This transcript has been formatted with the speaker names identified based on the provided city official context and the dialogue within the meeting. [0:15] [music] [0:40] [music] [0:47] **Jeff Weisensel:** Nice. **[music]** Good evening and welcome to the Rosemount City Council regular meeting for Tuesday, April 23rd 21st, 2026. [1:03] **Jeff Weisensel:** 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. [1:24] **Jeff Weisensel:** Welcome to those in the audience and online. Do we have um any additions or corrections to the agenda? **Logan Martin:** No, sir. **Jeff Weisensel:** Seeing none, I'll move the agenda. Is there a second? **Paul Essler:** Second. **Jeff Weisensel:** I have a motion and second on the agenda. All in favor signify by saying I. **Councilmembers:** I. I. **Jeff Weisensel:** Opposed? We have an agenda. First item up this evening are presentations and proclamations. [1:51] **Jeff Weisensel:** The first is swearing in of our Deputy Fire Marshal, Chad Ganfield, and Administrative Specialist, Chrissy Horner. Turn this over to Chief Springer please. [2:06] **Kip Springer:** All right, back again. Uh good evening, Mayor and Council members. I just wanted to start by saying thank you uh for your continued support of the fire department and for your recognition um of the need that comes with our growing community. Your commitment to investing in public safety allows us to be proactive, ensuring that we have staffing, structure, and resources in place to meet the increasing service demands that are upon us. [2:29] **Kip Springer:** Because of that support, we're able to take an important step forward tonight. Um as our community continues to grow, we've seen a steady increase in the demand for fire and emergency services. So, to keep pace and to maintain the level of service that our residents expect, we have added two full-time positions within the fire department, an administrative specialist and a Deputy Fire Marshal. [2:50] **Kip Springer:** These roles will strengthen both our operational and administrative capabilities. The administrative specialist position will help manage the increasing day-to-day admin responsibilities that include everything from scheduling to payroll, logistics, and along with many other day-to-day needs, allowing our operational staff to remain focused on emergency response. [3:10] **Kip Springer:** The Deputy Fire Marshal will support community risk reduction efforts and will include a fire inspections and enforcement program along with public education and community outreach efforts. Um I'm especially pleased to share tonight that both of our individuals tonight came from our paid-on-call ranks. [3:27] **Kip Springer:** Um they both are still current residents of Rosemount as well. So, they bring valuable experience, a strong understanding of our department, and a demonstrated commitment to serving our residents already. So, promoting from within helps us maintain continuity and to invest in people who are already dedicated to our organization and to the community we serve. [3:47] **Kip Springer:** So, although they have both already started in their new roles, um tonight we are here to formally recognize them and to complete their oath of office. So, first I would like to introduce Chrissy Horner. Chrissy's path to firefighting began when she volunteered as an industrial firefighter with her former employer. [4:05] **Kip Springer:** She joined Rosemount Fire in 2018 as a paid-on-call firefighter and worked her way up to the rank of a lieutenant. She is certified as an emergency medical technician, fire instructor, fire officer, and is also trained as a youth fire setting intervention specialist. [4:21] **Kip Springer:** In her first year on the department, Chrissy was recognized with the Rosemount Fire Rookie of the Year award. In her new role as Fire Administrative Specialist, Chrissy will support our daily operations, oversee our duty crew and inspection scheduling programs, and coordinate all of our public education and inspection requests. [4:39] **Kip Springer:** She'll hold the rank of a lieutenant on the fire ground, so she will continue to respond to calls as a firefighter, helping to strengthen our daytime response. Joining Chrissy this evening are her parents, Bruce and Lori, her sister, Sarah, and her family, Chrissy's daughter, Abby, and Abby's boyfriend, Gary. [4:58] **Kip Springer:** Chrissy's daughter, Abby, will be pinning on her badge this evening. And next, I would like to introduce Chad Ganfield. Chad comes from a family with deep roots in the fire service and also grew up right here in Rosemount. His career with Rosemount Fire began in 2003 as a paid-on-call firefighter, and over his years, he has served as a lieutenant, captain, and most recently as a battalion chief. [5:23] **Kip Springer:** Chad has led our department's training program, helping to develop and coordinate training for all of our members. Chad is certified as an emergency medical technician, rope rescue technician, structural collapse technician, trench rescue technician, and confined space technician. [5:39] **Kip Springer:** In 2014, Chad was the recipient of our Rosemount Firefighter of the Year award. And in 2025, he received a life-saving award from the Dakota County EMS Council for saving one of our own. Chad is also an active member of the Dakota County Special Operations Team and he serves as a rescue specialist with Minnesota Task Force One. [5:59] **Kip Springer:** For the past 12 years, Chad had worked as a career fire captain with the Rosemount Fire. So, as a Deputy Fire Marshal, Chad will develop and implement a comprehensive inspections program for existing buildings in our city and will work closely with business owners to educate and enforce fire codes and ensure compliance with state and local regulations. [6:20] **Kip Springer:** He will also lead our public education and community outreach efforts, helping to expand fire safety awareness in Rosemount. Chad will hold the fire ground rank of an Assistant Chief and will continue to respond to calls in a command officer capacity. Joining Chad tonight is his wife, April, his son, Barrett, his daughter, Piper, his father-in-law, Vern, and also here this evening are his brothers, Kale and Jake. [6:46] **Kip Springer:** Chad's wife, April, will be pinning on his badge this evening. The addition of these roles will enhance our capability to meet the needs of our growing community. Together, Chad and Chrissy will improve efficiency, support faster response times, strengthen our incident management, and help keep Rosemount a safe place to live, work, and visit. [7:04] **Kip Springer:** So, with that, I would invite our Mayor up to administer the oath of