This transcript has been processed to include the speaker names based on the municipality context provided. [0:00] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Please stand for a pledge of allegiance. Today, this weekend, we mourn the loss of two Community Heroes, as we want to call them: one, Dean Markuson, and two, Kevin Heshen. Both of them have given our community immensely on many, many, many grounds. So, I would like to start our meeting with a moment of silence for the both of them. [0:43] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. [0:52] **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. [1:09] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Tonight we have another fun evening. It's always a great night to welcome new employees and give promotions. So let the roll reflect that we have a quorum and full council is present. We have several new and promotional employees to include today. The first will be introduced by... [1:48] **Dan Wietecha (City Administrator):** Jenna Anderson is our new building service worker. Unfortunately, Jenna is in class this evening, so she's unable to join us tonight. Jenna started in October as our newest building service worker. With her custodial and maintenance experience, she'll be an asset in the role. She is currently pursuing a degree in construction management with Dunwoody College of Technology. When she's not working or going to school, she likes to hang out with family and friends and her three dogs at home. She also likes to work out at the gym, shoot trap, and skeet. So thank you, Jenna. Thank you, Charlie. [2:35] **Chris Eitemiller (Finance Manager):** Mayor and Council, the finance department is very excited to have Ann Cahoon join our team. Ann is here. She started with the city on November 30th. Ann came to us directly from Casco Marine in Prescott. She has several years of local government experience through her work with Washington County CDA. She currently resides in Prescott with her husband John, who's also here, and she has a daughter Abby, who is 28, and son Ian, who is 18 today—it's his birthday! So please help me welcome Anne to the city of Hastings. Thank you, Ashley. [3:29] **John Hinzman (Community Development Director):** Good evening Council. I would like to invite you to join me in celebrating Alana Siebenaler's recent promotion to Senior Permit Technician. Alana came to the city in 2017 as a permit tech to assist customers, contractors, city staff, and the public with permits and other building and code enforcement needs. She is superb in many of her duties as a coordinator of our building department permitting process. She also reviews plans for compliance with city ordinances, state codes, and regulations. Often she is scheduling inspections as needed for our inspectors and providing accurate documents, reports, and correspondence for required approval of permits. [4:16] **John Hinzman (Community Development Director):** The building department has experienced a significant increase in permit-related activity these past few years. Alana's permitting experience, coupled with her prior construction experience and ability to learn quickly, made it an easy decision to expand her role in our department. She is very dedicated to providing excellent customer service. She has a very caring demeanor when it comes to her peers and customers. I can always count on Alana when situations need to be handled in a timely manner. When she is not providing oversight of the permit process within the city, she enjoys volunteering at her son's school, camping, and watching her boys participate in sports. Congratulations, Alana. I'm extremely proud to be your colleague. [5:03] **John Hinzman (Community Development Director):** And I look forward to your continued success and current contributions to the city. [Applause] [5:34] **Police Chief Kyle Linscheid:** Mayor, council members, and city leaders. Tonight I have the honor of introducing to you Hastings' new Police Sergeant for the administration of the oath of office: Sergeant Pat Diedrich. Sergeant Diedrich began his career with the Hastings Police in October of 2017. Pat worked in the Patrol Division until he moved into an investigative role in June of 2019. While in investigations, Pat worked a number of high-profile cases, and it was evident he was a self-starter and a problem solver. The Hastings Police Department continues to develop strong leaders, and Sergeant Pat Diedrich is a testament to that. Sergeant Pat Diedrich, if you could raise your right hand and repeat after me: I, Patrick Diedrich... [6:10] **Sergeant Pat Diedrich:** I, Patrick Diedrich... [6:12] **Police Chief Kyle Linscheid:** Do solemnly affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States of America... [6:15] **Sergeant Pat Diedrich:** Do solemnly affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States of America... [6:21] **Police Chief Kyle Linscheid:** The constitution of the state of Minnesota... [6:23] **Sergeant Pat Diedrich:** The constitution of the state of Minnesota... [6:25] **Police Chief Kyle Linscheid:** And the ordinances of the city of Hastings... [6:27] **Sergeant Pat Diedrich:** And the ordinances of the city of Hastings... [6:29] **Police Chief Kyle Linscheid:** And that I will faithfully discharge the duties of a police sergeant for the city of Hastings... [6:33] **Sergeant Pat Diedrich:** And that I will faithfully discharge the duties of a police sergeant for the city of Hastings... [6:37] **Police Chief Kyle Linscheid:** Counties of Dakota and Washington and state of Minnesota, according to the best of my judgment and abilities... [6:42] **Sergeant Pat Diedrich:** Counties of Dakota and Washington and state of Minnesota, according to the best of my judgment