Good evening and welcome to this uh Prior Lake City Council meeting. Well, happy new year of this uh uh Tuesday, January 13, 2026. If you would please uh join me, stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the >> America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> It is wonderful to see you all this evening. Uh the first item on our agenda is the public forum. The public forum is that opportunity for those in our council chambers that wish to come before the city council um and uh provide testimony. Uh this is the time to do so. Uh the one area where testimony could not or will not be accepted this evening during the forum is if a hearing has been scheduled for the topic uh either has been scheduled or took place most recently as we must aggregate testimony during those hearings. With that one um exception, is there anyone that would like to come before council this evening? Seeing none, I would entertain a motion to approve the agenda that we have before us. Council. >> Oh. Uh yes, Manager Wedell. >> Thank you, Mayor and Council members and members of the audience. Uh before you approve the agenda this evening, uh staff would request that you remove item 5e. U the resolution authorizing final payment for the County Road 21 and County Road 87 intersection project. Um we need to make a tweak to that um that staff was made aware of earlier today. So we'll bring that back in two weeks. So if we could ask that the agenda be approved minus that item. >> Thank you so much. Um u manager Wedell. Um, with that, um, I would entertain a motion, uh, on the agenda. >> I will make a motion to approve the agenda with the exception of of with striking, uh, item 5e. >> Second. >> Motion by council member Lake, second by council member Churchill to approve the agenda with that modification. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. That motion carries. uh brings us to item uh 4A which is the approval of those December 9th 2025 city council meeting minutes council any modifications additions changes if none would entertain a motion to approve as submitted >> so moved second >> motion by council member Brad second by council member Helier to approve those meeting minutes all those in favor say I >> I that motion carries >> uh and with one abstension uh council member Churchill um bringing us to the consent agenda this evening this evening. I would go ahead and turn this item over to manager Wedell to introduce consent agenda as well as those items before us. Manager Wedell. >> Thank you, Mayor and Council members and members of the audience. So, our consent agenda is for those items that are considered routine or non-controversial, they're placed all together on the consent agenda. So, unless the mayor or council member asks for an item to be removed for separate consideration, they're all approved together under a single motion, second, and a vote. If an item were to be removed this evening for separate consideration, it would be placed under item 10 on the agenda. So, tonight we have the following items on consent. We have the approval of the claims listing. We have a resolution authorizing the purchase of equipment for the Raymond and Spring Lake lift station rehabilitation project. We have a resolution receiving quotes and awarding a contract for building maintenance at the Wilds Booster Station and Wellhouse 6. A resolution approving change order number one for the lakeside sewer lining project city project 2021-14. Approval of the animal control services report for the month of November. Approval of a contribution of $225,000 in local affordable housing aid to Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. Approval delegating authority to pay claims and make electronic fund transfers. Resolution approving an extension to the recording deadline for the Jeffers Pond 11th edition. Approval of the November 2025 treasures report, approval of the annual city council appointments, and finally approval of the building permit summary report for the month of December. >> Thank you so much, Manager Wedell. Council, are there any items before us on the consent agenda that you would ask be removed and taken up under item 10? If none, I would entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda. >> So moved. Second >> motion by council member Brad, second by council member Helier to approve the consent agenda. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. That motion carries. Council, are there any items that we just approved on the consent agenda for which you would like to make comments? Seeing y manager would man I just wanted to note in the audience this evening we have several representatives from the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and wanted to thank them for being here this evening and thank you for the work that you're doing in our community with that town home project and we're looking forward to how these LAA funds can help um see that project to its conclusion. Actually, uh, thank you so much, man. And actually, Cecilele, if I if I could, um, could I invite you to come over, please, and give us a bit of an update on where we are? >> Oh, please do. [laughter] >> Um, but yes, it is our our pleasure and manager Wedell, thank you so much for calling this out because it's also wonderful to have you with us. So, please an update on the project here in prayer lake. >> My name is Cecil Bedor. I'm the chief real estate officer