This transcript appears to be from a "State of the City" address for Rosemount, Minnesota. Based on the context provided and the introductions within the text, here is the formatted transcript with speaker names. [0:00] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** with our youth and I am constantly impressed by everyone's hard work around our community in addition you have seen a lot of dirt moving around Ros Mount the result of years of careful and intentional planning we celebrate a record setting construction season some major investments in Fortune 500 companies several business expansions and we became one of the fastest growing cities in Minnesota this success didn't just come to us watching Rosemont grow and flourish is a result of intentional planning a strong staff resident participation and key Partnerships between our strategic plan [0:47] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** which oversees the vision and direction of the organization and the comprehensive guide 20 240 plan which is our road map for growth and development we plan our work and then work our plan my fellow city council members and I recently sat down with staff in two sessions to refresh our strategic plan we worked on team building understanding different strengths and viewpoints and talked through several ideas for the future of Rosemount what resulted is a continuation of the vision that has driven us through these years of increasing growth while honing in on some of the details based on new facts figures years and feedback we've received from [1:33] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** residents the headlines of our new strategic plan include four main focus areas grow and enhance rosem Mount preserve our hometown field create Community connections and support a culture of high performance I'd like to take a few minutes to explain each of them and how this plan will help shape our actions and decisions in the next five years with our proximity to the metro and large Parcels of land available we knew that growth and development would be coming our way as we look to growth and enhance Rosemount we have four specific areas that we want to pay close attention to [2:19] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** in the coming years ensuring that our downtown district is vibrant and a welcoming Place creating business parks that showcase a varied and resilient local economy planning well-rounded neighborhoods with housing for residents in every stage of life and taking a look at Key corridors through Rosemont for opportunities to redevelop with functionality and visual appeal in mind the next piece of the Strategic plan is to continue to Foster and preserve our hometown field what sets us apart from our neighbors is that despite being conveniently located near the airport entertainment and restaurants of the Twin Cities Rosemont is still able [3:05] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** to retain its Hometown field driving down Main Street and seeing the railroad or an active Greenery established in the early 1900s and the original corner store and other historic buildings all helped to retain the visual elements of a small town but really what embodies our hometown feel is our people and our Rose Mountain Pride sitting at a Friday night football game cheering on the Irish attending a concert in Central Park while the kids play in the splash pad nearby or seeing blankets staked out along the parade route waiting for our band floats and youth to march by is who we are as a town and so as we grow the city wants to [3:53] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** retain that Hometown feel by helping to make sure that all of our residents feel well welcome to participate and engage we want to continue hosting and partnering to offer Community Centric events we will nurture and maintain key Partnerships within our education arts and athletic communities to help support the great events activities and opportunities for growth at all stages of life as Rosemont grows we want to help Foster a sense of connection between new and establish ablished residents between young families and those with wisdom and history to share and between those in need of assistance [4:40] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** and volunteers with time and talents to offer that brings me to our third Force creating Community connections by this we mean the services and amenities that help to Foster many of our connections I just referred to we already have an outstanding parks and trails system and we are committed to continuing to ensure that Rosemont is well connected through our sidewalks trails and Regional Greenways our residents place a high value on Athletics and we want to keep investing in our Recreation and athletic facilities by to ensure that Rosemont is a destination for sporting events and finally we want to expand our communication services to ensure that [5:26] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** all residents can view the city as a trusted source of local news and Community updates we want to make sure that everyone is well informed and aware of the city services events and opportunities and lastly we need to support the people who enact our plans with expertise intention and service with that we will support a culture of high performance within our city organization with the Baby Boomers hitting retirement age competition the market Market is very real we intend to ensure that Roseman is an employer of choice that attracts and retains top candidates in addition we want to make sure that your tax dollars are spent [6:12] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** responsibly to that end we welcome creativity that that creates efficiency and drives value for our citizens we are excited about working this plan and continuing to shape the future of Roso while our staff delivered high quality of services they are Adept at keeping our goals in mind and rising to challenges that we put in front of them while utilizing the guidance and parameters of the comprehensive guide plan I'd like to step aside now for a few moments and let them share what they've been working on to achieve over the past year they'll also explain how they prepare for the future and give us a glimpse of some of the more immediate work taking place this coming [7:06] **Adam Kienberger, Community Development Director:** year I'm Adam keber community development director for the city consisting of Planning and Zoning Economic Development building inspections and code enforcement the Community Development Department Works in unity to promote safe and sustainable development throughout Rose Mount 2023 had a record number of permits and property investment with many unique projects to highlight we've once again seen lots of growth and activ occur this past year demonstrating Ros Mount is the place many people and businesses are choosing to call home in just the last year we've overseen more than 1100 New housing units and $300 million in additional building valuation added to Ros Mount this record-breaking number is attributed to a wide range of development projects across the community from Lifetime to meta 2024 is [7:51] **Adam