the ordinary hazard group to sprinkler coverage which
they've already documented that they have done. >> Mayor, I can get that done with Mr. Teague very shortly here. I I thought some of these were already in there, but we can get them added momentarily. >> Yeah, if you can craft them up quickly, that would be helpful.
And then let's go to member Risser next and then member appears. >> Right. And I'm confused. The letter from Paul Wagner notes under item number two, controls shall be implemented to always limit the state of charge of the batteries to less than 50%.
And fire marshian Marshall Emiler um has that at 30%. So there's a gap there. There's >> 30%, >> right? We want 30%, we don't want 50%. But the Galleria is saying that they
will only do it to 50% instead of 30. So what's going on there? >> I think the 50% was a was a separate recommendation from Galleria's fire protection engineer. That was maybe a standard that they were referencing, but I think our fire marshall and the Rivian team have agreed on 30% and Rivian is
agreeable to that. >> Member Pierce. >> Um I So I'm just confused. Um, are the the um stipulations included in any of the documents in the packet?
That's all I'm looking for. And I keep looking through >> the resolution is down the line a little bit. >> There's a condition in the resolution that, you know, the operations be consistent with the plans and everything that they've submitted in the packet. >> So, so yes, they you what you would be
approving would require them to have the exterior door. They've already documented that they've got um the right sprinkler coverage. >> Yeah. >> Um >> the 30% >> and the 30% is what they have documented given us in writing that they're going to do. >> Okay. >> So, we we feel comfortable with with
that. >> Yeah. That's all I'm looking for. It's really the same point that member Jackson is making. Whatever those are, we should have them documented in the resolution. >> Okay. All right. Very good. Uh, stand by, Mr.
Lewis. And then, um, Miss Vu, thank you for being with us. And I see Mr. Moon is here as well. Um, thanks for coming out a couple weeks ago. I think it was helpful to the discussion and and I'm pleased that I think our whole council is pleased that you were attentive to
the concerns that we had uh, and uh, and addressed them. So, I'll turn it now to you, Miss Woo. Great. Um, I'm not sure if uh the floor plan is on your screens. Nothing's showing up on our end.
>> I think Mr. Lewis is going to kind of >> I can pull it up for you. >> He's going to pull it up. >> Oh, >> she needs to share her screen. >> Oh, okay. >> Miss Woo, can you share your screen? >> Uh, yes, I can. >> That's the way we can do it. Otherwise,
you're going to be gone. But we'll just have audio. >> Split screen out here yet. >> No problem. Let me share my screen. >> Okay. Do you all see the floor plan here? >> Yeah, we can see that.
>> Great. Um so what we um have done is we've taken uh the council and the fire marshall's comments um and we rotated our backup house uh to to be stuck to the left side and added uh an exterior
door to the back. Um we also added a vestibial here for comfortable temperature inside uh inside the showroom as well. Um, so what we've done is we've kept the storefront the same from the interior of the mall and uh we just shuffled our
front of house um program to to meet the exterior path. >> Right. And did any of the other folks on your team wish to comment on the revised proposal? >> Mr. I
do not think so at the moment. I just want to share this uh to to show that we are working on the exterior door. Um and it is in our plan. >> Yeah. I have to tell you, I was so pleased when I saw this uh because I
drove I was worried about Rivian and I I you know I went over to the mall after our conversation and and uh where I thought the back of your space was was right where all those utility boxes are and I thought well the door is a good
idea but it just can't happen because all the utilities are right there but you're really to the east of the utility boxes and so you've got room for that uh exit door right there which is >> right. Um, and we wanted to preserve the tree as well, so we stuck it to the left
side. Um, and we'll just be relocating the lamp post. >> So, will that serve as will that serve as an exterior entrance for people, too, or will it just be used if you have to? >> It will be used for an exterior entrance.
>> Okay. Does anyone else on your team wish to comment about the revised proposal? All right. >> No, no comments from from me. >> All right, Mr. Moon. Thank you. All right. Um, anyone else, Mr. Lewis?
Okay. All right. Uh, stand by, folks. We're going to have a little conversation here. I think, uh, do we have the revised language ready? >> Uh, yes. So, staff would suggest that you add these three conditions. The first, which would be number seven,
construction of exterior doors as proposed and included in the packet, and a max charge of batteries for vehicles parked inside shall not exceed 30%. That would be condition eight. And the fire sprinkler system to be installed per the recommendation of the fire marshall.
That's the part that's already been installed. But >> yeah, good. Yeah. Thank you, gentlemen, for putting it together quickly. Very helpful. And uh, Miss Wua, Mr. Moon, you agree to those additional conditions? >> Yep, we do. >> Okay.
>> Yes, sir. >> Very good. Well, I I'll tell you, I tried to call this uh friend of mine who is the mayor of uh White Plains, New York, Thomas Roach. I couldn't get a hold of him today. I wait, shame on me. I waited too long to get a hold of him.
But I did talk to the mayor down in Normal, Illinois, who is right where the factory is. and uh he said, "Uh, Jim, I don't think there's much risk of a fire. We've got those kinds of conditions going." And then they put a door in there. So, they just wanted you to know that, my colleagues as well. Um,
okay. We've got a staff recommendation uh to adopt the uh or is authorize the issuance of the conditional use permit for 3510 Galleria to Rivian. And the motion would be to approve resolution
2025-64 uh approving a conditional use permit for Rivian to operate an automobile agency selling new unused vehicles at 3510 Galleria uh subject to the nine conditions that were just set forth uh the six that are
embodied in the printed document plus the three that were uh provided by Director Teague. those nine uh conditions and would be part of the part of the resolution. Uh is there member of the council wishes to move the matter? >> So moved. >> Second.
>> Member Jackson moves. Member Pierce seconds the adoption of resolution 2025-64 with its nine uh uh conditions attached to it which would approve a conditional use permit for Riven to operate an automobile agency selling new used new
and unused vehicles at 3510 Galleria. Uh, any further discussion? >> Yes. Uh, member Jackson, >> I just want to know if our fire marshall has any comments that he wants to make. >> I don't have >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thanks for that. >> Thanks to everybody who's been working
to resolve this. I I appreciate that. >> All right. Yeah, we may stand by Rivian. We may have a few comments from council members after we vote here. So, and I know you want to stick around for the vote. So, any further discussion? All those in favor of adoption of the
resolution 2025 2025-64 uh as stated say I. >> I opposed carried. You've got unonymity here of opinion for Rivian and we welcome you to Edina. We're excited to have you here uh with a retail presence
at uh a great uh shopping mall in our region. So, I think uh you'll be well served and be a good tenant and you'll have a good landlord there as well. I think there's a lot of traffic through there, foot traffic. So, I think it'll be good for you. All right. Anybody else
have a council comment? >> All right, that's it. Uh Miss Woo, Miss Mr. Moon, thank you. Okay. Next matter in front of us is resolution 2025-68. The potential adoption of that
resolution. Uh it would it involves the acquisition of property at 5146 Eden Avenue. And this is um paring a bit the uh work that we did at the HA a week or so ago. And uh Mr. Nundorf has this
matter. Yes, thank you. Good evening. I have a couple items tonight, but we'll start with resolution 2025-68. And as you referenced, this is a a companion piece uh regarding the city's old public works lot uh at 5146 Eden, a
site that's been talked about, vision, discussed for quite some time. Uh we are at a point where we uh intend to move forward to find a new developer to build on that site and one of the directions that you'd given staff earlier in the year was to look into the possibility of
creating more revenue for the city uh from this site from the sale of of this site. So currently the property is owned by the HR and it was transferred to the HR a few years back to separate those functions of real estate deals and
contracts and zoning provisions. So as an HA body we've done some additional work over the past uh few years but over this last uh eight months in particular to identify a prospective development team to pick it up and run with it. What
we'd like to do at this point is transfer the property from the HA ownership to the city ownership. Uh the benefit of that is when the property is sold, we when we actually close on it, those real estate proceeds will be deposited to the city budget rather than
the HR. So at that point in time, as a city council, you can determine where those dollars can best be used in our community. Um the city spending authority is much broader than the housing and redevelopment authority. The city can use it for operations, for debt
reduction, for a quite a variety of of tasks. And so this transfer gives you that extra flexibility. Um uh at our at our HA meeting last week uh as the HR board uh the direction was
granted to transfer it to the city subject to the city accepting that transfer. Um so that's where we are today uh is this resolution would accept the the transfer of the property. In the future we will bring forward a real estate contract with the new development
team. Uh we anticipate that coming to you in in September or October. And then once that once that contract is in place, the new developer will begin the process of reszoning, entitlements, site plan approval, all of our typical
development controls. But today, we simply are recommending that the city council accept this property um so that it is transferred there. Part of the background of this is uh is a procedure that our city attorney had recommended that we acknowledge and that is
typically when a city buys or sells a property, we seek the opinion of the planning commission as to whether or not that purchase or the sale uh impacts our comprehensive plan. In this particular case, since it's only an internal
transfer and we're not building anything, we're not uh you know, there's there's no net um uh outcome of this immediate transfer. Staff and our city attorney is of the opinion that it that this particular transfer uh can be made by the city council without planning
commission uh input. Um but in the future when we have a contract with the developer to actually build something of course that's where the planning commission will provide the input. So our recommendation tonight is to approve uh this resolution. For this particular
resolution a twothirds majority vote is required which is a four-fifths v vote to accept this property. Uh with the vote, the city attorney will will move forward with all the necessary paperwork to transfer the name uh of ownership of this part of this parcel. And with with
that, mayor, I turn it back to you. >> All right. Thank you. For those that may be watching in, the uh the presenter is Bill Nuendorf, our economic development manager. And I'll turn to my colleagues now and see if anybody has a question for Mr. Newondorf.
