Based on the context provided, here is the transcribed townhall meeting with speaker names added. [0:00] **Wayne Boucher:** so let's call the meeting to order and stand for the Pledge of Allegiance... [Pledge of Allegiance] ...roll call please. [0:00] **Alissa McClure:** councelor Jones here councelor Geer here councelor jelly here councelor Leah here M Jay here. [0:00] **Wayne Boucher:** announcements do any counselors have announcements they'd like to make at the beginning of the meeting? [0:00] **Councilor Jones:** I would just like to say I had the pleasure of doing a ride along with our police chief on Friday and I think everyone should do it because it was enlightening it was a slow night but that's a good thing right? [0:46] **Wayne Boucher:** um so it's very valuable we stay up way too late but it was valuable thank you. anything else from Council? and I wonder if I should do a Ride Along it's been a while um next uh we have no public hearings we have public he we do truth and Taxation I'm sorry truth and Taxation hearing Mr Moulder could you get that started? [1:33] **John Mulder:** so um tonight is the uh truth and Taxation hearing um notices went out through the county uh about the proposed uh budget um the proposed property tax levy um for 2024 is 8,531,684 um and following a public comment the council can um um take action on that resolution um amend it you cannot increase it um beyond that but um you could uh lower it if you want or you could table it until the 18th um we do need you to take action you will need to take action no later than the 18th um in order to um Levy taxes for 2024. [1:33] **Andy Hjelle:** if we have a work session next week and make changes that give the city enough time a week to put that together so we can vote out on the 18th? [1:33] **John Mulder:** yes okay because you don't need to do another you won't need to do another public notice yeah but we we'll just need to um and then you would take action on those resolutions on the 18th. [2:19] **Wayne Boucher:** that gives us time to take any action based on public comment anything else from Council? uh at this time we'll open it up to the public does anyone wish to speak at the truth and Taxation hearing on the proposed Levy and budget for next year if so please step forward to the podium and state your name and address for the record. is there anyone that wishes to speak in the truth and Taxation hearing either online or in Chambers please start with your name and address and last opportunity for public input for the truth and Taxation hearing is there anyone that wishes to speak to the council about this matter if ma'am you can just come to the podium and state your name and address for the record. [3:42] **Sari Yokal:** hi I'm sari yokal and I live at 492 wild roads Trail so this is just my first time coming to this type of setting and I've lived in Hermantown for about two and a half years and I guess my quick question is how does like this process go you guys then talk about the budget or is that something that I should have been here before to see the rationale why it's my taxes my property taxes are going up by like 9 or 10% the second year in a row when I haven't done anything to my house I guess that's my question I didn't know the process of everything budget wise. [4:27] **Wayne Boucher:** we've been working on the budget since May Mr Moulder I think our first presentation to the council was in June okay so but yeah we go through that process um when I heard you say it's like well by your property taxes go up for in two basic factors... [4:27] **John Mulder:** and I always tell people uh kids um if you don't think you do math you don't you're ever going to use math in high school this is the time to this is where you're going to use math when you're grown up yeah it's if your if your house the valuation increased... [4:27] **Sari Yokal:** yeah I have my my property taxes back from 2020 and it actually went down for a year and then like it's been like slowly creeping up and I just want to know why. [5:13] **John Mulder:** yeah so evaluation that's one factor that could move up and um people often come to this meeting saying the the valuation is wrong I shouldn't my house shouldn't be valued this much and this is always the wrong meeting for this that that me that's why I'm like I'm coming here I'm trying to figure no okay that meeting is done in April where okay um you you can appeal your valuation okay um this one is for then the other one is what is the tax rate and or so it's like if your house stays the same value um and the city has the same rate of taxes you would pay the same but our taxes at various times increases and decreases and even in your valuation changes depending upon how that relates to all the other valuation changes okay could make your property taxes go up or down as well okay so it it's kind of a based upon has your valuation changed and then what is the proposed budget and what is that rate. [6:01] **Sari Yokal:** gotcha okay so I probably should have come to the one in April then if you have concern about my house is being valued incorrectly that's yeah