All right, we'll call the meeting to order. Start with the pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisibley and justice for all. >> Can I remind council to turn on your microphones? >> Are there any changes to the agenda? Um I just want to note that there is an amended um claims and electronic fund transfers uh for you guys. So that would you need to adopt the consent agenda as amended. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Motion by Amanda, second by Kate. All those in favor? >> I opposed. >> No presentation, proclamations, or acknowledgement. Is anyone here for public comment? Anybody online? All right, we'll close public comment and then move to the consent agenda. So, does anyone want anything from the consent agenda? Poll. >> Motion to approve consent agenda >> as amended. >> As amended. >> Second. >> Motion by Amanda, second by Kate. All those in favor? I >> opposed. Public hearings. We have none. General business. None. Move into reports administration. >> Uh first item is followup on a previous council discussion regarding council community outreach. The council wanted to create opportunities where they can interact with the community outside of council meetings um in a more informal setting. Uh staff looked into it and the recommendation and the council had indicated they wanted to do maybe start with two or three events this year and see how it goes. Um staff is suggesting that we incorporate into two of incorporate that into two events. We're already participating in one is the uh spring home show which is put on by the chamber of commerce. We regularly have a table there and so that would be on March Saturday, March 7th and we would suggest that we have a contingent of council members at that event uh to participate. Um and then also the community picnic in August which is another event where we get a good cross-section of the community that comes and it's our event so we can set up the participation element um with the council however we would like to. So, I guess what we'd be looking for is feedback on that idea, on that recommendation. And um but I just underscore that for either of those to be successful, it requires a commitment of council participation to to be able to do it. So, just seeking feedback from council. >> I think it's great. Unfortunately, March 7th, I will not be back yet to attend, but I can you can plan on me from the 22nd. [snorts] What was on the 22nd again >> of August is the community. >> I like it as long as we're intentional about marketing that it's more of like an opportunity for people to ask questions too. >> Yep. >> Especially the picnic. >> So I think and I think at the picnic we might want to because of the nature of the event at the at the home show people are coming by and we'll have boards and it's a little more interactive. the um at the picnic we might want to create something like a game or something that just gets people engaged and over to the table so to speak and we can work on that um come back with recommendations. So what I'm hearing is our support for the event. So what I'll do is I will connect with council and get commitments for those that are available and we'll work around what we do based on who's able to attend. Um, I would al we also talked about it and we thought it might not be a bad idea to maybe schedule an event over the lunch hour or morning coffee event maybe in the getting into the winter months at the senior high-rise if our other events are being good. Sometimes police department will go over and do something on fraud or whatnot. Um, and that if they're open to it, that might be a good event to do there as well. >> That sounds like a really good idea. I think I have what I need on that. Can I um ask some more questions about the event at the home and garden show? Um what are your thoughts for how that's handled? And Brandon and I have been talking about possibly using that as um a method to advertise for community feedback to regarding a specific chapter in the conference of plan. Right now we're thinking housing. Um unless you just want to leave it more open-ended. And I think last year we had map uh I think was it you and Brandon >> that attended last year and we just uh developed a map that had all of like their active community development projects on and it was just more open-ended. Is that correct? >> I think it brought a lot of people in too where they were curious of oh I didn't know this was happening over here and might play on themselves if you show here's what's going on in this community and then while you're here can we get your feedback on that >> and might and since we're talking about development most of for us most of that's residential the two might go hand in hand >> yep okay Brandon and I have some ideas of in more of a survey monkey or maybe having like a QR code that would lead to survey monkey that could do another time or some even paper ones handed out but actually having examples of pictures because we can't you can't really ask a resident, do you support 40 foot lots? They don't know what that means. Um, but maybe having pictures of housing and leading into it with some of the city's current goals regarding housing. And you know, like Josh had kind of mentioned at a council meeting recently, um, you know, providing opportunities for people of all ages and all economic conditions to to live in our community. And what does that mean? But >> I like