>> All right. Yes, member. Um, so what happens if we finish this transfer to the city, but then for whatever re reason the project falls through? Um, what do we then do? Do we transfer it back to the HR or or how would we move
forward? >> That's a possibility. I'd rather not explore it this time, seeing that seeing that we've done this six or seven times already in the past. Um, there's no right or wrong way to do it. The city can certainly buy property, sell property. Um, for quite some time, our
goal was um to really reposition this as a funding source for our HA budget. Um, that was a long a goal a few years back. With the recent conversations about our budget impact, we shifted that goal to put it back in the in the uh hands of
the city. Um, so in the future, if this arrangement with the new development team does not happen, we still have all the options available to us. All right. Any other questions for Mr. Nuendorf? So, the uh recommendation from staff and Mr. Nuendorf is that uh we
approve resolution 2025-64, no, excuse me, 2025-68 um and authorize the uh acquisition of the property at 5146 Eden Avenue and in that process find that the acquisition has no
relationship to the comprehensive plan for the reasons stated by Mr. Mr. Newondorf and our city attorney. Is there a motion to that effect? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Jackson moves. Member Pierce seconds the adoption of resolution 2025-68 finding that the acquisition uh of the
potential property at 5146 Eaten Avenue has no relationship to the comprehensive plan and also authorizes the acquisition of that property at 5146 Eden Avenue by the city of Edidina. Uh any further discussion? All those in favor of adoption of the resolution as stated say I. I
>> I opposed >> um abstension. All right. Motion carries. The resolution is adopted. 2025-68 is approved. Uh and next we are on to item 8.4
which is a potential amendment of the redevelopment agreements with Enclave LLC and Lifestyle Communities. Again, something we talked about and dealt with at the H as well. >> Correct. Uh, Bill Nounorf, the city's economic development manager with this one. Again, apologize for not
introducing myself the first time. Uh, this is the same proposal that we heard as an HRA board last week. Uh, and in summary, uh, in 2023, we started the conversation with the developer to potentially acquire and reszone that
Macy's furniture gallery. Uh in 2024, the HA and the city council authorized the use of tax increment financing to reimburse the developer for some of those qualified costs um of that site. Um and we entered into redevelopment
agreements. The initial agreement assumed that the acquisition would happen earlier in this year. Um and for a variety of reasons, uh the acquisition by the devel developer has not happened yet. Um, so everyone is familiar with
the site at this point. It's 7235 France Avenue, uh, the Macy's Furniture Gallery. Uh, the current conditions are the same as they were uh, for the last couple years. Uh, a large building uh, uh, with a large even larger surface
parking lot. The key distinction is that today the Macy's furniture store has moved. So, the site is currently vacant. That was the first step to happen on this property was to relocate that that viable store into Southdale Center Mall. That happened in May or June of this
year. Um so with that store now relocated uh the developer can move forward um and acquire the prop the property and keep keep uh on pace. The project that we're talking about is the same as it has been uh subdividing
that large property into four building footprints uh to have four buildings subdivided by roadways, walkways, bike paths, etc. Um uh so with this amendment, the key thing
that we're looking to do is grant the developer a 9-month time extension to deliver on the promise on the proposal that they um that they uh presented in the past. So initially I mentioned they were going to close in January. They now
have scheduled the closing in September. So, this amendment simply adds nine months to all the completion dates in those tiff agreements. No other changes at this time. It's still the same project, the same level of support, the same level of investment. Um, so with
that, um, uh, I will turn it back to you. Um, we do of course recommend, uh, as we did at the HA meeting that this first amendment be approved. Uh, Patrick Brahma, the developer with Enclave Company is here with us tonight. if you have any questions for him. And with
that, Mr. Mayor, I'd be happy to entertain any question as well. >> Let me see if my colleagues have any questions. Anyone have any questions? Yes, member Risser. >> This came up at the H meeting and um in the packet, I believe it's slide number
11 with economic benefits and um the one with the chart. Yes. and it's um showing 12.1 million, but Henipin County has the site valued at 15 million for
the upcoming tax year. And I just want to confirm that that value that is being shown there, the base rate, that estimated market value will change and go up by 3 million.
>> Yes, that that's correct. the um the economic benefits uh this slide is the same one that we presented last November. So of course those numbers will change every year. Um I have not gone and done another economic analysis of the project at this point uh because
none of the of those uh the more finite numbers have changed but certainly um that estimated value will increase every year and that will be reflected. It will increase every year, but it's important to understand when we create the tiff district and we cement that base rate,
that is what the property tax is based on. So, I just want to articulate that. I think you know following tiff can be confusing and it doesn't really have to be. So, thank you. >> Yeah, Mr. Nundor, if we're on that topic, why don't you explain how the
base gets set when the tiff district is >> Sure. Sure. So, um, uh, when you have tax increment financing, when you certify the district, you free, you lock in the base value. So, at this point, we
have not yet certified the district. I wasn't willing to do that until they actually closed on the property. There's there's no point in certifying it if the deal is going to die. Um, a pause is fine, but a dead deal is not worth certifying. So at this point um we
expect to certify the district uh most likely the day after they close in September and that will lock in the base value. So in 20 had we closed in 2024 the base value would have been about 12 million. Since we're going to close in
2025 the base value will be about 15 million. And then as they as they begin to build out that project that uh market value of the land will increase from 15 million to 25 to 45 to 85 to 120. Um but
the the tax increment is the difference between that future value and the base. So the base will be locked in for 25 years on the site and that base most likely will be the 15 million. And and that's how you calculate the increment
the the future value minus the base. >> Anybody have any questions based on that explanation? >> All right. >> Yeah. >> I I think it's also worth noting that that the value is is is set uh when the district is certified, but so are those
property taxes that are being paid as well. So they continue to pay property taxes to the various taxing bodies. So what whatever our usual cut is of of uh commercial and industrial property, we will still continue to receive that. So will schools, so will watershed
districts, so will county, so will the state. Okay. Um the motion is to approve the first amendments to each of the three redevelopment agreements for 7235 France Avenue, including the southwest element, the northwest element, and the east element, and authorize staff to carry
out the terms of the amended agreements. Is that correct, Mr. >> That is accurate. >> Is there a motion to that effect? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Member Jackson moves. Member Pierce seconds the adoption of the motion as stated. >> Uh any further further discussion?
>> Yes. Member Risser. >> Um I just want to note that um I am concerned about the degree of development, the intensity of it. It is very dense. And going back to the greater Southdale area final land use and transportation study that was
prepared for both Henipin County and the city of Edina from 2005. Uh it is noted that this whole area really should be approached with managed growth and incremental change not transformational change. And for those reasons and other
reasons um I am not going to be supporting this. >> All right. Thank you for that. Um any other comments? All right. Uh all those in favor of adoption of the motion as stated say I. >> I. >> I. Opposed. >> Nay.