because I was just okay so every April I just got to be mindful of that because it's just it's it's it's a lot it's going up and whatnot and obviously like the plowing up here is a lot better than her when duth when I I live there so I do think I'm thankful for that um but okay so all right okay thank you I may have more questions but that could be done at a separate time. [6:01] **Wayne Boucher:** and if you're you're still here at the end of the meeting some of us can try and explain a little deeper to you. [6:01] **Sari Yokal:** awesome thank you thank you. [6:49] **Wayne Boucher:** is there anyone else that wishes to speak to the council during the truth and Taxation hearing hearing none we will move on with the next four motions resolution resolution approving Human Resources generalist job description and position is there a motion on this? [6:49] **Councilor Jones:** I'd move to table it. [6:49] **Wayne Boucher:** we have a motion to table is there a second on the motion to table? [6:49] **John Geissler:** second. [6:49] **Wayne Boucher:** uh we don't need a Voice vote on this all in favor say I [Chorus of Ayes] post say signs next is 2023-24 property tax levy collectible in 2024 in the amount of 8,531,684 is there a motion relating to this? [8:00] **Councilor Jones:** move to table. [8:00] **Wayne Boucher:** motion by councelor Jones to table is there a second? [8:00] **Brian LeBlanc:** second. [8:00] **Wayne Boucher:** second by councelor lah all in favor say I [Chorus of Ayes] oppose same sign. next is resolution 2023-24 City general fund budget in the amount of 8 million 48,276 and the overall budget of 22,631,263 is there a motion? [8:40] **John Geissler:** motion table. [8:40] **Wayne Boucher:** motion by councelor gesler to table is there a second to that? [8:40] **Councilor Jones:** second. [8:40] **Wayne Boucher:** second by councelor Jones all in favor say I [Chorus of Ayes] and we will move on to Communications there's nothing highlighted there is Communications on file if anyone needs to look at that um we had several presentations during pre agenda uh Mr Moulder could you give us the short version of the four presentations? [9:28] **John Mulder:** sure under the arena schematic design cost estimate we looked at um some additional pictures um and design of the arena and um we reviewed the budget and the um current um funding gap of about 4.6 million um we then saw uh preliminary plans for ficner Park um changes under the Community Recreation initiative uh by the city engineer um um based upon that the um engineer will start preparing uh a plan set and we'd look at going up for bid sometime in January February okay um we talked just very briefly about boards and commissions um we have some vacancies so if the councilor members uh know of anybody that might be interested in serving on those um they should um let the clerk know and we can get an application out to them um to apply and get them appointed. we will um the first meeting in January is when there there'll be several members on the boards and commissions whose terms expire we'll reach out to them to see if they're interested um there may be some cases where um the council may want to have some conversations with members just like if they can't attend or are unable to make it whether they want to continue to be on on the board or commission and then finally um I presented a proposed organizational chart kind of around um the idea of the four squares of um how we organize our departments um we're proposing five new positions that involve um the fire department the economic development director in HR and then also potentially looking at reclassifying um several positions as well. [11:00] **Wayne Boucher:** thank you uh now we have public discussion this is the time that individuals can address the council about any item not on the agenda we ask that you limit your time to three minutes per person is there anyone present in Chambers or online that wishes to address the council at this time? [11:47] **Public Representative:** Drive um and I just my comments were just after viewing pre agenda... can you speak in your mic oh sorry um some of the concerns that came up I know the fundraising group would be happy to present in two weeks with any information that's needed to make decisions um we've been trying to update um Joe Wickland as we've gone along as much as we can but I know the group has made a large push in the last couple weeks and so a couple things did come in last week um as far as the smaller donations we are not just signing um pledges or whatever um to get those we're waiting for the donation to come in um before asking someone what they would like on their seat or brick um it's just the larger um corporate donations that are what you would consider pledges um and what I would probably ask for once the design is final is maybe a grace period where we could get signatures on all the dotted lines... uh we have been running um some of our contracts by the school board because that's what we were directed to do so the school board has been in the know on who's doing what um um but we're happy to