This transcript has been processed to identify speakers based on the provided list of officials and staff, as well as the context of the meeting proceedings. **Speaker Identifications:** * **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Presides over the meeting. * **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Conducts roll calls. * **John Mulder (City Administrator):** Provides administrative updates and explains resolutions. * **Joe Wicklund (Assistant City Administrator):** Manages online/public attendance. * **Natalie Zeleznikar:** State Representative (Guest Speaker). * **Mark Munger:** Candidate for State House (Guest Speaker). * **Financial Advisor (Ehlers Representative):** Guest presenting the bond pre-sale report. * **Eric Johnson (Community Development Director):** Explains zoning and development items. * **John Geissler, Andy Hjelle, Brian LeBlanc, Joe Peterson:** City Councilors. *** [0:00] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** I call a meeting to order and stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. 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. Roll call please. [0:15] **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Here. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Here. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Here. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Here. **Alissa McClure:** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Here. Announcements: do any councilors have announcements this evening? [0:30] **Andy Hjelle:** No, I'd just like to say Summerfest is fastly approaching and uh, Joe's working hard on it. [0:35] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Uh, Communications: Mr. Mulder? [0:45] **John Mulder:** I have one on listed there: the independent audit report for the body-worn cameras. It is something required by law that the audit report be given to the city council. [1:00] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. And under presentations, there's nothing listed, but you had a couple of short things that you mentioned at pre-agenda. If you could summarize those for us? [1:10] **John Mulder:** Yeah, just one was on the Highway 53 Business Park, what's called the Hawkline Business Park project. We are looking at potentially applying for the DEED grant for some infrastructure, and we've had some inquiries about possible development at that site. And the second one was just kind of an overview of the type of housing and the difference between duplexes and twin homes, and just how we talk about that in City Hall can be kind of confusing. So, just a presentation. [1:30] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Um, right now is the time for public discussion. I know we have one person with us this evening that would like to speak to us. Um, if you could approach the podium and start with your name and address. [1:45] **Natalie Zeleznikar:** Is it on? I think it is. Are we on? Yeah, okay. Representative Natalie Zeleznikar. I just wanted to kind of do a brief update. I'm on the Aging Task Force and the Emergency Medical Service Task Force for the State for the Governor's appointed committee. So we're meeting continually. I was just listening to your department updates, and I think the non-emergency transportation is going to be a big issue as the initiative is to keep everyone aging at home in Greater Minnesota—well, for the entire state. And so with that being said, 70% of the ambulance runs statewide are non-emergency calls. So as you're doing your strategic planning and the grant writing, I think that's going to be a really critical thing for Hermantown and all the cities and townships to be looking at innovative ways. [2:40] **Natalie Zeleznikar:** AOA got half a million dollars for their agency there, which I'm hoping that they'll be able to possibly use some for non-emergency transportation and senior services. But coming out of that pandemic, we recognize the 40% increase of mental health, and so isolation is a really big piece regardless that there's a pandemic for people that are homebound. And so if you don't have transportation, it's a game-changer for people to stay connected in community. So I'm looking at innovative ways. When you're talking about the assisted living like the Pillars and Edgewoods in Hermantown, they all have vans and buses. When I ran facilities, the issue to use it to help other people in the community was always insurance and liability issues. But I think we're going to have to craft some barriers with insurance and liability to figure out ways to be innovative so we don't have hundreds of thousands of dollars of vehicles sitting in parking lots. Instead, we coordinate transportation, drivers, pickups, deliveries to get people out and about moving and cross-utilize spaces. [3:48] **Natalie Zeleznikar:** You see that happening like in Island Lake; they're doing crafts and meetings. Pequot is holding events. For it to do with just meals and drinks, it's community engagement in whatever building structure exists. So I'm looking at innovative ways, and so if you have anything like that, you know, please let me know. Because when we go back to session, then working on workforce grants or initiatives is what I will be doing. So the emergency disaster relief went through, and so although we don't have a lot in this area right here, there has been significant damage to people on the outskirts of Hermantown. So I'm working on things that will work together bipartisanship to try to get some things done. But basically, that's it—just getting through the things that are happening day-to-day. [4:40] **Natalie Zeleznikar:** And if you have questions... we'll have a lot of issues when we go back to session. Childcare is a continually big issue. You know, we've lost 50% of the family childcare for Hermantown, Proctor, and