and ability... [6:47] **Police Chief Kyle Linscheid:** On my honor, I will never betray my badge, my integrity, my character, or the public trust... [6:54] **Sergeant Pat Diedrich:** On my honor, I will never betray my badge, my integrity, my character, or the public trust... [7:00] **Police Chief Kyle Linscheid:** I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions... [7:04] **Sergeant Pat Diedrich:** I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions... [7:07] **Police Chief Kyle Linscheid:** I will always uphold the Constitution, my community, and the agency I serve. [7:12] **Sergeant Pat Diedrich:** I will always uphold the Constitution, my community, and the agency I serve. [7:36] **Police Chief Kyle Linscheid:** So, one of the most well-known symbols of policing is the badge. Although the badge's actual weight is minimal, the responsibilities that come along with wearing the badge are enormous. Those who wear it carry the responsibility to do what is right and just for the people and visitors of Hastings. This symbol is one that every officer of the Hastings Police Department wears with pride. Tonight the badge will be pinned on Sergeant Pat Diedrich by his wife, Angie. So, Angie, you can now pin the badge on Sergeant Pat Diedrich. [8:17] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** [Applause] We also have an award ceremony tonight, but before that, I've requested that all new employees have their photo taken with Council. So let's go ahead and do that now. Pat, we're gonna have you come back up here. [10:10] **Police Chief Kyle Linscheid:** At this time, I'm going to ask Officer Nate Wood to come up and stand next to the commander, and Yasmin Gibson, who I believe is here—could you please come up here as well? Tonight I also have the honor of recognizing a citizen in our community and one of HPD's own for his heroic efforts. On August 30th, 2022, Hastings officers responded to a frantic 9-1-1 call from a 12-year-old, Yasmin Gibson. Yasmin had escaped an attack by the family dog, but the dog had begun attacking her mother, Sabrina. Hastings officers arrived on scene, observed Yasmin in the upstairs window, and could hear the attack still occurring on the first floor of the home. Officer Nate Wood, realizing this was a dire situation and time was critical, kicked the front door of the residence, put himself between Sabrina and the dog, and stopped the threat. This was an extremely dynamic situation, and although the loss of an animal's life is tragic, the actions by Yasmin and Officer Nate Wood most likely saved the life of Sabrina. [11:11] **Police Chief Kyle Linscheid:** For Yasmin's actions, I would like to present her with the Citizen Life-Saving Award, and for Officer Nate Wood's actions, I would like to present him with the Medal of Valor award, which is the highest honor the Police Department bestows upon an officer. So if you could please join me in congratulating Yasmin and Officer Nate Wood. [11:46] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Can we do a quick photo op? Yasmin, you want to come up here? [13:21] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** All right. Council members, are there any corrections to the minutes from the regular meeting on November 21st? Okay. Comments from the audience. Thank you. [13:40] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** For public comments, we ask for comments to be emailed prior to the meeting, as well as an interactive feature during the meeting. For the emailed comments, they have been forwarded to the City Council and their receipt is acknowledged. Please recognize that items not on the agenda will not be discussed this evening. For live comments, they may either be through Zoom or in person. We ask that attendees either raise their hand in person or use the raise hand feature in Zoom. I want to also remind everyone that the public comments period is not intended for an extended dialogue. No one on Zoom, so welcome to the podium. [14:26] **Barb Hollenbeck (Chair, Arts and Culture Commission):** Please state your name and address? My name is Barb Hollenbeck, address 212 East 2nd Street. I'm here tonight on behalf of the Arts Task Force, and I'm happy to witness the adoption of the Arts and Culture Commission. I want to thank the Arts Task Force members for their dedication and hard work in achieving this goal, along with city staff and council members for having faith in the community and the task force's work. I feel like it's just beginning, so I'm going to seek to be appointed to the Arts and Culture Commission because I feel like we are just getting warmed up and I certainly want to see some of the projects and our good work move forward. I look forward to bringing the Arts and Culture Commission to life and promoting the city of Hastings. Thank you for your consideration. [15:12] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Thank you, Barb, and thank you to the full task force for putting their time and commitment into all their efforts. Council members, I would accept a motion to approve the consent agenda. [16:03] **Councilmember Angie Haus:** So moved. [16:05] **Councilmember DawnMarie Vihrachoff:** Second. [16:07] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Council, do you have any discussion? All those in favor of the motion, state by saying aye. (Aye). Opposed to that motion, state by saying nay. And that motion prevails. For this item, we will have an introduction by City Administrator Dan Wietecha, followed by a public hearing and several potential actions by the Council. Welcome, Dan. [16:46] **Dan Wietecha (City Administrator):** Thank you, Mayor and Council. Tonight we have a Truth and Taxation hearing, which is part of our formal process for adopting the budget