This transcript features **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen** presiding in the absence of Mayor Montgomery. Note that "Groot" in the original text is a phonetic transcription of **Council Member Kronenberger**, and "Derek" refers to **Council Member Derek Lundell** (mentioned in the roll call). [4:52] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** That's enough. I'd like to call to order the City of Cannon Falls City Council meeting for Tuesday, August 15, 2023. Roll call. [4:52] **City Clerk Sara Peer:** (Roll call) Kronenberger? **Council Member Laura Kronenberger:** Here. **City Clerk Sara Peer:** Jeppesen? **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Here. **City Clerk Sara Peer:** Johnson? **Council Member Diane Johnson:** Here. **City Clerk Sara Peer:** Kronenberger? [sic] **Council Member Laura Kronenberger:** Here. **City Clerk Sara Peer:** Lundell? **Council Member Derek Lundell:** Here. **City Clerk Sara Peer:** Montgomery is absent. [4:52] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Okay, please rise 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. [5:42] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Okay, can I get a motion to approve the agenda? [5:42] **Council Member Ryan Jeppesen:** I'll move. [5:42] **Council Member Laura Kronenberger:** Second. [5:42] **Council Member Diane Johnson:** I would like to add two things to the agenda. Okay, so it'd be under Council business D: Cannon Falls Fair Board copies of titles, etc. to the Fair Board. And then E would be Cannon Falls Fair Board 2022-2023 donations to be paid. [6:25] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Okay, any other additions or changes to the agenda? [6:34] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** If not, can I get a motion to approve the agenda with the addition of D and E? [6:34] **Council Member Ryan Jeppesen:** So moved. [6:34] **Council Member Laura Kronenberger:** Second. [6:34] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Motion by Jeppesen and second by Kronenberger. All in favor? Motion carries. Okay, public input. Public input is intended to afford the public an opportunity to address concerns to the city council. This public input will be no longer than 30 minutes in total length and each speaker will have no more than three minutes to speak... [Rules of conduct read]. Jason Failing? [7:56] **Jason Failing:** Evening. May approach the council so I can pass down [documents]. I'm here to read a letter here what I've given for you and I'd ask that the letter be put into the minutes for the meeting this evening. It's the Cannon Valley Rural Fire Association and Cannon Falls Township fire service agreement concerns. Having worked through four prior service agreements, the process for the latest agreement differed greatly. Initially, it seemed as though the city's position was to force the townships to pay a considerable amount more than had been paid in the past without any notice or justification given... [Reads lengthy letter regarding negotiations with City Administrator Jon Radermacher and fire service costs]. Thank you, that is all I have to say. [18:11] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Thank you. Mr. Gorman? [18:25] **George Gorman:** Good evening. Um, the only reason I'm here is Lisa [Zimmerman], you brought up about the data requests and what across the city and the data request was in conjunction with Project Tulip and I'm really confused because I did call you and ask you if you knew about it and you said no. I came to the council meeting and inquired, nobody said a word... all I can come up with is somebody here is making decisions besides the city council... why is it I can get public information and you as council members can't? It's awfully confusing for me. Thank you. [20:46] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Okay, that closes public input. Moving on to public hearing. Jon, do you want to start this out or do I? [20:46] **City Administrator Jon Radermacher:** Do you want me to explain it first and then open it up? This is a public hearing for Sandstone Ridge property—that's the property across the street from the water tower. It was the development that was given back to us by SEMCRA for a dollar. Leon Endress and his team is requesting to purchase it. You preliminary approved the purchase agreement... Planning Commission approved it last night... but statutorily we have to hold a public hearing to sell city land. [22:20] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Okay, so with that I'll open it up to public—well not public input, but public hearing. So if anybody would like to come forward and make their opinion and thoughts known. Okay, so second option for public hearing. And third and final. So with that we'll close the public hearing and look for a motion to proceed with the purchase agreement and closing of the old Sandstorm Ridge property to Endress Cannon Falls. [22:20] **Council Member Diane Johnson:** So moved. [22:20] **Council Member Ryan Jeppesen:** Second. [23:07] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Motion by Diane and second by Jeppesen. