[0:53] Call the city council regular meeting to order for Monday, February 2nd, 2026. So everyone please stand for the pledge of >> allegiance [1:06] 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. [1:22] >> Call the roll please. >> Council member Wilson >> here. Council member Gordes >> here. Mayor Hoy >> here. >> Council member Bernett >> here. Council member Lean >> here. >> All right. Any changes to the agenda? Nick Holly. >> All right. Seeing no changes to the agenda, I'd seek a motion to approve. [1:38] >> Motion second. >> Motion by Steve, second by Jake. All in favor say I. >> I. >> All right. First item is our announcements. 51 will be our administration annual presentation. David [2:06] Thank you, Mr. Mayor, council on this opportunity to give a update on uh everything that went on in the administration department in 2025. Um with all the transition that occurred in 2025, we didn't get an opportunity to present. So I decided that I would go first this year as the departments go through their annual updates. [2:29] Uh so a little bit first about the department's makeup. So there are six divisions within the administration department. Uh that' be the city administrator's office, reception, city clerk, communications, human resources, and municipal liquor. Uh we have a number of team members uh in the department obviously made up of uh city administrator myself our senior administrative support technician Karina Short who is our receptionist uh city clerk Shirley Buler, communication specialist Karin Hajniki, human resources manager Samantha Hazelig uh with her team uh HR specialist Terry Wilson and payroll specialist Patty Ridley. And then we have liquor operations uh manager Josh Solinger and he's got uh four full-time staff underneath him which we have liquor [3:15] store manager Dave Trius and then two full-time liquor store clerks Scott Hansen and Jake Zeller and then we have 16 part-time liquor store clerks. I also want to give a shout out to uh Tim and his team with the Apple Valley Farmington Rosemont cable commission. Uh they provide us with a lot of great communications and AV services including editing all the videos uh that you see that the city posts throughout the year. [3:41] Um do they do a lot of our drone footage that you'll see and they also do all the production for our all of our um council and committee meetings as well. Um starting off with a little reception. Um Karina I kind of call her the face of Farmington. her along with with the Melissa Geese who falls under community development, but they're the two ladies that sit at the front desk and greet everyone as they come into city hall. Um she is your pretty much your point for pretty much anything Farmington. If you call, she's most likely the person that's going to answer the phone. Um she does a lot of duties for a lot of different people. Uh she works with finance and doing utility billing and accounts receivable receiping. She does all our incoming and outgoing mail for city hall. She provides notary services [4:28] at no cost to the public. I think she said today she did five just today. Um she did she handles all the ordering and maintaining of office supplies also working with the city clerk on that. She provides support to municipal liquor. She provides support to the parks and recreation department. She provide support to elections. And then she also serves as the permit technician backup um when Melissa is out. [4:57] the city clerk. Um, first I want to start off with uh we do have two retirements in our department in 2026. One of those being Shirley who will be retiring in the spring. Uh we have begun the recruitment process for her replacement. And with that, I just wanted to take a quick moment before we jump into her accomplishments uh in 2025 just to talk a little bit about what a city clerk does. Um, a city clerk is actually a statutoily required position. [5:28] So, cities must have a designated city clerk. Um, taken right out of the League of Minnesota cities handbook, the city clerk has numerous responsibilities. Some duties are found found in general areas of law such as state elections. Others are scattered throughout the statute setting forth a specific process or procedure the clerk must follow. Um some of those higher level duties that the city clerk um must do is the the clerk is the keeper of the official minutes containing city council procedure uh proceedings. The clerk is the keeper of the code of ordinances. [6:02] They're the custodian of the city's seal and records, signatory of all official papers, and the chief election official. Some of the regular duties uh that the clerk especially in Farmington will do is administering all municipal, school district, county, state and federal. [6:22] It also uh requires managing six different precincts. Um making sure we have locations for those, managing the elections equipment and um working with human resources to hire and train over 70 election judges in any given election cycle. [6:39] uh recording and maintaining of all city council and EDA meeting minutes, official documents and oath of maintaining the code of ordinances, processing data requests and issuing in compliance of liquor, tobacco, cannabis, gambling, outdoor ex exhibition, solicitor, peddler, trans transient merchant, special waste hauler licenses. [7:03] So the city clerk really is a critical function in the operation of municipal government. Uh some of Shirley's accomplishments in 2025 include the digitizing of public records. Um so the city enacted laser fish a number of years ago um and to get rid of a lot of the paper um and go digital to make it one it'll last longer digital than it will as paper but also make it more accessible to the public. [7:29] So all of our digitized records that Shirley has digitized actually is available um to the public through the city's website. So that includes digitizing city council agendas dating back all the way to 1969, council meeting minutes going back to 1947, EDA agendas and minutes going back to 1983. [7:48] All our newspaper affidavit, so those are for um things like when we make a if call for a public hearing for an ordinance. Um it maybe has to do with elections, any of those required affidavit by state statute dating back to 1964. [8:04] and then numerous other documents and records of historical value. Um, one thing we do every spring, we do a spring uh cleanup day for Earth Day. Um, and I know a couple of years ago, uh, Shirley organizes that. Uh, we brought shredded in, got shredded bins, and I think like two years ago we had seven if I remember last year we were down to three and I'm thinking at this point we're going to be down even less that. And that's across all our departments here in city hall. [8:29] So, Shirley's done a really good job um and championing getting getting our records digitized. Uh she processed 51 data requests. Um she updated the data practices policy, processed 98 um liquor, tobacco, gambling, outdoor exhibition, solicitor, peddler, transient merchant, and special waste hauler permits. Uh she led the drafting of ordinance 20 2024 tact 13. [8:54] So, as a reminder, that was our the big tobacco uh cannabis ordinance um that we had to pass for cannabis licensing so that we were in compliance with state statute and the new cannabis laws. She issued 25 oaths of office across council, our boards and commissions, firefighters and police officers. She coordinated the recruitment process and appointment of citizens to the city's boards and commissions. um as well as also uh did our annual um recognition um reception and she along with other clerks throughout the county worked with the Dakota County Elections team on the selection of new elections equipment that will go into um effect for the 2026 election with Shirley retiring just some of we [9:40] don't have a lot of goals some of those new goals will come to the new clerk um but she is working on succession planning for the new clerk to make sure there's a a smooth transition Um and then we have obviously the biggest thing um Shirley is already kicking off now and then moving into um her successor will be the administration of the 2026 primary and general elections. [10:05] Moving on to communications. Um some of the accomplishments in communications this year, uh Krin nominated the city for two different awards with the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators. Uh, and we got we were awarded two awards. Um, we were awarded the Northern Lights Award. That's their highest award for the Josh Mania promotional video. That was from July of 2024. I think many people saw that on um Facebook. And then a Northern Lights Bronze Award for our website redesign. [10:36] Uh, she began working with it on um implementing accessibility software. So, we are in compliance with the new accessibility laws that will go in effect in 2027. uh creating templates for most city media posts. Um so whoever is going to be posting um whether it's someone from police, fire, parks, and wreck um there's easy templates that people can use for those posts. Um implemented a communications committee that involves the different departments. [11:04] Um, some of the other highlights, uh, is we, uh, the Farmington Police Department, uh, reached 10.9 million views on one Facebook post. Uh, you can see that right there. Uh, when you got cute moose there, it's kind of, uh, hard to not hit that kind of a number. Uh, we