Kienberger, Community Development Director:** shaping up to be just as exciting housing demands continue to grow and shift in our community we saw an increase in both single family and multi family projects which will add to the diversity of housing options for new and existing residents some of the recent multif family projects include a 212 unit market rate development called wicko apartments by roarers on the northwest corner of Arron Avenue on County Road 42 164 affordable units and 141 market rate units called Croft at roscot by Schaefer Richardson just Northeast of Arron Avenue and cona Trail and a 160 unit affordable Apartment project called The Landing at Amber fields from Real Estate equities on the southwest corner of Acron and 42 when fully built out the amberfields development will include [8:38] **Adam Kienberger, Community Development Director:** nearly 2,000 housing units in this area of Rosemount increasing demand for new businesses and Retail opportunities on the commercial and Industrial side of development projects continue at a steady Pace significant projects include completion of a 560,000 ft FedEx distribution facility and a new 60,000 ft manufacturing facility for Rana companies construction began on a 90,000 ft lifetime facility in partnership with the city of Rosemount along with continued construction of a 32 unit assisted living and Memory Care Facility by sweet living among several other projects the city in partnership with Excel Energy the University of Minnesota and adjacent land owners have been responding to requests for information on nearly 700 Acres of Business Park [9:25] **Adam Kienberger, Community Development Director:** development just east of Dakota County Technical College and additional land east of Highway 52 rounding out a number of large Investments is the recent announcement of a new 715,000 square foot data center project by meta platforms this project will bring over $800 million in new investment to the community on land that was previously tax exempt via the University of Minnesota with over 1,000 construction jobs and 100 full-time technology jobs planned and just a few weeks ago spectro Alloys held a groundbreaking ceremony kicking off a $70 million investment in their aluminum recycling facility which will result in an additional 50 jobs for the community in a rapidly growing industry while these are just some of the projects underway there are several [10:11] **Adam Kienberger, Community Development Director:** other code name projects in the early stages of planning we hope will choose Rosemount to call home many major projects often start their site selection process as confidential inquiries under a secret project code name while they refine their site criteria and work with City staff to keep Rosemount at the top of their list for example Example The Home Depot project started out as project Osprey when they began their site search and until the recent Announcement by meta they were known as project Bigfoot other notable happenings include a reformatted Community Expo that saw record attendance this year's Expo included new entertainment and food options along with showcasing local businesses and Community Partners we look forward to continuing this event that welcomes all members of the community to engage with businesses and meet their neighbors as [10:57] **Adam Kienberger, Community Development Director:** Rosemont continues to thrive we are wrapping up some changes to the City Zoning code these changes will make it easier for businesses to understand how they fit in the community along with streamlining and clarifying certain development processes the intended result is Clarity consistency and confidence by both developers and homeowners looking to invest in Rosemont as you can see it is a very busy and exciting time to be part of the development happening in Ros Mount thank you to those who serve on our Planning Commission to review these plans and the Port Authority which provides guidance and financing to support the economic development focus of the city these developments are all in line with the city's Vision to create a robust development focus for the community under the 2040 comprehensive plan Rosemount has the land infrastructure [11:43] **Adam Kienberger, Community Development Director:** and guidance of the city council to move us into the next chapter of growth and [Music] [11:56] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** opportunity thank you director Keen bger as you just saw our community development department has their hands full so I commend them for the amount of advance planning and preparation they have been doing in order to maintain a high level of service amidst the large volume of work they are handling a drive through the east side of town on County Road 42 is all it takes to see how much growth we are we've been experiencing entire neighborhoods are popping up before our eyes the apartment buildings and multif family units seem to have happened quickly but in reality they are in response to a pent up Demand with new employers like lifetime Home Depot and FedEx and employers who are expanding their business Footprints like [12:43] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** spectral Alloys and frana and Flint Hills we must ensure that there is enough housing at various price points to suit the demands of our Workforce the growth and interest in Rosemont did not come out of nowhere our preparation and due diligence have led to the success we are currently experiencing by being receptive to businesses Business Development and working with our state and Regional Partners to Market Rosemount and our city council and Port Authority placing high value on creating a resilient local economy we've created an environment that is ripe for development and recently I think you've [13:28] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** heard this we've made made a big impression when we've revealed the project Bigfoot is an $800 million Medicenter that was a laugh there folks this incredible investment will undoubtedly shape the future of our city and bring about positive change and opportunities to our community the addition of 100 high-paying jobs plus more than a th000 construction workers at the peak of the project will have an immediate and positive impact on our local economy we are proud that meta selected us for our robust infrastructure commitment to renewable energy and most importantly our talented Community Partners who have worked together to expedite this transformative project as a city we've been working to [14:15] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** become a hub for Innovation emerging technology and sustainability and this data center puts us well on our way to reaching that goal the Rosemont data center will operate entirely on renewable energy aligning with meta's global commitment to sustainability this Forward Thinking approach will not only Power the data center but contribute to the growth of renewable energy resources in our region this data center is an engine of progress optimized for meta's Cutting Edge artificial intelligence workloads these Advanced facilities play a crucial role in Connecting People fostering community unities and driving