Good evening and welcome to this Prayer Lake City Council meeting of Tuesday, January 23rd, 2024. If you would please stand, join me in the pledge of allegiance. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Well, good evening. It's so wonderful to see a nice full uh chambers uh this evening. Um first item on our agenda is the public forum. The public forum is that opportunity for those uh before us to uh come forward and comment and share with council anything that may be on their mind. The exclusion to that would be uh any item that would be related to a public hearing either a public hearing that's been scheduled or for one that has taken place. that of course the desire there is to aggregate testimony around the item to be decided upon. Uh with that only preclusion, is there anyone who would like to come before us and speak this evening? Seeing none, I'd like to go ahead and move along to the approval of the agenda this evening. Council, are there any modifications? If none, I entertain a motion to approve as submitted. So moved. Second, Burkart. Motion by Council Member Brad. Second by Council Member Burkhart to approve that agenda. All those in favor say I. I. I. That motion carries, bringing us to approval of the January 9th uh 2024 city council meeting minutes. Again, council. Same question. Any modifications, revisions, changes? If none, motion to approve as submitted. So move Burkart. Second. Motion by council member Burkart, second by council member Churchill to approve those meeting minutes as submitted. All those in favor say I. I. I. And that motion carries. Bring us to the consent agenda this evening. I'd like to hand that over to manager Wedell to introduce consent agenda as well as those items before us this evening. Manager Wedell. Thank you, Mayor, counselors and members of the audience. So, our consent agendas for those items that are considered routine or non-controversial, they're placed al together on the consent agenda. So, unless uh a counselor asks for an item to be removed for separate consideration, they're all approved under a single motion and a second and a vote. Um, if a counselor were to ask for an item 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 consent. Approval of the claims listing. Approval of the animal control services report from November of 2023. Approval of the animal control services report from December of 2023. Approval of the December 2023 building permit summary report. Resolution authorizing the ordering of the 2024 police department vehicles. Resolution approving a work order for professional engineering services for water resource staff augmentation. Ponds Park declaration of deed restriction. Resolution authorizing the purchase and installation of a new variable frequency drive for well number six. A resolution approving a temporary liquor license for the Prior Lake VFW on February 2nd, 2024. And finally, a resolution approving the purchase of a Lucas CPR device for the fire department. Thank you much, manager Wedell. Council, are there any questions on those items? And if no questions, are there any items before us on the consent agenda that you would ask be removed and taken up under item 10 on our agenda this evening? If none, I would entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda as submitted. I move to approve the consent agenda. Second. We have a motion by council member Lake to approve the consent agenda. Uh second by council member Churchill. All those in favor say I. I. I. That motion carries. Council of those items we just approved this evening. Are there any for which you would like to make comments? Seeing none, that brings us to item 6A on our agenda, which is honoring new hires, the Prairie Lake Police Department. Mr. Mayor, members of the council, and our family and friends that are here today, thank you so much for spending your time. Uh, council, city staff, thank you for your support. It's only because of that, from all of you that uh awesome days like today uh are a possibility. Um, a couple weeks ago I was uh at an airport uh just out east and on my way back here uh and was able to see something that kind of sets an awesome tone for tonight. I'm walking ahead in the airport heading toward my gate. There's a family just ahead of me. I'm assuming a mom and dad and a little kiddo there. And there's a cop walking toward us. And this was a big guy, a monster uh human being in full uniform. And he had a rifle slung as in our airports, kind of high value targets, many officers do. So if you picture that officer coming toward us, the family's just ahead of me with their little kiddo. The kiddo breaks away from the mom and dad and runs toward this cop at what I'll just call a toddler dead sprint. uh runs to the cop, grabs on to his leg and kind of gives him a the cop a bear hug. And at the exact same instant uh as a smile's kind of coming across my face, this cop takes that rifle and slings it around his back and drops down to a knee and gives this little kiddo a big hug. He stands up. The kid gives him kind of a big thumbs up. And then the cop just goes right back on his way like nothing had happened. And the family themselves just kind of keep walking ahead. I found myself in that moment super proud to do what I do, what our young officers here are uh being sworn in to do today. And in the same moment, it kind of hit me. This cop had no need to do this. It certainly is a little bit of an invasion of of our space that we protect sometimes. And yet in that moment, he had no focus on anything except taking just a split second to make this little kiddo the most important human being in the world and deliver a level of service by putting that kid first. And it sets a tone. If you see our squad cars