City Council Meeting - 5/20/2025

The City Council regularly meets on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. Agendas and minutes are available on the city website at cannonfallsmn.gov

Based on the context of the dialogue (references to city facilities, budget management, previous communities, and procedural motions), the primary speaker appears to be a **City Manager** or **Administrator**, while the other participants are **Council Members**. Two members are identified by name at the end: **Diane** and **Jeep**. [0:23] City Manager: set where you know what the expectations are. I've had agreements like that with other organizations that operate in city-owned property in in previous communities and I think it's worked out pretty well. Um, so you know, that's another organization that yes, we do indeed give money, but right now they're they're doing it and, you know, we'll have an agreement in place, I think, by the end of the year for sure. I um that I can hopefully um live up to in terms of a timeline, but um this, you know, they're not operating out of city city facility. You know, I've had other my other communities actually both senior centers did operate out of city facilities. So that was, you know, that was another situation where you had that same sort of agreement in place. Um, so it's a it's a unique one here. I [1:12] Council Member: because I was going to say it, you know, reading their little paragraph there, um, it doesn't seem unusual for cities to have senior centers to, you know, that part of our, you know, responsibility as a city is not only, you know, provide parks and everything, but, you know, to provide opportunities for seniors. So, in some ways, you know, what they're doing is could be said to be doing it on our behalf, although we do not have um control of it or anything. So, you know, I don't think we should just off the top say, gee, we can't touch it with a 10-ft pole because I think there might be some way um because it does benefit our community to have them. Yeah. And I [2:00] City Manager: think the I think it goes to the question of if this is going to happen, are they going to be able to continue doing that service? And have they exhausted all of their efforts um opportunities to explore how do you overcome now $1,000 a month new expense uh in your in your budget in your planning? It was something that wasn't anticipated. So in terms of why, you know, we're part of their funding, I mean, they have other funding resources, they have memberships, they have donors, they have grants that they apply for. So it's not we're not the only place in which they get money. So they're not solely reliant upon the city, but we're a big chunk of it. Um, so it's it it's the question that I think we'll have to [2:46] City Manager: explore. I think we should explore with them further in terms of I know I asked and they they indicated that yeah we we've looked into a lot of things but I think it's kind of the message of well the city isn't feeling interested in contributing a lot more at this time or any more at this time uh potentially to solve this problem for you um you know so what other solutions do you have? [3:12] Council Member: Do you recall the numbers for the membership fees? Was it $20 a year? [3:14] City Manager: It was only $20 a year. [3:17] Council Member: Per year. [3:18] City Manager: Per year. [3:20] City Manager: Not month, per year. Yeah. Per year for members. So, it was pretty Yeah, it's very low, but also there's, you know, they didn't have membership fees up until a couple years ago when they lost another source of big source of funding that they had through um a program with the grocery store, I believe. Yeah. [3:37] City Manager: 4,000 a year through the family fair. So that was kind of yeah that so they've had some other things that have impacted them and so that was used to kind of replace that resource and that and that also goes to you know that that may fall into this question of well now that you have memberships and you're a membership based organization and only members can access these programs and services you're providing now are we are we even able to to do that because I do um from other things. It's not necessarily an apples to apples comparison, but um events. If cities want to contribute to like the chamber to host an event, that event has to be free free for all accessible for all. It can't be a ticketed or or restricted age-wise event. Um or else, you know, that the city's contribution can't be used towards that. Yep. We we sort of discussed this I believe um going back to your hypothetical of the CCC if if things were to change is there any resource that we have at the city that we would be able I know we talked about the build or the the room upstairs and the the senior center didn't seem thrilled to to make city hall their new home um accessibility would be a problem especially for seniors uh since we don't have an elevator in this building and if you know if anybody's interested and they can I can give you a tour and show you some of the space that we're talking about there's um this this building here is it's evolved over time and I think at the at the current state that we're in this this building has a lot more capac a lot more space than we actually need in order to operate and especially with the the change and loss of of the DMV operations um there's certainly a lot lot more there um you know so there is there is absolutely worth thinking about discussing what is even you know long-term solutions or opportunities for this structure um this facility but you know there's there's plenty of other there's a lot of other impacts that are going to happen if we say oh we aren't going to use city hall here anymore well then where are we going to use so um but if it's oh we have empty space and we can make that available and and host something yeah we certainly could do that but that also comes with you got to look at how people are going to use it and what the needs of accessibility are going to be for that. Because I can tell you, I had an example of a project where we wanted to move this wall and window and that started out at $20,000 to to do this and it ended up being $100,000 because we had to build a whole new door and ramp and ADA compliance. So, yeah. [6:23] Council Member: And I I I know we briefly discussed it that night. I mean, it just didn't seem like they were interested. [6:29] City Manager: the CCC is such a good draw for them because of the gym and pickle ball and all that stuff, you know, like Right. So, Right. And I Yeah, I think there's Yeah, if that does go away, then I think they got to look at I mean, they they got to explore a lot of other options. We did ask of that like did did they have anything and they said they've looked or they've considered, but um you know, I think right in that just getting the more getting more funding solves their problems and they can stay in that space that would be their ideal solution. [6:59] City Manager: Any other questions, comments, suggestions from the council? Otherwise, one last follow up. I did follow up with the school district and they they are stay steadfast in that decision that they are going to stay with charging rent $1,000 a month. The rent will stay the same. All right. If there's nothing else from the council, I would seek a motion to adjourn and we'll have a few minute break before we start our council meeting. [7:23] Diane: So moved. [7:23] City Manager: Motion from Diane. [7:24] Jeep: Second. [7:24] City Manager: Second from Jeep. All those in favor? [7:25] Council (Collective): Aye. [7:26] City Manager: Opposed? We're adjourned. Thank you everybody. So it's 30.