This transcript has been processed to identify speakers based on the provided list of Rosemount city officials and staff. [0:04] **[Music]** [1:17] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** I'd like to call the regular city council meeting for Monday, November 4th, 2024, to order. Please rise and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. 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. [2:02] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** Welcome everyone. Start out—are there any additions or corrections to the agenda? No, sir. Seeing none, I'll move the agenda. All in favor signify by saying Aye. (Council: Aye). Opposed? We have an agenda. First item up: presentations, proclamations, and acknowledgements. I don't believe we have any this evening. Number four: response to public comment. I'll turn over to Mr. Martin for a followup on, I believe, our last meeting. [2:13] **Logan Martin (City Administrator):** Thank you, Mayor and members of the Council. Yes, at the last meeting we had a resident that came in to talk about a broadband installation project and some concerns that the neighborhood had been having. Just want to report back to the community: we had some positive feedback or followup with that resident and then critical communications and project management followup with the broadband company. Not perfect yet, and not going to claim that it is yet, but just wanted to assure folks that we heard that feedback and have continued to ask that communications out into the neighborhood be ramped up so folks know who to call. It's not a city project; it's one of only a handful of broadband providers that are working in the community that have dedicated communications and call centers to take some of those comments. So, hoping to continue to work with them to ramp up their communications. [3:29] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** All righty, thank you. That completes item number four. Item number five: public comment. Individuals wishing to address the Council on any subjects not part of the meeting agenda may do so at this time. Please come forward, state your name, your address, and your concern. The podium is open. [3:46] **Sally Wosi (Resident):** Hi, my name is Sally Wosi. I live at 13579 Cross Glenn Path, and this is my second time that I've come to this meeting in regard to the same issue. For one year, I have been being harassed by my neighbor, Roger and Sally Ham. I talked to an attorney and they told me no one should have to live like you are and go to the council meeting. This past year, at age 83, has been a nightmare living next to Roger and Sally Ham who have been seeking out revenge living 11 feet away. I complained about their dog barking at 5:00 under my bedroom window and since then they have harassed me with pop guns and sonic devices 24/7, all hours of the day but mostly at night. And the first time the dog barked was November 1st of last year, so this has been going on 365 days of the year. I am afraid of the Hams mentally and physically. Hams went on a two to three-week vacation this summer but still left on their recorder every night to wake me up. Last summer on 8/12, Roger Ham was out of town. Kippy from the Crisis Department was at my home from 1:00 to 1:45 and she heard Roger Ham clicking my TV every five minutes. He could not see her car in my front yard. This is harassment for a year and against the law. Roger Ham worked for Best Buy so very techy with his devices and recorders. He has nothing to do all day but sit with his devices and push buttons, and the Crisis Department is trying to teach me to live with this loud noise. You would have to be totally deaf not to hear it. I have been asking eight months for it to just stop. They are not going to move and I can't afford to move. I've had no contact with the Hams, but 10/13 I sent an email to them saying "Please stop the noise devices, I can't take anymore, I am sorry this all happened." There's been no change. I have a witness who will stay here to verify the noise. I also have strong evidence that Roger and Sally Ham are doing the sonic and pop noise. I've lived in my home for 20 years and no noise. Like I say, November 1st, a dog barking at 5:00 under my bedroom window. First of all, he started with pop guns on his deck or cork gun at hours of the night, then the sonic started at TVs and computers. Again, Kippy was there to hear every five minutes. I called 911 at 1:30, turned on my outside light last week, and no noise the rest of the night. They might have thought that the police were coming cause I had my light on. I also had three repairmen at my home this summer and when the clicking was going on, the minute they saw the truck, no clicking. They left, the clicking started again. With this evidence, I'm asking the police to intervene and help put a stop to this noise. Most people could not put up with this for two nights and I have for over 365 days. I want the rest of my life to be in peace. And Roger and Sally Ham—also the police go there, the board goes there—they lie. They don't like people coming to their home to do this, so they should have some common sense and just stop and this whole thing would be okay for everybody involved. But this has been one whole year of this harassment. Thank you. [8:06] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** Thank you. We'll have it referred