This transcript has been formatted with the identified speakers based on the context provided and the phonetic cues in the text. Note: While the provided list mentions **Councilor Joe Peterson**, the transcript repeatedly identifies a **Councilor Jones**. I have used the name **Councilor Jones** to remain faithful to the spoken record. Additionally, names like "lah/L Blas" have been corrected to **LeBlanc**, "gisler/gerler/kler" to **Geissler**, "jelly" to **Hjelle**, and "may b/Bush" to **Mayor Wayne Boucher**. *** [0:00] Mayor Wayne Boucher: That's the first reading. Next is the first reading for 2023-2024 resolution 2024-04, resolution establishing procedures relating to compliance with reimbursement bond regulations under Internal Revenue Code. Do we have a motion? [0:28] Councilor John Geissler: Motion to approve. [0:28] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Motion by Councilor Geissler. Is there a second? [0:28] Councilor Jones: Second. [0:28] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Second by Councilor Jones. Mr. Mulder? [0:28] John Mulder: Um, this is an annual resolution that Ehlers recommends that we do whenever we look at, um, potentially issuing bonds. The idea here is it communicates to everybody upfront that to the extent that we have upfront some cost for projects that we will bond for, we can, um, then, um, use some existing city money but then be paid back through the bond proceeds, then pay those bonds back so that we don't deplete our, um, fund balances in various accounts, but we can repay that back and reimburse ourselves through the bond proceeds. [1:15] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? Is there any public input on this resolution? Any public input on resolution 2024-04? Any public input on the resolution under consideration? Roll call please. [1:53] Alissa McClure: Councilor LeBlanc? [1:53] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Aye. [1:53] Alissa McClure: Councilor Jones? [1:53] Councilor Jones: Aye. [1:53] Alissa McClure: Councilor Geissler? [1:53] Councilor John Geissler: Aye. [1:53] Alissa McClure: Councilor Hjelle? [1:53] Councilor Andy Hjelle: Aye. [1:53] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Aye. Resolution 2024-[...]-DSGW to provide design development based on funding for the arena project. Is there a motion? [2:38] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Move to approve. [2:38] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Motion by Councilor LeBlanc. Is there a second? [2:38] Councilor Andy Hjelle: Second. [2:38] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Second by Councilor Hjelle. Mr. Mulder, would you uh go over the explanation of this? [2:38] John Mulder: Sure. What we're asking, um, you to do here is, um, authorize DSGW or direct DSGW to do the design development, um, of the arena, um, that current estimates of 24.25 million. Um, the city has 10.84 in sales tax, 7.47 million in state capital appropriations. Um, we have 1.3 in present value from—um, it's currently being worked out through NorthStar Ford in terms of naming, that hasn't been finalized yet. That leaves a funding gap of about 4.6. But, um, the fundraising committee has, um, said that they've got verbal commitments of about 1.1—I'm going to do some rounding because I can only do one after the decimal, not four—um, 1.1 in, um, verbal commitments. Um, the arena board has committed to doing something, um, on an annual basis, um, in the ballpark of, um, $76,000, um, over 20 years; that would produce a million dollars, um, in, um, debt service. Um, the HAHA [Hermantown Amateur Hockey Association] said that they would do—remember the number 114—so that produces, at 4.5%, 1.4 million. So that leaves us a gap of about a million dollars yet that is unaccounted for. Now granted, all those commitments need to be made, um, and, you know, actually done, but that is kind of the current funding situation. [4:10] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Do we have any comments or questions from Council? Is there any public input on this resolution? Any public input on resolution 2024-05? Any public input on the resolution authorizing DSGW to provide design development? If so, state your name and address for the record. Hearing none, I'd ask for a roll call. [4:44] Alissa McClure: Councilor Jones? [4:44] Councilor Jones: Aye. [4:44] Alissa McClure: Councilor Geissler? [4:44] Councilor John Geissler: Aye. [4:44] Alissa McClure: Councilor Hjelle? [4:44] Councilor Andy Hjelle: Aye. [4:44] Alissa McClure: Councilor LeBlanc? [4:44] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Aye. [4:44] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Aye. Resolution 2024-06. Mr. Mulder? [5:24] John Mulder: Uh, again, uh, Jim Rich, who has been—had been—the, uh, building official for a long time for the City Council and is currently filling in, um, while we're vacant. Uh, the two of us interviewed, um, a couple candidates for the certified building official. Following those interviews, um, our consensus is that we should offer the position to Brandon Holmes. Um, we made a job offer contingent upon Council approval. Um, that job offer is summarized in your packet, um, and he has accepted and would start on February 1st. [6:15] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? Hearing none, is there any public input on this resolution? Any public input on resolution 2024-06? Any public input on the resolution to hire Brandon Holmes as a certified building official? Roll call please. [6:25] Alissa McClure: Councilor LeBlanc? [6:25] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Aye. [6:25] Alissa McClure: Councilor Hjelle? [6:25] Councilor Andy Hjelle: Aye. [6:25] Alissa McClure: Councilor Geissler? [6:25] Councilor John Geissler: Aye. [6:25] Alissa McClure: Councilor Jones? [6:25] Councilor Jones: Aye. [6:25] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Aye. Next is resolution 2024-07, preliminary planned unit development plan for the Arbors At Maple Grove development. Do we have a motion? [6:25] Councilor John Geissler: Motion to approve. [6:25] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Motion by Councilor Geissler. Do we have a second? [6:25] Councilor Jones: Second. [6:25] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Second by Councilor Jones. Mr. Mulder, we let Eric Johnson, uh, describe this? [7:12] Eric Johnson: Great, thank you very much. Uh, this is a project that was originally approved in December of 2021. Uh, JP Holding Company was the applicant, and they are the current property owner of this. Uh, that application was for a 103-unit apartment building, and it's adjacent to the Pillars of Hermantown, which is, uh, located, uh, just east of the intersection of Ugstad Road and Maple Grove Road. Uh, the applicant was granted an extension in 2022, and they're asking for one further extension to that 365-day period. Uh, the applicant's been actively marketing this property, uh, with that preliminary PUD approval, and, uh, they've been having some recent interest, and they believe it's in their best interest that they are able to continue with that marketing with an extension of that preliminary PUD approval. [7:57] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? And the extension would only be as approved originally? It wouldn't cover any alterations to the—? [7:57] Eric Johnson: That is correct. It would just be for the original approvals back from the '21 period. [7:57] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Okay. Any other questions or comments from Council? Is there any public input on this resolution? Any public input on resolution 2024-07, the preliminary planned unit development plan for the Arbors At Maple Grove Road development? Roll call please. [8:40] Alissa McClure: Councilor Hjelle? [8:40] Councilor Andy Hjelle: Aye. [8:40] Alissa McClure: Councilor Jones? [8:40] Councilor Jones: Aye. [8:40] Alissa McClure: Councilor LeBlanc? [8:40] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Aye. [8:40] Alissa McClure: Councilor Geissler? [8:40] Councilor John Geissler: Aye. [8:40] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Aye. Resolution 2024-08, approving pay request number two for stebner Park utility Improvement District number 444 to Northern Interstate Construction Incorporated in the amount of $117,300.83. Is there a motion? [9:05] Councilor Andy Hjelle: Motion to approve. [9:05] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Motion by Councilor Hjelle. [9:05] Councilor John Geissler: Second. [9:05] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Second by Councilor Geissler. Mr. Mulder? [9:05] John Mulder: This is just a pay app for, uh, the continued work, um, for the, uh, sewer at Stebner Park. [9:47] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Any—I should say, any questions or comments from Council? Is there any public input on this resolution? Any public input on the resolution approving pay request number two for Stebner Park utility Improvement District? Any public input on resolution 2024-08? [10:13] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Resolution 2024-09, resolution approving modifications to section 6.2.1 of the handbook for the City of Hermantown policy and procedures regarding deferral of assessments. Is there a motion? [10:13] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Approve. [10:13] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Motion by Councilor LeBlanc. [10:13] Councilor Jones: Second. [10:13] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Second by Councilor Jones. Mr. Mulder? [10:13] John Mulder: So currently, uh, to apply for a deferral on an assessment, hearing an assessment, you have to either be, um, older than age 65, retired because of a permanent total disability, or in active military, um, service. Um, this—and you still have to meet the requirements of owning the property, um, having your place of residence, and then there's an income test. This would then provide for, um, a special exception other than those three, um, and generally what that's going to do is just create the income test, um, and the income test is the assessment has to exceed 2% of the adjusted gross income. [11:00] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? Is there any public input on this resolution? Any public input on resolution 2024-09? [11:49] Alissa McClure: Councilor Geissler? [11:49] Councilor John Geissler: Aye. [11:49] Alissa McClure: Councilor Hjelle? [11:49] Councilor Andy Hjelle: Aye. [11:49] Alissa McClure: Councilor LeBlanc? [11:49] Councilor Brian LeBlanc: Aye. [11:49] Alissa McClure: Councilor Jones? [11:49] Councilor Jones: Aye. [11:49] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Aye. We have no closed session this evening. I'd entertain a motion to recess. [11:49] Councilor Jones: To recess. [11:49] Councilor John Geissler: Second. [11:49] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Motion by Councilor Jones, second by Councilor Geissler. All in favor say aye. [11:49] Group: Aye. [11:49] Mayor Wayne Boucher: Opposed same sign.