saw a 211% increase in Notify me subscriptions. So, Notify Me includes everything from Farmington Fix and all the different ways people can go on there and they can get email or text notifications um for different um things around the city. [11:38] Even that that can go from um every time a board uh an agenda packet is published, Farmington fix, different things. We saw a 28.22% increase in our Farmington feed downloads. uh the police department Facebook page saw over 6,000 new followers and then she working again with Tim and his team produced 77 videos. Uh some of Krin's 2026 goals include coordinating uh again with Tim and his team and other um countywide agencies um to do some kind of uh department um campaign. [12:17] Um increase monthly reporting for our different pages. um increase tracking of links and QR codes that we have and see make sure we're you know we're getting everything is working um to the best and and um benefiting our residents. Um looking at our website again where where are we seeing the most traffic for our website and then continue to increase the notify me subscribers onto human resources. Um, as I mentioned, you approved just uh two months ago. We have a new team member um who's only four weeks in, Samantha, our our new human resources manager. [12:52] Normally, she would come at at this point, but considering that she's only four weeks into the job, I said I'd give her a pass this year and I'll go through some of the human resources things. Uh, a lot of um accomplishments in human resources in 2025. Um, including system upgrades and process improvements. So that means I was part working with finance on the BSNA implementation. So HR's part of that was uh payroll personnel files, personnel records, um our HIS software and that's something also you'll see the goals continuing building that out. Um we implemented benefits connect through integrity um who is our ancillary benefits provider. [13:31] This allowed us to do um digital online open enrollment for the first time up until this year or benefit year 26. Uh open enrollment was done on paper. Um so we were able to do it online and made things a lot more uh go smoothly a little more transparent um to employees as well as they're electing their benefits. [13:54] And then we also um implemented med worked with MedShurity who is now doing all of our Cobra management. Um sure uh Terry was doing that herself. Um Cobra is one of those things where uh the requirements just keep on increasing. And we kept hearing from um our brokers and such that we really should look at doing a third party one. It would take um the a lot of burden off of our staff but also making sure and would ensure that we m remain compliant. Uh because when it comes from COBRA, it's not just something that a lot of times people think COBRA when you leave employment. [14:26] Um but there are things you have to be doing every single year. You have to be informing people about COBRA when they start. Um so we have to make sure um we are staying compliant on those things and Medur is helping us do that as well as processing anyone who is on COBRA um processing that managing that for us. [14:44] We changed our health insurance broker. Uh implemented the Minnesota paid family medical leave. Uh spent a lot of time last year talking that getting ready for that. Uh that went in effect in January 1. Um and we'll actually be having our first employee go out you to implementing that or using that um in I think in just a few weeks. [15:05] Coordinated 34 recruitments uh that include 14 seasonal positions, 15 full-time positions, and five part-time positions. And those are just positions. Um sometimes there might have been multiple recruitments for the same position. So that's when you look at the number of employees we actually onboarded. So 34 recruitments, 83 new employees, and six promotions. 51 of those being seasonal staff, 21 full-time staff, and 17 part-time staff. Um, human resources worked handinhand with the fire department um, in getting full-time fire put together and running and led that hiring process. Obviously, we created the HR manager position. Again, thank you for council for that support. [15:49] Uh, we negotiated four union contracts that all went into effect on January 1st. And I do want to thank especially Terry and Patty for all of their really hard work. Um, you know, again, we we went through a lot of transition period of literally the last 18 months um between the transition um when when Julie Flattton retired and and me and then the time um we had with the administrator this this summer um and they really stepped up um and really kept helped me helped Lynn keep things moving during those transition times. So, I really want to thank them for that. [16:26] Uh they also have a lot of goals this year. um continued system and process improvements. Again, BSNA that launched on December 2nd. Um we're still working through that. It seems like every payroll or there's something little tweak we're working through. And um even once we get things smooth sailing, we're going to be looking at okay, how what are ways that um we can use this this software even more than we are today. Um and make the best out of that investment. [16:51] Uh 2025 pay equity reporting that was due. Um, it's actually on the consent account us consent agenda for your approval. Um, Sam stepped in right away and took that on and got that uh done. So, I thank you for that, Sam. So, I didn't have to do that. Um, we do have one union uh one union contract that still is in negotiations with our captain's bargaining unit. We are in negotiations of that right now. Um, other things that we are planning on kicking off yet this year include a update of our personnel policy, um, a compensation and classification study. [17:25] Uh, again, we mentioned we have the two retirements I mentioned. Uh, Shirley is retiring at the end of April. Then Patty will also be retiring at the beginning of May. So, we'll have to be replacing those two uh, key members of our team. And then they're going to be doing a lot of recruitments. So, some of the recruitments we know of, uh, they're working with public works right now to fill a vacant public works, public works worker position. Mentioned the city clerk position is posted. Uh, payroll specialist. We have a patrol officer uh position that'll be uh I think it just got posted. Um, we'll also be hiring another uh engineering technician, uh, numerous elections staff over the next couple months, an assistant finance director, and we'll see who else [18:12] depending on any vacancies that we have throughout the year. So, with that, I'm now going to turn it over to Josh, who gets to talk about municipal liquor. [18:30] Hello uh leadership team. My name is Josh Solinger. I am your liquor operations manager. Uh 2025 was a unique year for Farmington Liquers. I'll get into that a little bit here. Uh key performance indicators. Our combined sales uh were $7.6 million which represents a decrease of nearly a percent. Our profits reached almost $1.9 million which represents nearly uh 1% increase. Our customer account uh we had 260,000 unique transactions. That's a decrease of about a percent. And our average ticket was $2953, which was an increase over 2024. On the right hand side, we've got a department breakdown. I've shared this data with you before. We saw some unique things [19:15] happen in 2025, and I'll tell you a little bit more about those now. So, when I started in 2021, I came in from outside the liquor industry. So, I sought out any advice I could get from anybody. And the one thing that everybody that everybody told me was that the only constant is change. And I was like, that's really cute because that's like life in general. So, like whatever. Didn't really take too much uh take too much stock in that. But I was super naive. So, 2021 we saw the rise of seltzers and that was great. They created a category. 2022 was a rise of craft beer and 2023 was the resurgence of bourbon and 2024 was canned cocktails. So, we're seeing these changes year-over-year. 2025 we had two seismic shifts in our business. Uh first [20:02] one being THC beverages. Um we introduced THC beverages in August or I'm sorry, June of 2023. And you can see my cute little three-foot set there that I was super proud of. like we are in this business and we were on the cutting edge of this business and now it represents 16 feet in each of our stores. 