This transcript is from the **Cottage Grove City Council** meeting on **December 21, 2022**. Please note that while the context provided mentions Councilmembers Garza and Clausen, the audio transcript clearly identifies **Councilmember Tony Khambata** and **Councilmember Steve Dennis** as the members present and participating in the roll call and discussions. *** **[00:00:00] Mayor Myron Bailey:** All right, good evening. Uh, this is the December 21st, 2022, Cottage Grove City Council meeting, which I'm calling to order. Uh, the first order of business is the Pledge of Allegiance, so please rise. **[00:00:15] 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. **[00:00:30] Mayor Myron Bailey:** All right. Will the clerk please do the roll? **[00:00:33] City Clerk Tammy Anderson:** Councilmember Khambata? **[00:00:35] Councilmember Tony Khambata:** Here. **[00:00:36] City Clerk Tammy Anderson:** Councilmember Dennis? **[00:00:38] Councilmember Steve Dennis:** Here. **[00:00:39] City Clerk Tammy Anderson:** Councilmember Thiede? **[00:00:41] Councilmember Dave Thiede:** Ho, ho, here. **[00:00:43] City Clerk Tammy Anderson:** Councilmember Olsen? **[00:00:44] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** Here. **[00:00:45] City Clerk Tammy Anderson:** Mayor Bailey? **[00:00:46] Mayor Myron Bailey:** There you go, yes, here. Thank you. All right. Uh, next on our agenda this evening is Open Forum. This is the opportunity for anybody who'd like to speak on something that's not on tonight's agenda; you're welcome to do so at this time. Uh, we did have a sign-up sheet out in the entryway. We did have, um, one gentleman sign up, and the item is on our agenda, but it's on consent. So, I am going to ask Council to be okay with having Mr. Olson come up and, uh, express whatever it is on agenda item 7L. And so, if you're okay with that, I'm going to have him come up now and just do that versus the consent. So, if you'd like to come up and just state your name and address for the record, please. **[00:01:30] Dave Olson (Citizen):** My address is 8627 Jorgensen Avenue South. My name is Dave Olson, citizen of Cottage Grove. Uh, so yes, agenda item consent agenda item 7L. Um, first of all, I agree with Parks Director Dockter's recommendation to accept and place on file the Mississippi Dunes Natural Resources Management Plan completed by Larissa Mott, a senior ecologist with Stantec. It's actually a really good read for those of you that may not have had a chance to read it yet. I was especially happy to see references to climate change, which gives us some flexibility on this multi-year asset of ours, this new park, to be able to adjust as that develops. But primarily, I want to talk about this—I'd like to share a list with Council. It's page 10 from this report, and there's enough copies to go to staff as well. During public hearings about the development just north of our park, I spoke directly to the developers about the importance of our park and the Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) that's managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Um, I said that our expectations will be that those developers will do everything they can to protect these resources. They seem to get it, but I want to make sure we remind them of it whenever we have an opportunity. My concerns tonight are related more to homeowner behavior than risks during construction, which will be mitigated by regulations and our common-sense professional staff. But how do we discourage potential poor behavior by future homeowners, such as yard waste dumping or pet relief in our park and our SNA? Let's ask the developers for help with this as they complete grading and elevation management. There's going to be a lot of it in this area. If you've looked, they will direct stormwater flow; let's see what they can do to also protect the park and the SNA. It's on the perimeter of their development. Not just comply, but be proactive in helping us protect this land and water resource along with the plants and animals that live there and that are going to live there after we invest these funds and efforts in improving it. Parks Director Dockter has stated his commitment to diligently manage our property line against encroachment just as we do on all of our property lines. He recognizes our shared good fortune to have such a spectacular stretch of Mississippi riverfront and is enthusiastic for our role as protectors. Let's give him all the room we can and all the support we can as possible. I understand this isn't our land I'm talking about tonight; there's a limit to what we can insist on, but there's no limit to what we can ask