Here is the transcribed townhall meeting with speaker identifications based on the context provided and the dialogue within the recording. **Note on Council Members:** The transcript references **Councilor Nelson** and **Councilor Hauschild** (transcribed as "host child"). While they were not on your initial list, they are clearly identified by name by the Mayor throughout the meeting. [0:00] **[Music/Background Noise]** [0:23] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Boucher. [0:36] **[Background Noise]** [0:48] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Kevin, would you give us a just insurance synopsis of the presentations? [1:00] **Kevin Orme (Director of Finance):** So um, the financial statements um, we provided you the uh, third quarter financial statements and budget report. Um, we're doing as expected. Inflation has impacted us a little bit on the budget, but we are right on target for that. We also had a utility rate study presented that was completed by Ehlers. This was actually—they reviewed what they had done five years ago and just to make sure that we were on track. And they made recommendations for um, water, sewer, and storm water um, fund increases for planning purposes for the next five years. [1:37] **Joe Wicklund (Assistant City Administrator):** Yeah, and we just briefly discussed kind of an overview of all the actions that have been taken regarding information on the referendum, from public information meetings held here that are also available online and still available online, uh, to some of the outreach that we've done in the community. So we feel really comfortable that we've put our best foot forward in providing as much information as possible for folks making decisions about the referendum. [1:55] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Uh, next item, a public discussion. This is a time that individuals can address the councils on any item not on the agenda. We ask that you limit your time to three minutes per person. Is there anyone either in Chambers or online who wishes to address the council? If so, please state your name and address. [2:42] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Last opportunity for the general public discussion. Is there anyone that wishes to speak to the Council? If so, please state your matters. Hearing none, we'll move on to the consent agenda. The consent agenda contains the minutes approval or correction of the October 17th city council meeting and accounts payable for $599,178.75. Do we have a motion for the consent agenda? [3:15] **Councilor Nelson:** Motion to approve. [3:16] **Councilor John Geissler:** Second. [3:18] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Nelson, second by Councilor Geissler. Roll call please. Councilor Hauschild? [3:23] **Councilor Grant Hauschild:** Aye. [3:24] **Councilor Nelson:** Aye. [3:25] **Councilor John Geissler:** Aye. [3:26] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Mayor Boucher, Aye. Next we have motions: A. Appointment of James Nelson to the Park Board for a three-year term ending in 12-31-2025. Do we have a motion? [3:45] **Councilor Grant Hauschild:** So moved. [3:46] **Councilor John Geissler:** Second. [3:48] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Hauschild, second by Councilor Geissler. Um, Councilor Geissler and I interviewed three candidates for this position and decided that we felt that Mr. Nelson would be the one we would recommend moving forward with. Is there any questions or comments from Council? Is there any public comment on this? Any public comment on the motion for appointment? [4:17] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Last opportunity for public comment on item number 10, motion for appointment to the Park Board. Roll call please. Councilor Nelson? [4:23] **Councilor Nelson:** Aye. [4:24] **Councilor Grant Hauschild:** Aye. [4:25] **Councilor John Geissler:** Aye. [4:26] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Mayor Boucher, Aye. We have no ordinances this evening. Resolutions: Resolution number 2022-123, resolution approving St. Louis County's SAP-069-030-059 CP-0048 County State Aid Highway number 48, Levick Road from Morris Thomas Road to Trunk Highway 53 within the City of Hermantown corporate limits. Do we have a motion? [4:55] **Councilor John Geissler:** I’ll motion to approve. [4:56] **Councilor Nelson:** Second. [4:57] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Geissler, second by Councilor Nelson. Mr. Mulder? [5:04] **John Mulder (City Administrator):** So this is a county project and because they're using County State Aid funds, they need municipal consent. And they'll be doing a chip seal um, on this stretch of road from uh, Morris Thomas, which is 53, on the lake. [5:26] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? [5:35] **Councilor John Geissler:** I think any road maintenance that we can get is good. [5:45] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Um, do we have any public input on this matter? If so, please state your name and address for the record. Is there any public input on resolution 2022-123? [5:51] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Last opportunity for public input on the resolution approving a St. Louis County's chip seal of the Levick Road from Morris Thomas Road to Trunk Highway 53. Roll call please. Councilor Hauschild? [6:15] **Councilor Grant Hauschild:** Aye. [6:16] **Councilor John Geissler:** Aye. [6:17] **Councilor Nelson:** Aye. [6:18] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Mayor Boucher, Aye. Resolution 2022-124, resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute and deliver a cooperative agreement between St. Louis County and the City of Hermantown for 2023 crack sealing CP-00401121 Rose Road. Do we have a motion? [6:39] **Councilor Grant Hauschild:** Motion by Councilor Hauschild. [6:40] **Councilor Nelson:** Second. [6:42] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Second by Councilor Nelson. Mr. Mulder? [6:45] **John Mulder (City Administrator):** So um, similar to uh the previous one, the county will be doing some uh, crack sealing on Rose Road outside of the city limits. But because um, Rose Road is a city road from Solway to Midway, um we're going to have an agreement with them that they'll um, go up for bid um for that stretch, a mile as well. And they'll administer the contract and then we'll pay for the—for that construction to the portion in Hermantown. [7:14] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Right, just that one mile. Any questions or comments