to—I understand our Police Chief [Carson Thomas] is here and we'll make sure the proper resources are referred to for that. Thank you. [8:18] **Sally Wosi:** And last year they were supposed to follow up, the police were supposed to follow up in two weeks, and what happened is they didn't set up an appointment with me. They came to my house and I was not home so no followup was done at that time. [8:32] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** Again, our Chief is here, he's hearing your response or your comments and, again, we'll follow up with the proper resources. Does anybody have any questions at all to ask? No, I think you were very clear. Thank you. Thank you for coming. [8:53] **Sally Wosi:** Thank you. [8:55] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** Anyone else wishing to come forward for comment to Council? Seeing none, we'll consider public comment closed. Move on to Consent Agenda Item 6. We have items A through E: bill listings, minutes of our October 15th regular meeting, request for David Weekly Holmes for a minor PUD amendment in Amber Fields, assignment and assumption of a subdivision agreement, and the resolution of support for Dakota County 2025 to 2029 CIP. Anyone wish to pull any other? I'll go ahead and I'd like to pull 6E. So with that, I'll go ahead and move the Consent Agenda items A through D for approval. Is there a second? [9:44] **Councilmember Paul Essler:** Second. [9:45] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** I got a second by Essler. Roll please. **Councilmember Paul Essler:** Aye. **Councilmember Tami Klimpel:** Aye. **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** Aye. **Councilmember Paul Theisen:** Aye. **Councilmember Heidi Freske:** Aye. [9:58] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** That approves Consent Agenda items A through D. We'll pull E for further discussion. Like to call up Mr. Egger, Public Works. And the reason I pulled this, particularly for interest to our residents, the CIP references work that Dakota County is going to be doing in our community, and I thought it'd be worth specifically calling out some of these areas that'll be improving traffic conditions around our city. [10:11] **Nick Egger (Public Works Director):** Yeah, right. Thank you, Mayor. This is one step in Dakota County's process. Annually, they are preparing their Capital Improvements Plan for the next five years, 2025 through 2029. And so they work with all of the cities to document projects that either they're planning or that the two parties, such as the County and the City, are collaborating on that are coming down the pike. And as it pertains to Rosemount, we've got quite a healthy list of things that are set to happen. So I'll just mention what we have on the docket here coming up in the near future. First off would be some pedestrian crossing improvements along Akron Avenue. This is in the area between Connemara Trail and Bonaire Path. So they're looking closely at that, and my understanding is that would occur in 2025. There are some intersection or interchange improvements, I should say, at County Road 42 and Highway 52 that would happen in 2026 to help with the capacity of that intersection and improve safety. As the Council is aware and I think some of the public is also aware, we're already planning for construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Connemara Trail and Akron Avenue in 2026—actively working through design on that and moving that along. There is also the beginnings of design for a signal at Biscayne Avenue and County Road 42. That's an intersection of great interest for safety improvements and with the middle school coming online in about three years, the signal there would be activated before the school is open. There are a multitude of trail improvements around the county for extending the greenway system and making connections to other high-value County parks such as the Vermillion Highlands Greenway. That's underway in part and would include an underpass at County Road 42, presumably constructed in 2025 or 2026. Starting to look at some improvements towards the end of the decade or in the early 2030s along Diamond Path over on the west side of town as that makes its way from 140th Street, Connemara Trail, on up to Pilot Road in Eagan. We're also going to be collaborating with the County on looking at a grade separation of County Road 42 over Highway 3, which is a very prominent intersection at the south end of our downtown business district. Couple more here: mill and overlay projects, of course; pavement renewal is always a good thing to keep pavement conditions up, so they will be giving attention to those sorts of things on their system throughout town and elsewhere in the county. Looking at replacing signals at various places as they age and need additional functionality, as well as some expansion projects on County Road 46 between Highway 3 and Highway 52 within the next decade. So that's just maybe the tip of the iceberg. We know there's a lot of activity that's getting attention on traffic issues in town and this is the five-year outlook. It changes every year. We'll have projects that'll get done in '25 but then we'll also add stuff as we look into the next five-year cycle next year. So what's there for Council consideration tonight is a resolution of support for those efforts. The County would