This transcript appears to be from a November 2022 meeting, occurring shortly after a local election. Based on the context provided and the dialogue, the meeting is presided over by a council member named Bill (likely the Acting Mayor or Mayor Pro Tem, as Mayor Althoff is noted as absent). Note: Some council names in the transcript (Duncan, Lundell, Neil, Steve) do not appear on your "new" list, as they are likely the outgoing members being replaced by the candidates mentioned in the "congratulations" section. [3:21] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** I've been asked to reside over the meeting tonight so uh could we have roll call please? [3:28] **Sara Peer (City Clerk):** Bring Gold? Absent. Duncan? [3:31] **Council Member Duncan:** Here. [3:32] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Yes, me here. [3:33] **Sara Peer (City Clerk):** Kronenberger? [3:34] **Laura Kronenberger:** Here. [3:35] **Sara Peer (City Clerk):** Lundell? [3:36] **Council Member Lundell:** Here. [3:37] **Sara Peer (City Clerk):** Montgomery? [3:38] **Matt Montgomery:** Here. [3:39] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** And Althoff is absent. Please stand for 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. Uh, can I get the motion to approve the amended agenda? [4:05] **Matt Montgomery:** So moved. [4:06] **Council Member Duncan:** Second. [4:09] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Moved by Lundell, second by Duncan to approve the amended agenda. Is there any further discussion? All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion carries. Public input. Public input is intended to afford the public an opportunity to address concerns to the city council. The public input will be no longer than 30 minutes in total length and each speaker will have no more than three minutes to speak. Speakers may address topics relevant to the governance of the city. Speakers must sign up in advance and must provide their name, address, and the topic they intend to address. Comments must be on topic, respectful, pertaining to city business, and adhere to the applicable data privacy rules. [4:57] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Any speaker that violates these rules will be asked to sit down and if the speaker refuses to comply they may be removed from the meeting. Speakers shall not address topics that are the subject of a public hearing; all such comments shall be made at the public hearing. The city council will not generally act on issues raised by the public input but may choose to schedule consideration items on a future agenda. Uh, we have one: Becky Youngmark. [Applause] [5:39] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** How do you do that? Is the green... there's a green light at the base? Or uh... yeah, towards us. No, no on the side. Over here, this side. There you go, see that big gray one? The gray button here, it's on the base. [5:54] **Becky Youngmark:** Is that better? Oh yes. Hi, first of all, I want to congratulate Matt and all the rest of the candidates that won the city council election last week. Our team ran the race well and met so many wonderful citizens when we knocked on doors and visited businesses. We stayed fiscally responsible by splitting our costs three ways and limited the number of plastic signs by campaigning for three instead of individually. It was very worthwhile. I grew immensely. I think I'm the winner to be honest because it was such a wonderful experience. One of the most consistent concerns we heard from residents was that they wanted to be heard. I'm here today to ask you to honor the two recent requests of Tim Deemer. He asked the council why there wasn't a flag flying at our library. That's a good question. I think that's a simple request that could be fulfilled easily. We have a very active American Legion Post and a VFW post that I think would help to get a flag at the library, whether it be a pole with a flag in front of the library or a holder with a flag attached to the building. I think it's appropriate and not a hard request to fulfill. I am sure Legion Commander Bob Derdahl or VFW Commander Jesse Johnson would probably be happy to help. Tim's other request was also an easy fix. [7:10] **Becky Youngmark:** He asked when someone was speaking why the camera couldn't be kept on the council. From my understanding, it isn't hard to keep the camera on the council and put a small picture of the speaker in the bottom corner of the television screen. It would help those watching to be able to see the council's reaction to the speaker. As your current terms come to an end, I thank you for your service to the city. For those newly elected, I pray that you have Godly wisdom to serve the citizens of this community with their best interests at heart. There's much work that needs to be done. Thank you for your time. [7:47] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Say, Becky? [7:48] **Becky Youngmark:** Yes? [7:49] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Um, that was Tim Deemer and not Tim Melcho. [7:52] **Becky Youngmark:** Oh, Tim! Okay, I'm sorry, I