16 feet all the way across and business keeps booming. So our first year we were up big. Last year we were up 41% over 21 2024 which is a really big deal and so far January again up. So that's something we're keeping an eye on. We want to invest more space and time into that category, but there's some uncertainty with that. Um, we'll see what happens in November. [20:49] The other big one is NA beverages. So, we've had a 33% increase in that category since 2023. Uh, we decided that we were going to invest more space and more inventory dollars into that because we noticed it was an emerging category and we wanted to be on the cutting edge of that. It's paid off for us big time and we've got more space allocated for those products that will be uh realized in 2026. [21:14] Uh released in 2025 was our 2023 state auditor report. Uh they're always like a year and a half behind. There's a lot of data to sift through. Uh but ranking by gross sales, we cracked the top 20 for the first time ever. This is a big deal. This is out of 176 on and off sale municipal liquor stores and bars. [21:34] ranking by uh net profit as a percentage of sales. We cracked the top 50 for the first time ever. So, we're profitable. Um, and we're we keep climbing and we're beating on sale and their margins are always much higher than ours. So, we're we've got a lot of really positive momentum going here. [21:56] We've raised over $20,000 for the uh Farmington PD's K9 unit and Toys for Town. That is all roundup donations and silent auction donations at our store. So, this has nothing to do with our profits. We're not allocating profits to these guys. That's all from our great customer base in town. [22:16] We kicked off our inaugural tasting series event. So, our old way of doing tasting events was stale. We weren't getting any sales out of it. It was a lot of work. So, we needed to rethink things. And I thought, well, November is a really big month for us. let's do instore tastings. And we did instore tastings every Monday throughout the month of November. And we had targeted tastings. So we had wine one week, we had bourbon one week, we had spirits one week. Um and we noticed that uh there was a 12% increase in sales and 11% increase in customer accounts versus 2024, same day. We're going to do that again in 2026 uh starting in the spring and then we'll do another one in the fall. [23:02] Farmington Liquors is award-winning. Uh we won the 2025 Minnesota Municipal Beverage Associ Association award for best innovation. And then as you said, we won the award from the MAGC for best use of humor in a video. [23:18] Our glow up. Uh we're incrementally glowing up. Uh at our downtown location, we put in new shelving in our beer cave. Uh, it allowed us to have 90 more facings of products inside of our beer cave. So, uh, all of our RTDs, that big category from 2024, is now cold. We also installed new, uh, doors at our pilot knob location, uh, for our coolers. [23:44] They're energy efficient, they're brighter, and they're safer. Looking ahead to 2026, we had a record setting holiday season in 2025 and we had really strong sales to start out this year. So, I'm really confident and really excited to see where we're going to go this year. We're going to monitor THC and see what happens with the with the feds if they're going to figure something out by November or if we're going to have to put that entire category on hold. Uh we're going to plan and execute our spring and summer tasting series. Our team is really strong and we're really excited for the skate park. That's it from me. [24:26] >> So that mayor and council, we'll take any questions that you have. Myself, Josh Sam. >> Thanks, sir. Steve, >> boy, that was just a really nice report, David. So, thank you. Thanks, Josh. Thanks Sam. >> Everybody who was part of it. [24:43] >> Okay, no questions. Just to to echo what Steve said, thank you all for your presentation tonight. >> Holly, >> um I just I like hearing [snorts] um and being reminded of all of the work that goes on behind the scenes. I think a lot of times uh we at least I I won't speak for my peers. I forget that this is a um not even a full-time career, but a a lifestyle for people that work in um city government. that there's just so much about this that's ingrained in who you are as people and that comes through when you see all of the different parts of the city that you touch that nobody gets to see and the things that happen behind the scenes. So, I I just enjoy that part of it and um it was it was fun to see what happened in 25. So, thank [25:29] you, >> Nick. >> Um like [clears throat] I always appreciate Josh when you come in here give the update. It's always exciting to see where you're going, how it's growing. You know, I know it looks flat, but it's I always think you're getting better year over year. Um, you're aging like a fine wine, if I can say it that way right? [25:46] >> Um, I guess the only question I would know is do you have any teasers for what's going to one up Josh Mania? >> No. No. I let it come naturally. >> Okay. >> They bust out a cooking up there right now. So, all right. Thank you. For those that don't know, the Josh Mania video was for Hulk Hogan's release, his beer. [26:07] >> Real American beer. >> Yep. And if you have not seen it, you should go watch it because it it is very entertaining. >> I I'm an idiot. [laughter] That's what it boils down to. >> You are an enthusiastic personality and much appreciated. >> Yeah, you got it. >> Um, no, like my peers all mentioned, it's a lot to cover and I know that those are bullet points, right? There's there's the day-to-day grind of the implementation of each one of the changes and as we just discussed in our work session um all the changes in automation within GIS and our updates on EAB um you know software and human resources and benefits isn't pretty to the public. It's nobody sees it right. [26:46] Um there's a lot of things that happen at city hall that are streamlining efficiencies. Um you know pushing out old strategies or old concepts. Um at the end of the day it's to deliver the highest level of core services in all departments across the city. And I believe we continue to achieve that year-over-year. um and your your review of 2025 and um liquor even before that. [27:11] It's just it's a testament to the the work of the entire team um in multiple departments. So um I I especially appreciate your um your tribute to to Shirley and the amount of work that um Shirley as our city clerk undertakes every single day and and the larger burden that the city clerk carries. Um, I don't think a lot of people realize that there is one stop when it comes to charitable gambling and elections, right? It does fall at the feet of the city clerk. The city clerk is not a backfilled part-time administrative position. It is it is a significant role within our city. Uh, and even in the short tenure that Shirley has been with us, um, she will be deeply missed and very very large shoes to fill. So, we'll [27:58] get more into this celebratory later. We got a few months, but um I I do appreciate how you how you went out of your way to um commend her and put emphasis on the work that she does every day. So, thank you both and to the entire teams very much. Thank you. [28:21] >> Our next item on the agenda is citizen comments. Uh, citizen comments is a time for anyone to adjust to the city council on matters not on the agenda. Those speaking should state their name and their address and limit their comments to five minutes. Uh, this limit will be strictly adhered to regardless to the nature of your comment. The council will not engage in discussion on your topic, but those requiring a response will be responded to um by a future city council meeting. Anyone wishing to speak, please come up and do so at this time. [28:51] And for those that were not either watching or listening last week, we have implemented a timer um to ensure that we have consistency for all speakers. >> Um I just wanted to start off by introducing myself for those of you who don't know me. I'm Ka Angerman. I'm 13 years old. I'm proud to play hockey for the Hastings boysa team and I'm a seventh grader at Hastings Middle School. [29:16] I'm here tonight because of a meeting that I'm in on January 5th, 2026. During this meeting, one of my family's good friends, Steven, who's also a retired firefighter for the Farmington Fire Department, made a speech about mental health. The board, unfortunately, did not seem interested in his speech, judging by the looks on their faces. You even come off in the middle of him talking about his own suicide plan. [29:38] Steven went in front of the board and the people he loved and poured his heart out, not only for himself, but for other first responders that need help. I personally find it ironic how prior to Steven's speech, everyone was preaching about how important it is to say thanks and give praise to our first responders and how important kindness is. But it's awfully sad that me, a 13-year-old girl, can confidently say that what the board showed to me during his speech was not kindness. [30:01] Now, I'll talk about something I saw at school during late fifth grade. I saw a quote, and this quote never really clicked in my head until I heard Steven's speech. It said, "You never know what's going on inside someone else's head until you live their life. So carry kindness with you like your heart because you never know the silent battles that someone else is fighting. I would like everybody to realize that said silent battles. You can't see mental health, but it's definitely there. [clears throat] Additionally, I want you to be in our shoes, but not fully because you can never fully think about what people like Steven went through and are going through. But instead, I want you to think of it as though Steven was your brother, fiance, son, or one heck of a friend. I want you to think about how hard it is to hear that he has his own suicide planned out. [30:44] I want to share a quote from the mayor during that meeting on January 5th and some thoughts on it. We're talking about the amazing act that Tiffany Gleason and Jod did performing CPR to save someone's life. He said, "I could never imagine doing this to a loved one, but that's exactly what Steven did. Tiffany and Joey definitely deserve the thanks that they're getting, but Mr. Mayor, what happens when things might not go the way we want? You