[0:01] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [0:22] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Councilor Hjelle is absent this evening. Could we have a roll call? [0:22] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor Peterson? [0:22] Councilor Joe Peterson: Here. [0:22] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor LeBlanc? [0:22] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Here. [0:22] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor Geissler? [0:22] Councilor John Geissler: Here. [0:22] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Mayor Boucher? [0:22] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Here. Um, Mr. Mulder, could you go over the presentations that were available at pre-agenda? [0:40] City Administrator John Mulder: Sure. Uh, we started with Trish Crego, Utility and Infrastructure Director, um, just gave a brief report on the past actions and work of the Utility and Infrastructure area in 2025, um, including number of permits, the right-of-way work, and various things like that. [1:00] City Administrator John Mulder: And then Joe Wicklund, Assistant City Administrator, um, gave us a brief preview of the legislative efforts that we will be pursuing in 2026. Um, including being at the League of Minnesota Cities legislative day and the St. Louis County Days, looking at possible funding for an expansion of the Wellness Center, some possible funding for the Murphy Jackson Park project, and looking at extending some sales tax language as well. [1:32] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Uh, now we will move on to public comment. Time for individuals to speak to the council. This is for general public comment, items not on the agenda. We have a sign-up list that was out in the hall that several people have signed up for, and I will call them as we go. Uh, if at any time you decide you want to speak to public comment before it's over, please go to the hall and sign up on the sheet, and the Fire Chief out there will bring the sheet to me so that we can call you at the proper time. First person that signed up is Joanne Bates. Joanne, could you come to the podium and state your name and address, please? [2:13] Joanne Bates: Yep. I'm gonna try and speak loud enough so people can hear me. Um, this is Joanne Bates. I live at 5369 Morris Thomas Road, Hermantown, Minnesota, about um 2 and 3/4 mile from the proposed data center. Mayor and the City Council, um, some of the differences between those of us opposed to the data center and the people on the board, um, some or all of who support it, I believe, result from your faith in the claim about the projects that you've been given as opposed to our conviction that the final result will likely uh, vary broadly from their claims. I'm going to be speaking [3:00] Joanne Bates: much of the time about the Minnesota state law HF 16 data center bill passed in June during the special session of 2025. I do understand that it's not your bill and I'm not holding you responsible for it. In the HF 16, the pre-application evaluation of projects using more than 100 million gallons of water appears to allow the developer to make inaccurate claims about water usage. It is also reported to exempt hyperscale data centers from energy conserving optimization plans. And then [3:47] Joanne Bates: there is a gracious Minnesota state tax exemption for software and information technology equipment. I want you to know that HF 16 does not do enough to protect me. The Hermantown hyperscale data center developer makes all sorts of claims that appear to be unproven based on the experience of other data centers. [4:13] Joanne Bates: We need time to gain more experience from hyperscale data centers that are currently running to see if there are actually some who have energy use and water as our hyper center um claims right now. What is there to hold them to their exceptional claims? [4:34] Joanne Bates: I'm asking you to please put the Hermantown data center on hold until we have a process to hold them accountable and we have proof from other data centers that their claims of lack of damage to the environment are proven reasonable. Thank you for your time. [4:52] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Next is Sarah Winter. Name and address, please. [4:52] Sarah Winter: My name is Sarah Winter and my address is 3658 Birch Road in Hermantown. Um, and I came tonight to speak because throughout this process I find myself really surprised um, how difficult it is to share opinions with the council. Um, I would think that a town like Hermantown, which is a wonderful place to live, um, that prides itself on civic involvement would want as wide and open a front door as possible. And um I find it hard to share my perspective and help those of you who are here know what me, your constituent, [5:37] Sarah Winter: want. Um, and as compared to communicating with my other representatives from whom I always receive a response, when I email, which is the only option available on the website, I get no response except "data noted" um as a response or you know like it's been recorded. Um, and that is really unfortunate to my mind and to my way of