for. So, let's do everything we can, including innovative approaches to property line management on the development side, not just the park side. Remember too, we asked Washington County and Minnesota taxpayers to participate in this adventure; let's do everything we can to deserve the confidence they've already shown in us. Thank you for this time tonight. **[00:04:45] Mayor Myron Bailey:** Thank you. Thank you. Now, no one else had signed up out there in the entryway. Just to make sure, is there anybody else that would like to speak that didn't sign up? All right, thank you. I'll then go ahead and close the Open Forum and we'll move to number five, which is Adoption of the Agenda. **[00:05:10] Councilmember Tony Khambata:** Motion to adopt the agenda. **[00:05:12] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** Second. **[00:05:14] Mayor Myron Bailey:** All right. We have a motion by Councilmember Khambata, second by Councilmember Olsen. All those in favor signify by saying aye. **[00:05:20] Councilmembers:** Aye. **[00:05:21] Mayor Myron Bailey:** Opposed? Motion carries. Next is six this evening, which is Presentations. We do have one this evening—the presentation for the "Capture Cottage Grove" photo contest winners. And I believe our Communications Manager, Eric Rigby, is going to take us through this. So, Eric, welcome. **[00:05:40] Eric Rigby (Communications):** Thank you, Mayor Bailey. By my careful research, I believe that the city of Cottage Grove has held an annual photo contest for—this will be the 21st year. And this year marks, or we had, a record number of submissions: over 120 submissions in what has become a very popular contest for Cottage Grove residents and a great way to capture the beauty of this beautiful city. This year, we focused on five categories: Nature, Celebrations and Events, Business, People or Wildlife, and City Parks or Landmarks. Of the 120-plus submissions, we submitted everything with names removed, and there were two people who won all five categories. We have one of them in attendance with us tonight. First, I'm going to run through the pictures that Isaac Pavic submitted and won in three categories. The first being Nature; this was taken at Pine Tree Pond, very aptly named "Serenity." You can feel it through the picture here. And then Isaac also won in Celebrations and Events, and most of you will recognize this as the Strawberry Festival held at Kingston Park in the summer—a drone shot. And Isaac Pavic also won in Business, where he took this overhead photo of the tree farms in the Cub parking lot. So, we'd like to invite Isaac up to accept a certificate now. Isaac, if you'd like to come up. **[00:07:15] Mayor Myron Bailey:** All right, Isaac, you want to join me down in front? Isaac, congratulations. Come on over here. All right, yes, I'm going to talk through my mask here just to be safe, but we want to congratulate Isaac for his awards for the different pictures. I think I heard Councilmember Thiede mention—was it the one? I'm assuming a drone? **[00:07:45] Isaac Pavic:** All of them are drones. **[00:07:47] Mayor Myron Bailey:** All of them are drones? Okay, perfect. Perfect. So, what we're going to do is present you with the certificate of appreciation for the great pictures that you did. And for the public, just to be aware, the winners get $75 per category. So, I guess you're going to walk away with a little extra bucks for Christmas. A very nice deal here. And so, I'll just read real quick: it says "2022 Winner, Capture Cottage Grove Photo Contest, proudly presented to Isaac Pavic for capturing 'Serenity' in the category of Wildlife and Nature, 'Tis the Season' in the category of Business, and 'Warm Nights and Shiny Lights' in the category of Celebrations and Events. Presented this day, December 21st, 2022." So, on behalf of all of us, thank you for that and congratulations. **[00:08:40] Eric Rigby:** Fantastic. Well, thanks for doing the pictures. Thank you and congratulations, Isaac, and thank you for your submissions. Our other winner tonight could not be here, but Julie Rowan, another resident of Cottage Grove, won in the remaining two categories. This for People or Wildlife: she took this photo of her dog at Hazen P. Mooers Park. And then she also won for City Parks or Landmarks, this photo that she took, I believe, of her son at Ravine Park. So, we'd like to thank everybody who submitted photos in what continues to be a very exciting and fun contest. **[00:09:30] Mayor Myron Bailey:** Thank you, Eric. And just as a comment for the winners, the checks will be sent to you. The other nice thing from the Council and staff standpoint is we get to utilize