Based on the context provided for the City of Lake Elmo and the dialogue within the transcript, here is the formatted version with speaker names. [00:00] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [clears throat] Second item is approval of the agenda. Do we have any changes to it? Otherwise, I'll take a motion to approve. [00:15] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Motion to approve. Motion for approval of the agenda. [00:17] **Council Member Matt Hirn**: Support. [00:19] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: There's a motion to second. All those in favor say I. [00:21] **Council Members**: I. I. [00:23] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: It passes. Do we have any public comments and inquiries? I'm going to go with probably not unless our sergeant would like to. Item D, approval of minutes. We have minutes from January 13 workshop and January 20 council meeting. Absent of any changes to either of these documents, I will entertain a motion. [00:40] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Move to approve the council workshop minutes of 11326. [00:43] **Council Member Jeff Holtz**: Second. [00:45] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: All those in favor say I. [00:47] **Council Members**: I. I. [00:49] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: It passes. [snorts] [00:51] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Move to approve the 1226 city council meeting minutes. [00:54] **Council Member Jeff Holtz**: Second. [00:56] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: There's a motion to second. All those in favor say I. [00:58] **Council Members**: I. I. [01:00] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: Motion passes. Next item is the consent agenda. Item one, approve payments and dispersements. Two. [clears throat] Approve the 2026 planning commission work plan. Three, approve the 2026 parks commission work plan. And four, accept the improvements and approve security reduction for Bridgewater Bank. And that is the consent agenda. I'll take a motion. [01:25] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Move to approve the consent agenda. [01:27] **Council Member Matt Hirn**: Second. [01:29] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: There's a motion, a second to approve the consent agenda as written. All those in favor say I. [01:33] **Council Members**: I. I. [01:35] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: Motion passes. There are no items for council to discuss and vote on, but there are council reports. [01:40] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Yes. And I have a long list of reports this evening. [01:43] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: Okay, moving on. [laughter] [01:45] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Let's start with the first one. I believe we all received an email from a resident about the climate action plan. Um I thought that um it was interesting. I was wondering if staff could gather some information for us about what the Met Council will require. I was on their website. They have like a matrix, but it's really unclear what the exact requirements would be. I'm not I think it might be a good idea, but I don't want to go set up a committee and go down a path that um we don't get it right. You know, if we're have to do something, is now the right time? What what is it that they have to accomplish? Um, she mentioned the Washington County uh plan, climate action plan, and maybe we get a copy of that so we have some idea, you know, what direction we're heading and we can make an informed decision. No particular rush, Nicole, that's just, you know, do we have someone at the mid council as a contact person? [02:40] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: We have a sector rep. [02:42] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Yeah. [02:43] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: Okay. [02:44] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: But did you see that email? [02:45] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: I'm not sure. Can you forward it to me? [02:47] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Yeah, I'll forward it to you. [02:48] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: Okay. [02:49] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Okay. The the other item I have and I this is a suggestion for our next council agenda. I need one of you other to support me on this, but we have our 250th anniversary coming up of this country this summer. And I was at the Rotary fundraiser the other night. People were talking about it and people, well, what's the city going to do? And I said, we really haven't had a chance to talk about it yet. And I'd like to put that on the next agenda to have some discussion. My thought was, you know, the Rotary's offered to help us, the president of the Rotary, and she sent me an email about that. But, you know, how do we get a process that's more inclusive of the downtown? We did our 100th anniversary fairly quickly, and we didn't get any input from the downtown businesses really. So, I'm thinking if we had some kind of a information gather, what would the downtown merchants? What would our residents like to see for a 250th celebration? Um, we have plenty of time to do that, but we have to get the council to agree this is something we want to work on as a city. And so, um, if one of you two would support my suggestion, it takes two city councilors to add something to the agenda. [03:55] **Council Member Jeff Holtz**: I would support looking into something like that. I mean, I think it'd be fun if we did something similar to what we did for the 100red-year anniversary, food trucks, fireworks, a city gathering, street dance. [04:05] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Yeah. Meme band. There's going to be a lot of a lot of competition for things. And you know, the next question is, do we do it the week of the fourth? Do we do it some other week? Is it a one day thing? Is it a two or three day