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. So next we move on to the consent agenda... [Items A-G read]. Is there anything the council would like to pull down? [24:24] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Okay, with that I will take a motion to approve the consent agenda. [24:24] **Council Member Laura Kronenberger:** Approved. [In "big girl voice"]. [24:24] **Council Member Diane Johnson:** Second. [24:24] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** All in favor of approving the consent agenda? Aye. And those opposed? Motion carries. Okay, moving on to Council business. First we have item A: Towering Bluffs development agreement. [25:10] **City Administrator Jon Radermacher:** So this is the last time you will see Towering Bluffs. It's a development agreement that guides the development... [Explains fees, parkland, letter of credit, and insurance]. Greg Jablonski did call me this afternoon and he said that he is okay with everything in the developers agreement and he's ready to go. [26:50] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Any questions or discussion? Okay, with that I'll take a motion to approve. [26:50] **Council Member Diane Johnson:** I so move. [26:50] **Council Member Ryan Jeppesen:** Second. [27:36] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Motion by Diane, second by Jeppesen. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Carries. Item B: Hardwood Estates. Got a couple of items here. Miss Laura? [27:36] **Community Development Specialist Laura Qualey:** Good evening Mayor Pro Tem and Council. Last night we did present this to the Planning Commission, which is the Hardwood Estates preliminary plat. We did ask for a rezone from an R2 to an R3... we're seeking to do some single-family lots as well as some dual-families—twin home type lots. [Presents slides on phases, infrastructure, and topography]. [37:53] **Council Member Diane Johnson:** I was at Planning Commission last night. If we're really trying to fill this neighborhood with families with kids... I'm thinking there's got to be somewhere we can make that park bigger because right now it's not big enough for a good playground. I'd really like to see us go up to the four acres of a real park and maybe even put it somewhere closer to the middle. [39:23] **Council Member Derek Lundell:** On the same lines, the park being in Phase 4 means it's years down the road before it gets built. Was there any talk of maybe moving it towards the middle or closer to Phase 1 so it can be there from the beginning? [40:11] **City Engineer Bill Angerman:** Parkland can be dedicated anytime. The main issue is the grading of it. The grading won't be accomplished until Phase 4, but it would be usable as a park, you just wouldn't probably want to put equipment in it right away. [40:11] **City Administrator Jon Radermacher:** When we talked about parkland with the Park Board... you have to look into the future. When the Mills land to the south comes in, that's where another park could be placed to serve part of this development. [Points to map]. There are four parks being established in these developments and they're decently spread apart. [43:15] **City Administrator Jon Radermacher:** To give a visual, the size of this park (2.5 acres) is the equivalent of basically two football fields side-by-side. [44:00] **Council Member Diane Johnson:** If we're looking at the Mill property to the south, to me we should be putting this playground on the south side of this park so it could be back-to-back with another one developing. [47:08] **Council Member Derek Lundell:** If the intention is that the townhomes are for more like empty nesters, I don't know that I would put them back-to-back to the park. [47:54] **City Administrator Jon Radermacher:** The EDA directs us to what's most cost-effective, and this is the most cost-effective location. Secondly, we're seeing young families buy townhomes now, not just seniors. It meets traditional spacing for a neighborhood park. [48:38] **Council Member Lisa Zimmerman:** Everybody keeps asking me about a gas station on that end of town. Is there any room for a gas station? [48:38] **Community Development Specialist Laura Qualey:** Not on our property. [48:59] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** If there's no further discussion, does anyone want to make a motion to adopt Resolution 2694? [48:59] **Council Member Ryan Jeppesen:** So moved. [48:59] **Council Member Laura Kronenberger:** Second. [48:59] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Motion by Jeppesen, second by Kronenberger. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? **Council Member Diane Johnson:** Opposed. **Council Member Derek Lundell:** Opposed. **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Motion passes 4 to 2. Item 2: introduction and first reading of Ordinance 395. [51:25] **City Clerk Sara Peer:** Sorry, this is for Timber Ridge... oh wait, 395. Zoning classification for Hardwood Estates. [52:29] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Take a motion to approve Ordinance 395. [52:29] **Council Member Ryan Jeppesen:** So moved. [52:29] **Council Member Derek Lundell:** I'll second. [52:29] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** All those in favor? Aye. Those opposed? **Council Member Diane Johnson:** Opposed. **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Motion carries. Item C: Timber Ridge. Item number one: Resolution 2695. [53:43] **City Clerk Sara Peer:** Last night Planning Commission recommended approval to proceed with the developers request