now, for the first time in roughly 30 or years, we have a a new badge and new design on our squad cars. And in the back, very small footprint, it says people first and mission always. This officer in that moment, one mission was to protect those in the airport, protect safe travel, and putting all of us first. And then in a split second, his mission changed to putting this little kiddo first and a chance to put a very human face uh to this job. The mission changes minute to minute and second to second for our police officers here, both of whom, who we're going to swear in tonight, had experience and made the decision to come here to work for us. That mission might be comforting a little kiddo in the midst of a family domestic. It might be uh taking a report from a fraud for an elderly victim. And it might be trying to save their own lives tragically against an attack. That mission changes second to second. Their decision point and this is why that mantra is so important for Prior Lake PD is it explains how we do what we do. Our decision model, what is the mission at hand and then putting people reasonably first for that mission. Our two officers tonight are signing on to wear our shield. Uh they'll about they're about to take the oath in just a minute to always live that decision. What is the mission at hand? And then put people first uh to accomplish that mission. And as their chief, I'm incredibly proud that they've chosen to do it in this agency. Our two officers uh here who are about to take uh the oath of office. I want to explain just a little bit about them uh to you. Uh there's family in the audience here, and I have to point this out. uh the stepdad of one of our officers who I just found out about two months ago is someone I graduated high school with. So now I'm setting the tone for my own age where our officers now are the children of people that I started in this world with. Uh which I I take that I've earned this gray here. Uh and Craig would also I would assume we're incredibly proud proud to welcome all two officers here. Uh shields number 66 and 67. And just for everyone in the audience how you know this will go, we'll uh go through a little bit of bios. will do their swearing in. I'll hand them their shields and then we'll call up family to pin the shields on uh one by one if that makes sense. Uh before we pin these on, I want to make clear to our new officers. What we're about to put on you is this little piece of metal. This weighs 2 and 12 ounces. It's about the same weight as maybe a dozen nickels if you're old enough to know what we used to use to pay for things for maybe the weight of your cell phone. The weight of this in actual ounces though is is completely meaningless. And yet what is incredibly powerful and immeasurable is the weight of the impact you can have on a daily basis to our citizens. This shield means nothing unless they make a decision that they need and want you to do what you do. And so I'll remind you as I go through your bios and then we take the oath to understand this shield has nothing to do with power, but it has to do with influence and impact. And that's a decision you'll make every day. How do you want that impact to be? And do you understand how incredibly valuable it is to the citizens and to your families and friends and to our staff that you make an intentional choice to earn that every day? Shield number 66 uh for Robert Herd. Uh Robert uh is a native of Seattle, Washington, but made the decision to move around the states a bit before landing here for family and now calling Minnesota his home. uh we were able to steal him from Albert Lee which we have made clear we're an agency that will steal the very best from anywhere in this country if we possibly can. I make no apologies for that. Um Robert talks about enjoying working with the community, meeting different people every day. And specifically, I think it's important uh he points out that one of the reasons they moved here was for his daughter uh a special needs uh child dealing with a rare genetic disease that only one in a 100,000 children uh face. And the reason I point that out is because I want Robert and his family to know uh that you now have an extended or much extended family willing to support you and your family and everything they deal with. And he talks about the journey being different than many others, but thankful uh to be here being in law enforcement in a career that not only challenges him, but allows him to make that positive impact. Uh and we're proud that he uh speaks of joining a department that prioritizes not only its officers, which is where we need to start, but the community as a whole. Uh, Robert Herd will be shield number 66. For Ryan Alaski, uh, someone we were again very proud to steal from a very close partner of ours here, uh, that we work well with, that being our conservation officers. Uh, grew up, uh, in law enforcement with dad being a now retired police officer for the city of Edina for nearly 30 years. Growing up in Prior Lake and attending Prior Lake schools, a homegrown asset here, attending Rasmusen College and then being a city of a police officer for five years for the city of Wells before moving to conservation with SMSC and now here again an officer we're very proud to call one of our own. So, uh, Officers Herd and Officer Elaski, what I'll ask you to do is to raise your right hand and if you would, you can repeat after me. I'll have you take one step forward if you will. Gentlemen, I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Minnesota, and the ordinances of the city of Prior Lake, and that I will faithfully perform and discharge the duties of police officer I will never betray my shield, my integrity, my character, or