Good evening and welcome to this Prayer Lake City Council meeting of Tuesday, January 9th, 2024. If you would please all stand, join me in the pledge of allegiance. 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. Well, happy new year to all and it's wonderful to see so many in the council chambers this evening. Uh it also is a special day. This is law enforcement uh appreciation day across uh the country. So, a great opportunity for us to recognize and acknowledge our law enforcement professionals. First item on our agenda this evening is the public forum. public forum is that opportunity for anyone that's in the council chambers that would like to come before us to address something that is uh not been taken up under a hearing something that you would like us to know about as a council. So uh manager have we had anyone sign no one. Beautiful. Uh anyone uh that not signed um that would like to come before us? Seeing none, let's go ahead and move along to item three on our agenda which is the approval of the agenda itself. Council, I would entertain a motion to approve the agenda as submitted. So move Birkart. Second. Motion by council member Birkart, a second by council member Churchill to approve the agenda as submitted. All those in favor say I. I. I. And that motion carries. Bringing us to item four. That is the approval of the meeting minutes December 4, 2023. Council, any additions, modifications? If none would entertain a motion to approve as submitted. Uh I move to approve the minutes from December 4th council meeting. I second. We have a motion by council member Churchill and a second by council member Lake to approve as submitted. All those in favor say I. I. I. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. That motion carries, bringing us to the consent agenda this evening. I'll go ahead and hand that over to city manager to both introduce the consent agenda as well as those items before us this evening. Manager Wedell. Thank you, Mayor and counselors and members of the audience. So, our consent agenda this evening is for those items that are considered routine or non-controversial. They're placed all together on the consent agenda. Uh so unless uh the mayor or counselor asks for an item to be removed for separate consideration, they're all approved together under a single motion, a second, and a vote. Uh if an item were asked to be removed for separate consideration, it would be placed under item 10 on tonight's agenda. So tonight, we have the following items on our consent agenda. Approval of the claims listing. A resolution receiving plans and specification authorizing advertisement for bids and authorizing a cooperative construction agreement with Mandot for the Fish Point Road phase 3 project. City project 2023-03. Resolution receiving quotes and awarding the contract for the 2023 2024 pond maintenance project. City project number 2023-18. Approval of amendment to the city manager employment agreement. Resolution approving a work order for professional engineering services for the interimm assistant city engineer. Resolution approving a work order for general engineering services. Resolution electing the nonwaver of statutory municipal tort liability limits and declining excess liability insurance coverage. Approval of the building permit summary report for the month of November 2023. Approval of the annual city council appointments. Resolution delegating authority to pay claims and make electronic fund transfers. Ordinance amending city code 302 for peddlers definition section. Resolution approving a temporary liquor license for the prior lake association on February 3rd, 2024. And finally, approval of the November 2023 treasures report. Thank you so much, manager Wedell. Councelor, are there any items before us on the consent agenda that you would ask be removed and taken up under item 10? Uh, seeing none, I would entertain a motion to approve as submitted. So moved. Second. Motion by council member Brad uh to approve the consent agenda as submitted. Second by council member Churchill. All those in favor say I. I. I. That motion carries. Council for the consent agenda items that we just approved. Are there any for which you would like to make comments? Again, seeing none, that brings us to item 6A on the agenda. Um, manager Wedell, does are you going to kick us off or do we uh just go and I will kick it off and then I will hand this to you. Wonderful. Wonderful. Um, so this next item on the agenda is the reason why many of you are you are here this evening and this is for our special proclamation to declare uh Dave Chromy Day in the city of Pri Lake for January 20th of this year. So I'm you know mayor and and Mr. Cromy, if you would join the mayor over at the the side lectern. So Dave Cromy has served the city of Prior Lake in a wide variety of roles for many years. This includes managing our local grocery stores back from Rodamacher's Red Owl to Super Value to County Market, Village Market, and then finally London Berley's. During the same time, he's also served on our Prior Lake Fire Department, including several years as the chief. He has served on the city's economic development advisory committee as well on the economic development authority including four years as president of the EDA. Prior Lake would not be what it is today without the many contributions of Dave Cromy. Dave is retiring this month and in recognition of this momentous occasion um we'll be proclaiming uh January 20 20th 2024 as Dave Chromy Day in the city of Prior Lake. And I'll turn it over to the mayor to present the proclamation. Wonderful Jason. Thank you so much for the introduction and also for uh for those viewing via video. Yes, there is a lot of color that you see here in um both up on the deis as well as uh um uh as Mr. Chromy has been um always brightening up everyone's day uh with the color that he brings to all that he does. So, it's my pleasure to introduce this proclamation that we'll be declaring officially Saturday, January 