didn't know his... but thank you for correcting me. Yeah, I think Tim would have liked that. Uh, yeah, so sorry Tim. Yeah, I do think it would be very easy to fix and I think the Legion and the VFW would help, especially with the flag. I'll note it. Thank you. [8:08] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Okay, uh, that was it for public input so we're going to move on to the consent agenda. Uh, the consent agenda items may be adopted under one motion as presented or may be removed for discussion and resolution as Council business. For everybody else: Justin, correct claims; County period ending November 10, 2022; meeting minutes for the November 1st, 2022 city council meeting; Resolution 2654 to canvas returns and declare election results from City general election; approve renewal of Cannon Falls prosecution services contract with Goodhue County; Resolution 2655 authorizing 2023 City License renewals; and F is approved hiring full-time paramedic. Is there any of these that the city council wants to bring down for further discussion? If not I'll take a motion to approve the consent agenda. [9:17] **Matt Montgomery:** So moved. [9:18] **Council Member Lundell:** Second. [9:20] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Moved by Montgomery, second by Lundell to approve the consent agenda. Is there any further discussion? All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion carries. Okay, moving right on to reports. Kyle? [9:36] **Kyle (Chamber of Commerce Director):** Good evening Council and community. [9:40] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** What are you smiling about? [9:42] **Council Member Lundell:** Because I don't like your news. [9:44] **Kyle (Chamber of Commerce Director):** Oh, I'm not doing it until late anyway! The biggest event coming up is Deck The Falls and that is on Saturday, November 26th. And this Thursday and Friday I will be getting the drawing boxes out into the community as well as the brochures that have the program schedule of all of the sales that will be happening on Friday and Saturday. So those are Black Friday and small business Saturday kind of events and so should be a lot of fun. Along with that, I want to thank Dan and his crew; they've been putting up snowflakes, lighted snowflakes, and they'll be taking care of the trees. There'll be a few more lighted trees this year and so we're lighting up the parking lot, so that'll be fun to see. Uh, excuse me, but thank you to all of your guys, that is wonderful. The Deck The Falls parade right now, we have 20 units, which is wonderful. And I mean we have some as far away as Saint Paul; they are contacting us to be in our parade so that'll be fun. I am in need of volunteers to help with the parade lineup, to help with traffic control, and then just to help down at the tree lighting ceremony and to hand out the prizes. So if anyone is interested, please contact me at the Chamber office. We are also still looking for contributions for the fireworks and um, we have them coming, we just need to pay for them, so if anyone can help with that I would really appreciate it. Don't forget the annual community Thanksgiving dinner that is put on by the Cannon Valley Senior Center at St. Pius Catholic Church on Thursday the 24th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. If you haven't volunteered for that event, it's a hoot; you get to meet so many neat people, um, there's plenty of food and it's a great way to help out in the community. And yes, Laura, I do have some last minute news. [12:44] **Kyle (Chamber of Commerce Director):** I would like to let everyone know... you're right... I would like to let everyone know that my last day with the Cannon Falls Area Chamber of Commerce is Wednesday, November 30th. I will be going on to being the membership director over at Northfield Chamber of Commerce and I get to focus on recruiting and retaining chamber members, and I am so looking forward to that. And I want to thank everyone in the community, the council—you've all been wonderful, excuse me—and I've enjoyed my time here. I am staying in Cannon Falls for living, so that's how much I still love Cannon Falls. Thank you very much. [13:42] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Thanks Kyle. [13:43] **Council Member Lundell:** Thank you, we're gonna miss you. [13:57] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Who wants to follow that? Not me. Thank you. Okay, so reports. Let's see... EDA. Let Neil handle it. [14:10] **Council Member Neil:** Yeah, so I guess I get to follow that. Um, EDA was... there wasn't a lot going on. We're still having conversations about a parcel of land that they wish to purchase and we had a second EDA special meeting. Bill will probably touch on it through the Finance, so we'll let Bill take care of that then. [14:41] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Okay thanks Neil. Uh, Park Board? [14:44] **Council Member Lundell:** Yep, Park Board met. Uh, the majority of what we talked about is the ongoing project of John Birch Park and moving forward and dealing with what is the proper channel