>> Carried. Uh 4 to1 vote. Um the the motion is approved to adopt those uh first amendments to each of the three redevelopment agreements for 7235 France Avenue, which includes the southwest element, the northwest element, and the east element. All right. Very good. And
keep going, Mr. Nounorf. You're on a little roll here. >> The next one is is resolution 2025-69. This is a unique one. Uh it's a resolution to recognize and approve a special law that was passed by the Minnesota Minnesota legislature
for the 70th in France TIFF district. This is a request that the city made back in 2024 uh and then again in 2025. Uh we were finally able to secure that state law this year in this session. And
Adina was one of 13 m municipalities in the state that was pursuing special legislation regarding tax increment financing. uh for the for the most part the the requests were intended to extend the
time frame of these tiff districts. A lot of projects that were on the docket during COVID at the end of CO um thought they could move forward more quickly uh and the economy had something else in mind. So at at our 70th in France site
that's a sixacre site that was a that was created back in 2022. The developer knew that they had a short window of time to lock in the financing and move forward. Unfortunately, that window of time closed much faster than they expected.
So, this special law that was uh passed by the legislature contains two provisions. Uh the first, it allows the developer more time to complete the work. Um uh it extends what is typically a fiveyear deadline to a 10-year
deadline. That's the amount of time that the legislature usually gives cities when they ask for that type of thing. So that's that's fairly standard. The second thing that it potentially does is extend the number of years that the tiff district would be in effect. At 70th in
France, like all of our tiff districts, when we first establish them, we try to create them for the minimal amount of time that we think is necessary. So for this one, we thought 15 years would do it. Now that we're multiple years into it and haven't even really begun, uh 15
years is not going to uh reach our goals. So, this law allows the city at some point in the future to extend that district at our choosing uh up to a total of 25 years. There's a high bar to get to that point. So, what you're what you're doing
tonight is not extending the district. you're just recognizing that a special law has been passed that would allow you in the future to extend the district. Um, in order to extend it, the HA has to approve it, the city council has to approve it, the school board has to
approve it, and Henipin County has to approve it. It's a very high bar. Um uh but that all starts tonight when you approve this resolution that recognizes that there is a special law and that this e even is an option for us. Uh so
with that, Mr. Mayor, I turn it back to you and certainly staff recommends that we approve this resolution and begin these conversations for the site. >> And the reason that you're proposing recognizing the special law is that's a requirement of the statute. >> Correct. Correct. Yes. There's a state
law that says that any special law uh after it's approved by the senate senate, the house, and the governor has to bounce back to the council to be approved here. And so that's it's a little bit of back and forth, but that's >> part of the legislative process here. >> That's right. >> All right. >> We've done this a few times actually in
the past. >> Questions for manager Nondorf on this particular matter. remember >> when this came before the legislature. I'm just curious if they were aware of the proposal that the city build the
parking ramp and take on the risk associated with that. Was that presented to lawmakers? >> Uh it was not. That is not within their purview. Their purview is really limited to the law that enables TIFF, not how tiff is actually used. So there was no
discussion at the at the state level about that concept. >> Okay, other questions? Yeah, member Pierce. >> Um, so I think you answered this. I'm just kind of restating it, I guess. So, um, an approval tonight
is just the recognition that this is an option, but we're not actually extending the district. And you've said that just >> that's correct. >> Okay. It's a multi-step process. This allows us to begin the process.
>> Any further questions? All right. Um, the resolution is resolution 2025-69, which approves a special law for the 70th and France Tax Increment Financing District. Any further conversation? Uh all those in favor of adoption of
resolution 2025-69 which approves the special the special law for the 70th and France tax income and financing district say I >> I >> I opposed >> nay >> uh motion carries 4 to1 motion
resolution 2025-69 is adopted and now you've got basically the same situation with respect to the project across the street >> that that's correct yeah this this one is resolution 2025 5-70. It approves the same type of special law
for that 72nd in France, number two tiff district. That's the district that was created in 2023. Uh that includes about a 6acre parcel on the west side of France Avenue. Now, uh while that project got off to the same slow start um and has some of the same
challenges and needs, uh thankfully that project is finally under construction. So that's the one. Uh the office building broke ground in the spring. The apartment building just broke ground a few weeks ago. So they are moving forward, but I we still think there could be a predict predicament where we
need some extra flexibility. Um and so this resolution would allow the city to recognize the state law that was approved and then decide how to implement that in the future at our choosing. Um the extension of this district is also just like the previous one subject to H approval, city council
approval, school board approval, and Henipin County approval. But it all starts tonight by recognizing that this law exists. And with that, we certainly recommend this be approved. >> Member Pierce. >> Uh thank you, Mr. Mayor. So two questions. One, so this project is in
motion. Um and so if we extend or if we approve um this law, how does that impact a project that's in motion now? >> Yeah, good question. So the way that the
tax increment financing laws work, uh this the project, whether it's done by the city or the developer, whomever, you have five years to lock in your permanent financing obligations. So had they begun right away as they had
hoped, we think we would have met that. Um but before the city pledges and issues them a tiff note, we want to make sure that they finish the building. So just as a matter of our policy, we tend I can't think of a case where we have issued a tiff note with a project not
finished. We want the project finished, shiny, people working there, people living there, and then we'll issue those TIFF obligations. So, this gives us a little bit more flexibility at the end to make sure that it's finished. Um, also there's been a lot of conversation
about public improvements at that intersection. Crosswalks, sidewalks, underpasses, overpasses. Um, I don't think that is the type of thing that's going to be decided upon instant instantly. And so, if we really want to
fund some kind of public improvement near that site, we're going to need that extra 5 years to make that decision. So that uh this resolution also gives us that flexibility. >> So in that case, we're further minimizing the risk to the
city um because you probably would I'm not trying to put words in your mouth, but if we did not have this option and uh the project uh wasn't as far along along, would we actually write a tiff note
before the project is completed? You just said you would not want to do that, but in that case, if we don't have another option, what what would we do? >> Yeah, we I mean, we try to avoid it. State law gives the city council a lot of authority, a lot of leeway on how to actually use TIFF.
>> But here's one example. Um, so the Pentagon Park TIF district created in 2014. Um, the city issued TIFF notes in 2018 2019 two nights before our five-year
deadline. While the road was installed, there wasn't anything. There was a right after COVID. So, there was a vacant shelf for the retail. There was no housing. There was no bank. We we went ahead and issued
the TIFF notes reminding the developer that it was a worthless piece of paper until they actually built something. That's not the way we'd prefer to do it. We'd much rather see a shiny building that is paying taxes and occupied. We have the we have some flexibility, but I
I'd want to give yourselves more flexibility to get the job to get the project finished first. >> So, last question. I that makes sense to me. Um, when you have tools like this at your disposal, um, in this particular case,
are you intending to use this for maybe the previous property? I get in this scenario, it's a little different. Um, because this project is underway. So, is it your intention to request approval from those four bodies?
You know, I that depends on the direction that you give later tonight about this underpass, whether or not you want us to keep looking into it. But certainly, um, uh, it took over two years to get this flexibility from the state now that we have it. I really
recommend we recognize it. If we choose to use it or not, that's your choice. But it takes years to get these kinds of bills through the state. And now that we finally have it, um, I think we want it as >> take advantage of it. Got it. Last question.
>> You said there's four bodies that have to approve it. How does the approval work in terms of using it? Is it each body has to be unanimous? Is it simple majority of the bodies or what?
>> That's a good question. Um, we haven't done this before. Uh to my recollection, I've I've never seen it in the minutes of any past meeting. So um we would we would present to the H to the um you know HR and the city council. We know
how that works. Simple majority. >> Um the school board I presume is simple majority. We'd want to talk with their administration and confirm that. And Henipin County I also presume is simple majority, but again we'd want to talk to their administrators and see if they have anything special in their policies. I guess my question is if one of the
four vote no, is it a simple majority of the each of the bodies or >> Oh. Oh, sure. If one of the four votes no, it's dead. >> Okay. >> If one of the vote if one of the parties declined to to authorize this this extension, it will not be extended.