sing praises when the outcome is rainbows and butterflies, but when someone's life is lost, you turn your back on the first responder that needs you most. Even Holly mentioned, and I quote, "So, thank you every day whether the outcome is what we want or if it's less than what we want." Let Steven heard no thank yous. [31:23] The mayor and other council members mentioned at the meeting that they hope Tiffany and Jod watch the meeting and hear the praises and support from their city council and their community. Do you also hope they watch the next part of that meeting? when you cut off Steven in the middle of his speech or when you snuck out the back door after the meeting one by one to avoid having to talk to any of us waiting outside the room. [31:44] One quote that stuck me from Steven's speech is words are easy, actions matter. The University of Texas reports that 72% of first responders experience depression, up to 37% experience PTSD, and 16% experienced thoughts of suicide. [32:02] Steven is not alone. Pete's AJ Jack was now alone. These are just the ones that have caught your attention. Please consider implementing change in your city that will better support these men and women that have raised their hands to help us when they need it most. It's time for us to raise our hands and help them when they need it most. We are not here to criticize the board or the city of Farmington for the things that they did not do. We are here number one for Steven, but number two for the change that we want for all of our first responders that need help. I did watch the meeting from January 20th which I was unable to attend. I'm glad seems like conversations are starting to happen and I hope this is the start of meaningful change. The fire chief said that they had various programs for struggling first responders that need help and that they fully support our first responders. But if that's true, [32:48] then why is Steven no longer a firefighter? Mr. Mayor, you said directly to Steven during that meeting on the 20th that you support Steven from hearing his health struggles and hearing him talk about it. But then how was the 2019 fair of the year sent a letter saying that he had to resign or be fired? [33:06] And if you understood what Steven was going through, then why didn't you talk to him about it? And why didn't you help him? And also, when he did have to resign, did you check up on him, work with him, or even just simply ask about how he was feeling about the whole situation? [33:24] I have one last question, not for the board, but for the people in the audience and everybody watching at home. If Steven was the 2019 Fairfare of the Year, who worked his way up to Lieutenant, packaged over 10,000 Easter eggs for the community Easter egg hunt, and has saved many lives, then why is he not on the fire department today? [33:47] Words are easy. Actions matter. >> [applause] [34:13] >> I'm Kathy Johnson. I live at 22280 Bar, excuse me, Beering Avenue, Farmington. um in a December 30th, 2025 interview with Olivia Worchester, who's a journalist with a local um not local, statewide um business journal. [34:33] Representative Patty Akum is championed smart regulations for hypers scale data centers. Patty Achim is the co-chair of the House Energy Committee for the state of Minnesota. She's concerned about many things, among which are Minnesota state tax giveaway as incentives for data centers from the tax coffers and right into the pockets of powerful tech companies. Real environmental protection coordinated with the DNR instead of working solely with municipalities for water permits. [35:04] She's concerned about the need for thorough environmental reviews instead of the AUR and this is a quote which has shared dismay across the aisle from legislators as a less than effective environmental review. No resident input because of NDAs which should not be allowed after the land prices negotiated. [35:26] Who does representative AOM point to as a great example of problematic planning? She points specifically to the city of Farmington and the location of tracks data center on a former golf course. Direct quote, "Is it appropriate to put a data center on a golf course that is completely surrounded by residential zoning? That makes zero sense to me. [35:50] That's because it makes zero sense. But the mayor and city council are clearly working for the best interest of an out ofstate developer. a developer who wants to meet big bucks and then leave town with the risk borne by local residents who Huite and the council are claiming to represent. [36:10] When the chair of the Minnesota House of Representatives educate um energy committee singles out Farmington's planned data centers as one that makes zero sense, I'd say our town led by Mayor Hoy is developing quite a reputation at the state legislature and not one that should be you should be proud of. Thank you. [36:53] Hi, Nancy Arstead. Bowont Avenue. This is a photo taken from Highway 42 north of the Meta Data Center in Rosemont under construction. This is what it looks like right now at night. This is only one-third the size of the planned Farmington campus. I respectfully ask that your camera person expand view so those at home can see this. The sky is washed out. The horizon is glowing. This is light pollution on a scale that most residents have never experienced. The building set back here is 900 feet from this spot. 900. That's three football fields. Even at this distance, look at the intense light. [37:34] This is a photo. The next one is taken from the west. The building setback from this point is 1,395. And yet, look at what it looks like. The building will be four and a half football fields away from this road. The problem, what you approved here for us is a mere 250 foot building setback right next to homes. [37:59] Your decision was to push an industrialcale construction site and its lighting into the daily lives of families who did not sign up to live next to an all-night stadium. And here's the part that everyone in Farmington should know. The city has confirmed there are no light limits and no noise limits for residents during construction. 5 to 10 years estimate. None. No enforceable standards. No requirement that lights be shielded. No decibel caps. And after construction, continued bright permanent security lighting all over the campus. [38:35] When you voted this in, you didn't just approve the project. You approved the suffering that comes with it. And then you made sure residents had no practical remedy. And that's why there's a lawsuit. Let's talk about what 250 ft mean. The enormous 50- foot tall buildings, which will each cover a footprint of almost five football fields, and we'll get 10 to 12 of them, will be set a mere 250 ft back, but the lights won't be. Construction lighting goes where the work is all along the perimeter, near cranes, truck routes, storage, wherever the crews need it. [39:10] Would you want to live next to this? And then comes the permanent lighting. Those lights will end up far closer than the setback number. I'm asking for a council member to step up and make some motions. Will anyone move to direct staff to change your zoning rules so that data centers are not a not in a permitted use in MUCI and instead are limited to industrial zoning because this is industrial. [39:38] Have that conversation. Ask staff to create some design standards for data centers to protect Farmington residents from future developers. Protect the people. That's what I'm asking you to do. Who will do it? Second, the extension for tracks final plat is coming up on May 18th, 2026. And I already know what we're going to hear. [40:00] This is standard. Extensions are routine. No. If the plat isn't recorded, the approval becomes void unless you grant an extension. It's not automatic. It allows renegotiation. That is why extensions exist. [40:16] A lot has changed in the last two years. We have clear evidence of what these projects bring. Light pollution, heavy construction impacts, noise, and quality of quality of life damage that residents are forced to absorb. So granting an exception ex an extension on a plat almost two years later is not routine. [40:36] Your residents deserve better. If tract wants to move forward, they can come back with terms that actually protect people. Use this moment. Do not extend the plat. Make them renegotiate and then initiate a putt amendment too. [40:52] Protect protect the people. This is your job. Who is going to do it? The if tracked is serious about being good neighbors, they should be willing to accept updated conditions that reflect today's reality. Send them these photos. I will email them all to you tonight. [41:13] Imagine moving this line all the way up to here and then imagine you live next to it. That's what you are doing to us. Rosemont gets 900 ft from a highway. We get 250 ft from a bedroom window. [41:30] Don't extend the plat. Renegotiate it for the people you serve. Please care. Thank you. [41:50] Good evening. My name is Jeff Shhatler. I live at 22420 Calico Court, Farmington, Minnesota. I'm here to talk about the Farmington Technology Park. No residents are in harm's way without a data center. You put this data center in residential neighborhoods, you're putting residents directly in the path of harm. Think about that. No residents are in harm's way without it. Your budget might be. People aren't. You put this in a neighborhood, residents are