20th, 2024 as Dave Crommy Day in Prior Lake. Whereas Dave served on the Prior Lake Fire Department from 1988 to 2002 and held positions of firefighter, EMS rescue captain, fire captain, and as fire chief from 1996 to 1999. And whereas Dave served on the Prair Lake Economic Development Advisory Committee from April 17, 2006 to October 31st, 2008. And whereas Dave served on the Prair Lake Economic Development Authority, the EDA, from April 16, 2012 to December 31st, 2021, including serving as the president from 2017 to 2021. In that capacity, he guided the EDA and the city through multiple policy and regulation amendments for us to become an even more businessfriendly community. And whereas Dave's leadership was invaluable to the city during his tenure as president of the EDA, ensuring the Highway 13, County Road 21 and Main Street reconstruction project resulted in a beautiful route to downtown Prairie Lake, helping minimize resident and business disruption, advancing programs to support our businesses through the pandemic, and creating new initiatives to attract customers downtown, including the inaugural Chuckfest event. And whereas, and this is the end, for more than 50 years in the grocery industry, the past 44 of them in Prior Lake, Dave is considered by many in the community and his current employer as the unofficial mayor of Prior Lake. Dave served our community as store manager for Rodamacher's Red Owl from 1986 to 1989. Then transition to store manager for Superv Value from 1989 to 1993. Then transitioned to store manager for the new Prair Lake County Market from 1993 to 2000. He then opened the Village Market in 2004 and operated that until 2013 when it was sold to Luns Buyerly. and he continued on as general manager from 2013 until what will be his last day there January 19th 2024 as he is scheduled to retire now therefore I Kurt Briggs mayor of the city of Prair Lake Minnesota do hereby declare Saturday January 20th 2024 as Dave Cromy day in Prior Lake and further with gratitude for a job well done wish Dave all the best as as he proceeds to enjoy this next phase of life in the company of family and the closest of friends. Um council, if there are any words that you too might like to share, I want to go ahead and invite those. But if you would at this juncture, join me in uh welcoming Dave. And of course, we're going to allow you to speak as well, Mr. Cromy, uh with a round of applause. So, council, any any comments that you might like to make? Um, councelor Brain. Um, Dave, this is a fun day for us. Um, we know how humble you are. Um, and I and I will say that um over my time, I've enjoyed um serving with you on the EDA, getting to know you and uh becoming your friend. Um, you're one of the best that this community has to offer. there is no doubt in your contributions to the city of Prior Lake and our uh great city will will go on in perpetuity. So, thank you for all that you've done and that you do for our great community. Thank you, Council Member Burker. Dave, I I think so highly of you and thank you so much for everything that you do for our community. We need we need more of you. Uh and uh boy, I Redmarker's Red owl. I remember going to that when I was a teenager a lot. a long time ago and uh I didn't know you then. I wish that I would have but I was very fortunate later in life to be able to work with you in my capacity with the city here and get to know you and uh just uh always appreciated your smile and collegiality and uh what a good person you are. So congratulations on your retirement and look forward to connecting with you in the future and seeing where things go. Take care, Council Lake. Although not uh knowing Dave uh personally, uh I really appreciate the smile every time I walk into London Berley's and uh just thank you for everything you've done for the city. Council member Churchill. So I just have to say I was um sharing with Jason um last week that every time I see you, Mr. Cromy, you remind me of um Christopher Reeves. And it's because you're both Supermen. I think that's the reason. Um Dave, before I turn the microphone over to you, um again, uh your presence, uh stable, the kind of the keel, uh to what was our EDA ship when I was elected mayor, um something that we did as a city that had never been done before is we turned the gavl of the EDA over to some person at the time that was not elected. Um and um that was because of the respect and uh the admiration that this community had for you and um just want to let you know that your time serving with the gavl um has forever moved us in a very positive direction. Personally can't thank you enough. And with that your words and then we will call it recess for photos. The words probably have to be short because the voice won't last very long tonight. Kurt, thank you for recommending I wear a green shirt tonight because anything else would clash with my red face, I'm sure. Um, thank you for all the kind words and everything. Um, I I have to thank my mom. She's probably the one that instilled my work ethic in me. She's a very kind person, a very gentle person, very patient, and uh I I know I'm not near the level she is, but it was always one of my goals to to be as patient, as kind and good to people as my mom was. So, thank you, mom, for instilling that in me. Um, with this busy life comes a lot of sacrifices, too. And then that happened with those people with those funny blue shirts on. Um there was a lot of sacrifices by the family too for the fire department and meetings and things like that too and and and they're they're just as part of this as I am. Um it takes a team effort and there's a lot of people in the community that were involved in a lot of the things that were said in here too, including members up here. Um, but it it's it's more than just me, but it it was great to be part of it. Um, it's been a good ride. Um, January 19th, um, will will be a bittersweet day. It'll it'll be a kind of a tough day to walk out of that store. I know it's going