the idea. I think that's a great idea because then they feel like they're more involved because you're actually asking them for their feedback >> and the planning commission is really interested before, you know, doing any more um adjustments to our standards of hearing from the community. That's just one idea. I think that should be part of like the you could do it like part of the promotion of like we'll be there would be like you could ask questions like this and then you could also put like measure out 40 feet or from like the booth to wherever and like put an X like that's how big this 40T is >> because it's hard to know. I don't know what my lot size is. Yeah, we don't Well, it's going to come quick and Brandon and I have been meeting on it. Um, but it's going to be here before we know it. So, we should have something finalized in the in the next week or two. >> Okay. Wonderful. >> Next item is commissioner interview panel. So, that is coming up. um we'll need to schedule it based on the availability of the panelists, but we're looking at March 2nd or the evening of March 2nd or 3D. Um and doing the both commissions at once. Um typically we only have two or three applicants for each commission. So that shouldn't be too hard to accomplish. Um this time as the memo noted uh our practice has been to have one council member the primary staff less on to that commission and then the chair of the commission unless it's the chair themselves that are up and then typically we've had another you know another staff leaison or somebody else I've typically been tapped in the past for that uh the parks commission um chair Sutton is up so I've we've proposed that I would sit sit in for those um for those interviews and then um Renee would sit in for planning commission and Brandon would sit in for parks because those are the primary um charges. So, we just need a council person to fill it out if you guys are okay with that arrangement. >> I will be gone. >> I will also be gone. >> Well, Andrew and Josh are not here, so >> it's typically like evening for those. >> Yes. >> Um, >> usually we start like 5:30. >> Um, the mayor will not be able to participate based on his work schedule. >> Okay. >> No pressure. Amanda >> Josh is it. I was hoping he was going to be on remotely so [snorts] Can we reach out to Josh and ask him if he would be available to do it? >> Yes. >> I know I can't do the third because I have evening hockey. >> Okay. So, potentially Amanda on the second or Josh. >> Okay. >> Yes. >> Um if it's okay with council, I'll coordinate with those two and get a a commitment and then we'll schedule accordingly. >> Sounds good. >> Okay. Good. Uh the third item is the mobile food unit discussion. This was an item that came up at a previous council meeting about um restrictions on the number of days that mobile food units can operate in the community under certain conditions. So, the purpose of this memo was primarilyformational to get back to the council with what does state statute actually say and what does our ordinance which can be more restrictive but not less restrictive than state statute. And essentially what it comes down to is under state statute, a mobile food unit or a food truck cannot operate on a single property more than 21 days over the course of the year unless it is directly connected to a business. Doesn't mean that it has the same person owning two separate businesses, but it's literally the same business entity. So like a common one that every people might have seen is Baldi's Food Truck. The food truck actually operates under the Baldi's business license. It's actually part of the same business. But if you have the same owner who has um ABC hardware and then has XYZ food truck, even though it's the same ownership, it's not the same business. It can't the you don't get that exemption. So under state statute 21 days, one property, there is no limit either under um city ordinance or state statute on the total number of days they operate in community as long as they're moving around and aren't in the same place more than 21 days. The restriction that we have in our ordinance that is greater than statute or more strict than statute is you can't be on the same property for more than seven consecutive days. So one week in in one spot consecutively. >> So somebody could be 21 days at end zone, 21 days at firehouse, 21 days at >> correct >> wherever. Okay. >> Yeah. So, it's actually pretty open. Both by looking at it, you can see that both state statute and our ordinance are generally trying to um provide some restrictions on mobile food units, which um to provide direct competition to basically be a brick-andmortar business on wheels without being brick and mortar. And I think that's where the 21 days. They can move around. the code to go to different locations, but I can't set up my taco stand directly across from your Mexican restaurant for the street and stay there forever. It'd be a limited period of time or a limited number of times over the over the year. So, we brought that back because it was a discussion that came up and I guess we're seeking direction from council. Do you want to do anything with with the ordinance or is this justformational at this point? Well, it sounds like it's a Minnesota statute, so there's not much we can do with it >> other than the seven days. >> Other than the seven days. >> Other than the seven days. Correct. >> So, under statute, you