for next year, 2023. This is intended as an opportunity to hear from our taxpayers and residents. Depending on their input or your own considerations, if you are ready, you might be adopting the budget this evening; if you need additional time, we'll put it on the agenda for the next meeting, December 19th. [17:34] **Dan Wietecha (City Administrator):** The budget, although it might be an accounting document, really is based on how we provide city services and ensures we are financially set with reserves for uncertainty. It sets up how we maintain our infrastructure and supports the City Council's strategic priorities. The process is long; staff started talking about it in January. We had workshops in May and September, and eventually, on September 6th, the City Council adopted the preliminary budget. [20:10] **Dan Wietecha (City Administrator):** I want to note that since September, we've seen a number of adjustments. For example, police cars are going to be more expensive than we were planning. We also added Arts Council staffing support once the commission recommendation progressed. On the other hand, we saw some decreases where items came in less than estimated. [22:13] **Dan Wietecha (City Administrator):** When we met in September, we estimated the impact on a median-value house was going to be $195 per year. Actually, we're looking at $164—so it's a bit less than predicted due to changes in tax capacity and homestead exclusion calculations. [23:59] **Dan Wietecha (City Administrator):** Regarding capital changes, Council voted on the downtown tree grate project for this spring. The parks lawnmower was slightly more expensive than anticipated, but the water tower reconditioning in the industrial park can actually wait two or three years based on a physical inspection, which saves bonding for that $1.6 million in 2023. [26:16] **Dan Wietecha (City Administrator):** To highlight what's in the budget: we are talking about a little over a million-dollar increase in the property tax levy (6.6%). This is similar to what other cities in Dakota County are looking at; their average increase was about 7%. This budget also uses one-time revenues, including ARPA funds and general fund balances. [27:48] **Dan Wietecha (City Administrator):** Staffing-wise, we are proposing to add a full-time police officer and a part-time Community Service Officer (CSO). We are also proposing to add four full-time firefighters. Call volume has doubled in the last decade, and relying solely on a paid-on-call department is difficult. In the building department, we are proposing two permanent building inspectors. While there's a risk if construction slows, our existing inspectors are nearing retirement, and these costs are covered by inspection fees rather than the tax levy. [32:31] **Dan Wietecha (City Administrator):** Other areas include cyber security, technology, and road maintenance. We are proposing to fully fund our mill and overlay program at $700,000 this year, which is the most cost-effective way to maintain streets. We are also putting significant money into parks, with projects spread throughout the city. [35:36] **Dan Wietecha (City Administrator):** Our major infrastructure project for 2023 is a $4 million project for Pleasant Drive and adjacent streets. Regarding utilities, we are proposing rate increases: 3.5% for water, 2% for sewer, and 4% for storm water. [38:00] **Dan Wietecha (City Administrator):** Briefly, on City Hall: we have $2 million from the state to refurbish the historic dome. We recently got state approval to bid the complete dome rather than just a portion to ensure long-term integrity. On the Civic Center, the project is now estimated at $4.5 million. We are waiting on state bonding decisions, but we hope for a summer 2024 construction. Regarding pickleball and tennis, we have $300,000 set aside, but we are currently resolving property ownership details with MnDOT. [43:23] **Dan Wietecha (City Administrator):** Looking forward, we are using a five-year financial model. We are exploring a local option sales tax or a referendum to address park system needs. We are also looking at a new Fleet Management approach to cycle vehicles every 4-5 years to maintain higher residual value and lower maintenance costs. [47:14] **Dan Wietecha (City Administrator):** Finally, we are negotiating with the Rural Fire Association to ensure they carry an equitable portion of increasing costs. I recommend we do not purchase the $500,000 tender truck until we have an agreement with them. With that, I can stand for questions, or we can turn it over to the public hearing. [53:59] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Thank you, Dan. At this time, I'll open the public hearing. Anyone in the audience that wishes to speak to the Council, you may step forward. [54:33] **Peter Mack (Resident):** My name is Peter Mack, and my address is 138 Sandpiper Circle. I’m surprised there aren't more people here. I'm a retired person and a long-time resident. I saw my proposed property value went from $236,000 to $279,000—that’s an 18% jump, much higher than the city-wide 6.6%. My taxable market value went up 21%. I haven't made any improvements to my townhome in 18 years. How did it jump so much in 12 months? My second question is about budgeting. With the recession and inflation, how do we reconcile this as a community? Can the council consider a smaller factor for assessed values for the "little guy"? And finally, how good is a budget when we are spending money that has to come from taxing the public? Thank you. [1:06:19] **Joe Wilcox (Resident):** Joe Wilcox, 1370 Hillside Street. My taxes went up $65,000 in value. I wonder if there are cuts being made so we don't have to raise taxes so high. Just because Rosemount or