This transcript appears to be from the **2022 State of the City** address. Note that while your provided list identifies Jeff Weisensel as the current Mayor, at the time of this recording, **Bill Drosty** was serving as Mayor and Jeff Weisensel was a Councilmember. I have used the names and titles as they correspond to the speakers in the audio and your provided staff list. [0:00] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [0:46] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [1:37] [Music] [2:04] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [3:12] **Maureen Scalin Faylor:** Good morning, good morning everyone and welcome to Rosemount's State of the City address. My name is Maureen Scalin Faylor, President of the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce, and thank you to all who have taken the time to attend today's program to really hear about some great work that the City of Rosemount is doing and to hear of all the wonderful achievements that the city has accomplished over this last year. I do want to quick call out and recognize our sponsors for today's program. [3:58] **Maureen Scalin Faylor:** Special thank you to SKB Environmental and Morrison Apartments. If you could just quick stand so we can recognize you—come on. Don Chappelin is going to be the last man standing in the City of Rosemount, this man is everywhere. But thank you so much for all of your support. These are great supporters of the Chamber and the City of Rosemount. Excuse me, we also have—and I think the Mayor will be acknowledging a fair amount of our public officials that are here with us today—thank you so much for joining us. The DCR Chamber of Commerce and the City of Rosemount are a great example of a public and private sector partnership. We are honored to work with the city on substantive issues such as transit, housing, and economic development. Now it is my honor and privilege to introduce our speaker for today's program, Mayor Bill Drosty. William H. Drosty was elected in 2002 to his first term as Mayor of Rosemount. Prior to his election, Mayor Drosty served on the Rosemount Planning Commission from 1995 to 2001. [5:27] **Maureen Scalin Faylor:** His service to the community includes current positions on the Minnesota Statewide Emergency Communications Board, the Regional Council of Mayors, Family Housing Fund Board, and Metro Cities Board. He also serves on the National League of Cities Transportation Infrastructure and Services Committee. And Bill, I just want to thank you for your leadership under transportation and transit; that is a huge initiative of our Chamber, so thank you for your leadership on that. Yes, please. [6:04] **Maureen Scalin Faylor:** Mayor Drosty holds a Masters of Science degree in Telecommunications from Saint Mary's University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Upper Iowa University in Des Moines, Iowa. Bill is employed as a Realtor with Keller Williams Preferred Realty, and prior to that, he worked 28 years in the communications industry for Qwest Communications as an operations manager and senior market analysis. And Bill, you just took me back—Qwest, that was a few years ago. We're still young. No, Bill, he has also served eight years in the Iowa Army National Guard. Interests include reading, running—now I did not know this, you've completed four marathons, wow—and golf. Bill has lived in Rosemount since 1989. He has three adult children: Frannie, Elizabeth, and William II, and four grandchildren. Please help me welcome Mayor Drosty. [7:22] **Bill Drosty:** Thank you, Maureen. It's wonderful to see such a great crowd, especially since the last two years. I'd like to acknowledge my fellow council members: Councilmember Jeff Weisensel, Councilmember Heidi Freske, Councilmember Tami Block [Klimpel], and Councilmember Paul Essler. [7:50] **Bill Drosty:** This is a wonderful team of servants who work hard every day respectfully and responsibly for our citizens, and I want to say thank you for being here. I also would like to acknowledge Dakota County Commissioner Mary Liz Holberg. Thanks for being here. Our state representatives are both actively working this morning: Representative Hewitt and Senator Clausen. Angie Craig could not be here today, but a member of her staff is here, Mamino Mohammed; if you'd please acknowledge yourself, thank you. [Applause] [8:39] **Bill Drosty:** And then from the District 196 school board, Jackie Magnuson is here, thank you. And Mary Kreger, the Superintendent of Schools, also thank you. And the table, I think five, four principals are here, but we won't announce their names, but thank you all of the staff for being here. I'd also acknowledge we have three Youth Commission members here with us this morning. Thank you for being here. We've had a Youth Commission in Rosemount since 2009. These students do wonderful things for us. We have approximately 18 students currently on the board. Also, SKB and the Morrison again, thank you. And especially Ryan and Jen McGunnigle from Las Tortillas for the food this morning. I know they're in the back room and they must have known I was going to acknowledge them and they slipped away, but anyway, great food and please help yourself, there's plenty of food here. And again, thanks Maureen. I must tell you, when I sat down and started—here's Jen, thanks Jen. I must tell you when I first sat down and reflected on 2021, I began to think, you know, well I could probably say Rosemount was named, if you're not aware, the 32nd best place in the country to live in 2021 by Money Magazine from all cities across the nation from 25,000 to 500,000 people. And then also accomplishment: we had the President of the United States visit Rosemount in November. And I could say, "End of speech, enjoy your breakfast," but I'm going to hold you here a little longer. [11:04] **Bill