thinking. Um, it's sort of like the emails go to some sort of dead end. And there's no other option offered for communication with counselors short of this venue, which to get me here to speak is a really big deal. I don't enjoy public speaking and it's a huge deal for my family, for my four kids and my family for me to be gone in [6:24] Sarah Winter: an evening. And I appreciate your time for being here in that same vein. Um, so the thing that I feel very strongly about is the data center and I've been here before to speak about it. Um, but because there's no response from the counselors, it's difficult to know whether that message has been received or not. Um, so when I talk with my friends um, my neighbors and my friends about this, we all feel the same. We do not want to see a hyperscale data center in our um neighborhood, but I can see how it would be hard for you to know whether your constituents want it or not. Um so I'll just really quickly tell you about the state of Virginia where my brother and his family live. Um there [7:09] Sarah Winter: are 510 data centers in the state of Virginia. In 2008, they implemented the same, really similar to Minnesota, the same kind of no sales tax, no use tax on computers and they estimated that it would cost them $1.5 million in revenue loss um because of that. And in the year 2025, it has actually been a $2.1 billion revenue loss to the state of Virginia. And I use this just as an example to show that this is all so new that we really don't know the implications of what we are entering into when we enter into the data center proposal. This is uh something I heard um the New York Times talk about it akin to the um industrial revolution and I [7:56] Sarah Winter: think it is that kind of big transition with particularly the hyperscale data centers. Thank you so much for your time. [8:00] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Um, the next person who has signed up wishes to seed their time to someone who's not on this list but may be on a later list and uh we'll get to that uh at that time. So we'll move on to Sarah Loal. Name and address, please. [8:27] Sarah Loal: Uh my name is Sarah Loal and I live at 5502 Hermantown Road. Uh it is always hard to decide what to address at these meetings uh when your time is limited to 3 minutes. It is especially hard to come up with something new that will engage the council's interest uh that won't simply repeat the same concerns over and over again. Uh but without some kind of response to our concerns, how are we supposed to have meaningful discussion? [8:52] Sarah Loal: Uh these public comments are a one-way street. Any conversation uh is had between individuals without public record uh and relies on the receiver to then disperse that information to others which is an inefficient game of telephone that breeds misinformation and conspiracy. Uh and I do understand that you are dealing with lawsuits in regards uh to the data centers. Um, but I dare to surmise that much of this situation would have been avoided if the public had been part of the conversation at the beginning prior to changing the definition of light industrial uh to specifically include data centers. [9:31] Sarah Loal: Passing environmental reviews that don't assess the real effects of a known data center project on the environment. Uh, landowners being approached and offered two or more times the assessed value of their properties. City staff seemingly manipulating a resident steering committee's recommendations for their community and the signing of NDAs that prohibit city staff from speaking freely about this project alone. Recently, I attended the Minnesota caucus for our precinct and I did so for many of the same reasons that I have been speaking at these meetings. Uh I want to learn more about our governmental processes and how decisions are made. I don't want to simply complain without taking action. And while I listened to my neighbors discuss their concerns and [10:17] Sarah Loal: propose resolutions to be considered for party platforms, I noticed that many of the topics were directly or loosely related to the Hermantown data center. Last week, while I helped sort through resolutions from all around St. Louis County, the same topics came up over and over again. It is not just Hermantown and our immediate surrounding communities that are opposed to data center development. This is a sentiment that is widespread uh that can be seen from across the country. Communities are suffering from the unchecked development of data centers. Other Fortune 50 companies are taking advantage of these communities and gulping from the wells of our public resources. [11:03] Sarah Loal: And while we in Hermantown have been assured by our council and the half-page ads in the Hermantown Star that this project is different, that this project will be regulated, that this project won't be like all the others, that Minnesota has the strongest safeguards. [11:18] Sarah Loal: The reality is that your constituents do not want this. They do not trust this unnamed company and they are losing trust in their representatives. So again, I ask if the citizens of Hermantown come to multiple city council meetings