Two Harbors, and then we haven't grown with centers. So families are struggling, and when you have growing communities like Hermantown, if you don't have childcare, it's hard to take a job and then you lose more people in the workforce too. For those that want to work or need to work, we want to have an infrastructure. So I've been looking at the mandates. They have a lot of proposed mandates that the providers are up in arms about for both centers and families because it just straddles them. Even with more mandates, it's going to increase the cost to families, which is already a significant portion of their paycheck. So I'll be working on childcare initiatives that can lower those costs and increase providers so people have choice to find the best. So that's all I have. Thank you. [5:30] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** I have one quick question if that's all right. Um, do you find like private places like the Pillars and Edgewood, are they willing to transport people that don't live in their facilities if it wasn't for the insurance? [5:45] **Natalie Zeleznikar:** I can't answer that definitively, but I can speak just having been a nursing home administrator and an executive director in operating facilities like that. I tried to do that years back to try to provide opportunities for the community to go pick up people. When you look at activities, you have a structured place where you're having whether it's coffee time, exercise, wellness checks for blood pressure, diabetic screening, fall precautions, or even Bingo and more social things. Whatever you're doing in a location in theory could be welcomed for the public to come in, similar to the city hall or a church. [6:30] **Natalie Zeleznikar:** And so in my mind, I'm trying to look at partnerships, and I've spent time with the Pillars and at Edgewood. But those are big settings and Hermantown is a large population now. So we have the YMCA, which is great, but getting people to the places is the issue. So if you can't drive, what's the backup plan? And we're having an issue getting volunteer drivers through the nonprofit agencies or through the churches because the mileage reimbursement is so low. So I know that Congressman Stauber has been working on that to try to get that mileage reimbursement rate higher because the gas prices are higher. So people just can't afford to just—they want to, but it's a lot of windshield time in Greater Minnesota to get from point A to the doctor and back. And people that are retired want to volunteer, but they just can't take that much money out of their gas budget. So we're working on initiatives. All right, thanks. [7:30] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Yeah, thank you. Well, thank you all for your time. Have a good night. Thank you, Natalie. And continuing public discussion, is there anyone else that wishes to address the Council? If so, please step forward and state your name and address. [7:55] **Mark Munger:** All right, so I'm Mark Munger. I am actually running for Representative Zeleznikar’s seat, and I'm here to basically introduce myself—not talk politics, just give you a basic thumbnail sketch of who I am. I was a District Court judge for 23 years—20 active, three years as a senior judge. Prior to that, I was the Proctor City Attorney for 14 years. I was in private practice for 18 years. I have lived my whole life as an adult out in Fredenberg Township. My kids have all been Hermantown students, gone through Hermantown High School, all done well. My wife was on the Hermantown School Board for 15 years; my son Matt now serves on the Hermantown School Board as well. [8:30] **Mark Munger:** And I'm in this for one reason: I've looked at the landscape, I've looked at St. Paul, I've looked at what's going on, and I don't like the tone. I don't like the lack of civility. I think I, as a District Court judge, as a lawyer, and as a trained mediator, can bring some skills to the table that are lacking in our legislature. And so for those reasons, I threw my hat in the ring back in February, and I announced it here at the Wellness Center. Why? Because those public-private partnerships are something that are dear to my heart. I've watched the city of Hermantown—my wife was on the school board with Dan Urshan when they were touring around Minnesota looking for facilities to model the Wellness Center after. It didn't happen right away; the tax base and the incentives to get it done weren't there. But eventually, through the community here with a lot of volunteer effort, Essentia, the Y, and the City—all of the entities that came together to make that facility—it's a great facility. I use it, I know lots of folks in this room use it, and that's the kind of thing I want to do down in St. Paul. [9:45] **Mark Munger:** And so that's why I'm running. I'm doing these little meet-and-greets to basically tell you who I am. You can always find out more at munger4mn.com, and you can always email the campaign at that same email address. I'm willing to have dialogue with anyone about any issue. I know most of you. I've had a chance to sit down with Chief Crace, and I'm making it a point to sit down with all the law enforcement chiefs from Proctor, Hermantown, Two Harbors, and the St. Louis County Sheriff. That's what I'm doing tomorrow with Gordon Ramsey and also the Lake County Sheriff, because this district is huge. It's a big area and I want to find out from law enforcement what are their issues. [10:35] **Mark Munger:** I said this before: I think had I been at the table down in St. Paul—I know my colleague who just spoke disagrees with this—but I think if I would have been at the table talking about liaison officers (and I know the Mayor was a liaison officer), I think I could have brought some more common sense to that debate and discussion from my side of the aisle, and I think that was lacking. And so that's why I want to be there. Thank you for your time. I look forward to working with you. Take care. [11:15] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Is there any other public discussion this evening? Does anyone wish to address the Council? Mr. Wicklund, anybody online? [11:25] **Joe Wicklund:** Hearing no one else in Chambers and no one online. [11:30] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** We will move on to the Consent Agenda, which includes the minutes approval or correction of the June 17th, 2024, City Council continuation minutes and accounts payable. Approved General City warrants from June 15th through June 30th in the amount of $89,999. Do we have a motion for the Consent Agenda? [12:00] **John Geissler:** I'll move to approve. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Geissler. Is there a second? **Joe Peterson:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Second by Councilor Peterson. Roll call, since we're spending money. [12:10] **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Next, we have no ordinances. Resolutions: Resolution 2024-107, resolution approving implementation plan for placing certain management employees on the newly adopted 2024 Compensation Plan. Is there a motion? [12:45] **Andy Hjelle:** Motion to approve. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Hjelle. Is there a second? **John Geissler:** I’ll second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Second by Councilor Geissler. Mr. Mulder, on the resolution? [13:00] **John Mulder:** In the report I made, there was a typo. Step four should be step five. I should clarify that that's the case. This is the last of the employees to be put on the Compensation Plan that was adopted earlier this year. [13:15] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** That error was for the fire inspector's position? **John Mulder:** Yes, thank you. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Any questions or comments from Council? Do we need to amend the resolution to accurately reflect that? **John Mulder:** I will do that, yes. Sorry, you'll need to vote on that. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** So do we need to amend it? **John Mulder:** I'll amend it once it's certified. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Do you want the motion to amend it? **John Mulder:** Yes. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Councilor Hjelle, would you amend the motion to include that correction for the fire inspector? **Andy Hjelle:** Yes, I would. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** And Councilor Geissler, would you amend your second? **John Geissler:** Yep. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Any other questions or comments from Council? [14:10] **Brian LeBlanc:** I think I made my position fairly clear at the last meeting. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Okay. Is there any public input on this resolution? Any public input on resolution 2024-107? Any public input on the resolution placing certain management employees on the newly adopted 2024 Compensation Plan? Roll call please. [14:40] **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Nay. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Next resolution: 2024-108, resolution approving insurance coverage for the City of Hermantown with the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust. [15:15] **John Mulder:** We have an odd plan year; it starts the middle of July back to middle July again. So this is the renewal. We have some increases because of some increase in payroll and increases with taking on the fire department, and some of the reevaluation of City-owned buildings. So that represents the increased cost. [15:40] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? Any public input on this resolution? Any public input on the resolution approving insurance coverage for the City of Hermantown? Roll call please. [16:00] **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Resolution 2024-109, resolution calling for a public hearing on a proposed tax abatement and the intent to issue General Obligation bonds and approving the form of notice of public hearing. Do we have a motion? [16:30] **Andy Hjelle:** Motion to approve. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Hjelle. Is there a second? **John Geissler:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Second by Councilor Geissler. Mr. Mulder, our representative from Ehlers is here tonight if he wants to explain. Maybe you could do a combined explanation of this resolution and then the next one? [16:50] **Financial Advisor (Ehlers Representative):** Yep, thanks John. I'll do a combination and talk about the pre-sale report too. Thanks for having me again. This is the bigger "B" bond. Hey, thanks to those of you that attended the League of Minnesota Cities conference. Thanks for stepping by and saying hi at our booth; we appreciate that. It was a fun time down in Rochester. We've got a schedule on these B bonds that we're following here that will finance the expansion of the Hermantown hockey arena for the Hermantown School District. This bond issue in the packet has a pre-sale report. There's two resolutions for you to consider. It's $17.04 million out of a $24.215 million total. The difference, it looks like, is the state grant of $7.475 million. [18:00] **Financial Advisor (Ehlers Representative):** Lots going on in this bond issue, but we put it together into one 19-year bond issue with a sales tax revenue portion to help pay for it at $10.84 million (the authorized sales tax), then an equipment portion, and this tax abatement portion. That hearing on August 5th will fund the whole thing to get us up to that $24 million mark with the state bonding appropriation. We