This transcript has been formatted with the speaker names based on the municipal context provided. [0:03] [Music] [1:02] [Music] It's okay as long as you're okay. [1:21] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** [Music] All right, good evening. We'll call this meeting to order for the August 14th, 2025 Apple Valley City Council meeting. [1:36] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** I welcome everyone this evening. Uh as you're for the audience members who have signed up to speak, as your item is called, please approach the podium. Uh introduce yourself, give us your name and address for the record, and uh we'll call on you to speak at that point. The first item on our agenda is the pledge of allegiance. Please stand as you're able and join us in the pledge. [1:56] **Council and Audience:** I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. [2:11] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Thank you. [2:13] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** The next item on our agenda is to approve the agenda. And Tom, I know we had at least one item that was distributed. [2:17] **Tom Lawell (City Administrator):** Good evening, Mr. Mayor, members of the council. Yes, we have one item to add to the agenda tonight. This was distributed in yesterday's packet. Uh, this is an item that it would be item 4 Y on your consent agenda. It's to approve a special permit to move the picnic shelter that is currently in Kelly Park to the Hayes Park Youth Baseball softball complex. [2:39] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Perfect. Thank you. So, we'll add that as 4Y to the agenda. And with that, do we have a motion to approve? [2:43] **John Bergman (Councilmember):** So moved. [2:45] **Ruth Grendahl (Councilmember):** Second. [2:46] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Motion from council member Bergman, second from council member Grendahl. All those in favor indicate by saying I. [2:53] **Council Members:** I. [2:55] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Opposed. The agenda is approved. The next item is our audience participation portion of the meeting. Excuse me. We have a total of 10 minutes for this item. This is for items that are not on our agenda. And the first to sign up was Beth. Beth, you want to come forward? I told you we'd get you up early. [3:11] **Beth Lambert:** Thank you. My name is Beth Lambert. I live at 15674 Duck Pond Way here in Apple Valley. And I'm here with a group of friends from the Apple Valley Senior Center. And we thank you all for the opportunity to talk with you tonight regarding our proposed changes to the senior center. [3:35] **Beth Lambert:** Um we don't pretend to speak for everyone at the senior center. We last Thursday I was there all day and went to everything that was meeting there that day. Uh most everything. I missed a few people going and coming, but I talked to 124 people and 123 people agreed with the state with the um with our survey. And if I could give you a copy of that um just for your information, [4:18] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** I bring it up and we'll get it to our city clerk. You can bring it up. We'll get it to Christina when we're done and then we'll make sure copies get uh distributed to everyone as well. [4:23] **Beth Lambert:** So maybe that is um a survey that we took. Um we believe that represents about I think 15% of the people um other members got signatures uh on other days on two other days. They were there part of the time and they got signatures. We had a a total of 154 signatures. We think that represents about 15% of membership, not active membership. We have many more active members. I mean, lots fewer active members than the total membership. Um, [5:06] **Beth Lambert:** Of the 123 people I spoke to, only one person did not sign the petition. And she came around the next day and wrote the exact same information uh on the form that she submitted where where we were asked to make comments. [5:25] **Beth Lambert:** Um, I would expect that 90% of the people who regularly use the center would support that uh petition, though I can't prove that, but I just haven't run into anybody that didn't feel the same way that those of us who put it together did. Um and you have a copy of the petition. The consensus of opinion is we would rather have no changes to the senior center than than to have the ones that are currently being proposed. [6:02] **Beth Lambert:** Um, for our senior center, we seniors need four things. Um, and these are listed in the order that we need them. We want and need to be able to enter and exit the senior center through the doors we currently use, which are right by all the activities. [6:22] **Beth Lambert:** We want and need our staff to remain in the center and not be relocated to the community center. We want and need—this probably isn't a need—we want the coffee lounge if possible to be extended, but we don't want it moved across the way to the community center. Um we want and need more easily accessible restroom doors and comfort height toilets. Um, our senior center perfectly meets the needs of our population. [7:00] **Beth Lambert:** We deeply appreciate the city's making this senior center possible. We we believe that the plans as they are made make the senior center less accessible, less safe, and less conducive to enabling Apple Valley seniors to enjoy themselves, improve themselves, and contribute to the community. [7:24] **Beth Lambert:** We also believe that honoring our request will save money, which could be used for more vital improvements to the community center. Thank you for hearing us. If you would like to know more about our input into the planning process, why we need and want these changes, and if you would like to hear from others here with me tonight, we have as much time as you do until it starts to get dark and then we all have to go home because we don't drive after dark. [7:55] **Beth Lambert:** Thank you very much, mayor, and thank you, city manager, for helping us and everyone on the