This transcript has been formatted with speaker names based on the context of the Faribault City Council meeting. [0:01] **IT Staff:** All the IT department. [0:15] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Here we go, ladies and gentlemen. 6 o'clock. Let's call the Tuesday, August 12th, 2025 city council to order. And the first item is roll call. Council member Barnes? [0:25] **Mandy Barnes:** Here. [0:26] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Doumbouya? [0:27] **Adama Youhn Doumbouya:** Here. [0:30] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Ross? [0:31] **Royal Ross:** Here. [0:32] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Rowan? [0:33] **John Rowan:** Here. [0:34] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Thiele? [0:35] **Chuck Thiele:** Here. [0:36] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Mayor Spooner? Here. And pledge of 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. [0:58] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** All right. Item two, approval of the agenda. [1:02] **Royal Ross:** So moved. [1:03] **Adama Youhn Doumbouya:** Second. [1:04] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion by Ross, second by Doumbouya to approve the agenda. All those in favor say I. [1:12] **Council Members:** I. [1:13] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** All opposed. Motion passes. [1:16] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Item number three, presentations and introductions. Residents Academy participants recognition. Jessica Kinser and Brad Phenow. [1:30] **Brad Phenow (Communications Manager):** Mayor, members of the council, um you may recall following the uh community survey here in late 2024, uh staff pitched the idea of putting together a residents academy. Um we were hopeful it was going to be a huge success. Um but I don't think we ever could have uh truly seen the the fruit of it until uh recently completing it. Um we had our last session uh two weeks ago and 8 weeks prior to that we met every uh Wednesday night uh as part of this residence academy. Um and I think it was a really eye-opening experience for the participants and I think uh staff also learned a lot throughout the process. So um for their commitment uh and their dedication to learn more about not only the city as a community uh but certainly the city as an organization. We want to take a moment and recognize those who could be with us here tonight. Um rather than going with the traditional plaque, uh Jessica had a great idea to be a bit creative. Uh and we pitched the idea to the folks at our sign shop, uh Michael York and Todd Glendy who came up with a really neat smaller city of Faribault Street sign uh that's perhaps a little bit more fitting. So, um if you don't mind, I'll I'll call the individuals forward. If you would take your sign and and feel free to move through the line and shake hands. [2:47] **Brad Phenow:** Council member Jackie Barker, Judy Becker, Jane Edgard, good to see you again. Congratulations, Chloe Cooer. Congratulations. Travis Cath. Ibrahim Cle, thank you for participating. [3:12] **Council Members:** Well done. Congratulations. Thanks for participating. Thank you for participating. Thanks for participating. [3:32] **Brad Phenow:** Thanks for participating in it. Go. Mayor and members, as I've noted previously um the city of Faribault is extremely appreciative for not only your time and dedication uh but your desire to learn more and be involved with the city. So for the city, thank you. [3:55] **Jessica Kinser (City Administrator):** And I would just like to say thank you to Brad. Um this was something that when we talked about it initially as being one of those very low-cost, low-hanging fruit things to engage some people in a really more direct intensive way. Um Brad just took the ball and ran with it. And so uh kudos to him and then thank you to department heads um and everybody who participated uh in that one night of really showcasing their department and providing some really fun experiences. And so this is the first residents academy and so we hope that they'll help us recruit for our second one. [4:26] **Brad Phenow:** That was my next point. Thank you to everybody and we hope you can spend the next uh year, nine months uh trying to recruit people. Just really quickly. I know I'm on the agenda and staff help us recruit for next year and tell everybody what a fun time you had. Thank you. [4:48] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Thank you, Brad. All right. Item number four, approval of the minutes of July 22nd, 2025. [4:55] **John Rowan:** I'll move. [4:56] **Adama Youhn Doumbouya:** Second. [4:57] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion by Rowan, second by Doumbouya. All those in favor say I. [5:11] **Council Members:** I. [5:12] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** All opposed. Motion pass. Item number five, request to be heard. Were there any on the clipboard? Did anybody notice? I don't believe so. [5:26] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Item number six, consent agenda items. Tonight we have 6A through 6H. Would anybody like to make any comments or questions? [5:40] **John Rowan:** Mayor Spooner. Um I'm going to abstain from voting from 6H. [5:46] **Royal Ross:** Mayor Spooner, I'll make a motion