Based on the context provided and the details within the transcript, here is the formatted version with speaker names assigned. **Note on Speaker Identifications:** * **"Mary Fender"** in the transcript is corrected to **Mayor Mary Fasbender**. * **"fch"** in the transcript is a phonetic error for **Councilmember DawnMarie Vihrachoff**. * **"Fox"** is used for **Councilmember Fox**. (Note: While Jen Fox was not on your provided list, she is explicitly named in the text and identified as the owner of Spiral Brewery, which matches local record). * **"Dan watia/raicha"** is corrected to City Administrator **Dan Wietecha**. *** [0:02] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Time being 7 o'clock I call the Hastings City council meeting to order please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance which will be followed by a moment of silence for our neighbors in the Burnsville and the fth elm Strand and rug families I pledge alance 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 [0:42] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** all as we just stand in a moment of silence and Remembrance for the awful incidence over burville father we pray tonight for the families those children we just pray that you the help and the comfort that they need to be with the city officials and all our EMS and all of our police officers we pray that you protect them each and every day but Lord we just tonight offer our condolences and our prayers to them and birth in Jesus name amen [1:28] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** amen let the role reflect that all council members are in attendance and tonight we have a proclamation for the March out hunger that council member house will start. [1:35] **Councilmember Angie Haus:** Whereas the MN food share has coordinated a March campaign for 43 years to restock food shelves throughout the state of Minnesota and whereas 7.5 million visits were made to food shelves in Minnesota in 2023 an increase of over 2 million visits over the previous year and whereas Hastings family service strives to help our community members [2:14] **Councilmember Angie Haus:** meet their basic needs of food housing transportation and clothing and whereas Hastings family service has also experienced a significant 53% increase in the need for food programs and distributed over 425,000 lb of food in 2023 and whereas 50% of those served by the market Food Shelf at Hastings family service are children and whereas the generosity of our community makes it possible for Hastings family service to provide help and hope to our neighbors and all the gifts of money and food that are appropriated properly matched by Minnesota food share throughout [3:00] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** the month of March and now therefore be it resolved that I mayor Mary Fasbender of the city of Hastings do hereby declare that the Hastings Community will work together during Minnesota food share and restock the market Food Shelf at Hastings family service to drive out hunger in our community at this time I would like to present this to Amy Sutton from the Hastings family service [Applause] [3:26] **Amy Sutton:** Just a quick thank you you know Hastings family service is only as strong as this community and the community steps up when there's a need and the fact is in the last couple of years we have seen unprecedented need from families in our community but we've been able to meet that need because this community comes through and supports the work and supports our neighbors so we want to say thank you and we're looking forward to Minnesota food share it runs February 26th through April 6th every dollar and every pound of food donated during that time will be proportionately matched by Minnesota food share and have an even greater impact so thank you for this Proclamation thank you for your support um it makes a big difference in our community [4:18] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Great thank you Amy and we thank you and your staff for all you do for our community approval of minutes council members are there any corrections to the minutes from the regular meeting on February 5th okay uh comments from the audience at this time we will allow comments from the audience or via zoom and please with respect for all please keep your comments to a two-minute limit anyone wish to speak to the council at this time and no one on Zoom no— [5:11] **City Staff:** Well there's people in zoom but nobody raising their hand. [5:14] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Okay all right uh council members are there any Council items to be considered okay Council I would accept a motion to approve the consent agenda. [5:19] **Councilmember Fox:** So moved. [5:20] **Councilmember DawnMarie Vihrachoff:** Second. [5:21] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Councilmember Fox and council member Vihrachoff; any discussion Council? All those in favor of the Motion state by saying I. [5:27] **Councilmembers:** I. [5:28] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Oppose to that Motion state by saying nay and that motion prevails tonight under Administration we will have an introduction by our city administrator Dan Wietecha and this will be in reference to the 2024 bond issue. [5:39] **Dan Wietecha:** Thank you mayor um although I will uh introduce this I I would also point out if there's technical questions we have our finance manager as well as financial advisors here in the audience um uh this uh bond issue is for uh basically three projects we've discussed this over over several months and even going back last year when budgeting for this year uh one of those is our um traditional uh annual neighborhood project so Street uh water sewer uh kbon gutter uh sidewalk uh an adjoining Trail but sort of that neighborhood infrastructure project we do every year to um uh uh sort of keep on a rotating basis at making sure that as uh streets uh outlive their life they get rebuilt um that uh is is a large portion of this project uh a second portion which is very significant and been talked about for years uh since before I was here actually is the refrigeration and West rink roof project for the uh Civic Arena um which uh is uh important in terms of uh asset maintenance