and express their concerns over a Fortune 50 company building a 1.2 million square foot data center complex in the middle of a rural area, will you stop the project? Thank you. [11:47] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Next is Rebecca Gilbertson. Could you start with your name and address, please? [11:55] Rebecca Gilbertson: Hey, good afternoon. My name is Rebecca Gilbertson, 5854 Hermantown Road. Um, tonight I come before you to talk about public health risk. So, I think we've been very focused on the environmental risks and we haven't discussed the public health risks. I would like to do that this evening. Um, so reminder that there needs to be backup diesel generators. Um those backup diesel generators um issue fine particulate matter into the um into our air. Um and [12:32] Rebecca Gilbertson: this is associated with respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer risk and increased um incidence of asthma um to cost the United States $20 billion by 2030. Um so not too far in the future. This is an increased liability for the city of Hermantown. Um I'd also like to speak to um another matter um regarding sort of human impact. Um we're now at the four-month mark. Um and I would like to speak towards chronic stress. Um I do um talk to immediate affected residents. I know that many of the council does as well. [13:14] Rebecca Gilbertson: Um, and I would like to also remind the council of the effects of chronic stress. We're not talking acute stress anymore. Um, we're talking about chronic stress. Um, and this leads to insomnia, sleepless nights, early mornings, shingles, hypertension, ulcers. Um, and these are affected residents, so I'm not making this up. Um, increased risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke. Increased or decreased weight, depression, anxiety, migraines, um addiction issues. And so I um come before you um and I wrote down angry conversations between spouses about what we're going to do. Um because individuals that are immediate affected need to plan for our futures. [14:01] Rebecca Gilbertson: Um, and so I come before the council tonight and I'd like to see the rest of my time um to hear um from this council an apology. Um, this has been a really hard period for your immediate affected residents. Thank you for your time. [14:18] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Next is James Thirsten. Good evening. Name and address, please. [14:35] James Thorston: James Thorston, 5784 Hermantown Road. I'd like to thank the mayor and council and city administration for hearing my brief comments. Uh, my wife and I were recently to a pre-agenda meeting, was last month, and you had a uh a company called Ehlers that was working with administration finances and I found it pretty pretty interesting and uh informative and uh but as she went through her presentation I noticed that three times if not four she had mentioned one word that kind of rattled in my head and just was very ironic and it was uh it was um excuse me [15:24] James Thorston: it was transparency and how important it was. And I think this whole data center thing could have been way way more informative and transparent. And I realize there's some city administration that did NDAs, and I don't believe any of the council as mayor did, but I have reason to believe that you knew what was going on and you didn't sign it and you could have informed your residents and the public and that would have been much helpful and probably uh been a little smoother operation. and [16:11] James Thorston: this has been known. But that's all I had to say. Thank you. [16:11] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Um, next is Bria Shaminsky. [16:25] Bria Shaminsky: All right. I'm Bria Shaminsky, 3483 Struckin Road, Duluth, Minnesota. Um, hi, my name is Bria Shaminsky and I'm here to speak about my opposition to the data center. I recently just read a book called The Radium Girls by Kate Moore. The historical non-fiction book is about women who worked in the radium factories working on watches and dials for the military. They were exposed to radium by licking the paintbrush to have a pointed end, dipping it in paint containing the glowing radium, and painting. They would do this over and over again while right away they did not notice any physical harm. Years later, there were horrible effects. [16:59] Bria Shaminsky: The big companies that had them painting the watches early on didn't know the paint was dangerous, but later they had known and still had them painting. These big companies even mentioned that it would give them rosy cheeks and that it was good for them. These women were losing their jawbones, their teeth, their dignity. This occurred at two factories, one in Orange, New Jersey and one in Ottawa, Illinois. There were many, many court cases because these women and families were fighting for their lives. [17:27] Bria Shaminsky: The big companies simply did not care. They were in it for the money. They didn't care one bit how it could affect people's lives. Fast forward to today. Ottawa, Illinois is still continuing to clean up radium that is in their soil and their grounds. Everyone in the community eventually