the public trust. I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions. So help me God. Ladies and gentlemen, shields number 66 and 67, Robert Herd and Ryan Elasi. [Applause] Okay, starting uh with Robert, uh if I'm correct, your wife Linda will be the one uh pinning your shield on. So, Linda, if you'd like to come on up. and Ryan, your wife Taylor and son Eastston to pin your shield. To our family, our friends, our elected, and our citizens, these are your two newest police officers for the city of Prior Lake, Robert Herd and Ryan Alaski. Mr. Mayor, I'll turn it over to you, sir. So, uh, council will go ahead and, uh, take a brief recess for photos here at 7:15. Meeting is in recess. Uh for family uh for family and friends, the council is going to uh uh come back into session. We would love for you to join us next door uh for some cake and some coffee if you are free. So uh our officers will head you or lead you out that way u while uh we finish here for council. So thank you very much. uh would like to bring the uh meeting back into session at 7:24. Um we have item 6B on our agenda this evening which is a presentation with the police and fire updates. Chief Steinhouse, we look forward to your presentation. Can you guys see it on your screens? Yeah, it works. It works. Uh good evening, mayor, members of the council. Thank you for having me tonight. Uh we'll be going over our uh quarterly update from September uh to December of 2023. Um, let's see here. So, little update on where we're at right now. Um, with the nine uh firefighters and three captain captains uh the addition there of 12. Um, and then uh we're at we're actually at 25 firefighters. It was another uh typo on my end. And I found another one too that I'll get to on the next page, but uh uh we did have a retirement back in um December of of uh 23. Mike Kilinowski uh retired after 19 years. He served as a firefighter, a captain, and a deputy chief. So, um he's uh enjoying the non-pager life, we like to say. So, we congratulated him and uh we miss him. So, uh where we're at right now. Um so, this is kind of going back from um our previous uh um presentation. So, uh, we're still at that 49% number, um, at the end of the year for our, uh, uh, response times. Now, that response time, uh, to get away from the confusion is our is our turnout time all the way to scene time. So, that's in uh, the page comes out our in route time. So, going from the station to the scene and checking out on scene um, have dropped by 40 49%. So that's a big number for us and and uh and we're very proud of that. So um on scene times 6 minutes and 45 seconds that's at 49%. What's important to know about that number is that's a mitigating piece of equipment. So that's an engine on scene in 6 minutes and 45 seconds. So fires, there's a hose. If the extrication is needed, there's tools so on. So that used to just be me. that was my number and then I'd wait another six, seven, eight, however long minutes for that piece of equipment to get there. So, um that's a big change for us and and a huge relief for me, I'll tell you. So, um 30 education uh public education events um in our uh time period from July 2nd to to um to uh December 31st last year. here in that time period. I looked today I kind of figured it out a little bit. Um we did three. So it's a big difference with our um with our staff being able to handle that stuff. Uh as I said earlier in in our uh in our uh work session the preliminary site inspections that number is wrong clearly. So 41 is our number there. And uh again that was something we've never been able to do before. So then our new uh fire and EMS training um education training has been implemented and and moving forward. So we're happy about that. So our statistics from uh September 1st to December 31st. Um this includes Credit River Spring Lake and Prior Lake. So our fires are always staying about the same. uh medical emergencies, obviously an increase from um 20 uh 2 to 23 in that time period. And then motor vehicle accidents, a little climb um but not a not a big change. Uh then uh January 1st to uh December 31st. Uh that's from the Did I do that right? I might have backed that up. Yeah. So, I don't know if the dates are right there. So, um September 31st or September 1st to December 31st, I believe. Yeah. So, this is the fires, emergencies, uh uh medicals and our motor vehicle accidents. So, um again, medicals have that uh have that um larger number from the previous year. total service from Prior Lake, Credit River, Spring Lake, and uh and um Prior Lake alto together um September uh 1st to December 31st again. So you see uh total calls were 535 up quite a bit from um from the previous year and again that's due to our medical response. And then last uh our total calls January 1st uh to December 31st of uh 2023, 1119 calls was our total for all districts. Um up quite a bit from from our uh number in 2022. So with that, I'll take any questions that you might have. Council, any questions? Seeing none, Chief, thank you so much for your presentation this morning. Have a good night. You as well, sir. Uh mayor, members of the council, appreciate the opportunity to update you uh from the PD side of things. Um and I think uh that total calls for service would still be for fire, so I'll collect here. Um, overall for our personnel update, uh, I have no wood to knock on here. However, I I would if I could. Uh, as of today, we made our final offer, uh, to our police commander candidate, uh, that has accepted, and that will mean at the moment we are at full staffing. If you have something you can knock on, I'd appreciate it given how personnel goes uh, in today's environment. So, we are at full staffing. Uh, with the promotions we just