in harm's way. little kids. [42:23] This picture is from the Meta facility in Rosemont. It was taken around a month ago from over 1300 feet away. Please look at this. Do you see the never-ending glare through the trees and BMS? At 1300 ft, the light is an uncomfortable reality you're introducing into residential areas, but at only 250 ft. What do you imagine a facility three times the size of Meta with less than a third of the buffers and setbacks will look like in residential? [42:50] Do you think they will only light up a building at 250 ft away from homes? Or do you think they will light up the entire parcel from corner to corner like they are allowed to unrestricted during the 5 to 10 year construction period? Can you picture daylight for 5 to 10 years in your neighborhoods? Imagine a heavy industrial construction site three times the size of meta literally starting at your fence in your backyards. Is that okay or acceptable in your residential neighborhoods for 5 to 10 years? Think of your children here. [43:21] We're thinking of our children here. You are not. Businesses across Minnesota and the country experienced power issues and power curtailment over the last week and a half due to extreme low temperatures. Hospitals, refineries, and other businesses all over Minnesota have been forced to run generators for almost a week straight. Dakota Electric, Great and Great River Energy issued warnings to reduce your total power consumption due to a fragile and strain grid along with transmissions transmission issues during the extreme cold. Now, Dakota Electric and Great River Energy have promised power to the Canon Falls Technology Park as well. What will happen once it's built and we experience these same power shortage issues? I'll tell you, we'll see smoke roll out of 250 diesel generators. will hear the obnoxious hum from their exhaust and the [44:08] crackling buzz of the generation of 700 megawatts of power in the middle of two neighborhoods. The generators will produce more power than the Monaceel nuclear plant. Are you seriously okay with that in a residential setting? The dangers associated with generating that much power are not conducive or safe to residential living. How well will all of your family sleep at night with 250 generators the size of semi semis running? They'll all run each time there's a power struggle. You'll soon be asked to grant another extension to track. They need you to extend the recording of the final platin. Deny this request. Make them start over or go away. We are your residents. We make Farmington the amazing place it is to [44:53] live in, not them. We're your neighbors, your people, and we'll fight to protect our families and yours. Look at the data, Josh. 33% of tech parks are going to self-generate power by 2030. They're going to self-generate power by 2030. Are you going to allow them to self-generate 700 megawatts of power in a residential environment next to homes? [45:19] Will we get a turbine generator next? Maybe some small nuke plants. Get real. This is exactly why zoning and the approved land use terminology needs to be updated. This is clearly a heavy industrial project by all measures of size and resource consumption and belong in a heavy industrial area. Put a moratorum on them while this PUB and plant are not recorded because then they are affected. Have them come back and do something responsible. Our fire department, by absolutely no fault of their own, is not prepared, trained, or equipped with the right tools, products, or knowledge to fight a fire that can include over 1 million gallons of diesel fuel, 700 megawatt capable battery backup systems. An electrical fire on [46:04] something of this scale. You simply cannot protect us from the size of disaster that something like this can create this close to our homes. The safety of residents needs to outweigh your desires for additional revenue. Why don't you look up the evacuation distance when these lithium battery backup systems start on fire? Look it up. They're going to put these battery backup systems 700 megawatt capable in a residential neighborhood. Look up the evacuation distance and what's safe. [46:34] You're not even allowing enough room for a first responder. They can't even stand in my yard when one of these system lights on fire because that's too close for the initial fire. What? What do you have? Some common sense. Don't renew this application. Get them to go back. [47:13] Terry Pearson, 2475 225th Street West. This is a photo of the meta site in Rosemont taken 500 ft from the substation. Now, according to the proposed Farmington Technology Park layout, there could be a substation three times that size 50 ft from my property line. H I went in search of distances that were 50 ft because I can't quite figure out what that is. So, this chamber from back to front may be 50 or 60 feet. [47:52] uh a threecar garage if you had two threecar garages end to end would be wider than 50 ft. Fourcar lanes on an interstate highway are approximately 50 ft. That's without the turn lanes and etc. So one very clear example to help visualize this distance is that of a baseball diamond. [48:15] I think everybody knows what that looks like. and it's 90 feet square with a pitcher mound that is 60 feet from home base. In sixth grade, my record softball throw was 95 ft. [48:30] I'm decades older and could probably throw a ball only half as far as my record throw. So, if I stood on my property line and threw the ball 50 ft toward the proposed substation in the te technology park substation, it would hit it. And this should be example enough that the substation is dangerously close to residential homes. [48:57] Who would allow that? Who would live there? Would any of you [49:10] >> [laughter] >> David Pritzoff, 2025 [clears throat] 20255 Aken Road. January 20th, I attended a coalition meeting in Apple Valley. Um, just to point out, I didn't see any of the council members there. Uh, but we listened to some good people talk about electric. If we're going to have blackouts as as Jeff and these people are saying, we're gonna they're going to make their own electricity in the future. We don't have that now. Why do why do we want to put ourselves into that? I mean, we're a small community and you hear of California having blackouts in other states. We don't need to create that here. Um, we also talk uh there's also people talking about the water and how much water that that [49:57] facility is going to use. And I I brought up to them, City of Farmington is on a water restriction. I couldn't I can't water my grass between 12 and six o'clock and I can only do it on odd even days. These people will be pumping water 247 365 days a year. [50:21] they get that. Okay, I suggest everybody water their grass anytime. That's just pulling water out of the aquafers like there's no tomorrow. If you're not going to put any limits on that, you don't see the light of day. Also brought up that, but I brought this up at one other meeting. Apparently, you really don't care about the heritage of Farmington because I got a I got a good feeling that you suck that mon that much water out of the aquifers. You can say goodbye to the trout stream that we're known for. That's our heritage. Goes back longer than any of us have been alive and you're willing to throw that down the down the tubes. That's ridiculous. [51:05] I got a request for you. like to have the the coalition with the people that were there at that meeting. Have it set up here at a meeting and have you people listen to the sound of a half of what this was what this would sound like a half a mile away from this data center. [51:29] City of Farmington has a um a noise ordinance, I believe. Right. All I need is I don't want to get in debate. I just need a show of a hand or a head. If I were to go out and start working as as a business, my business and running my gas uh powered air compressor, if I did that six o'clock in the morning, would I be in violation of the noise ordinance? [51:57] Simply yes or no. It's not not a debate. Would I be in violation of the ordinance? Okay. Well, there is a noise ordinance and I can tell you that when I was on the council, we had over on Highway 50 by an automotive place over there a refrigeration truck running for for overnight. And we had the residents come in and complain about that. and they lived across the street. They lived right next to it and they came came and complained. [52:33] Now, if we have a noise ordinance and we did something about it back then, what are you going to do to the people live within a half a mile of this place? I mean, you're talking every everybody north of 50 all the way up to those town homes behind Pichia Hardware. You're talking all these people in South Farmington. They're all going to hear this. There was also representation of what this would sound like three miles away. [53:03] But at a half a mile, it blew me out of my shoes. I'm like, I went up to the people, that's 247. That noise, it's a solid humming noise. I I couldn't believe it. If you're willing to throw that at your residence, I You have no mindset as to what's going on here. Extension. I wouldn't I wouldn't give him an extension. When I was on the council, when we approved developments, we didn't do the work for them. They did the work. And if they didn't do it in time, that's where it's at. I don't believe they need an extension. I wouldn't grant them an extension. One more