was affected by the radium. Sounds kind of weird talking about radium. Um, and how might this relate to the data center? Well, I feel like this data center sounds like a repeat in history. Once again, these big Fortune 50 companies are taking over. [17:55] Bria Shaminsky: This time it is with data centers. They don't care about the people. All they care about is the money. They don't care about the environment. All they care about is the money. They won't care about the water intake, electricity intake, adverse health effects. All they care about is the money. What do you care about? The people and environment or the money. [18:14] Bria Shaminsky: Here we go. The Fortune 50 companies do not care. I don't live within the city limits of Hermantown. Yet here I am having to deal with a massive decision that will affect our lives and quite honestly has already affected my well-being. [18:32] Bria Shaminsky: I've been through a lot of anxiety and I've never experienced before. This is not the mom I want to be. I should be sitting having dinner with my family right now. Here I am fighting for them to hopefully one day not have to worry about a hyperskilled data center showing up in our backyard. [18:52] Bria Shaminsky: Just like with the radium, we do not know any long-term health effects that there could be from the data centers. Maybe these Fortune 50 companies already know that there are health effects. Yet, they will continue to force them on us, just like they did with the radium factories. Please reconsider and vote no for this hyperscaled data center. You have the power to gain our trust back from your community and neighbors. [19:13] Bria Shaminsky: Please think of the people and environment and let go of the money. We are depending on you to make things right. Thank you. [19:13] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Next is Nate Ricard. Name and address, please. [19:30] Nate Ricard: Yeah, Nate Rickard. Uh, 4878 Trails End Drive. Uh oh, I wasn't going to talk, but maybe I will. Um but yeah, this this data center thing has kind of got out of control. Um I don't blame you guys really here. I just wanted to say sorry this happened to you. I think the developer is a lot to blame. And if this thing does go forward, I would just advise you guys to make sure they come with a plan to not hurt Hermantown but help it. I think if it is done correctly it could be something that helps us. I know that was your guys' intentions here and for some reason it just got crazy here, but um uh I would just encourage you to talk to the developer [20:16] Nate Ricard: because I think there's a lot of misinformation that's just kind of snowballed and uh it's unfortunate. I don't know if we can come back from it or not, but uh hopefully something that can help Hermantown. Uh I know the union trades, which I'm a part of, would be happy to build it for them as an 8-year project's a big project for us. [20:40] Nate Ricard: Um but it has to be something that doesn't hurt Hermantown. I wouldn't be in favor of it if it hurts us. So but I would lean on the developer to come with a plan of how it's not going to, and they didn't give us enough information. Uh but I don't blame anybody here. Sorry you guys got to go through this tough job. Thank you. [20:55] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Next is Clarissa. [21:15] Clarissa E.: Good evening. Clarissa E., 3505 Solway Road. My 10-acre property is less than a thousand yards from the proposed data center property. I want to start tonight just by expressing how appalled, unfortunately, I was to read the Duluth Monitor's article from February 28, 2026, discussing email exchanges between Administrator Mulder and Mortenson regarding identifying landowners that could be open to selling near the Umpire property, including the former mayor Ershan’s son and personal friend and former Hermantown School Superintendent Mr. Jutman, which then um sold their homes or land for three times their assessed value, [22:00] Clarissa E.: especially knowing that resident Tim Resburgh was told there was no plan for a data center at a city meeting in April 2025. We all know that was a lie. Secondly, I want to bring to your attention a report from the Community and Environmental Defense Services suggesting that um if data centers are going to be implemented, they have to provide a health impact assessment before they're built to prevent negative effects on nearby residents' health. Um the report was compiled by CEDS founder and President Richard Klein, who's been working in development-related concerns for 40 years. Klein found a single data center could pose negative health risks for people living at least 6 miles away. That's me and my family. That's my [22:46] Clarissa E.: children. Sometimes further. Klein said risks increase when a home is near multiple data centers. Um, there um the air pollution risks come from data centers emitting nitrogen dioxide and tiny inhalable particles that can harm people's lungs. According to the National Institute of Health, the tiny inhalable particles cause between 100,000 and 200,000 premature deaths each year. Data centers bring air pollution and so do the generators used to power