office. [7:24] **Jeff Weisensel:** I state your name. **Chad Ganfield:** Chad Ganfield. **Chrissy Horner:** Chrissy Horner. **Jeff Weisensel:** Do you solemnly swear and solemnly affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and of the state of Minnesota and will faithfully discharge the duties of a Deputy Fire Marshal and a fire administrative specialist of the fire department for the city of Rosemount in the county of Dakota and in the state of Minnesota to the best of my judgment and ability, so help me God? [8:10] **Chad Ganfield / Chrissy Horner:** So help me God. **[applause]** [8:22] **Kip Springer:** April and Abby, if you want, you can come up and do the badge pinning. [8:47] **[applause]** [9:11] **Jeff Weisensel:** I think council's going to jump in maybe and... Chiefs, right? Chiefs want to pop up? Can we get—Yeah, yeah. **[clears throat]** [9:42] **[clears throat]** [9:53] **Jeff Weisensel:** You guys want to switch? Yeah? All right. Awesome. Big smiles. Good job. **[applause]** [10:20] **Jeff Weisensel:** We'll be coming for the next one. All right. Chief, did you want to finish final comment? **Kip Springer:** That was all I had. [10:35] **Jeff Weisensel:** So, for those on online we'll be changing out from our first proclamation group the fire department to our next one the Rosemount high school's girls basketball state championship **[applause and cheering]** Well, that completes item 3A. We'll move on to 3B for the recognition of our Rosemount high school girls basketball team. [11:04] **Jeff Weisensel:** WOO! **[applause]** [11:14] **Jeff Weisensel:** THEY'RE ALL SO SHY. [11:21] **[laughter]** [11:27] **Jeff Weisensel:** WE WANT TO WELCOME COACH ORR and state champions. **Chris Orr:** Good evening, mayor and council members. It's the Irish who are royal. We appreciate you recognizing the Rosemount Irish girls basketball team and the 2026 class 4A state champions at your meeting tonight. I'm Chris Orr and I'm honored to serve as the head coach. [11:49] **Chris Orr:** The journey was historic, winning the South Suburban Conference championship, our first conference championship in 35 years as a program, winning the section 3 4A title for the fourth time in the last 6 years, along with being section 3 4A academic champions, and being recognized as a gold standard school in academics with a team GPA average of 3.877. [12:14] **[applause]** [12:20] **Chris Orr:** The team also finished with a school and program record for number of wins in a season with a final record of 29 and 3, and then of course capturing our program's first-ever state title along with Rosemount high school's first-ever winter team sports state championship in the 100-plus year history of Rosemount high school. [12:40] **[applause]** **Chris Orr:** Beyond the numbers and historic achievements was a team of student athletes who fostered a selfless team-first culture where all student athletes bought into team involvement over personal spotlight. By embracing a rigorous schedule, supporting teammates during trials, and celebrating the successes of all players on and off the court, this team prioritized the collective journey over individual glory and were a great representation of what high school athletics is about. It was an absolute blessing to come to the gym every day with this group and watch them come together as one and lead together as one and play and compete together in practice and games. [13:20] **Chris Orr:** A huge thank you once again to our amazing fans, our student body, teachers, and administration for their support at RHS and the entire Rosemount community. It was amazing to feel and see all the support behind us. Yes, we may be growing as a city, but that small-town feel and support is still there. [13:38] **Chris Orr:** Thank you to the local businesses who showed support through signs on buildings, social media postings, streaming our playoff games for customers to come watch, and providing meals to our team. Thank you to our first responders and Rosemount police department and the Rosemount fire department who escorted our team to our first state quarterfinal and state championship game. [13:58] **Chris Orr:** Thank you again, mayor and council for recognizing this amazing group of student athletes. We are proud to represent the city of Rosemount as state champions. Go Irish. **[applause]** [14:52] **Jeff Weisensel:** We'll formally do the reading but essentially this is the recognition for the Rosemount high school girls basketball championship at the state and bringing great recognition to the city of Rosemount as well as certainly the team from high school. [15:07] **Jeff Weisensel:** So, we'll have them do the pictures and then we'll read the proclamation here. I want to see some shoulders here in the back. Okay, great. Okay, stand up. And I'll tell you guys, yep, there we go. **[laughter]** Very tall, very tall. Yes, middle close, big smile. I love it. Good. [15:34] **[applause]** [15:48] **Jeff Weisensel:** Yep, go ahead and start. Whereas the Rosemount high school girls basketball team has demonstrated outstanding dedication, teamwork, and sportsmanship throughout the 2025-2026 season, and whereas through exceptional effort, perseverance, and commitment, the team earned first place at the Minnesota girls state high school basketball tournament on March 14th, 2026, achieving the title of state champions. [16:21] **Jeff Weisensel:** And whereas the athletes, coaches, and support staff have exhibited exceptional commitment by representing Rosemount with integrity, perseverance, and excellence both on and off the court. And whereas their hard work, discipline, and passion have resulted in remarkable achievements and have brought pride and positive recognition to Rosemount high school and the entire community. [16:45] **Jeff Weisensel:** And whereas the city council of Rosemount recognizes the significant efforts and accomplishments of these student athletes whose success reflects the strength and spirit of the Rosemount community. And now therefore I, Jeffrey D. Weisensel, mayor of Rosemount, Minnesota, be it resolved that the city council of Rosemount hereby congratulates and honors the Rosemount high school girls basketball team for winning the 2026 state championship and extends its sincere appreciation for their outstanding representation of our city. [17:20] **Jeff Weisensel:** Dated this April 21st, 2026. Signed, the mayor. **[applause]** [17:34] **Jeff Weisensel:** Thanks for coming. Coach, sorry. **Heidi Freske:** If I don't know if the rest of you saw it, but Councilmember Theisen submitted a statement. You all know he's got deep connections to your team, so could I read Councilmember Theisen's? Sorry, guys, yeah. So, Councilmember