for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. We really appreciate the support that you've given us over the last few years and this particular uh action you took tonight. Um we are really grateful for this. We know there's other ways that one can spend these really um finite la dollars and this is really meaningful to us as we've seen because it's a multi-year project. Costs go up, things change. Um but we've done we have uh great work right now. I'm going to let Betsy talk about the sales, but the first two buildings are complete. The third building we have uh um let's see, we have a lot of the plumbing done. We have the um uh framing is starting right now. And uh we hope to have these units up and running by the end of the fall um for sale there. And I'll let Betsy talk about the sales. >> Yes. So of the eight completed units on the first two buildings, we've sold um the first seven and the eighth completed unit will be closing next week to the new homeowner family. So very exciting. It's a a great project. I'm so thankful for your partnership. >> Wonderful. Actually, Cecil, if I could have you come back forward. One of the things I'd like to share with council, it was about a year ago >> um that we met in the Habitat office. >> Yes. >> And one of the things that you educated me on that I'd love for you to share is um these development gaps >> and affordability gaps. >> Yes. >> And how it is that these funds assist Habitat, these gaps that put homeownership just out of reach, right? often times if you would in just as succinct a fashion as you did uh when we were together these development gaps for which these funds I believe are directed specifically at a development gap >> right exactly so um it's interesting because driving out here we're just talking about first-time home buyers and starter homes and how they're not developers aren't building those anymore so it's really out of reach so the cost that Habitat entails to build houses is essentially the same in terms of materials we have some savings because we have a lot of labor donated by folks who come out, a lot of regular crews that come out. But essentially, we'll have a development gap that maybe it's $400,000 to build a house and we have to and we can sell it for 300, which I'm going to come back to that. So, you've got a $100,000 development gap and we need to go figure out how we're going to fill that gap. And that's sources like Laha, our donors, some state of Minnesota funds. We try to kind of what's called a capital stack of trying to stack all these different sources to fill that. So then we have a we try to have the listing price be what the fair market value is based on a broker's opinion of value. So that might be $300,000. We have to sell it to people below a certain income level which means they may only be able to afford a mortgage of $200,000. So then we got to go raise $100,000 in affordability gap. And that money we have raised through the state of Minnesota through their impact funds. So, it's um I came from multif family development, which I thought was really complicated. I went, "Oh, this is going to be easy." It's just a different kind of complication, but it does require um several different sources of funds to come in to fill both of those gaps. >> Again, I want to thank you uh for the partnership and just share with you uh what you do is very, very important and we're so happy that you found Prayer Lake. So, uh thank you so much for being here this evening. >> Thank you. And thank you all. We really appreciate your support. >> Certainly. Um that moving on to the agenda. Item six on our agenda this evening um is presentation and I'm going to go ahead and hand this over to uh Manager Wedell. >> Thank you, Mayor and Council members and members of the audience. I am so excited. Uh this this item got delayed uh a month due to some nasty weather in December, but we are so excited this evening to be celebrating our 2025 Kora B. a question. Spirit of prior lake award winner who is uh Don Schulberg. [applause] [applause] Um so a little background um the recipient of the 2025 cor um Kora Beimma question spirit of prior lake award is Don Schulberg and she has spent the last three decades enriching the lives of Prior Lake dancers. She started teaching dance in Prior Lake in 1992 and a decade later in 2003 opened Premier Dance Academy, a studio that has grown into one of the area's most respected youth arts organizations. In another milestone achievement, u Dawn was the first woman to build a commercial building in downtown Prior Lake, making her a trailblazer not only in the arts but also in the local business community. Her mission has remained consistent throughout her career to educate, promote participation in the arts, and foster appreciation for dance to help children build confidence. Under her leadership, Premier Dance Academy has been nominated for business of the year and is known for its strong tradition of giving back to the community. One of Don's most meaningful initiatives is the creation of a local chapter of Darby's Dancers, a nationwide nonprofit providing dance opportunities to children with special needs. At Premiere, all costs for Darby dancers are fully covered, ensuring that every child can participate regardless of financial circumstances. The program has flourished and now supports 31 enrolled students. So, this award is named after Cora B. question. The city of Prior Lakes's first female mayor. Um, and this award