This transcript features **City Councilor John Geissler** acting as the presiding officer in the absence of Mayor Wayne Boucher. **Note on Speaker Identification:** * **Andy Hjelle** was transcribed as "Jelly." * **Brian LeBlanc** was transcribed as "Blah." * **Joe Peterson** was transcribed as "Jones" (likely due to the phonetic similarity between "Joe" and "Jones" in the automated software). * **David** (at [10:42]) refers to a representative from **Northland Consulting Engineers**. *** [0:00] **John Geissler**: Hermantown city council maintenance and Stanford Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and then to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right, roll call please. [0:30] **Alissa McClure**: [Roll call response] Here. [0:33] **John Geissler**: Um, any announcements from the counselors tonight? I just have one: Mayor Boucher is out of town, so we are without the mayor this evening. And I think in all of his 14 years of marrying, I think this is a second, I believe, in his midst, so we'll try to do our best. Um, so with that, uh, under announcements, uh, today is Peace Officers Memorial Day and um, Mr. Wicklund is going to, uh, read our, um, yeah, our Proclamation. [1:11] **Joe Wicklund**: Perfect. And this was put together by Mayor Boucher before he left. So, City of Hermantown Proclamation: Peace Officers Memorial Day, May 15, 2023. [1:18] Whereas there are more than 800,000 Law Enforcement Officers serving in communities across the United States, including the dedicated members of the Hermantown Police Department; whereas since the first recorded death in 1786, there are currently 23,785 law enforcement officers in the United States who have made the ultimate sacrifice and been killed in the line of duty; whereas the names of these dedicated public servants are engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C.; whereas 556 new names of fallen heroes are being added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial this spring, including 224 officers killed in 2022 and 332 officers killed in previous years; whereas on [2:06] October 1st, 1962, U.S. President John F. Kennedy signed Public Law 87-726, a joint resolution of the 87th Congress designating May 15 as Peace Officer Memorial Day in honor of the federal, state, and Municipal peace officers who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty. Now therefore, as Mayor of Hermantown, Wayne Boucher does hereby Proclaim May 15, 2023, as Peace Officers Memorial Day in Hermantown, Minnesota, and publicly salute the service of law enforcement officers in our community and in communities Across the Nation. In witness whereof, he hereby set my hand and caused the corporate seal the city of Hermantown to be affixed this 15th day of May 2023. [2:55] **John Geissler**: All right, thank you Mr. Wicklund. Uh, there are no public hearings tonight. Uh, for communications, uh, we have 23-75 to 23-80 placed on file. Uh, any other comments on that, Mr. Mulder? [3:12] **John Mulder**: If you want a copy of any one of those, just let us know, we'll get it to you. [3:17] **John Geissler**: All right. Item seven is presentations. At our pre-agenda meeting, we had a couple of uh, presentations tonight, one on broadband, one on fire department annual report. Mr. Mulder, maybe just a little update on those? [3:32] **John Mulder**: Yeah, just basically, um, the Broadband one was just an update of the task force and the work that Hometown Fiber did in terms of doing an inventory of um, um, internet access and internet options [3:43] um, for the residents of Hermantown. And we also talked during that about Mediacom's um, Grant project that they'll be working on in 2024 and I'm—in 2025—in the southwest part of the city. And the Fire Department annual report is—this is an annual report that we give every—the fire department provides every year related to the number of calls they had, where those calls were, time to days, and the response times. [4:14] **John Geissler**: All right, thank you. Also as an official presentation of that, but the Police Chief had a—one of the newer squads here that we all got to look at and sit in, and it was uh, very educational for me and probably the others. So thank you to uh, Chief Crace for that. Um, item eight is public discussion. [4:30] Um, this is a time for citizens to be heard. This is a time for anything that's not on the agenda. Is there anybody in person or online that would like to uh, present or discuss any with the council tonight? Second call for any citizen input. And lastly, third call—anybody in person or online we should listen to the council speak now? Okay, hearing none we will move on to the agenda. Item nine: motions. A motion to approve or deny THC license applications for the following effective June 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024 [5:17] contingent upon complete applications being received, successful background checks, and license fees paid in full: FEMA Corporation, 5193 Miller Trunk Highway; Turning Leaves Duluth LLC, 4120 Richard Avenue; and the Adolph Store, 3710 Midway Road. Do we have a motion? [5:45] **Joe Peterson**: Motion to approve. [5:47] **Andy Hjelle**: Second. [5:49] **John Geissler**: Motion by Councilor Peterson, second by Councilor Hjelle. Um, Mr. Mulder, do we need any public input on this one? [6:02] **John Mulder**: If anybody in the council audience wants to say that they could, but... all right. All right, Mr. Mulder, roll call please. Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler**: Aye. [6:25] **John Geissler**: The next is consent agenda, and the only thing on our consent agenda this evening is a correction of the May 1, 2023 city council continuation minutes. Do we have a motion? [6:41] **Joe Peterson**: Motion to approve. [6:42] **Brian LeBlanc**: Second. [6:43] **John Geissler**: We have a motion by Councilor Peterson with a second by Councilor LeBlanc. All in [6:50] favor say aye. **Council**: Aye. **John Geissler**: Opposed, same sign. All right, motion carries. Uh, next the general item 11: ordinances. We have none, which will move us along to item 12: resolutions. First resolution is item A, 2023-61: Resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute and deliver a mutual aid agreement with St. Louis County. Do we have a motion for that? [7:31] **Andy Hjelle**: Motion to approve. [7:32] **Joe Peterson**: Second. [7:33] **John Geissler**: All right, motion by Councilor Hjelle with a second by Councilor Peterson. Uh, Mr. Mulder, we have some explanation of [7:37] this one? [7:42] **John Mulder**: Yeah, we've had a Joint Powers agreement with uh, the St. Louis County for years. Um, they recently just updated that and um, and asked all the parties to um, approve the updated one as well. But this is just uh, ongoing thing that we've had with St. Louis County. [8:02] **John Geissler**: All right. Any questions or comments from Council? All right. Um, any uh, members of the public would like to speak on this issue tonight in person or online? All right, hearing and seeing none, we're gonna move on to the roll call. Mr. Mulder? [8:18] **John Mulder**: Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler**: Aye. [8:21] **John Geissler**: Motion passes. Um, Item B, resolution 2023-62: Resolution authorizing the City of Hermantown to enter a grant agreement with the State of Minnesota's State Transportation Fund for local road improvement for SAP 202-080-003. Do we have a motion? [8:48] **Brian LeBlanc**: Motion to approve. [8:49] **Joe Peterson**: Second. [8:50] **John Geissler**: You have a motion by Councilor LeBlanc with a second by Councilor Peterson. Um, Mr. Mulder, are you going to be talking about this or...? [9:00] **John Mulder**: Yeah, well I can. This is um, a grant agreement that we have with the Minnesota Department of Transportation. We are expected to receive a grant of $750,000 for the road improvements in the [9:11] Hermantown Marketplace, including Richard Lindgren, Sam's Way, um, and those other streets: Stebner and a frontage road. [9:27] **John Geissler**: All right. Um, any councilor questions or comments? All right, we will as a formality ask for any public input on this matter. Hearing and seeing none, we will move to roll call please, Mr. Mulder. [9:45] **John Mulder**: Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler**: Aye. [9:54] **John Geissler**: Move on to item C, resolution 2023-63: A resolution approving final [9:57] plans and specifications and ordering advertisement for bids for Sewer Improvement Project number 451, Wilkerson Road and Sewer. Uh, do we have a motion? [10:13] **Andy Hjelle**: Motion to approve. [10:14] **Brian LeBlanc**: Second. [10:15] **John Geissler**: Motion by Councilor Hjelle with a second by Councilor LeBlanc. Mr. Mulder, you or Mr. [David]? Um, I'll let David do it. Gonna tell us about this project? [10:30] **David (Northland Consulting Engineers)**: Yeah, thank you Councilor Geissler. Um, this is the um, sewer improvement project number 451. This is extending the sewer up Wilkerson Road to the lift [10:42] station on Oak Ridge Drive. We've been actively working with the residents to secure the easements and/or we put the final touches on the plans and specifications that will be advertised on this Thursday in the Hermantown Star. But thank you. [11:06] **John Geissler**: Any uh, questions or comments from the Council? I'd just like to say extra thank you to the engineering and the city staff and whatever. We—the Council—made some a little bit of changes and tweaks to the plan, and I think hopefully by not seeing anybody here, I think everybody is happy with the outcome. So thank you for that. So, um, any public input on this resolution regarding [11:28] um, this road improvement and sewer of Wilkerson Road? Anybody online or in person, please present yourself and your statement now. All right, seeing none, we will move to a roll call. [11:45] **John Mulder**: Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler**: Aye. [11:51] **John Geissler**: All right. Moving on to resolution 2023-64: Resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute and deliver water tower lease agreement between the City of Hermantown and Comnet Cellular Inc, doing business as Verizon Wireless. Do we have a motion? [12:12] **Joe Peterson**: Motion to approve. [12:13] **Brian LeBlanc**: Second. [12:14] **John Geissler**: Motion by Councilor Peterson, seconded by Councilor LeBlanc. Mr. Mulder? [12:20] **John Mulder**: This is a restated agreement that we have with Verizon. Back in 2018, they were planning on putting some cell um, phone antennas on our water tower at Hawk Circle. They didn't do that at that point in time, and now they've asked us to um, renew that lease or to restate that lease. So um, this lease would become effective June 1st. [12:47] **John Geissler**: Okay, thank you. Any Council questions or comments? [12:51] **Andy Hjelle**: Price go up in that time? [12:53] **John Mulder**: Uh, yes it did. [12:56] **John Geissler**: Good comments or questions. Is anybody from the public have any comments on this matter on this [13:02] resolution? Hearing and seeing none, we will move to a roll call vote. [13:10] **John Mulder**: Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler**: Aye. [13:15] **John Geissler**: Resolution 2023-65: The resolution awarding contract to Northland Constructors for a water valve replacement at the corner of Haynes Road and Arrowhead Road in the amount of $18,567.23. Do we have a motion? [13:40] **Andy Hjelle**: Motion to approve. [13:41] **Brian LeBlanc**: Second. [13:42] **John Geissler**: Uh, motion to approve by Councilor Hjelle with second by Councilor LeBlanc. Mr. Mulder? [13:51] **John Mulder**: It's Mr. [David] on this one? Um, we have had a valve replacement issue in the Haynes Road for about a year and a half. We've kind of been waiting to do that in conjunction with St. Louis County's redoing Haynes Road, so we want to get ahead of them on this. So we're going to um, ask Northland Constructors to replace that valve for us. [14:13] **John Geissler**: Any Council comments or questions? All right. Any public input from anyone tonight on resolution 2023-65? Hearing and seeing nobody in the audience, we'll move to a roll call vote, please. [14:28] **John Mulder**: Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson**: Aye. **John Mulder**: Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler**: Aye. [14:33] **John Geissler**: And last but not least, do we have a motion for recess? [14:41] **Brian LeBlanc**: Motion to recess. [14:42] **Andy Hjelle**: Second. [14:43] **John Geissler**: We have a motion to recess by Councilor LeBlanc with second by Councilor Hjelle. All in favor? **Council**: Aye. **John Geissler**: And we oppose same sign. Motion carries. Adjourned.