Loop everyone here in um but they're not just random pledges and you know maybe will donate maybe will not um these are serious offers from um businesses who want to be a part of this community and are willing to put a dollar value behind that and so um if there's any questions um before that or items you'd like presented um would love to know um but otherwise we will be um giving more detail on that um in the coming weeks. [13:19] **Wayne Boucher:** thank you thank you and thank you for all you're doing is there anyone else that wishes to address the council at this time? if so start with your name and address. is there any general public discussion about items not on the agenda that someone would like to bring to the council at this time hearing none we will move on to the consent agenda which includes minutes approval or correction of the November 20th 23 city council continuation minutes and accounts payable approv General City warrants from November 16th 2023 through November 30th 2023 in the amount of $237,300 is there a motion for the consent agenda? [14:12] **Councilor Jones:** move to approve. [14:12] **Wayne Boucher:** motion by councelor Jones is there a second? [14:12] **John Geissler:** second. [14:12] **Wayne Boucher:** second by councelor gisler roll call please. [14:12] **Alissa McClure:** councelor gisler I councelor jelly I councelor Jones I councelor lbl I mayor b i. [14:58] **Wayne Boucher:** next our three first readings of ordinances there is no uh public input on these since no Vote or action is taken tonight on them first is the first reading for ordinance 2023-2024 d11 an ordinance amending section 700 of the Hermon zoning code special use permits those will be brought up for a second reading in two weeks Mr mould? [14:58] **John Mulder:** that's correct and we will be voting at that time and there will be a public discussion period allowed during that process if anyone has any input on either of those items please contact Administration or one of your elected representatives. [16:08] **Wayne Boucher:** next is resolution 2023-the review auar document and mitigation plan do we have a motion? [16:08] **John Geissler:** motion to approve. [16:08] **Wayne Boucher:** motion by councelor gisler is there a second? [16:08] **Andy Hjelle:** second. [16:08] **Wayne Boucher:** second by councelor jelly Mr Moulder? [16:08] **John Mulder:** so we have been working on this um alternate Urban areawide review um particularly around the area of Highway 53 and uh L bypass um the former um superf fund site um and the idea there was to do this process to speed up any U potential environmental review for any potential development so we have completed this process um so we are asking the city council to um kind of adopt the final uh report. [16:57] **Wayne Boucher:** thank you are there any questions or comments from Council on this resolution? hearing none we'll move to public discussion is there anyone from the public that wishes to discuss or have input into this resolution with the council if so either online or in Chambers start with your name and address. is there any public input on resolution 2023 -1186 is there any public input on the resolution adopting the final Hermantown Business Park alternative Urban areawide review document and mitigation plan? roll call please. [17:36] **Alissa McClure:** councelor jelly hi councel lah hi councelor Geer hi councel Jones hi May B I. [18:05] **Wayne Boucher:** resolution 2023-the roads and the related public infrastructure have been accepted and opened by the city of Hermantown and authorizing the mayor and city clerk to execute and deliver an appropriate certificate thereof do we have a motion? [18:05] **Andy Hjelle:** motion to approve. [18:05] **Wayne Boucher:** motion by councelor jelly is there a second? [18:05] **Councilor Jones:** second. [18:05] **Wayne Boucher:** second by councelor Jones Mr Moulder? [18:52] **John Mulder:** I said earlier today that um a lot of these resolutions were pretty standard stuff I things that we do but now as I read this one I realize um we haven't accepted a road a new road I don't think this year so this is a new for um the new council members even though you're not new anymore I hate to say that you're old um but um um when a private development happens they build the road per city um plans and specs or city specifications um once that is completed they um we accept that road and they turn it over to us and then we start the process of of of maintaining it so um this is um our acceptance of those private roads as now as public roads and we will start maintaining those um for the people that are living in that in those neighborhoods which includes plowing... [19:38] **Wayne Boucher:** which includes plowing and you know and all of that all of that maintenance thank you. [19:38] **Andy Hjelle:** if we say no? [19:38] **John Mulder:** if you say no then we won't accept it and um when it snows and they can't get out they'll complain to the um developer and the developer will say well the city I did everything the city asked me to do um but they wouldn't accept the road. [19:38] **Andy