>> Got it. Okay. Thank you. >> Member Richard, do you have anything? >> Oh, it was answered. Okay. Okay. Um, we've got a motion, recommended motion from staff to approve resolution
2025-70, which essentially parrots what we did on 2025-69. And that would be to approve a special law for the 72nd in France number two, tax increment financing district. Is there a motion to adopt that uh approve that resolution 2025-70?
>> So move. >> Second. >> Pierce moves. Member Jackson seconds the adoption of resolution 2025-70 approving a special law for the 72nd in France number two tax increment financing district. Any further discussion? All those in favor of
adoption >> had a question. >> Oh >> for the same reasons that I gave for the previous items. I will not be voting for this. >> All right. Uh all those in favor of adoption of resolution 2025-70 is stated say I. >> I opposed. today
>> carried a 4-1 vote. It is approved. Resolution 2025-70 is adopted. And now we are going to have a little conversation about uh uh the France Avenue pedestrian crossing and get an update from you and uh and hear a little
little bit about your recommendation as to how we what do we do from here. >> Yes. Yes. Thank you. Uh the France Avenue pedestrian crossing. So, this is a project that myself, Chad Milner, and Andrew Cypion have been working on uh in
concept for a couple years trying to explore whether or not this is even a possibility. Um, we wanted to provide an update to you tonight. Uh, Mr. Milner is out this week. Uh, but Andrew Cypion, our our bike and ped expert, is here with us. And of course, when we're
finished, we'll be happy to answer any questions. Um, but I'll provide a brief update about this concept and where we are and where staff recommends we go next. So, the project uh is located near the intersection of 72nd in France in
between 72nd and Gallagher. And the dilemma that we're trying to improve or address is crossing France Avenue. To the local residents and and uh workers and people in in that area, we call it France Avenue and it's a street. Um
however, it's a Henipin County road and Henipin County calls it Highway 17. And if you look at it, it's 6 to eight lanes wide and it feels like a highway, acts like a highway. Um, so the city um, uh, and the county are not always seeing eye
to eye on speeds, volumes, uh, uh, and crossings of that roadway. Um, but that being said, there's ways to meet in the middle and make some improvements. So, dating back to 2007 when the city uh
did a study in that area, there were several recommend recommendations to improve the pedestrian connectivity. Um, this is one page out of the 2007 study. And each of those red circles, um, uh, is the location of a recommended
pedestrian improvement. Sometimes they're crosswalks, sometimes they're underpasses. In one case, they recommended an overpass. Um, only well, several of of the improvements were constructed. Uh we did install several crosswalks that had they
weren't there before and we did rebuild uh the tunnel at York Avenue. So the image on the right shows the the new version that that uh was expanded and improved around 2008 or 2010 in that time frame. But uh when at the time of
the study, the city just didn't have the funding to do every recommendation. And so one item that was left unresolved was the was the pedestrian crossing at France Avenue. In this study, initially they recommended a bridge that flew over
France Avenue uh at 72nd Street and for a number of reasons it was decided not to move forward with that uh with that particular design. A lot has changed. >> We had a we had a grant to do that. >> Correct. We had >> I think a $4 million grant for
pedestrian pedestrian improvements >> and eventually that grant was reprogrammed to fund the I think it was four uh crosswalks uh rather than one bridge that was deemed to be a more equitable way to to get to make more progress faster in that area.
Um but now with these two adjacent sites turning over and being completely reconsidered, we wanted to revisit the concept of making a better, safer, more convenient pedestrian crossing uh at France Avenue.
And so for the last couple years, we've been meeting with the develop with the developers to help them uh envision what their sites could be and how they could be part of a solution to make the whole the whole connectivity better. And essentially that's uh that concept was
incorporated by the three different developers that are working on the site. Um uh so right now their properties have been designed in a manner that could just accommodate a regular a regular sidewalk, but if the city wanted to move forward and pursue funding and you know
full design and full cost estimates for an underpass that that could also be easily accommodated into their site plans. So earlier this year, we hired a a landscape architect to put together some three-dimensional renderings of what
this could be. And I would just share a couple of those images here. So all of these renderings envision the future where all these buildings are finished. Right? Today they're big piles of sand and a big parking lot, but in the future there will actually be people and and
buildings there. So the underpass would be in the middle. the the dotted white line is where it would go underneath France Avenue. On the west side of the street, this is the site that's currently under construction. Uh through the development
process, we secured a 60-foot public easement in between those two buildings that certainly could be used to make the first entry point uh to get under the road. Uh here's a rendering of what it could look like uh as you move towards the
east. So the buildings in the background are the future buildings on the Macy's furniture site. Um and we did some initial rendering and visioning of having a very wide uh sidewalk and trail. Uh, one of the concerns we heard
from the very beginning was was safety and security. And the things that really uh dissuaded people from using something like this was if it was too narrow, too dark, and too scary. Um, and very early
on we said if we're going to build a scary tunnel, we're aiming in the wrong direction. And so as we uh went through the through the design, rather than an 8 foot wide tunnel, we're recommending moving
forward with an underpass that's about uh this this is shown as 33 feet in width. So it's much more broad and there'd be uh one or two intervening sources of natural light. Um we just did
a couple trials on some local uh tunnels in the area and um even on the brightest sunniest day if the person at the other end is just a dark shadow it just gives you the wrong feeling. So natural light was very important and we we believe we
found a way to address that. So, this is an image uh pretty much uh midway uh through the underpass. The stairway at the end of this of this image is the east side, the Macy's furniture site location.
And this is another image on the east side of France where we can uh due to the length of that parcel, we can do a slow uh a slowly uh graded uh downs slope to meander from uh an upper level
driveway at Gallagher down to get to the underpass without it being a steep handicap slope with handrails and barriers and all those things. We can just meander it through there. Um, so in the last few months since we've had these renderings in a video,
uh, we've reached out to neighborhood groups, uh, and they held a joint meeting of the Lake Cornelia and South Cornelia neighbors. We had about 80 people at that meeting. Uh, had a really good conversation. We hosted an online uh, discussion on our Better Together
website. um we had over 2,000 people view that website and over 250 provided comments and there was a pretty robust discussion um online. We also reached out and added
a question on our annual quality of life survey about this concept and then we also had discussions as an HR board uh a discussion with the planning commission and with the transportation commission to get their input.
And um you know I joke about this sometimes but often at city hall we always hear what people don't like. Things that went wrong, things that could have been done better. This is one project where I would classify the typical response as strongly supportive
for a whole variety of reasons. Now not everyone was in agreement. There's still some questions, some concerns, and some people that are vigorously opposed. Um but overall we I we've heard a lot of strong support. Um and these are voices that live in the area, work in the area.