thing? And you I mean we could talk about a lot of but I think if we get if we get on the agenda agree this is something the council as a whole would like to pursue then we could get a committee together get some you know volunteers to help us maybe connect Lake Elmo the Rotary they already volunteered but whatever. I just think let's plan if we're going to do something let's plan and not do it you know on June 30th. [04:45] **Council Member Jeff Holtz**: Yeah. No, I think doing something maybe like the week before the fourth because people are kind of getting ramped up for the fourth and then after the fourth I feel like people are kind of fireworked out and partied out at that point. So, we can talk about dates at another time, but I'd be interested in looking into it. [05:00] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: So, what I'm hearing is interest by two minimum two-fifths of the council for a workshop item. Is there a goal that you think— [05:08] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: I was actually just a council agenda item. We could do that at the workshop next week. [05:13] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: Well, that's my next question was be like how soon like because it's is it an open-ended thing? Is there something that you are asking staff to prepare or just more so get a— [05:22] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Well, I gauge interest in high level goal setting. My my thing was engaging the councils, ascertaining the council's interest in planning some kind of, you know, celebration for our 250th and determining put putting together recommendation, ask a committee to gather um, you know, to help us plan. [05:40] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: So maybe not necessarily a request for a lot of staff work time before now in workshop. [05:45] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: No, just all we need to do is get on the agenda and say, do we want to do something or not? And if the answer is yes, you know, we could ask our volunteers who sign up for a committee to help plan the event. Maybe get a couple of council people and already I said the president of the Rotary already told me she was interested and [clears throat] you know maybe some of the downtown we have Councilor Hirn who's a downtown merchant. He might be a good reference for that. I don't know if he's interested but just— [06:10] **Council Member Jeff Holtz**: No, I I think you have Stable Pizzeria that would be interested. Lake Elmo Creamery especially be interested I would think in the summer um. Establish Salon always has really cool Lake Elmo merchandise so I think it'd be a really cool event. Thing I'm thinking too is you know where do we hold it and how do we set up so every business gets an opportunity to benefit from it. [06:30] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Yeah, sounds like— [06:31] **Council Member Jeff Holtz**: We won't have a fire hall parking lot. [06:33] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Something like Light Up Lake Elmo maybe where we cut off the Main Street for a couple hours. [06:38] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: Sounds like very good questions to discuss thoroughly with next Tuesday with council. [06:42] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Yeah. Yeah. [06:43] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: Okay, that works for me. [06:44] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: One one second. So, we didn't have any items for the workshop next week. So, that one is cancelled. So, that was in I think the Friday update. Um, so it seems like a good workshop item. So, we could talk talk about it. So, are you okay with the March one then? Because that's the next one. [07:05] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: I think that still gives us plenty of runway to plan something. I mean, we plan something in four weeks before six weeks, but we're lose a whole a whole month. That's the bad part. [07:14] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: True. [07:15] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: I mean, I don't I don't think it's it's such a huge issue. I'm guessing the council is going to support doing something. I mean, I think there's at least three we know that will and um and all we're trying to do is okay, do we want to do something and b can we put together a committee? I don't think we get into the discussion of what we want to do just yet. I think that's the object of the committee is to say is it a one day, is it a three-day, is a three-month event? You know, what do we want to do to celebrate? [07:40] **Council Member Jeff Holtz**: Can we not put it on the agenda for the next council meeting two weeks from now? [07:44] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: It's reasonable to hypothesize a three-fifths might vote to support to allow the administrator to engage in future contracts up to X. Like there might be it might get to that point in the discussion depending upon how long of a discussion. I could see it being a council thing, but again, I don't think there's necessarily a lot of there's not a motion to prepare or— [08:05] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: No, nothing like that. It's just put it on the agenda for discussion at the next council meeting. [08:08] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: Next council meeting. Yeah. We have two counselors making that request and that's what it takes. [08:14] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: Yep. I think the code says it goes on the next workshop, but as long as Sarah, do you have any— [08:20] **Sarah Sansala (City Attorney)**: That's what our ordinances ask. Two council people can have something put on the agenda. [08:25] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: Workshop. [08:26] **Sarah Sansala (City Attorney)**: Workshop. [08:27] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Not on the regular agenda. [08:28] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: I don't