This transcript has been formatted with the correct speaker names based on the context of the Hastings City Council and the provided list of officials and staff. [0:55] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Good. Okay. Time being 7 o'clock, I call the Hastings City Council meeting to order. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I 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. [1:26] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Welcome. and let the role reflect. We do have a quorum and a full council tonight. Approval of minutes. Council, I would accept a motion to approve the minutes from January 5th. [1:37] **Councilmember Lisa Leifeld**: So move. [1:39] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Councilmember Leifeld and a second by Councilmember Pemble. Comments from the audience at this time. We would hear comments from the audience. Anyone wish to speak to the council at this time, please step forward to the podium. State your name and address. Anyone here to speak to the council? Okay. Anyone on Zoom? No one on Zoom. All right. Council members, items to be considered. [2:07] **Councilmember Lisa Leifeld**: Wait. Do we have the presentation first? [2:10] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: No. Okay. Council items to be considered. Sorry. Um, council, I would accept a motion for the consent agenda. [2:20] **Councilmember Angie Haus**: [Motion] [2:21] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Councilmember Haus and a second by Councilmember Vihrachoff. All in favor of the motion state by saying I. [2:28] **City Council**: I. [2:29] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Opposed to that motion state by saying nay. And that motion prevails. Tonight under reports from city staff, under public works, we have a project update for County Road 42. And for this item we have with us Dakota County along with John Caven from our public works. Welcome. [2:59] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: Council members. Good evening. [Presentation begins discussing vehicle speeds, trails, pedestrian safety, and the scope of the project from Lock Boulevard to Highway 61]. [8:32] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: Um, a little bit more on speed control and what we want to propose doing here... [Discusses narrowing roadways, curb adjustments at Madison and Monroe, and storm sewer improvements including an infiltration pond]. [11:04] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: Um, so to get into the public involvement, like I said, there’s been ongoing discussions... [Discusses the December 3rd open house and neighbor concerns regarding the removal of bypass lanes]. [14:30] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: And then one of the bigger things that came out of the open house was concern as far as loss of trees near the cemetery... [Discusses the three-lane design and the necessary removal of 23 mature hackberry trees]. [18:24] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: So moving ahead here, joint powers agreement... [Discusses the cost-sharing breakdown between the county and the city, with the city's anticipated contribution being approximately $320,000 in 2027]. [22:10] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: That’s all I have. That was quite a bit, but I’m happy to go back over anything or stand for questions, your honor. [22:15] **Councilmember Lisa Leifeld**: Yes, thank you. I do have a few questions. Um, I think some of them will probably get answered later down the line, but kind of listening to all of that information kind of through a fire hose, right? Trying to figure out what it’s going to look like. Couple questions being so a new trail from Lock down to river. Which side of the street is that trail running on? [22:40] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: That will be on the south side. [22:42] **Councilmember Lisa Leifeld**: On the south side. So, the hospital side. [22:45] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: Hospital side. That is correct. [22:47] **Councilmember Lisa Leifeld**: Okay. So currently there’s a trail that stops at Pleasant and then I think it becomes sidewalk if I remember at the hospital property and then it runs sidewalk. So one of my questions would be from in regards to who’s responsible for the snow clearing... now we're going to add a stretch of trail instead of a sidewalk and the city’s going to be responsible for clearing the snow from that. [23:27] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: Correct, Councilmember Leifeld. Um, that’s typically the kind of the process that we have for trail maintenance... snow clearing and with this being an 8 to 10 foot facility... that’s correct. [24:12] **Councilmember Lisa Leifeld**: Right? And then the sidewalk stops on the south side at River and jumps over to the north side. [24:16] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: Correct. [24:18] **Councilmember Lisa Leifeld**: So, we got a lot of movement there. So, I’m curious as to why where did the information come from that suggested we need this trail during that through that section instead of the existing sidewalk? ... I don’t understand or support the trail from Pleasant to River on the south side of the