Drosty:** As I look back over the last year, residual issues of the pandemic again constrained us in many ways. However, despite the pandemic, we had a remarkable year and took huge steps towards our goals, positioning Rosemount for many years of strong growth. I'd like to begin by taking a moment to acknowledge our city staff. Over the past year, we've had some big changes. Longtime directors Jeff May and Kim Lindquist both retired. Jeff May served the city as Finance Director for 36 years and Kim Lindquist as our Community Development Director for 17 years. Each played key leadership roles, and I want to thank them for their service and wish them well in their next phase of life. Both positions were filled by talented newcomers who are committed to keeping us on solid financial grounds and helping us retain that hometown feel as we grow. We've also made an important change in the structure of our Public Works department to add additional leadership. [12:16] **Bill Drosty:** As the population and city footprint grows, we continue to add staff to meet the needs of our community. We aspire to be an employer of choice and recently completed an organizational compensation study as a proactive step to retain great staff and the high level of customer service our residents come to expect. To all our city employees, whether you have one year or 40 years of service, thank you for choosing to work in the City of Rosemount. Last August, the Census Bureau provided us with the 2020 population number—the official number—and it is now top 25,000. The median age in Rosemount is 36, a number that is slightly under the national median by a couple of years. This makes a lot of sense to us because within our population we saw our community continues to have many young families and school-aged children. 43 percent of our households have children living at home. Around 11 percent of our population is age 65 or older and slightly under the national median. That being said, as our community grows, we are making plans to ensure Rosemount is a life-cycle community where activities and housing is available for all ages. [13:47] **Bill Drosty:** This census data helps when we plan for the future. For example, the average number of people per household is 2.85. That gives us an idea on our growth trajectory as we see new housing developments. The percentage of those who work from home more than doubled from five to eleven percent of our residents. This type of trend has implications for city planning, traffic networks, and the importance of broadband connectivity, and such information allows us to focus our efforts on these key areas. The numbers also show that Rosemount is becoming a more diverse community. In 2020, this census showed we have a six percent increase in residents who identify as non-white, which translates to 21 percent of our total population. This is a very notable statistic seeing that Rosemount had only 8 percent diversity just 20 years ago. We welcome this change just as the national demographics are reflecting. We are anticipating this trend will continue, adding a new unique blend of Rosemount citizens, business owners, coaches, volunteers, service providers, neighbors, and future leaders. [15:20] **Bill Drosty:** The Metropolitan Council puts our projected growth at 38,000 by the year 2040, and they've just asked us to update our numbers based on recent projects, which means we have a lot of growing to do between now and then. There is a lot of opportunity for development in Rosemount and a lot of interest in our area. Staff completed 16 RFIs for commercial industrial sites in 2021, and for those of you who are not in the development industry, it's like hiring a real estate agent instead of browsing on Zillow. And for our realtors in the corner, that's sort of a joke. I'm sure you've seen this already, with many signs of growth of progress around our city. Our staff and city leadership has been working diligently to plan and prepare for the increase of people, housing, and business headed our way. In housing news, we've continued to see steady growth with the numbers over the past few years. Currently, we have 400 lots approved on the north side of County Road 42, but the big news on this topic is that after two decades of work, one of the biggest successes that occurred in 2021 was the approval of Amber Fields, the first housing development of the 5,000 acres of land known as UMore Park. This is a historic development that will impact the future of Rosemount for years to come. Before I go further, I'd like to introduce you to Adam Kienberger, our new Community Development Director. Adam joined the city just one year ago, and with the major role he's playing in all of this development, I wanted to give you a chance to get to know him. [17:31] **Adam Kienberger:** [Music] I'm Adam Kienberger, Community Development Director here at the city. Prior to coming to Rosemount, I served for many years in a variety of economic development roles for municipal and state government. I've had progressively responsible leadership in economic development and community development throughout Dakota County. I was particularly drawn to Rosemount because of the current growth and opportunity to impact the shape and future of this corner of the metro, and my first year here did not disappoint. Consisting of planning and zoning, economic development, and building inspections, the Community Development Department works in unity to promote safe and sustainable development throughout Rosemount. We've seen lots of growth and activity come through in 2021, requiring me to hit the ground running with the team. In just the last year, we've overseen more than 300 housing units and 100 million dollars in additional building valuation added to Rosemount. Working closely with the Rosemount Port Authority on economic development initiatives, we have added to our economic development toolbox to attract and expand restaurants, promote investment in downtown, and bring major employers to the community. [18:31] **Adam Kienberger:** There are numerous exciting projects happening right now in the city and on the horizon. 