to approve the consent agenda items 6A through 6H. [5:52] **Mandy Barnes:** Second. [5:54] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion by Ross, second by Barnes for 6A through 6H. All those in favor signify. [6:02] **Council Members:** I. [6:03] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** All opposed. Public hearings tonight, we have none. Items for discussion. Item A, resolution 2025-191 approve the findings of fact and the record of a decision for Archer Data Centers EAW and a negative declaration needing an EIS. Harry Davis will begin this. [6:27] **Harry Davis (City Planner):** Thank you, Mayor. Uh, good evening, Mr. Mayor and Council. Um, tonight we do have a resolution in front of you to find that there is uh no need for an EIS for an EAW. Uh, and it's associated with the Archer Data Center's project. Um, we do have our consultant here that actually uh reviewed this EAW in depth and and provided this feedback to the city to make this negative finding of an EIS. Like to turn it over to them if that's okay. [7:05] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Certainly. Thank you. [7:07] **Allison Harwood (WSB Consultant):** Hey, good evening, council. My name is Allison Harwood. I am with WSB and I've been working alongside Harry and other city staff to review the EAW for the Archer data center project. Um over the next few minutes, I'm going to go over the process of an EAW, the purpose of an EAW, and ultimately some of the findings of this EAW to get to um staff and planning commission's recommendations. [Detailed presentation regarding EAW process, water resources, wildlife, air quality, noise, and traffic study findings]. [19:43] **Allison Harwood:** Happy to answer any questions that council has. [19:46] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Questions for staff? Yes, Maddie [Mandy]. [19:55] **Mandy Barnes:** Remind me of your name, please? [19:58] **Allison Harwood:** Allison Harwood. [19:59] **Mandy Barnes:** Harwood. Um, you had said there was no significant environmental impacts that were found, but yet I'm hearing that we don't know the details as far as air effect, um, noise effect, miscellaneous other effects because we don't have the exact plan. Is this, I guess, the summary of what you had just said purely based on soil and water only with what we know? [20:28] **Allison Harwood:** Um I mean not necessarily soil and water only. I would say that it's based on um the best available information that the city and the applicant have for the level of design that the applicant has at this time in their design process. And again "significant" in this context means that it can't be undone and or it can't be addressed through other formal review or permitting processes. So those studies that I mentioned, the noise study and the air analysis, um those are other formal processes that need to be carried out. [21:24] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** All right. At this point in time, can I just get a gauge of how many people are here that would like to speak? Seeing that there's only two of you, and I'm going to allow you just a limited amount of time. We technically don't have to open a public hearing, but I feel it'd be right to hear from the public. Please come forward, state your name and your address. I'm going to allow you about three minutes. [22:20] **Jackie Barker (Resident):** My address is 68 4th Avenue. So my concern is about how fast we are without any regulations being put on it and without knowing what the real consequences are. I keep hearing that it's inevitable, but I don't think it really is because I do think we have a choice. I think we have a choice to slow down. [Expresses environmental concerns regarding pollinators and lack of final details]. I just think everything needs to be looked at more thoroughly environmentally and thought through and just slowed down. [25:26] **Shodto Spring (Resident):** Shodto Spring, 16922 Kabat Avenue. I'm four miles from the location of the proposed data center. Trying not to repeat... I agree that the need for AI is much less than we think it is. I'm worried. I don't think I'm close enough to have my well damaged, but I think that the question of wells and the question of wastewater discharge should be seriously considered. And so I would urge you not to go forward too rapidly. Thank you. [27:43] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Thank you. That's it. We'll bring it back here to the council. Questions? More questions? [28:02] **Mandy Barnes:** I just have a comment. Um, I noticed that in the agenda notes, there was a quote made that both the environmental and the planning commission unanimously recommend approval of the resolution that we're discussing. I just wanted to give my kudos to the environmental commission... from what I was reading it sounded like a majority of them did not want this but I understand what the quote means—that means you're in support of this specific agenda so I just wanted to put voice to that. [28:40] **Royal Ross:** Mayor Spooner. Um so I guess my questions are probably directed towards Jessica. [28:56] **Jessica Kinser:** I'm going to direct your questions more to Harry. [28:57] **Royal Ross:** Okay. Here. Okay. Mr. Davis, we're basically approving the receipt of the EAW and its findings. Um like you or I believe she said