think so because that was the issue before we were having council members throwing things on the agenda at the last minute. [08:34] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: That's why it takes two. [08:36] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: Yeah, but it has to go to the workshop first. [08:38] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: I disagree. I think I I wrote it [laughter]. Now, don't be cutting us off at the ankles. [clears throat] Well, then put on the next workshop. I just don't want to wait another lose another month. And if it [snorts] So there are there are no other items for a future workshop that we could also have next week? There just there's a gap. Um we did cancel it last week because there was no items. Staff was not— we would have had to been prepared um with our items. Well, the the packet would have went out tomorrow. It is. [09:12] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: Well, thank you for bringing that up. It sounds like and and I I support the concept as well. We're already at two as it is. But no, I think it is a worthwhile endeavor to pursue for how we as a city want to celebrate the 250th and there will be plenty of celebrations. I obviously statewide I'm sure Stillwater will have something, St. Paul will have something. But any additional council reports for you, sir? [09:35] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Um I don't believe so. That's it. On my end, I do not. [09:38] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: I anticipate another council member here might be having a report maybe next week or so after the next airports commission meeting. [09:44] **Council Member Nick Kragness**: Yeah, I mean since we're [clears throat] not meeting next week, it'll probably be the week after. But yeah, on Monday we're going to be meeting for the Lake Elmo Airport Advisory Commission Monday at 4. So I'll have a report next time we meet. [09:55] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: Sounds good. Administrator Miller. [09:57] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: Um just one informational item. The board of appeals um will be held here in the council chambers. [10:04] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: One in a quorum. I don't recall emails going out about the training for local board. I because I took the training last year. I remember the emails last year too. Yeah. [10:14] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: I don't remember the emails going out. [10:15] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: I can have um Julie check on that because I know there's a deadline for it as well. Yeah. And and it could be that the emails were sent and my memory is failing, but yeah. Could that be checked on? [10:25] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: Yep. [10:26] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: Thank you. Mr. Stanley. [10:28] **City Engineer Nate Stanley**: Uh just that we are receiving bids uh tomorrow for the 2026 street utility improvement project and we'll be bringing that back with a recommendation um at the next council meeting. [10:38] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: Sounds good. Good luck with the bids. Miss Sansala. [10:41] **Sarah Sansala (City Attorney)**: I checked on the code provision and it is section 3.08.040 and it does require it go to a work session first—two council members—and then it can go to a council regular agenda after that. [10:55] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Thank you for— what about section two? It says agenda procedures any staff member the mayor two council members wishing to add an agenda to any an item to any agenda pursuant to section do so by complying with the following all requests would be 11 days prior in paragraph sub paragraph A. You got to read on there. It says um you have to comply with all of the following. [11:15] **Sarah Sansala (City Attorney)**: And one of them says that all requests from the mayor or council must be reviewed at a council work session before being placed on the agenda of a regular meeting. [11:24] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: But we're going to have to change that. [laughter] So, there's no sense that you can't—two council people can't get an item on the agenda without going through a workshop. So, if it's the last meeting of the month, you're a month away before you can get on the workshop and five weeks away for you get on the agenda. That's— but the mayor can get it on anytime he wants. [11:45] **Sarah Sansala (City Attorney)**: I think the mayor has to follow that too. [11:46] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: So, the council has no control over his agenda. [11:48] **Sarah Sansala (City Attorney)**: That's correct. Because we had a lot of problems. [laughter] [11:51] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: Yeah. Yeah. And the intent was to, as I recall that as the intent was to make sure it didn't immediately go straight to an agenda where voting occurring to make sure it was at least going to a workshop first because there was some— [12:05] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: There were people—the council members were adding things to the agenda the day of the—at the meeting—and then staff was not prepared to address those items. [12:13] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: All right. Well, the council at the meeting can't make a motion to add something to the agenda. [12:17] **City Administrator Nicole Miller**: Correct. [12:18] **Council Member Nick Dragisich**: Really? I think we've actually done that since I've been here. [12:20] **Mayor Charles Cadenhead**: Seeing no further staff reports, future agenda items. There we do have in the online packet a list of future agenda items. I don't necessarily have any specific ones I wanted to call out for for these purposes unless either of you wanted to for any that are on that PDF. Above and beyond that, uh it is 7:15 and seeing there is no further business, it is time to adjourn.