local [15:01] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** business growth in addition to the well-paying jobs this data center will bring to Rosemont it will contribute millions of dollars in local tax revenue supporting our community growth we look forward to meta's commitment to being a responsible Community member their track record of supporting schools nonprofits and stem education programs will undoubtedly enrich our community we've spoken with other communities who have seen and touted the benefits of meta's actions as a good Community partner beyond the data center meta is partnering with XL Energy and the city of Rosemont to enhance our local infrastructure from energy upgrades to the development of water lines Paving [15:46] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** the way for future growth and development as we welcome meta to Rosemont let us Embrace this opportunity for Progress Innovation and Community enrichment now let's turn to something really fun and another highly valued service in Rosemount our incredible Parks and Recreation [Music] system [16:15] **Dan Schultz, Parks and Recreation Director:** hi my name is Dan Schultz and I'm the Parks and Recreation director for the city of Rose Mount 2023 was a busy year for the Parks and Recreation Department we saw several projects programs and special events take place throughout the year in the fall of 2023 the city completed lease negotiations and broke ground on the new lifetime [16:33] **Dan Schultz, Parks and Recreation Director:** project in this unique public private partnership the city of Rosemont retains ownership of the land and facility while lifetime will lease the building and be tasked with operating it the state-of-the-art complex will offer indoor and outdoor pools pickle ball courts along with many other great opportunities to live a healthy lifestyle it is expected to open in the first quarter of 2025 the city's long-term capital Improvement plan identified funding to reinvest in a handful of existing Parks resulting in the replacement of playgrounds at Claret biscan and ker Parks during this process we like to engage the residents in the neighborhood along with the youth commission Parks Commission and the city [17:20] **Dan Schultz, Parks and Recreation Director:** council to give feedback and help select the new playground equipment the careful review of these projects results in great places for kids to play staff also spent time in 2023 planning for several new parks talamore Dunmore and Amber Fields will all be new parks that will break ground this year these projects will bring a wide variety of amenities for some of Rose mount's newest residents to enjoy construction was completed on the new building at the Flint Hills Athletic Complex the building includes restrooms and a flex space that can be used during PR private rentals and athletic events that take place at the complex near the new building there was also a Fixit [18:05] **Dan Schultz, Parks and Recreation Director:** station for bicycles the trail head building is one of the locations where people using the Rosemont Greenway can stop for a break or Park their vehicle and head out on the trail as development in Rosemount moves East one of the key components to connecting neighborhoods is having a well-planned trail and sidewalk system staff has been busy planning for a new Trail along Bonair path in the future this area will prove to be an important travel Corridor for bikers Walkers and Runners with the popularity of pickle ball the city has planned for and broke ground on a new pickle ball court complex located east of akan Avenue just south of the umore baseball and softball complex the site will include 12 pickle ball courts and space [18:51] **Dan Schultz, Parks and Recreation Director:** for a future offleash do Park staff expects to open the new courts by Midsummer speaking of umore now that we have added the new fields to the umore Ballfield complex that park has become a hub of activity for softball and baseball games practices and tournaments to meet the needs of the users the city is designing a park shelter building that will provide indoor restrooms and a space for selling concessions to park visitors as we look forward to 2024 we will be wrapping up the construction on the lifetime project and residents camp can expect to see playground equipment at camfield Park and several new amenities installed at our three new parks residents can follow [19:38] **Dan Schultz, Parks and Recreation Director:** along with the progress on these projects by visiting the city's website we've created a new web page specifically for Park projects and I encourage you to check it out many of you have probably seen the progress at the new police and Public Works site while their staff have been busy planning for the move into the new facility we have been working on plans for what to do with the spaces they are leaving behind there are some great opportunities to expand Central Park and to make it even a better destination location for Rosemount residents some ideas include expanding the splash pad installing a new fully accessible playground and converting a large garage into a multi-purpose Recreation space we will soon be asking for input from our [20:24] **Dan Schultz, Parks and Recreation Director:** residents to help us shape the future plans for the area looking back at the past year we were happy to help organize and host many of the Great special events that bring the community together leprechaun days the fall food truck Fest the Halloween trail and art blast are just some of the fun events that help bring friends and neighbors together in Rose Mount each year as we look ahead to 2024 we are excited to continue these Traditions as well as providing our residents and our visitors with great places to play new amenities to enjoy and fun recreational [Music] [21:10] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** opportunities thank you director Schultz this is an exciting time in our Park system and I can say that we are fortunate to be able to invest wisely in these amenities and plan intentionally to create a system that connects all of our residents I know many people who are anxiously awaiting for the incredible amenities that our lifetime Club will provide as well as the highly anticipated new outdoor pickle ball courts and the Park and trail connections we continue to invest in maintaining our existing stock of neighborhood parks and investing in new parks to ensure that all of our residents have access to Green Space playgrounds and Healthy Living opportunities many thanks to you Dan and your staff for your continued planning [21:57] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** efforts and partner parip that help connect and contribute in how we live and play in Rosemount with success also comes challenges and I want to make it clear that we have our ears and eyes wide open preparing and seeking solutions to any challenge that comes our way is an important part of leading Rosemount into the future Public Safety is highly valued by our residents which is why we continue to collaborate with our regional partners and invest in our future as it relates to Public Safety and transportation our police