Based on the context provided and the phonetic transcriptions, here is the corrected transcript with speaker names. [0:00] Heather Slechta: Council Member Ross? [0:01] Royal Ross: Here. [0:02] Heather Slechta: Council Member Rowan? [0:03] John Rowan: Here. [0:04] Heather Slechta: Council Member Van Sluis? [0:05] Peter van Sluis: Here. [0:06] Heather Slechta: Council Member Thiele? [0:07] Chuck Thiele: Here. [0:08] Heather Slechta: Mayor Spooner? [0:09] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Here. 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. [0:28] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: All right. Item number two is approval of the agenda. [0:32] John Rowan: So moved. [0:34] Peter van Sluis: Second. [0:36] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Motion by Rowan, second by Van Sluis. All in favor signify by saying aye. [0:43] Council Members: Aye. [0:44] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: All presentations and introductions. We have none. [0:47] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Approval of the minutes. August 12th, 2025. [0:53] John Rowan: Make a motion to approve the minutes. [0:56] Mandy Barnes: Second. [0:57] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Motion by Rowan, second by Barnes. All those in favor signify by saying aye. [1:01] Council Members: Aye. [1:03] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: All opposed. Minutes are approved. [1:05] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Requests to be heard. We have none on the clipboard. Consent agenda items A through N. Would anybody like— [1:22] Mandy Barnes: I would like to pull item N. [1:26] Mandy Barnes: Wanted to verify the dollar amounts. It looked like it represented $2,500,500. [1:42] Kindra Papenfus: Yes, that's correct. [1:44] Mandy Barnes: Motion to approve the consent agenda with those changes. [1:52] John Rowan: I'll second. [1:54] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Motion by Barnes, second by Rowan. All those in favor say aye. [2:00] Council Members: Aye. [2:01] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: All opposed. Motion passes. Public hearings. We only have one tonight. Resolution 2025-209. Approve a redevelopment plat for Henry M. Rice Square pursuant to Minnesota statute 469.028. [2:18] David Wanberg: I'll take that, Mayor, if that's all right. [2:21] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Oh, David Wanberg will take this one. [2:23] David Wanberg: Yes. Thank you, Mayor and Council. So, this is actually approval of a redevelopment plan for the Henry M. Rice Square plat, which you approved previously. The county owns some property to the south and east of the intersection of Second Avenue Northwest and Fourth Street Northwest, and they are looking to redevelop that. Um, part of that will involve conveying lots over to private development and one lot to the city. Um, and to do that, the county owns the land. They have to transfer that over to the Rice County HRA and then the Rice County HRA can sell that property or convey that property. Uh, and there is a state statute that gives under law, under state statute 469.028, to approve or deny redevelopment plans—the authority of this city council when there's an HRA that's operating in the city limits. So, what we have before you is a resolution that approves that redevelopment plan and allows that project um to move forward with the sale of those properties. I'm happy to answer questions and I know our attorney can answer more questions about the state statute. This is probably at least in my time here, this is the first time that we've had to do something like this. [3:59] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Seeing none, I would make a motion to open public hearing. [4:04] Peter van Sluis: So moved. [4:06] John Rowan: Second. [4:07] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Motion by Van Sluis, second by Rowan to go into public hearing, signify by saying aye. [4:13] Council Members: Aye. [4:14] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Public hearing. Anybody wishing to speak? Seeing none, I'll take a motion to close. [4:22] Peter van Sluis: Moved. [4:24] John Rowan: Second. [4:26] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Second by Rowan. All in favor? [4:29] Council Members: Aye. [4:30] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Out of public hearing. [4:38] John Rowan: Make a motion to approve resolution 2025-209. [4:46] Peter van Sluis: Second. [4:47] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Motion to approve resolution. All in favor? [4:50] Council Members: Aye. [4:52] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: All opposed. Motion passes. Items for discussion. Hoffmeier south of Frederickson Drive comprehensive plan amendment, zoning map amendment, and preliminary and final plat. David Wanberg. [5:08] David Wanberg: Thank you. [5:10] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Thank you, manager. [5:15] David