them. I'm asking you to please put people over profit. Um, please put my family, my children over potential profit. I'm asking for a health impact assessment. You're on notice. I trust [23:32] Clarissa E.: that you are really genuinely good people and you don't actually want to hurt us and our children and our families. You're on notice. If people get hurt by this, you're going to have to carry that and that's not a threat. I'm genuinely asking you, please put us before the money. Thank you. [23:53] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Do we have another list? Thank you. Uh, next person is Emma Rickman. [24:18] Emma Rickman: Uh, good evening. Uh, it's my understanding I have potentially six minutes. [24:18] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Yes. And you've signed up for two different things, correct? That would be six on this and then three minutes on the other. [24:18] Emma Rickman: Okay. I don't need much on the other. [24:18] Mayor Wayne Boucher: No, we'll get to that during the agenda. Name and address. [24:36] Emma Rickman: Uh Emma Rickman, 5215 Chris Drive. Um, a friend who I've made in this endeavor was generous enough to seed some time to me. And I have had a hell of a day. And the reason I'm telling you this is because um I think the human factor in this sometimes gets overlooked. And what happened to me today is just a day in the life of any—it could happen to anybody. Um and all of this happened after I asked Don to seed time to me. Um so it's been a day. Found out my dog has early stage kidney failure. Uh then my neighbor's dog, who was on a walk with my three little neighbor girls around our property because we let them and we have [25:21] Emma Rickman: trails, uh made just a kid mistake, didn't put their dog on a leash, and it attacked my chicken flock. Two of my chickens are pretty hung up right now. They'll get through it. Um I'm an animal lover, so it hits me hard. But uh I had five children sobbing—my children, the three neighbor girls—and just me home alone, and I ran out into the snow with my socks on, and I consoled my neighbor girl who felt awful. Um, my early childhood training tells me that when a situation escalates, you de-escalate. And the only thing that mattered right now was de-escalating that situation. [26:00] Emma Rickman: Um, then I get my kids inside, my chickens back in the coop. Uh, my son is crying so hard, who's still recovering from RSV, that he inhales so much air that he then projectile vomits onto me two separate times this evening. Uh, I still have throw-up on these pants. Um, and uh, my husband was not home because he's getting water at the Hermantown Historical Society building where you can pay for water because our shallow well has run dry in the consistent drought that we keep having in our area. [26:30] Emma Rickman: Um, so I didn't shower today. Uh, there's just—it's just a lot. Um, and I'm just one person and I'm trying to be a mom and I'm trying to be uh a homesteader and a human being and life just shits on you sometimes. And uh—sorry for my language. I try not to be overly aggressive, but it's been a day. [26:51] Emma Rickman: So, what I actually want to say tonight is I'm tired. That's literally what I have written down. I'm tired. Uh, this is a marathon of endurance and we are nowhere near the end. I do not want this for our city, our neighbors, our environment, our watershed. Uh, and this experience does not foster trust and the lack of transparency has turned everyday citizens into armchair detectives. We are key stakeholders in this yet we are the last to be involved or even consulted. And yes, past zoning and council meetings did allow for comments on amendments to the city ordinance regarding communication services um and amending chapter 5 section 535 business light manufacturing pertaining to communication services facilities etc. [27:33] Emma Rickman: But we don't have a crystal ball and the knowledge and information the public would have needed to appropriately and accurately make comments was protected by NDAs. And even if we somehow would have had a piece of that puzzle, I can only anticipate we would have gotten the same courtesies Tim Resburgh received from city staff with responses like, "There is nothing that I can share about this about any of this at any point in time other than what is publicly known." And, "If a private landowner—if a private company wants to buy land, it is not the city's business. They may or may not be doing something. We don't know for sure." [28:04] Emma Rickman: Well, then I would question why all the zoning language updates Eric Johnson describes as being proactive when in actuality it's every bit of the city's business and there's a litany of documentations to prove that. So again, the lack of transparency certainly leads to a lack of trust and even a lack of trust in a good faith effort. Uh, for example, I do not trust future hyperscale data center development won't flood our community when Renfield Land Company owns 72 parcels in St. Louis County, 380 of which are just to the west of the Arrowhead substation in Solway Township with an additional 140 acres in the vicinity of Misty Morning Drive. [28:43] Emma