Theisen couldn't be here tonight, but he did not want to stop the celebration from inviting you guys. **Heidi Freske:** Uh he says, "Congratulations to the Rosemount high school girls basketball team on an incredible state championship. This achievement is a testament to the relentless hard work, discipline, and commitment these young women have poured in day after day. Championships are not won in a moment, they are built through early mornings, late nights, and an unwavering belief in one another. This team represents the very best of Rosemount and the entire community could not be more proud. A special thank you goes out to the parents, coaches, and the greater Rosemount community who supported these athletes every step of the way. It truly takes a village to build something this special. As a father of a former player, I've seen firsthand the dedication, sacrifice, and heart that goes into achieving this level. This championship is not about just about talent. [18:35] **Heidi Freske:** It is about years of effort, resilience, and a culture that refuses to settle. And a well-deserved congratulations to head coach Chris Orr, and assistant coach Stephanie Johnson on being named coaches of the year. Your leadership, vision, and ability to inspire have left a lasting impact on this program and these athletes. You've built something truly special, one that will be remembered and carried forward for years to come. Go Irish." So, that's from Councilmember Theisen. [19:01] **[applause]** [19:17] **Jeff Weisensel:** So, that completes item 3B. We'll move on to 3C recognition of Rosemount volunteers and Just Serve city proclamation. I'm turning that over to you, Logan. [19:33] **Logan Martin:** Uh yeah, I can take that one real quick, mayor. Yep, thank you. Um as Council is aware, and hopefully the community too, we'll announce it here tonight and the the council will adopt a proclamation. It's National Volunteer Week, and so city council just left a volunteer recognition event over at the public works police campus where we got to acknowledge just the thousands and tens of thousands of hours that get donated by volunteers in the city of Rosemount. [20:24] **Logan Martin:** So, these are things like Leprechaun Days, Haunted Trail, and then maybe even a bit more unseen abilities to volunteer: Adopt a drain, adopt a street, adopt a park. So, had a chance to acknowledge those folks and some just unbelievable amount of hours that get donated in the city of Rosemount. There are just so many things that we get done here as a city that absolutely can't be done without our full-time staff. We have a small but mighty staff and the things that we get done—building bluebird houses and running things like Leprechaun Days and Haunted Trail—those are all done almost exclusively by volunteers. And so, really exciting to do National Volunteer Week. [20:57] **Logan Martin:** And then, City Council is proposed here to formally join a program that we've learned from the National League of Cities called the Just Serve program, which is a program that allows communities like ours to basically join a network of volunteerism called Just Serve, where folks that are coming in and through town or folks that live in town have a one-stop shop where they could potentially go and find opportunities to serve and to volunteer. So, we're going to proclaim the Just Serve program and the city's interest in that tonight. And then, representatives from Just Serve will be back to formally award the city and name the city as a Just Serve city. So, all about volunteerism and support here. And that is the action in front of you tonight, Mayor and Council. [21:20] **Jeff Weisensel:** All righty. So, we'll move ahead with the recommendation and the proclamation. Okay. Whereas, we firmly believe that the values of compassion, empathy, and community support are the foundation of a united and harmonious society, fostering connections and transcend differences. And whereas, the strength and prosperity of our city are based on the selflessness of our residents to serve and uplift one another. [21:40] **Jeff Weisensel:** And Whereas, we acknowledge the profound impact that can be achieved when we extend a helping hand to our neighbors, especially those of diverse backgrounds, lifting them up, and collectively working to improving lives. And whereas, we nurture a culture of giving within our cities, emphasizing that volunteerism is not just a duty but a source of personal fulfillment and community strength. And as we work side by side with and learn from each other, mutual understanding increases, misconceptions can be corrected, and new friendships are built. [22:27] **Jeff Weisensel:** And Whereas, we urge all citizens to care for one another, volunteer, and engage in acts of service and kindness that contribute to our city's betterment and its inhabitants' well-being, regardless of background or belief. And whereas, the city of Rosemount has joined a growing list of supporters, including the president of the National League of Cities and hundreds of leaders to date, in making a commitment to volunteerism. Now, therefore, I, Jeffrey D. Weisensel, Mayor of Rosemount, Minnesota, do hereby proclaim that the city of Rosemount commits to promoting volunteerism, leveraging justserve.org to make it easier for residents to find and engage in volunteer opportunities, and will regularly acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of volunteers. [23:10] **Jeff Weisensel:** Dated this 21st day April 2026. Signed the Mayor. So, with that, that completes the proclamation and we will sign that. And completes item 3C. Um with the simple comment of it was enjoyable this evening to find out uh the amount of volunteer hours that have been placed in. Uh we learned that it was over 19,000, almost 20,000 hours have been put in by Rosemount residents. [23:48] **Jeff Weisensel:** Uh we had increased the number of volunteers this year uh to just under I think it was 900, so just under 1,000. So, we got goals for next year. And we appreciate all the efforts residents do in providing volunteers. It helps actually reduce some of our costs as well. So, thank you very much. [24:14] **Jeff Weisensel:** With that, uh we'll move on to 3D, the Arbor Day proclamation. Look to Director Schultz. **Director Schultz:** Thank you, Mr. Mayor and Council members. The city is entering our 34th year as a Tree City USA. And as part of being a Tree City USA, we have to observe Arbor Day. And so, this year we are looking at celebrating Arbor Day on May 2nd with a tree giveaway. [24:40] **Director Schultz:** For those of you that have been around the community for a while, they probably realize that we do give away 150 6 to 8-ft bare root