Hjelle:** so there's a line in the memo here that says that everything the city has asked them to do is not done yet a punch list was created at the end of 2023 and those last items shall be completed by spring or 2024 so if we do approve this do we have any for lack of better word power to force them to finish those items or is that going to fall on the city to complete those items? [20:26] **John Mulder:** uh no but we canot approve their next project but let's maybe David or Chris can speak to that. [20:26] **David Bolf:** yeah so yeah Council City staff and myself had a punch list walk through two weeks ago in preparation for the the acceptance of the road and infrastructure um there are some minor punch list items when I say minor they're um having to do with some Turf establishment little bit of restoration on the pond nothing in in um my opinion that is uh a major work item we still have a line of credit on the project so um we have that ability to withhold some money through the line of credit for the value of the punch list items so that's that's that's the um leverage we still have is we have that letter of credit that basically if they don't do the work we can do it and then deduct it from their letter of credit. [21:14] **Andy Hjelle:** okay so they still have money there's still money on the table from for them. [21:14] **David Bolf:** yeah and I I'm not saying I don't think J is good for it you know they've done a lot of work at Hermon obviously but just to cover the city absolutely. [21:14] **Wayne Boucher:** good question absolutely and uh David are these items that are probably best completed in warm weather in the spring? [22:00] **David Bolf:** exactly correct that's the reason they're not done though correct there are a couple items that we request to get done before fall which is like move mailboxes so personal removal and we we said that in punch last thank you or we can hold some money back and move them ourselves. [22:00] **Andy Hjelle:** I had one question um the memo talks about painting Lane painting drive and wood duck or and teal but I don't on the plat map I don't see a teal but I see a wood duck laye any idea why they went back and forth on the names and so it's been it sounds like since original plat I believe well the plat map doesn't have any reference to TL so okay it sounds like one of those things that are just baffle people 20 years from now. [22:48] **David Bolf:** I I don't know how to correct it or if it need to be corrected or I'll verif I think we we can change the name later. [22:48] **Andy Hjelle:** are road signs up as part of the is it developers responsibility or does the city come put those up? [22:48] **David Bolf:** um Paul has ordered the signs as of two weeks ago the signs were not in yet and not up the stop signs are in but not the road signs. [23:34] **Wayne Boucher:** anything else from Council? there any public input on this resolution? are there any members of the public that would like to speak to resolution is there anyone from the public that would like to address the council about accepting Payton Drive Payton Lane and teal Lane roads? roll call please. [23:58] **Alissa McClure:** Council Jones hi councel Chrysler hi Council hi Council jelly hi mayor bushe I. [24:27] **Wayne Boucher:** next is resolution Engineers for Benson Road covert Improvement project Number 601 do we have a motion? [24:27] **Brian LeBlanc:** move to approve. [24:27] **Wayne Boucher:** motion by councelor lah do we have a second? [24:27] **Councilor Jones:** second. [24:27] **Wayne Boucher:** second by councelor Jones Mr Moulder should we have our city engineer explain this? [24:27] **John Mulder:** sure Mr B. [25:12] **David Bolf:** yeah thank you mayor and Council so this is work associated with the um culverts on Benson Road we had this um um summer we had a wash out because the coverts were plugged upon further investigation uh Public Works director and myself found four different culverts at different elevations different vintages and different uh materials um some of which were covered and the flooding U reestablished those so we need to make an investment in this road and um eliminate the four covers that exist and put one um new culbert in there uh one of the complexities to this is the land owner has uh created a a dam in the in the cek area and we'll have to work with the DNR to permit the cber and likely the the P the dam and the pond that were created will um go away so this is um for the work associated with both the design and construction engineering of that project thank you. [26:00] **Andy Hjelle:** any questions or comments from conso I just had a question on the anticipated construction value uh dollar amount and how was I was that in the not in the budget was it John? [26:00] **John Mulder:** we've got it um I thought we're funding it under the stormw budget okay we added it really recently yeah in the budget storm water storm water it says general fund and storm water okay yeah that's a mistake with storm water so what I think it was 200,000 of construction and then so we have budgeted like 250 for it. [26:49] **Wayne Boucher:** any