is presented annually to an individual whose actions have made a significant positive impact on our community. Recognizing community members who perform good deeds without the expectation of reward allows the city to say thank you to those who exemplify the spirit of Prior Lake. So on behalf of the city, we'd like to thank Dawn for her outstanding efforts to improve the community and we're pleased to honor her contributions with this award. And we would ask if you want to step up to the side lectern uh the mayor has a proclamation for you. So it is my um distinct pleasure because I can't think of anyone more deserving of the Kora um McQuestian Spirit of Prayer Lake Award than um Miss Don Schulberg. Um and again certificate and if I will share this lovely >> crystal >> crystal >> please. Um item for you. But um and again this does speak to who exemplifies the spirit of Prior Lake through her significant actions that have positable positively impacted our community. And while um what I'd love to do now is give you an opportunity, share a few words. I'll go ahead and put this in here so it's here for safekeeping and um we'll take a brief recess after you speak and we'll take a couple of >> pictures. So, but let me be among the first. So much congratulations. >> Really appreciate it. [applause] >> Wow. This is amazing. and I'm so thrilled to receive this from all of you. Um I'm just so grateful. It's just I can't get the smile off my face. Um Premier Dance is all about teaching kids to um the agility, the performance, the teamwork, and the confidence. And it's our job to not just do that and just teach these beautiful dances, but it's our responsibility to promote giving back. And our dancers are making blankets for dogs there. We have a huge trailer full of foods for the CAP agency. They donate so many toys to Ronald McDonald House. were a member of the Dancers Against Cancer, which they give back to, and so much more. I know the fire department at one time several years ago, they made baskets and baskets of stuff to honor you and to represent our love for you guys and what you do. So, it's hard to to make the list. I It's my job and it's it's my children's job who can't be here. They gave me flowers because they're teaching because we have a rehearsal for competition. So, I have just a few of my cute couple of my friends and I want to thank Pat and Jill for nominating me and for sticking by me and believing in me as well as all of the city staff. Um, thank you. >> Thank you, Don. Um, and now, um, I'd like to call for a brief recess at 7:16. All right. I'd like to call the meeting back into session at 7:18. Um, bringing us to item 9A. Um, new business resolution recognizing the relief pension plan's termination on February 28th, 2026 and supporting Prair Lake Fire Relief Association's dissolution and transition to para coordinated plan. Uh, manager Wedell. Thank you, mayor and council members and members of the audience and especially we were we're honored to have a number of our firefighters here with us this evening. So, so thank you for being here. Uh, a little background on this. So, our Prior Lake Fire Relief Association currently administers retirement benefits for all of our city's paid on call firefighters. The city transitioned to full-time fire back in 2023, reducing the reliance on paid on call firefighters. Um, so our paid on call staff now primarily function more as shift firefighters than than necessarily as paid on call. They sign up for specific shifts and times to fill and supplement our full-time firefighters. Um, so currently the Prior Lake Fire Relief Association is responsible for managing the retirement benefits for active, deferred, and retired members with funding sources coming from the annual state fire aid that we receive as a city. And the city also has some past contributions. If the board of trustees votes to voluntar voluntarily dissolve the relief association, the board can establish a date of termination, which is what they have done. So the PLFRA board voted to initiate voluntary dissolution of the Prior Lake Relief Association with the termination of the current relief retirement pension plan um on February 28th of 2026. So, starting on March 1, 2026, our Prior Lake paid on call firefighters will transition to regular part-time employees and move to the Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association Plan or PARA for retirement benefits because they work less than 20 hours on average per week. Uh, the part-time firefighters aren't eligible for other city benefits. However, they will be entitled to acrewing and using earned sick and safe time. The PLFRA will remain in place until the complete liquidation of the special fund and assets are completed and a formal dissolution date will be determined and communicated once those dates are confirmed. So, the transition to PAR will streamline benefit management, ensure financial stability, and align with the city's firefighter retirement plan with industry standards. The PAR plan is administered and backed financially by the state of Minnesota. It offers full vesting after three years of service and members and the city are each required to contribute uh towards that plan. So the employees contribute 6 and a half% of their wages and the city contributes a matching 7 and a half% of their wages towards that plan and that plan is transferable. Uh if a firefighter were to go work for another city that that that