trees. Um and these trees are a variety. There's some maples, there's some birch, we have some crabs and a couple different things this year that we're also giving away. [25:02] **Director Schultz:** These trees, we hear stories from people that come back to this event every year and they bring us pictures of what these trees look like. And so, again, this is a free program. It does start at 10:00 a.m. on May 2nd. It's going to be at the former public works central garage. I would definitely say do not plan to come right at 10:00. I would get there definitely by 8:30 or 9:00 to get in line because the trees do go quick and they will all be given away that morning. And so, a couple things about planting trees in your yard, we do ask people to make sure they make that Gopher State One Call at 811 72 hours before you dig. [25:42] **Director Schultz:** And we, you know, definitely encourage people to dig in a safe location. Try do your best to avoid any other tree roots and things like that when you're planting these trees. And I did want to acknowledge that we do have a sponsor for this program, which is Dakota Electric. They've been with us for many, many years and they do provide some of the funding that goes towards buying these trees. But again, there is a proclamation attached. And if you have questions, I can answer those. [26:10] **Jeff Weisensel:** All right. Any questions? Otherwise, we'll proceed with the proclamation followed by the motion. Whereas, trees and forests brighten Minnesota's future by creating jobs, providing recreational settings, increasing property values, and making cities more livable. And whereas, trees and forests brighten society by building strong community ties, reducing crime, and providing a common meeting places. And Whereas, trees and forests brighten our lives by providing lumber for building homes, fiber for producing paper, foliage for decorating, and food for eating. [26:55] **Jeff Weisensel:** And whereas, trees and forests brighten the environment by moderating climate, improving air and water quality, conserving water and energy, and sheltering wildlife. And Whereas, each year on the last Friday in April and throughout the month of May, Minnesotans pay special tribute to the trees and all the natural resources they represent and dedicate themselves to the continued health of our state's community and rural forests. [27:16] **Jeff Weisensel:** Now, therefore, I, Jeffrey D. Weisensel, Mayor of Rosemount, Minnesota, do hereby proclaim May 2nd, 2026 is Arbor Day in the city of Rosemount. Dated this 21st day of April 2026. With that, I'll move to approve the attached proclamation naming May 2nd, 2026 as Arbor Day. Is there a second? [27:39] **Paul Essler:** Second. **Jeff Weisensel:** I have a motion and second. Roll please. **Paul Essler:** Aye. **Tami Klimpel:** Aye. **Jeff Weisensel:** Aye. **Heidi Freske:** Aye. **Jeff Weisensel:** And that passes 4-0 and completes item 4D. We'll go ahead and move on to item 4E. Mr. Schultz has this one as well. [27:59] **Director Schultz:** Thank you, Mr. Mayor and Council members. This is a new event for Rosemount. It's called Play for Patrick Heart Screening. And the city of Rosemount is co-sponsoring this with the Patrick Schoonover Heart Foundation. They do screenings for people ages 13 through 24. Um the screenings include EKGs, echocardiograms, and they also do some work with life-saving skills. And then, they also donate an AED to the host community. [29:01] **Director Schultz:** And so, like I say, this is the first time we've ever done this project. But this is a I think a really important opportunity for young people in our community to get out and screen for issues they might be having they don't know about. As you can read in the executive summary, I'll highlight a few things. From August 2015 through January 2026, they've conducted 42 of these heart screening events. They've screened over 7,400 people. They found 511 elevated blood pressure issues, 393 abnormal electrical or structural heart defects, and they've taught almost 6,000 kids and adults CPR and AED awareness. They've also donated 26 AEDs in the in our neighboring communities. And so, we're really excited to be a host of this event. The event is going to be on Saturday, May 9th at the Rosemount Community Center in the gym. And so, if there are questions, go to the website www.playforpatrick.org and there is information where you can sign up there. [29:36] **Director Schultz:** And again, this is a free event. It is being done for our community by our community. And we are just really proud to be part of this this year. And I will stand for questions. [29:52] **Jeff Weisensel:** Any questions from council? Comments? All right. No further action is needed. **Director Schultz:** Yeah, this is just an update making people aware of what's going on. **Jeff Weisensel:** Thank you very much. That completes item 3E. [30:02] **Jeff Weisensel:** We'll move on to item 4F. We have the interim ordinance authorizing a study imposing a moratorium on data centers. Look to Mr. Kienberger. [30:17] **Adam Kienberger:** Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Members of the council, so a couple of introductory points here and then any questions that the council may have. So, just to start a little bit on the topic of data centers in Rosemount. The existing data center under construction, the build is going well. We've had a great lines of communication with the construction team, Excel Energy, other partners to stay ahead of any issues during this project. Meta is also getting ready to announce the first round of their community action grant recipients and has been a great partner for the city, our school district, along with the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce. [30:56] **Adam Kienberger:** With that noted, staff is introducing this proposed moratorium as a reasonable and responsible way to account for a number of topics and provide thoughtful review and discussion with all stakeholders. So, a few of these include emerging best practices regionally and across the nation; our ability to monitor and accept any potential statewide legislation that could be forthcoming that would be impacting this type of development; to allow for the completion of the current data center and allow the community to see what a finished project looks like and receive its full valuation from the Dakota County's Assessor's Office; and to note that this proposed action is a pause. It is a time to study and engage with the Planning Commission, Port Authority, City Council to review these types of projects and review our current regulations within our city codes. [31:42] **Adam Kienberger:** So, with that I can