earlier, you know, there's still lots of other testings that could um kind of send this project off on a side rail somewhere, including the noise and the air. That correct? [29:27] **Harry Davis:** Yes. Sure. [29:43] **Allison Harwood:** So the decision today is whether or not the project requires an environmental impact statement based on that kind of definition of "significant" that I had mentioned. And so the recommendation is that it does not require an EIS. [30:43] **Royal Ross:** Thank you. Um, with that, I guess I'll just state that uh I see no reason to not accept the EAW and not require the EIS. Um, to me, it seems like we've given them a hurdle that they had to jump over and they did that. If we were to put another hurdle in front of them this period, it seems like we'd kind of be the big bad government that's just putting another roadblock in a business. So, I don't see any reason to not forward with this. I'll make a motion to approve resolution 2025-191. [32:16] **Adama Youhn Doumbouya:** Second. [32:17] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion by Ross, a second by Doumbouya. All those in favor... [All vote I] All opposed... that motion carries. We're on to the next item. Item B, Hoffmeister fourth edition, comprehensive plan amendment, zoning map amendment, preliminary and final plat. Harry Davis, city planner once again. [32:45] **Harry Davis:** Thank you, mayor and council. Uh yes. So the items in front of you: comprehensive plan amendment, zoning map amendment, preliminary plat and final plat associated with um a development called Hoffmeister fourth edition. [Presentation of the triangle lot near the airport]. [37:00] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Right. Any questions on all three of those items? [37:07] **Royal Ross:** Thank you, mayor. Um, just to clarify, is the owner of the property planning on putting a home on this triangle lot or are they planning on developing it or do you even know? [37:18] **Harry Davis:** Yes. So lot one is intended to be the single family home for the current property owner. [38:00] **Royal Ross:** And then this really—excuse me—this really wouldn't be a city issue, but if I remember correctly, there's a lot of underground utility lines that run through I believe it'd be lot two. [38:53] **Harry Davis:** Yes, sir. As of right now... none of the lots within the triangle area are encumbered by those easements. [39:17] **Royal Ross:** Yeah, that's what I thought. Okay, thank you very much. Um mayor, I don't see any problem. [39:38] **Chuck Thiele:** I make a motion to approve resolution 2025-193. [39:50] **Mandy Barnes:** Second. [39:52] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion by Thiele, second by Barnes. On resolution 2025-193. Signify by saying I. [40:02] **Council Members:** I. [40:03] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion passes. Next one is our ordinance. [40:07] **Royal Ross:** Mayor Spooner, I'll make a motion to approve ordinance 2025-9. [40:15] **John Rowan:** I'll second. [40:17] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** I have a motion by Ross, second by Rowan on Ordinance 2025-9. This is a roll call. [40:31] **Council Members:** [Roll call vote - All I] [40:41] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion is passed. The last one is the final resolution. [40:47] **Chuck Thiele:** Mayor Spooner, make a motion to approve resolution 2025-194. [40:55] **Mandy Barnes:** Second. [40:57] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion by Thiele, second by Barnes on resolution 2025-194. All in favor say I. [41:10] **Council Members:** I. [41:11] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** All opposed. Motion passes. Thank you. Next item, Rice County, comprehensive plan amendment, zoning amendments, preliminary and final plat. Once again, Harry Davis. [41:23] **Harry Davis:** Thank you, mayor and council. Uh, so this project is uh similar in terms of processes. Rice County has submitted a plat and some changes to our comprehensive plan for the big block that they own, just north of downtown. [Presentation of Rice Square reconfiguration into five lots]. [46:12] **John Rowan:** Mayor Spooner, do I have to recuse myself from this? [46:15] **Jessica Kinser:** You should be fine. [46:23] **Adama Youhn Doumbouya:** I make a motion to approve resolution 2025-195. [46:42] **Mandy Barnes:** Second. [46:43] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion by Doumbouya, second by Barnes to approve resolution 2025-195. Signify by saying I. [46:56] **Council Members:** I. [46:57] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion pass. Onto the ordinance. [47:00] **Royal Ross:** Mayor Spooner, I'll make a motion to approve ordinance 2025-10. [47:05] **Mandy Barnes:** Second. [47:07] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion by Ross, second by Barnes. On ordinance 2025-10. This is a roll call. [47:18] **Council Members:** [Roll call vote - All I] [47:33] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion passes on to last resolution. [47:35] **Mandy Barnes:** Approve resolution 2025-196. [47:41] **John Rowan:** Second. [47:43] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion by Barnes, second by Rowan. All in favor say I. [48:00] **Council Members:** I. [48:01] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** That