plan moves with them. So transitioning to the PAR plan also results in the city being able to use those state aid funds that had been going to the relief association pension now will be available for the city to put towards firefighter wages and retirement benefits for the full-time folks too. So the next steps um for the the relief association board is to include overseeing the liquidation of their special fund ensuring that all the retirement benefits and expenses are paid within 200 days of the plan's termination. So the financial impact of all of this um so it really ended up being uh a win-win proposition where the folks that are part of the relief association their pension benefits are increased because there's there's a fund and the the the balance of the fund needs to be expended. So the the payout for their years of service was increased pretty significantly up to $16,25 per year of service. um which is still below the max which is allowed by state. State dictates you can't pay out more than 20,000 per year. So they're still below that but it's a pretty significant increase from where they had been. So that's that was good. And then on the flip side, you know, the city now gets to receive the fire state aid uh which last year was about $450,000. So it's it's a significant amount of money there, too. So um uh we feel we feel good about the transition. uh it was a voluntary effort on the relief associations to move forward with this. So um um we don't see any reason for for opposing this. So if there's any questions for me, I'd be happy to take those. But if not, we would recommend a motion in a second to adopt the resolution recognizing the relief pensions plans termination as of February 28th, 2026 and supporting the the dissolution and transition to peril. Um before uh calling for a resolution unless council any questions at all. Um it's been my distinct pleasure um to be the council liaison to the uh Prior Lake Fire Relief Association. Um it's been my pleasure for uh having served for nine years and um this is something that relative to the transition um and how seamless quite honestly and I want to thank um the firefighters um for bringing this forward uh quite candidly because as manager Wedell stated this truly is a win-win but I also know it does provide to our firefighters that have done such a wonderful job for this community. It it does provide um a nice benefit as well. And council, I certainly will be supporting this, but I can't thank um our firefighters enough for what you do uh have done uh but also carrying us and leading us to this point. Um so, thank you so much. Uh, with that, um, I'd either be happy to make the resolution or excuse me, um, as I look at it, it's, uh, to I would like to make a motion to adopt a resolution supporting the dissolution of the Prior Lake Fire Relief Association, also known as PLFRA, and transitioning firefighter benefits to the Minnesota Public Employee Employees Retirement Association coordinated plan. Second. >> We have a motion by um uh Mayor Briggs, second by Council Member Braid. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. That motion carries. Thank you. >> Um with that, that brings us to uh Council Member Leison updates. And if I may look down at Council Member Elliott. >> Thank you, Mayor. uh council, last Wednesday had the uh chamber board meeting and then yesterday had my uh agenda review with uh council member Braden. >> Thank you so much, Council Member Lake. >> Yep. On uh January 9th, I attended the scale general meeting and then on the 9th I also had my agenda review and on the 12th, which was yesterday, I attended the EDA meeting. Thank you. >> Thank you so much, Council Member Lake. Council Member Churchill. >> Thank you, Mayor. On December 16th, I had the Prior Lake Spring Lake wershed district meeting and on the 17th was my MVTA board meeting and my agenda review was on January 9th. >> Thank you, Council Member Churchill, Council Member Brad, uh Mayor, members of the council. Um on Monday, yesterday 112, I attended the EDA meeting where we discussed u multiple development options in downtown and also the the core building next door to city hall. and uh I also attended my agenda review. >> Thank you so much, Council Member Braid. Um on the 18th of December, uh Manager Wedell and I had a nice meeting with uh Chair Representative Mike Howard and his legislative assistant in regards to housing. [snorts] Um coming into the new year on the 5th of January, attended the uh Municipal Legislative Commission housing subcommittee meeting on the 5th. On the 6th of January, again, Manager Wedell and I had a wonderful meeting with the Metropolitan Council, specifically with uh Administrator Okconor and housing director Barahas uh to discuss the U legislative uh initiatives that are before us in 2026. On the 8th of January, attended again the MLC housing subcommittee meeting. uh scale general meeting on the 9th and then most recently today or yesterday, excuse me, attended the regional council of mayors. Uh that concludes my comments. Manager Wedell, anything you'd like to add? >> Uh thank you, Mayor. I have nothing further this evening. >> With that, council, I would entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> I'll make a motion to adjurnn. Second. >> Motion by council member Braid to adjurnn. Second by council member Helier. All those in favor say I. >> I. I. >> I. That motion carries. The meeting is adjourned at 7:27.