certainly turn it back to the council for any questions you have for staff. There is a recommended motion as included in your packet both to adopt the interim ordinance as presented authorizing a study and imposing the moratorium on data centers and then a secondary motion to adopt a resolution approving the summary publication which will then go into the paper on May 1st. [32:10] **Jeff Weisensel:** Floor is open for questions. **Tami Klimpel:** Just one question that kind of come up in conversations I've had is how did we choose the duration of the moratorium? Like is this a magic number of 1 year? Is that enough time to learn what we think we need to learn? Can you explain a little bit about that? [32:34] **Adam Kienberger:** Yeah, so yeah. Thank you, council member. So, as advised through our city attorney, 1 year is the maximum that's allowed under state statute for imposing a moratorium. It's also seen as a best practice. It also mirrors similar actions that other communities have recently taken and would be deemed appropriate in terms of that. The council can certainly choose to impose a shorter duration, but staff is recommending the full 1 year duration at this time. **Tami Klimpel:** And then is there an option at the expiration of 1 year? Is there an option of extending or is it truly just that that 1 year moratorium that's allowed by state? **Adam Kienberger:** My understanding is that it's the one and then the city is tasked with completing their study and then making any recommendations for any potential changes. **Tami Klimpel:** Okay. Thank you. [33:12] **Jeff Weisensel:** Other questions? All right. I'll open up the floor to any comments from council before we take action. I'm going to go first. Go ahead. You want to go first? **Paul Essler:** Sure. So, first of all, good evening. As expected, nice to see another nice crowd in the audience. As one of your city council members that is here to represent all the interests of our nearly 30,000 fellow residents, we understand that development of data centers raises important questions and concerns. And I assure you that your voices were integral to our decision-making in the current site and your voices will continue to be heard as we move forward. [33:50] **Paul Essler:** We absolutely do appreciate you coming out to voice your concerns in a respectful manner. With the current site, the developer listened to residents and in turn our feedback and made significant changes to the original plans based on residents' recommendations. From enhanced landscaping buffers to improved traffic management, cooling technology, and upgraded noise mitigation measures, these modifications reflect our community's priorities and demonstrate what can be achieved when we work together. [34:20] **Paul Essler:** The existing data center project is expected to significantly strengthen our local tax base generating additional revenue that will benefit the city, county, and school district. With its low traffic profile compared to other types of development, the facility will minimize congestion and wear on our traffic infrastructure while still contributing substantial financial resources. These economic benefits will help sustain vital public services and improve quality of life for all residents. Having said that, we also understand that we truly need to understand the impact on the environment and the cost to residents as it actually plays out, especially in light of what we've seen elsewhere. [35:01] **Paul Essler:** This is why a pause on any further data center is on tonight's agenda for consideration. One of the primary reasons I supported the current project is the developer's commitment to incorporating the low water use technology. Data centers are often criticized for their resource consumption and there are many stories on the internet of facilities that are using significantly more water than what is projected to be used by the current data center in Rosemount. [35:26] **Paul Essler:** It is important to understand that not all data centers are created equally. The facility currently under construction will implement advanced cooling solutions that dramatically reduce water usage setting a new standard for environmental responsibility in our region. However, a moratorium will provide us the opportunity to confirm what the independent engineers have told us about this data center and the uses of resources both water and power. [35:51] **Paul Essler:** I also understand there are concerns about the quality of the water after it's recirculated even in the closed system. The other factor was the location of the existing location. It was not adjacent to any residential area. It leveraged land that was zoned for industrial, not residential use and is a good complement to other developments on the east side. [36:14] **Paul Essler:** By embracing innovative technology and community-driven solutions, we are supporting economic growth while safeguarding our local environment and quality of life. Lastly, I do want to highlight my support for the 1-year moratorium on future data centers as proposed by city staff tonight. This pause will allow us to carefully monitor and evaluate the impacts of the existing facility before considering further developments. By taking this measured approach, we can ensure decisions continue to reflect the best interests of our community and uphold our commitment to responsible growth. [36:48] **Paul Essler:** I also ask city staff to continue to be diligent with the independent engineers that are providing us with the information necessary to understand the impacts that any future data center would have on the community so that we can truly study and have confidence with the information that is provided and we can continue to take to make responsible decisions on behalf of all residents. And to the residents that have participated in the process to date, thank you. We appreciate your continued engagement and your commitment to help shape the future of Rosemount. [37:16] **Heidi Freske:** I just want to start out by saying I am neither pro data center nor anti-data center. I am pro Rosemount. My approach to every proposal that comes before us is grounded in the principle of planful growth that fits within the fabric of our community. That means taking a thoughtful case-by-case approach and giving each application the discerning review it deserves. [38:12] **Heidi Freske:** And we've done that before. In 2023, we supported a data center application that will return more than 200 acres to the tax rolls and put previously underutilized and land to productive use. In other cases, including just last year, I withheld support when a proposal required changes to our land use plans that I felt