This conference will now be recorded. for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> I believe we have no amendment. So, I just need the adoption of the agenda.
the second. >> Any further discussions? All in favor? >> I oppose. Passes 400. I will open public comment portion. Individuals may address the city council about any items of concern. Speakers must state their name
and limit the remarks to three minutes. Terra. >> Hi, my name is Sarah Bzinger. It's nice to see everyone here and thank you for letting me come. I live just outside of Pine Island and I'm running for House District 20B and I just wanted to come say hi and and basically listen and
partake and learn about local government and so I have my contact info if you have any questions or want to get a hold of me. >> Perfect. >> Thank you. >> Thanks Sarah. Any questions for Sarah? >> I think everybody's met Sarah here. So perfect. Thanks for stopping.
>> Any more public comments? Tony? No. I will close the public portion and we'll do consent agenda. All items listed on the consent agenda are considered routine by council and will be approved by one motion. There will be one separate no separate discussion on
these items unless a council member requests in which case the item will be removed to the from the consent agenda to be considered in its normal sequence on agenda. >> I need to make one comment on the minutes. There was a typo um for the
amount of for the bid from Shoeachers. It was not $5.5 million. It was $2.5 million. So, just make that note. Um and then there's just a couple misspellings. So, we got that all cleaned up. It'll be in the approved minutes. So, just to proceed as normal and we got it all
drafted away for you. Have a motion to approve. >> Make a motion to approve the consent. Second. >> Any further discussions? All in favor? >> I oppose. Passes 400. Uh, accounts payable. Kevin,
>> just two things to draw your attention to on this one. We've got number 82647, the new lawn mower there for $17,800 coming out of the capital Equipment. And then at the very bottom 82667 the new
2026 Equinox $31,33725. So otherwise everything else is very routine and ordinary. I'll make a motion to approve the accounts payable in the total of $94,926.14. >> I have two comments both for Jeff. One that the lawnmowers that zero turn that
we talked about a couple months back. This Yeah, this is the 72 actually. >> Okay. Okay. Oh. Oh, yeah. It was a 72. And two, it's weird seeing you drive that Equinox around town. >> I'm like, I think that was Oh, it is.
>> Well, that's what we like to hear. >> We got a second on council. >> I'll second that. >> Any further discussions? All in favor? I >> oppose. Passes 400. Thanks, Kevin. New business posting the police chief position.
Um I know it's been discussed amongst the personnel committee Bob I and Brian. Um we know the police chief's retiring in October August of 2034. No.
So I know so I know there's been discussions uh kind of know um just to kind of start it off in my opinion I do know that we do have a good candidate or two internal
externally I mean I have some questions what could we get what could it do it to our department if we went external um so kind of with that said you kind of know my feelings on that. I would like
to keep it internal. It would be a oneweek posting versus a twoe posting. Um council have any other opinions, ideas, motions. So like tonight we can make a motion to
keep it internal or external. Is that >> that's kind of Yeah, that's kind of what we're asking for just to kind of I mean chief has got what was it five eight three months? Little over three. >> Yeah, a little more three months and
four years. So uh no. So yeah, so it's just kind of one of those things. uh if we keep it internal, I I think it's going to be an easier transition versus external and interviewing and background checks.
And I think there would be a lot more work for the chief if we went external versus internally. So there's some pros and cons of that budget-wise, training wise, stress-wise for the chief of going external possibly. So
>> I think the the pros of going internally far outweigh anything else and that would be my preferred direction is to see a internal position posting first as the primary hope >> and and and I and I agree and and there's a lot of pros there's some cons
there are >> a lot of pros um >> I was going to say if I you know it it seems like the trend is as if you have the capable staff um to do that internally. We're seeing a lot more
internal promotions to the position of chief than we are seeing external. Usually um what we're seeing with the external unless it's a significant size city, you know, your your major metropolitan um they often will do external um but they also, you know,
would have it open to internal if they have those candidates. But we're seeing a lot of trends where that's being handled in inside which it used to wasn't that way in the past. Um but uh there certainly you know you have an investment within your community. If
you've made that investment you continue to contribute to that investment. You want to kind of get your investment out of it. B any more input? Um I like the idea of going internal. I
also don't want to there's always a chance that we may miss something. Whether we would or not, I don't know. Um I don't like eliminate that possibility, but that's my take. I would make a motion that we do an
internal posting for the chief. I'll second that. >> Any further discussions? >> This is not a roll call, correct? >> No. All in favor? I >> oppose. >> Passes 31.