had, that leaves us with one officer currently in FTO. Um, and once that officer is at or I'm sorry, is off of FTO, we'll actually be at our full complement for sworn in terms of actually out providing service on the street, which is an excellent place to be. Um, uh, and so again, as that open commander position, that uh, was just changed as of today. Um, when we talk about our workload and key staffing initiatives, we've just begun that with council and city support to be able to dive deep and and analyze where our uh staffing workloads are, how we might be able to more intelligently and efficiently kind of spread that peanut butter and then have good uh discussions through this year in terms of what that might mean uh for our staffing uh throughout the year and uh into our strategic planning uh beyond. Uh we're also quite excited about our investigator ad. We were able to work within the budget that was there to add an investigator for the first time in Prior Lakes's history. We now have three. That uh additional investigator is going to help offset workload for some of the major cases like the homicide we're still working now. And additionally, that investigator will focus in parts in terms of how we might um more efficiently, intelligently work with mental health crises and the amount of workload that that places on the police department and the system as a whole. So, we'll be interested to kind of see how that work goes along the way in the year. and I'll provide you updates along that way. Uh when you look at our statistics, um generally, and I'm, uh happy to say this, uh quarter over quarter, we remain relatively unchanged. I'd certainly be happy to answer any specifics you have on the data, whether it be crashes or frauds or robberies and so on. But in this quarterly period, nothing that we would consider as any um big spike that would indicate areas for concern uh or um reductions that we would be able to perhaps analyze as reasons for uh for service uh providing. Uh when we look year-over-year, again, the numbers uh relatively stay the same. a little bit misleading when you look at something like burglary because the numbers so low in general even a drop of one or two would seem to indicate uh a large drop however again relative to the overall numbers so certainly again to happy uh answer any questions specific I do point out where you see the catalytic converters uh it's really difficult to answer the why there sometimes that has as much to do simply with makes and models of vehicles that are frequently out on the road sometimes it has to do with um whether to be very honest um this this city hasn't engaged in any specific enforcement or um education in that area because statewide there's been quite a bit and we've seen a benefit from that. Uh but seeing a reduction is always a good thing. Uh so that's why I would what I would provide you for context there. Um, again, any specific questions I'd be happy to answer on uh statistics year-over-year or anything from the police department, but I'll say uh from the public safety standpoint, the PD certainly appreciates uh the deep dive and support that this council continues to do in terms of its uh vocal support and uh stewarding the the financial resources of the city. We appreciate that question. Is there councelor Churchill? Yes. Thank you, Mayor. Um, just quick question about the criminal sexual conduct. It like almost doubled. Is there I mean is that just I mean it's not a lot it's not a large number anyway. I'm just wondering if there's a rationale for that more people reporting or councelor I appreciate uh that question and my first answer would have to be there's some some nuance in the numbers there. The criminal sexual conduct simply is a reporting. It doesn't mean a substantiation of an actual crime that had occurred. um we haven't seen anything in terms of a spike of an area or a family or anything of that nature and so again relative to the numbers that sometimes u is as simple as uh events that are being reported to us as that. I will also say it's a little bit difficult in the data sometimes a case might start out being reported that way then might change to something coded as a domestic. It's a difficulty within our reporting system to sometimes parse out. And so where what you see are the numbers here that may be initially reported as that and could then have been changed. Um as we move toward a new reporting system over the next couple years, we hope to be able to to glean a little bit more specifically into that data. A question I have for you, Chief, and let's focus on catalytic converter thefts. Memory serves having looked at these reports over the last um well few years some of these items come and go. Catalytic converters was not on a report I don't believe as recently as three years ago. As we see this decline is it time potentially for that item to depart the report. I I phrase the question. Conversely, um are there some other things that are popping up um again that aren't catalytic converter that you might want to draw our attention to? Um and I throw it out there really from the standpoint of as we look at these reports um and the items we report on, is there some opportunity to bring in some items as other items for whatever reason may diminish in the background? And I hold up catalytic converters as one of those items solely to simplify potentially the chart as well. Mr. Mayor, I appreciate that question and I think that's a a valid statement and the answer probably is yes. I think that could fall off our reporting for now. Um certainly uh what uh the council is interested in as a result of what your constituents say they might be interested in. I think that's really what drives the metrics that we'll