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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04.07.25 Council Minutes City of Farmington Regular Council Meeting Minutes Monday, April 7, 2025 The City Council met in regular session on Monday, April 7, 2025, at Farmington City Hall, 430 Third Street, Farmington, Minnesota. 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Hoyt called the meeting to order at 7 pm. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Hoyt led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL Members Present: Mayor Joshua Hoyt Y Y Councilmembers Holly Bernatz, Jake Cordes, Nick Lien, and Steve Wilson Members Absent:None Staff Present: David Chanski, HR Director/Assistant City Administrator Amy Schmidt, City Attorney Deanna Kuennen, Economic & Community Development Director Tony Wippler, Planning Manager Kim Sommerland, Finance Director Kellee Omlid, Parks & Recreation Director John Powell, Public Works Director Shirley Buecksler, City Clerk 4. APPROVE AGENDA Motion was made by Councilmember Wilson and seconded by Councilmember Bernatz to approve the agenda, as presented. Motion carried: 5 ayes / 0 nays 5. ANNOUNCEMENTS / COMMENDATIONS 6. CITIZENS COMMENTS / RESPONSES TO COMMENTS The following citizen(s) addressed the Council: • Gary Johnson, 22280 Berring Ave, Castle Rock Township Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of April 7, 2025 Page 1 of 8 • Nancy Aarestad, 22165 Beaumont Ave, Castle Rock Township • Denise May, 22265 Berring Ave, Castle Rock Township • Terrie Pearson, 2475 225th St W, Castle Rock Township • Eszter Varga, 3094 225th St W, Castle Rock Township • Jeff Schottler, 22420 Calico Ct, Farmington Mayor Hoyt stated: As it pertains to a few of the citizen comments, one of the things we mention is that any comment that requires a response will be responded to by the next City Council meeting. There are a few things to note for the general public that continue to hear things that are in the paper or watch things at our City Council meetings. The City is currently going through two lawsuits. One of them is comprised of Castle Rock residents and a singular Farmington resident, as defined by municipalities. You will not get a response out of the Council outside of what the City Administrator is responding to. There are union employees at the City and three different unions - two within the Police Department and one within our Administration. Those employees have rights. You can request and request and request, but there are laws that have to be adhered to first. We will ensure and be responsible to the residents of the city of Farmington to make sure that there have been no improper behavior that has taken place or any conduct that was outside of the purview of their job. There is not a timeframe in which this is going to be responded to. So, you can come up here every week, every other week, you can continue to demand, and you will get your response when the time comes that it has been vetted out and it has been seen through its entirety. So, no one is here to tell you to stop, but know that there are employee rights, and not all of that information will be public. There are things that have protection under law that will not be disclosed in public. I want to make sure that is very clear. Another thing is one of the requests that we make when people come up is to state their name and address. And I don't think it's intentional that we're omitting the fact that there are some Castle Rock residents that come up.There is an elected body in Castle Rock that you can speak to about concerns as it pertains to your unincorporated township. We are elected by the residents of the municipality of the City of Farmington. We are not elected by the residents of the Township of Castle Rock. Every time an issue comes up, that gets lost in translation. So, we, as elected representatives for the City of Farmington, are responsible to the residents of the City of Farmington, and we will continue to ensure that we work on behalf of their best interests. And time will tell as these two lawsuits proceed. 7. CONSENT AGENDA 7.1 Application for Gambling Event Permit for Farmington Rotary Club, September 9, 2025 Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of April 7, 2025 Page 2 of 8 7.2 Minutes of the March 17, 2025 Regular City Council Meeting 7.3 Pilot Knob Liquor Store Lease Renewal 7.4 Declaration and Conservation Easement- MNLCO Farmington, LLC 7.5 Development Contract - Vermillion Commons 5th Addition 7.6 Resolution Granting a Time Extension for Recording of Final Plat - Farmington Technology Park 7.7 Agreement with BS&A Software for Financial Software and Services 7.8 Final 2024 Interfund Transfers 7.9 Payment of Claims 7.10 Updated Capital Asset Policy 7.11 Health Insurance Broker Request for Proposal 7.12 Staff Approvals and Recommendations 7.13 Agreements with AV for You for Outdoor Movie Services 7.14 Donation from Nancyand David Toensin to the Parks and Recreation g Department 7.15 Professional Services Agreement with INSPEC for Roofing Consultation Services for Fire Station #1 Reroof Project 7.16 Professional Services Agreement with Bolton & Menk, Inc. for Topographic Survey Services - Farmington Police Security Fence 7.17 Resolution Declaring Surplus Property - Police 7.18 Professional Services Agreement with Short Elliott Hendrickson, Inc. for the CR 50 & Pilot Knob Road Traffic Signal Replacement Design Services 7.19 Resolution Declaring Surplus Equipment- Public Works Motion was made by Councilmember Cordes and seconded by Councilmember Wilson to approve the Consent Agenda, as presented. Motion carried: 5 ayes / 0 nays 8. PUBLIC HEARINGS 8.1 Application for Beer & On-Sale Wine License from Grace Filled Table, LLC