>> So I think uh Chief and or Brian will get that out tomorrow, I think, when I talk to Brian or soon. >> I think I think Brian had something arranged either way, whichever. >> Yeah. And I talked to Brian today. So >> So I think that we'll post it out
tomorrow. >> I thought that was the possibility. >> Yeah. I when I talked to Brian today that was either way he was going to do it either way to get it out there and get moving. >> I think the only change was just the amount of time it would have been posted for. So >> yeah,
>> perfect. We'll jump to 6B resolution 2026 Pleasant Avenue unbudgeted transfers. Kim, you do or not? Miles, you doing Kim's job today? >> Tonight I am. Um, >> so this is just a normal transfer we're kind of doing now. You've kind of seen
it the last few council meetings since we've hired ABDO as our new auditors. Um this is just kind of how they request so they have some sort of paper trail they can kind of go back to transfers on. So this will just be for the Pleasant Avenue loop project um this year. Um as
you can see um and yeah I don't have much more information other than that. She didn't give me too much. So I will also mention we did have our audit this week as well. So I'll talk about that more in the updates as well. Yeah. I mean, and I think Kim has done that with these transfers are going to
be a little bit more often, which we didn't with our old uh auditor. So, it's just something they require or want or recommend. So, that's why we'll see some of those. >> So, I make a motion to approve 2026-16.
I'll second that. >> Any further discussion? Bob, >> hi. >> Joan, >> hi. >> Kevin, hi. >> And I I passes 400. Thanks, Miles. Uh 6C chain link fence repair. Jeff,
>> yeah, we uh went out and got some quotes just to fix uh 20 ft of chain link along the city shop there where trees have fallen over the past few years. And then to put a gate back on that we had I'm going to say that was probably gone it's
been gone six maybe seven years now. Um just to provide security for that back area again on the south side of the building. >> What was that price again? >> Uh 6619 is the low low bid. >> 66,000.
>> It's 6,619. >> Got to get the chain link. Yeah, it it would be basically back to original product other than the fact we're going to a canal lever roller gate instead of a and a we used to have a swing gate on a wheel. >> Y and that will be coming out of our
general fund in the building maintenance fund. So normal expense as well. >> I'll make a motion to approve the second. >> Any further discussions? All in favor? I I
>> oppose. Passes 4 Z. Jeff, one more question. I just thought of it. How we doing on that water filling station, credit cards? >> Uh it's it's very close. It's the room's done. Uh the manifold's built. It is the box is mounted. It is um close. We're
just waiting. We're uh trying to get like Ryan Mechanical to come. It's a stainless pipe that we need threaded for a few of the pieces to get out to have our upper and lower fills. So, we're basically to that point and then calibration. Um, we're waiting on calibration because we're also working
on switching everything over to the looping project we did, which would put everybody on high pressure. So, that would change our calibrations. If we started now, we're on the water tower. We'd be at 55 PSI. We're going to go to 82 PSI. So, we want to do one calibration and done. But, we're very
close with that, too, where we're actually looking at uh decommissioning the water tower as well. >> Okay. I just know we're getting close to construction season, so I just >> Yeah, we did uh uh get a new water meter for the wind backflow pre. They're actually using it at the uh new
apartment building right now. Okay. >> And that will actually go to um out on 22nd Street now and that will the Sigra will be using that for a part of the summer. >> Perfect. >> So everything is being metered. >> Perfect. >> Sorry about that. I got sidetracked. Uh
6D, Highlands Development Agreement, Miles. >> Uh yes. So we the previous two council meetings or maybe last month or so, we've done our preliminary plat and final plat for the Highlands development which is coming in uh this summer. So this is will be the seventh phase. So 28
single family lots will be going up as part of the Highlands development. Uh and we've been working on a development agreement for the last four or five months now. um and have just been in negotiations uh the last two weeks with Bigalow Holmes on getting
that completed. Um so we're bringing that draft for you tonight. Um Council Member Kevin Emonson thankfully pointed out a couple errors. So we had some typos and I am embarrassed to say there was two mistakes with the numbers which
I will address in a second here. Um a couple big items of note for you as part of this agreement. Um there are there's no park de park dedication fees for this one. That is because on the very first agreement that or one of the first
agreements they had dedicated land in that agreement. So that was for the entire phase as a whole multi-phases. Um which is odd but in this case a little bit different since there's a golf course there too. So again can't speak on how it was done 20 years ago but
that's where we are. Um, another note was that they had in the sixth phase a sewer extension um, which was for about $68,000. Um, and that was supposed to be on a 10-year term. So, they are in year five or six of that. So, they are required to
pay off the remaining balance which is for $34,315. Um, they will be posting a financial security on this project of 125% which is required by our ordinance. Um that will be in the amount of $1,391,250.