Rickman: Please prove me wrong. Um, I'm tired. This endeavor has become a job trying to understand and discover all that has transpired. I went to the capital on February 18th to speak with my legislators regarding additional protections that are needed to fully know the impacts of hyperscale data center development. We asked for a two-year moratorium. Um, and I am deflated to say that uh I was met with the sentiment that it should be left to local governments. And I disagree. And RGU with a class 3 city is independently negotiating with a billion-dollar corporation. The scale is not weighted in our favor. It's not even a fair fight. And we need centralized permitting. [29:22] Emma Rickman: Hi, Senator Hauschild and Representative Natalie Zeleznikar. I'm looking at you. We need your help. Um, this is a bipartisan issue. Your actions and complacency or apathy will influence how people vote for you. Uh, to my elected officials, you hold weight, the weight of your world, the weight of our world in your hands. And sometimes it's hard to come up here and do my best to employ restraint and deliver my impact statement calmly and constructively. Um, but I'm trying. I don't expect you to hear me if I'm yelling at you, but don't forget the overwhelming majority of us do not want this for our city. [30:00] Emma Rickman: Uh, I keep getting asked, "If you don't want it here, where should it be? How far is far enough away?" I shouldn't have to answer that. I, like many others, don't want this here or anywhere. There are not protections in place for me or my neighbors or the environment and the watershed that addresses known and unknowable consequences of rapid exploitive and extractive development of this scale. I think the more important question is what is your threshold for saying no to this? Is there a quantifiable number of constituents who need to tell you no, we don't want this. I can't imagine you're taking this lightly with the enormous amount of public pressure and visibility that's resulted in this, but please give me hope that this is not a foregone conclusion. Um, I understand that there's a big announcement perhaps coming in early March and I can't say that I'm looking forward to that. So, thank you. [30:46] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Is there anyone else on the list? Okay. If that's true, then we'll close public comment and move to motions. Motion to appoint the following to a three-year term to the Utility Commission: Barry Simonson. Do we have a motion? [31:05] Councilor John Geissler: Motion to approve. [31:10] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Motion by Councilor Geissler. Is there a second? [31:10] Councilor Joe Peterson: I'll second. [31:10] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Second by Councilor Peterson. Uh, Councilor Hjelle, who's not here, is our liaison to the Utility Commission. He and I interviewed Mr. Simonson and another candidate who were both very qualified and excellently qualified for the Utility Commission, but we decided on Mr. Simonson. Uh, and we recommend his appointment. Mr. Mulder, do you have any comments on this? [31:42] City Administrator John Mulder: I do not. [31:42] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Uh, any questions or comments from council? Fire Chief Graves, is anyone signed up? So, we will have a roll call. [31:42] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor Geissler? [31:42] Councilor John Geissler: Aye. [31:42] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor LeBlanc? [31:57] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Aye. [31:57] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor Peterson? [31:57] Councilor Joe Peterson: Aye. [31:57] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Mayor Boucher? [31:57] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Aye. Next is the consent agenda: approval or correction of the February 17th, 2026 City Council continuation minutes and February 23rd, 2026 City Council work session minutes, as well as accounts payable—approve general city warrants from February 16th, 2026 through February 28th, 2026 in the amount of $2,991,655.11 cents. Is there a motion? [32:33] Councilor Joe Peterson: I'll make a motion to approve. [32:33] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Motion by Councilor Peterson to approve. Is there a second? [32:33] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Second. [32:33] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Second by Councilor LeBlanc. Roll call, please. [32:48] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor LeBlanc? [32:48] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Aye. [32:48] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor Peterson? [32:48] Councilor Joe Peterson: Aye. [32:48] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor Geissler? [32:48] Councilor John Geissler: Aye. [32:48] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Mayor Boucher? [32:48] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Aye. Next is resolutions. Resolution 2026-30: Resolution authorizing and directing the City Administrator and the Economic Development Director to execute and