All right. Good evening everyone. I am Mayor Shelley Carlson. The Morehead uh it is October 27th, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. The Morehead City Council welcomes public input on issues listed on the agenda or of general community imp interest, time and council permitting.
Speakers are limited to three minutes each. If you would like to address the council during the meeting, please fill out a form provided by the city clerk and we will call you up during the item on the agenda that says citizens to address the council. You'll need to state your name and if you are a Morehead resident. If your comments were
submitted to the clerk prior to the meeting via email or phone, those comments will be entered into the record. For more information on participation, please visit the council meetings page on the city of Morhead website at morheadmn.gov. gov. We the Morid City Council collectively and with
gratitude acknowledge the sacred land the city of Morid is built upon. We acknowledge the people who have resided here for generations and recognize that the spirit of the Dakota Ojiway Mati and all indigenous communities permeate with its land. And with that, could I get a roll call, please? >> Ryan Nelson >> here. >> Nicole Matson, Heather Nisser
>> here. Emily Moore >> here. >> Deb White. >> Lisa Borggan >> here. >> Sebastian McDougall >> here. >> Chuck Hendrickson >> here. >> Mayor Shelley Carlson >> here. And for those who are able, please stand for the pledge of allegiance. >> Great. And do we have any agenda amendments?
>> We do not, Madame Mayor. >> Okay. Thank you. Uh, moving on to the consent agenda. Do we have a motion to approve the consent agenda? >> So move Nissa Meyer. >> Second. >> I have a motion by Nissa Meyer and a second by uh Council Member McDougall. All those in favor signify by saying I.
>> I. >> Any opposed? That motion carries. Moving on to recognitions and presentations. The first one is a presentation by Dr. Tim DS from um Minnesota State University, Morehead. Um and Mr. President, if you want to come to the
podium. >> Good evening and thank you for the opportunity. I think there's a PowerPoint. >> We can see it. Well, we could see it. >> You can see it. >> We did in a minute ago >> and then it's gone.
I think >> we're working on it. >> We're working on it. Well, I can riff. >> All right. >> I I gave everybody a handout and if you didn't get one, if you came in late, I'll give you one. What we're looking at is is university and the university is a
partner. So, we're we're happy to be here and kind of give you an update. I was here about a year ago, I believe, and said, "Hey, I'd be welcome to come back and just kind of give regular updates because we look at the university as a partner with all the things and the good things that we're doing within the city of Morhead." So,
with that, I'll try and advance this. And >> oh, is that this might just be the video? Y >> might be the video because there's a short video I wanted to show you that kind of summarizes what we're trying to do at the university which is uh we're lifting up the institution if that makes
sense. The other day we had a a conversation on campus. It was a little over an hour and it was the state of the university. So this presentation when once the video loads is kind of a summary of what we're talking about and then I'll make a few comments and then open up to questions.
>> All right, sounds good. Hopefully it all works. All right, here we go. What if the future of higher education was happening right here, right now? At Minnesota State Morehead, we're not just imagining tomorrow. We're building it
together. This year, we're unveiling a bold vision for our university's future. A future where every student is future ready. Every experience energizes growth and every space inspires achievement. We're investing in our campus, our community,
and in partnerships that extend far beyond these walls. Together, we're shaping a university that stands as a beacon of innovation, connection, and impact, not just for today, but for generations to come. to present the graduates from the
graduate staff. [Music] This is our moment. This is our future. This is Morehead. Bold, driven, and unstoppable. [Music]
What if education didn't just prepare students for a job, but for what's next? Our graduates aren't just stepping into careers. They're stepping up to lead, to innovate, and to make change happen.