other questions or comments from Council? any public input on this resolution if so please state your name and address you have any public input on resolution 2023-the services for Benson Road culbert Improvement project? roll call please. [27:11] **Alissa McClure:** councelor laah hi councel jelly hi councelor Jones hi councelor gerler hi mayor j i. [27:35] **Wayne Boucher:** next is resolution 2023-24 to Northern interstate construction Incorporated in the amount of $238,500.69 do we have a motion? [27:35] **John Geissler:** motion to approved. [27:35] **Wayne Boucher:** motion by councelor gisler is there a second? [27:35] **Brian LeBlanc:** second. [27:35] **Wayne Boucher:** second by councelor lah Mr Moulder? [27:35] **John Mulder:** so this is just uh the first pay the pay estimate for um a request for the sewer work that's being put in at SAR Park thank you. [28:22] **Wayne Boucher:** we have any questions or comments from Council is there any public input on this resolution is there any public input on resolution any public input on pay request number one from northern interstate construction Incorporated? roll call please. [28:32] **Alissa McClure:** councelor grer I councelor jelly I councelor Jones I councelor the block I mayor b i. [28:32] **Wayne Boucher:** next is resolution 223-10 resolution authorizing and directing the mayor and City Clerk to execute and deliver a notice to St Louis County giving support for the Rice Lake Road Corridor project is there a motion? [29:19] **Andy Hjelle:** motion to approve. [29:19] **Wayne Boucher:** do we have a second? [29:19] **Councilor Jones:** second. [29:19] **Wayne Boucher:** second by councelor Jones Mr Moulder? [29:19] **John Mulder:** so St Louis County this is not a road in Hermantown but St Louis county is looking for um surrounding cities and townships to support this project in order to um increase their chances of um getting the federal uh money to to for this road this road segment the idea that this is a regional uh section of Road just verbal support saying this is a good thing yeah resolution resolution and there's a letter in here yeah not giving money though no we're not fing Ro no no no monetary yeah better describe what the word support means I well we'd have to have another resolution to spend money. [30:08] **Wayne Boucher:** any other questions or comments from Council any public input on this resolution do you have any public input on resolution 2023-24? roll call please. [30:26] **Alissa McClure:** councelor jelly I councelor Leah I councelor grer I councelor Jones I mayor b i. [30:52] **Wayne Boucher:** next is resolution 2023-the motion by councelor gisler do we have a second? [30:52] **Andy Hjelle:** second. [30:52] **Wayne Boucher:** second by councelor jelly Mr meller could you explain this? [30:52] **John Mulder:** so this is adopting um a policy um in compliance so that we're in compliance with the state earned sick and safe leave there are kind of two parts to this one is current employees under collective bargaining agreement under and full-time employees earn already earn sick leave this will not allow this this won't have them earning an additional bank of leave but it'll allow them to use their sick Le for purposes under the um sick and safe leave so there'll just be One Bank of leave for existing employees that currently earn sick leave but they but our sick leave policy was much more um restrictive in terms of what they could use it for this allows for the entire all the uses under the state for other employees um and we only have a few um the on call Firefighters um and one or and some of the seasonal people they'll have to earn earn um sick and safe leave so we'll have to um acrew and earn and have them earn um that leave for that as well so they'll have so in a fact they'll have sick leave under this policy and this policy that will direct and guide the existing cly for all the rest of the employees and for the employees that don't have it it'll be at a certain rate per hours work for part-time yeah again I'll stop my head I was like I'd have to look at that but it's like you for so many hours you you earn so many for so many hours of work you earn so many hours and up to a certain a maximum it's for every 30 hours work to get one hour and you have to have a minimum of 48 Hours a year I believe those are the numbers you can carry over 80 yeah thank you. [33:12] **Wayne Boucher:** any questions or comments from Council is there any public input on this resolution any public input on resolution 2023-the sick and safe leave policy? roll call please. [33:12] **Alissa McClure:** councelor Jones hi councelor Geer hi councelor laah hi councelor jelly hi mayor Bush hi. [33:12] **Wayne Boucher:** and believe we have no closed session tonight Mr Muller? [33:12] **John Mulder:** that's correct. [33:12] **Wayne Boucher:** I entertain a motion to recess. [33:12] **Councilor Jones:** move to recess. [33:12] **Wayne Boucher:** is there a second? [33:12] **Andy Hjelle:** second. [33:12] **Wayne Boucher:** second by councelor jelly all in favor say I [Chorus of Ayes] oppose same sign thank you.