department has seen its fair share of successes and challenges over the past year hiring and retaining qualified officers is a major [22:43] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** issue in our city not to mention our County State and Nation Rosemount py is preparing for success by creating a new recruitment team focused on reaching new and qualified candidates in creative ways they lay the groundwork through hosting citizenm teenies and participating in an endless stream of community events in and around Rosemount and in an exciting new development Rosemount PD received a state funding award for $100,000 to hire and train two candidates who may be interested in a career transition into law enforcement interested candidates must hold a degree prior to applying the state funding [23:30] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** helps to cover the candidate's salary tuition and other eligible expenses while they are completing their Law Enforcement Training making this a wonderful opportunity for anyone interested in transitioning into community policing I want to congratulate Chief dalstrom and his team for continuing to innovate and set a high bar for your profession now transportation is another facet of Public Safety there we are continually hearing concerns and questions on in every city managing growth and development in and involving travel patterns demands continuous monitoring [24:18] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** and admin and an adjustment to ensure safety and Mobility crafting effective solution requires in-depth evaluation planning and collaboration with stakeholders like Dakota County and mot I'd like to acknowledge Public Works director Nick Edgar and his team for keeping us prepared and informed on the growing infrastructure needs of the community this has been a focal point evident in recent and ongoing projects like the akan and County Road 42 signal installation the akan Avenue Extension the conera trail and Diamond path roundabout and the boulder Avenue new connection to Highway 3 this year in partnership with Dakota County Planning [25:04] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** Begins for a new roundabout at conera Trail and akan Avenue responding to increased development including the lifetime club and forthcoming commercial properties additionally collaboration with mindat and the school district 196 involves constructing a roundabout at Rosemont High School's main entrance from Highway 3 we value our Partnerships at the state county and School District this is a big job and one that takes incredible planning and preparation from our Public Works team we applaud your work on your design and maintenance of our roads utilities and green [25:50] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** spaces in a little more than 6 months from now your team along with our police department will be able to collaborate a bit more easily offering Services more effectively and support a healthier balance when you move into the new police and Public Works joint campus the construction of the new facility is coming along with notable efficiency we were pleased to not only save tax B taxpayer dollars in this investment by facilitating a land swap between the National Guard Flint Hills and the city but also by once again celebrating a doublea plus Bond rating from standard and poers allowing us to sell bonds at a better interest rate kudos to our administrative Services director Tia Malika for ensuring the [26:36] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** standard of excellent required for such a [26:45] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** feat and finally another challenge that we are working on to explore is the growing need for the fire department coverage in and around Rosemount like many small other communities Rosemont has operated with a volunteer fire department and relied on Mutual Aid in various forms since its beginning at its uh of the of its Inception each firefighter is paid per call and almost all have another full-time job according to local historians Rosemount fire department started tracking fire calls in 1982 when they had 163 fire emergencies today that number has grown to more than 1,000 emergency calls each year armed with that data and that knowledge [27:32] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** that our community is growing quickly we believe it is time to consider changing our service model with that we've decided to start by investing in hiring a full-time fire chief this summer to help lead the charge and guide us into a safe and effective future we are also hiring an expert firm to do a full Staffing analysis review our current service model and assess future needs in in addition we will be polling our residents to find out the level of support for an investment in a change to a different model with that I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to all of our firefighters and First Responders and the current leadership Chief Rick schroer who just happens to have a side gig as a commander with the Dakota [28:18] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** County Sheriff's office has already indicated to us that he will not be applying for that new position so I want to take this time to acknowledge and thank him for this incredible leadership on the fire department for the past 11 years and for an additional 15 years of service prior to that the amount of time and exceptional service you've given to the community is truly outstanding and words alone cannot thank you enough is Chief here I know he may not have been able to make it but it still deserves a well-round of applause another robust and challenging task that we face this year is the 2024 election cycle elections are an [29:04] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** important part of our democracy we are so proud of our staff who organized the election process with Incredible professionalism our election judges who volunteer to staff the polls on Election Day and our County Partners who continue to improve processes and provide leadership and guidance let me turn it over to our city clerk Aon fosbender who can share with you the key facts about this important year of [Music] voting [29:43] **Erin Fasbender, City Clerk:** as the year 2024 unfolds we Face another key moment for our community the 2024 elections I'm Aaron funder your city clerk as we embark on the journey towards the 2024 election I'm here to provide you with an overview of what to [29:49] **Erin Fasbender, City Clerk:** expect and how to participate in this important Democratic process first and foremost mark your calendars election day is August 13th for the primary and November 5th for the general election polling places will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Election Day Rosemount has eight precincts to find out where your polling location is located view mnvotes.org as there may have been changes since you last voted absentee voting will begin 46 days prior to each election absentee voting also known as mailin voting takes place at City Hall and county offices or a ballot can be requested Ed online 18 days prior to each election direct balloting will take