were too significant. But like many families here in Rosemount, these issues aren't just abstract policy discussions. These come up around our dinner table. Questions like: will the first data center perform as promised? And as more proposals have come forward, how many data centers are too many? [38:54] **Heidi Freske:** And those are fair questions and at this moment we don't yet have enough real world local data to answer them with confidence. So, that's why I support this temporary moratorium. This pause gives us the opportunity to evaluate actual performance. Things like water usage, noise levels, and overall community impact based on the one project already in motion. It allows us to move from speculation to evidence. [39:21] **Heidi Freske:** And just as importantly, it gives us time at the city level to strengthen our framework to protect all the residents. We can better define guardrails, explore enhancements to the AUAR process, and consider more robust planned unit development conditions so that future proposals are evaluated with greater clarity and consistency. This isn't necessarily about stopping growth. It's about getting it right. So, Rosemount has always been a community that plans carefully and acts deliberately. This moratorium reflects that tradition. It ensures that as we consider new opportunities, we do so in a way that protects our residents, respects our long-term vision and positions our city for sustainable success. [39:50] **Tami Klimpel:** Um first, thank you to those that are here tonight and who have provided feedback. I do really appreciate the engagement and it's really been nice to see our chambers full the past couple of months. Believe it or not, we do enjoy people to come to our meetings. Um I am supportive of the moratorium. It will allow us to evaluate results once Meta is in operational mode. [40:11] **Tami Klimpel:** With that said, I am also pro-business, business that fits our vision. I want to demystify the perception that some think our council will approve anything and everything that is presented to us. That's just absolutely false. As I shared on social media earlier this week, last June, we did meet with a developer who was looking to build a data center referred to as Dakota East Technology Park on 400 acres on the east side of Rosemount. During that public meeting, many of us on the council expressed our concerns and some directly said we were not supportive. [40:52] **Tami Klimpel:** As a result, the developer did pull their application for consideration. As you all know, Rosemount has several large plots of land. As a result, our staff receives several requests from developers for all sorts of potential projects. They come in, they review them, and they see if they meet our vision. Many of those don't even make it past their review based on the requirements such as water and power requirements. For example, I heard of one last week where we had a request where they wanted 1 million gallons of water each day. That's just not something we would ever allow. I want to ensure our residents that we are a Rosemount first council when developing our vision and making decisions. I look forward to continuing engagement when new opportunities arise. We really do appreciate it. [41:44] **Jeff Weisensel:** Okay. And first, I wanted to start my comments with a thank you to our residents and guests who shared their concerns in a respectful and meaningful way either in emails, documents, and at the podium during our public comments. We work through a process and maintain decorum and it does not devolve into chaos. I want to acknowledge these are our concerns as well. Natural resources like water, energy use, and quality of life are real and they are taken very seriously. [42:20] **Jeff Weisensel:** I also want to be clear that the data center already approved by the city went through a comprehensive alternative urban area-wide review, also known as an AUAR. That process evaluated water use, electrical demand, noise, and lighting. And the project met all required standards based on detailed analysis and not assumptions. At the same time, I recognize that the level of interest in what we are now seeing raises broader questions about cumulative impacts and long-term planning regarding additional data centers. [43:00] **Jeff Weisensel:** That's why this moratorium makes sense. It gives us the time to step back, review our regulations, and ensure we have clear standards in place that protect our infrastructure, our environment, and our neighborhoods before considering additional projects. This is a prudent and balanced approach respecting the work already done while taking community concerns seriously as we plan for what comes next. Are there any additional questions, comments for staff? [43:37] **Logan Martin:** Mayor, I would just add at the request of Council member Theisen, he did want to convey in his absence tonight that he would have been voting in the affirmative on the moratorium had he been here tonight. [43:51] **Jeff Weisensel:** Okay. So, with that, would someone like to move the action? **Heidi Freske:** I'll make a motion to adopt an interim ordinance authorizing a study and imposing a moratorium on data centers and a motion to adopt a resolution approving the summary publication. [44:02] **Tami Klimpel:** Second. **Jeff Weisensel:** I have a motion by Freske, second by Klimpel. Roll, please. **Tami Klimpel:** Aye. **Jeff Weisensel:** Aye. **Heidi Freske:** Aye. **Paul Essler:** Aye. [44:17] **Jeff Weisensel:** And that action passes 4-0. That completes item 4F and we'll move on to response to public comment. Mr. Martin. [44:23] **Logan Martin:** Thank you, Mayor, members of the council. Uh tonight, the response to public comment is fairly brief. We we had a significant amount of public comment at the last meeting, obviously. Uh most of it would be categorized as folks' opinions and comments and their thoughts and recommendations to the council surrounding the moratorium and additional research and things of that matter. So, appreciate the council's response to the staff recommendation on the moratorium. Um looking forward to engaging in a planful dialogue with planning commission, city council, really driven by research and facts and good staff solid staff work. So, look forward to doing that over the next number of months and coming back both to you as a council and the community with feedback, with understanding of what we've learned, any needed amendments to our city code, things of that nature. [45:23] **Logan Martin:** Uh another topic that came up occasionally last meeting as well was the kind of continual conversations about our water and water restrictions that we're currently working with the state