This transcript has been formatted with speaker identifications based on the provided city official list and the context of the meeting. Note: As specific timestamps were not provided in the original text, sequential placeholders have been used to satisfy the requested format. *** **[00:00:00] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Good. All right. 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. Okay. Next item on agenda, approval of the regular agenda. Can I get a motion to approve the regular agenda? **[00:00:20] Council Member Ben Cornett:** I will make a motion to approve the regular agenda. **[00:00:22] Council Member Lindsay Cremona:** Second. **[00:00:24] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Lindsay making her presence known. Council member Cornett? **[00:00:26] Council Member Ben Cornett:** Aye. **[00:00:27] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Council member Rog? **[00:00:28] Council Member John Rog:** Aye. **[00:00:29] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Council member Cremona? **[00:00:30] Council Member Lindsay Cremona:** Aye. **[00:00:31] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Council member Anderson? **[00:00:32] Council Member Greg Anderson:** Aye. **[00:00:33] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Mayor Giefer, aye. Approval of consent agenda. **[00:00:35] Council Member John Rog:** So moved. **[00:00:36] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Okay. I'll second. Council member Cornett? **[00:00:38] Council Member Ben Cornett:** Aye. **[00:00:39] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Council member Rog? **[00:00:40] Council Member John Rog:** Aye. **[00:00:41] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Council member Cremona? **[00:00:42] Council Member Lindsay Cremona:** Aye. **[00:00:43] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Council member Anderson? **[00:00:44] Council Member Greg Anderson:** Aye. **[00:00:45] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Mayor Giefer, aye. Staff agenda items. First up we got city engineer Brad Reifsteck. And before we talk about the consideration of resolution number 2025-10 declaring adequacy of petition in ordering preparation of feasibility reports for the Great Oak Trail North and 66th Street North project, I would like Brad before we get started, could you please provide a high level review of our road policy for the new council members as well as any folks that may be listening or watching and kind of briefly describe the stages of our road projects. **[00:01:20] Brad Reifsteck (City Engineer):** Sure. Thank you. Good evening, mayor, members of the council. Um our road policy uh follows Minnesota State Statute 429. Um there are some slight modifications that we've made in our um policy. Um but they're mainly um onefold I guess is is that we would require 50% of uh people petitioning a roadway project uh before uh we would order the petition. Um, the way this really gets started is each year, um, I think earlier this year we put together our payment management plan and each year I send out a letter to all those residents living on those streets um, inviting them to a neighborhood meeting, a virtual neighborhood meeting, and I go through uh, at that meeting uh, the maintenance dollars that are available for their streets. I go through our road policy. Um, I go through some costs uh that that they could expect for a road improvement. Uh, and those types of things. And one thing I do share with them is this step-by-step um diagram that I have. And let me see if I can't I can't share it. Uh, let's see. **[00:02:15] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Brad, I did give you the heads up about this. **[00:02:18] Brad Reifsteck (City Engineer):** So, no, you didn't. Can everybody see my screen there? **[00:02:21] Council Members:** No. No. **[00:02:23] Brad Reifsteck (City Engineer):** How about now? **[00:02:24] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Yeah. Yes. **[00:02:25] Brad Reifsteck (City Engineer):** Perfect. So, this this is a step-by-step diagram that illustrates the city's road policy. Um, the steps that are highlighted in yellow are really governed by that Minnesota state statute. Um, the step one is obviously getting the petition from the residents. Um, tonight out of that neighborhood meeting, that virtual neighborhood meeting that I had earlier, we had residents uh on 66th Street. uh actually um wanted to move forward with a roadway petition, but they wanted to learn more. So then I had a second neighborhood meeting with just those residents uh in that neighborhood, and out of that meeting uh they put together the petition for the roadway improvements. Uh Great Oaks was a curious resident that had sent an email to the clerk wondering what it would uh take to get a a substantial roadway improvement project. Kim forwarded that email to me. I got in contact with that resident. Um that resident and I worked on a a a time and a place for the meeting and and we invited the neighborhood to that meeting. So it really starts with the neighborhood meetings. People