then receive that and take that into consideration when the County Board meets in early December to fully adopt the Capital Improvement Plan. So I can stand for any questions. [14:18] **Councilmember Heidi Freske:** I just want to point out the first one that you mentioned. I think the pedestrian crossing improvements on Akron Avenue near Bonaire is a direct correspondence from the new elementary school coming in and we heard a lot from the public about making sure that was safe. So I'm thrilled to see that that's going to be done in 2025. [14:35] **Nick Egger:** Yeah, thank you. That's been in the works since the announcement and the construction of the elementary school at the northern end. But we've also heard a lot of concern about being able to cross down near Connemara to the park facilities that are nearby from the neighborhoods that are on the east side of Akron. That one would serve a purpose until the roundabout is built and then that changes kind of the crossing pattern in there and makes that intersection safer for pedestrians as well. [15:10] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** Anyone else? All right, thank you. [15:15] **Nick Egger:** You're welcome. [15:22] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** So with that, I'll move the adoption—move the action to adopt resolution in support of Dakota County's 2025 to 2029 Capital Improvement Plan. Is there a second? [15:35] **Councilmember Heidi Freske:** I'll second. [15:40] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** Got a motion by Weisensel, second by Freske. Roll please. **Councilmember Tami Klimpel:** Aye. **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** Aye. **Councilmember Paul Theisen:** Aye. **Councilmember Heidi Freske:** Aye. **Councilmember Paul Essler:** Aye. [15:53] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** That completes Consent Agenda item 6E. That completes all the Consent Agenda items. We'll move on to Item 7: public hearings. We have an application for an on-sale liquor and Sunday liquor license for Lifetime Rosemount. Miss Fasbender? [16:07] **Erin Fasbender (City Clerk):** Thank you, Mayor and members of the Council. So before you this evening we have a request for a liquor license at the Lifetime Fitness which is located at 14290 Akron Avenue. They have submitted a typical on-sale liquor license that will include Sunday liquor sales as well. The Lifetime will offer alcoholic beverages at their facility which will include the areas of the Lifetime Cafe, the outdoor bistro during the seasonal times of year, and then there also be additional areas within Lifetime too, including the spa, the pickleball lounge, and additional indoor pickleball as well, and then also any outdoor poolside seating too. The Police Department has investigated all facts that are in the application. They've done the personal background checks and criminal checks on all the applicants listed on the application as well, and the Police Department found no reason to deny the application. Also, given the time of the request of the application, we're requesting that the liquor license align with our other liquor licenses so that it would be approved through the remaining of this year and then also through the next year as well. So the license would expire December 31st, 2025. Also, because this is a liquor license, it does require proper notification, so of course it was published in the newspaper 10 days in advance setting forth the time and place of this public hearing this evening. The applicant, the premises, and so forth were all listed within this license. To date, we have not received any comments regarding this liquor license. So before you tonight we have the public hearing itself and upon any comments that are received, then I ask that the Council then will approve the resolution as attached in the packet. So I can answer any questions. I don't think we have any representatives here tonight, but I'm happy to answer any questions that the City Council may have. [18:13] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** Open the floor to Council. Any questions with the Clerk? No. Seeing none, we'll go ahead and open up the public hearing. Anyone wishing to speak on this may do so at this time. Please state your name and address at the podium and your comment. The floor is open. Seeing no one making a mad dash to the podium... anyone? Anyone? All right. I'll move to close the public hearing. All in favor signify by saying Aye. (Council: Aye). Opposed? The public hearing is closed with no comments. Any additional thoughts or comments for our Clerk? Otherwise, I will look for someone to entertain... I'll entertain the motion for the action. [18:55] **Councilmember Tami Klimpel:** I'll move to approve a resolution approving liquor license for LTF Club Operations Company Incorporated, DBA Lifetime Rosemount. [19:00] **Councilmember Paul Essler:** Second. [19:03] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** A motion by Klimpel, second by Essler. Roll please. **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** Aye. **Councilmember Paul Theisen:** Aye. **Councilmember Heidi Freske:** Aye. **Councilmember Paul Essler:** Aye. **Councilmember Tami Klimpel:** Aye. [19:13] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** And the application is approved 5-0. That completes Item 7. We'll move on to Item 8: unfinished business. Seeing none, consider that closed and move on to Item 9: new business. The authorization of the hiring of a Fire Chief. And let's see where am I at here... [19:33] **Logan Martin (City Administrator):** Thanks Mayor, I can take it. [19:34] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** I just wanted to make sure who I was chatting there. [19:35] **Logan Martin:** I can take it from you, Mayor. Thanks, Mayor and Council. Really exciting night for all of us tonight and really, frankly, in the history of the City of Rosemount. And so as folks are aware—Council is certainly aware—the city has authorized the hiring of the city's first ever full-time Fire Chief. We've been a paid-on-call volunteer department throughout Rosemount's entire history, led by Fire Chief Rick Schroer who's done a phenomenal job for us, doing a ton of work for a very modest stipend. And so as that has been widely understood and talked about with Council as a need to modify and respond to the city's growth and research future service models in the fire service, the Council has supported the first step into that exploration, which is the hiring of a full-time Fire Chief. Really pleased as a quick aside to report that Chief Schroer is going to stay deeply involved in the department in a leadership role. We're going to find a time to honor him in the future—he's not going to accept that, but we're going to do that at the appropriate time. But he's not going anywhere, so we're not going to do that tonight. But thrilled that he's going to stay involved in the department in a very deep way and really excited to see him and Assistant Chief [Mark] Barron here tonight to support the hiring of the full-time Fire Chief. And so as Council's aware, we've been in the hiring marketplace for a while recruiting and interviewing for the full-time Fire Chief, and thrilled tonight to bring you a candidate that has just deep experience in the fire service and a lot of deep connections to the City of Rosemount as well. And so the proposal tonight is to hire Kip Springer as Rosemount's first full-time Fire Chief effective December 2nd, 2024. Mr. Springer is present tonight and will pop up to the microphone if he would like. I'll give a quick overview of his background, but we're going to do kind of the... this is an exciting night and a little pomp tonight, but we're going to do big pomp and circumstance in December for like a badge pinning and a swearing-in type ceremony. That is not tonight. And the day after his first day is a council meeting, and so I think Chief Schroer has talked about—we'll fill the chambers that night with the Fire Department, Kip and his family, and we can do an official badge pinning when he's got all his Rosemount gear and things of that nature. But still wanted to make tonight an important moment, certainly for him and his family's history, but then also for the City of Rosemount. So we'll do a little piece here as well. Mr. Springer is a Rosemount resident, currently serves the City of Rosemount on our Environmental and Sustainability Commission, which is certainly a neat little aside to his service to the community. But most importantly, certainly, is his deep fire service. Currently he serves the City of Eagan as the Deputy Fire Chief; has previous leadership roles in the City of Plymouth and the City of Eden Prairie, ascending throughout the ranks in the fire service in all three of those cities. And one of the things that I think intrigued us about Mr. Springer was his experience in fire service models of various types. So from paid-on-call to full-time to then leading the City of Eagan through a full-time transition. We don't know what the answer is going to be in Rosemount, but we do know that we need to start researching that, and that's going to be the first priority of a new Chief amongst many. And so what a better person to help us research that and lead us through that than somebody who has lived in all of those structures, has led a city through that type of transition? Again, for us, we don't know what it'll be, but his experience level there is second to none and that's really what sprang him to the top of a really strong pool of candidates. So I think I might leave it at that, Mayor, and we can do the deep dive on December 3rd at the City Council meeting. But the recommendation tonight is to hire Kip Springer effective December 2nd as the City of Rosemount's Fire Chief. So with that, stand for any questions. [23:49] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** All right, we will start. I know two of us have seen him, but if you'd come forward and hear from the rest of the Council members if they have any questions for you. But welcome. Good evening. Feel free to say a couple quick words and then open any questions that you have. [24:00] **Kip Springer (Fire Chief Candidate):** All right. So Mayor, Council members, City staff—I'm thrilled to be standing up here today to hopefully accept a position as your next Fire Chief. I'm really humbled by this opportunity. Chief Schroer, your leadership and those that have served in your role before you—you guys have created an amazing foundation in the Fire Department and one that will be very easy for us to continue to build upon. I am really looking forward to working alongside you, the rest of the department, as we meet the needs of this growing community and all that