deliver a Business Development Infrastructure application. Is there a motion? [33:14] Councilor John Geissler: Motion to approve. [33:14] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Motion by Councilor Geissler. Do we have a second? [33:14] Councilor Joe Peterson: I'll second. [33:14] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Second by Councilor Peterson. Mr. Mulder, do we want Mr. Ronchetti to address us? Mr. Ronchetti. [33:40] Chad Ronchetti: Thank you, Mayor, Councilors. Uh, as you recall a couple of meetings ago, we brought forward a resolution authorizing application to DEED, reapplication of DEED for the $2 million BDPI grant for the Hawkline development. Uh, in support of the Hawkline development. Uh, when we did submit that application, that reapplication of DEED, we were informed that uh the obligation of assessment to the property owner wasn't uh wasn't good enough this round. So we needed to uh show an obligation of cash on hand. Uh, similar situation with [34:02] Chad Ronchetti: uh the county. So the county needs to also go back to their board and get a new application or new resolution as well. Uh, so we still intend to go forward with the same funding structure of uh issuing bonds and then assessing uh assessing the property for the developer's obligation which would be used to pay back those bonds over time uh at a commensurate interest rate. Uh, but the state, the Office of Management and Budget now needs to see cash on hand uh in order to approve the application. So uh here we are uh yet again uh but uh this has been vetted with DEED now uh and so um it should be good to go after this. [34:42] Chad Ronchetti: And the second resolution, just because they're tied together, uh is a resolution of support for the county. Uh, the county cannot assess properties uh and so our offer to assess the developer's portion—uh, the $750,000 to their parcel for the county application and the county improvements—we need to uh to um, for the records for OMB at the state, uh, we need to have a resolution of support and then an obligation to the water fund. But again, uh, the funding would be paid for through assessment as previously proposed. [35:16] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Any questions or comments from council? So, what you're saying is this is a reapplication of something we've already applied for, changed slightly to fulfill conditions from the Office of Management and Budget. [35:34] Chad Ronchetti: Mayor, that's correct. [35:34] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Okay. And I believe Emma Rickman wished to speak to this item. [35:45] Emma Rickman: Uh, good evening. Uh, Emma Rickman, 5215 Chris Drive. Uh, I hope I don't know if I'm like actually asking this at the right moment or if I missed my opportunity. Um, for the Hawkline Business Development Park. Um, does this development involve any type of communication services facilities? It's a question. It's not rhetorical. [36:10] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Mr. Ronchetti, you can go ahead and answer that. [36:26] Chad Ronchetti: Uh, Mayor, Council, uh, in all of the conversations we've had uh with the developer and the landowner, uh, no communication services facilities are being proposed here. [36:26] Emma Rickman: Thank you. [36:26] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Fire Chief Graves, is anyone else signed up to speak? Then we will have a roll call. [36:43] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor Peterson? [36:43] Councilor Joe Peterson: Aye. [36:43] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor Geissler? [36:43] Councilor John Geissler: Aye. [36:43] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor LeBlanc? [36:43] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Aye. [36:43] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Mayor Boucher? [36:43] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Aye. Next is Resolution 2026-31: Resolution authorizing support of the St. Louis County Business Development Public Infrastructure Program grant for improvements on County State Aid Highway 49 and County Road 284. Do we have a motion? [37:02] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Move to approve. [37:02] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Motion by Councilor LeBlanc. Is there a second? [37:02] Councilor Joe Peterson: I'll second. [37:02] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Second by Councilor Peterson, and I believe Mr. Ronchetti has already explained that this is another portion of the reapplication and that we're supporting St. Louis County's reapplication for the same thing. Fire Chief Graves, is anyone signed up? Thank you. Roll call, please. [37:22] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor Geissler? [37:22] Councilor John Geissler: Aye. [37:22] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor LeBlanc? [37:22] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Aye. [37:22] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor Peterson? [37:22] Councilor Joe Peterson: Aye. [37:22] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Mayor Boucher? [37:22] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Aye. Next