road. [25:10] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: So, uh, to, um, to kind of take a broad view, kind of the county’s approach and philosophy as far as these trails is that for the most part, our highways are generally too high speed, too high volume for to have bicycles on the roadway... [Explains the preference for the south side trail]. [26:44] **Councilmember Lisa Leifeld**: Yeah. So I think this is something that's new information for us... I’d like to just go on the record that I don’t understand or support the trail from Pleasant to River on the south side of the road. All it's doing to me is creating something more that the city will have to plow and take care of when right now we've already got somebody plowing and taking care of that. [28:20] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Thank you. Thank you Councilmember Leifeld. Councilmember Pemble. [28:30] **Councilmember Dave Pemble**: Joe, in the early part of your presentation, you talked about a holding pond facility. Where is that going to be located? [28:40] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: Okay, I can go back to the map here. So, this approximately is... across roughly from the main building of the hospital. [Explains the easement requirement for the north side pond]. [29:55] **Councilmember Dave Pemble**: Okay. Secondly, um as the roadway shifts between the two cemeteries and you move to the north side and those 20-some trees are removed... my question is at the main entrance of Lakeside... Have Lakeside’s buying off on that and they’re saying that’s okay? [30:11] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: Um, they didn’t, Councilmember Pemble. I met with one of the board members one or two weeks ago... I would try and make that contact again and make sure that they fully understand. [31:10] **Councilmember Dave Pemble**: And then secondly, tied to that as the fence that’s in place there at Lakeside, that’s hollowed ground immediately north of there. There are graves right at that fence line and having the curb at 5ft from that fence line. Is that what you were saying? [31:27] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: Um, let me go back here. We indicated about four and a half from the center of the tree... we think we’re safe with respect to not disturbing anything on that side of the fence. [32:03] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: Right. Right. We um there’s alternatives. I don’t we wouldn’t look at anything again to the size of the hackberries... but something that’s more closer to ornamental trees. [32:41] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Pemble, Councilmember Haus. [32:48] **Councilmember Angie Haus**: Thank you, honor. Thank you so much for your presentation, Joe. I really much appreciate your work on this. Um, with that being said, I do see that there’s a little bit of a discrepancy... how many trees exactly will be removed? [32:59] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: I counted just this afternoon to make sure... it is 23 trees. [33:04] **Councilmember Angie Haus**: Okay. Thank you. And is the reason for replanting smaller trees the only option? [33:14] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: Um, when it's this close to a travel lane, that would really be the only safe option to go. [33:45] **Councilmember Angie Haus**: And then when will you have more preliminary maps and visuals available for the new changes that have been made as well? [33:55] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: Yes. Um, so where we are right now... basically those are basically where we are right now. [Explains visuals are on the county website]. [34:28] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Thank you, Councilmember Haus, Councilmember Vihrachoff. [34:34] **Councilmember DawnMarie Vihrachoff**: Thank you, your honor. Thank you, Joe, for this presentation. I was at that public forum... there were a lot of really engaged neighbors. I’m really saddened by the tree loss. Is there an opportunity or would it make sense to possibly hold another public forum? [35:54] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: I would say, from the county viewpoint, we’re still willing to hear some input. Of course, we’re going to wait to hear back from the cemetery as well... My sense is that there’s not a great deal more to learn, but there’s probably still a little bit more conversation to have. [36:59] **Councilmember DawnMarie Vihrachoff**: Mayor, may I ask another question? Thank you. Is it possible that as we go through this process that they can have a contact person or somebody on the project that they can reach out to? [37:31] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: Councilmember Vihrachoff, we are doing a lot on an individual basis... I’ve been in contact with, had some dialogue with residents in that area and expect to do so as we go ahead. [38:30] **Councilmember DawnMarie Vihrachoff**: Appreciate that. Thank you for your thoughtfulness. Thank you, Mayor. [38:33] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Thank you, Councilmember Vihrachoff. Councilmember Lawrence. [38:37] **Councilmember Tim Lawrence**: Thank you, your honor. Joe, great presentation. I just want to say thanks the county for all you guys have done for our trail system... I don’t see the