we will accomplish together. As you said, I've been a resident of Rosemount for almost 10 years now. I've been able to call this home, and now I have an opportunity in front of me to be able to connect with our community as a member of the Rosemount Fire Department. I'm so excited for this. I look forward to working with all of you and being a part of this team as we move forward. Again, I will just leave this and say thank you so much for this opportunity. I'm grateful for this and I cannot wait to get started. [25:18] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** All right, thank you. And with that, any questions from any of the Council members? [25:23] **Councilmember:** No questions, just congratulations. [25:25] **Kip Springer:** Thank you. [25:26] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** Awesome. We'll take care of the official business here. Look forward to it. [25:29] **Councilmember Tami Klimpel:** I move to authorize the hiring of Kip Springer as Fire Chief for the City of Rosemount effective December 2, 2024. [25:46] **Councilmember Paul Theisen:** Second. [25:50] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** Got a motion by Klimpel, second by Theisen. Roll please. **Councilmember Paul Theisen:** Aye. **Councilmember Heidi Freske:** Aye. **Councilmember Paul Essler:** Aye. **Councilmember Tami Klimpel:** Aye. **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** Aye. [26:01] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** And with that, 5-0. Hired! You're hired! [26:05] **Kip Springer:** Again, thank you so much for this opportunity. I cannot wait to get started. December 2nd can't come soon enough. [26:08] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** It'll come like drinking from a fire hose, I'm sure. [26:12] **Kip Springer:** Look at that—dad jokes! All right. [26:16] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** That completes... oh boy, dad jokes. All right, we got two announcements. City staff update? [26:28] **Logan Martin:** Mayor, I don't think I have anything to add tonight so I can turn it right back to you. [26:35] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** All right, so we have the upcoming community calendar. Prior to that, I would like to just recognize Councilmember Theisen who, among... we had mentioned at the last council meeting, had brought home the kicking trophy for the "Kicks for the Cause." And if I saw the numbers right, you also brought home the money? [26:53] **Councilmember Paul Theisen:** Yeah, so... believe me, I watched that right up to the final hours there. And I would just jump in here then and just say thank you for all that have donated. I know a number of you in the audience today have helped donate. All this money goes to a good cause, Real Men Wear Pink, going to breast cancer awareness, and it was a great event. So I'm glad I was able to fill in through your knee surgery. [27:21] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** Oh, appreciate that! All righty, the council meeting... let's see where are we at here. We're going to start with City Hall is closed on Veterans Day, November 11th. But prior to that, tomorrow is Election Day. So we just want to give a call out for that. Anything that you'd like to share on the election? [27:39] **Erin Fasbender (City Clerk):** Yes, absolutely. So tomorrow all voting will take place at your polling locations. So make sure that you check to make sure that you're voting at the correct location. You can do that by going on our website and typing in your address or, of course, you can stop by City Hall here as well. But just make sure you go to the polling locations, and that's open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. [28:04] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** And Mayor, no voting at City Hall. [28:06] **Erin Fasbender:** There's no voting at City Hall. However, if you do have an absentee ballot or an agent delivery, those will be accepted at City Hall up until 8:00 p.m. tomorrow night. [28:13] **Councilmember Tami Klimpel:** And if I may, Erin, thank you—and thanks Sarah and thank you the entire city staff for all the work that you have put into everything through this election season. I know it takes a lot of planning and a whole lot of work just to get it all working without a hitch. So thank you for training our election judges. Thank you for keeping an open, honest, and transparent election going on here in our community. We really do appreciate all of your work. [28:44] **Erin Fasbender:** Thank you. Thank you very much, means a lot. [28:47] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** Thank you for your work. Just prior to the meeting, this area seemed kind of clean now, but it was full of a lot of people doing a lot of voting. So, very cool. So Election Day tomorrow, 11/5. City Hall will be closed for Veterans Day on November 11th all day. We will have our next Port Authority meeting beginning at 3:30 through 7:00 on November 19th, and the next City Council meeting is November 19th, beginning at 7:00 here at City Hall. With that, if there is no other business to come before Council, I'll move to adjourn. Is there a second? [29:21] **Councilmember Heidi Freske:** Second. [29:22] **Mayor Jeff Weisensel:** All in favor signify by saying Aye. (Council: Aye). Opposed? We are adjourned. Thank you. [29:26] **[Music]**