This transcript features the Lake Elmo City Council meeting from June 4, 2024. I have identified the speakers based on the provided list of officials and the internal context of the dialogue (such as the Mayor calling on specific members and the transition of the City Administrator role). [00:00] **Unidentified Speaker:** ...e them out and hopefully they'll pick up the and workshops and them yeah I know I was like oh I stopped where's that they've been running a city since 57 BC and water they figured it out that be it's not as dark if you look out that way it's to see it's just the shades or whatever pulled there Not Afraid of the Dark how's Gina doing storm shelter here I Haven seen for a while Last by our parents just stay here how long is it going to last or or just get friendly it's just you know they tend to stay home yeah Bobby and Debbie W it's going north so it's going to take a while it's not going this way go White Bear Lake raiseed the level last month last month white bar L went from 22.4 two10 of an inch after all that rain that shows you how much infiltration uh wi your lake has all right. [07:01] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** It's 7:01 so I'm going to call the Lake Elmo city council meeting for Tuesday June 4th 2024 to order please stand with me for the Pledge of Allegiance. [07:01] **All:** I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. [07:02] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Okay, Item B is approval of this evening's agenda if there aren't any exceptions I'll entertain a motion for that. [07:02] **Council Member Matt Hirn:** Move to approve the agenda. [07:02] **Council Member Nick Dragisich:** Second. [07:02] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Have a motion and a second all those in favor of approving this evening's agenda please signify by saying I. [07:02] **Council Members:** I. I. I. [07:02] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Agenda is hereby approved. Approval of minutes for the May 14th believe that was a workshop 2024 if there are no questions regarding that I'll entertain a motion for approval of those minutes. [07:03] **Council Member Jeff Holtz:** So move. [07:03] **Council Member Nick Kragness:** Second. [07:03] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** We have a motion in a second for approval of the May 14th Workshop 2024 minutes all those in favor of approving the minutes please signify by saying I. [07:03] **Council Members:** I. I. I. [07:03] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** All right I'm assuming with the crowd we have this evening I mean it's pretty packed that we don't have any Public public comments or inquiries. All right so we move on to presentations. We are honored to have Mr Marty Powers acting as our Public Works director for the past five years. I know he puts in a lot of hours and there's a lot of things keeping track of and he's got some good support because with his leadership we've had one retirement and nobody's left so he must be doing something right there and you know we've had water main breaks trees come down we might have some down with the storm tonight you guys get to pay attention you know snow plowing not so bad this year a couple years ago pretty bad right so um helps keep our budget on track with overtime and salt usage and all that equipment and make sure that we have good equipment for the for the public works guys to use and take care of our our wonderful city um and every day travels I don't know when he's going to move over here but he he lives in Wisconsin so with that we'd like to present Marty with his five-year certificate of appreciation you guys want to come up with me Mr suit thanks you guys can come up too if you want to get a closer picture appreciate it to go. [Applause] Mar was nice glad all right. [07:05] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Moving on we have a a small consent agenda this evening I'll read through the consent agenda items which is approved payment of dispersements accept quotes and award contract for the 2024 crack seal project accept Mech Council water efficiency grant accept Don Raleigh Memorial donation to the fire department resolution 2024-77 approve cablecaster agreement and approve payroll and compensation policy update can I get a I'll entertain a motion for approval of the consent agenda. [07:06] **Council Member Matt Hirn:** So moved. [07:06] **Council Member Nick Dragisich:** Second. [07:06] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** We have a motion in a second all those in favor of approval for the consent agenda please signify by saying I. [07:06] **Council Members:** I. I. I. [07:06] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Those oppose same sign hearing none consent agenda is approved. Moving on to our one solo regular agenda item is approve a task order with srf for crosswalk study and policy development. [07:07] **Jack [Staff/Consultant]:** Thank you mayor members of the council. If you may recall on the April 9th Council Workshop, the council discussed the idea of a crosswalk policy and provide a direction to director Powers and myself to work on a crosswalk policy based on a couple of examples that the city had been looking at. We reached out to srf and had a couple scoping meetings with them about how to develop those policies. srf was familiar with the policy examples that the council had cited and so we were working with them on a scope and while we were working on that scope it also occurred to us that the area that we were really getting a lot of complaints and input on was the 39th Street lever corridors which kind of in my opinion fall in that gray area of some roads are higher volume Hudson Boulevard crosswalks are kind of obvious get into residential neighborhoods it's kind of obvious you don't put them there this kind of