2021 saw the opening of the Morrison apartments in downtown Rosemount. This project made a very visible change to the downtown environment and will bring additional vitality to our local shops and service providers, offer new housing options in downtown, and achieve another step toward the completion of the downtown redevelopment plans. Speaking of housing, Amber Fields recently broke ground on what will be a mix of development including upwards of 1,900 new housing units. This project, located on what is known as the northeast quadrant to the UMore property, will include a variety of uses including single-family homes, multi-family housing, mixed-use retail development, and green space. The development in this location is currently one of the largest housing projects in the Twin Cities metro and will have a major impact on the population growth trajectory in Rosemount. With population growth comes additional demand for services, which is why we were thrilled to recently see City Council approve the purchase of land and a letter of intent on a unique public-private partnership with Lifetime. [19:40] **Adam Kienberger:** If this partnership moves ahead, we will achieve multiple goals for the city and for our residents. Attracting a highly respected and well-known company to anchor this prominent corner will help spur additional development in this section of the city, bringing amenities that could include a convenience store, grocery, retail shops, and services, in addition to adding recreational amenities that are highly desired amongst community members. We also have some big commercial developments that will become excellent job creators for our area. You can't miss the construction of what is to be a Home Depot distribution center located off Highway 3 on the south side of County Road 42. This 420,000 square foot facility is expected to create 61 new jobs and bring in annual tax revenue of over 600,000 dollars. In addition, FedEx is planning to build a large distribution center that will kick off redevelopment of the former Rich Valley Golf Course. This project is expected to create an estimated 500 jobs and spur additional business growth for Rosemount. And finally, we are looking forward to a couple of fun projects that will add to the hometown feel of the community. North 20 Brewing, a rural microbrewery owned by the Schmitz family of Rosemount, is expected to open this summer on a large plot of land located adjacent to a wildlife preserve in the northern part of town on Bacardi Avenue. In addition, Omni Orchards Farm Winery and Taproom is expected to begin construction this summer south of 42 on Biscayne Avenue. Both venues will offer unique new experiences for residents and visitors in our area. As you can see, it is a very busy and exciting time to be part of the development happening in Rosemount. I'm thrilled to be here helping to plan for the expected boom of growth and feel confident in the skills our Community Development Department has to offer. We are committed to bringing a diversity of housing, commercial, industrial, and other unique development types so that Rosemount can grow to become a place where residents and businesses grow and prosper. [Music] [21:36] **Bill Drosty:** Thank you, Adam. We're thrilled to have your experience and expertise guide us as we continue to go through this growth in Rosemount. As Adam mentioned, we're seeing a boom in housing. Amber Fields is already moving dirt, which will have a huge impact on our housing numbers for years to come. In 2021, we saw a 10 percent increase in housing valuations, breaking the 100 million dollar mark for the first time. 340 total housing units were added, helping us to continue our goal of adding a nice variety of life-cycle housing options for our residents. With all of this building happening, we often hear from residents asking us about the future schools in Rosemount. While school facilities are not directly under the city's purview, schools play a central role in the vitality and desirability of a community, and just as we as the city are planning for the future, it is important to note District 196 is doing the same thing. Their facilities steering committee, comprised of district office leaders, principals, and architects, have been meeting over the past year. Enrollment and capacity issues, in addition to facility options, are key parts of their focus. We are thankful to be part of 196 as it is continually recognized as a top school in the state of Minnesota. Their strong commitment to a triple-A philosophy of academics, athletics, and the arts is a part of the reason that Rosemount was once again selected as Money Magazine's best places to live. [23:25] **Bill Drosty:** Another key area impacted by our current and projected growth is city infrastructure. Carefully planning for roads, utilities, capital improvements, and facilities takes time, strategic planning, expertise, and investment. Preparing our roads and utility connections for the addition of developments like Amber Fields are important steps in creating a safe and healthy community. Similarly, adapting and adding our city facilities are necessary steps to handle additional demands on services like public safety and street maintenance. Thankfully, we have been doing this work a long time in preparation for the evolution of Rosemount. I'd like to take a minute to introduce our new Public Works Director, Nick Egger. As the demand for services increased, we knew it was time to add another key leadership position by splitting our Public Works Director