could sit in the same spot 21 consecutive days if you wanted to. Um, local ordinance is more restrictive. So, that you would have a maximum of seven days in a row, but the total of the 21 is the same regardless. I'm not big on changing it. I think it's fine as >> I I think said person will be fine. >> I do too. I'm just operating seven days in a row is not allowed. What if it's there >> and it's not operated? It's just parked. >> That's okay. Um, I didn't research that. >> That's a question we >> didn't say anything in the ordinance about operating like defining it as like you can't be parked there for more than seven days. I interpret it as you can't operate in seven days. >> That's that's what I interpreted. the whether or not it can be parked there would probably be more of a zoning issue than than a food truck operation issue. >> Okay. >> I mean because I can outside there's more than one example of food mobile food what is it mobile food units >> y >> parked on private property on the owner's private property within our city. So, it's not just >> not just going for, you know, one person, but I think that makes sense. I don't think we need to change it. >> Okay. So, we'll research the parking part of it and um get back to council on that if you want us to. Otherwise, we'll >> Yeah, if you wouldn't mind, just so we know that nothing comes back to hurt >> um people. >> The ordinance says park I guess I'd consider a commercial vehicle and commercial vehicle parking in commercial zoning districts. Class one and class two commercial vehicles may be parked in commercial zoning districts subject to the requirements of chapter 9 and 26, which maybe have to research further, but preliminary indications are that it's okay in downtown or commercial districts. >> Okay. >> Um and then in residential uh it may be there may be some size again I guess I'll have to research those chapters later. If there's anything that is concerning, we can bring it back. >> Okay. Thank you. >> That's all I have unless there's anything else for administration. >> Move on to public works then. >> Corey did not have anything else to report beyond what was in the memo. >> Chief, anything from police department? >> Just wanted to give a shout out to Officer Bul Zach. Um few days ago he was on just patrols like around 4 p.m. and ended up arresting a wrongway drunk driver who had a teen in the vehicle with him and they were over twice the legal limit and a chronic offender. It was actually a felony level DUI. So just a shout out to him that it can happen at any time and can be very dangerous and the guys are out there actively trying to stop that kind of stuff. >> Is it fire department assuming nothing. >> Well, back to public works. One thing I would report, we received 35 applications for the public works position. >> Yes. >> Um to qualify that 35 applications does not mean 35 quality qualified or quality applicants, but it was a fairly large pool. So, we're hoping we'll be able to find somebody within that pool. We're looking to have interviews in about two weeks. >> Awesome. >> Back to fire. Uh Jay did not have anything for me to report >> engineering. >> Um there's a update in your in your packet if there's any questions on that. Otherwise, it's all I got. I can I can do my dad joke. It's been a been a while here. Um why did the sewer line break up with the storm sewer? Too much emotional overflow. >> [laughter] >> I was going to make a joke about the municipal budget, but it got cut. [laughter] >> Those are good. >> That's good. >> But yeah, any if there's any questions on the what's in the packet, happy to answer. >> Community development. >> Uh I had a few things in the packet. If you have any questions on just uh reported the planning commission accompl accomplishments from 2025 and some goals they adopted for 2026 um included updated vacant lot inventory and meeting minutes. >> Just from my perspective when you look at it in summary planning commission did a lot of work in 2025. Um, Renee, was there any like highle takeaways when you were doing the work on the vacant lot inventory? >> Well, my high level takeaway was that I feel like we platted so many more lots. I was expecting that we would have a lot more vacant lots than we did last year at this time, but because we're also issuing so many building permits at the same time, there's pretty similar amount of vacant lots as last year. I think there was maybe 10 or 10 more or something like that. um healthy supply but uh at the rate that the nationals are building real quick >> anything from parks >> um Brandon did not have anything specific >> CC >> nothing as of right now >> other boards um scale that's tomorrow >> when is the executive >> it's uh the week after >> next Friday >> and service delivery. >> Um when is the Monday after that I believe >> then I35 that was this morning. No major updates. Talked about transportation again. A little bit of a legislative update with it being an election year. Not super convinced a lot of infrastructure funding will come through. So, but and we don't have Josh for LMC, Metro Cities Policy Committee. >> Yeah. And that we're in the off season for that right now. So, >> yeah, >> that'll start up here in about two or three months. So, two months. >> All right. Any discussion by council? >> Good job. >> Thank you. I'll entertain a motion to adjurnn then. >> Motion to adjurnn. >> Second. All right. All those in favor I