those pictures in upcoming marketing elements; you'll see them on newsletters and things like that. I wanted to just mention—I don't know if Council has any other comments on this at this point, but thank you for the great pictures and keep up the good work. Oh, I forgot one more thing. It was interesting—obviously, we had one individual win three categories and another win two. When the staff is picking the pictures, their names are not on there. The pictures are spread out, they look at the pictures, and then they vote. No one knows who the winner is until after the pictures have been tallied. In this case, Isaac took the three categories and obviously she took the two. I thought I'd just mention that because people might wonder how somebody got three. But thank you. Thanks again. All right, next on our agenda is Consent. Is there anything Council would like to pull on consent? **[00:10:45] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** Mayor, I'll pull item U. **[00:10:48] Mayor Myron Bailey:** Okay, and for me, I'm going to pull M and O just to let the public know about some donations and naming rights. Anybody else? All right, I'll start with you, Councilmember Olsen. Item U is a Minnesota—or Explore Minnesota—Grant. **[00:11:05] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** Thank you very much, Mayor. This item is asking us to provide direction to our City Administrator to sign a contractual agreement for the 2023 Tourism Marketing Grant with Explore Minnesota for up to $14,000, which would go to the Cottage Grove Convention and Visitors Bureau, otherwise known as Discover Cottage Grove, which you can see on the shirt. The reason I pulled this item is I act as the Vice Chair on the Discover Cottage Grove board, and our Chair is sitting to my right here, and that is Councilmember Dennis. I wanted to just take a moment to thank our Communications and Marketing Specialist, Julie Pryor-Miller, who helps us with a variety of things relative to trying to increase our profile for tourism here. It was her who put this grant application together; obviously, she did a very nice job because we are receiving grant funding. For those of you who aren't clear about what we do on the Convention and Visitors Bureau, this is really the offshoot of a larger strategic plan. One of our key components has been making the city of Cottage Grove a destination for things like baseball, softball, and hockey tournaments—all things that would help us fill up our hotels and restaurants. We've had a great deal of success in the short time we've existed. We've helped sponsor the public safety golf tournament, a day with the St. Paul Saints that was very successful, and we've done a lot with Strawberry Fest. The primary reason this grant is so helpful is it provides funding to expand our presence and help our businesses thrive. So, I’m really happy to see this item and would ask my Council colleagues to please approve it. I’m going to ask if the Chair of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, Steve Dennis, has anything he would like to add. **[00:13:30] Councilmember Steve Dennis:** Well, thank you, Councilmember Olsen. I am, along with yourself, very proud of the work that everybody has done—our staff team and of course a great list of volunteers. The funding that is generated mostly for this comes from lodging tax, which is a user fee applied through various lodging facilities. That money is utilized to help promote our city and put Cottage Grove on the map. It's been a little bit of a slow start because we started this during COVID. This was an offshoot of work that the Mayor and I do along with the EDA when we've gone to Las Vegas and met with investors who indicated this is a tool they would like to see us have. So, we came back motivated and were able to bring together a really nice process. We're very proud of the work being done. **[00:14:35] Mayor Myron Bailey:** Okay, thank you both. The two items that I pulled—I'll just mention, speaking of investing in our community, on item M there is a request to approve the Ice Arena naming rights. For a while now, the city has been looking at firms to do marketing for us. If you go to sports venues around the Twin Cities, you see venues like the HealthEast Sports Center. One of the things we talked about doing is either naming the Ice Arena or naming rinks within the arena. Well, we had a conversation with North Point, who is a new investor in our community. North Point wants the naming rights for the North Rink, which is the original rink for Cottage Grove. They are going to be providing $800,000 over the next 10 years for those rights. This will reduce