dba Lighthouse Kitchen + Cafe Mayor Hoyt opened the public hearing at 7:27 pm. Clerk Buecksler stated that the liquor license is contingent upon the completion of items required for the Certificate of Occupancy, as provided to the Applicant on March 12, 2025. Hearing from no one wishing to speak, Mayor Hoyt closed the public hearing at 7:28 pm. Motion was made by Councilmember Wilson and seconded by Councilmember Bernatz to approve the Beer & On-Sale Wine License for Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of April 7, 2025 Page 3 of 8 Grace Filled Table, LLC dba Lighthouse Kitchen + Cafe, located at 953 &h Street, Farmington, contingent upon satisfactory completion of items required for the Certificate of Occupancy. Motion carried: 5 ayes / 0 nays 9. AWARD OF CONTRACT 10.PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS 11.UNFINISHED BUSINESS 12.NEW BUSINESS 13.CITY COUNCIL ROUNDTABLE City Attorney Schmidt: The Office of Cannabis Management issued a notice today that the Administrative Law Judge has approved the rules that will go with the enforcement of the cannabis statutes, so that process is moving forward. Councilmember Lien: I want to remind everyone that the Relay for Life is an excellent event in the middle of summer. If you're interested in participating in and creating a team, visit: Relay For Life of Farmington and Surrounding Communities: Event Information I (https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR?pg=informational&fr_i d=110208&sid=212807&name=event-details). Date and Location: Friday, July 18, 2025 from 5 pm to Midnight Boeckman Middle School 800 Denmark Avenue Farmington, MN 55024 Councilmember Bernatz: It's April, which means there are lots of new and fun things that are happening around the community which I'm sure Kellee will bring them up, specifically, but I think before we meet again, for those that celebrate, Easter is coming up. And just a note -anybody that knows me, knows I love the arts. "Guys and Dolls" is opening - Farmington High School Theater presents the spring musical. So, if you're looking for something fun to do with your family, it's a great way to expose them to local theater and the arts. In addition to all the things Parks and Recreation and Community Education do, it's another fun thing you can do. Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of April 7, 2025 Page 4 of 8 Councilmember Cordes: I encourage people to check out the Parks and Recreation events coming up. Councilmember Wilson: I just want to make a quick comment about the extension for the development that is on the agenda. The extension here is due to a requirement that the Metropolitan Council has to review it, so it's nothing beyond that piece of it. It is very routine that there are extensions of projects when they are submitted. It is a standard six-month timeframe. One thing that I think all of us up here have heard from time to time is, "Farmington is difficult to do business with," or "get rid of your building officials," I've heard everything. Or, "if you're just easier to work with, you'd have a heck of a lot more businesses here." I can almost assure you that, if we had voted down the extension, that would be noticed by developers that are looking to build incredible projects here. Small businesses that are looking to expand here. It is really important when you're looking at extensions that are due to other government entities, of which we the City of Farmington engage with other government entities all day long, it's important to keep that process going. It's also on my heart to make another comment. I, for one, really appreciate citizens from both Castle Rock Township and the City of Farmington come and speak to us. It's very much appreciated. As respectfully as I can say this, it is just not enjoyable to hear this amazing Staff get beat up every two weeks in public for doing their job. Every one of these six individuals sitting here, I trust with 100% confidence with the professional knowledge and wisdom they bring into it, and they work hard on behalf of all the taxpayers of Farmington. Honestly, at times, they're doing work on behalf of other communities, as well, and I appreciate everything they're bringing to the table. I can only speak for myself, but I know that when recommendations come from any of my Staff members, I have the independent decision to say I like this idea, or maybe I don't like the idea, or maybe I like the idea, but I have some questions about it. And that's been a pretty consistent pattern with me. Sometimes the entire Council agrees. Sometimes the Council is divided in some ways or not. But this Staff here is as talented of a Staff as any City Council in the Twin Cities, and I would say the entire state. We have worked really, really hard, and Lynn has worked incredibly hard to have this talent and the others you don't see here that are working on behalf of the City of Farmington. And I personally couldn't be prouder. I'm not trying to be overly critical of the one individual here who has made comments. I know there is a certain level of frustration that is out there within the community but, as best as you can, if you have comments, try to keep your comments not directed towards Staff. It is citizens comments directed towards the Council. We are the elected body and the body that is held Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of April 7, 2025 Page 5 of 8 accountable by the residents, and we should always be the ones where criticism is directed to. The comments tonight, in large part, were directed that way and I appreciate that. I wish our Chambers had citizen comments every two weeks. Sometimes that only happens when big issues come up. But I just felt it on my heart to acknowledge