for a preliminary plat and partial rezone for Timber Ridge. Mark Sanzegaard is here to give an introduction. [54:17] **Mark Sanzegaard (Development Consultant):** Good evening. The Timber Ridge Development is made up of the Endress property (47 acres) and the leftover Sandstone development (14 acres). [Explains villa homes, single-family lots, multi-family sites, and height variances for accessory buildings for campers]. [1:08:16] **Council Member Ryan Jeppesen:** So just to be clear, the streets that you are rebuilding are city streets? [1:08:16] **Mark Sanzegaard:** Yeah, all the streets we're rebuilding are city streets. The only private road would be that alley. [1:09:39] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** I'm going to move to adopt Resolution 2695 for the preliminary plat rezoning PUD plans for Timber Ridge. [1:09:39] **Council Member Diane Johnson:** Second. [1:09:39] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Motion by Jeppesen, second by Diane. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion carries. Item 2: first reading of Ordinance 396. [1:10:24] **Council Member Ryan Jeppesen:** I'll make the motion. [1:10:24] **Council Member Laura Kronenberger:** Second. [1:10:38] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Motion by Jeppesen, second by Kronenberger. All in favor? Aye. Motion carries. Item D: Cannon Falls Fair Board. Diane? [1:10:38] **Council Member Diane Johnson:** The agreement states we are to provide a copy of the recorded deeds to the Fair Association. I would like a copy of those deeds to be sent to them as we agreed. [1:11:11] **City Administrator Jon Radermacher:** We received the vacated street ones and that little sliver, and that was sent to him last week. [1:11:58] **Council Member Diane Johnson:** Regarding the donations for 2022 and 2023... I would like to move that we fulfill our obligation and send the check for $15,000 for the donations. [1:12:45] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Aren't we discussing donations at the next work session? [1:12:45] **City Administrator Jon Radermacher:** These were previously approved in previous budgets, they just haven't been paid out. [1:13:31] **Council Member Diane Johnson:** I'll make that motion. [1:13:31] **Council Member Laura Kronenberger:** I'll second it. [1:13:31] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Motion by Diane, second by Kronenberger. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion carries. Reports. EDA? [1:14:17] **Community Development Specialist Laura Qualey:** I guess we've just really been working hard on Hardwood Estates, so I don't have much else to report. [1:15:04] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Public Works, Derek? [1:15:04] **Council Member Derek Lundell:** We met Monday. We recommended the hiring of the Maintenance Operator 2, the digester decant valves, and we talked about garbage trucks being in alleys. [1:15:04] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** Finance Committee? [1:15:04] **Council Member Ryan Jeppesen:** We met last night. We approved the tennis court agreement with the school district and had discussions about our ambulance department employees. [1:15:50] **Council Member Lisa Zimmerman:** Library Board. Went over the budget again. Nicole got two grants: $4,000 for a technology update and $2,500 for handicapped doors. [1:16:53] **Council Member Derek Lundell:** Planning Commission. Met last night and discussed Hardwood Estates and Timber Ridge. [1:17:40] **Police Chief Jeff McCormick:** Most of our summer things have wrapped up. In three weeks will be the first day of school. Just want to remind people to be cautious around kids gathering for buses. [1:18:25] **City Clerk Sara Peer:** Met with the Finance Committee regarding elections. The county is not going to allow us to have absentee voting here anymore because of the new laws and staff stress. Everybody will have to go to the county in Red Wing or do it by mail. [1:22:18] **City Administrator Jon Radermacher:** I usually don't react to public input, but my name got tossed around quite a bit tonight. I want to give some facts regarding the fire contract. We cover all of Cannon Falls Township for $35,000... just something to think about when you work on your next contract. Is it wrong to negotiate a contract? Sometimes you just can't take the punch in the nose without saying something. [1:26:12] **City Engineer Bill Angerman:** 2023 street project is set to start Tuesday after Labor Day. Pool paving will start now that the pool is closed. [1:26:12] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** They've started work on John Burch Park, moving power first and then rebuilding the dugout. [1:26:58] **Council Member Diane Johnson:** I have a question for Public Works. On 4th Street by the Cannonball Apartments, there's tremendous potholes there. [1:28:01] **City Engineer Bill Angerman:** That's County Highway 20. The access road to McDonald's is private property. They have a plan to repave it this fall, but we don't have the authority to fix it ourselves. [1:30:19] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** I'll take a motion to adjourn. [1:30:19] **Council Member Ryan Jeppesen:** Motion. [1:30:19] **Council Member Lisa Zimmerman:** Second. [1:30:19] **Mayor Pro Tem Ryan Jeppesen:** All in favor? Aye. [Meeting adjourned].