from Council? [7:18] **Councilor John Geissler:** Just a quick question, uh Mr. Mulder. Do we—do we sign a contract with the contractor to do the work or is we just deal everything with the county? [7:24] **John Mulder (City Administrator):** It'll be a county contract. They'll let the bid and award it, and then we just pay the county to kind of... a pass-through. [7:34] **Councilor John Geissler:** Okay, so not much on our end to do. [7:35] **John Mulder (City Administrator):** Right. [7:38] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Anything else from Council? Is there any public input on this resolution? Is there any public input on resolution 2022-124? [8:01] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** One last opportunity for public input on the resolution authorizing the cooperative agreement with St. Louis County for crack sealing of the Rose Road. Roll call please. Councilor Geissler? [8:13] **Councilor John Geissler:** Aye. [8:14] **Councilor Nelson:** Aye. [8:15] **Councilor Grant Hauschild:** Aye. [8:16] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Mayor Boucher, Aye. Resolution 2022-125, resolution approving final plans and specifications and ordering advertisement for bids for Road Improvement District number 534, Ugstad Road. Do we have a motion? [8:38] **Councilor John Geissler:** Motion to approve. [8:39] **Councilor Grant Hauschild:** Second. [8:40] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Geissler, second by Councilor Hauschild. Mr. Mulder? [8:45] **John Mulder (City Administrator):** The one more road improvement project on the agenda tonight. This one is a city project and we'll be redoing Ugstad Road from Maple Grove to Highway 53 and a small section of Arrowhead Road at the near the schools. This is a project that we originally scheduled for 2022, but we needed the state to approve the final plans. They did that late this fall and so now we want to put out this for bid now so that we can let that contract out as soon as we can in 2023. [9:16] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? [9:20] **Councilor John Geissler:** Just happy to see it being done. I think it's going to be a great uh, with the Wellness Center and everything there, it's going to be a big improvement. [9:30] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Mr. Mulder, originally this was scheduled to be done in both 2023 and 2020 or 2022 and 2023 over two years? [9:38] **John Mulder (City Administrator):** Well, originally we had planned to do it all in 2022, um and then at one point in time we were hoping to do part of it in 2022 and part in '23, and state that around the school year. But we're going to get it all done in 2023 now. [9:55] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Any other questions or comments from Council? Is there any public input on resolution 2022-125? [10:10] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Is there any public input on this resolution? If so, state your name and address for the record. Is there any public input on the resolution ordering up uh, ordering advertisement for bids on the Ugstad Road improvement? Hearing none, roll call please. Councilor Nelson? [10:37] **Councilor Nelson:** Aye. [10:38] **Councilor Grant Hauschild:** Aye. [10:39] **Councilor John Geissler:** Aye. [10:40] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Mayor Boucher, Aye. Resolution 2022-126, resolution directing preparation of assessment roll for delinquent water and sewer use, hookup permit and availability charges, and storm water charges and directing notice of such assessment being given. Do we have a motion? [11:00] **Councilor Grant Hauschild:** So moved. [11:01] **Councilor Nelson:** Second. [11:02] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Hauschild, second by Councilor Nelson. Mr. Mulder? [11:08] **John Mulder (City Administrator):** This is an annual resolution that we do um at this time of year when we look at all of the delinquent utilities that have not been paid. So we put those um—what the—the residents are noticed that they have a chance to come to a Utility Commission for a hearing. That hearing was on October 20th; nobody showed up. Um, so we'll um finalize this list for your final approval in two weeks before we send it to the county of the people that have not paid their utility bills. We'll simply put it as part of their tax bill. [11:43] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? Um, and I'd like to comment that normally we have a—a list as part of this motion, but the list is a work in progress and changing daily. That is the reason we don't have one at this point. Any other questions or comments from Council? Is there any public input on resolution 2022-126? [12:16] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Is there any public input on the resolution preparing assessment roll for delinquent utility charges? Is there any public input on this resolution? Hearing none, roll call please. Councilor Geissler? [12:46] **Councilor John Geissler:** Aye. [12:47] **Councilor Nelson:** Aye. [12:48] **Councilor Grant Hauschild:** Aye. [12:49] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Mayor Boucher, Aye. Resolution 2022-127, resolution awarding contract for a zero-turn mower to Malacca General Rental Center Incorporated in the amount of twenty-three thousand four hundred ninety-nine dollars. Do we have a motion? [13:08] **Councilor Nelson:** Motion to approve. [13:09] **Councilor John Geissler:** I’ll second. [13:10] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Nelson, second by Councilor Geissler. Mr. Mulder? [13:15] **John Mulder (City Administrator):** So this is for the purchase of a mower for the Public Works department that will be used primarily on—in the parks and along some of the trails. [13:25] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? Hearing none, is there any public input on this resolution? Is there any public input on the resolution awarding a contract to purchase a zero-turn mower? Is there any public input on resolution 2022-127? Roll call please. Councilor Hauschild? [13:54] **Councilor Grant Hauschild:** Aye. [13:55] **Councilor John Geissler:** Aye. [13:56] **Councilor Nelson:** Aye. [13:57] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Mayor Boucher, Aye. And one last bit of business, a motion to recess. [14:05] **Councilor Grant Hauschild:** Unanimous approval, or unanimous motion. [14:12] **Councilor Nelson:** Second. [14:14] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Einstein, did I get that right? You did, you did.