Um and they see this type of improvement uh as improving the access to the park, to the trail, to the homes, to the business, and to their school. They envision this type of improvement as a way to boost the quality of living in that neighborhood and the overall
walkability. whether you're eight years old or whether you're 80 years old and in a wheelchair, this type of thing can be a huge improvement. Um, and not just convenience, but safety. There's a lot of um, well, there's several comments online about near misses uh, at the
crosswalk. One person had a comment that two of their friends got hit in the crosswalk on different occasions. Uh, comments from wheelchair users that say, "It looks great if you can walk quickly. I can't walk quickly. I'm in a wheelchair. it takes me a long time. Um,
and then a few comments that just kind of wish that we'd already done this. They saw what we did back in 2010 at York Avenue and they had hope for a future or hope for a past where we had already made this decision. It's a challenging decision. I don't want to overlook that. So, a lot of strong
support and and that came out in person, online, and in our quality of life survey. The opposition is really about cost. It's potentially a very expensive project. Um uh and other comments say stating that
the existing crosswalks are adequate and this is just a wish. And um a lot of comments about I drive on that road all the time. I never see a problem with anybody walking. Um people that are driving aren't always looking for the walkers. That's part of the problem. But that high cost is
certainly something to pay attention to. And then several concerns and they for the most part they they they get categorized into two types of of comments. Personal safety and security. Is this dark and scary? Is this the kind of place that's going to get vandalized
and and just have unhoused people living there? Um those types of concerns. And then also about u mixing people on foot with people on bicycles. So, several comments from people on bicycles saying, "Hey, this doesn't look
safe for me. I have to make a hard left and then a hard right. You should ease it out so I can go faster." And then some concerns from walkers saying, "Wow, do we really want to be right next to a fastmoving bicyclist? I'm on foot. We need to be safe here." So, that whole
relationship between bicyclists and pedestrians is certainly something that we we have to give further study. Um, at this point in time, we have no desire for this to replace that existing bike trail. We've got the Nine Mile Creek
bike trail there. It works well. We're envisioning this more as a local uh branch and a way to access that bike trail, not to replace it. So, so far in our design, we've not designed it for fastmoving bicycles. Some of those hard
corners are there for a reason because we want bicyclists to slow down. They're being mixed with with with pedestrians. Uh and then the last comment or concern was just the disruption. This is a big project. And you know, we think about the new bridge that we're building just
behind city hall here. This has been a very disruptive summer with that bridge construction. uh to build something like this will be another disruptive disruptive summer and there's some concern about whether or not that can be mitigated and handled. Um
I also included some of the random samplings um um from better together. I I think I went through most of these a lot of support. Um other comments this is a want not a need. Uh it's comments that started off uh this is really interesting. Of course we wish you could
we could have it but it's not worth the money. So, we heard some of those concerns, but for the most part, the comments are vigorously in support. And then our quality of life survey, um, we had over 70% of the people that
responded to that survey, uh, show support or strong support for some type of improvement at this project or at this location. Not just repainting the the crosswalks, but some type of real improvement. Um so next steps you know right now I've
I've been categor I've been describing this concept to date purely as a concept we've invested a little bit little bit of money to see if this is even worth bringing it to this point. Um and so far we've found that this is viable from an
engineering from a social from a design perspective it's possible. Um, we also think that from a financial perspective, we've got some good some good um sources to fund it without relying on the city's general levy. That that's that came out
loud and clear, but there's a thousand details that need to be refined. First and foremost, going back to where I started, this is a county road. So, right now, our focus has been on the pedestrian. Um soon if we want to keep going with
this conversation, we'll need to get approval from the county and their focus is really the roadway, not the pedestrian way. Um uh and then we need to work on aesthetics, lighting, landscaping, speeds of bicycles, how we safely se
separate bicyclists and pedestrians. There's a whole myriad of details that need to be looked into further and that's what the preliminary engineering phase is about. So, so far we're only in concept mode. Um, if we really want to continue to explore this, we're
recommending that we advance this into what our engineering department calls preliminary engineering. That entails hiring a full-fledged engineering firm to work out some of these details, to get the plans in front of the county to get their approvals and to start
figuring out some of these details. some in fact all the concerns that were raised by the commenters um we really need to advance that and and address those concerns. So typically um staff would just move forward and bring a contract to you. This is a big project.
We didn't want to shock you. We didn't want to outrun you. And so we wanted to bring this update to you this evening to get your input and your direction. Uh our recommendation um if you so direct is to continue to work with the developers. They are asking us what they
should build. They are going to be pouring concrete sidewalks in the next year and they're wondering should the sidewalk be up here at the street level or should I keep excavating and pour it down there because they're they're willing to do it at their expense. So um we should give them some direction
whether or not this is something we're truly considering. Um also recommending that we uh move forward and solicit bids um for preliminary engineering work. Uh once we have those preliminary plans, we can get the local county approvals and
that that level of plan is also what will qualify us to apply for funding. There are state, federal, and regional funding sources out there. They don't work off of concepts. They work off of hard engineering drawings. So, we're recommending that we uh uh advance this
to that to that point. Um and uh uh Mr. Cypion and I are available for any other questions and looking forward to your discussion and direction. >> Yeah, thank you. Uh manager Nuendorf, I'm going to turn to uh Council Member Agno. >> Thank you. Um so, if we could actually
go back to the slide that looks at all of the different levels of engagement that we have had. Um I think it was earlier in the presentation. Um, I first just want to thank you. Um, I was at one at least of the neighborhood meetings
that we had and I think that there was a subsequent one. Um, and obviously we have all of the the feedback that we got from the better together website. Love that we were able to get it into the survey. Um, I know that there have been other things where it's like we
only do that every two years. Um, what can we get in? And so the timing I think was really amazing for that. And then even just seeing like all of the collaboration cross planning commission, transportation commission. So first, thank you for that. Um, and I know that
sometimes, right, someone is tuning in tonight for the first time in years potentially. Uh, and if they want to voice their opinion now, do we have kind of a forecast of what do those
additional touch points look like? because I don't want it to look uh appear like, you know, okay, we're done with the phase of community input cuz I know we're not. Um so if you could at just a high level walk me through what will some of those additional touch points look like and where will we
continue getting um community feedback? >> Sure. Great question. So I think we're a few months away from additional feedback. Um, but after we hire an engineer, I mean that'll take a few months to solicit bids and go through them and award a contract. Once that
future uh uh engineering firm is on board, we also would like them, I guess I envision them to team up with a landscape designer to get part of the human feel because this is not just a I mean this isn't just an engineering project. You it has it's used by people.
It has you have to be able to touch it. So with when the team is on board, we envision having additional input sessions to really better understand the separation of walkers and bicyclists. To me, that's the biggest concern. Is it one really wide path? That's what we do
in some areas. In other areas, we do separated paths that have a little grassy median in between. Sometimes we put a little row of of like a little curb in between. There's lots of different solutions, but we would definitely want to get input as far as what are those design details that make
people feel safe. Um, both from a security, personal security and safety perspective and then using it on a regular basis. Um, uh, so I would envision envision that in the spring. Um, and then when the
preliminary engineering work is done, we'll have better plans and we'll do another cost estimate. And I think that's also another point where we'd want to get of course your input and your direction but informed by community input because at some point you ask the
question is it worth it? It's a great idea. Is it worth it? And uh as a body you always like to hear what your constituents think. So I think that's the second point that we'd really touch on again probably next spring, late spring for that one.
>> Wonderful. Thank you. Um, and so right now I'm looking at the staff recommendation which includes the eight different steps. Um, at this point, how many, if any, of those
um have a financial commitment? Oh, there's seven here, but there's Oh, the the last one in our packet just says other related tasks as necessary. So, I understand not including that one. Um, how many of these on the the screen
right now cost us money to pursue? And if if there is one that costs us money, again, walk us through the process of are we approving that expenditure tonight or will it be a part of a future
um agenda packet? >> Yeah, great great question. So, we're sloww walking this. Um, so the one that will cost us all uh some investment is hiring the engineering firm to prepare the drawings. Uh, Mr. Milner estimates
that will be a couple hundred,000 to do real engineering on this. Um, we'll come forward once we solicit proposals, we'll come forward with a contract with with the best or the lowest bidder on that one. So that's a
future decision. So you're not pre-approving, you're not pre-committing. That is a future decision to be ma to be made. Um but once that firm is on board, most of these other things will fall within their scope of work. So working with the county is already in the same price. Um
getting input from stakeholders, again, part of that part of their job in their contract, refining the cost to build it, that'll be part part of their scope as well. Um, one suggestion we did get this year was pursuing state bonding for this. And so that is something um,
typically the city hires a lobbyist firm to pursue some of our goals at the legislature. That would be another minor expense. Um, I I think they're on I don't they're on retainer. >> They're on retainer. So it wouldn't be additional. It would just be part of her workload. >> Great. Yes. So no additional money is
there, but that there is some time and personnel there. But that's the only that's the only real financial stake. Um and we uh have a fund balance in our Centennial Lakes TIFF account especially
for these types of projects. Um those are those are old TIFF monies that we use for special projects so that we don't put a burden on the on the regular tax levy and uh hiring an engineer could certainly be accommodated in that fund. So, that's where I would expect to go if
you uh so direct. >> And I know we're talking about this now because there just happens to be projects happening on both sides of France um that really make this a once in a generational opportunity to
influence the construction that's happening on both sides to accommodate this kind of potential project. If we slow roll it too much, are we at risk knowing both of those um projects
are are beginning or underway? Um are what timelines do we have to keep front of mind so that we don't miss the boat still either? >> Yeah. Yeah, great question. So um the project on the west side of France Avenue is currently driving the
schedule. So, I mean, they are actively asking us what should their contractor be bidding, what should they be planning for. If we wait too long, they're going to just proceed and just match whatever is out there, which will increase our
project cost. We'll have to undo what they just built and then build it again. So, that's a situation we're trying very hard to avoid. Um uh so that's why giving them some direction before they actually build it is a huge um timesaver
and money saver. Uh and we're talking 6 to9 months before they actually build all the landscaping. So um if we wait too long, we run the risk of having some of the costs go up. Um, but this is this is going to be challenging to design because the Macy's site is at a slower
pace and they've asked us to um build the if we choose to build it, they've asked us to build it after they're finished. The developer on the west side of the street has asked us to build it before they finish. So, you know, can't have it both ways. Um, but I think it is
fair to the community and fair to the developers to give them an idea of what we're aiming for. Um, but time is sensitive and um, you know, it's not going to be perfect. We'll have to we're going to we'll balance it as best we can. >> Wonderful. Thank you. Um, I continue to
be really supportive of this. I do think it's an amazing opportunity. So, I appreciate the work that's gone into it and again all of the community input that we've been getting. Um, and look forward to hopefully continuing to see more input. Thank you. >> Member Pierce.