thing off topic. [53:47] This fiveminute thing you did is ridiculous. I guar I I would like every taxpayer to pay oneif of their taxes and see how far you get. It's discrimination because somebody could come up here and not You laugh. You laugh, mayor. [54:05] >> It's discrimination. >> Some people could come up here and not talk as fast as the other and you're discriminated against those people. The elderly people might not be able to talk as fast as somebody else. Let us pay 1/5 for our taxes and stop discriminating. [54:35] Nate Ryan, um, live here in Farmington. Uh, mayor and council. Nice to see you. It's been a while. I've been busy with family things, but I definitely want to get back up here and talk about a few things. So, one of the one of the things I'd like to talk about is uh moratorum. I brought this up before for this this project. Two quick things. I am for data centers, okay? I think that we should build them. They're fantastic. They bring in lots of tax revenue so you can all spend it on what neat toys and things that the city needs and raise your, you know, on top of hopefully not raising our taxes any more than you already do. But I'm for them. Let's build them. Let's build them. But we should build them where they where they, you know, they belong, right? that open site that we have on Pilot Knob would be a great spot, not here. And the reason I bring up moratorum again is because we [55:22] have an opportunity coming up. Um, and there's an opportunity right now. The attorney said, "Well, no, there's an approval, so that way you can't have a moratorum." But I've been really digging into this. There's no building approval, right? There's no no building approval whatsoever. Yes, they have zoning approval. Um, but that's been delayed over a year and it's going to get delayed likely again. you you have to go and get a an extension on that. There is an opportunity for a moratorum and it's and you can have it for a year. So, and I'm just curious if you would have implemented that moratorium, been sued by tracked, would you be more or less ahead now with the lawsuit that you already have in place instead you you trade-off here? Um along with that, the [56:09] the moratorum can happen. It is something that can that that you as a city could do and that moratorum can last for up to a year and you can place a moratorum for research purposes and I know you haven't done your research because you classified this property as mixeduse commercial industrial versus purely industrial. Josh is a famous for saying well let the process play out. [56:33] You you didn't even let the process play out. If you really wanted that process to play out why don't you require an EIS? Why did you just get by with an AU AR? Right? It if you're so confident of the process, then bring us through the full process that an industrial project should have. And without that process or with without that process, how do we know that we're, you know, the entities, the the DNR, the um the police and control agency, the Met Council, how do we know that they actually had enough information to make informed decisions without an EIS? [57:10] So another reason I think that you would really want to have a moratorum is what happened in Elco New Market when a water bottling facility came to town. So they went and they did some testing on their municipal well and they did some testing when in the load factor that they placed on the aquafer and it caused something called um it's caused something called well interference. What's really interesting about well interference and I'm sure you guys have done all the research for this because you're amazing negotiators and really good at and finding all the little tiny details and all this stuff. But that well interference because you're the water supplier not tracked or not the developer because you're that water supplier you would be on the hook for [57:55] for that um any interference that was caused to any of the wells around this project. If you made if you had the developer put in and drill their own wells, then they would be on the hook for it and it's right on the DNR website, you can read about well interference. It's something that should be there. And to me, that single thing alone and if you look at what happened in Elk New Market when a bottling company wanted to come just bottle water and now the claims that they're paying for well interference and the lawsuits that are happening down there, that should be by itself reason for you to enact a moratorum. That should be what it is. [58:36] I don't think that all of you were prepared to go up somebody who's who like the current developer who saw you as prey and saw you as an easy target. And just that single thing, just that well interference, they're they're licking their chops like, "Yeah, we can use as much water as you want. If we go over, sure, we might get fined, but you're ultimately responsible for holding the bag. And truthfully, it's not you. It's all of us. It's all the taxpayers that are in this room. The last thing I'm going to say, and I don't care if I get cut off this this five minute timer and all this stuff. [59:18] We live in a constitutional republic. We have first amendment rights. You, Mr. mayor signed up to protect those. Every single one of you when you took your oath of office said that you would protect those from enemies, foreign and domestic. And here you are. [59:39] >> That's fine, Nate. We'll ask you to leave then. [59:49] >> You can be done, Nate, or I'll have you removed. [1:00:06] walk into an airport and yell bomb and see what happens. Nate, >> okay, >> you're done. [1:00:23] It is ridiculous. >> It is ridiculous. It's >> a timer as somebody right. >> David, are you done? >> You're right. As the presider of the meeting, I have the statutory authority to do it. And as I explained at the last meeting, I went well beyond in numerous cases regardless of subject matter. and it was abused even at the last meet two meetings ago when we started it which us as peers had that conversation I and I wanted it to go we were asked about moving citizen comment so it didn't become a disruption but when people come to the podium and they abuse it flat out abuse it then rules have to [1:01:10] be put in place David I don't like them but that's how you maintain decorum and order and this is an stop David Stop. >> Tell me to stop. >> I will tell you to stop. This is an official meeting. You have served on council and you understand how it works. [1:01:28] >> Yeah. I was acting and I let it go because sometimes >> David, you're done take longer to discuss. >> Yes, they do. >> I was in your shoes and I had the time. I dedicated myself to the taxpayers, not to make sure I got home at 5:00 or 7 o'clock, 7:30, whatever time you >> So now you're the procurer procure of our time. Yeah. [1:01:53] We made a decision as a council to maintain decorum. And in that first meeting, Kathy, she was the first one that extended. That's fine. It gets abused. We have to hold decorum. That's how rules work. Otherwise, it's just a free-for-all. Everybody just does what they want when they want. And then what? [1:02:16] It becomes a circus. >> Yeah. >> And yet you keep coming. >> Yeah. yeah. To make a difference. Try to make a difference. You're you're jeopardizing the health and the wellbeing of my family. And you don't give a I walk back there and you're sitting there smirking and smiling after I said you're putting FAMILIES IN HARM'S WAY with a data center. Show me the harm's way. [1:02:42] >> Mayor, can we take a recess without [1:02:51] >> There we go. >> I will go into recess. Now the truth's coming out. Now the emotions are coming out. >> Yeah. Well, they've been here from day one. I've shown it to you from the first time I walked in this hall, right? From the first time I walked in this hall, I said, "Come meet me outside then. I've been very clear with you from day one. I give you all the emotion that I can every time." Right? [1:03:19] I'm not I'm not I give you the same emotion effect every time. I try to be professional for the people of this town so they can understand what you guys are doing. [clears throat] >> Mayor, I'd make a motion that we recess at 802. [1:03:37] >> I second. >> Motion by Steve, second by Holly. All in favor say I. >> I. >> I. >> We're in recess at 802. [1:03:51] >> [music] [1:04:05] >> Hey, [music] [1:04:16] [music] [1:04:25] >> [music] [1:04:45] [music] [1:05:25] [music] [1:05:42] >> Heat. Heat. [1:05:56] [music] [1:06:03] Heat. Heat. [1:06:10] [music] [1:06:16] [music] [1:06:44] >> [music] [1:07:08] [music] [1:09:30] [music] [1:10:01] [music] [1:10:09] [music] [1:10:14] [music] [1:10:33] [music] [1:10:48] [music] [1:11:27] [music] [1:11:44] [music] [1:11:51] [music] [1:12:17] [music] [1:12:23] [music] [1:12:51] >> All right, it's 8:12, so we'll reconvene the city council meeting. We will continue with city or with uh citizen comments for anyone wishing to speak. Feel free to come up and do so at this time. [1:13:07] >> Thank you very much. Lenny Hall, 714th Street. Uh I was up here a couple of months ago. Oh, and I just do want to say my concerns tonight are very small fry compared to the rest of people that smoke tonight, but I just hope you guys can hear what I have to say. Uh, I was up here a couple of months ago in regards to uh the ban that I found out the hard way on uh side by sides and I didn't get much of a response out of that time