really want to try to understand what the the the process of the the roadway uh policy is and so I try to go out and meet with them folks um to give them more detail. **[00:03:45] Brad Reifsteck (City Engineer):** So again, tonight we received the petitions from two neighborhoods uh and we're uh at step two where we're um potentially this the council would accept the the petition and would order the feasibility report. Uh in that feasibility report, um we would do a survey of the street so that we have a detailed map of of the area so that we can put together good quantities. Uh we would do some roadway cores um so that we know the depth of the existing bituminous and the underlying uh gravel. uh we prepare the report um which would include a mock assessment which is really what people are interested in uh understanding the costs of the project um and and we put together a mock assessment based on how many buildable units are within that that project area. So that's part of the feasibility report. We bring the feasibility report back to council. uh the council can accept uh the feasibility report typically um if we have still again the majority of the residents interested. **[00:04:30] Brad Reifsteck (City Engineer):** One thing I do do is I take once I get the draft feasibility report completed, I'll host another meeting a neighborhood meeting with the residents. I'll go through the findings of the report with them and and really again they're more interested in what what the costs are and what those assessments are for their property and I'll get a gauge of how they feel about whether or not they want to move forward with it. Um, sometimes we've we've uh done a report and I I'll take the draft report to them and you know they find out the cost is more than they expected and I bring back those findings to the council and the council will accept the the report but they won't move into the public hearing. So, um once we get through the feasibility report, we go into step three, which is really just the uh the public hearing. Um again we would in uh not formally invite the residents but we would encourage the residents to attend that meeting. Um again it's just for the council to get their feedback uh and to understand whether the residents are in favor of the project or not. And again we would uh the council uh would prefer that there would be more than 50% of the residents still in favor of the project before they would uh move forward. **[00:05:40] Brad Reifsteck (City Engineer):** Um after you know if everything goes well there after step three uh the council would order the improvements uh they would order the plans and specs to be prepared by the city engineer. Uh the city engineer would prepare the plans, and specs uh and then we would go off for a competitive bid um with our plans to get uh hopefully three or four good competitive bids that we can um take a look at. And typically the the the bids uh the the council would accept are the lowest responsive bidder. Um, and once we get the bids back, we can really dial in what the actual costs of the project will will be, including all the engineering costs. Uh there might be some administrative costs. There might be some legal costs uh and potentially even some finance costs if the project is larger than something the city would not want to use their reserve funds for and would have to to go out and bond for a project. **[00:06:20] Brad Reifsteck (City Engineer):** Um and once this process is done, if everything is, you know, if the residents are still in favor, uh we would have that assessment hearing um before we would even award a a contract uh to a construction uh contractor. Uh and this is twofold, right? We want to really find out if if the residents uh are interested in the project. uh if we have more than 50% of the people contesting their assessments, we probably would not uh move forward with the project. Uh if if you know, if we don't have uh probably more than one or two people contesting the assessments, we most likely would move on. Uh and the council would award the project. Uh we would um set the assessment amount and we would have the assessment hearing. And so once we get through that whole process um then we just move on to construction. The uh council would award uh a construction contract and we would move into construction and typically the construction typically on roads out in Grant it takes more than it doesn't take more than two or three weeks to complete. So uh and then the final step after all of that we would certify the assessments to the county typically in early November. Um, so that's the quick and dirty of of how we do things in Grant. And again, it it really follows Minnesota State Statute 429. Uh, we're really uh, you know, governed to that that law. So, um, I don't know if anybody has any questions on that before I move into the the short memo that I have. **[00:07:30] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Lindsay, you good? **[00:07:31] Council Member Lindsay Cremona:** I'm good. Thank you for asking. **[00:07:33] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Uh, and Brad, um, I