>> Uh, thanks, Mr. Mayor. Um so just a couple of comments to add on. Um I I do like the concept the idea of doing this. Um I have two concerns.
One is cost. So how much is it going to cost and can we afford it um based on the priorities that we'll have? Um so that's one. And then two is safety. Um,
and so I like when I have looked at the renderings in the past, I don't know that I would want to use it cuz it's so long and I know we're kind of designing it so from one side you can
see the your destination so you're not going around corners and that helps it feel safer. the natural light uh makes it feel safer as well. Um but that those two can we afford it and what can we do
to really make that the use of it uh safe? Uh because I don't I don't know that I would well I'd say it this way I would not feel comfortable using it alone. So, if
I was with someone else, I certainly would feel safer if there were two people, right? Um, and so I don't know what to do about that, but that will be one of the for sure of the engineering firm as they're kind of thinking about
this concept and we're looking at other um potential uh concepts to mirror. Um, I think safety u for me is is huge. Um and then the third thing, um remember member Agnu kind of hit this point. Um
when you look at the feedback, it actually is a a want. It's not a need. But that's in the current paradigm. And so do we need this today? No. Right. In the current state, even if Macy's was
there and the the original office building was there, would we need it? Not really. Right. it would be a nice to have. But as that area continues to develop and the um construction
completes and we have an even more vibrant community on either side of France, um it at that point it would be um um a need and it and so it makes sense for us to be thinking more future
focused and making this how can we make this an amenity um that is there and available for the future of how we envision that space uh being activated. Um, and that's really
that last point really just underscores why I think from a safety standpoint we got to figure that that piece out because if we can make it um a safe um underpass, I do think it would get a lot of use u
from the current communities right and then even like I mentioned the new developments as well. So, I appreciate the work that um has gone into this and I would support um going to that next uh
stage and I appreciate you saying at this point this is not something that we would expect to um impact the general levy. So, looking at other sources of funding um I think is great. So, thanks.
>> Thank you. Uh member Jackson. >> Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So, thanks for all the work. Um, and I have to say I was pretty floored by the quality of life survey where strongly support was a larger number than both strongly opposed
and somewhat opposed put together. That really um was pretty stunning. So, um I think you know member Pierce talked about what the future's going to be like. So, that was I was going to talk about that. But the question I have for you is looking at the maintenance costs.
We're doing a lot of building right now. Um I'm particularly thinking about Fred Richards Park. Um it's going to be a brand new park. It's going to be um finished soon, you know, within my lifetime. Um but but it's funded. It's it's in
design. It's going forward. We're looking at losing funding for Centennial Lakes. We've got funding of the um Prominade. I would be interested in seeing what our anticipated jump in maintenance costs are going to be
relatively the same time as this. So, um once we figure out, you know, who's going to be responsible for maintenance, I assume it would be us because it's going to be a public space. But, um but what other uh new maintenance costs are we going to be having coming online? Um,
and I don't know if we'd include any of the other buildings we're looking at, but those four things in particular, the underpass, Fred Richards Park, Centennial Lakes Park, and the Prominade. I' I'd be interested in seeing how we're going to be funding the maintenance of all these spots. So, yeah, and and I do support this. I I
kind of blown away by this uh report back. So, >> thank you for that. member Richard. >> Um I first want to say thank you for all the work that you have done and also um really
this is frustrating because um I I had a slightly different response to the feedback from the quality of life survey because what we have been presented thus far has been such a beautiful vision of what this could be.
And so we see initially, you know, and this was up until December of last year, which wasn't that long ago, the idea that this would just be like the York um underpass. And then with the video, it's a beautiful summer day. It's daylight.
It's not 4:30 in the fall when it's dark. Um it's not raining. I look at the flood map. This is an area where water is an issue. And I really wish I could transport myself back. This is the meeting I regret the most, the HR
February 15, 2024, where we awarded the feasibility study and there was only one entity considered, LHB. And I had concerns, but I was told it was going to be a back to the drawing board approach and it really wasn't a back to the
drawing board approach. And we we hired the company that was promoting the tunnel. And I still can't believe I signed on for that. And it's really I wish all of this time that we had been
using had been done in a more objective kind of way. Uh but you can't really go back. And so I am concerned about issues that um member Pierce brought up about safety um security. I am concerned about
maintenance especially since water has been such a problem in this area and we're going to be tunneling under um I am concerned and I don't know who the engineering firm is going to be. Um and I am impressed by just the the
passion of uh Mike Fiser, the passion of LHB and the vision they're presenting. But at the same time I'm looking for that balance and I feel like at this juncture I don't have a balanced view of it and um also thinking about
you know the plan ended up in one of the TIFF term sheets and you know so and that was LHB and then they evaluated the Macy's site and determined that it was TIFF eligible and there's the 20 million dollars that could go to supporting it
and I am really uncomfortable with all of this. I do think we need to work on safe pathways. I understand totally, you know, and and there was that statement. People will not go half a block away to go across a bridge. But a tunnel is
essentially a bridge turned upside down. Um are they going to go half a block to go to a tunnel? I I sort of doubt that. Um the study that I cited earlier for density and building uh in this area I
believe was the study that led to the grant that was given and there was going to be a bridge and they ended up deciding to use it for atgrade crossings and I can see the logic of that and part of me I look at this map and I think 20 million on a tunnel and we still have
the France Hazelton intersection that northeast corner corner where you have to go off the sidewalk into the street because the light pole is in the middle of the sidewalk, you know. So, we do still need to work on our um crossings and our intersections and all of that.