and City Engineer functions into two separate positions. Nick joins us with a wealth of experience in public works and engineering. He is currently serving as president of the Minnesota chapter of APWA and is a respected leader in the profession. Let's hear from Nick on how much planning goes into the progression of a city. [25:12] **Nick Egger:** Hello everyone. My name is Nick Egger, and I'm the Public Works Director for the City of Rosemount. I joined the city just last September after spending the previous 19 years of my career right next door with the City of Hastings. Over that time, I served stints in several positions, including 11 years as a City Engineer and over six years as Public Works Director, having major leadership roles in notable projects such as the Hastings Highway 61 bridge and the Riverfront Renaissance. A large part of what drew me to the position in Rosemount was a great opportunity in helping shape the growth and progression of the city's infrastructure. Rosemount has an abundance of open land, and there continues to be a great deal of interest from developers to bring their projects to the city. A key piece of my role as Public Works Director is to make sure that proper levels of infrastructure are built to support the needs that additional homes and businesses will have for water supply, wastewater and stormwater drainage, and transportation. Our department ensures that developers' designs are meeting these needs while being compatible with the city's comprehensive infrastructure system plans. One of the most prominent examples of how this process plays out will be materializing starting this spring in the form of the Amber Fields development. [26:30] **Nick Egger:** This is the very first subdivision to be built on part of the University of Minnesota's UMore property, and it will bring nearly 2,000 housing units into the city along with several commercial users. This project has been decades in the making and involved countless hours of work by the city, university, and developer to bring it to fruition, with much of that effort spent determining infrastructure needs and layouts. Another element that had me very excited to join the city is the forthcoming Police and Public Works campus project. Just as the city grows, so does our inventory of things to take care of, and in order to keep a high standard of maintenance and care, we need to provide measured increases of staffing and equipment. This project will respond to these expanding responsibilities by creating state-of-the-art facilities to house fleet equipment and staff of these two expanding departments and will help us to more efficiently and effectively deliver services. Our schedule has construction starting in spring of 2023 and we intend to move in during summer of 2024. Although my first seven months have been a bit of a whirlwind, I've enjoyed getting to know staff, explore and learn about the unique needs of the city. No doubt there is a lot of work ahead as we continue to grow, but the city's Public Works team is up to the task. I'm thrilled to be a part of it and looking forward to Rosemount's future. [Music] [28:13] **Bill Drosty:** Thank you, Nick. Your experience and communication skills are a wonderful addition to our Public Works Department. As you heard from Nick and Adam, development opportunities in Rosemount are moving at a rapid pace. Fortunately, the city's role in the comprehensive planning, land use control, and annual capital investment budgeting has allowed us to be purposeful and prepared for these investments. Our land use map dictates what development could be forthcoming as we grow to the east, and our long-range utility plans reflect that. This planning is key not only to ensure that adequate funding is available, but also to ensure that our water and sewer resources can keep up with the increased demand. Annual budgets created for our water and sewer utilities also reflect the growth to the system and new users. Assessing our utilities help distribute those costs to a broader base. And speaking of investment and funding, Council's been working with staff for many years on how we can finance and pay for this infrastructure. Just a quick lesson: new infrastructure that is added in new development areas is the cost that developers must pay for, who design and build our neighborhoods. Much like residential subdivisions, commercial and industrial development is responsible for paying to extend and install utilities for their projects so the current taxpayers are not exposed to those costs. [29:56] **Bill Drosty:** Future maintenance and infrastructure, such as water and sewer pipes and local roads, are paid by taxes and utility payments. Public buildings, such as the new Police and Public Works facility, are financed and paid by all taxpayers. The same would be true for public necessities such as wells and water treatment plants. We have been saving money for many years for some of these needs, but we also know we will need to issue bonds to finance the larger projects, something that we haven't done often in Rosemount, reflected by the amount of almost no municipal debt. Another area of opportunity for funding infrastructure needs is federal grant dollars. Last fall, President Biden traveled to Rosemount for a visit at Dakota County Technical College. During his visit, he touted the new Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a one trillion dollar initiative to help address aging roads and bridges, create jobs, and advance economic development. For Rosemount, that could mean applying for federal funding on projects such as a potential water treatment plant or a much-needed railroad overpass. Maintaining positive working relationships with our elected officials regardless of party is an important part of making sure that Rosemount can qualify for such funding in