Farmington raises their taxes doesn't mean we need to be in line with them. We can't afford it all. It’s outrageous. [1:08:16] **Don Poston (Resident):** I’m Don Poston, 1590 Stonegate Road. My wife and I are on a fixed income. Property taxes are going up, and it feels like a bubble. Paying these taxes takes three months of my Social Security. The city has to stay within a budget. You have new houses popping up on the west side—that’s new revenue. We need to look at the budget and not increase taxes on retired people and young families. [1:11:22] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Thank you for your comments. Anyone else? Dan, would you like to respond? [1:11:59] **Dan Wietecha (City Administrator):** To address the 20% value increases: that calculation is done by the County Assessor’s office, not the city. It’s based on what is happening in the broader market. If similar homes are selling for more, your value goes up. The city council only votes on the second half of the equation—the levy needed to provide services. The council has no authority over the valuation itself. If you have specific questions, please catch me or Chris Eitemiller afterward. [1:19:06] **Councilmember Angie Haus:** Thank you, your honor. I was shocked to look at my own property statement as well. With townhomes, the increase has been double digits for several years because of high demand from people downsizing. You have to go to the County for the appeal process on valuation. Hastings was behind the curve in recovery after 2008, so we are finally catching up to the rest of the metro, which causes this sticker shock. We sympathize with the plight of residents. [1:22:58] **Councilmember Mya Beck:** I sat on the finance committee, and we do consider the valuation increase when we choose the tax rate. We try to use that increased value to keep the actual tax rate lower so we aren't putting too much pressure on individuals. [1:24:31] **Councilmember Dave Pemble:** Thank you, your honor. As chair of the finance committee, I agree we need to focus on our own expenses. The increases here are mostly for Public Safety. We are seeing that a paid-on-call fire department isn't keeping up, which is why we need full-time staff. I also agree we should not buy that $500,000 tender truck until the Rural Fire Association is part of that budget conversation. We need to live within our means. [1:28:51] **Councilmember Angie Haus:** I concur. Public Safety is a need; Parks are often more of a "want." I’m concerned about park spending and want to see more accountability for the five-year plan. I also fully support holding the townships accountable for their fair share of fire service costs. [1:33:28] **Councilmember DawnMarie Vihrachoff:** I want to highlight the work of our partners and staff. We are investing in our people through the compensation study and investing in public safety to ensure a successful community. [1:34:59] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** We have several actions to take. First, a motion to conduct a first reading and order a public hearing for December 19 to consider an ordinance adjusting city fees. [1:35:10] **Councilmember Angie Haus:** So moved. [1:35:12] **Councilmember DawnMarie Vihrachoff:** Second. [1:35:14] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** All in favor? (Aye). [1:35:46] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Motion to adopt a resolution adopting the 2023 city property tax levy and final budget. [1:35:55] **Councilmember Angie Haus:** So moved. [1:35:57] **Councilmember DawnMarie Vihrachoff:** Second. [1:36:00] **Councilmember Dave Pemble:** I'm comfortable passing tonight, but I want to reiterate that if we don't get the rural fire agreement figured out, that $500,000 should not be spent. [1:36:32] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** All in favor? (Aye). [1:36:50] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Motion to adopt a resolution approving the 2023 HEDRA special levy. [1:37:05] **Councilmember Mya Beck:** So moved. [1:37:07] **Councilmember Tim Lawrence:** Second. [1:37:10] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** All in favor? (Aye). [1:37:18] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Motion to adopt the 2023-2027 Capital Improvement Plan and Capital Equipment Plan. [1:37:25] **Councilmember Dave Pemble:** So moved. [1:37:28] **Councilmember Angie Haus:** Second. [1:37:30] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** All in favor? (Aye). [1:37:36] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Motion to approve the consolidation of Park dedication funds into a single account. [1:37:45] **Councilmember Lisa Leifeld:** So moved. [1:37:47] **Councilmember Mya Beck:** Second. [1:37:50] **Councilmember Dave Pemble:** I'm slightly hesitant on this as these were originally ward-based, but I understand the bigger purpose for the city's parks. Staff just needs to use it wisely. [1:38:50] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** All in favor? (Aye). [1:39:35] **Councilmember Lisa Leifeld:** Thank you, your honor. I just want to announce that there is a birthday coming up on Wednesday, December 7th. Happy Birthday to our Mayor! [1:40:22] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** Thank you. I have a few announcements: Candy cane hunt in the parks through Dec 11th, and holiday light recycling at the joint maintenance facility through Feb 1st. Upcoming meetings: Arts Task Force on the 7th, HEDRA on the 8th, Planning Commission on the 12th, and City Council again on the 19th. Motion to adjourn? [1:41:15] **Councilmember Lisa Leifeld:** So moved. [1:41:17] **Councilmember Mya Beck:** Second. [1:41:20] **Mayor Mary Fasbender:** All in favor? (Aye). We are adjourned.