place at City Hall for all [30:34] **Erin Fasbender, City Clerk:** precincts here voters who vote in person are allowed to place their ballots directly into a ballot counter instead of sealing them into envelopes for later processing extended hours will also be available closer to the election day including Saturday and Sunday hours view our website for additional specifics on these extended hours through a new partnership with Dakota County that began during the November 2023 elections Dakota county is now providing absentee ballot Services by issuing ballot applications accepting completed ballots and tallying absentee votes this agreement streamlines the process and is increasingly important as more voters are choosing to cast absentee ballots as history serves rosebone anticipates a [31:21] **Erin Fasbender, City Clerk:** high voter turnout for the November election in 2020 89% of rosemount's registered V voters voted with that we need to ensure the administration of election procedures are followed through on Election Day this happens through the help of our election judges guaranteeing the rights of Voters are protected on Election Day and I'm here to tell you we need more election judges to be an election judge you must be at least 18 years of age a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days citizen of the United States and you cannot be a husband wife parent child brother or sister of a candidate or be related to another election judge in the same Precinct you cannot be a candidate for the election which you are serving as a judge and you [32:07] **Erin Fasbender, City Clerk:** must be able to read write and speak the English language understandably and judges must also complete the required election judge training in addition 16 and 17-year-old students can work as election judge trainees receive training and be paid for their work it's a great way to learn about elections and voting and earn cash at the same time we love having members of our youth involved and please remember election judges are neighbors friends volunteers and members of our community be sure to thank them as you vote because without them committed to the process we would not have the same success we've had with a smooth election day whether you're voting in person or by mail your voice matters and your vote counts your [32:54] **Erin Fasbender, City Clerk:** participation in this Democratic process ensures that our communities values and priorities are represented thank you for your attention and remember your vote is your [Music] [33:13] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** voice thank you miss fosbender your positive and professional nature willingness to help inform and educate and the commitment to the process inspires trust confidence and interest in this valuable right of our citizens I'd also like to thank the many Rosemount residents who step up to serve as election volunteers as you just saw here serving as an election judge is a small commitment with a huge impact and this last uh election we had a youth commissioner that served on that uh as an election judge so uh I'd like to see our youth uh already getting involved with that so with that thank you miss [33:56] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** fosb another area that has sparked concern and excitement among our residents is the state of school facilities and how they are changing to accommodate the growth we are experiencing almost a year ago Rosemont residents overwhelmingly supported a bond referendum for independent school district 196 that was themed building our future investing in schools and Community today I'm excited to welcome superintendent Mary creger and her Rosemount principles to share updates on the bond project and how they will address growth and other facilities needed in our schools let's please welcome superintendent Mary creger and her [34:44] **Mary Kreger, Superintendent (ISD 196):** team he thank you so I think I have to move around with this I just I think the theme that we're hearing today about Rosemont and I think that the mayor and his team has done such good job of sh sharing it is really about Partnerships and it's about growth and those are really important things for district 196 as well so when you look at our school district we Encompass Rosemont Apple Valley Egan and some other smaller communities our favorite Community today is we will we will be making reference to that um we are the third largest District in Minnesota this has been a change over the past few years as we've [35:30] **Mary Kreger, Superintendent (ISD 196):** continued to grow and again much of this is due to our rosemart community and other districts have lost some students right now we have 35 schools and Learning Centers we continue to be a destination District all four of our comprehensive high schools are in the top 50 in the state two of them are in the top 10 we've been recognized as a beston state employer as you heard from the mayor it's really important for our community community that we're good employers and part of being a good employer is to have a good community that has housing that has roads that has all the things that rosan is working on um we are recognized for our budget um presentation and transparency as well and I think those are just Awards but [36:17] **Mary Kreger, Superintendent (ISD 196):** they're indicative of the quality that we have throughout our school district and all the people that make those things possible so we're espe grateful and my favorite chief of police is back there [36:37] **Mary Kreger, Superintendent (ISD 196):** today but we really have partnered I think in an incredibly um meaningful way especially in the past few years where there been a lot of news about school resource officers and the district 196 and wont High School in particular our school resource officers are part and parcel to the work that we do every single day we count on that 90% of our kids throughout our district have said this is important and when we had just conversations with our students they've said I may not even know my school resource officer but I just feel better my anxiety is down because I know that they're in that building so whether it's responding to concerns and crisises or if it's part of just building our community we are extremely grateful for [37:25] **Mary Kreger, Superintendent (ISD 196):** the Rosemont police and for being with us throughout this in all of our schools so one more hand Round of [Applause] Applause again as referenced by the mayor a year ago we had um a pretty major bond that was passare community and Rosemont is really the recipient of a lot of that growth in in schools because it reflects the growth in our community here new elementary school so far we call it number 20 so we'll think more creative ideas for the name um we'll have loading docks at Rosemont Elementary School didn't them that was a big deal talk to princi he will tell you why um and then [38:11] **Mary Kreger, Superintendent (ISD 196):** working on the opening date for new Rosemont Middle School some big Renovations at our high school here and also an activity center at Rosemont High School so those are some of the things particular to this community that that Bond