passes. On to item D, resolution 2025-197. Once again, Harry Davis. [48:03] **Harry Davis:** Thank you, mayor and council. This is for an interim use permit at 1512 30th Street Northwest. The request is to allow up to six storage containers to remain at that property for no greater than two years. [Explains it is related to a transition to a cannabis-based business]. [51:14] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Thank you. Any questions for staff? [51:24] **John Rowan:** So, they got a permit in 2020, a short-term permit... and now we're giving them another one. I would not be in favor of this. [51:35] **Royal Ross:** I believe I remember when we approved it, they did get the shorter approval, but I don't see any reason to not give two years if they're trying to change their business and they've been waiting a while for the state to make a decision. [52:12] **Mandy Barnes:** I agree. Yeah, I'm in favor. [52:32] **John Rowan:** Then why—I just don't understand why we have a process for a "temporary." [52:43] **Harry Davis:** Well, I think that's part of the city code. A lot of times what we do is give a short period so we can revisit. [53:11] **Mandy Barnes:** I make a motion to approve resolution 2025-197. [53:23] **Adama Youhn Doumbouya:** Second. [53:24] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion by Barnes, second by Doumbouya. All in favor say I. [53:44] **Council Members:** I. [53:45] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion passes. On to item E. Once again, Harry Davis. [53:45] **Harry Davis:** Thank you, mayor and council. Uh so this is the last you'll see of me, I promise. Uh so this is ordinance 2025-11. [Presentation on amendments to accessory structure requirements for large lots to remove barriers and allow larger buildings on tiered acreage]. [59:11] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Right. Any questions for staff? [59:20] **Royal Ross:** Thank you, mayor. Um, so, Mr. Davis, in the last few months, we've approved a couple of different variances. Is this kind of combining the two of them? [59:48] **Harry Davis:** Council member Ross, ADUs or accessory dwelling units are at the moment governed by a completely different section of code... this would not combine them. [1:00:27] **Royal Ross:** Okay. So, cuz I'm looking at your little chart and when it says one or two family residential use, that's not the new structure, that's the existing structure classifying the lot? [1:00:43] **Harry Davis:** Correct. [1:01:03] **Chuck Thiele:** I think city council, our goal is to make remove barriers for homeowners. I'll make a motion to approve ordinance 2025-11. [1:01:25] **Mandy Barnes:** Second. [1:01:27] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion by Thiele, second by Barnes. This is a roll call. [1:01:33] **Council Members:** [Roll call vote - All I] [1:01:55] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion passes. To our final resolution of the evening, resolution 2025-198. Jessica Kinser. [1:02:00] **Jessica Kinser:** Thank you, mayor and council. On June 10th, the council approved a purchase and development agreement for the property south of the viaduct for the second phase of the Riverchase Apartments. [Explains the developer needs to move the closing date to April 1st, 2026, and details on TIF for soil corrections]. [1:03:57] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** I do have a minor one and this is headed towards administration. We had talked about this closing this year. [1:04:17] **Jessica Kinser:** Um earlier on the consent agenda was a budget amendment for 2025... I removed this as revenue for 2025. What you'll see next week is revenue coming in in 2026. Ultimately it just means that fund is not getting interest, but we do see the revenue coming at a certain point. [1:05:01] **Adama Youhn Doumbouya:** I make a motion to approve resolution 2025-198. [1:05:15] **Royal Ross:** Second. [1:05:17] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion by Doumbouya, second by Ross. All in favor? [1:05:29] **Council Members:** I. [1:05:30] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** All opposed. Motion passes. Thank you everyone. No bids. Boards, commission reports, announcements. [1:05:54] **Royal Ross:** So, Paradise Theater of the Arts, they have their last Holy Smoke event this Wednesday. Proceeds go to three different profits. There's a new gallery opening reception this Friday, August 15th, and Paradise is hosting music trivia starting Thursday, August 21st. [1:06:19] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Administration. [1:06:21] **Jessica Kinser:** Yeah, I have a few things. Tomorrow we will do our council chat from noon to 1 in Central Park. The joint boards meeting is on Friday at 11:00 a.m. at Buckham West. And then a reminder on Monday the 18th at 6 PM we'll have a joint work session as well. [1:07:11] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** All right. I'll take a motion to adjourn. [1:07:15] **Mandy Barnes:** Motion. [1:07:20] **Adama Youhn Doumbouya:** Second. [1:07:22] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** Motion by Barnes, second by Doumbouya to adjourn. All those in favor? [1:07:26] **Council Members:** I. [1:07:27] **Mayor Thomas J. Spooner:** All opposed. We are adjourned. Thank you everyone for coming.