that I just don't like seeing our Staff beat up for all the incredible work that they do. And just to reiterate, we are not robots, we all have the ability to make independent decisions, think for ourselves, and arrive at a decision that we feel is best. On a couple of issues, I've looked at a particular issue differently than my peers, but we're a team. Clerk Buecksler: Congratulations to Lighthouse Kitchen + Cafe on their license, and I look forward to them opening. Director Kuennen: I just want to thank you for the conversation we had today about the GreenSteps program. This is a program that we've been involved with since 2011, it was paused back in 2019, and our Staff has done a really great job researching where we're at with that and identifying a path forward. So, we were excited to be able to share that with you tonight and excited to get to the next step with that. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to have that conversation. Director Powell: As most people know, in the springtime, pavement thaws, it becomes very weak and susceptible to damage, so the State puts on weight restrictions. We follow all those weight restrictions. I expect they'll come off sooner this year than they have in past years but, once that happens, that's when all the construction equipment is going to start moving because a lot of them can't be moved with weight restrictions on. We have a pre-construction meeting this week for Dushane/Spruce reconstruction,we have Meadowview Preserve 2nd Addition,we're opening bids on the 2025 Street Improvements, so construction season will soon be upon us. Drive safe out there. Director Omlid: Friday morning at 9:30 am, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be here at Rambling River Park stocking the Vermillion River with trout. Public is invited to attend -it's actually really cool. If you haven't seen the video, it is on our Facebook page. Come out on Friday about 9:30 am and watch the DNR stock the trout. Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of April 7, 2025 Page 6 of 8 May 3rd is a big day for the city -we have our Rambling River Center Arts & Crafts Fair at the Schmitz-Maki Arena from 9 am to 3 pm. We are still taking vendors, so if you're a woodworker, you sew, you craft, you cook, you bake, whatever you do, we're still looking for vendors. You have until April 25th to register your spot. This can be found on the City's website at www.forn-iingtommn.aov. Also on May 3rd is Pond and Park Cleanup. Emilee Shearer and McKenna Rodine are in charge of that. If you have a pond or park you want to clean up, we will definitely take that help. We know it has been very windy this year. We've had a number of calls about trash already, so I know we have had some people already cleaning up trash. But May 3rd, if you're interested in helping in the community, Pond and Park Cleanup. Please reach out to us. Arbor Day Tree Planting is Friday, April 25th, from 10- 10:30 am at Distad Park. Join us then. Mayor Hoyt: Steve started to go down a really good point. As we work our way through litigation in these two suits that have been brought, there are things that can and cannot be talked about in public, as it will reveal the advantage and position the City is choosing to take as it defends both claims. With that being said, it's time to start saying the quiet parts out loud. And we'll start with the first part, that it is often broadcast about how the City of Farmington is wasting its tax dollars in litigation. For the record, that first piece of litigation is about 95% Castle Rock residents and a singular Farmington resident. So, for the Farmington residents, know that their tax dollars are being used to fight a lawsuit against Castle Rock residents. The second part - this City has had a hard time developing over decades and, as early as 2006, the Olson's, who own a golf course, were essentially told what they could and could not do with their property, from both Castle Rock and Farmington. Their land rights were infringed on. And here they sit, almost 20 years later, being told now the other use of that subject land is no longer allowed. It's their property. It's their property to do with as they wish. They don't need to put a sign in their yard and say it's for sale. They don't need to advertise to anybody. That is a whole different path that nobody wants to embark on in this country. You want to start going down that path, your local government unit is the last person you want showing up and knocking on your door, telling you who you should sell to, when you should sell, and for how much. And that's exactly the situation that the Olson's have found themselves in. They were told back in 2006 that, with opposition, no we don't want high density, we don't want townhomes, we don't want that. Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of April 7, 2025 Page 7 of 8 And now we don't want mixed use commercial and industrial. Think about that. Let that sink in for a little bit. In the meantime, they are taxpaying residents of the City of Farmington. They are longstanding community contributors who have done nothing but give back. And they are the ones that are (fill in the word) being (expletive) on, and it's sickening. It's sickening to watch, and we will fight it to the extent of the law and, I guarantee you, we will prevail. And, yes, there are a lot more of the quiet parts that need to be said out loud, but I'll choose a better forum for that. 14.ADJOURNMENT Motion was made by Councilmember Wilson and seconded by Councilmember Lien to adjourn the meeting at 7:43 pm. Motion carried: 5 ayes / 0 nays Res ectfully submitted, Sh$rRBu s r City Clerk Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of April 7,2025 Page 8 of 8