So, you know, for this reason, I feel like it's premature to launch this now. I I wish we had had more objective analysis all along the way because we could have been troubleshooting and I feel like what has been happening has
been promoting and I see you know I understand the rationale behind that but at the same time I feel like it's pushing potential issues and costs that we should be addressing now down the
road. So, I'm I I don't think I can sign on for bumping this up to the next level. >> Thank you, member Russer. Uh let's first of all uh attempt to resolve a issue that you've raised uh that the city
hired the firm that supported the tunnel. I think manager Neil and Mr. Nundorf, you should explain the process you went through and why you determined to hire LHB to do uh the engineering work to determine whether this was even
feasible is what I recall. >> Uh sure. So far we've worked with three different companies. We started off working with a engineering firm um that does pure engineering and uh gave them a very simple task um to address some of
the basics like the water table. if if we how where's the water table? Can we even dig down or not? And if we go over the road, how high? Um and then that was about the time that the bridge on the cross town got hit twice
um in a row. A bridge that should never be hit, but it was hit twice in a row. So then we asked the engineering, okay, that's what the standard is. How high do we have to go with a bridge to avoid getting hit even though you said it'll never get hit? Um and that engineering
firm gave us um uh some nice straight lines and some very long unappealing walkways. Um because to go higher and higher to avoid getting hit and damage, the ramps coming off are enormous. And so that that initial engineering
approach um took the philosophy of the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Would you walk on a straight line in a place that is completely unappealing? Um, uh, so based on that initial cut, that initial work,
I learned two things. An overpass or an underpass is possible. And if we go further, I want a firm that's more balanced, that doesn't just look at straight lines, that gives me that takes that human account. Um, we talked to a handful of firms. A few
declined us. They didn't think it was possible. they didn't want to get involved. Um, uh, we then, uh, worked with LHB and they think it was, they thought it was possible. One of the things I like about that company is number one, they're enormous. So, they
have expertise in a whole variety of fields, but they really um, bring together that human element like the landscaping kind of soft human approach with the rigid and uh, rigors of engineering. So you get a a nice balance
and uh uh they came in with our budget and it worked out good and we moved forward with them. So um so that that's the reason that I went with that type of firm. Uh and and I I mentioned earlier in my remarks if we do proceed to preliminary engineering, I want to hire
an engineering firm, but they need to have like a landscape partner because that human feel is absolutely essential. And um will LHB bid on the future contract? I don't know. I presume so. This is the work that they do um as a
firm. Um but uh we want to make sure that it's not just a rigid engineering approach. It needs to be a human approach. >> Manager, do you have any supplemental? >> No, that was okay. Thank you for that. >> Um
there was some conversation with uh council member Agnu about um you know, how do we pay for this in the interim and I just wanted to kind of tag along on that line of thinking that she had, which was a good line of thinking. So, uh, you said that we have some funds available in that old
Centennial Lakes TIFF district we could use to pay for the next phase, engineering phase. Are those recoverable expenses uh for the TIF district that was set up to accommodate this particular project? potentially if we decided to go forward
>> if we if we do the right paperwork um let's say that we get some kind of grant funding to to build all this I believe if we document it properly we can reimburse ourselves for that initial preliminary engineering the conceptual work is our investment so the expenses
in the past that's our investment to get to this point but once we actually go into the engineering phase those should be I would rely more on Mr. Milner's expertise as far as what kind of paperwork needs to be recorded. Um uh
but there should be a way to do that >> and uh at least we've had some tenative discussions about if it were if the council determined that it was feasible from a cost standpoint and when it was it was something that we should be doing
for the public. Um maybe you should articulate again what the tiff district holds in terms of possibilities for assisting and paying for this project. >> Sure. Sure. So uh at this location we have two tiff
districts. One on the west side of the street, one on the east side of the street. A lot of presumptions, right? The west side we know that they're moving forward. I have much more certainty about uh about completion dates on the west side at this moment in
time. The west side um uh if you recall we ended up using agreeing to use spark financing rather than tiff for the second phase of that project which means that eventually they will still create tax increment. We can use it for a
public improvement or not. So, I feel good that there's um that there should be a a pool of funding available on the west side. On the east side with the Macy's furniture, I don't have the confidence today about completion dates. Once I get started, I'll feel much
better about predicting a completion date, but just the scale of that project. um uh right now at the valuation of of $15 million for the land when it's finished I I recall the um the future
value is like over 200 million so it's not just doubling it's by a factor of 10 to 20 um so there should be a great deal of incremental taxes there as well um but with with the east side it really depends on the pace of development if
they can get it all built in the first five years or so, I feel that that's a fantastic revenue source for a public improvement. If it takes them 20 years to build four buildings, it's not going to be a good source. So, we before we make a firm commitment on the on whether
or not to build this, um my recommendation is to wait and see what the schedule looks like on the east side. Um because if if we are going to rely rely on tiff um and not outside monies, I'd want to make sure that there's a revenue stream of tiff coming
in because you've expressed many times over the last year and beyond that that this type of public improvement could be an amazing asset but not amazing enough that you're willing to hike up the general purpose tax levy. So that's the constraint that that Chad and I have
been working with is find funding without impacting the tax levy. Yeah, I think that's an inquiry in the line of inquiry that member Pierce had which was just reaffirming of what we've been talking about all the way along. Um, all right. And you know, and I joined
several of my colleagues, I think, in in supporting going to the next step. I've had uh so much, I'd say, positive reinforcement from the business community, which I didn't expect to see. uh businesses that have told me that they're on the east side of the France Avenue, but they would have they would
have thought strongly about being on the west side had there been a connectivity method that they where they could have walked across without getting in their car and driving across. So, because everything they wanted to get to was on the east side. So, there there's input coming from all kinds of directions here
on this, including those folks that are concerned about cost, and those are always legitimate concerns. So, uh, but in terms of whether I'd support some of my colleagues that want to go forward with this and go to the next phase and see where we are from a from a cost
standpoint and an engineering standpoint and all the other elements that you've set forth here, I I would support that notion as well. Um you've got a um recommended motion here to accept the staff report and authorize staff to take the recommended actions, including notify the adjacent
real estate developers of the city's intention to conduct further study, solicit proposals to prepare preliminary engineering documents that refine the design, allow for regulatory approvals and updated cost estimates, and pursue funding from all available sources. Uh
does that cover the landscape in terms of what you'd be requesting of this council this evening? >> Yes, sir. Okay. Uh is there a motion to uh adopt? Is there a motion to that effect? >> So moved. >> Second. Member Ragna moves member
Jackson seconds the motion to accept the staff report and authorize staff to take the recommended actions including notify the adjacent real estate developers of the city's intention to conduct further study, solicit proposals to prepare preliminary engineering documents that
refine the design, allow for regulatory approvals and updated cost estimates and pursue funding from all available sources. Uh having provided that uh encapsulization of the of the motion is there further discussion.
Uh all those in favor of adoption of the motion say I. >> I. >> I opposed. >> Nay. >> Carried. Um 4 to one. Uh member Risser. And uh we'll proceed to the next phase.
Thank you Mr. Nundorf. The motion is carried. Motion's accepted and approved. And now, Manager Neil, we're going to turn to you to talk about the um uh amounts that we have in the unassigned general fund. Uh those balances. We made a a couple of decisions already with
respect to Lewis Ridge uh park shelter building, Lewis Park Shelter Building, not Lewis Ridge, that's a condominium project. Um and then also um uh some other expense that we're going to do the the study the quiet zone study and but
you've got a couple of other ideas as well. >> I do. Thank you, your honor. Um yeah, I I wanted to make that clear. We're not seeking uh any additional changes or approvals necessary on Lewis Park Shelter and the quiet zone study. You've previously approved those and that's
good. Those are moving ahead slowly. Uh what I'm going to propose to you tonight is that there were two components of the project budget for the filter room uh project at the aquatic center that I think are good candidates for to use additional unassigned fund balance for
and that is uh to cover the the estimated cost of possible tariffs on on the raw materials that will be used at the pool and the other is to provide a project uh contingency. If we do that with these funds, uh we do not then have
to add those to the project budget. That has a positive impact on the project budget. It in it decreases it by 1.3 million. Uh so it goes from 8.4 to 7.1. That reduces the amount that we have to borrow, which reduces the amount that we
have to levy, which reduces the impact on taxpayers. So, uh, and if we don't spend it, uh, we never borrowed it in the first place and we can put it right back into, uh, the construction fund. So, uh, that's what my proposal is to you tonight that you authorize 855,000
for possible tariff costs, 532,000, so a total of 1,387,000 to be part of the project budget uh, to come from unassigned fund balance. and we would reduce the amount that we're proposing to borrow for that project.
>> That was a good piece of thinking on your part on how to accomplish all those outcomes and u basically put a million four that we have in reserve uh ready at hand if we need it otherwise we don't use it and it goes back into
the construction fund. >> I think that's a very elegant uh use of these funds. I I like the fact that we don't have to ever pay interest on it. >> So, and we can continue to get interest on it unless it's needed. So, I thank you for that work.