Um the regular cash requirements are $118,000 $315 33 $315. As you know in your agreement, those numbers are incorrect and that was where I messed up. I miscalculated the we originally did 120% for financial security as part
of our normal draft that we have, but our ordinance requires 125%. Thankfully Kevin pointed that out to me, so I got that addressed. Um, and then I just miscalculated on the cash requirements. It's actually $118,000. In the agreement, we have $104,000. So, just keep that in mind that it'll be
more than what's there. I miscalculated it for whatever reason. So, that's my fault completely. Um, those fees in particular are for engineering administration legal expenses, which is 0.5% and then for the sewer extension as
well. So, not a ton of fees, but on our previous agreements, there were no fees at all. So, I think having anything is a really good slam dunk for the city on that one. Um, and I also added a provision about site maintenance during construction because we have a couple
comments during our um public hearings from the from the general public in the area about how in previous phases some of the site maintenance was poor um and a lot of debris or trash blew into other people's properties. So, we added a stronger provision in there that gives us a little bit more room to say, "No,
this is our contractual agreement that needs to be clean and it can affect the neighboring properties as well." Um, so those are kind of the big notes I have, but I'll open that up to any questions. >> Last time we had talked about this, there were several things that the
engineer talked about and that they were in the process of going through. >> Yes. >> Those things get addressed. Yes, those are all addressed and legally they have to be addressed before anything's recorded anyways. So, the final plat has yet to be recorded and that's because it's contingent upon us approving and the signatures and recording of this
development agreement too. So all these things will be addressed and I Bill is not here tonight but um but Bill has has been they actually forwarded us construction plans and everything from my perspective has been addressed but I don't know if he has anything he still needs to work out but we've obviously
have never had a problem with Bigalow or working with their engineers on addressing those concerns. So I think we're we're okay where we are now and again all this stuff will be ironed out for sure by the time everything is recorded with the county.
Any more questions on the uh >> just on the park part there, you know, so are you saying like Well, I know there's a park kind of down there and and so they're we're just saying they don't have to put an additional park. >> Yes. So that one I don't know and it
would have been noted in the preliminary and final plat anyways. Um this is kind of like an odd phase. There really wasn't space for anything. Um I don't know why that had occurred because it really wasn't in any agreements. I think they kind of just put it in one of their plats at one point just because it was
probably an odd lot and they were like, "We'll just put something there um for the general public." But their original note about Parkland dedication was that the golf course, because it was originally a nine-hole golf course, they added nine holes and that was meant to be the Parkland dedication.
>> Little bit weird, I think, but um that's the way it was done when it was first signed in 2003. Um, and so lots of things changed. One other interesting note, too, is that they wanted to pay their sewer and water availability charges upfront in the first agreement.