No matter the field, dragons become critical thinkers, confident communicators, and doers who make an impact. How are we creating leaders ready to shape what comes next? With gold programs like the Honors College and the Cutting Edge Institute of
Applied AI, we are not just keeping pace with the future. We are shaping it. Minnesota State Morehead is here to graduate the region's most soughtafter future ready professionals. The future is full of opportunity and we are ready
to meet it together. [Music] What if college years sparked more than just a degree? At Morehead, it's the moments like night passion. Whether
that's the excitement of game day, the energy of late night conversations, or traditions that bring us together. What if the connections you make were as important as the classes you take at Minnesota State Morehead? They are. Here, professors know your name, teammates push you higher, and mentors
walk beside you. >> What if learning happened everywhere? At Minnesota State Morehead, it does. Inside classrooms, through community service, on the court, and beyond. Every experience shapes dragons into competent
leaders ready to take on what's next. Moy is designing a student experience that energizes learning, strengthens connection, and equipss dragons to lead with confidence in every field. The story starts here, where every moment fuels the future.
What if your surroundings sparked ambition? At Morehead, we're crafting more than just buildings. We're creating spaces that feel creativity, connection, and student success. From dynamic learning centers to vibrant residential, dining, and athletic
facilities, each space is designed to empower dragons and ignite their potential. >> How does investing in place create new possibilities? Every corner of campus reflects our spirit and commitment to students, built
with purpose for generations to come. Minnesota State Morehead is planning to invest $125 million to transform our campus into the most inspiring, collaborative, and achievement focused environment in the region.
Here, we don't just build for today. We build for what's next. >> What if collaboration could elevate a community? This is more than signing agreements. It's creating shared opportunities where students and communities rise together. >> Minnesota State Morehead has announced a
partnership with Morehead Area Public Schools. From pioneering programs like Morehead Scholars to establishing the Institute of Applied AI, Minnesota State Morehead is forging powerful partnerships. What if we created the future together? Morehead's preferred
partner initiative amplifies our impact, sparking innovation and connecting our largest employers across the region. Together, we're shaping our metro into a thriving hub where students, businesses,
and communities rise together. Minnesota State Morehead is building partnerships that open doors, elevate visibility, and create lasting impact for students, communities, and industries. When we come together, we build more
than partnerships. We build futures. We've seen the vision. We feel the momentum. The future of Minnesota State Morehead is more than a plan. It's a promise. A promise to equip Dragons with the skills, confidence, and opportunities to lead in every
profession. A promise to build spaces that inspire, connect, and empower. A promise to forge partnerships that expand horizons and deepen our impact. Together, we're writing the next chapter. One of bold ambition, shared
success, and lasting change. Momentum is building. The dragons are rising. This is our moment to do something special together. I >> think is that the end? >> I think so. >> Okay.
>> Thank you. >> I mean, it was great music, but >> So, so here's the thing. This is my third year here and I I'm not from here, but I moved here because it's a great community and we all know that and we're lifting up this community. If you look at what
we have in this community, we have a great K to2 system. We have MState, one of the faculty members here in the audience, and we have Morehead and I'll even throw in for good measure, we have Concordia. We have assets in this community that
are educational that should drive this community to make it outstanding and that's what's happening and we're a big part of it. And I just wanted to share with you a few other thoughts and I'll open it to questions. The word that we're using is momentum. We have momentum. We're growing this university.
We've made a commitment to be a partner in the region and that fourth pillar that you saw is that regional commitment. How do we engage? How do we figure out to move ourselves forward and how do we do this together? Because I'm focused on the east side of the river.
Just saying. And that's what we need to do and that's what we are doing. But we have to continue to do this every day. Our enrollment growth this year for our freshman class, you may or may not have heard it, but I'll tell you it was 31% from last year to this year. That's just
phenomenal. It doesn't happen. Every one of my colleagues that I talk to nationally that I know is in my profession say, "What in the world did you do?" I said, "Well, the first thing we did is we reminded ourselves we need to believe in ourselves and then we need to tell people just how good we are and
be shameless about it and then go and promote that and market it and get people to come here." And I got to tell you what happened is when people came to this community and they met the people in the community, they met the people on campus, our faculty, staff and our students, they said, "I'm going to
Morehead. It's here. It's infectious." So when you look at this next slide, our job is to develop talented people and enhance workforce. And that's what we do. We've got to be innovative. We got to be a part of that economic engine.