that I was up here. And the only thing that I asked for tonight, now these are these side by sides. What I am talking about are the vehicles that are are virtually street legal. They're no different than a car or a truck. They're [1:13:52] safety equipped with seat belts, hazards, turn signals, brake lights, horn, everything that everything that is on a car. And now these have been banned to take off the streets. Then there now there's been some talk about the uh ebikes. That's that sort of stuff. [1:14:11] I guess I'm just concerned. My concern is these vehicles that should be allowed to be on the streets. I haven't heard I'm myself. I have not heard of any complaints of sidebysides, racing around town, running people off of sidewalks, things of that nature. People are just using them for transportation. [1:14:34] Now, the only thing that I want I want tonight I just don't I don't want to stand here and preach about the same thing that I did before when I was up here. All I would like is that if you people could bring this back to whomever it is that the myself and the group uh that works with me, give them my name and my address. and if they could send me a letter or if they know any way they know how to get a hold of me, give us the name of the person or people that we need to speak with in regards to this concern. I I I don't think it's that big a deal. Um but we're not getting very far. Uh a couple other folks that uh I'm working with have been trying to deal with uh city hall and talk to the right [1:15:21] people. They're not getting through to the right people. they're not getting answers on anything. So that's all that I ask you people to do is please someone get a hold of me and let me know the person that we need to talk with so we can quit jumping through hoops. So with that, thank you very much for your time. [1:15:40] >> Before you leave, sir, if you would make sure that Tony Whipler, our planning manager, has your contact information. Okay. >> Um it point of contact would start there. Okay, >> we also have a representative of our planning commission in attendance. So, if he's so inclined to hang out and um it always starts with the planning commission, >> right? And I I'd be glad to hang out for for a period of time after the meeting if that's okay with everybody. [1:16:07] >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. [1:16:15] Anyone else wishing to speak? All right, seeing none, we'll move on to our consent agenda. I'd seek a motion to approve the consent agenda. >> Motion second. >> Motion by Nick, second by Steve. All in favor say I. [1:16:30] >> I. >> All right. Next item is 101, which is our ordinance annexing land located in Eureka Township, Dakota County, Minnesota, pursuant to Minnesota statute section 414 tax 033, subdivision 5 permitting annexation by ordinance the Adelman Farm LLC. Tony. [1:16:52] >> All right. Thank you, Mayor Councel. Uh, the city did receive a petition for annexation for the property at the southwest intersection of Denmark Avenue and 220th Street West owned by Adelman Farm LLC. [1:17:08] The property is 158 acres uh in size and is adjacent to Farmington's boundary on its northern and eastern sides. A state statute does allow for property owners uh of property less than 200 acres in size to petition the city to annex uh said property by ordinance. The petitioner must file copies of the petition with the chief administrative law judge, the town board, county board, and city of Farmington along with any other municipality that borders land to be annexed. Uh service of the petition was completed by the petitioner on October 21st of 2025. [1:17:47] service of that petition does trigger a 90-day comment period. Uh that comment period has since ended and no objections were uh received at the state's municipal boundary adjustment unit. If written objections are not submitted within that 90-day time period and if the city determines that the subject property is now or is about to become urban or suburban in character, the city council may by ordinance declare such land annex to the city. [1:18:15] As far as budget impact, uh, state statute 414 tax 036 requires that the annexing annexing city provide a reimbursement to the township for all or part of the taxable property annexed. The reimbursement must be completed in substantially equal amounts uh over not less than two years or no more than eight years from the time of the annexation. [1:18:41] What we are uh including in the ordinance that is included in your packet is in the first year following the year in which the city of Farmington could first levy on the annexed area the amount equal to $4,2434 uh and in the second year that same amount. Um that amount is the 2026 proposed tax uh that the uh Eureka Township has uh proposed for that property. Um so that's the number that we use for um that for that provision. [1:19:16] Uh therefore the action is requested is adopt ordinance 2026 uh 001 annexing land in Eureka Township, Dakota County, Minnesota pursuant to Minnesota statute section 414.033 subdivision 5 permitting annexation by ordinance. And I do also want to mention that the use of the property, potential use, uh, Lenard does have a contract out for that property for a residential development. [1:19:45] >> Thank you, sir. Nick, any questions or comments? >> No questions. >> No, >> no. >> Jake, >> none. Steve, >> um I just want to confirm. So Tony, just confirming what it says here >> that the current land owner, the Adelman family and the farm, they are the one that has requested this andated this activity. Correct. All right. Thank you. [1:20:10] >> I don't have any questions or comments for you, Tony. I appreciate it. Uh, I would seek a motion to adopt ordinance 2026 tax 001 annexing land in Eureka Township, Dakota County, Minnesota, pursuant to Minnesota statute section 414 tax 033, subdivision 5, permitting annexation by ordinance. [1:20:28] >> So moved. >> Second. >> Motion by Holly, second by Steve. Call the role, please. >> Council member Lean, >> yes. >> Council member Bernette, [clears throat] >> yes. >> Hoy, >> yes. >> Council member Gordes, >> yes. >> Council member Wilson, >> yes. >> All right. Thank you, Tony. [1:20:48] >> Amy, round table. >> Uh, good evening, mayor, members of the council. Other than to apologize for being late because I was in a traffic jam because of an accident, I have no report. >> Nothing for me tonight, >> nope. [1:21:05] >> Jake, >> nothing. >> Steve, um, couple things really quick. I do appreciate all the folks that uh came tonight and appreciate the young lady who spoke and appreciate hearing that. Um [clears throat] because I have the fortune or disfortune, you know, whichever way you want to look at it. You know, I've served the council during this segment of time and I also served the council in the early 2000s and I know it even predates that. Um I was probably the key individual during our work session that said we really need to reestablish decorum and we need to stick to our five minutes. Um [clears throat] and I have a great deal of respect for David Pritzoff. In fact, we served together. I [1:21:51] enjoyed serving with him. He did a nice job serving our community. Um, but I think it's super important to point out that the five minute citizen comment is designed to provide an opportunity for as many residents in the community to engage with us. Um, and there's no, you know, it's been there for quite a long period of time. In fact, when I started on the council in the early to mid 2000s, the big issue is the sighting of the high school. And as large as the crowds have been here over the past year, we probably had two to 300 people that would want to speak. Maybe not quite that many, but it was large numbers of folks. So, you know, I just wanted to point out one of the reasons I [1:22:37] initiated bringing that point up that I felt like council needed to reestablish that decorum is because I was hearing from people saying, well, you know, some people are getting this amount of time, some people are getting this amount of time, and I thought you guys just had a five minute policy. And that's generally what it is. So, I just wanted to point that out. I always appreciate hearing from any everyone that uh chooses to come and speak before us. And uh it's been five minutes for quite some time. [1:23:06] So I just thought I'd mention that. So thank you. >> Nothing tonight. Thanks >> Shirley. >> Just a quick note if anyone is interested in working as an election judge. The application is open on our website under the careers page and the elections page. [1:23:23] >> Thank you, David. Uh the only thing I wanted to add uh from actually our presentation earlier this evening is I just wanted to add a thing I I noticed I we didn't Josh and I didn't touch on um is for those that don't know of one of the benefits of municipal liquor and as Josh was talking about the different profits um that we've that we saw in 2025 is um municipal liquor and the the profits we get from municipal liquor isn't intended just to pad the city's pocket but actually to put back into our community. Um, and we are uh regularly looking at at ways that are that we can actually have a tangible impact on our community. That starts, you know, with the council designating that $350,000 towards the construction of uh the skate park. And we're always looking at other [1:24:09] opportunities to use those funds. And I appreciate