>> That leaves us almost 600,000 that we have that we'll just park in the construction fund for now. >> And we would come back to you just like we do with every CIP process and you could allocate that to projects that you believe are important.
member, >> could some of that money go for um launching a search for more firefighters and just try to get some firefighters and paramedics hired? We do have we're
short staffed and I know, you know, we're more than six months into the year. Could we hire three? Um, as we uh, Council Member Risser, members of council, we've we've talked about this a little bit uh, between the two of us. I would not recommend that as
a as a strategy with one-time dollars. Um, I think partic particularly for u for ongoing expenses that are significant as a as fire staff, we want to make sure that we have adequate dollars that are built into our operating budgets. This is not what that
is. Um, so I I understand the the council's interest in in pursuing those uh additional hiring. Um, but we need to find a a reliable long-term source of revenue for that. >> But that source of revenue could be the
money that we're saving by paying down um what we would have to take out for the aquatic center. And so when we had our meeting on the budget, the figure was 300 and something,000
for next year and before that it was 450,000 and then it dropped down. And so arguably we've got savings projected into the next however long that time is for the aquatic center. I believe it's
15 years. So by doing this, by taking this action, we are making it possible for us to have money that we wouldn't otherwise have. >> Pierce. Um,
so I just kind of a followup I think to member Risser's question. I am assuming that this kind of operates similar to a a nonprofit that may have
a sizable amount in reserves, but that particular board might say you could use reserves for one-time expenses for projects, but we don't want to use reserves for um things that require
ongoing operating expenses such as hiring. you have to have a sustainable source for that because it's an expense you're going to have into perpetuity. So, I don't know if the construct is exactly the same, but that's the way I have
always interpreted the use of the funds in this this fund. >> Council member Pierce, members of council, I I want to be clear that um what council member Risser is proposing is legally possible. It's it's something
you could do. I'm just recommending we don't do that because it's not a good budgeting practice for the future. >> The idea of is there some way we could leverage u debt service savings for this as a possibility? We could we could talk we could talk about that. I think the
the the the concern that we would have uh in finance and management of the city is when we do things like use the one-time dollars for ongoing expenses that eventually attracts the attention of standard and pores and Moody's and they ask a lot of
questions about it. So, um they get to see those kinds of things. They ask us questions about it. They wonder why we're doing it that way. So that there is there is some recognition that there's a some risk to it, but it's it's a legal expenditure. >> Yeah. Okay. Um, and then so the only
other comment I had, and this is more of um probably more communications or maybe um as we move forward um throughout this next fiscal year, just thinking about
how we can frame priorities that we have as a a council and then when opportunities like this come up be able to to make the point that and so one of these we've talked about quiet
zones right so that's that is a priority and we understand why um the Lewis Park shelter right um earlier in the year we pulled that off u but we said hey if we can figure out a way to
do it we'd like to have that done um and so I would just like for us to really think about um how we can always take the public back to these things we said are priorities. Um and you could even use that construct when we talk about
firefighters in this context. Maybe this isn't quite the right source of funding for that, but it still is a priority for us. Um, so I would just encourage us to think about um, as we move forward, how we can always kind of remind people and
come back to these are the funding priorities that we said we're going to try to be creative and meet, >> but I support doing this. Thank you. >> Thanks for that. Uh, council member Jackson. >> Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So, I'm reminded by member Pierce of our um
pillars, our budgetary pillars, and one of them is stewardship and and and strong financial stewardship. And I think onetime money should be spent for one-time um expenses. Uh the quiet zones is a study. The construction fund, Lewis
Park, is for projects that that are capital in nature. Um, and so I think that I just want to remind people we do have values that we make decisions by and one of them is strong financial stewardship.
>> Brag, anything on the issue? >> Overall, I I appreciate having the inclusion for the aquatic center um components. I think that that is something that caught us off guard, right? the the higher costs. And I think that's exactly the kind of thing that we
should be applying this um kind of I don't know excess or unallocated um funding for. Um so kind of echo recent statements >> just add that I think over the years when we've our our finance department
has received these fiscal excellence awards that it's because they follow sound accounting principles. I think member Pierce did a good job of articulating, you know, how you use one-time monies, what's the what's the proper thing to be thinking about there versus uh long-term
obligations that require sustainable sources of funding. So, uh, and to the point you made, manager Neil, I think, you know, the reason that we're in the position we are where we year-over-year getting double AAA bond ratings for over
20 years in a row now is because of the practices that we have in our internally in our FIA finance department and because we are responsible in how we spend taxpayer money and we've built value here over time that constantly is increasing the the I I'll say at the
market value of our town which since the great recession has gone from about eight or nine billion to probably over now $18 billion in market value. So all these things that we do to be fiscally careful uh while being sensitive to the notion that member
Rissa raised that we're under staff from a fire uh standpoint, fire personnel standpoint. We all recognize that and want to solve that issue too. But I think we are thinking about it through the budgetary process where we've got some sustainable
source of income through the levy as opposed to using these onetime money. So just um so um manager Neil, you're looking for a motion to approve the allocation of the 2024 general fund unassigned fund
balances as recommended by uh by staff. >> Is that correct? >> Yes. Yep. >> All right. Is there a motion to that effect? So moved. >> Second. Member >> Jackson moves. Member Pierce seconds the uh approval of the allocation of the 2024 general fund unassigned fund
balance as recommended by staff. Uh any further discussion? All those in favor of the motion as stated say I. >> I. I. >> Opposed. >> Hearried. Um okay. Manager's comments.
Thank you, your honor. I've got three quick ones. Um, one at the August 6th meeting, our previous meeting to this one, uh, we had an extensive conversation around, uh, the gift of trees to Pamela Park, uh, the council ended in a spot where you directed staff
to have those trees removed. Uh, we did communicate that to the property owner who planted them there. That property owner has removed those trees and they have adequately uh, restored the landscape. So, that is done. Uh the second item is that we are right now
working on the development of a new special events ordinance. Um that is in the very capable hands of our city clerk, Sharon Allison. Um we will be working on that as a staff team and then bringing that back to council for uh some review later this fall. Sharon
September. Very good. And finally, uh just to let you know that uh we did we cancelled the September 11th um HA meeting because we didn't we just didn't have uh topics queued up for that day. We do however need uh HRA action on
their proposed budget. So we're going to ask you to approve a proposed budget for the HR uh at the August 28th meeting. And it's, as I think I mentioned at the last uh H meeting, the the proposed budget is the incremental 3% plus 3%
from the previous year. And we can talk a little bit more at that time about what we do with that money. And uh that's all I've got. Thank you. >> Very good. Thank you for that. Uh member Risser, >> I just want to give a shout out to Edinus Police and Fire for doing Battle
of the Badges today and the blood drive. and I know there's a blood shortage. Um, so I really do appreciate that. Thank you. >> Thank you, Member Jackson. >> Nothing for me. >> Member Pierce.
>> Nothing for me either. >> A couple quick things, too. Uh, speaking of the police, don't forget we got a police open house >> coming up September 17th, I think it was. And, uh, we'll be taken over the street again, I think,
uh, up here on the 50th. And it'll it was a great activity last year. And that little shuttle service that we had worked out fine as people parked uh, a little bit further away, but it was really a it was a home run. I expect that same again this year. U, I did a
mayor's minute today on this convenience fee that we we approved, which was kind of the average 3% which was the average of the fees that we were getting charged that we're we're charging back. We're not making any money here, but we want to make sure that our budget stays intact. And just in the utility
department alone, it was $77,000 I think that we absorbed as a city in 2024. Um, so that's starting I think in September. Just remind people of that. And you don't have to use a credit card. You can you can uh set up an a account
or you can send a check or you can come and pay cash and you don't have to pay that convenience fee. It's just to make sure that the city and the taxpayers of the city don't get hurt by that use of the credit card or a debit card. Um, we've gotten some emails around um the
equity strategic action plan and I think that could use some more public sort of explanation of what what's all that about, what are we doing here in terms of of that plan and um what was the role of the council and all of that because people have asked about
that too. So, I think that would be something to put on the list. Um, and then we had at least one email from somebody the ebike activity. I think we're are we in the U enforcement phase now beyond the education phase because they're worried about kids zooming around in 50th in France on their
ebikes. >> Uh, mayor, I would say it's a hybrid. So, if we have continuous behavior patterns problems, then we absolutely will move into enforcement phase. Um, and then I'm seeing I told manager Neil today, I feel like I'm seeing more dead
trees around town. >> And I don't, you know, some are on private property, some are on public property. Um, and um, I I think on the private property, we notify the the homeowner and they've got a chance to take it down themselves. But, uh, it seems like I'm seeing quite a few of
them. I just want to make sure that our arborist and their their crew are on top of all of this. So, we and if there are dead trees on on public rightways that are next to roads, probably clean that up as opposed to just letting them fall like we have in
some of the parks. We do rem we remove them if they're a threat, right? So there's a a threat assessment that's done and then action taken >> and um that tab tomorrow over at the Met Council and takes a big chunk out of the
day. So that's it for me any that prompt anybody else to think of anything they wanted to address. Okay. Um is there a motion to adjurnn? >> So moved. >> Second. Uh motion by member Jackson, second by member Pierce that we adjourn the meeting of the Adina City Council uh
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 at 9:00 p.m. >> Any further discussion? All those in favor of adjournment say I. >> I. >> I. Opposed. Carried.