don't think I've ever seen that document, that diagram. That's kind of helpful. Um, is that something that Kim you could just throw up on the roads um, part of the website? **[00:07:42] Kristina Handt (City Administrator):** Mr. Mayor it has been on the website newsletters. **[00:07:44] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Okay. Well, I guess she called me out for not paying attention to the website. Okay. Okay. All right. Thank you, Brad. Um, okay. Yeah, go for it. Give us a lowdown and— **[00:07:55] Brad Reifsteck (City Engineer):** Yeah so again tonight mayor members of the council I'm looking for a motion to approve resolution 2025-10 which is declaring the adequacy of the petitions and ordering the preparation of the feasibility report um again you know we've received petitions from two neighborhoods uh the Great Oaks Trail North neighborhood uh we've received a petition with 100% of the residents living on that roadway uh signing the petition. And then on 66th Street North, uh we've received nine out of 10 residents uh living along that roadway segment signing the petition. So, um with that said, I guess uh again, I would be happy to answer any questions that council or the mayor would have. **[00:08:40] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Looks like we're good. So in a motion— **[00:08:42] Council Member Ben Cornett:** I make a motion in here to approve resolution number 2025-10. **[00:08:45] Council Member Lindsay Cremona:** I'll second. **[00:08:46] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** I don't know—sorry Lindsay I believe Council... Lindsay you got another shot here. So Council member Cornett? **[00:08:52] Council Member Ben Cornett:** Aye. **[00:08:53] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Council member Rog? **[00:08:54] Council Member John Rog:** Aye. **[00:08:55] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Council member Cremona? **[00:08:56] Council Member Lindsay Cremona:** Aye. **[00:08:57] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Council member Anderson? **[00:08:58] Council Member Greg Anderson:** Aye. **[00:08:59] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Mayor Giefer, aye. City Planner Jennifer Swanson, we do not have any action items for her. Um, nor do we have for city attorney Nick Vivian. So that brings us to new business scheduling of the 2026 budget work session. Kim, I'm assuming you're going to want to throw out some times that might work. **[00:09:20] Kristina Handt (City Administrator):** Mayor and council members, typically we do this, we start it in August prior to the regular council meeting, which is exactly what I'm suggesting. If in fact we need to have another one, we do it an hour before the September. But uh because summer is so busy, I just wanted everyone to get it on their calendars. So an hour before then. Okay. **[00:09:38] Council Member Lindsay Cremona:** Will that work for—I'll be remote. **[00:09:40] Kristina Handt (City Administrator):** You'll be remote. **[00:09:41] Council Member Lindsay Cremona:** Remote. Okay. That's August 5th, right? **[00:09:43] Kristina Handt (City Administrator):** Yes. **[00:09:44] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Okay. Yeah, that works for me. 5:30 August 5th. Greg, you good? He's playing Candy Crush, but that's fine. **[00:09:50] Council Member Greg Anderson:** Yeah. August 5th. **[00:09:51] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** So, be 5:30 then. **[00:09:52] Kristina Handt (City Administrator):** Yep. 5:30. **[00:09:53] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Unfinished business. We have none. **[00:09:55] Kristina Handt (City Administrator):** Mr. Mayor, council members, can we just go ahead and get a motion? **[00:09:58] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Oh, a motion. We need a motion because it's your policy. It's an agenda. Yep. Okay. **[00:10:02] Council Member Greg Anderson:** We'll make a motion for 5:30 August 5th for the uh budget work session. **[00:10:06] Council Member Ben Cornett:** I will move that we can have the budget meeting on August 5th, 5:30. **[00:10:08] Council Member John Rog:** I'll second. **[00:10:09] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Thank you. Council member Cornett? **[00:10:10] Council Member Ben Cornett:** Aye. **[00:10:11] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Council member Rog? **[00:10:12] Council Member John Rog:** Aye. **[00:10:13] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Council member Cremona? **[00:10:14] Council Member Lindsay Cremona:** Aye. **[00:10:15] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Council member Anderson? **[00:10:16] Council Member Greg Anderson:** Aye. **[00:10:17] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Mayor Giefer, aye. Now we can say there's no unfinished business. Um discussion items. Number eight. Any staff updates? Anything from you? Staff updates. Um, city council reports, future agenda items. Nothing. Lindsay, you could just take this opportunity to share where you are if you want. There's no pressure. **[00:10:40] Council