of Minnesota on regarding the gross alpha. Um and so, just want to continually let folks know that we will report quarterly in our newsletter. So, the newsletter will hit mailboxes next week in the next probably 7 days. Um inside the newsletter is an update on the work surrounding gross alpha, and it also conveys our annual water quality report, which is a standard state mandate. Um so, continue to work forward there. We've been in a good dialogue with the state of Minnesota. Uh they've accepted the city's plan of action to continue working on remediation for the gross alpha issue. So, we have a formal agreement reached with the state of Minnesota as we work towards mitigation discussions with the city council on that topic. [46:29] **Jeff Weisensel:** Okay. Back to council, any questions? Seeing none, that'll complete item four. We'll move on to item five, public comment. Anyone wishing to come before council at this time may do so. Please state your name, address, and limit your comments to 3 minutes. I do ask that Rosemount residents appear first. And if you would, you can line up one after the other so that we can get through the comments expeditiously. And again, thank you for in the past your decorum in presentations. The podium is open. [47:08] **William Zaragoza:** Hi. Good to see you guys again. William Zaragoza, 12930 Bengal Avenue West in Rosemount. Um I want to first thank you for hearing us and being responsive to our concerns. I appreciate you supporting this moratorium. Um I did want to ask a couple of things as you look into going into this study. First would be that I encourage the city council to hire an independent third party to gather the information that you're going to be looking into so it's not being done by somebody, you know, from the companies that have interest in these projects succeeding. [47:45] **William Zaragoza:** Um focus on environmental impacts, specifically the cost of water treatment, and how how these data centers might be able to remediate that water and the contaminants in that water before it's, you know, put into the municipal water system. Um explain to residents how we will be protected from the rising costs that we could see due to increased demand for both water and power. That's something that's still unclear to at least me. And then finally, educate us on the accountability measures that are in place that we have access to should something go wrong and there is a negative impact. But given all the good things that I've heard today, um that's all I've got to say. So, thank you. [48:36] **Young Chpinsky:** Hi. I'm Young Chpinsky and I reside at 14304 Cimarron Avenue West in Rosemount. Um and I'm a bishop of a local congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm here on behalf of the Just Serve recognitions. Uh so, first just wanted to say thank you to the city of Rosemount and the city council. And also, I have President Tiburon here to also share a brief word. [49:02] **President Tiburon:** Thank you. I'm here to thank you for your proclamation and express our gratitude and excitement to partner with the city, and we look forward to coming back with the official recognitions. We've noticed the power and the strength that comes to communities when the kinds of volunteerism that you adopted tonight take place, and we really look forward to that and are excited to join with you. Thank you for that. [49:37] **Brian Dawson:** Good evening, city council. Brian Dawson, Rosemount, Minnesota. First want to start out by saying thank you. I had this prepared cuz I figured it was going to go this direction. So, thank you very much for your vote for the moratorium. Um I think it's going to go a long ways, probably more importantly than you doing your due diligence on the existing Meta data center. I think it's going to go a long ways more towards the trust and the relationship building between the residents and the city leaders. I think you're all really good people. You have the best interests of the city in mind. [50:25] **Brian Dawson:** I also understand or we also understand as we did our digging and our research on the data centers that they aren't limited to data centers. I think you're obviously open to any type of industrial or light industrial type project that gets presented to you. Um I would only caution—and this is some of my past history—the NDAs and the lack of transparency before. You know, private companies don't have to abide by that. You know, you may take those steps and say, "Hey, we're going to be transparent." Private industries don't have to. They're dealing directly with developers. [51:17] **Brian Dawson:** So, I would only caution that as city leadership, just be cautious of the fact that you don't want conflicts of interest starting to get in play. And the Minnesota League of Cities has a lot of great information out there. It's just to protect you as city employees from not getting into a position where you have to recuse yourself because of something that you weren't aware of. Um it seems like some of these projects can get very complex. And that would be the only thing I would say, but again, thank you very much for what you've done tonight. And I think it's a great step to taking a pause. Thank you. [52:27] **Vanessa Timuth:** Um Mayor and Council, I'm Vanessa Timuth. I live at 13466 Stanley Lane. On April 7th, I spoke during public comment time at the last council meeting and I spoke to my concerns about the elevated manganese in our city water. And the meeting minutes that are in the agenda packet are wrong concerning what I said. I asked for the city to offer the water filters starting now to households with infants 12 months of age and younger until water treatment is online. And what the minutes say is that I said *if* a water treatment plant is not pursued that I wanted the filters provided. So, the city has a cost estimate for providing the filters on the annual basis and I would like that filter program implemented as soon as possible. Thank you. [53:23] **Ashley:** Hello. Can you hear me? This is very different. My name is Ashley. I live on 14926 Adair Way. I second what you just said. I have a daughter and I just put filters in my house, but I'm not really certain if those filters are actually going to protect her from things like lymphoma which is increased by what is currently in our water. Um also, I just invested in a countertop reverse osmosis water system, but again, I'm not sure how effective that is. Um so, I think we need more information on how we are protecting ourselves and our families. [54:10] **Ashley:** Um you know, I work at Lifetime. Um we sit in pools full of chemicals and now, you know, whatever is in our water, I think we need to start