the future. We were thrilled to see the President travel here and look forward to future opportunities to engage with elected officials at every level. And while we're on that topic of funding, I'd like to introduce our new Finance Director, Teah Malecha. [32:02] **Teah Malecha:** [Music] Hi, I'm Teah Malecha. I joined the city as Finance Director last summer after the retirement of longtime director Jeff May. I've spent the past six years in municipal government finance serving roles at Farmington and Excelsior before coming to Rosemount. Prior to that, I managed finances for a city-owned hospital. I have a military background and served a tour of duty in Iraq working in communications and surveillance. That experience helped me learn to communicate effectively with a multitude of people. As the new Finance Director in Rosemount, I am focused on updating our internal processes and our external services with new technology. While the Finance Department is often working behind the scenes, the processes used throughout the organization require time and attention from all other departments. By creating efficiencies in our internal processes, we can free up valuable time for city staff. We are also keen on encouraging customer-focused technology that will better serve our citizens. For example, offering direct pay allows residents to have their utility payments withdrawn from their bank account with no added fees. I encourage you to learn more about our options on the city website at rosemountmn.gov. [33:05] **Teah Malecha:** Joining the city organization in 2021, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was and is still at play. The federal government passed additional aid to help local and state governments respond to challenges presented by the ongoing pandemic. The city will receive approximately 2.7 million dollars in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, otherwise known as ARPA. Part of those funds were distributed in 2021 and the remainder will come this year. We are required to spend all of the ARPA funds by the end of 2026 and we are pleased that there is some greater flexibility in how these funds can be applied. With the growth in Rosemount, we've chosen to focus on utilizing these dollars for our growing infrastructure needs. This allows us to take a strategic approach in opening up new areas for development. As I continue to become familiar with the city's finances, I'm pleased to note that Rosemount carries a very low amount of debt and that we've been awarded a bond rating of AA+ with S&P. As Rosemount continues its growth trajectory, these current financial standings will serve us well as the city plans for upcoming projects such as infrastructure needs. These ratings mean we can borrow debt at a lower rate, allowing the city to operate in a fiscally responsible manner. We will soon begin the budget process to plan for 2023 and beyond. Staff and Council will hold workshops this summer to identify needs and prioritize wants. The continued spark of local development is encouraging for all of us. Not only is this increasing the amount of local retail jobs and services, but also helps to reduce the tax burden on our citizens by spreading costs across a wider base. I look forward to continuing to serve Rosemount by embracing growth and incorporating technology in a way that benefits our residents and our staff. [Music] [35:08] **Bill Drosty:** Thank you, Teah. We're grateful to have your sharp mind and future-focused thinking on our side. As Teah mentioned, our strong financial standing puts us in a great place as we prepare for long-awaited investments in city infrastructure based on our population growth and priority of our citizens. The time is now. As Rosemount expands, we want to retain that hometown feel and the high quality of life our residents value and expect. To do so, we have planned carefully for creating connected and safe neighborhoods, well-maintained public spaces, and a responsive public safety. As our community grows, so do the demands on those services, and it's time for us to invest in Rosemount's future and we are ready to move forward responsibly and strategically to meet the needs of our residents and businesses. Public safety is always on the top of mind of any mayor as it is one of the most crucial services we provide. Our City Police Department continues to see an annual increase of calls for service, topping over 17,000 calls this last year. While general domestic and disturbance calls have seen a mild increase, calls for mental health assistance have doubled. Fire and medical calls are also on the rise. [36:34] **Bill Drosty:** That being said, the need for expanded and modern facilities to house our growing staff is here. As Nick mentioned earlier, we have started the process of planning to build a new public building that will be the home of both our Public Works and Police Department. This new facility will give our Police Department the much-needed room necessary to grow with the community into the future and centralize and expand our Public Works Department for the same reason. Both departments contribute to public safety and the quality of life for Rosemount, and it is time to make that jump. Land has already been acquired for no cost through a land swap with the Minnesota National Guard and Flint Hills Resources, and we thank both of them for their partnership. Staff is in the process of assessing specific needs for the facility so that it may grow with us into the future. As we plan for financing of this project, we are again thankful for the city's current financial standings and the growth taking place. Both reasons will help lessen the tax impacts of the project by allowing us to borrow debt at a lower rate and spreading the cost of the services amongst a growing population. The addition of a large commercial