We've got to con ensure the vitality of this community. No one is going to do it for us. And then constantly looking at partnerships. So I'm here today to say I want to be your partner. Please ask, call me, email me, whatever means of
communication. Email us and ask us, can you help with this? Whether it's a service learning project or advocating for the region or going to talk to a corporation about moving their corporate headquarters here. any one of those things and all that you can think of, we
are we are ready to do just that. I'm excited because this is what universities do. We invest in ourselves. We invest time. We invest in in places on campus and in the city. And the city has led the led the way with that with
the downtown redevelopment. We're investing in ourselves. And we're going to continue to do that. But the more we can do this as partners, I believe we'll be even stronger. Does anybody have any questions? I'd love to answer a question or two. Well,
uh, first of all, President DS, I I want to thank you because I know that, um, with all of the meetings that I go through, um, every single month throughout the the Fargo Morehead community, I continually have been hearing this last year of how people are choosing to
stay in Morehead because of the offer of the tuition free years at Morehead State. I'm a Morehead State grad as a dragon. So, thank you for also allowing us to give per permission to say Morid State. Um, but people are staying here
because their their children have opportunities at Morid State that they didn't have before you were here. Um, also, um, education is one of the things that is cited as the reasons people stay in Morehead. Um, and you're just kind of
doubling down on that. So, I appreciate that. One thing that I um was hoping you could maybe visit about in particular um the nursing program that you started or that had began at Mor State, how
that has supplied um nurses to Essentia and that they don't have the nursing shortage anymore. Is that correct? >> Talk a little bit. >> It's a good point that um both Essentia and Sanford and any healthc care provider in our region has a shortage of nurses. So, whatever we can do to
develop nurses, so we actually have a memorandum of agreement with MState that every student that they bring in that wants to start at MState, as soon as they're done, they just walk down the street, 1.2 miles, I've marked it off, and finish with a four-year degree. So,
that's a great partnership because whatever we can do to raise those people up that want to be nurses and you can work with the two-year degree while you're concurrently seeking the four-year degree and you get into the slipstream of building a professional
life for yourself and the jobs are there for every student that chooses to do that. Uh, mayor, you mentioned the Morehead Scholars Program. When we looked at that, the thought came to to me from one of my staff and said, "What if we let every student from Mored High
School that has a 3.0 GPA go to college and not pay tuition?" And at first, my response, I have to be honest, was, "Are you crazy? We're a business." But then we worked it out and we ran the math and we said, "Wait a minute. We think we can do this." It was obviously to get more
students to come to Morehead State. But the reality is the real driver of this is if you build a stronger workforce, if they stay here for college or university life, they are less likely to leave once they're done acrewing all the
credentials that they want right now. So this was really a workforce development initiative that will grow and develop our economy. It's an investment that we took the risk. We took the first step. And here's what happened. Instead of 45 students out of 275 collegebound
students from Morhead High coming to Morehead State, we had 135. We tripled the number of students that stay here and pursue a degree. And I want them to stay here and start their lives and their families. And that's how you build
an economy. Madame Mayor, um, uh, President DS, I'm curious. Um, I meant I heard in the, um, video lots of talk about the the AI institute talking about doubling down. I am really excited about the, um, Morehead Scholars program, and I know
you said it tripled. I don't even know how many graduates we have coming up this year and the next year. like do you uh plan to see growth and can you tell us more about the AI institute and what it will bring and develop in our community? >> Sure. It's a it's a great question. It's
one of the many things that we're doing. So, uh how many of you use AI or you're subject to AI? I think we all are now. The reality is we need to figure out what it is and how it's evolving and how we can use it appropriately. So, we're
doing two things. One, we're teaching teachers how to use AI. So we have a group of about 10 faculty that are teaching each other how to use it and then they're teaching all their colleagues so we can use it in terms of learning. So the students learn how to learn with it and use AI appropriately.
Secondly, we look at this as any industry small business to a large industry. How can we help them learn to use AI to advance their business and develop people? because it's all about both. So, we're doing that and we're
having we had a summit on campus today with 20 20 uh corporations involved and they're trying to say, well, what do we do? Well, we brought in some experts from the region, former CIO for the state of North Dakota who's on the leading edge of this and they were
learning from each other. So, we will lift up the region and anyone that wants help, we're here to be that asset and that piece of information and facilitation. So, it's it's a very new venture, but we're excited. >> I think that's excellent. Thank you.