will provide next St here is a picture of the new elementary school should open up next fall 2025 I guess one over and you can see It'll be similar if you've been to East Lake and Lakeville it'll be a similar footprint to that building we expect it to have about 638 students again looking at the growth of this community we need to grow our schools so that we can have those families and students in good places so next step I'm going to hand it over to our [38:58] **Mary Kreger, Superintendent (ISD 196):** principles because as important as our facilities are and they're really important our kids deserve the best classrooms the best learning spaces that we can give them but none of that would matter if we didn't have the best people serving them and I can stand here and tell you these are some of the best school administrators you're ever going to have an opportunity to [Applause] meet and they support incredible teams of teach teachers par professionals food service providers Transportation providers all of the people that it takes over 4,000 employees to keep our district going strong so again it's about relationships it's about people it's about being committed and dedicated to working together and I'm going to [39:44] **Eric Hansen, Principal (Rosemount Middle School):** hand it over to principal [Music] Manon my name is Eric Hansen um I'm the principal at ront Middle School I've been there for about 17 years I'm a resident 20 in Rosemont and I've got two kids that are actually at Rosemont High School uh so I'm invested that M of pride in Rosemont for sure um first of all we can tell you how grateful we are to have the opportunity to have a new Middle School uh when that opens so I know our staff and our students are eager for that and our community as well so although we have H this building in the district we're proud of that there's some historical um nuances and some um opportunities that we have we are excited to go um Cutting Edge and steing their so thank you for that well a theme [40:29] **Eric Hansen, Principal (Rosemount Middle School):** that we always talk about when you're he here today is community and partnership and we have at R Middle School a strong desire to make sure each one of our classrooms has a builtin community field so we tell our teachers at the of the Year slow down create that community in each one of your classes where kids feel belong a belonging sense they feel safe in that classroom they feel connected to the classroom and we build upon that of course rant Middle School The Hub of the community we to take a lot of PR Partnerships with the Rosemont and having kids go over there but also we've got this really unique aspect of Campus community and what I mean by that is we share cus of R Elementary our building and roll high school and we have kids interchanging between the buildings every single day working with each other [41:15] **Eric Hansen, Principal (Rosemount Middle School):** that's a unique aspect one that we'll miss going forward we'll have to problem solve around but one that we really care for and have a lot of Pride behind being able to Interchange between our our schools here's a good example of Rosemont um this is August a few years ago I think it was pre pandemic and the Rosemont High School staff kicked off their school year with our staff at ront middle school and we did a lot of collaboration all those people share this community and common families so we worked together and made sure our staff knew each other work through some activities to really uh partner in in moving forward with our students and so we had a creative jome uh person take a picture and that that actual picture hangs on the door of my office very proud of that last thing I'll say is [42:01] **Eric Hansen, Principal (Rosemount Middle School):** this so in 2008 when I first started at rosmont Middle School uh we became a part of something that was um just started called uh one Ros and one Ros was built upon City leadership Faith Leadership School leadership and others that support the city of rosand and we got together once a month proactively to problem solve and to partner to make sure that we're meeting the needs of our community may at that time it was students that tradition carries on it's a great partnership for us we came up with about 10 years ago common words of words of the month so Faith leadership City Leadership School leadership all said these are the words of the month that we all are going to support weekly at rolls Mountain Middle School we teach to these values called Irish way lessons [42:48] **Eric Hansen, Principal (Rosemount Middle School):** on Thursday I see it the coaching staff and the teachers that R my high school and other schools is really important because I drive by city hall and see on the digital board the morning the definition I know this month is integrity and then if you drive by our on Highway 3 and you look at our old building you'll see up in the top right corner the words of the month are always updated each month and that's where we also have seventh grade English being taught of so a lot of pride in that thankful for the partnership grateful for city of Rosemont I'll turn it over to principal Tom [Applause] [43:24] **Tom Idstrom, Principal (Rosemount Elementary):** thank thank you I'm pral of rosone Elementary I've been here for 23 years years as principal and I share that with you because we are now 741 students strong [43:33] **Tom Idstrom, Principal (Rosemount Elementary):** um that's almost 200 more than when I first started my career at roseb elementary we have a lot of children over there we are eager for the new uh School Number 20 to be built in a year and a half um I share that we're a large school but I also want to squash some rumors our class size is still remain small we are managing we are utilizing our space as well and um and we're doing great things with children every single day we have a mantra of being respectful responsible positive sake and that is our our Irish Way theme is part of a positive behavior and support structure for our children um someone asked me the other day what's your favorite part of your job and there's a lot of crummy news out [44:20] **Tom Idstrom, Principal (Rosemount Elementary):** there and social media and other things I can tell you undoubtedly the best part of my job is to work with children in this community we've got amazing children at Rosemont Elementary School and our rosemon schools in district 196 the best part is I get to remain hopeful our children come to school they want to do well and they are respectful responsible positive and safe and uh we're all in good hands as our children grow older um if you're at T field to our fifth graders are singing the Nal so uh go to [Applause] [45:04] **Christine Golombieski, Assistant Administrator (Shannon Park Elementary):** well superintendent ker gave her favorite city of the school district today so I thought since we're in this building I will say a shout out to Mrs weisensell our favorite guest teacher who helps out at Shannon Park we love having you well my name is Christine golombieski and I'm the assistant administrator at Shannon Park Elementary and today I would just i' like to highlight one of Shannon Park's bright