to be a surreal feeling. Um, but I guess this makes it official that January 20th we will celebrate. Thank you very much. Thank you. The council will stand in recess at 7:14. Let us call the U meeting of the PL city council back to order at 7:20 p.m. That brings us to item 7A, which is the public hearing to approve an offsale liquor license to MGM Wine and Spirits. And for that, I will turn it over to manager Jason Wedell. Uh, thank you, mayor, and counselors and members of the audience. So, uh, the item before you this evening is the, um, resolution to approve an offsale liquor license to MGM Holdings, doing business as, uh, Wine and Spirits operating under new ownership. So, MGM Holdings LLC um, opened at their current location at 14173 Commerce Avenue in October of 2008 under a corporate ownership. In 2010, the corporation allowed franchise owners to operate the store. Um and they had been operating there basically until now. Um MGM Holdings, the corporate office is now seeking reownership of the retail facility at that location which requires them to obtain a new offsale liquor license. All property taxes and monies owed to the city for that property are current and there does not appear to be any other reason um set forth under state statute or in prior Lake City code that would preclude them from u being issued a license. It has always been the city's practice to hold a public hearing for an initial license issuance um but not for renewals. because this is going back to the corporate office. Um this did trigger um the need for a public hearing this evening. So that really is it. So if there are any questions for me, I'm happy to answer them. Um otherwise, we'd ask the city council to um open the public hearing. Council, any questions for manager on this item? Um seeing none, I would go ahead and entertain a motion to open the public hearing. So moved. Burkard seconds. We have a motion to approve the or open the public hearing at 7:22 p.m. All those in favor say I. I. I. And that motion carries. The hearing is now open at 7:22. I can see that we have Mr. Mike Maggalich um who has been signed up to be heard u on this item this evening. Mr. Maggal, we look forward to your comments. And the base of the microphone, you'll see what I think is a red light. And if you touch it, it will turn green allowing others to hear you. And we look forward to your comments. Uh good evening. I'm Mike Magglitch, uh one of the principles of MGM. Um thank you for giving me this opportunity to come here this evening and and speak with you. As you know that we're here uh for this liquor license and uh would appreciate your support um in approving this license. We recognize that it's a privilege uh to be awarded a offsale liquor license and any city that we operate in and c certainly here in Prior Lake. Um often people don't recognize that that it is a privilege to have a license. Um and particularly a liquor license. We're we're very excited about getting back into that store and um there's been a lot of work that's necessary for us to do in there and it was a blessing in disguise that we didn't try and do a little bit faster. Um there's a significant amount of uh and a substantial amount of investment that we have to make into the store uh regarding new shelving, more shelving. Uh the cooler needed some significant repairs, some new lighting on the obviously the outside of the building. The lighting is in disrepair. We have that being all repaired and upgraded. Um so it's just a little bit bigger task than we anticipated. Our biggest concern has been the employees. Um we've hired one of the employees that was a full-time employee there and we've kept them on staff in our other stores. Uh we're interviewing all of the former employees and we'd like to hire them all back and at least any of them that want to come and work for us. Um it was unfortunate that they weren't able to work throughout the holiday season and um there seems to be some problem with their last paycheck. So we're going to take care of that and and u and help them through that. Um, I want to apologize to the city here and uh, Mayor Briggs and to the community for us not being able to be open during the holidays when their expectations are that that's where they want to go and shop. We have a lot of loyal customers here in city of Prior Lake. We've been here, as you all know, uh, since 2008. So, we celebrated our 15th year Um, I know that's a tough act to follow for Mr. Comry here, but uh, we've been in business for the last 50 years, 50 over 50 years, 53 years now. And, you know, this store is one of our crown jewels, so it's hard to see it closed. We're going to, as I said, mention, as I mentioned earlier, we're going to put significant investment in there. um expanding the selection of all of our products, some new shelving, and um a whole new look to the store. It's hard. It's just hard to see it closed, and we apologize for that. We'll get it open as soon as we can, and it'll be uh significantly different. So, without keeping you here any longer than you have to be, um, I can answer any questions you might have regarding the store or, you know, our intentions or anything about MGM. Be happy to answer those. I do want to say one thing before I leave and I want to thank the administration and the staff here for their professionalism and their efficiency and their support while we were working through this complex transition. Um it's refreshing to have that young lady sitting at over there did a remarkable job. Mr. Thank you. Um it's just nice to have that that kind of support and I think it's a testament to the leadership of you folks up here and it pretty much shows that you support small businesses because that's what we are. We're just a small business. I know it seems like we're bigger, but um as we franchise, we like to have small businessmen come in and operate our stores when that's available. We, you know, we're a franchise company, but we also have corporate stores. So, with that, there's