>> Uh, Council Member Matson. >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. President DS, thank you for being here tonight. Um, my daughter is a first year student at I got to check to see what Minnesota State Morehead. I want to make sure I say the right order of the words. Um,
she is a Morehead scholar. She almost she registered at the very last minute. She was going to take a gap year and then I kind of thought I I talked her into just like give it a try. Um I also had to kind of talk her into living in the dorms. She at first she was going to
live at home and I said, you know, it's much better experience if you live on campus. Um so I didn't I wasn't really sure how I was going to go. Uh I don't ever see this child because she is so happy on campus. She never comes home. I hardly hear from her. When I do hear
from her, she's having a great time. Classes are going great. She's got a ton of friends. Most of them are not Morehead kids. She's got some friends from from, you know, since kindergarten, but she's got a lot of friends that that are from not from here that she's just met in the last couple of months. So, I
just want to thank you for that for the fact that my little baby is having a wonderful college experience so far. I really appreciate that. Um, also, she texted me today. She met with her adviser. She was planning a major in cyber security. She said, "My adviser just told me that MSUM gives an accelerated M's program for cyber
security where I could get a master's only needing to take one more year. It sounds too good to be true." So, you got a teenager out here with a her mind blown because she can get a master's degree with her minor or her uh undergrad in five years. So,
>> well, I'm glad to hear because I was hopeful that this was all positive. >> Yes. Yeah, it is. But but the reality is she's getting the full student experience by living in the residence halls. Um meeting a bunch of new people,
building an adulthood and a profession for herself and finding your way forward. So the way that works is you get an undergraduate degree, your last year of your undergraduate degree. You're actually taking graduate courses that count for your undergraduate and also your graduate degree. So it's it's
a little bit of overlapping. So within 12 months you could have a master's done and uh that's a pretty amazing thing. So if she's if she chooses to persist u absolutely because a lot of students the average number of years that it takes to finish a bachelor's pretty much
nationally is four and a half years because they get distracted or they work too much or whatever may be the case. So if she gets it in five years it really is only a half a year beyond the national average. That'd be awesome. I'm rooting for her. The key is when we talk
about the student experience, we when we talk about academic relevance, we're trying to have programs that are academically relevant. We the student experience is we tell every student and I run into them and I say, "Do you have any issues? Do you have any problems?" Just ask. The student experience is
about finding what they need, helping them right now to find their niche in life and academically and socially to grow up in to be that adult that's ready to launch in four to five years and start a career and and have a great life.
It's what we do. >> Right. Any other questions from council members? Council member Hendrickson. >> Uh thank you, Mayor Carlson. Since I'm the only cobber on this deas, how's your how's your relationship with Concordia? I'm imagine it's pretty strong.
>> We have an excellent relationship with Concordia. Uh, President Irvin is actually a friend of mine. Uh, we're are different institutions and the students that typically come to Concordia are looking for a different experience. Uh, they can still take courses. what used
to be called the Tri College, now it's the the uh Metro, you know, group that works together. We we're not going to try and compete or hurt each other. We should help lift each other up. So, we can share classes. We can share, you know, a lot of things together to lift
ourselves up. I know athletics works with them. If they need a field and we have one available, we do that and they do the same for us. We live in the same town. Let's let's be good colleagues. >> And uh Oh, thank you for that, President Elms. And uh if you can put a Concordia
Morehead State football game together, that would be great because I had it when I was a freshman. Not sure. They used to call it the Crystal Bowl, so I I'm not sure if that's in the works or not. It would be nice, though. So, >> we'd love to, but there's some NCA rules that get in the way, so it might have to
be an exhibition. >> That's fine. >> Yeah, that's fine. Okay. Well, I'll work on that. >> Okay. Thanks. Well, and uh the dragons don't take the cobber beanie hats anymore either. So, even though I try to start it every time I go to Concordia and give the welcome,
but I suppose it's a nicer thing they can keep it. Uh, thank you so much for coming and for being such a phenomenal partner and um for keeping people here and and growing our own here, but also inviting others to come and participate and be part of Morehead.
>> Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity. They all come back anytime. Um, we'll just keep coming back with ideas and we'll work with the city and the council to figure out how we can continue to lift ourselves up because the dragons are rising. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you.
>> Go Dragons. >> All right, I guess we're clapping. >> We can clap for the Dragons. All right, next on the agenda is a pro proclamation for Hindu Heritage Month. And I'm assuming that Anna from our human rights commission is the one who
put forth this request. Um so I will read uh the official proclamation of the city of Morhead state of Minnesota. Whereas Hinduism is the third most practice religion in the world with over 50,000 believers in the state of Minnesota. And whereas Hindu culture has a rich history, tradition, and values
that are the origin of inspiration, guidance, and strength for Hindus. And whereas several joyous occasions like I'm not going to pronounce these probably right. Um, Holly, Holi, Navarati, Navarati
and Diwali facilitates gatherings, celebrations and worship. And whereas the Hindu community contributes positively to the economy and prosperity of the city of Morehead and the greater Red River Valley Colleen at home and to the state of Minnesota and the United States of America. And
whereas Hindus proactively participate to enhance the multicultural ethos of the city of Morhead as a product of their continuing teachings, celebrations, and cuisines. And whereas it is important to be thankful and appreciative of the positive impacts the Hindu culture has had on the city of
Morhead. And whereas the first place of worship outside the home for local Hindus in the Red River Valley is located in the city of Morehead. and whereas the city of Morhead is an important role to recognize and support Hindu leaders within the community to further enhance the culture. Now therefore, I Shelley Carlson, mayor of
the city of Morhead, do hereby proclaim the month of October 2025 as Hindu Hindu Heritage Month in Morehead. So, thank you Anna for bringing this. And I know that um your family brought treats for those who um want to uh have a cupcake
and some orange juice. It's out in the lobby area. So I'll come and present this to you. [Applause] To me, Hinduism is a really big part of my culture and it it's a really big part
of my daily routine. I I truly do love my culture very much and I'm very proud of being Indian. I brought a very close family friend Dr. Vijay Gaba to give a few words. So, >> thank you Anna and congratulation. Thank
you. Thank you and making us proud you know. So uh few words you know uh good evening mayor members and city councils and friends of Morehead community you know my name is Vijay Gaba and uh I am
deeply honored to stand before you today as a board member and one of the founding member of Fargo Morehead Hindu Temple and just about two years ago a group of families in our area came together with
a uh fulfilling the dream to build a place of worship, learning and service that would bring people together and reflect the rich culture and spiritual diversity of our community. That dream
became the Fargo Morehead Hindu Temple, a place not just for prayer but for connection, education and celebration. Our temple represents the value of peace, compassion, respect and unity. Value that are central not only to
Hinduism but to the spirit of Morhead itself. From day one, our goal has been to open our doors and our hearts to everyone. Whatever weather someone visit to learn about our tradition, attend a
cultural festival or simply find a quiet space uh for reflection, they are always welcome. In just two years, the temple has become a vibrant community center. We have celebrated festival what mayor has mentioned few of them Diwali, Holi,
Navaratri and hosted yoga and meditation session and partner with local organization to support charity drive interfaith events. Many local school and universities has brought their student to our temple to learn about Hindu
culture, tradition and help young people see the beauty of diversity that make the Fargo Morehead region very special. Today recognition by the city council and uh provoked by Anna, I'm proud of
her. Morehead means a great deal to us and it reframe our city place where all faith, culture and the people are valued. It shows that inclusion is not just an idea here. It's a living
practice. On behalf of our temple community, I want to express heartful gratitude to the mayor, city council, and people of Morehead for this proclamation for your continued support. As we have moved forward, our temple
will continue to grow not only in size but in spirit. We will continue to serve, teach, and celebrate to give back to the community that has bears. And um thank you very much. From day one, the city of Morehead is helping us from
giving us permit, giving whatever we ask for any small things, it has been approved without any question. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Thank you so much. And thank you, Anna, for bringing this uh to the attention of
the city to do the proclamation and also for serving on the human rights commission as well. Right. Moving on to the approval of the October 14th, 2025 meeting minutes. Do I have a motion to approve the minutes? >> So moved. >> Nelson. >> Second.