spots and that is its kindness Council the kindness council is a fifth grade leadership group based on promoting and spreading kindness at Shannon Park and in the surrounding Community this group is open to all students that want to join forces in making life better for those around them the student group gathers monthly to [45:51] **Christine Golombieski, Assistant Administrator (Shannon Park Elementary):** hear from various leaders in the community and among these Community leaders have been our Ro M Police Department 360 communities and moms and neighbors to name a few Shannon Park's collaboration with Rosemount is purposeful it is our hope that these students learn from role models in our community and and experience the joy in making life better for those around them in November the kindness Council organized a food drive and collected nearly 1,400 lb of food for our Rosemont family Resource Center in December the kindness Council gathered up fleece and made 25 blankets for Dakota County's homeless shelter and in February the kindness [46:38] **Christine Golombieski, Assistant Administrator (Shannon Park Elementary):** Council created over 60 handmade cards for children in hospitals all over the country in partnership with a Minnesota organization called letters of Love Shannon Park is so grateful for the community of Rosemount and for the opportunities for our students to collaborate and tangible ways we believe that in addition to promoting character in our schools as we do monthly these Hands-On experiences and connections will make Lasting Impressions last month Rosemount high school students gave up an entire day to connect with our Shannon Park fifth graders to serve as small group leaders at a kindness Retreat and we are so grateful for the collaboration and connection that [47:24] **Christine Golombieski, Assistant Administrator (Shannon Park Elementary):** happens among the schools in Rosemount at this time I'd like to introduce to you our Rosemont High School principal Mr Pete [Applause] [47:35] **Pete Roback, Principal (Rosemount High School):** robc good morning everybody or good afternoon now and thank you and I'd like to reach out just real quickly and thank the mayor for inviting us to to speak about um the schools and we take a lot of pride in the work that we do and to have this opportunity just say a few things of the great things that we're doing we really appreciate the time and I want to say I think that's pretty unique you hear you heard the word Community you heard the word collaboration you heard the word partnership and I don't think that's that's alive and and thriving in other communities like it is here in Rosemount and there's no doubt about that doubt [48:09] **Pete Roback, Principal (Rosemount High School):** about that we actually have brought those Irish way values to life at the high school level so still as 16 17 18 year olds we're talking about values things like respect and empathy and compassion and of course in the month of September our first Irish way value of the month is community and that's quite fitting it's something we talk about but it's certainly something we live as well at Rosemount High School uh we have a AAA philosophy in throughout district 196 and it's alive and well more than ever at Rosemount high school we hear a lot about two these days don't we we hear a lot about the Arts the mayor referenced our award-winning um nationally recognized marching band they won the state championship I'm losing count now I think it's 17 years in a row we' won the [48:56] **Pete Roback, Principal (Rosemount High School):** state championship but we also have award-winning um choirs award-winning jazz bands award-winning dance programs then you get into Athletics and we certainly know a lot of those things lot those great things that are happening at Rosemont High School in the world of Athletics we're winning state championships we have individuals that are winning state championships it's quite common for us in our teams to win conference championships and SE section championships and we've really raised that bar but the one a we're really focused on this year at Rose high school and bringing it to life is that first a and that's academics and one example that you see up on the screen is on the far right that's a picture of um our uh monthly Irish Excellence banquet and it's a way that throughout the year we're going to recognize over 170 [49:42] **Pete Roback, Principal (Rosemount High School):** students again bringing back to the values this is a group of students I believe this is the month of October that a teacher recognized them for exhibiting one of those Irish R values and we honor those students with the help of our uh Rose mount um Foundation helping us put on this event once a month we'll do that and we'll honor 20 25 students one way that we're trying to bring that first a academics to life in a lot of different ways and finally that last picture you see the one on the far left is a really neat thing that we do in Rosemount it's kind of a culminating activity so I get to speak last from this great group of professionals I get to see what this group of students do in their last four years of their education here in district 196 and the way that we ended was we kind of Go full circle so [50:28] **Pete Roback, Principal (Rosemount High School):** we bring all of our 600 or 650 graduates and we do a graduation walk on their last day of school as seniors and we walk through Rosemount Middle School and we walk through Rosemount Elementary School and there's tears and there's laughter and there's joy and it's a proud tradition that we do here in the city of Rose Mountain we will continue that coming up on May 31st we'll do our traditional graduation walk I will have a son participating in that event Mr hson will have a son participating in that event so a lot of great great things to come so thank you for your time really appreciate [Applause] [Music] [51:11] **Mary Kreger, Superintendent (ISD 196):** it quick shout out because Rosemount 196 schools and the community of Rosemount does a lot of great things but we also have a chef in the restaurant here Who [51:15] **Mary Kreger, Superintendent (ISD 196):** provided our lunch that graduated from Rosemont H [Applause] so my slide person left I need one more slide right there so I just want to say thank you to all of you and as principal Rob said we are so grateful to the mayor and to all of you for giving us an opportunity to highlight our partnership and our respect and appreciation for all of you community leaders of Rosemount and together we will achieve our mission of educating developing and inspiring our students for lifelong success but it really does take all of us working together because we care so much about all of our kids so thank you [Music] [52:12] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** well thank you Mary and congratulations on your upcoming retirement we appreciate your service and commitment to the school district and your impact on Rosemount students of every age and Stage this is an exciting plan land that will serve needs in our growing Community for years to come thank you all for being here today to share more of the details we look forward to watching