for us to go forward of taking bids and treating it as a city project or letting it be an individual project, and then the Friends of John Birch Park being able to come to us with plans and then we just have to give it a thumbs up. So they are moving forward with that preliminary plan of the third base dugout becoming more of a storage shed plus redo the dugout with a standing deck above it with a concession stand and new bathrooms on the ground level and maybe moving a light pole. And uh, the city then, we have little things that we'd have to do to prepare the way for the construction of that that we can do legally like the light pole and I believe destruction, and then preparing the way for them to do their project. So, making progress. [15:31] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Finance committee, Bill. Yeah, um, as Neil alluded to, um, the finance committee met with the EDA committee last night to discuss hardwood Estates, which is uh, the Glenmobile Hill project off of 19 there near the school. And we're, as we talked, the committee agreed to move that on to the Council so that'll be coming forward in the near future. We also had a fair board request and we're waiting on a few things and then that too may come forward depending on how the fair board reacts. That's it. Steve? [16:34] **Council Member Steve:** Okay, Planning Commission also met last uh, on Monday night last night. We had a public hearing for conditional use permit for a used car sales lot and uh, to sell fish houses on Ratio and Filters property out on 64th Avenue, Domino, right next to Valley View. And we moved that, we passed the resolution and moved it to the City Council for approval. Uh, the only other thing on our agenda last night was to uh, discuss that small communications building that's part of the mall property, possible sales to the telecommunications company and um, talking about the access road to it. And that's all we talked about on the Planning Commission. [17:34] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Library board? [17:36] **Laura Kronenberger:** Um, they approved the 3D printer policy and there's a new member of the board that's getting um, that will be joining, but it really was not much. [17:50] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Thanks. Um, let's see, should we go around the horn now? Dan? [17:54] **Jed "Dan" Petersen (Public Works Director):** Um, just getting the transition to winter here. Got some of the winter equipment out and tested that out yesterday with the snow and um, that's about it. Public Works. [18:13] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** I just want to wish Kyle good luck and on your new endeavor. That's it. Chief? [18:29] **Jeff McCormick (Police Chief):** Apologize having to go out and do uh, real police work. I still got some of that going, that's why I need to send my training officer and training over to be part of that. Um, from the the Police Department, uh, the next big thing coming up, and Kyle probably talked about Deck The Falls, um, you know, won't be too much impact on traffic, but it will have some effect on Fourth and Mill doing the parade. We'll try to keep traffic on 19 flowing in between units just depending upon how tight they are. [19:07] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** So I have Sara? [19:10] **Sara Peer (City Clerk):** Yeah. [19:11] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Laura? [19:12] **Laura Kronenberger:** I'm good. [19:13] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Matt? [19:14] **Matt Montgomery:** Kyle, thank you. Uh, whatever you need for Deck Falls, if you need a volunteer, we'll be in touch. Becky, thank you for the kind words and you did a wonderful job as well. I hope that you're willing to stick around on the Parkway? [19:33] **Becky Youngmark:** Oh yeah. [19:34] **Matt Montgomery:** Bill? [19:35] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Nothing, nothing tonight, but I, I, but I do want to say, Kyle, thank you very much, been great working with you. [19:44] **Council Member Neil:** Yeah, just same thing Kyle, um, been doing a great job last few years and we're going to miss you, so good luck. [19:54] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Ditto Kyle, hate to see you go. Hate to see you go over it's always fun to move on also, greener pastures right? Um, congratulations to all the uh, the school kids that uh, worked their heart and soul into the sports this last weekend. It was great to see. Got to exercise the fire trucks a couple of times going up and down the Avenue, that's always nice. Um, the new Highway 52 is open. Anybody that wants to go to Rochester anytime, the new concrete is open, I heard by email today. So other than that, that's all I got. Entertain a motion to adjourn? [20:41] **Matt Montgomery:** So moved. [20:42] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Second? [20:43] **Council Member Lundell:** Second. [20:45] **Acting Mayor (Bill):** Motion by Matt and second by Lundell. Any further discussion? All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion carries.