got to our gray area and we so we asked for a scope of work from srf to actually review that Corridor and do an actual crosswalk study do counts things like that bring those forward to the council and in that live example we would then develop that policy using those examples that we had done so rather than just come up with a policy that was unused and untested and adopt that we thought we would study the corridor all at one time. So we're bringing to you a proposal from srf to to complete that study and help us develop that policy the the fee is not to exceed $22,000 questions for Jack. [07:08] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Okay if there aren't any questions for Jack— [07:08] **Council Member Nick Dragisich:** I do have question. [07:08] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** You do have a question there you go. [07:08] **Council Member Nick Dragisich:** Do you have a map of where this is? I'm trying to picture 39th and— [07:08] **Jack [Staff/Consultant]:** Starts over here at Lake Elmo Avenue by Harbor Glenn and goes kind of comes out on the other side of Lake Elmo Bank. [07:09] **Council Member Nick Dragisich:** Oh okay isn't that part of the old village and would that not would this not fall underneath our the Old Village moratorium work that we're doing right now? [07:09] **Jack [Staff/Consultant]:** The moratorium work is for development this would be just a we're just studying for crosswalk markings on the on the roadways. [07:09] **Council Member Nick Dragisich:** Is there any way to combine them? [07:09] **Jack [Staff/Consultant]:** Combine with the—? [07:09] **Council Member Nick Dragisich:** Yeah I mean aren't we studying trails and pathways and movement of of pedestrians as part of the Old Village moratorium? Would this not kind of fit in with that? [07:10] **Jack [Staff/Consultant]:** I think a crosswalk policy is a little bit different I mean you are you have a developed Corridor that's already got sidewalks and trails on it. The only outstanding question along 39th Street in Le would be as both these roadways have been done recently would be whether they're to be marked or not be marked so that really the the study really is to look at these specific corridors as they are today and as they're being used the current volumes that are being used there and whether marking of the crosswalks is an appropriate treatment at this time. [07:10] **Council Member Matt Hirn:** Question with that. [07:10] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Yes council member. [07:10] **Council Member Matt Hirn:** So with the study with the completion date by December 31st I guess just trying to understand as far as like when the studies would be conducted you I'm just thinking during the summer months is obviously when the the traffic is pedestrian traffic is going to be a little bit higher um would they be doing the studies later in the year just because they're too busy to do it this summer or would they be able to get those in this summer? [07:11] **Jack [Staff/Consultant]:** No the studies the studies would be the first thing out of the gate to do and do the counts and that that's really I I do expect this to be completed before December 31st. The study itself will be will be done probably in the summer and then working through the develop the policy we're trying to work in a couple of different workshops so there's more interaction with the Council on the actual policy that is that gets adopted broadly throughout the city. [07:11] **Council Member Matt Hirn:** Yes okay perfect I just I think that would be an important aspect I guess maybe that's discussion but I'll leave it for that. [07:11] **Council Member Nick Dragisich:** Jack is also part of the study to help improve the the walkability of the old village and make the downtown more accessible or more easily accessible? [07:12] **Jack [Staff/Consultant]:** Well this study is not looking at additional sidewalks and trails and different corridors this is just really looking at the treatment policy of the existing intersections and so the two quarters you're looking at have trails and sidewalks on both sides of the roads in and they're they've both been recently done in the last 10 years as far as new roadways and and to date we've unmarked them and the request from the residents have come have have become we should Mark them and this is where we're not sure if— [07:12] **Council Member Nick Dragisich:** I thought was just by marking them more people would be willing to use them if they believe The Pedestrian Crossings were safer. [07:12] **Jack [Staff/Consultant]:** I think that's one of the arguments that's out there yeah. [07:13] **Council Member Nick Dragisich:** Thank you. [07:13] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Any more questions? Okay I'll entertain a motion. [07:13] **Council Member Jeff Holtz:** Move to approve task order number nine with srf Inc to conduct a pedestrian cross walk study and develop a crosswalk policy in the not to exceed amount of 22,000. [07:13] **Council Member Matt Hirn:** Second. [07:13] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** All right discussion. I'll— yeah go ahead council member Hirn or Holtz? [07:13] **Council Member Jeff Holtz:** Holtz. [07:13] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Holtz. [07:13] **Council Member Jeff Holtz:** I try trying to read and do two things at once I I agree with this I think it's a good use of our funds in this case as as this has been really a citizen led drive and they've been pushing with staff they've been pushing with Council as well so to me it's a good step at this point and I do look forward to seeing what that data does show because that will help to make sure that our decisions are also data driven but yeah this is a win-win. [07:14] **Council Member Matt Hirn:** I'll just add to that that