it come to life in the next few years I did want to say Rosemount is the beginning of your title there so roseman's number one okay as you heard today here we are prepared for growth again we we are prepared for growth we know there are [52:59] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** challenges ahead and we are taking the appropriate steps to prepare with careful planning so we took so to are our Community Partners and with growth comes opportunity with the addition of major employers and businesses who are experiencing growth comes positive economic impact and increased Community resilience in the form of job creation expanded services and local philanthropy we've seen in incredible investments in clean energy and expanded infrastructure coming from Flint Hills spectral Alloys and Home Depot and the new upcoming meta Center these types of Investments have multiple advantages for Rosemount we will directly benefit from extensions of our [53:45] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** water and energy infrastructure while these companies are footing much of the bill if not all we will benefit from earlier access to locations identified for future development velopment the impact of clean energy Investments like the 45 megawatt solar garden installation at Flint Hills or the new $71 million aluminum Reclamation process at spectral allies not only help address climate changes and issues but also create jobs and diversify our economy we are also grateful for the philanthropy that these successful companies offer local commitments to our nonprofits and organizations education and the Arts are becoming larger and [54:31] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** more frequent meta has been very upfront about their intentions to invest in our schools nonprofits and stem education education programs plus it's not a secret that we aspire to see Rosemount become a hub for Innovation emerging technology and sustainability with these forward-thinking Investments Rosemount is well on our way to being on the radar for these types of Ventures so we need to stay focused and continue to work our plan this is when and where success happens for some time now we've been touting the Field of Dreams philosophy if you build it they will come and we are finally starting to see this [55:17] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** philosophy play out for years we've heard the desires for more restaurants experiences and amenities around Rosemount now that we have secured Steed a number of large employers and a lifetime Club to Anchor a new retail corner and with our current housing boom we are excited to see some of these anticipated amenities beginning to pop up more frequently in the past couple of years we've added North 20 Brewing Omni Winery and tap room and Conquer ninja gym a new iteration of Rosemount floral shop J&J Suites retailers like thread and clover and now a rooftop patio and golf simulator Edition in the works for True Players [56:02] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** Sports also known as CA gear soon we will be announcing some other exciting developments to help round out the service offerings near the lifetime corner at akan and 42 yes it's really happening folks I'm thrilled to share that our Planning Commission is currently reviewing an application from First State Bank for a very unique bank and coffee shop concept plus adding to our unique array of restaurants and local establishment is the copper pint a highly rated restaurant with a blend of craft cocktails tap beer and a classic American Fair they have submitted their application for a new restaurant with [56:48] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** rooftop patio plans that are be are developing at the same key intersection again a rooftop patio but success is not just about Investments or things it's also about our residents it's about developing a community that we are proud of and a community that we will all feel that we belong to so we will continue to hold tightly to what makes Rosemount distinctive that Hometown feel that we are no known for and the community connections that we value and in order to do that we intend to ask for feedback welcome newcomers and create [57:35] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** opportunities for connections as we continue to look to the future we want to get your input and hear about the things you value in addition to conversations around the community citizenship participation on commissions and volunteer feedback we would like to do a community survey to track our progress from year to year next week we will launch the 2024 National Community survey which helps to take a pulse on the overall quality of life in Rosemount I really appreciate the data that we receive from this particular survey method because we not only hear about the priorities and impressions of our residents but it also compares to how we are performing in [58:21] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** relation to other cities of similar size across the country in in addition the questions remain the same from survey to survey so we are able to track our progress and see if any areas of concern start to pop up check your mailboxes to see if you are one of the randomly selected recipients and then watch our various social media sites or the local paper for directions on how everyone can take the survey online I encourage all to participate Rosemount is a great community and the results will help us to chart our City's future moving forward we are also elevating our Communications and engagement efforts with our population [59:07] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** estimated to grow to nearly 40,000 by the year 2040 comes the need to be more places to to the need to be on more places more platforms and to engage with new and increasing diverse residents therefore we will be adding a second Communications professional to our team later this summer who will assist our Communications manager Lee stael and allow for expanded capabilities a special thank you to Lee for all your current efforts including keeping both me and the rest of City Council on [59:49] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** message by growing our Communications Department we intend to focus on enhancing trust with time and accurate information strengthening key Partnerships to confirm we are reaching all audiences and Foster connections throughout the city to ensure that residents feel heard and seen in Rosemount in closing I'd like to reiterate that we are excited and ready for the future of Rosemount we've spent many years planning and preparing for This Time by engaging residents valuing Our Community Partners implementing new ideas and creating a strong and dynamic organization and now we are really starting to see the fruits of our labor [1:00:36] **Jeff Weisensel, Mayor:** wonderful things are happening and I know we will all benefit from what is coming in Rosemount I want to thank each of you for taking the time to be here with us today I encourage you to keep showing up keep contributing and keep fostering the values of of Hometown Pride that we all share thank [Applause] [Music] [Applause]