Wanberg: Thank you, Mayor. Uh, good evening, council. Uh, so the items in front of you are um leftover items coming from our previous meeting where we approved the preliminary and final plat for Hoffmeier Fourth Edition. Uh, we also approved a comprehensive plan that would change the land use designation for these properties. Uh, this would be the second reading of the ordinance. Uh, we do have attached to the second reading a summary publication for the ordinance. Uh, because there are only five council members uh here tonight, it will require all five council members to approve it. Normally it would be at least five of seven. Um and then attached to this, uh which we normally find as a part of a final plat, is a development agreement. So this is an agreement that we have with the developer as to how they would develop the property. Happy to take any questions. [6:15] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Item number one is an ordinance. I will take a motion. [6:19] Peter van Sluis: I make a motion to approve ordinance 2025-9. [6:23] John Rowan: I'll second. [6:25] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Motion by Van Sluis, second by Rowan to approve the ordinance. [6:39] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Approval of the rezoning of the property. Oh, it's a roll call. See, perfect. Last week and now I blow it right away. Roll call, please. [6:52] Heather Slechta: Council member Barnes. [6:53] Mandy Barnes: Aye. [6:54] Heather Slechta: Council member Rowan. [6:55] John Rowan: Aye. [6:56] Heather Slechta: Council member Van Sluis. [6:57] Peter van Sluis: Aye. [6:58] Heather Slechta: Council member Thiele. [6:59] Chuck Thiele: Aye. [7:00] Heather Slechta: Mayor Spooner. [7:01] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Aye. Motion is approved. Approval of the summary of the publication of ordinance 2025-9. [7:08] John Rowan: Make a motion to approve summary publication of ordinance 2025-9. [7:15] Chuck Thiele: Second. [7:17] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Motion by Rowan, second by Thiele. All those in favor? [7:21] Council Members: Aye. [7:23] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: All opposed. Motion passed. Under resolution development agreement, any comments on this? No. [7:34] Chuck Thiele: So moved. [7:36] Peter van Sluis: Second. [7:38] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Motion by Thiele, second by Van Sluis. Resolution 2025-206. All those in favor? [7:45] Council Members: Aye. [7:47] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: All opposed. Motion passes. [7:52] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: We're on item B, Rice County, 128 3rd Street Northwest, comprehensive plan, zoning map amendment. [8:01] David Wanberg: Thank you, Mayor and Council. Uh, very similar to the last few items uh that you just approved. Uh, this is for Rice County, the Henry M. Rice Square uh project. Um, so the preliminary plat and final plat were already approved as well as the comprehensive plan. Uh, this is for the rezoning of the property. Um, and then a summary publication very similar uh to what you just approved and then a development agreement uh for developing this uh plat. So very similar to the items that we just reviewed. I'm happy to answer any questions. [8:46] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Make a motion to approve ordinance 2025-10. [8:51] Peter van Sluis: So moved. [8:53] Mandy Barnes: Second. [8:55] Heather Slechta: Council member Barnes. [8:56] Mandy Barnes: Aye. [8:57] Heather Slechta: Council member Rowan. [8:58] John Rowan: Aye. [8:59] Heather Slechta: Council member Van Sluis. [9:00] Peter van Sluis: Aye. [9:01] Heather Slechta: Council member Thiele. [9:02] Chuck Thiele: Aye. [9:03] Heather Slechta: Mayor Spooner. [9:04] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Aye. All right. Motion to approve publication summary. [9:11] John Rowan: So moved. [9:13] Chuck Thiele: Second. [9:15] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Motion by Rowan, second by Thiele. All in favor say aye. [9:19] Council Members: Aye. [9:21] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Motion passes. Resolution 2025-204 approve the development agreement. [9:27] Chuck Thiele: Move resolution 2025-204. [9:38] John Rowan: Second. [9:40] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Motion by Thiele, second by Rowan. All in favor? [9:45] Council Members: Aye. [9:47] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: All opposed. Motion passes. Item C, ordinance to approve a zoning text amendment for accessory structures. [10:01] David Wanberg: Thank you, Mayor and Council. So, uh this is an item that you previously saw at your August 12th meeting. Um, it's regarding accessory structures. We're suggesting a few changes based off of the variance that was approved a few months ago. Um, this has been in collaboration with Planning Commission and there have been no substantial changes to the draft. Happy to take any