>> Motion by Nelson, a second by Borggan. All those in favor signify by saying I. Any opposed? That motion carries. Right. Citizens to address the council. Um we do have one individual who would wish to um speak to the council. Um if Shannon
Kimal is here. Hi, Shannon. Um, you'll need to come to the podium and how this works is you'll need to state your name um if you are a resident of the city of Morehead and then you'll have three minutes to speak. When the light is green, that means your
three minutes is going. When the light turns red, you'll need to um finish your sentence and then we'll wrap it up. >> Where's the light? >> Um it'll turn on when you start talking. >> So, you can go ahead anytime.
Um, okay. My name's um Shannon Kuml and um um I grew up here in Morehead. I'm in I live in Morhead. I'm in Queens Park area and um I'm coming because um I just kind
of um well, first of all, I was mad, but um anger is secondary emotion and um I'm actually hurt. And um I'm hurt because um I'm Dakota woman. I'm Native American
and I live here. And you know I have a right you know to um have peace in my home. I have four small children. And um on October 11th um the Morhead Police Department came to my home and um
accused me of being some lady that I was not. And then they had um you know guns like rif like assault rifles in the front of my house in the back of my house. and they came up to my door and they accused me of being somebody that I wasn't and they accused me of um
harboring somebody that I didn't know who now according to the police support has firearms you know sells fentinel and um just is a completely unsafe person you know and these I'm wrongly accused of this you know but at the time I
didn't know this and I turned them away from my home okay that's the first time on October 17th they came again. You know, at the time they stated it was a black eye they were looking for. They came again on the 17th and um they were looking for a different black eye this time, but this time they obtained a
search warrant and they made me and my four small children, all under the age of seven at 9:00 at night sit outside for, you know, an hour or two while they raided my house, you know, to find this black man whom again they did not find, you know, and I feel hurt because that's
not right. And I wanted to tell you personally, I wanted to come here and tell you, Shelley, because I don't think that this is right. They could have used those time and resources to find, you know, there's missing murdered people, you know, not just anybody, but the Native American people. You know,
there's people missing right now that they could have been using to, you know, to look for. And the fact that they had me and my four small children outside, that's not right. And I told them no. You know, when they I came both times and asked if these people were at my home, I told them no. You know, and now
who's to say that, you know, they're not going to go and tell CPS that, you know, this and that my children are going to be removed? Who's going to defend me then? Who's going to believe me? So, I had to leave my home. I don't want to come here and I don't want to say all of this. I'm not even dressed to even be here, but I'm here because who's going
to defend me? Who's going to help me fight back my children if they should be removed? Should CPS come against these false accusations and remove my children because children who are in a home that do have firearms and do have fentinel should be removed from those homes but
that is not my home. >> Thank you. Thank you. Um and just so um because you did submit Oh, where did you go? You did submit um an email prior to tonight's meeting. Um and
uh we connected with law enforcement and it's um my understanding that Chief Helmock has reviewed the incidents that you described. Um he's tried to connect with you and so maybe if you have a phone number you could maybe leave it with the law enforcement officer in the
back and our chief of police can connect with you and he can talk to you about um what happened and provide some answers to some of your questions. I do know that with a search warrant that has to be signed by a judge. So, the officers have to go and present information and a
judge would make the decision or not uh as far as what is in that search order, what can be done and and what can't be done. That can be further explained to you um by our chief of police once um once he's able to get in connection with you. So, um, if you want to just give
your contact information to the law enforcement officer in the back and then, uh, someone will connect with you, um, to have further conversation. Thank you. I think that is the only thing on the agenda. Everything else was on the consent agenda. So, we are now down to
mayor and council reports. Are there any um Council Member Nissmeer? >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. I have a slew of um reports and updates and event information for folks. Uh the finals final farmers market of this season is
tomorrow, Tuesday, October 28th, from 3:30 to 6:30 in Viking Park. Um, also in collaboration, there's a global market that's being held tomorrow here inside the Yums from 5 to 7:00 p.m. While you're here, um, you can grab some