any questions. Council, seeing none, I want to thank you so much uh for your testimony this evening. I'll go ahead and see if there's anyone else that would like to speak this evening. Seeing none, council, I would entertain a motion to close the public hearing. So moved. Second. Second. We have a motion by Council Member Braden, a second by Council Member Lake. Uh all those in favor say I. I. The hearing is closed at 7:28 p.m. Uh, council, is there any discussion this evening? Uh, Council Member Burker, please. Yeah. Uh, thank you for the presentation, gentlemen. Just so that members of our community understand, this is not an additional liquor license for our community. It is uh u new ownership and new management for this store. And I'd like to express my gratitude uh towards uh the the folks that are here this evening for your investment in our community. It's sizable. Uh we've heard the numbers and uh significant and uh it's a it's a prominent retail location at the entrance to our city on the north side. And uh MGM, our our community has had connection to MGM for a long time. uh the Miller family who had four MGM units. Uh they were here lived on Greenwood Bay in the 70s, 80s, 90s. Uh their son lived on Candy Cove uh for a long time and um so it's uh MGM's been a prominent brand here for a long time. So thank you so much and we wish you the best as you move forward. You have my support uh for this this uh liquor license council. I also uh I want to thank uh MGM, Mr. Maggalish in particular, who he and I had the opportunity of meeting on a telephone conversation um approximately a month ago. Um and uh I will say um um what he shared in terms of assurance and commitment to the city. uh we council uh were able to see it also this evening and uh he did share with me um not only um how pleased he was as I see Miss Simon there um with how um he was accorded the highest level of professional exchange um and how um city staff wanted to do all that they could and felt somewhat regretted that it was going to require a hearing But um again, I add my gratitude to that of Council Member Burkart for the investment, the commitment in our community. Um and I will be supporting this uh this action this evening. With that, Council Member Bright. Uh with that, I would entertain right the motion. I'll make a motion to approve of the resolution issuing an off sale liquor license for MGM wine and spirits for the period of January 10th, 2024, June 30th, 2024. Burkart seconds. We have a motion by council member Braden, a second by councelor Burkheart. Um, all those in favor say I. I. I. And that motion carries. Welcome back. Um um with that council that brings us to our council member leaison updates. If I can look to council member Victor Lake, Mr. Lake, mayor counselors on um December, it's been a long time, hasn't it? Uh December 8th I attended the scale general meeting and on January 3rd I attended the legislative committee uh meeting uh was also part of scale. On January 4th I had my agenda review and on January 5th I attended the executive um scale um meeting. Thank you so much Mr. Lake, Councelor Lake, Council Member Churchill, please. I attended the uh scale general meeting on December 8th and I had my agenda review on January 4th and I think that's it. Wonderful. Council member Burkart, mayor, members of the council, on December 11th I Suburban Transit Association board meeting on December 13th, the MVTA uh board meeting. on December 20th, an orderly annexation agreement meeting. On January 4th, at my agenda review on January 5th, attended the ribbon cutting at Scooters Coffee on Highway 13 in Franklin Trail uh with the mayor and our director of development, Casey McCabe, um on January 8th at a Suburban Transit Association board meeting and uh also January at the orderly annexation meeting. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Burker. Council member Brad, mayor, members of the council, uh the December 11th EDA meeting was cancelled. The uh attended a meeting on December 20th for annexation. Also had a call on December 21st for uh liaison appointments. On January 4th, attended my agenda review and on January 8th, attended an annexation meeting. And that concludes my report. Thank you, Council Member Braid. um from my report uh December 8th of scale general meeting. December 11th had the opportunity of serving food to our seniors at the VFW with a manager widow. Uh on the 12th of December had a meeting with the Pra Savage area schools. Um on 13th I had a MLC pool year end gathering. on the 14th of uh December had a opportunity meeting with the chairman of the SMSC. On the 16th of December, there was a toys for tots collection opportunity at Boat House Brothers by the Ment Group. On the 19th of December, we had a quarterly meeting with um the county commissioners and with the administrator. Uh, as council member Burkhart said, we had a scooters ribbon cutting here on the 5th of January and had a regional council of mayors meeting on the 8th. And that concludes my comments. Manager Widow. Uh, mayor and counselors, I was just going to point out that earlier on the consent agenda this evening was the approval of all of your liaison assignments. Um, which is why we have this item on our agenda tonight at the end of the meeting is so that you all have the opportunity to discuss all the various other work that you all do apart from just attending city council meetings which is as you all heard is a lot of work and um as staff I just want to say thank you for all you guys do um extra evenings and weekends and meetings and um it is very much appreciated and I think the the quality quality of the work and the things that we're doing in the city are direct result of all these extra efforts. So, thank you. Thank you, manager Wedell. With that, I would move to adjourn. Second. Motion by Council Member Churchill to adjurnn, a second by Council Member Brad. All those in favor say I. I. I. And that motion carries. The meeting is adjourned at 7:35.