the tax impact on our citizens because that money will be reinvested into the Ice Arena for needs like roofs and HVAC systems on our capital improvement plans. I want to publicly thank the North Point development team for that $800,000 investment. The second item is O, which is the Helmsley Charitable Trust Grant Award. This particular grant award is going to provide the city with 36 AEDs—Automatic External Defibrillators—for all of our police cars and fire trucks. That’s just over an $82,000 grant. The great thing about that is we already have one of the best response times in the state, and we’ve seen a reduction in deaths due to heart attacks because we get there quicker. When we have tools like this, the opportunity to save lives grows immensely. I want to thank the Helmsley Charitable Trust for this generous donation. Yes, Councilmember Dennis? **[00:17:15] Councilmember Steve Dennis:** Thank you, Mayor. That’s an incredible donation. An AED is a device that can be hooked up to someone having an arrhythmia or whose heart has stopped, providing a shock to get people back into a rhythm. I have friends who are both Minneapolis and St. Paul police officers, and those departments, as big as they are, do not have those tools. This is such a blessing for us to have this available in every circumstance. **[00:18:00] Mayor Myron Bailey:** This wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for our Public Safety Department individuals actually going out after the grants. Whether it’s naming rights, Explore Minnesota, or Zac in Parks getting grants—you guys are doing an amazing job working to get the money to fund these things and bring this back to serve the citizens. All right, see none, I will look for a motion to approve Consent. **[00:18:40] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** Motion. **[00:18:41] Councilmember Dave Thiede:** Second. **[00:18:43] Mayor Myron Bailey:** Motion by Councilmember Olsen, second by Councilmember Thiede. All those in favor signify by saying aye. **[00:18:48] Councilmembers:** Aye. **[00:18:49] Mayor Myron Bailey:** Opposed? Motion carries. All those items have been approved. Next on our agenda is item 8A, to pay the bills. **[00:19:00] Councilmember Tony Khambata:** Motion to pay the bills. **[00:19:02] Councilmember Dave Thiede:** Second. **[00:19:04] Mayor Myron Bailey:** All those in favor signify by saying aye. **[00:19:06] Councilmembers:** Aye. **[00:19:07] Mayor Myron Bailey:** Opposed? Motion carries. Nine is Public Hearings—we have none. Ten is Bid Awards—we have the Glacial Valley Park bid award. Our Parks and Recreation Director, Zac Dockter, is going to walk us through this. **[00:19:25] Zac Dockter (Parks and Recreation Director):** Good evening, Mayor and Councilmembers. Glacial Valley Park is our newest community park in Cottage Grove. Community parks serve at least a one-mile radius and a broad array of visitors. This is actually our first community park in almost 20 years. It will include a playground, picnic shelters, pickleball and basketball courts, a baseball diamond, an ice rink, and trails. One of the coolest features is the connection to the Minnesota DNR and South Washington Watershed District open space. The objective of the building design was to construct a unique facility with three primary goals: sophisticated design, connections with nature and history, and a sustainable design. The floor plan includes a 1,500 square foot multi-purpose room, a kitchenette, a 955 square foot classroom, and a warming room. We tried to be very innovative with the design, focusing on the "Glacial" element, particularly the roof showing that glacial divide. It also features a retractable glass wall—the only one of its kind in Cottage Grove—to create an indoor-outdoor connection. It will have a geothermal heating and cooling system and a solar-powered system. We expect it to be a Net Zero facility 95-plus percent of the time. If you approve the bids tonight, we would break ground in May 2023 and expect the project to be complete in October. The construction manager's estimate was $3,643,353. The total value of all bids received was $3,688,487—about 1.2% over the estimate. All bids were verified for accuracy by our construction manager, Kraus-Anderson. Before you tonight is a motion to award the contracts. I'll take any questions. **[00:23:00] Councilmember Dave Thiede:** Well, first off, we got some information that that $3.6 million isn't the number anymore. Is that true? **[00:23:10] Zac Dockter:** The total project cost is $4,859,641. The $3.6 million is just the value of the bids the Council is authorizing tonight. **[00:23:25] Councilmember Dave