is Resolution 2026-32: Resolution receiving bids and awarding contract to Lakehead Constructors Incorporated for Improvement District Number 323, Water Systems Connection and Booster Station project in the amount of $943,672. Is there a motion? [37:55] Councilor John Geissler: Motion to approve. [37:55] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Motion by Councilor Geissler. Do we have a second? [37:55] Councilor Joe Peterson: I'll second. [37:55] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Second by Councilor Peterson. Mr. Mulder, should we have Mrs. Crego address this? [38:11] Trish Crego: Yes. Thank you, Mayor and Councilors. Um, last year there was an original bid for this project and that was unfavorable um because we only got one bid and it was much higher than the estimated um cost by the engineer. So, we went back to um the engineering and asked them to reassess and um and we put it out for rebid and we got much more favorable um bids and we got four of them, and so we have rewarded the lowest bidder which is Lakehead Constructors. Thank you. [38:42] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Any questions or comments from council? [38:42] Councilor Joe Peterson: Lakehead Constructors. [38:42] Trish Crego: Lakehead Constructors. [38:42] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Fire Chief Graves, is anyone signed up? Any comments? Roll call, please. [38:58] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor LeBlanc? [38:58] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Aye. [38:58] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor Peterson? [38:58] Councilor Joe Peterson: Aye. [38:58] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor Geissler? [38:58] Councilor John Geissler: Aye. [38:58] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Mayor Boucher? [38:58] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Aye. Next is Resolution 2026-33: Resolution authorizing the disposal of surplus city property. Is there a motion? [39:14] Councilor Joe Peterson: I'll make a motion to approve. [39:14] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Motion by Councilor Peterson. Is there a second? [39:14] Councilor John Geissler: Second. [39:14] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Second by Councilor Geissler. Mr. Mulder? [39:14] City Administrator John Mulder: So, um, each year we buy two squads for the Police Department, and as we do that, we um rotate some of them out. This year we're rotating three squads. So, we're disposing of three squads. We do that through the trade-in process when we purchase. [39:38] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Any questions or comments from council? Anyone sign up, Fire Chief Graves? Roll call, please. [39:38] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor Peterson? [39:38] Councilor Joe Peterson: Aye. [39:38] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor Geissler? [39:38] Councilor John Geissler: Aye. [39:38] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor LeBlanc? [39:38] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Aye. [39:38] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Mayor Boucher? [39:38] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Aye. Next is Resolution 2026-34: Resolution awarding contract for a purchase of two police vehicles in the amount of $109,323.84 plus applicable taxes and fees. Do we have a motion? [40:14] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Move to approve. [40:14] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Motion by Councilor LeBlanc. Is there a second? [40:14] Councilor Joe Peterson: I'll second. [40:14] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Second by Councilor Peterson. Mr. Mulder. [40:31] City Administrator John Mulder: Um, since we got rid of three vehicles, we need to replace them. We're replacing them with two. Um, this is part of our Capital Improvement Plan um and part of the budget that you adopted. [40:31] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Anyone signed up, Fire Chief Graves? Any questions or comments? Roll call, please. [40:31] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor Geissler? [40:31] Councilor John Geissler: Aye. [40:31] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor LeBlanc? [40:31] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Aye. [40:31] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Councilor Peterson? [40:31] Councilor Joe Peterson: Aye. [40:31] City Clerk Alissa McClure: Mayor Boucher? [40:31] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Aye. Next, with our business being finished for this evening, we need a motion to recess. [40:49] Councilor John Geissler: Motion to recess. [40:49] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Motion by Councilor Geissler to recess. Is there a second? [40:49] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Second. [40:49] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Second by Councilor LeBlanc. All in favor say aye. [40:49] Councilors (Simultaneous): Aye. [40:49] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Opposed? Same sign. Thank you.