dinner. There's typically food trucks as well as vendors who have goods as well as foods. Um, the Historical and Cultural Society of Klay County is free on Tuesdays, so you can enjoy some museum, you can enjoy some local goods and have a great Tuesday night here with
us tomorrow. Um the there's a trunk or treat event that is hosted by MSUM, the residents life group as well as many student orgs and the youth outreach folks um are working with the city of Morehead and putting that um trunk or
treat together. It is from 5 to 7:30 this Friday, which is Halloween. Um for those who celebrate, it is in G3 parking lot for those who don't know where that is. Um it is between 6th and 7th avenues and 10th and 11th streets south. So um
drive by and uh stop and say hello to a whole bunch of city of Morehead and MSUM folks this Friday. Um updates from SWAC. Oh, we have uh Takeback Jack. It is holiday season for lots of pumpkins and
pumpkins add um a lot to our organic waste system and it can be um reused and repurposed um if you dispose of it in a takeback jack um specific bin. Those bins are available throughout Klay County, but there are four locations in Morehead, two in North Morehead, two in
South Morhead from November 1st to November 14th. So make sure those beautiful pumpkins um go to a really great place rather than our landfill. Also from SWAC, um there was a recognition at this last week's SWAC meeting for three outstanding um
landfill staff uh for going above and beyond. There was a resident who was emptying their um pickup truck and ended up having a heart attack. And so those three landfill staff stepped up and provided service until um uh first
responders could be there. Um and so they were uh awarded some certificates and appreciation at this last SWAC meeting. Um mattress recycling an update is going really well. About 90% of the mattresses that are brought in to the resource recovery center are now being
recycled. There's a local nonprofit that is taking them and cleaning them. Those mattresses are in good condition and then can be reused and repurposed um and donated to folks in need of a mattress. So, um that is really great news, not only for reusing and repurposing things,
but also it is keeping a large waste item out of our landfill. The um county the county solid waste um did some training with some local fire chiefs and speaking of mattresses made me think of
fires. Um lithium batteries are actually the number one cause of many fires um in uh dumpsters and the landfill. And so what that training and conversation between solid waste staff and uh local fire chiefs throughout the county um
that yielded uh a need for more collection sites. So look for more collection sites before you choose to dispose your lithium batteries. Lithium batteries can come in a number of electronics, hearing aids, um your um hardware stuff. I'm like holding a
drill. Can't you see that? Um drills. Um electric uh lawnmowers, a variety of things. And so those um lithium batteries are great while they are alive and useful, but when they um no longer have use, they should be disposed of
properly. The current collection sites that we have um in the city of Morhead are um public uh are of open to the public are the resource recovery center which is on 15th Avenue North and um the landfill. You can um also get more
information about uh where to take your uh householder hazardous wastes and a variety of things on the Klay County solid waste um website. There's a great deal of information that is um being put out and um shared with folks so we can do the best with um what we have that is
waste and make the most happen. Look for next month um some really great statistics on um how much trash we have in our community. The Klay County solid waste counts from the same 100 homes each year what sort of trash we have. So
I am really looking forward to those statistics. So stay tuned until November. Thank you. I Okay, I think I passed. had a sneeze coming on. Um any uh any council member who has other council member Borggan and then council member McDougall.
>> All right. Um, I'm part of the Morhead Public Service Commission and we've had our first of our rate hearings and as we've discussed many times here, the um implications of losing bush egg really
hurts the city in in um regard to water and wastewater. So, because we do not have that large customer, um the rate rate increases this year will be pretty substantial. I think they're looking at between six and 8%.
And then the electric rates will are holding pretty steady at about a 2% increase. So, that's a good part about that. Additionally, I am part of the Cass Clay Inter Agency Council on Homelessness, which is a new group that
the United Way um is working to put together. I think there were about 50 members that met last week or the week before. Um, and we're working on not only collaboration and partnerships to
try to improve our homelessness situation in the Fargo Morehead area, but we're working first on some bylaws and and basically putting together a framework of rules in which that this council can come together and hopefully
um solve the issue together both Minnesota, North Dakota, Cass and Klay County. So, I think it has a lot of potential, but we're in the infancy stages of that um council. So, that's my report. Thank you. >> Thank you, Council Member McDougall.