Thiede:** So, based on the information provided Friday, what was the change? You're saying there was a $55,000 increase? **[00:23:35] Zac Dockter:** We were originally under budget by about $15,000, but an update on Monday added $55,000. We had an electrical bid where the electrician notified us Friday night that they could not fulfill their obligation because they had left out labor. Once bids are publicly opened, we can't allow them to add to the project. So, we went to the second lowest bidder, which was a $55,000 difference. **[00:24:15] Mayor Myron Bailey:** Corey, do you want to mention the legal aspect of that? **[00:24:20] Corey Land (City Attorney):** Your Honor, after a public bid is opened, a bidder cannot change their bid. If they made a mistake and request to withdraw, we can allow that, which we did. But we still need that portion of the project done, so we had to go to the next bidder. It was slightly higher, but not a significant difference in the context of the whole project. **[00:24:50] Councilmember Dave Thiede:** If we decided not to approve this tonight, would we still be able to use the park and put the building in later? **[00:25:05] Corey Land:** Yes, the park would be usable; we’d just have to grade out the spot for the building. Our construction manager advised that rebidding 60 days later is unlikely to change results. They would not recommend rebidding for at least a year. **[00:25:40] Councilmember Steve Dennis:** Thank you, Mayor. I sent Zac an email. We live in an imperfect world, but ultimately you want to be reasonable. I have no issue supporting the second bid. As pointed out, we have a contingency and we are still well within that range. **[00:26:10] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** Thank you, Mayor. I too was quick on the keyboard asking questions. To put it in fundamental terms: if I ask you to build a deck for $10,000 and you accept, then you see other bids at $15,000 and try to add "oops" costs, that’s not playing by the rules. We had no choice but to go with the second bidder. Zac, can you speak to the contingency? **[00:27:15] Zac Dockter:** Contingencies protect us from the unknowns—things you find when you start to dig or electrical connections missed in design. We have over $300,000 in contingency managed by the city. We always try to reduce that amount to bring it back to the city, but it would be foolish not to have it. **[00:28:15] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** So, you’re authorizing a "slush fund"—maybe not the best term—for change orders, but if you don't use it, the building comes in under budget? **[00:28:30] Zac Dockter:** That’s correct. **[00:28:40] Mayor Myron Bailey:** I want to say thanks to Zac for adding the geothermal to be Net Zero. I also like Councilmember Dennis's suggestion for a bidding situation for artwork to get the community involved. This is not your atypical warming house; it’s much more extensive. I definitely support moving forward. **[00:29:10] Councilmember Dave Thiede:** One last question: did we take care of the boiler room? If we ever had to put in a regular-sized boiler, is the room big enough? **[00:29:25] Zac Dockter:** My understanding is the shared wall can be moved into the storage facility to account for that. **[00:29:40] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** I’ll make the motion to authorize a resolution for awarding contracts for the Glacial Valley Park Building and assigning certain contracts to Kraus-Anderson. **[00:30:00] Mayor Myron Bailey:** Motion by Councilmember Olsen. Second? All those in favor signify by saying aye. **[00:30:05] Councilmembers:** Aye. **[00:30:06] Mayor Myron Bailey:** Opposed? Motion carries. Next is item 11, the City Code Recodification and 2023 Fee Table. Our City Attorney, Corey Land, is going to walk us through this. **[00:30:30] Corey Land (City Attorney):** Thank you, Your Honor. This has been a long and wonderful process. We initiated this in February 2021. We worked with every department, held five workshops with the Council, four with the Planning Commission, and held public open houses. We wanted to make sure we weren’t taking a path you didn’t want to go. If approved, the effective date will be January 1st, 2023. We confirmed all statutory citations, updated cross-references, and ensured consistent formatting. We deleted unnecessary sections and "to-done" staff's to-do lists. We have a new zoning map because sometimes districts didn't pan out. The bottom line was to make this code user-friendly—put it in English. Title I adds a General Penalty section. If there's a violation, there’s an appeal process before it gets to a