um we do have a request for um uh uh outside funding towards it but uh that's that's separate from this project itself uh the uh third project that we have is um uh the building that we're in uh City Hall this historic building uh several years ago uh we received uh about $2 million from the state to do uh Renovations uh preserve uh the historic um essentially the roof as well as uh some of the um weather uh humidity of the building uh asset maintenance again uh although we also had a cost match towards it uh the bids have come in above uh what we were anticipating uh so there's a a essentially a funding shortfall that we need to cover in order to get this project through uh so in total those those three projects are about $10 million uh add in the cost of issuance and some uh capitalized interest uh it is about $10.3 million uh there are two different figures in the resolutions you have uh one is $1,295,000 that is based on uh the uh interest rates today if we went forward and I believe it's looking at a true interest cost about 3.15% over 10 years uh the other number uh 10.335 million so about $40,000 more uh essentially is a cap so that uh if when we uh go to Du Bond sale in in mid March if interest rates are are not as favorable as at moment uh it gives us a little bit of a cushion but that's why you've got two different numbers the final number actually be what's brought to council um in a couple of in a couple of meetings um Bond sales I mentioned is scheduled for March 18th it would uh cover those projects the other piece that I want to note is um these are Charter bonds uh a bit different process than what we normally do they still allow us to do projects but the reason that we recommended this approach is uh to gain some flexibility uh as mentioned earlier we've got a request into the state for funding towards the Civic Arena project if it came in with $2 million well suddenly our numbers are different we don't need all that so uh the using the charter bonds gives us the flexibility that um if outside funding came in uh cover some of that Arena cost we could carry that otherwise Arena cost forward to other neighborhood project infrastructure projects the following year so it it uh uh built in the flexibility since the the timing of of um potential State funding and moving forward with these projects uh didn't match up so I think it was a good solution that we worked through with Northland Securities and our bond council at Taft um with that Charter Bond piece there is a process that um uh residents could petition to oppose the project uh and if we do receive that uh petition which has been noticed uh essentially we would have two options one uh the the next uh progression The Next Step would be to H hold a uh voter referendum do the voters approve moving forward with this bond issue uh the other would be to essentially regroup and um uh go back to a a more typical bond issue that we would normally do it might add a little bit of delay uh potentially some cost since we're we're rep plowing some of the the the the land but there's a couple of options that we could go forward with if that uh occurs um uh and certainly uh um respect the process respect the the uh input we would get from our constituents uh it it honestly is something that rarely happens so it's a possibility but I don't think it's overly likely um but we'll see that as it goes um uh the other piece I would note is that this is proposed at 10 years uh and really that came down to looking at the uh interest uh rates and sort of the impact on it we had always intended for the neighborhood project uh to be 10 years like we normally do and have those laded out uh but we had considered the possibility that the arena might be on a 20-year schedule it's sort of a unique project it's not something we normally do um uh the uh difference in interest rates uh previously we had estimated 3 and a half% on the 20-year portion uh looking at it 3.1 about 3.15 uh savings on interest as well as paying it off sooner uh looking at the total impact and how it fit into the budget it would mean a uh uh an increase in taxes uh but uh looks like it's something would fit into the budget so the recommendation is keeping it at 10 years with that I can take questions and certainly defer questions to uh our our staff uh in the finance department thank you [12:44] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Sure thank you Dan Council any questions okay council member Fox. [12:51] **Councilmember Fox:** Thank you your honor um I support the um move the resolution yes the resolution as it's stated thank you um I I just had this conversation a little earlier today with the colleague that um moving on interest rates while they're good is an important thing to do um even if you are taking on debt that's an important an important step for us to to take so I I would prefer to move um as well the interest rates are hot um I did I did just I don't know who this question goes to and I apologize Dan that I didn't get this question to you earlier today um but and it might sound foolish what would taking on this Charter Bond due to our um rating or potential would it change it will it is a charter Bond a little different than— [13:51] **Chris Eitemiller (Finance Manager):** Madame mayor members of the council I'm happy to take this question we have discussed these potential projects with S&P as we've gone through the rating process and we do this annually obviously you guys have your neighborhood Improvement project annually so we have discussed some of these projects being out there in the future um and as the council is aware you got your um rating upgrade last year so we will go through the rating process again that being said we see no reason or concern for that rating to not be upheld this time um so we think you're in a good solid position all of the rating remarks have been really great for the city and we anticipate that will be the same this year. [14:32] **Councilmember Fox:** Excellent thank you so much I really just wanted to have you say that we an excellent rating. [14:38] **Chris Eitemiller (Finance Manager):** And just one note on the on the charter bonds versus the issuance of other types of General obligation bonds they are equally accepted by the market um so there's no difference