doing a little bit more research about what we're soaking our skin, our largest organ, in day to day. And so, in regards taking a step back and talking about the data centers, we're going to be treating water likely with more chemicals. What is that going to do? Maybe make it clear, yes, but what side effects? How is that going to affect my health, my child's health long term? We have cancer rising. One in two people. One in two people will get cancer. If you look up EWG's water reports, there are several chemicals in our water in Rosemount that cause things like cancer. So, what are we doing about it? That's all I have. Thank you. [55:24] **Kathy Pritchard:** Hello. My name is Kathy Pritchard. I'm at 15703 Crystal Path in Rosemount. I know I've already told some of you this, but um since there's a one-year moratorium now, thank you. Um I'm still concerned about the water because I don't think we're going to be able to get a water treatment facility put in in a year. And I don't know if you're going to be able to have our wellhead protection plan updated in a year or the water system plan. And so, I guess I'm concerned about that still. I would rather move forward with discussion about data centers once those plans get updated. I would just feel more comfortable. And I don't see what's being done about the gross alpha yet. I really would like to see that get going as soon as possible. Thank you. [56:40] **Jeff Weisensel:** All right. Anyone else this evening? Anyone? I had to ask. All right. That'll close public comments at this time and that completes item five. [56:52] **Jeff Weisensel:** Move on to consent agenda item six A through K. This evening we have bill listings, minutes of our April 7th regular and work session proceedings, donation acceptance from Merchants Bank of $1,000 for Leprechaun Days events, the Molest May proclamation, donation acceptance from Rosemount Beyond the Yellow Ribbon of $1,065 towards a bench in honor of Linda Satriano, declaration of surplus property, the 2025 interfund transfers, the ice resurfacer purchase, the Rosemount arena chiller replacement, and the Rosemount Port Authority annual report. Council, anyone wish to pull any items for further discussion or comment? **Heidi Freske:** Regarding item B, I believe public comment requested an edit to the minutes. Did I hear that correctly? **Jeff Weisensel:** Yeah. We'll go ahead and pull that for review by city staff. Mr. Martin, would you... [58:12] **Logan Martin:** Yeah, we you can probably leave it as the action. We can just accept the feedback. If council's comfortable with the community members' comment, we can re-review the YouTube minutes and get a bit more direct on what she was recommending with the the pitcher program. So, you can keep it in the one action, but we'll acknowledge the comment if that's what council would like us to do. [58:40] **Jeff Weisensel:** Um is that pretty much across the board here? Yeah. So, we'll leave it within the consent agenda. Anyone wishing to move the consent agenda forward? **Paul Essler:** So moved. **Heidi Freske:** Second. **Jeff Weisensel:** I have a motion by Essler, second by Freske. Roll, please. **Jeff Weisensel:** Aye. **Heidi Freske:** Aye. **Paul Essler:** Aye. **Tami Klimpel:** Aye. [59:12] **Jeff Weisensel:** And our consent agenda passes 4-0. That completes item six. This evening we have no public hearings, no unfinished business, no new business. And we are up to announcements, item 10. City staff updates. Mr. Martin. [59:17] **Logan Martin:** Mayor members of council. Uh maybe just a couple items tonight. Uh first, since we last met, uh we had the Guns vs. Hoses hockey game. Want to thank so many council members for being there. Awesome to see our police and fire battle it out on the ice. Fire won this year. Really fun event, but most importantly over $15,000 at current count raised for the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon folks. Um just recently here last week they quickly turned up a care package program for active duty overseas deployed service members and got 200 care packages out. And so that just shows the strength they have as a nonprofit. And then Nick I think had a little announcement maybe he wanted to make of good news for his building. [1:00:44] **Nick Egger:** Thanks, Mr. Martin. Yes, a couple of months ago I know we had some representatives of our local chapter in the American Public Works Association and recognized the city for a project of the year award through that organization that we received last fall. And I mentioned at the time we were going to be applying for a similar award on the national stage. And I'm thrilled to let you know that I received an email yesterday afternoon that we did receive one of those project of the year awards. So, it's a great accolade for a wonderful building. Uh the hardware itself is something that will be handed out at their national conference in Houston late summer. And I'll be down there to take receipt of that on behalf of the city. [1:01:50] **Jeff Weisensel:** Congratulations. I think that's a testament to the trust the community has put into our ability to put both the police and the public works buildings together on that campus. Thank you. Anything else there? That'll complete 10A. We'll move to 10B. Upcoming meetings: the Youth Commission meets tomorrow, April 22nd; Parks and Natural Resources Commission meeting April 27th; Planning Commission April 28th. The Connemara Trail and Akron Avenue roundabout project open house is April 30th from 4:30 to 6:30 at the Police and Public Works campus. [1:03:22] **Logan Martin:** If I could, Mayor, the purpose of that meeting is essentially to just help folks understand traffic impacts and routing and detours and accessibility during the construction of the project. [1:03:35] **Jeff Weisensel:** All right. And then as you heard earlier this evening on May 2nd, Saturday 10:00 at the former Public Works facility, that's our tree Arbor Day tree giveaway. Be there before 10:00 cuz we start right on the dot. Uh the next City Council meeting work session is from 5:00 to 6:00 on May 5th. And the City Council meeting follows from 7:00 to 8:00. Looking a little bit ahead, the citywide garage sale is May 14th through the 16th. And then on May 16th, we have our spring cleanup day at the Dakota Area Transfer Station next to Nitti. With that, is there any other business to come before Council? Seeing none, I'll move to adjourn. Is there a second? [1:04:49] **Heidi Freske:** Second. **Tami Klimpel:** Second. **Jeff Weisensel:** Have a motion and second to adjourn the meeting. All in favor signify by saying I. **Councilmembers:** I. I. I. **Jeff Weisensel:** Opposed? We are adjourned. Thank you, Rosemount.