point of bringing in that part... I don’t know where you’re going to get a shoulder on Second Street from River to the bridge at all. It’s just there’s no room there. [39:53] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Thank you, Councilmember Lawrence. Councilmember Leifeld, follow up to Councilmember Lawrence to that. [39:58] **Councilmember Lisa Leifeld**: Oh, sorry. No, a follow-up question to the point of the shoulder or the road access. Is there a rule for speed that allows you to put it on the road instead of the trail? ... instead of taking yard from the houses on the north, enlarge the road to the south, putting the trail on the north side. [41:30] **Councilmember Lisa Leifeld**: Just an idea. And it stops the traffic from moving back and forth is what I’m thinking. [42:03] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Thank you, Councilmember Leifeld. Dan. [42:06] **Dan Wietecha (City Administrator)**: On the tree removal, my understanding is it is entirely because of the construction of the project. I really struggle to understand how replacing the trees would be considered as an aesthetic enhancement to the project and a different cost share formula than the construction. [42:36] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: Thank you Dan. So historically we’ve considered that as aesthetic. It's not a functional piece... it typically falls under for that reason since it's not a functional thing... a 50/50 cost share would be thereabouts $9,000. [43:44] **Dan Wietecha (City Administrator)**: Followup. Can this road be functionally built without removing 23 mature trees? [43:55] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: Um, as far as the lanes themselves... Yes. Um, but there is a safety function for that shoulder... if we bring the curb in, we’re down to about 18 inches. That would be the trade-off. [45:14] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Any other discussion? Council, I think you can see our concern. You know, we’re the ones that hear these comments from these residents... that cemetery is part of this community, and we don’t want to lose the aesthetic look and the history of it. If there’s a way that could you go back and really crunch and try to figure it out how to save it because we’re the ones that are going to listen to this from the residents. [46:30] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Any other discussion? Council, Councilmember Vihrachoff. [46:33] **Councilmember DawnMarie Vihrachoff**: Thank you, your honor. Joe, how you doing? You hanging in there? It’s a lot. Um, I just want to reiterate that... the fact that the city and the county are coming together to work on this project to hold a public forum to get input. I don’t want that to be kind of lost in the details. We are grateful. Please don’t think that we’re looking at a gift horse in the mouth. We just have a lot of questions. [47:40] **Joe (Dakota County Representative)**: Trust me. So, there’s once you get into the details, every project is like this, but I appreciate the compliment. [47:55] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Okay. Thank you, Joe, for your project and we look forward to seeing what you come up with. [48:10] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: All right. Under community development tonight, we have a resolution for a special use permit, lower potency hemps for Spiral Foods Co-op, 1250 South Frontage Road. And for this introduction, we will have an introduction by our community development director, John Hinzman. Welcome John. [48:27] **John Hinzman**: Thank you, mayor. City Council members, as the mayor pointed out, we do have a resolution for special use permit for low potency hemp at Spiral Food Co-op... The planning commission did review this and hold a public hearing... they are zoned correctly for it. They meet the setback requirements... Matt from Spiral Foods is also present if you have any questions for him. [49:45] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Thank you, John. Council? Councilmember Haus. [49:47] **Councilmember Angie Haus**: Thank you. I’m excited to see more utilization of hemp products within our town in a different capacity. I think this will be great and innovative for Spiral Food Co-op. So, I’d like to make a motion to approve said resolution. [49:58] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Thank you, Councilmember Haus with a second by Councilmember Leifeld. Any discussion council? All those in favor of the motion state by saying I. [50:15] **City Council**: I. [50:16] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Opposed to that motion state by saying nay. And that motion prevails. Thank you, John. Any reports from council members? Any announcements? Okay, I do have a few. [Mayor reads announcements regarding the 2026 infrastructure open house, Hockey Day Minnesota 20th anniversary, holiday light recycling, and ice fishing at Lake Rebecca]. [52:24] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: With that, I would stand for a motion to adjourn. Councilmember Pemble. Councilmember Vihrachoff is second. No discussion with that motion. All those in favor of the motion state by saying I. [52:43] **City Council**: I. [52:44] **Mayor Mary Fasbender**: Oppose that motion state by saying nay. And that motion prevails.