council. [8:18] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Thank you. Uh, typically this is a a chance for us to receive information, not have a robust discussion on items this evening. So, we appreciate the information. Um, we certainly can reach out for more. I think you and I are going to talk tomorrow a little bit more and we're happy to do that. So, um, we had one other—Michael signed up as well. Michael, did you have anything you wanted to add? I just want to make sure before we open up to anybody else. [8:27] **Michael Lefave:** No, no pressure. I know you were kind of a maybe, but um [8:30] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Sure. Sure. When everybody's looking at you, [8:35] **Michael Lefave:** Mr. Mayor and Council. Hi, Tom. [8:41] **Tom Lawell (City Administrator):** Hi. [8:42] **Michael Lefave:** Been a long time. [8:44] **Tom Lawell (City Administrator):** Sure. [8:46] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Can I say your name and address for the record? [8:49] **Michael Lefave:** Michael Lefave and address is 1247 Spring Green Lane. I am in Burnsville, but it's right on the border, and I used to live in Apple Valley and we worked here for years. [9:01] **Michael Lefave:** Okay. Um I turned 72 on Sunday. So that puts me as age to be at the senior center. I love change. Um I'm on my fourth or fifth yard redo at home and everybody around me is all worked up about that. But um I can understand most seniors don't like change and and this thing is really a big change for them. However, the entrance being centralized, I can see where that design makes a lot of sense. But for the seniors to be involved in an area where the kids are coming in and out of—even though the studies are out there that kids around seniors is really a good thing. Keep everybody young, right? But too much activity in one space and you know kids, you can tell them here's your spot, but they're not going to stay in that spot. That's just being a kid. [10:07] **Michael Lefave:** So I think it's it's wise to to keep it separate if you can, but it's tough to govern more than one entrance. I know that. But that's for you to make that decision and and and somehow work it out so that doesn't involve any any extra troubles and the concerns that were just listed now. So on the record, thank you. Thank you. [10:36] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Just a little on the process um overall here. So, we went uh with all of these large project changes, I would say, even the small park changes started with an initial round of feedback, initial round of plans, and that gets us to where we are today, which is to get the feedback from the plans and go back and take that and figure out what we need to do from there. So, that's kind of where we're at. We appreciate it. The writing helps, right? Uh because then those are a little easier to follow up on and understand. Council member Grendahl. [11:05] **Ruth Grendahl (Councilmember):** Mr. Mayor, I might as well say what I said at the informal. Um, half of the names, I guess, aren't—don't live in Apple Valley that are on the petition. Is that correct? [11:15] **Beth Lambert:** I don't know. [11:16] **Ruth Grendahl (Councilmember):** Okay, that's what we were assuming about half. And just so you know, whether it's Valleywood or the aquatic center, um, I've listened to people who pay taxes in Apple Valley and I'm not sure. Does Burnsville have a senior center? [11:28] **Beth Lambert:** Yes, they do. Thank you. [11:31] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Thank you. Uh, Council Member Bergman. [11:33] **John Bergman (Councilmember):** And this is directed at uh, Eric and his staff. Um, and it it has—I'm just looking to see what's out there. So, for staff, um, and a new project like this, we know there's other complexes throughout the state of Minnesota that are big. And so these individuals have asked for something in particular which has to do with the door. Okay. And how it acts. If you could get back to us during your whole process of this, let us know or let us see some things that A) has the same door at their community centers or if there are other complexes which are big—and we all know where some of them are—is their door combined where everything takes place? I'd like I'd like to see that if I could, please. Thank you. [12:33] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Perfect. Thank you, John. All right. If that covers the comments, thank you all for coming. As I mentioned to a few of you, please feel free to uh get out while you—if you don't want to drive in the dark or just because you don't want to sit and listen to us. Either way, you don't need an excuse. Uh but thanks for coming and thanks for the feedback. Want to give everybody just a second to uh find their way out so we don't disturb our next presenter. [13:10] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** All right, the next item on our agenda is our consent agenda. These are items that are considered routine and will be enacted with a single motion unless a council member or a citizen request to pull an item. Council members, any items you would like to pull from consent? [13:25] **Council Members:** No. [13:26] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** All right. Seeing none, staff, any items to pull or any in the audience, any items to pull. All right. Seeing none, we'll take a motion to approve the consent agenda. [13:30] **Ruth Grendahl (Councilmember):** Motion. [13:31] **Lisa Hiebert (Councilmember):** Second. [13:32] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Motion from council member Grendahl, second from council member Hiebert. All those in favor indicate by saying I. [13:38] **Council Members:** I. [13:39] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Opposed. Consent items carry unanimously. That brings us to our regular agenda and item 5A which is plan development number 1144 setback amendment, and Sydney has this one. [14:01] **Sydney (City Planning Staff):** Thank you mayor and council. Tonight I will be presenting to you a proposed text amendment to PD 1144 regarding