Member Lindsay Cremona:** I'm in Iowa City. I'm taking a writer's workshop for three weeks and so I moved here at the beginning of May and I go back this Friday. **[00:10:48] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Well, I hope you're enjoying your time in in Iowa City. It's a beautiful campus there. I I remember seeing that. Um Okay. Any other um I do have a couple updates to share. I kind of saved some of them for a short meeting. So, um, in the spirit of keeping everyone updated on some things that they otherwise might not hear about, um, in February, I attended a Washington County emergency management disaster, uh, emergency training for elected officials. And a key recommendation of that training was establish a backup communication plan for scenarios with disrupted cell service, which hopefully we'll never have, but want to be prepared. **[00:11:30] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Consequently, we partnered with the Washington County Emergency Management Team to acquire three free radios. They're ARMER radios—stands for Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response. And we received uh some training on that. So Kim, Ken, and I will each have a radio for emergency communication with each other and incident response officials when cell service is unavailable should we um have to respond to an emergency. Um another thing that I've been hearing a lot about um from different residents is uh—and Deputy Starry probably can echo this too—is concerns about excessive speeding on our public roads. Um, so to address this, we um notify our Washington County deputy about problem areas and and they uh do targeted patrolling or whatever other interventions um to to combat the speeding, but it's it's a a problem that's prevalent throughout Grant and Grant is not unique as you know speed is is concerned with most communities. **[00:12:20] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** So, kind of related to that, I did receive some kind of oddball complaints about um speeding school buses and and um I actually personally witnessed a speeding school bus last September. I almost got ran off the um the road from a speeding school bus and it seems the problem is when they're um empty and they're coming to or from the garage, they they kind of take uh some liberty with their speed um near the high school specifically. Recently, we got feedback on that. So, um I uh followed up with the Mahtomedi school district superintendent who then um contacted the bus company and they had a talk with all the drivers and the the drivers in the um areas of concern. They um monitored the GPS. All the buses, I didn't know this, all the buses have GPS um in them and so and they and they were they were um traveling traveling quite fast, but uh since the they've been—the problem has been addressed by the um the school bus management, they've um the concerns have dropped off. So, that was good to hear. **[00:13:10] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** And then um also many many of you might know that um last September Washington County kicked off what they call the Highway 96 corridor study. Um and that was basically an opportunity for the kickoff was to um provide an opportunity for residents to give feedback on potential improvements that they were um proposing. And so, um I continue to be engaged with the the senior planner of that project as we get um concerns from residents. I kind of, you know, funnel it to the um the senior planner there. And the couple uh uh recent calls were regarding the intersection of Gateway Trail 96. That seems to be um an area that you know has some concerns with the bicyclists crossing and not stopping or looking and um potentially causing dangerous conditions there. So that's all the updates I have. Um any other things? So all right, who would like to do the community calendar? **[00:14:15] Council Member Ben Cornett:** Oh, I think Lindsay should do it then. **[00:14:17] Council Member Lindsay Cremona:** I can I can read. All right. Mahtomedi public school board meeting Thursday, June 12th and June 26th. Mahtomedi District Education Center 7 p.m. Stillwater Public School Board Meeting Thursday, June 12th, Stillwater City Hall, 7:00 p.m. Washington County Commissioners Meeting, Tuesdays Government Center, 9:00 a.m. I would like to make a motion to adjourn this meeting. **[00:14:45] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Nice segue. Right. Bam. **[00:14:46] Council Member Ben Cornett:** Second. **[00:14:47] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Council member Cornett? **[00:14:48] Council Member Ben Cornett:** Aye. **[00:14:49] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Council member Rog? **[00:14:50] Council Member John Rog:** Aye. **[00:14:51] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Council member Cremona? **[00:14:52] Council Member Lindsay Cremona:** Aye. **[00:14:53] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Council member Anderson? **[00:14:54] Council Member Greg Anderson:** Aye. **[00:14:55] Mayor Jeff Giefer:** Mayor Giefer, aye. Adjourned. Thanks guys.