This transcript appears to be from a Hermantown City Council meeting. Based on the names and roles provided, here is the corrected transcript with speaker names. *Note: The name "Jones" in the original transcript likely refers to **Joe Peterson**, as he is the listed council member present for roll call and votes. "Jelly" refers to **Andy Hjelle**, "Gisler/Geer" refers to **John Geissler**, and "LeBl/LeBlah/of the block" refers to **Brian LeBlanc**.* [0:01] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Time. Pledge Allegiance, please. **All:** 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. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Roll call, please. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Here. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Here. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Here. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Here. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Here. Any announcements from Councilors? I'll repeat one I made at pre-agenda. I'd like to congratulate AJ Francisco for being named to Team USA for the World Junior Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, starting January 19th, and Abe Soumis for being the athlete to watch, helping Hermantown get to a couple of 100-point games in one week. Um, we have no public hearings, no communications to highlight. Mr. Mulder, could you highlight the deer presentation, or do we want the Chief—is the Chief still here? [0:55] **John Mulder (City Administrator):** I can do that. Um, we had 19 deer harvested. That's down one from last year, but down um, considerably from several years ago. Um, so it seems like the deer population has gotten a little bit more under control. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Uh, public discussion. Is there any public discussion this evening? Anyone online? Any public discussion this evening? Last opportunity for public discussion. Move on to motions. [1:33] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion A: A motion to approve or deny massage establishment license renewal application effective January 17th through December 31st to Cookie Killian Manual Therapy Massage LLC. Do we have a motion? **Andy Hjelle:** Motion to approve. **John Geissler:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Hjelle, second by Councilor Geissler. Public input? Move on from that one. Roll call, please. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Next motion is a motion to approve or deny massage therapist license renewal for Cookie Killian, Carl Twining, and Kiona Wilfred of The Well. Is there a motion? [2:25] **Andy Hjelle:** Motion to approve. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Hjelle. Do I have a second? **Joe Peterson:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Second by Councilor Peterson. Any public input? Roll call, please. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Next is a motion to approve or deny the tobacco license renewal application for Northern Tier Retail LLC doing business as Speedway 4602. Is there a motion? **Brian LeBlanc:** Motion to approve. **Joe Peterson:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor LeBlanc, second by Councilor Peterson. Is there any public input? Roll call, please. [3:06] **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Next is the consent agenda, which includes the minutes of January 2nd, 2024 city council; accounts payable General City warrants from January 1st to January 15th of $1,176,992.19; and appointment to three-year terms for Beth Wisloff (Planning and Zoning), Rob McLaughlin (Utility Commission), and Karen Pionk (Bailiff). Do we have a motion? **John Geissler:** Motion to approve. **Brian LeBlanc:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Geissler, is there a second? Second by Councilor LeBlanc. There’s no public input on this. Roll call, please. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Ordinances. Ordinance amending Title Four of the Hermantown city code by amending an official zoning map of parcels 395-0133-00020 and 395-133-00040. Do we have a motion? [4:13] **Andy Hjelle:** Motion to approve. **Joe Peterson:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Hjelle, second by Councilor Peterson. Mr. Mulder, do we want Mr. Johnson to explain this? **John Mulder (City Administrator):** Yes, please. Eric, could you fill us in? **Eric Johnson (Community Development Director):** Great, thank you very much, Mr. Mayor and members of the Council. Uh, this is rezoning from [unintelligible] to C1, which is Office-Light Industrial. These are in two parcels located in the Norway Pines development in Hermantown. It’s a total of eight acres. One parcel has an existing building on it that will still be a permitted use under a new zoning. The second parcel is vacant. Uh, what this new zoning would do would allow for a landscape contracting business to pursue that as a purchase. Uh, this is matching the C1 zoning with adjacent property that was rezoned back in 2009 to Mini Storage that was C1 at that time. So now this has a number of parcels located at that Norway Pines that all have that similar zoning of the C1. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? Is there any public input on this ordinance? Any public input on the ordinance? Roll call, please. [5:32] **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Ordinance 2024-02, an ordinance amending Chapter 5 of the Hermantown zoning regulations by adding Section 590, Hermantown Business Park. Is there a motion? **Brian LeBlanc:** Move to approve. **John Geissler:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by LeBlanc, second by Geissler. Mr. Mulder, give Eric—Mr. Johnson? **Eric Johnson (Community Development Director):** Great, thank you again. Uh, this is a new zoning district, the Hermantown Business Park. Uh, this is envisioned for the northwest quadrant of Highway 53 and Lavey Bypass. Uh, the city recently finished an AUAR study associated with 120 acres of this land. Uh, what this new business park is, is essentially a blending of the C-Commercial, the BLM-Business Light Manufacturing, as well as uh, elements of the Hermantown Marketplace. So what this zoning district does is have a little bit uh, more landscape requirements, a little bit higher building material requirements associated with it, as well as lighting for it. Uh, the city will uh, identify particular parcels associated with this Business Park zoning at a later date. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? Is there any public input on this ordinance? Any public input on Ordinance 2024-02? Is there any public input on the ordinance in front of the Council? Roll call, please. [7:04] **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Ordinance 2024-03, an ordinance amending Title Four, Chapters 3 and 6 pertaining to the restraint of animals in parks. This is the first reading. Mr. Mulder, do you have a short version of this? **John Mulder (City Administrator):** Sure. This would require um, pet owners to have um, their pets on a physical leash um, when they're either in city parks or on the trail. Based upon the conversation tonight, we will also look at revising that so that it would also include uh, the right of way along the roads. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Uh, any questions or comments from Council? Is there any public input on this? There will not be a vote this evening on this. No public input? We'll move to resolutions. Resolution 2024-09, authorizing and directing Mayor and City Clerk to execute and deliver agreement for Professional Services with Northland Consulting Engineers LLP for city engineer services. Do we have a motion? **Andy Hjelle:** Motion to approve. **Joe Peterson:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Hjelle, is there a second? Second by Councilor Peterson. Mr. Mulder? **John Mulder (City Administrator):** This is just an amendment to our existing city engineer services contract with Northland Consulting Engineers um, changing the uh, the rates um, slightly. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Uh, any comments from Council? I know that Councilor Geissler has something he'd like to say. **John Geissler:** Yep. Uh, my son works for Northland Consulting Engineers. The result of this contract has no financial benefit for my son or I. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Anything else from Council? Any public input on this resolution? Any public input on the resolution? Last opportunity for public input. Roll call, please. [8:57] **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Resolution 2024-11, approving wage rates for part-time employees in 2024. I'm told this is for our summer help. Do we have a motion? **Joe Peterson:** Move to approve. **Brian LeBlanc:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Peterson, second by Councilor LeBlanc. Mr. Mulder? **John Mulder (City Administrator):** So this is for our seasonal help for the Public Works department which um, have up to 6,500 hours in the summer, and then we also have a custodian that works year-round; she averages about 520 hours a year. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? Any public input on this resolution? Any public input on the resolution improving wage rates for part-time employees? Any public input on Resolution 2024-11? Roll call, please. [10:14] **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Resolution 2024-12, authorization of a grant funding request for trail construction. Mr. Mulder? **John Mulder (City Administrator):** So this is a grant application that would connect uh, the trail from the intersection of Stebner and Maple Grove all the way to um, Lake Junction and Ugstad. Those are two sections that um, we've looked at for a number of years and this would be for construction in 2027. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? Is there any public input on this resolution? Any public input on the authorization of a grant funding request for trail construction? Any public input on Resolution 2024-12? **John Geissler:** [Unintelligible] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Resolution 2024-13, resolution approving final pay request pursuant to Improvement District Number 451 to Veit in the amount of $1,698.97. This is for the Oom Road. Is there a motion? **Andy Hjelle:** Motion to approve. **John Geissler:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Hjelle, second by Councilor Geissler. Mr. Mulder? **John Mulder (City Administrator):** This is the final pay app for that work on Oom Road and the sewer there um, and it uh, does some compensating change orders as well. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? Is there any public input on this resolution? Any public input on the resolution approving the final pay request for Sewer Improvement District Number 451? Any public input on Resolution 2024-13? [12:26] **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Resolution 2024-14, resolution establishing an absentee ballot board for 2024. Is there a motion? **Joe Peterson:** Move to approve. **Andy Hjelle:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor Peterson, second by Councilor Hjelle. Mr. Mulder? **John Mulder (City Administrator):** We are required to have an absentee ballot board and we do this every um, election year. 2024 is a presidential election, so that means we'll have three different uh, elections this year, first one being in March. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. And absentee balloting for the primary starts this Friday, January 19th. Yes. Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? Any public input on this resolution? Any public input on Resolution 2024-13 or 14? Any public input on the resolution establishing an absentee ballot board? Roll call, please. [13:22] **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Resolution 2024-15, resolution approving of a lawful gambling permit for Hermantown Youth Hockey Association or Hermantown Arena. Is there a motion? **Brian LeBlanc:** Move to approve. **Joe Peterson:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor LeBlanc. Do we have a second? Second by Councilor Peterson. Mr. Mulder? **John Mulder (City Administrator):** So this is the raffle being held by the Hockey Association for the car that's been donated by NorthStar Ford as part of the uh, fundraising for the arena. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Thank you. Any questions or comments from Council? Hearing none. Is there any public input on this resolution? Is there any public input on Resolution 2024-15 for the Hockey Association? Roll call, please. [14:40] **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Peterson? **Joe Peterson:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Geissler? **John Geissler:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor Hjelle? **Andy Hjelle:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Councilor LeBlanc? **Brian LeBlanc:** Aye. **Alissa McClure (City Clerk):** Mayor Boucher? **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Aye. Next, we have no closed session this evening. Do we have a motion to recess? **Brian LeBlanc:** Move to recess. **Joe Peterson:** Second. **Mayor Wayne Boucher:** Motion by Councilor LeBlanc, do we have a second? Second by Councilor Peterson. All in favor say aye. **All:** Aye.