these setback requirements. Specifically, you are asked to consider an ordinance to um amend the plan development regarding the rear lot setback requirements for zone 2. This PD was uh originally approved recently in April of 2025. Um, essentially there was an oversight in the original approved ordinance that needs to be corrected. [14:37] **Sydney (City Planning Staff):** The site is located at the northwest corner of 157th Street West and English Avenue. This site along with uh zone one to the north like I said is a part of the recently approved PD 1144. The subject site is zone 2 which is the site of the approved Orchard Place Apartments um project. That site plan building permit authorization was also approved in April. [15:07] **Sydney (City Planning Staff):** The proposed amendment is as shown on the slide. The only a uh amendment would be to the rear lot line setback requirements for zone 2 as highlighted. So originally there was an oversight in the approved ordinance showing the setback requirement as 50 ft, but the approved site plan showed the um shows the setback as 12 feet. So staff is recommending to uh amend that to 10 feet in order to ensure that the building and site plan is in compliance with city code. [15:36] **Sydney (City Planning Staff):** This is the approved site plan for Orchard Place Apartments project. The front lot line is the lot line to the south along 157th Street West and then the rear lot line would be to the north highlighted in red. So the building as shown in the approved plans is 12 ft away from that lot line. Um and the ordinance amendment would uh make this site plan compliant with city code. [16:00] **Sydney (City Planning Staff):** The public hearing for the amendment was held at the August 6th uh planning commission meeting. There were no public comments received and the planning commission recommended approval by a five to zero vote. With that, city uh staff is recommending to pass the ordinance tonight and then with the additional recommendation of waving the second reading as well. I can stand for any questions. Thank you. [16:22] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Thanks, Sydney. Any questions? All right. All right, if that'll look for a motion to pass the ordinance amending article 40, plan development designation number 1144 of city code by revising the rear lot setback requirements for zone 2. And that includes recommending waving the second reading. [16:38] **John Bergman (Councilmember):** So moved. [16:40] **Lisa Hiebert (Councilmember):** Second. [16:40] **Ruth Grendahl (Councilmember):** Second it. [16:41] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Motion from council member Bergman, second from council member Hiebert. All those in favor indicate by saying I. [16:49] **Council Members:** I. [16:51] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** And opposed. That item carries. Thank you. I just want to point out that um Sydney is not only um an active staff person here, but she also was the host for one of our national night out parties that probably had 50 or 75 people. So, you're an active resident, too. So, I appreciate that. [17:07] **Sydney (City Planning Staff):** Thank you. Very nice. [17:09] **Lisa Hiebert (Councilmember):** Thanks for noticing that. [17:11] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** All right. Next item is 5B, which is to open the public hearing regarding the vacation of drainage and utility easements on lots one and two, block three, village at Founder Circle. And Tim. [17:23] **Tim Benetti (Community Development Director):** Thank you. Mr. Mayor, members of council, we have before you tonight just simply an opening of a hearing on a vacation of drainage utility easements for uh the site location of our central village west site, also referred to previously as the 866 site at 7169 153rd. [17:40] **Tim Benetti (Community Development Director):** This is a brand new address that we're assigning to that proposed pickleball uh development. Uh highlighted here up on the screen, uh the areas in gray are the existing easements that currently occupy the lot one, lot two sites. Uh under the new plat—sorry, this little uh uh faded out—a proposed plat will take care of new easements around the perimeter. So we need to get rid of those other ones that are uh in conflict with this plat. So tonight we are asking to open a public hearing but hold off on any action until uh the next meeting of August 28th because we plan to bring this item and also the site plan, the final plan, at that next meeting at the request of the owner to be delayed to that meeting. So with tonight you can open the public hearing, receive and record any comments, but hold off anything for final actions until the 28th. With that I'll stand for any questions. [18:27] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Great. Any questions for Tim? If not, we'll go ahead and open the public hearing. Anyone who would like to speak to this item? Anyone who would like to speak? One last opportunity. We'll go ahead and hold this public hearing open until our next meeting. [18:51] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** There's no action required on this this evening. What an anticlimactic way to end a regular agenda without any action items. Um, with that, that brings us to our staff and council communications. And Tom, do you have anything from staff? [19:07] **Tom Lawell (City Administrator):** Mr. Mayor, yes, I do. Uh, three updates for the council and for the community tonight. Uh, the first one involves the Metropolitan Airports Commission and work that is just about to begin on their runway construction project. So, you may recall back uh in mid-April through the end of May, uh they had a runway closed at the airport and that uh forced some traffic to be different than what was normal and Apple Valley experienced some more air traffic overflights during that period of time. [19:32] **Tom Lawell (City Administrator):** During the peak of summer travel, they did not have any construction going on, but that is about to resume again. That will