So, they paid us a sum of almost $300,000 in two in 2003 um for those for that. So, that's for the entire 90 acres of future development, which as our attorney Mike Clarity noted is really weird. Um, and he didn't really like
that, but that's what happened. And so that's why you don't see that as a fee in here too, like you saw with the Keller Bartman building um and other projects we have just because they decided to pay it up front. And that's the reason you don't see it in the previous agreements either is because
they already paid it, I guess. And we Kim and I had to go back and dig back in 2003 to make sure that was actually paid. So um yeah, >> they probably came out really good on inflation then that >> Well, that's that's why they paid it up front, >> right? 25 years later, it's probably gone up a little bit.
>> And our fees have gone up for it, too. So, they saved uh an ample sum of money, I'd say. But, yeah, >> I'll make a motion to approve as amended the Highlands Development Agreement. >> I'll second that.
>> Any further discussions? All in favor? >> I oppose. Passes 400. Thanks, Mile, for all that work on that. Uh 6D, set a work session. Um there's basically two topics that we want to talk about during work session is the water building bill
building and then also the health insurance something about when our renewals are they want to change the renewal but won't affect our budget. >> Yes. So, we had Kim, I and Brian had a meeting with um our
I think he's our consultant on our health insurance services or he is part of their health insurance and we were looking for a way where we could know about our rates for next year earlier in the year so that we can budget for it because as you know we get our rates in
October and that's a problem because we set a preliminary budget in September and we can't go any higher than that. So if the rates come in a 20% increase then we are out of luck almost and we have to really maneuver. We had to do it last year too. >> Say that's what we had to do last.
>> And so one thing that he proposed is that we can change the structure of our year and move it a month earlier. So basically the benefit year would start in December and go till um the next year. Um so like we're moving things up a month and that will get us our rates in July. So we'll see what the increase
is in July. That way we can budget for it. Now, this is a little bit confusing and so Kim and Brian will probably bring some explanations and some charts for you to kind of paint a graph picture of it um at the work session, but that's just kind of the idea we're floating because it's kind of a hassle on us um
to budget for it and it can even be a problem in union negotiations as well when that comes up because well, we don't have the rates until um October and that screws things up because I mean we started negotiating in August and September and so that can be a problem. So that's just kind of what we're
proposing. We're going to let you all talk about it at the work session and then we'll bring some more information for you then. >> So the dates that Brian and I talked about, one out of the three dates works for me the best would be the 19th,
which is Tuesday, >> June, May. >> May, sorry. >> Yeah. Uh otherwise the 11th would work for me, but the 20th would not. is kind of what Brian and I talked about. So, let's start with the 19th. I think it
only should take about an hour. >> What time on the 19th? >> 5:30. I mean, I'm open. I'm just doing 5:30 for >> on the 19th. >> That's That would be the 19th as well. >> Yes. >> Is that or that's code, ain't it? >> Mhm. >> Well, that's at 5:30. >> We'll also be discussing some
preliminary budget ideas as well for this work session. Nothing in depth, but this is just the time of year when we start kicking things around. So, um, just heads up on that. Um, as that'll probably that'll be part of the discussion, too. >> What What is your Could we cancel the
code? I mean, I don't know what your topics are on that. >> I would prefer not to cancel this code, but >> we missed the last one. Well, we didn't miss it. We just were working on stuff. So, >> Yep. And I have so that up. So, >> so how does 11th look? Monday, the 11th,
which is >> Monday, Bobby. Uh, we do it at 5:30 and it's only takes an hour. I have fire train. Well, >> what time is that? >> 6:30. So, if we got an hour >> I'm okay. I mean, if that works with
everybody else, you mean you 4550 minutes. >> I can make it work. >> Don't So, let's do uh Monday the 11th at 5:30 and we'll just try to keep it an hour and if Bob has to leave the gold longer, he leaves at least we'll get the topic. So, we'll set
the I just need a motion to set the work session to Monday the 11th from 5:30 to 6:30. >> I will make that motion. >> Second. >> Any further discussions? All in favor? >> I >> oppose.