you know I guess kind of off my question I just think it's going to be very important that the study it's done this summer for two I guess for the the reason I brought up kind of in my question with the higher volume but then also just from the aspect of I really want to make sure that we're able to keep moving forward as we're looking with the Old Village plan as well I want to be able to keep that rolling and I think we don't necessarily need to have this completed I think just knowing that it's in the works and kind of how it could play into it it's going to be plenty to keep moving forward with that but I just think the faster we can move these things the better. [07:14] **Council Member Nick Dragisich:** I was reflecting back on on the council meeting where we first discussed crosswalks and and the plan for that and as I recall from that discussion I don't think there was General consensus that we wanted to put a lot of resources towards this or funding towards this at this point because it's not something that was on our priority list and we've got other things going on. I know there's a fair amount of discussion about going back to was it the parks group or plan I can't remember which group and so it was my understanding that the direction was really to come up with that policy. So I'm I'm I'm not thrilled about $22,000 for a crosswalk study to be perfectly honest with you at this point and and again coming from our general fund I would rather see this budgeted for next year and completing the study in 2025 versus building it in this year again I I'm not sure that this Rises to the level of a priority at this point given everything else we have going on the Old Village moratorium study going on the funding one and one and there so while I don't necessarily disagree to do a study I think the timing on this is not right so okay thank you. [07:15] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** I guess from my point of view given the amount of attention that or the amount of calls that that Marty or Jack get in various areas of the city not just 39th requesting crosswalks maybe in neighborhoods and things like that um a lot of times we don't have a factual or a something to stand on other than maybe an fhwa study that talks about the proper use of crosswalks and areas and I think in order to develop a policy you need to have some actual factual data to work off of in order to do that that's that's the great thing about using Consultants is that your staff has very limited time encompassing these types of things when when you have something that pops up you have a consultant take care of I do understand the use of General funds but we're all I I I you know I feel like we're tasked with answering to the public and making sure that our residents are safe and feel safe and to that extent I I think this is a a good step moving forward. [07:16] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Anything all right with that I'll call the question all those in favor to approve task order with srf for crosswalk study and policy development please signify by saying I. [07:16] **Council Members:** I. I. I. [07:16] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Those oppose same sign. [07:16] **Council Member Nick Dragisich:** Nay. [07:17] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Motion passes 4-1 and that's kind of it for the big agenda item so we can move into Council reports. Council Member Dragisich? [07:17] **Council Member Nick Dragisich:** Nothing to report this evening. [07:17] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Council Member Holtz? [07:17] **Council Member Jeff Holtz:** Nothing for reports I was just going to offer a thanks to Mr Clark Schroeder because I know he is not serving tonight as our city administrator but thank you for the transition and welcome to Miss Miller for your first meeting up here looking forward to the time. [07:18] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Well said. I did all those comments I would like to put a reminder if people are watching out there Fourth of July kitty parade is still happening this year in Lake Elmo so be on the lookout for Facebook posts whether it's from connecting Lake Elmo or there's a new route this year so be advised on that we're trying to make it safer for everybody and we're eliminating the crossing of the railroad. So that's that's one thing and I didn't want to pull it from the consent agenda but I did want to point out that you know Don Raleigh who was one of the original well he wasn't original with Lake Elmo Bank but he's been a part of Lake Elmo Bank and Lake Elmo Bank has as you know they have every year they have a big Community picnic at their at their bank and I I do think that they they're part of the community and I just wanted to thank them for making that donation to the fire department on behalf of Mr Raleigh who passed away a couple weeks ago and so that's that's what I'll end with. Council Member Kragness? [07:19] **Council Member Nick Kragness:** No report. [07:19] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** [To Hirn] Heard no report? All right staff reports. Miss Miller. [07:19] **Nicole Miller [City Administrator]:** Thank you. Day two here and so I just wanted to say thanks to all the staff that I've met with so far everyone has been really patient and welcoming and I'm looking forward to meeting with the rest of the staff soon as well. [07:20] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Julie. [07:20] **Julie Johnson [City Clerk]:** Thank you Mr Mayor. I just like to remind residents to go to the city's website or reach out to me directly and we can get you signed up for the city's Weekly Newsletter the fresh. There's a lot going on this time of year road construction events all sorts of fun things um a lot of information that we get up to residents on a