resume here on Monday, August 18th, and that will go through September 26th. So, citizens may see some aircraft in places where they normally are not and experience some additional aircraft noise concerns over that period of time. Uh the Metropolitan Airports Commission does have a website that allows people to file complaints about noise. If you'd like to do that, uh that is certainly an option. We just want to let the community know that uh for about the next month and a half, we're going to see some planes in uh spots where they are not normally seen and we'll experience some noise as a result of that. [20:17] **Tom Lawell (City Administrator):** Uh the second two that I have uh are parks related. So, Splash Valley Water Park has had a good season this year and just a reminder that that will close at this time of the year. We start to lose our lifeguards off to college and our lifeguards uh headed back to high school. Uh so the last day at the Splash Valley Water Park will be August 20th. So uh if you'd like to visit the Splash Valley Water Park here yet this year, just a few more days in which to do that. [20:44] **Tom Lawell (City Administrator):** And the last item I have is just a reminder of music in Kelly Park. Uh that series continues. Uh you know that Kelly Park is under construction in a very uh noticeable way at this point, but the music in Kelly Park is still continuing for the next two Fridays. Uh this Friday, the 15th—tomorrow night—uh that's Michael Monroe will be performing at Kelly Park. So, even though it's under construction, uh the music series will still go on for another two weeks. Uh please feel free to come out and enjoy some great hopefully Minnesota weather and some good music. [20:59] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Great. Thank you, Tom. Um we you had an airport item and we can't have an airport item without recognizing Council Member Bergman. In all serious business, uh the time you put into MAC and representing the city and our other communities—it's uh we all have thankless jobs, but this might be right up there on the top of the list, but uh it is appreciated. So, thank you, John. [21:28] **John Bergman (Councilmember):** Thanks. If I may, I think you saw me reach for the light. Um and what city administrator Lawell has stated—the last few days I've taken some interesting conversation about "how come all the noise now?" and I go, "Well, um, how about the winds?" So, just remember folks that the winds have a lot to do with um, where the airplanes fly. And they were flying their normal routes right now, but they were low and going through um, the area and people were going, "Wait a minute, they're they're noisy." So, we'll go back to what Lawell had to say. And um, it should be fine, but after this, there shouldn't be anything for the next 10 years is what they're saying. So, we're we should be good. [22:08] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Great. Thank you. [22:09] **John Bergman (Councilmember):** Yep. [22:11] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** I think I'll I'll add although it's been a while on uh August what—5th, I believe—was the Night to Unite. I think that's the right date. Uh thank you to uh Chief Francis and your officers who probably all put in a full shift before you jumped in cars and vehicles and UTVs and went out to visit neighborhood parks and and uh meetings and parties and all that good stuff. And as well as our firefighters who also jumped on their trucks—probably taking time away from their own neighborhood parties—and as we've had the last few years we had a number of staff members out as well. So our community development director Tim Benetti was there. Matt, I think you were out at some parties and I'm probably missing some because Eric was out and so it was great to just have that chance. And to those those folks who opened their parties to us, thank you for letting us come crash your parties uh that evening as well. It was fun to see everybody. [23:07] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Any other comments? [23:08] **Lisa Hiebert (Councilmember):** Matt Saam was along too, of Public Works. [23:10] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Did I miss Matt? Okay, Matt. Matt, you were along. So, anybody I missed since I wasn't with you, I apologize for missing you. Uh, but uh do appreciate you being there. Any other comments, council comments this evening. [23:23] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** All right, we're on to our calendar of events. Our next regular city council meeting is Thursday, October 28th, 2025 at 7 p.m. And we also have a special informal uh that evening as well. Council? Yes. [23:36] **Ruth Grendahl (Councilmember):** Mayor, it's August. What did I say? [23:38] **John Bergman (Councilmember):** October. [23:39] **Ruth Grendahl (Councilmember):** October. [23:41] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** It just—it actually says August here. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Um we'll check my reading comprehension later. So, our next regular city council meeting is Thursday, August 28th, 2025 at 7. And we have a special informal that evening as well. Uh with that, we have a motion to approve the calendar of upcoming events. [23:59] **Ruth Grendahl (Councilmember):** Moved. [24:00] **Lisa Hiebert (Councilmember):** Second. [24:01] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** We have a motion from council member Grendahl, a second from council member Hiebert. All those in favor indicate by saying I. [24:08] **Council Members:** I. [24:09] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** And do we have a motion to adjourn? [24:10] **Ruth Grendahl (Councilmember):** So moved. [24:12] **Tom Melander (Councilmember):** Second. [24:13] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** Motion from council Grendahl, a second from Council Melander. All those in favor indicate by saying I. [24:16] **Council Members:** I. I. [24:18] **Clint Hooppaw (Mayor):** And we're adjourned. Thank you. [24:20] [Music] [25:09] [Music]