questions. [10:30] John Rowan: Moved. [10:32] Mandy Barnes: Second. [10:34] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Moved and seconded to approve. Roll call. [10:46] Heather Slechta: Council member Barnes. [10:47] Mandy Barnes: Aye. [10:48] Heather Slechta: Council member Rowan. [10:49] John Rowan: Aye. [10:50] Heather Slechta: Council member Van Sluis. [10:51] Peter van Sluis: Aye. [10:52] Heather Slechta: Council member Thiele. [10:53] Chuck Thiele: Aye. [10:54] Heather Slechta: Mayor Spooner. [10:55] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Aye. I'll take a motion to approve the publication summary of 2025-11. [11:02] Mandy Barnes: So moved. [11:04] Peter van Sluis: Second. [11:06] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Motion by Barnes, second by Van Sluis. All those in favor signify by saying aye. [11:12] Council Members: Aye. [11:14] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: All opposed. Motion passes. All right. Item D, resolution 2025-207, approve the preliminary plat for Jazz's First Edition. [11:25] David Wanberg: Thank you, Mayor and Council. I do apologize, I'm having a computer glitch. Hopefully... well, while we're waiting on it to show up, um I can at least introduce the item. So this is a um the item in front of you is for actually just a preliminary plat and it's associated with what will be called Jazz's First Edition. Uh, the applicant is Nate Stanzel on behalf of Lampert yard. So it's the old Lampert's building on Highway 60. And then just a location map—which I apologize that you cannot see currently—but the property itself, just to describe it, is actually uh across two different plats right now. Um and there's an issue that we're running into where these properties, um in order to be redeveloped for building permits to be issued and a firewall to not be constructed in the middle of the building where the property line is, we have to combine these lots. So this is the first step in a uh process that we typically see where preliminary and final plat are kind of combined. Uh in this case the applicant has chosen just to do the preliminary plat for one reason or another. [13:02] David Wanberg: Okay. Uh so the preliminary plat is in front of you. Again, it's just combining these existing lots. We're not uh adding any additional land to the old Lampert's property; uh it's just going to be combining these lots to facilitate development. Here's their early conceptual site plan that we've been working through with them and their conceptual interior plan. So the property line right now is essentially cutting off the very large part that's on the southern side of it from the very small northern part of it. So this would fix that issue and fix a whole bunch of building code issues. Uh, the plats do meet criteria for approval. There's no parkland dedication that we're recommending with this because it's previously existing and it'll continue that way. And so we are recommending that City Council approve uh the resolution 2025-207. Happy to take any questions. [14:40] John Rowan: I make a motion to approve resolution 2025-207. [14:46] Mandy Barnes: Second. [14:48] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Second by Barnes. All those in favor? [14:52] Council Members: Aye. [14:54] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Motion passes. Item E, Resolution 2025-208 declaring the official intent to reimburse certain expenditures. [15:14] Jessica Kinser: Yeah. So, uh through the budget process, we've been talking a lot about the bond for phase two of Viaduct Park. Um but there are expenses that we would need to incur before probably borrowing in 2026 related to design and engineering. And so working with Northland Securities, our financial advisor, um, and Peter Martin from Kennedy and Graven, who is our bond council, uh, this resolution was prepared that basically says we can start spending money that we would ultimately reimburse ourselves with the bond proceeds for. Um, the downside of that is if you choose at a future time to not borrow the money, then we potentially have incurred costs that we do not have a funding source for. Um, but this is a standard kind of resolution where you have something that is a bigger project where you don't have funding for kind of that design piece of it. But it does not preclude your future decision to not borrow. [16:15] Chuck Thiele: So if we do nothing and you—what do you mean by doing nothing? [16:21] Jessica Kinser: Well, if you don't do anything with this resolution, it would mean that you would be putting the second phase of Viaduct Park probably opening in late 2027. Um, so I would say it would prevent any chance of being able to open in 2026. So there's a time detail of that; you know, if you wait until you borrow, you're losing time. [17:05] John Rowan: Move resolution 2025-208. [17:15] Peter van Sluis: Second. [17:18] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Motion by Rowan, second by Van Sluis. All in favor? [17:23] Council Members: Aye. [17:25] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Motion passes. Item F, resolution 2025-216 adopt a position concerning proposed Rice County amendment to the URI zoning district. [17:42] David Wanberg: Yes. Thank you, Mayor and Council. Um, we do apologize. This is a last minute addition and we realize that. Um, but this is somewhat of an urgent request. So, back in July, we did receive a notice from uh Rice County that they were entertaining an amendment to their zoning district, particularly what's called the Urban Reserve Industrial zoning district. Uh, this Urban Reserve Industrial zoning district is in areas where we have determined as a part of our comprehensive plan and as a part of our small area plan that we did for Highway 60 out there on the other side of the interstate as potential industrial areas. The amendment that the county is reviewing is allowing solar farms, solar developments, to be an interim use within these areas. Um, after reviewing the requests, reviewing our comprehensive plan as well as the county's, uh city staff did provide an initial set of concerns to Rice County and we did share those with the Planning Commission. Um, after that, the applicant actually did go back and make some small amendments, but in the end it's very much a similar situation. Uh, we found out about the amendment on Friday which is kind of why this is slightly last minute. Um, so because this is a solar development, we are looking at potentially 20 to 40 years of this land being tied up with solar panels as a part of a lease, with electrical infrastructure being brought to these properties. Um, we don't have a guarantee that these properties uh wouldn't be able to renew their lease. Uh, if we did see that there was potential for them to be developed into an industrial use in the future, um, there's a lot of questions that we have about this and not a whole lot of leeway or parameters set on where these solar farms could be. They could be right next to city limits keeping us from attracting a large industrial development, or they could be on the periphery. So we just—there's a lot of unknowns tied with this and so we have some strong concerns. Um, we have drafted a letter uh that would be on behalf of City Council signed by the Mayor to approve this resolution and it would be sent to the Planning Commission ahead of their first September meeting. [20:36] Jessica Kinser: I'll make an addition to this. We did, at the request of the solar developer, meet with him um to talk through his concerns. And I don't feel like there was anything satisfactory that came about that says that the zoning district, which is very specific to Faribault's borders, uh would be resolved through a code change of some sort. And so, but we did listen. Um, we had an hour and a half meeting there. And I think the one thing that really sticks out to me is, you know, this is a zoning classification that's not meant for an action to happen tomorrow. This is something that's meant towards the long-term planning of not only the Faribault community, but the county. As Faribault grows, so does the county. And so that's really where our—you know, his point is that there's nothing happening there now, so this should be okay. But we're really looking at planning and zoning efforts being things that are meant to come in with 20-30 year plans. So that's just really where our point of disagreement comes in with this. [22:04] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: The resolution is to approve a letter to send to the Planning Commission from me, on behalf of the council, objecting to the request that has been submitted to amend the zoning language um to allow solar panels into this Urban Reserve Industrial zoning. [22:30] Chuck Thiele: So moved. [22:32] Peter van Sluis: Second. [22:34] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Motion by Thiele, second by Van Sluis. All those in favor? [22:37] Council Members: Aye. [22:39] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Motion passes. Bids—we have none. Boards and commission reports, project updates. [22:50] Rochelle Anderholm-Parsch: A reminder that Partners for Pollinators will be at the Faribault Mill on Saturday, September 6 from 9:00 to 3:00. They're going to do that at the mill. And then they will also host tours from 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. So just two different tours. Just call first. Sounds like it's their third annual. [23:17] Mandy Barnes: Taste of Faribault is coming up September 18th. So get your tickets. [23:25] John Rowan: I'll be out of town next week. [23:42] Peter van Sluis: So moved. [23:44] Chuck Thiele: Second. [23:46] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Second by Thiele to adjourn. All those in favor signify by saying aye. [23:51] Council Members: Aye. [23:52] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: We are in—we are off to closed session. Did I give you the minutes and the recorder? [23:57] Heather Slechta: Yeah. [23:58] Mayor Thomas J. Spooner: Okay. Goodness.