weekly basis so it's a great way to stay connected and find out what's going on and also follow our social media page on Facebook. [07:20] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Clarissa. [07:20] **Clarissa Hadler [Finance Director]:** I have no reports. [07:20] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** [To Sarah] So the Village study survey was released on Friday and so far we have 340 responses right so people can find that where on the website? [07:20] **Sarah [Staff]:** So they can go to departments, Planning and Zoning, and there's a tab and they can take the survey there too. Just want to remind everyone that the first open house will be on June 13th and the second on June 20th. [07:21] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Great thank you I was hoping you would say something about that. Mr Schroeder. [07:21] **Clark Schroeder [Staff/Former Interim Admin]:** Yes we get the screen to show... This is for home be very significant Road starting on Wednesday the 12th for approximately two weeks. And we're going to be closing Highway 14 you can see here in this little area I'll show you a closeup map this is this is just west of downtown this is by the old barn there for the shulin farm. They're basically bringing a sewer line across on the on the this little West Side here and they have to go 24 ft deep to dig this through and they have to do water and they have to do gas and there's telecommunications in there and so there'll be signage starting this week over in the over by the Clover leafes over here on 694 and also on the roundabouts and but the it's going to be brutal because if you have to get to the other side of downtown from here you have to go all the way up to 694 up to 36 and then come back down on 17 so this will be a significant issue and we will highlight this in the Fresh. I would encourage you to also subscribe to the Fresh with Miss Johnson there and we'll also be posting it on our website to make sure people are aware of this so sorry but that's what has to happen when you develop thank you. [07:22] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Director Powers. [07:22] **Marty Powers [Public Works Director]:** I just want to let the council know that due to them approving the Vac truck recently we have used it more than we wanted already. We had some major power outages Royal Golf South the lift station went out on a weekend holiday weekend and staff wasn't able to correct the issue we had to call in electricians that took time so we ended up using the vac truck to to maintain so it's already been used more than we wanted and we've been helping out fire department and we've been cleaning some traps and stuff so the guys are getting used to it and it's very much appreciated so great. [07:23] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Good good to hear it's going to good use. Chief. [07:23] **Dustin Kalis [Fire Chief]:** Just offer my congratulations to some staff over the weekend. We had six staff participating in various State certifications our two firefighters that were in the firefighter one and two class both passed their state certification and then we had four of our firefighters pass the state certification for fire apparatus operator so six certifications on Saturday it's a it's a great number good effort by our staff. I do want to thank the people that helped out with our missing person search great partners with the Washington County Sheriff we supported their efforts in the search reach out to our citizen volunteers and we had folks from Oakdale Police and Fire, Region MS, Lake View ambulance, LifeLink helicopter, State Patrol, Salvation Army, New Richmond area ambulance, the sheriff's explorers, Ramsey County Sheriff, North St Paul PD, Mood PD, the list goes on so it it took a lot and in 24 hours we had a successful outcome. [07:24] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Yeah that's great yeah. [07:24] **Dustin Kalis [Fire Chief]:** With that remind our residents to sign up for Code Red if they are not a part of that emergency notification system they can find that information on the city's website that was crucial in in getting proper information and timely information out to those people that through that notification system for that event and then also express my appreciation and thanks to the Raleigh family in Lake Elmo Bank for thinking of us in this difficult time. I met with his son and Don's wife just the other day I'll be bringing another resolution because we've gotten another large amount of donations through that memorial fund so great very very appreciative of that. [07:24] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** So can that code red also be found on the Washington County website? [07:24] **Dustin Kalis [Fire Chief]:** Yep. [07:24] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Okay good good to know thanks. Jack. [07:24] **Jack [Staff/Consultant]:** Yeah this afternoon we had a preconstruction meeting for the 30th Street project so that's another that's a reclaim project occurring between Lisbon Avenue and basically Village Parkway on just south of the Northport development so it's not a full closure but again next Wednesday about the same time that construction is going to begin and they'll be doing that reclaim machine so a lot of the people coming out at Easton Village in Northport will be traversing over gravel for a few weeks and so forth so just another heads up on some more construction. [07:25] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** Yep thanks. Sarah. [07:25] **Sarah [Staff]:** No report. [07:25] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead:** All right with that that's all we have on tonight's agenda and probably one of the shortest Council meetings I've ever been a part of so 7:25 we'll adjourn the city council meeting have a good night.