held a similar hearing the last time for your park improvement; this is the same kind of concept here. The tax abatement portion is going to finance what the sales tax won't cover as far as the building is concerned, and then we've got an equipment portion for the equipment that the sales tax doesn't cover. [19:00] **Financial Advisor (Ehlers Representative):** The hearing is also going to include what we call a TEFRA hearing because there's a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt partner here in this project—it's the Hockey Association. Because there's certain contractual obligations with those folks helping to operate it, the hearing will also include that. The feds say we have to do that when a school district or a municipality isn't operating the whole thing themselves. So we'll do a kind of "two-for-one" public hearing at that point. Again, it’s the same term as the "A" bond had on it. It’s not "bank qualified," which is fine; the non-bank qualified is still outperforming the bank qualified interest rates. Your rating was a AA last time we talked about this with Standard & Poor's, so we're seeing that is going to be a non-event as well. [20:30] **Financial Advisor (Ehlers Representative):** We got a discounted price because this bond issue is coming up so quick after the "A" bond. The method of sale is going to be the same: we're going to package this up and sell it in the public market like we did before. We'll come back with bids on August 19th. I looked at all your existing debt and nothing is high enough interest-rate wise to refinance. There are opportunities to invest this bond issue higher than the yield of the bonds if it takes a while for the money to move along. Just be mindful that Ehlers can help you do that or you can invest the bond proceeds however you've done in the past. Kevin and John can figure out the best strategy for that. [21:25] **Financial Advisor (Ehlers Representative):** Fryberger, Buchanan here is your bond attorney on this bond issue, and they prepared the two resolutions. Because we're going out longer than 15 years on the abatement side, we are going to get a letter from the school district requesting to decline participation in the abatement. We did that with the Wellness Center back then; that's fine. It's just our abatement; we're not asking for abatement from a school district or a county. In order to get an extra few years above the 15, we'll just craft a letter, send it to those folks, they can sign it and feel good about saying no because that's what we want them to do. I'll be back on August 5th for the public hearing. We will sell bonds on August 19th and close this on September 5th. I'll yield for questions. [23:00] **John Geissler:** I just had one quick question. When we did the tax abatement before, have we cancelled that yet for the Fichtner project? **Financial Advisor (Ehlers Representative):** Okay, yep. So just the letter from the school with this one was different because it's just a state law; we have to do that in order to get 20 years instead of 15. [23:30] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** When you said we could do something with the money between the time we're going to get it in September and when construction starts—which could be six months—could we do short-term CDs or something like that? **Financial Advisor (Ehlers Representative):** Oh, we're better than that! Yeah, we've got all sorts of choices, but it is limited by Chapter 118A. We can't just roll the dice. It is CDs and market-rate stuff. There's agencies and all sorts of other things that can get you a little higher. We can buy CDs from anywhere, staying under the FDIC insurance limits at each. [24:20] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** What can we do with the interest earned on that? Can we spend it on the project? **Financial Advisor (Ehlers Representative):** Yes, you can. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** To pay the debt? **Financial Advisor (Ehlers Representative):** Right. To invest higher than the yield on the bonds isn't hard now; the bonds might be 3.8% and you get 5% on a CD. We just have to make sure that because it's such a large bond issue, we follow the two-year spend-down rules from the feds. If we don't hit those marks, we just have to rebate the excess back to them. It's not like they're taking anything away from the bond proceeds themselves. It's a good exercise when you're talking big numbers like this. [26:00] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Anything else? **Councilors:** No, we're good. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Great, thanks. I'd like to ask for any public comment on this resolution. Any public comment on resolution 2024-109? Last opportunity for public comment on the resolution for the public hearing on tax abatement or the intent to issue General Obligation bonds. Roll call please. [26:40] **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Next is a companion resolution 2024-110 providing for the sale of General Obligation bonds, series 2024B. Do we have a motion? [27:10] **Joe Peterson:** Move to approve. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Peterson. Is there a second? **Brian LeBlanc:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Second by Councilor LeBlanc. Mr. Mulder, anything else that needs to be added? **John Mulder:** This is just for the sale. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Any questions or comments from Council? Is there any public input on resolution 2024-110? Last opportunity for public input. Roll call please. [27:45] **Alissa McClure:** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Next resolution 2024-111, resolution granting a special use permit for the construction of a two-family home in an R-3 residential zoning district. Do we have a motion? [28:15] **John Geissler:** Move to approve. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Geissler. Is there a second? **Joe Peterson:** I will second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Second by Councilor Peterson. Mr. Mulder, should we have Mr. Johnson handle this one? Eric, could you explain this to us? [28:30] **Eric Johnson:** Great, thank you very much. This is a property at 5154 West Arrowhead Road. The entire property consists of 2.33 acres. This property was previously subdivided into what we call the parent lot and a flag lot. That investor at the time has since sold this property to Sensus Construction for the purpose of building a twin home, which is before us this evening. What the applicant is proposing to do is reconfigure the lot lines so instead of a flag lot and a half-acre lot, we'll have a lot that bisects the middle of this proposed building. As part of this, there will be new public water and sewer extended for the second unit. The one difference between a single-family home and a twin home is that there's much larger side-yard setbacks; a single-family home requires only a 10-foot setback, whereas for a twin home it's a 40-foot side-yard setback. All told, both the front and rear yard setbacks meet or greatly exceed our minimum requirements. [29:50] **John Geissler:** A quick question—sorry I wasn't able to make the Planning and Zoning meeting—was there much public discussion on this issue? **Eric Johnson:** The neighboring property owner to the east did speak about this; they're in favor of the project. Once again, this gives them a much greater setback than they could have had with two single-family homes next to them. **John Geissler:** Thank you. [30:15] **Andy Hjelle:** I was just going to say, I mean, we've never voted one of these down and it seems to take a bit of City's time because of how it's zoned. Why don't we just change the zoning so we don't have to have this happen every time we get one of these? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** I think we want the neighborhood input because that opens up a public meeting. **Andy Hjelle:** We've never voted one down; I can't imagine... it's always been positive input from the neighbors. [30:45] **Eric Johnson:** There have been things voted down prior to your arrival. Previously, when we had flag lots, those used to require a Planning and Zoning hearing and then a Council action. Through the years, those were very straightforward and it was decided after about three years of that that it would just be a P&Z action. The benefit of the special use permit is it allows two opportunities for the public to speak, both at the Planning and Zoning commission as well as city council. It gives it additional public input opportunity that I think is beneficial for these types of projects. **Andy Hjelle:** Okay, thank you. [31:30] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Anything else? Is there any public input on this resolution? Any public input on resolution 2024-111? Roll call please. [31:55] **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Next is resolution 2024-112, resolution approving certain road and drainage improvements to the Benson Road. Do we have a motion? [32:25] **Andy Hjelle:** Move to approve. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Hjelle. Is there a second? **Brian LeBlanc:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Second by Councilor LeBlanc. Mr. Mulder? [32:35] **John Mulder:** So on Benson Road, we're going to replace a number of culverts that had problems late last year, and then we're also going to extend the road that is on the map. We're going to extend the physical road as well for those two improvements. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Any questions or comments from Council? [33:00] **John Geissler:** And that road extension is at the property owner's cost? **John Mulder:** Yes, that's correct; they're reimbursing the city for that. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Anything else from Council? Is there any public input on this resolution? Roll call please. [33:25] **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Next is resolution 2024-113, resolution awarding engineering design services to Northland Consulting Engineers in a contract amount of $37,309 for Highway 53 water main replacement between Sirius Drive and Airport Road. Do we have a motion? [34:10] **Andy Hjelle:** Motion to approve. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Hjelle. Is there a second? **John Geissler:** I'll second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Second by Councilor Geissler. Mr. Mulder? [34:25] **John Mulder:** This resolution is just approving the engineering work to be done. Following the design of this, we'll be back here to authorize advertisement for bid. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Any questions or comments from Council? And this is to take a 3-inch water main that's had some problems and replace it with a 5-inch water main? **John Mulder:** That's correct. [34:55] **Brian LeBlanc:** Just a question—would this construction work be done this year? **John Mulder:** Yes. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Okay, thank you. Anything else? Is there any public input on this resolution? Roll call please. [35:20] **Alissa McClure:** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Next is resolution 2024-114, resolution directing preparation of preliminary engineering feasibility report for Highway 53 Business Park improvements and sanitary extension. Do you have a motion? [36:00] **Brian LeBlanc:** Move to approve. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor LeBlanc. Is there a second? **Joe Peterson:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Second by Councilor Peterson. Mr. Mulder? [36:10] **John Mulder:** This is improvement to the Business Park at the corner of Highway 53 and the bypass. We have a preliminary estimate of what the infrastructure would cost. We're asking for a formal feasibility report as part of the assessment process. The landowner... we discussed with the landowner the need for assessments; they've preliminarily agreed to some assessments, and so we want to follow that legal process. That's why we need the feasibility report first. [36:40] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? Hearing none, any public input on resolution 2024-114? Roll call please. [37:00] **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Resolution 2024-115, resolution approving pay request number two for Road Improvement District number 541 and 542 to Northland Constructors in the amount of $436,560. Is there a motion? [37:35] **John Geissler:** Motion to approve. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Geissler. Do we have a second? **Brian LeBlanc:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Second by Councilor LeBlanc. Mr. Mulder? **John Mulder:** This is the payment for the work that's been done in the last month on Hermantown Road and the bridge at Five Corners. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? Hearing none, is there any public input on this resolution? Roll call please. [38:25] **Alissa McClure:** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Resolution 2024-116, resolution approving change order number four for Fichtner Park improvement to Musco Sports Lighting LLC in the amount of $22,900. Is there a motion? [39:05] **John Geissler:** Motion to approve. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Geissler. Is there a second? **Andy Hjelle:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Second by Councilor Hjelle. Mr. Mulder? **John Mulder:** This is a change order for Musco Lighting for a second mobilization. They had to mobilize for taking the lights down and putting them into storage, and then the second mobilization will be for coming back and reinstalling those. [39:40] **John Geissler:** Hopefully there's no more change orders. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Any other questions or comments? Is there any public input on this resolution? Roll call please. [40:05] **Alissa McClure:** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Resolution 2024-117, resolution approving change order number three for Fichtner Park improvement to Casey Incorporated in the amount of $82,700. Is there a motion? [40:35] **Brian LeBlanc:** Move to approve. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor LeBlanc. Is there a second? **Joe Peterson:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Second by Councilor Peterson. Mr. Mulder? **John Mulder:** This change order is to make some improvements to the parking lot on the north side. Previously, we had approved a change order that we thought was covering this work, but it really was just to redo the large parking lot there that is currently in bad shape—got some cracks and some grass growing through it. This change order would improve the parking lot on the south end and put in curb and gutter and sidewalk. [41:20] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** So this change order gives us one contiguous newly constructed or paved parking lot? **John Mulder:** That's correct. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Any other questions or comments? [41:35] **Andy Hjelle:** I think it'd be a tough look for a $5 million project to have a piecemeal together parking lot. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Any other comments from Council? Questions? Any public input on this resolution? Roll call please. [42:15] **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Resolution 2024-118, resolution directing preparation of preliminary engineering feasibility report for Mary Lane Road improvement and sanitary extension. Is there a motion? [42:40] **John Geissler:** Motion to approve. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Geissler. Is there a second? **Joe Peterson:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Second by Councilor Peterson. Mr. Mulder? [42:50] **John Mulder:** This is as a result of a petition for the people that live on Mary Lane asking the city to look into the cost of improving the road and extending sanitary sewer. So if approved, the city engineer would prepare an engineering report. We would report that back to you, we would have an informational meeting with the neighbors, and then finally a public hearing before any decision would be made about going forward on the project. [43:20] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? Hearing none, is there any public input on this resolution? Joe, anyone online yet? **Joe Wicklund:** No one. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Roll call please. [43:50] **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure:** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Next is a motion to go into closed session. A motion to close the meeting of the Hermantown City Council pursuant to Minnesota Statute section 13D.05, subdivision 3B, to discuss the City Administrator's performance evaluation. Following this closed session, the Hermantown City Council will reconvene in open session pursuant to the posted agenda for that date and time and during such open sessions summarize its conclusions regarding the evaluation. Do we have a motion? [44:35] **Brian LeBlanc:** Move to close. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor LeBlanc. Is there a second? **John Geissler:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Second by Councilor Geissler. All in favor say aye. **Councilors:** Aye. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Oppose same sign? Take a little break before we...