place. Um the Cadillac converter thefts as exactly you said received and garnered a lot of public attention really nationwide over the last few years and I would guess I've been in uh conversation with Scott County LA resources who've seen the same generally and so if we were to replace that with another public matter of public interest I think that does make sense uh now I hope we are seeing that decline just to continue in the catalytic converters and so um would be certainly happy to entertain discussion with council as to you and our citizens might like to see. Mayor, manager Woodell, uh, mayor and counselors, as part of our discussion during agenda reviews leading up to this, we talked a lot about medical calls and and the previous presentation from Chief Steinhouse showed the the significant increase in the medicals that we're responding to now with our full-time fire. So what we've discussed as staff is next quarter adding more information related to medical calls. So you would have PD response, fire response and then the third leg of that being Alinai and our ambulance service. EMS is uh going to be a topic of discussion with our legislature at the state this year. So I think providing some information to our residents and so they can see how much time Alina is spending in town, how many calls they're going to. So adding that to our quarterly presentations is something that we anticipate bringing to the council moving forward. Um manager, thank you so much for your comments because I would actually suggest and obviously I'm going to look down the dis for support from council. you know, the aspect of taking a look at these reports, overall public safety, um, you know, as I know our medical response police so often is the first, uh, first safety officer on scene that then uh, fire comes in, right? And now we have EMT professionals there which frees up some capacity which to me provides a higher level of assurance for me as a citizen of Prior Lake knowing that if an event takes place at my household that not just the speed with which but also the level of training preparation and seeing that in our reports whatever that might look like without it right being a monumental exercise in how we slice our data. But the whole aspect of we have a singular ambulance provider in our community that serves well our Credit River partner and fire. What their response times are, what their calls for service are in our community. I I think our citizens should see those on a quarterly basis and I am hopeful that that is not added work for either of us but rather Alina this information is being requested on behalf of our community and to the extent with which council further supports that but also the what we see on these reports um to your point u needs to be relevant to the things that we're hearing from our community. So, you know, manager Wedell, if you undertake a review of what we have and maybe some mockups, what we might see in three months for the first quarter of 2024 and a new look, how we see this information, I think could be wonderful for us. Yes, sir. If I could, Mr. Mayor, I I think that's an excellent conversation. Chief Syos and I have discussed it and I think what that might afford an opportunity is for uh council for public safety department heads to speak on what the context behind those numbers is that as with any metrics that becomes very important. It's easy to see a number and accept that as is the context and nuance behind it is is nuanced and uh would be quite important. So uh certainly would look forward to being able to start that discussion. Thank you. Thank you very much council. That brings us to um our council member Leia's own updates. Um and if I could direct us to Council Member Lake. Council member Lake. Yes. Uh mayor and counselors. On January 12th, I attended the scale general meeting and on January 19th I had my agenda review and on January 20th I attended the Dave Crommy retirement at BFW. Thank you, Mr. Lake. Um, Council Member Churchill. Thank you, Mayor. On the 10th, I attended the uh Chamber of Commerce board meeting. On the 12th, I went to the scale general um meeting. On the 18th, I had my CEC meeting. The 19th was my agenda review and today I had the local advisory council on mental health meeting. Thank you, councelor Churchill. Council member Burkart, mayor, members of the council. January 11th, I had Highway 169 Quarter Coalition board meeting. On January 19th, my agenda review. On January 20th, I attended the retirement open house for Dave Grommy. January 22nd at Minnesota Valley Transit Association Management Committee meeting. And uh also want to give a uh happy birthday to Senator Eric Pratt who turned 60 today. Congratulations, Senator. Boy, there was a lot of information delivered there. Council member Bray, mayor, members of the council, on 116 the prior Lake Spring Lake wershed had a meeting and I uh 119 I attended my agenda review. Uh council, my update is uh attended the municipal legislative commission legislative breakfast on the 12th of January along with manager Wedell. um attended the Martin Luther King Day um annual event now the third year at the uh at the high school in partnership with the Rotary Club and um the school district and city of Credit River and Spring Lake Township. Great event and also enjoyed the um commemorating the Dave Chromy day in Prior Lake at the VFW on the 20th of January. Manager Wedell, is there anything you'd like to add? Uh, mayor, I have nothing further to add this evening. Thank you. With that, I would move to adjurnn. Second. We have a motion to adjurnn by council member Churchill and a second by council member Brad. All those in favor say I. I. I. And that motion carries. We are adjourned at 7:43.