>> Uh thank you, Madam Mayor. Uh just want to let people be aware that the uh human rights awards are accepting nominations right now. Uh you can turn those, they're due, I should say, by November 12th. Um we are also having a first annual, I guess, uh cookies with
commissioners with the HRC. Um that'll be on November the 13th at 5:30 to 7 and that'll be at the Morehead Public Library just to kind of give you a chance to meet with commissioners as opposed to say coming to the DOS here and meeting in in this formal setting.
And then lastly, just uh to get a heads up right away, uh Pangia is next month already on November 15th. Uh it's running 10 to 4 in the MCOM center here. Um, and if someone wants to volunteer, there's still a spot or two that I saw for volunteers for the hospitality room.
Thank you. >> Thank you. Any other council members have reports from boards or committees? >> Right. Seeing none, um, I was not here for the last council meeting. Um, but
since, so it's been a while. Um, so since the last council meeting, I've had about 40 meetings. I'm not going to go through each 40 because we might be here for a little while and I think all of you would fall asleep. But I do have some that I do want to highlight. Um on September 24th, I want to give um
gratitude to Representative Heather Keeler who helped um bring the House bonding tour to this area. Um, we were on a we met the House Bonding Committee up in Krookton and were was able to
provide them information um and actually point out components of the flood diversion project. Um, within the city of Morhead, we have seven lift stations that need to be completed. Each of them cost a little over $2 million. It's the last kind of leg of this marathon
journey that we've been doing since 2009 in the city of Morhead as far as flood mitigation. Um, we also presented at MSUM to the group where they had supper and and uh and talked about a
request that we have for our dewatering phosphorus and facility facilities improvement grant um that is out there. It's kind of a mouthful um because our facility up at our wastewater plant is old and we need to also clean out the phosphorus within our water and and so
we're hoping to get that grant from the state as well. Um they also stopped at our north fire station um because that is something that is on the agenda the future for the city is a third fire station. So they had the bonding uh the house bonding group had an opportunity
to look at that. also was able to look at the 11th Street underpass which um is going to be completed next by next fall and it kind of gave an opportunity to see both of those um projects um a future project and one that is in the
works. Um since the last council meeting there's been two more Clay County Joint Powers uh uh diversion committee meetings. Um, we have 28 I don't know if they're parcels or if
they're consider 28 um on our list. Are they parcels? Are they groups? parcels groups that we're still working to kind of complete the final um steps to to have those uh land owners
paid for paid um for these parcels and then all of it will be under the ownership of the Metro Flood Diversion Authority. Some of these are just flowage easements that have to go through a court process. um with the Metro Flood Diversion Authority itself. Um there's a lot of
work that has um been accomplished and it it we are really moving quickly towards having the diversion project operational um by ne the end of next year. So the end of 2020 or end of 2026, spring of
2027. Um, with that then we can continue to go through the process of getting the whole entire area FEMA certified and that will allow a number of our home owners to be able and business owners to not be mandated to pay flood insurance.
Additionally, then we also then won't have to deal with all the flood issues that we continually seem to have um in the the metro area. Um, I have others. Um, again, I'm not going to go through a lot of these, but one thing that is coming up is tomorrow the
um regional Red River Valley Dispatch Center. Um, this is a project that the the Metro had um with all of the entities that signed the joint powers agreement. We've been working for several years now to get a new dispatch center. Um, the grand opening is
tomorrow and is open to the public. Um it is from 4:30 to 7 pm and there will be a ribbon cutting at 5 and then tours of the dispatch center. So that is been many many years in the works um to finally be able to have a safe place um
with some redundancy for our dispatchers. So with that um I don't have anything else. I mean I do but I'm not going to go through all of it. Um and I don't think we have any other reports from the city manager's office. You do not. Um, city manager Molly is
away at professional development. So, I'm city manager for the day and it's been a pretty smooth day. >> All right. Wonderful. We do not have an executive session tonight and we have no new business. So, with that, it's 6:18 and we are adjourned. Good night, Morehead.