Passes 400. Thanks, Miles. Uh, reports, Miles. >> Uh, so I'll have a couple updates because I'm covering a few people tonight. So, um, number one, it was out for Kim. We had our budget or sorry, our audit this week. So Abdo came in, they did field work only on Tuesday and
Wednesday. Um, which is different than what we're used to because our previous auditor were here all week, sometimes even into the next week as well. So they did their fieldwork this week. They were here and they got to see our processes and they got to handle everything and they completed everything and um, it ran
very smoothly and we had no really big hiccups which is really nice. Um, I think Kim thought this process was a lot less stressful than previous years. Um, so yeah, we'll get more information when we get those audits back. But, um,
things went really well. Um, a couple notes from our community development director, um, Kurt Meister. The Zimroa Economic Development Authority voted to continue advertising the city by purchasing some Google Performance Max ads. Uh EDA used Facebook ads last year
but felt the advertisements weren't reaching as many people as possible. So uh the Google ads campaign will work with users online algorithms and allowing advertisements promoting Zamura to appear more frequently to targeted audiences. Um the ads will highlight a lot of the community attractions we have
and amenities including the covered bridge, the new community pool, uh campground and our biking walking and biking trails strong school system and our new housing opportunities and local festivals as well. Um and they approved the purchase of a three-month
advertising campaign for $3,100 through Tulip Tree Studios of Steuartville. Um that came from the promotional budget of the EDA. And the second item is that the EDA is exploring some ways to better utilize our historical plaque that we have at the roundabout near Quick Trip. As you may
know, it's kind of in a weird spot. Um, and it's really rarely seen by the public and may benefit from being relocated near the existing monuments by the covered bridge. So Kurt has been working with Jeff um to kind of identify a solution for relocating the display. Due to the size and structure of the
monument, it cannot be moved in its entire entirety. Instead, the plaque will need to be removed from the existing monument and mounted on a new stone base. Um, in addition, a map of the historic Debuke Trail would be added to enhance the educational and historical value of the display. Um,
anyone interested in seeing the wording display is currently displayed on the plaque is encouraged to contact Kurt Memeister by email. Um, so those are the updates from EDA. And then just for me and for Brian, both Brian and I attended the Minnesota City Managers Association
conference last week uh from Wednesday, Wednesday to Friday morning basically. Um so we got to hear a lot of great speakers there and um got a lot of networking opportunities with other cities. So we got to flow a lot of different ideas around, talk about different topics. Um so that was really
great. Um we also had our groundbreaking ceremony last week uh for the Keller Bartman Bridgeview apartment building um which went really well. We had a pretty good turnout, a lot of different members of the community. And then finally, Miranda and I this week attended our first election training. Um, so getting
ready for the primary and general election this year. So, >> thanks Brian. I mean, Rob, uh, Chief, >> um, not a whole lot. Um actually uh uh Gary Schroeder uh senior
stopped in today and uh had some good news in regards to the uh memorial highway that's being renamed and was able to show me the sign that they're going to be placing. Um and it'll be up it looks like to me in some prominent
sections of the uh north and south end of the city. So, it'll be quite visible. And so, we're excited to see um that Memorial Highway being renamed. Um we uh uh our newest employee is on track uh
field training wise. Um so, we're hoping maybe by the end of the month um Misty will be ready to roll on her own. Other than that, I got nothing. >> We going to do a ribbon cutting or a ceremony for the new signs for the
highway. >> I'm not quite sure what what's planned, but I I would think that would be pretty appropriate to do that. Um I know they're looking to do some fundraising um because that is at um those type of things aren't at public's expense. So,
um they're looking at doing a little fundraising and so forth with that. So, we're kind of looking at ideas. >> Perfect. >> Thanks, Chief. Mr. Mer, >> nothing tonight. I just want to piggy back on the groundbreaking for Bridge View. Um Joan
and Kevin there. I think we had a great turnout. I I mean, they're moving right along. I mean, I almost got to drive by a daily just to check up on it. So, uh I think it'll be a nice addition. Has it been okay with public works? I mean, anything they've needed or done or
>> uh yeah, we removed a couple light poles that were on that street and other than that, it's been pretty smooth. So, >> perfect. No, perfect. >> That's all I got. Bob, >> Kevin, nothing tonight. Meeting adjourned. >> Do you want to help?
>> Yeah, this is a