the council's discussion uh this evening during the work session um on that matter and looking at ways we can um direct additional funds uh into the community. Thank you. >> Thanks, sir. Diana, >> I have nothing tonight. Thank you, >> John. [1:24:26] >> Thank you, Mayor and Council members. Uh, we discussed the Will Street project under uh, open agenda at a previous meeting. I wanted to be sure to follow up with you. We did have a subsequent neighborhood meeting specifically to talk about bike lanes versus bikeways and the disconnection of A Street from Willow Street. Uh we had a smaller turnout, but similar to what we've had with past open houses on this project. [1:24:50] Uh there was no support for the bike lanes and there was support for disconnecting a street. In fact, there's a couple of Dakota County Lumber representatives there. So, we're proceeding with final design, assuming the existing section, two through lanes, two parking lanes, parking on both sides, and we'll come up with a design to disconnect a street on the south side of Willow. [1:25:14] >> Thank you, sir. Kelly. >> Good evening, Mayor and Council. Uh, the skate park design meeting is next Monday evening, uh, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Senior Center, 3:25 Oak Street. Spawn Ranch is going to present the two concepts and ask for feedback. So, we hope, uh, to see a good crowd there next Monday. [1:25:30] Thank you, Chief. Uh, yesterday morning at, excuse me, at 6:00 a.m. our A shift started. They're 48. Um, they're really excited. They've been kind of running around. Uh, we've had 10 calls of service so far uh for that shift. Um, and Bshift will take over 6 a.m. [1:25:46] tomorrow. >> Thank you, Chief. Nothing for me. Everybody punted tonight. All right. I'm going to address the citizen comment first. Um, Steve made a really good point. Going back to, as far as I recall was late 90s, the city policy has long been five minutes. And because it's all recorded, go back and look at every single citizen comment since I've sat here for 5 years where I recognize that someone speaking is on a point or wants to extend, maybe has not made their point. [1:26:29] I've given that latitude. Some people have sat up there and spoke for six minutes. Some people have sat out there and talked for 15 minutes. And we've maintained decorum tonight. is such a departure from decorum from anything I have experienced. [1:26:46] We sat as a council and made a decision amongst the five of us. They would hold it to five minutes. I understand some people may not like that. They may feel as if it infringes on first amendments, which it does not. [1:27:04] Um, and I won't go into the discrimination comment that was made. It was one of the most distasteful things I've heard in my entire tenure sitting here. I will I will say this though. There are a lot of things that get said at that podium that are such a departure from fact it's not even funny. [1:27:29] Even tonight we've heard 250 ft from a bedroom window. Well, there's a pretty clear admission of there is a pretty clear omission of facts that have been stated and have been in several meetings, have been in work sessions, have been in planning commission meetings. There's not a house out there that has a bedroom window that sits on the property line. So, for that statement to be true, there'd have to be a home sitting on the property line for the window to be 250 ft from the building. [1:28:03] But yet, it's easy to just throw that comment out there because it sounds like somebody's a victim. 250 diesel generators. Show me. There's not been anything that we've been presented that says that there are going to be 250 diesel generators. They talk often about the noise. [1:28:26] We visited sites in Iowa on the hottest day of the year. It was 103 degrees out. Are they quiet? Nope. They do make noise. But the purposes of doing the AUR and having the DNR and the MPCA weigh in is because there are regulations that have to be followed. [1:28:50] Now, I would be naive to sit here and say that a business couldn't come in or an operator couldn't come in and say, "Screw the rules. We're just going to do what we want to do and y'all are going to have to live with it." Some places that might be okay. Some people might not try and enforce it. We understand that part of approving a project like this comes with a burden of responsibility to ensure that it is safe. It meets standards and it's permissible by multiple agencies that weigh in. The city council of Farmington is not the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. We are not the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. [1:29:35] There are many that weigh in on regulations that have to be adhered to. and our commitment to not only our residents but the residents of Castle Rock who are to the east of this proposed project. Our responsibility is to make sure that that project is done properly and going all the way back to two years ago when we first heard about the project in May. the first meeting came up, the conversations were had that this is a very long process. This is not just going to happen in 6 months. It's not just going to apply for it and all of a sudden it's going to be built. There are several hurdles to clear. [1:30:21] This project is not a green light. This project has not cleared all of those hurdles. There are steps that we have to follow. So yes, Nate, we do follow the process and we are following it. Now, another thing that was talked about was the water and the wells and how they're going to I'm not I'm going to paraphrase um concern about wells drying up. [1:30:48] All water usage has to come through a DNR appropriations permit. And at the one of the very first conversations that we had was about the water and the average temperature and when facilities of various scales use water. It's when it's above 92 degrees Fahrenheit. [1:31:09] It's easy to say that a project like this is going to use 300 million gallons of water. They're not. if they don't have the DNR appropriations permit to do it. There are less than 12 to 18 days a year based on historical factual weather data that these facilities will actually draw water. They have cooling mechanisms that do not necessitate the use of water 247 365. [1:31:38] So, it's really easy to get up here and say, "This project might use 2 and a half million gallons of water a day. They're not going to do that 365 days a year because the DNR is not going to grant the appropriations permit to do it. [1:31:53] So, you want to take a sound bite and extrapolate that out over an entire year. All you're doing is appeasing your own opinion. That's all it is. Those are not the facts. That is not the data. You don't have to disagree with me. You can disagree with all of the other agencies and entities that have weighed in. [1:32:13] I could go down the list of 12, 13, 14 different things. It was it was brought up about how they receive a tax credit. Everybody knows that's involved with this that the only tax credit is the sales tax to the end user. That was voted on by the state legislature years ago. [1:32:32] We even have a sitting house representative who is opposing the project that is in a position to propose legislation to change that. There are so many mechanisms to change the rules on the field, but that happens at the state legislature. That doesn't happen at the Farmington City Council. [1:32:51] The Farmington City Council does not we have the ability to institute a local sales tax. We do not. But the sales tax exemption is for the enduser on all of the contents. It does not apply to the real estate. It does not apply to the construction. [1:33:07] And the people that argue on the other side of that know that. And they will conveniently omit words like sales. They will say they're going to receive tax exemptions. We haven't had anything proposed that's been asking for an exemption. We have had nothing that has come in front of us that has asked for anything outside of standard fees. [1:33:32] I'm not saying it's not going to happen, but it hasn't happened to date. And so, yes, the first amendment allows people to come up and say whatever they want. You can come up here, Nate Ryan, and you can call me a racist piece of all you want. >> You are you are protect me. Quote me accurately. [1:33:50] >> You can come up >> a racist piece of That is not true in any way, shape, or form. >> We'll see if the mics picked it up because I heard it. >> I called you a racist son of a >> Racist son of a Racist piece of Like there's some difference. Either way, that is protected. [1:34:05] >> Truth in what you decide. >> There's the truth of the world that you live in. And I'm not going to go down that rabbit hole with you right now. But you can come up to that podium and say whatever you want. I will never get in front of that. You can throw all of this on me as the one that sits as mayor. There are five people that sit here and make those decisions. But at the end of the day, hard decisions have to be made for the betterment of the majority of the community. [1:34:34] Period. Don't have to like it, but it has to be done. And so we'll continue to work through that process. The five minutes will stay in place unless council decides otherwise. And with that, I would seek a motion to adjurnn. [1:34:50] >> Motion to adjurnn. >> Second. >> Motion by Ali, second by Nick. All in favor say I. >> I. >> We're adjourned at 8:34.