criminal citation. The City Administrator will hold the appeal hearing to give due process. We are also introducing an "Excessive Use of Public Safety Services" fee for problem properties—neighborhood issues, noise, or disorderly conduct. If they receive two calls within 12 months, they get a letter; the third call results in a fee. Title III consolidates licensing. We are also adding a "Provisional License" for businesses with three violations in 12 months. They would need a mitigation plan, like on-site security for a liquor establishment with frequent fights. We are also introducing the intoxicating CBD license, which requires a $10,200 fee and specific distancing from schools and parks. Title IV covers nuisances. Everyone knows a nuisance when they see it, but it’s tough to define. We provided robust definitions for things like "unsheltered storage"—no, you can't have an unused washing machine in your backyard. The most effective tool is abatement: if you don't clean it up by the deadline, the city will do it and assess the cost against the property. Title V adds provisions for catalytic converters—it will be a misdemeanor to possess one without proof of purchase. We also added a requirement for retailers to ask for ID when someone buys a gift card with a credit card to deter theft. Title XI covers Zoning. The map amendment must be approved by a super-majority. We cleaned up the districts, reducing industrial from five to three and consolidating residential. In R3, we eliminated lot area requirements in favor of depth and width math. One point of discussion: the Planning Commission wanted 15 feet between dwellings. Staff is recommending 7.5 feet from a dwelling and 5 feet from a garage. Mike can explain why. **[00:43:00] Mike Johnson (Community Development):** Since 2019, the city has approved roughly 1,100 units with those standards. We want to continue that trend without requiring a PUD (Planned Unit Development) for everything. **[00:43:30] Councilmember Dave Thiede:** As the liaison to the Planning Commission, I was there for the discussion. Their concern was that houses would only be 10 feet apart. They felt it was safer for access and grading. I tend to agree with the Planning Commission. **[00:44:40] Jennifer Levitt (City Administrator):** We want to get away from the PUD overlays and have a standard. We've had no safety or fire code issues with the 1,100 units already built. We are competitive in the market, and I would caution against making that change. **[00:45:30] Mayor Myron Bailey:** I'll piggyback on that. Trends change. Families today don't want big lots or high maintenance. They want HOAs that take care of the yards. If we don't move with the trends, we won't grow. I don't necessarily want to live that close to my neighbor, but people are buying them. They are popping up and selling quick. **[00:47:15] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** Jennifer, you mentioned that approving these under the old code took an awful lot of work via PUDs. Many cities are getting away from those. Am I correct that the current market is leaning toward these tighter setbacks? **[00:48:20] Jennifer Levitt:** Yes. It adds to affordability. Energy codes and stormwater regulations have placed costs on developers; this brings affordability back to the product. **[00:48:50] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** Corey, how are we going to communicate this to residents and businesses? Is there a rollout plan? **[00:49:15] Jennifer Levitt:** Each department will have its own strategy. Public Safety for the gift cards, Planning for zoning. It’s not one-size-fits-all. **[00:49:50] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** I think one of the biggest wins is the nuisance section. Is it swifter now? **[00:50:00] Corey Land:** Yes, it spells out the process exactly. **[00:50:20] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** I get phone calls about neighbors that are nuisances. We have one code enforcement officer, and she's awesome, but she’s one person. I’d like us to be proactive rather than waiting for a complaint. **[00:51:30] Councilmember Tony Khambata:** I sit on the Housing Affordability Task Force. Developers identify PUDs as a roadblock to affordable housing. Also, land is exponentially more expensive. In some suburbs, the side yard setback is three feet. There are people who don't want to mow a third-acre lot. Our smaller entry-level homes on smaller lots have been wildly successful; they are sold out. While I don't personally agree with a 7.5-foot setback, the market is demanding it. **[00:54:15] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** Does