in going out with General obligation Street Improvement bonds versus General obligation Charter bonds they are equally accepted so you're you're in a good spot thank you. [14:52] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Thank you. [14:53] **Councilmember DawnMarie Vihrachoff:** Your honor I'll uh make a resolution or I'll make a motion to pass the resolution providing for the competitive negotiated sale of 10.2 million General obligation Charter bond series 2024a. [15:10] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Okay thank you council member Vihrachoff and a second by council member Fox; any discussion Council? All those in favor of the Motion state by saying I. [15:19] **Councilmembers:** I. [15:20] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Oppose to that Motion state by saying nay and that motion prevails thanks Dan there's two resolutions oh sorry next resolution would be for determining and to issue a go bonds. [15:30] **Councilmember Angie Haus:** I'd like to make a motion. [15:45] **Councilmember Tim Lawrence:** Second. [15:47] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Thank you council member Haus council member Lawrence first and a second uh additional discussion Council all those in favor of that resolution state by saying I. [15:58] **Councilmembers:** I. [15:59] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Oppose to that Motion state by saying nay and that motion prevails as well under approving the 2024 Sidewalk Cafe and parklet renewals for Spyro Brewery and this item we will have a introduction by City administrator Dan Wietecha. [16:08] **Dan Wietecha:** Thank you uh I believe this is relatively straightforward uh we handled uh several other Sidewalk Cafe parklet renewals earlier this evening during the consent agenda these ones are held out separately because of council member Fox's um uh principal ownership in Spyro Brewery and and just making it easier for her to abstain on a single item uh these are um no changes they're identical renewals to uh prior Sidewalk Cafe and parklets so staff recommends approval thank you. [16:47] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Dan. [16:51] **Councilmember Tim Lawrence:** So moved. [16:53] **Councilmember Dave Pemble:** Second. [16:55] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** council member Lawrence with a second by council member Pemble any discussion Council? [16:56] **Councilmember DawnMarie Vihrachoff:** Thank your honor um I just have to say how proud I am of the fact that uh our Council has been supportive of the parklets since the pandemic and you know it was it was a really stressful time and I don't want to go through it again particularly being on the council but I have to say this is one of the good things that came out of the pandemic for our community is allowing these um parklets and so I'm just I I only have like one more meeting after this and so I really do strongly believe that this is a legacy that this Council um has uh brought forward and it'll continue you know until a long duration of time and so I'm glad to see our our downtown thriving as a result thanks. [17:42] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Thank you council member Vihrachoff all those in favor of the Motion state by saying I. [17:47] **Councilmembers:** I. [17:48] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Oppose to that Motion state by saying nay. [17:53] **Councilmember Fox:** Abstain. [17:54] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** And council member Fox is abstaining and that motion still prevails council members are there any announcements? [18:00] **Councilmember Fox:** Your honor. [18:02] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Councilmember Fox. [18:05] **Councilmember Fox:** Thank you um I just wanted to bring up I am a member of Dakota 911 the the board that um does all of our dispatch in Dakota County and um you maybe Got a notification on your phone a couple weeks ago um that um our services were down and last week uh Dan and I were at a board meeting um and we were able to hear a little bit about um what that was what that was all about so I thought I'd just bring it up to you all um it was a failure of the primary 911 circuit and it was related to a weather incident in Wisconsin um and they're still doing some research around the the incident and why it happened and what actually happened but there um the the most important thing that um the executive director um Heiser mentioned is that we're taking steps um to improve our contingency plans moving forward and making sure that those Services never um suffer again thank you. [19:07] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Councilmember Fox any other announcements Council? [19:10] **Councilmember Angie Haus:** Thank you honor I would just like to remind the community that uh BR4R is hosting and celebrating Black History Month this uh February 25th from 2:00 to 4:00 P.M at St Luke's Episcopal Church on Vermillion Street come join us. [19:35] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Okay thank you council member Haus also there's a deadline for the ward one council member application is 4:30 this Thursday February 22nd please see the city website Hastings Rivertown Lions Club is hosting a super breakfast this Saturday the 24th at Resurrection Methodist Church the breakfast is free a free will donation and all the proceeds of the donations to support the health and wellness programs of our fire and EMS Department thank you to the Lions for their support meetings Wednesday February 21st 6:00 PM Parks and Recreation Commission Monday February 26th 6:30 p.m. is a city council special meeting for Ward One interviews 6:00 PM advisory commission training session and the Planning Commission and operations committee have both been cancelled for Monday February 26th Wednesday February 28th 7:30 p.m. city council special meeting Ward one interviews Monday March 4th 5:30 p.m. city council workshop for the water wastewater treatment plant and 7 p.m. Council regular meeting I would stand for a motion to adjourn. [20:48] **Councilmember Dave Pemble:** So moved. [20:53] **Councilmember Tim Lawrence:** Second. [20:57] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** No discussion and we are adjourned.