vendor such as Home Depot and FedEx distribution centers will go a long way in broadening the tax base even further. The current growth will set us up for more measured and evenly distributed community investment into the future. [38:21] **Bill Drosty:** And that future continues to look very bright. Despite the lingering impacts of the pandemic, I was proud to see last fall the students at Rosemount are returning to normal activity and reaching greatness once again making us proud. The Rosemount High School marching band participated in the national grand championships, only the third band from Minnesota to ever compete there. To top it off, they announced they'll be marching in the Tournament of Roses Parade next January in Pasadena, an amazing and visible honor for our community. Congratulations to this hard-working group. [Applause] [39:14] **Bill Drosty:** And speaking of hard work, Irish athletes have been quite on the run since the start of 2021. Rosemount has seen 13 teams earn sectional championship titles, multiple state tournament bids, and four state titles. A special note to our state champion boys and girls track field teams, softball, and our competition cheer teams for their state titles. Congratulations to all the athletes again. [Applause] [39:51] **Bill Drosty:** We are definitely seeing a desire to get out and about in the community, and our Parks and Rec Department is ready for it. Residents have received their spring and summer brochures—and if you haven't seen that, be sure you go to our city website. There's truly something for everyone to enjoy, from new camps to activities for kids to outings and adventures for our seniors. For a second year in a row, the Rosemount Rhythm Fest will take place in Central Park during the weekend of June 17th. The park will be filled with great bands, musicians, food trucks, and a beer truck tent all weekend. Plus, Leprechaun Day volunteers are busy planning a full slate of activities for July. This is a summer to get out and about for community events and use our parks and trails. When you're out and about, you may notice a few park upgrades. The skatepark has been an extremely popular addition, and soon we'll be adding additional amenities there to improve the experience for all visitors. An ADA trail addition will help access the skatepark from the existing trail to the north. Some new concrete pads and sidewalk additions will lead you to a large sun shelter and picnic tables for families to rest on hot summer days. [41:24] **Bill Drosty:** Another exciting project beginning soon is the installation of a new section of Dakota County Greenway trail that will be starting in the Bella Vista neighborhood, connecting to a trail over on the corner of Bacardi and Bonaire Path. Future plans to extend the Greenway trail will help to connect our existing system all the way from Lebanon Hills to Spring Lake Park, and along the way, bikers will be able to stop and take a break at our new Flint Hills Trail park and trailhead building; construction is underway and should be ready by this fall. In other exciting news, I'm sure you've heard that we are very close to nailing down details of an innovative public-private partnership with Lifetime. For many years we've been working with the community, talking to residents, businesses, athletic groups, and other stakeholders about the needs and wants of recreational facilities in Rosemount. And let me tell you, that list is very long. And while this plan won't achieve all the wants on that list, it does address many of the things that our community members have been asking for. Swimming pools—both indoor and outdoor—will be included, pickleball courts, exercise amenities, a spa, and a cafe will offer residents other options for health, fitness, and places to gather. [42:56] **Bill Drosty:** This facility will be a top-of-the-line athletic club, and we've been working closely with Lifetime to offer some special access opportunities for our residents such as no initiation fee, four guest passes for each household annually, a summer-only membership option if you just want to use the pools, and reduced monthly rates for residents. And this partnership has a huge benefit that will address the desires of our community: this type of development is known for attracting retailers, and more retail is the want we've been hearing consistently from our residents for a long time. Bringing a highly desirable tenant to this corner will not only attract those retail options but also bring to life the neighborhoods and connections we imagined during our visioning process. While we're still ironing out the final details of the partnership, you can expect more information will be forthcoming. Last year, I talked about being bold as we look to the future. That time is now. The work has been done and the partnerships have been formed, the ground has been laid, and it's finally coming together in a very visible and very exciting way. [44:28] **Bill Drosty:** In a few short years, the east side of Rosemount will be more connected, more convenient, more active, and a more vibrant addition to our community. New businesses are in development, bringing new jobs, new neighborhoods, additional places to shop, and different activities to enjoy. As the saying goes, "a rising tide lifts all boats." We are thrilled to be making such an impact on our corner of Dakota County, and I want to thank all of city staff, community and county partners, elected officials, volunteers, local schools, service providers, artists, and students who make Rosemount a great place to live. Together we will embrace this bold future and continue to earn our title as one of the best places to live in the nation. We will continue on a course of growth. The future is bright. Thank you. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [46:34] [Good] [Music]