the Met Council dictate that we have a certain amount of affordable housing? **[00:54:30] Councilmember Tony Khambata:** Yes, and we have struggled to meet that percentage. The fixed costs of developing a lot make a 900-square-foot starter home on a big lot economically unviable. **[00:55:50] Councilmember Steve Dennis:** There are four factors: land acquisition, land improvement, materials, and labor. We can do our part by listening to community needs and making the process more reasonable. **[00:56:30] Councilmember Dave Thiede:** I remember on the Planning Commission in the early 2000s, we fought against lot sizes less than 85 feet. I wonder where all the people are coming from. I'm probably going to stick with the Planning Commission's recommendation to keep the larger setbacks. **[00:57:45] Mayor Myron Bailey:** Regarding the nuisance ordinance—the thing that frustrated me most was getting calls about the same property for years. This makes it easier for staff and the neighborhood. Council, we have three separate motions. **[00:58:30] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** I’ll move to adopt the ordinance repealing and replacing the Cottage Grove official zoning map. **[00:58:35] Councilmember Dave Thiede:** Second. **[00:58:40] Mayor Myron Bailey:** All those in favor signify by saying aye. **[00:58:42] Councilmembers:** Aye. **[00:58:43] Mayor Myron Bailey:** Opposed? Motion carries. **[00:58:45] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** I move that we adopt the ordinance repealing and replacing the Cottage Grove City Code. **[00:58:50] Councilmember Steve Dennis:** Second. **[00:58:55] Mayor Myron Bailey:** All those in favor signify by saying aye. **[00:59:00] Councilmembers:** Aye. (Councilmember Thiede votes Nay). **[00:59:02] Mayor Myron Bailey:** Four-one on that one. The last one? **[00:59:05] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** Motion to adopt the ordinance amending the city fee table. **[00:59:10] Councilmember Steve Dennis:** Second. **[00:59:15] Mayor Myron Bailey:** All those in favor signify by saying aye. **[00:59:17] Councilmembers:** Aye. **[00:59:18] Mayor Myron Bailey:** Motion carries. Next is item 12, Council Comments and Requests. We'll start with Councilmember Khambata. **[00:59:30] Councilmember Tony Khambata:** I just have to commend staff and all the volunteers who put together amazing events this year, from the Strawberry Festival to the Holiday Train. It really is a grassroots effort. **[00:59:50] Councilmember Steve Dennis:** I wish everyone a very safe, happy, and healthy holiday. I also want to recognize the gentleman at the end of the dais, Mr. Justin Olsen. I am so appreciative of the volunteer work you've done—Lions Club, Beyond the Yellow Ribbon, ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. You’ve done a tremendous amount this year. **[01:00:35] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** That’s very kind. I do it because I love my community. **[01:00:45] Councilmember Dave Thiede:** Speaking of Strawberry Fest, we are requesting ideas for the logo and theme on Facebook. Also, I think one of our greatest accomplishments over the last few years is the environment created among city staff. When I got on Council 12 years ago, it was a totally different environment. People truly respect each other now. **[01:01:45] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** Thank you, Mayor. I want to recognize the work our Public Works department does during snow events. Ryan, please let your team know how grateful we are. They are out at 2:00 or 3:00 AM away from their families. Also, I stopped by Friends in Need Food Shelf yesterday. Our goal for the Holiday Train was $90,000. Pete, do you have an updated number? **[01:03:00] Brad Petersen (Acting Director of Public Safety):** $169,500. **[01:03:05] Councilmember Justin Olsen:** $169,500 raised by this community for people in need. That tells you we are the heart of Washington County. **[01:03:30] Mayor Myron Bailey:** It completely blew the CP Rail staff away. I also want to mention we worked with federal and state legislators for grants. We received word from Representative Angie Craig and Senator Klobuchar that there is $5 million in the current federal bonding bill for infrastructure on 80th Street. Lastly, we had a performance review for our City Administrator, Jennifer Levitt. It went very well, and the Council was unanimous in our support for the work she is doing. With that, we have a workshop regarding the local option sales tax for funding parks. We do not have a closed session. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Meeting adjourned.