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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.15.25 Council MinutesRegular City Council Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2025 Page 1 of 8 City of Farmington Regular Council Meeting Minutes Monday, September 15, 2025 The City Council met in regular session on Monday, September 15, 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 Councilmembers Holly Bernatz, Jake Cordes, Nick Lien, and Steve Wilson Members Absent: None Staff Present: David Chanski, Interim City Administrator/HR Director Amy Schmidt, City Attorney Deanna Kuennen, Economic & Community Dev. Director Tony Wippler, Planning Manager Kim Sommerland, Finance Director Matt Price, Fire Chief Heath Walker, Fire Marshal Kellee Omlid, Parks & Recreation Director Nate Siem, Police Chief Andrew Van Dorn, Police Sergeant Bob Sauter, Police Sergeant John Powell, Public Works Director Shirley Buecksler, City Clerk Also Present: Gary Rutherford, Police Chief – Retired 4. APPROVE AGENDA Motion was made by Councilmember Bernatz and seconded by Councilmember Wilson to approve the agenda, as presented. Motion carried: 5 ayes / 0 nays Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2025 Page 2 of 8 5. ANNOUNCEMENTS / COMMENDATIONS 5.1 Pinning and Oaths of Office for Police Captains Bob Sauter and Andrew Van Dorn Mayor Hoyt administered the Oath of Office for Police Captains Bob Sauter and Andrew Van Dorn. 5.2 Fire Prevention Week 2025 Proclamation A proclamation was read by the City Council for Fire Prevention Week 2025. Motion was made by Councilmember Wilson and seconded by Councilmember Cordes to proclaim October 5 – 11, 2025 as Fire Prevention Week in Farmington. Motion carried: 5 ayes / 0 nays 6. CITIZENS COMMENTS / RESPONSES TO COMMENTS • Nate Ryan, 22390 Cambrian Way, Farmington 7. CONSENT AGENDA 7.1 Application for a Temporary On-Sale Liquor License from Star of the North Council No. 276 Allied Masonic Degrees January 31, 2026 7.2 Minutes of the September 2, 2025 City Council Work Session 7.3 Minutes of the September 2, 2025 Regular City Council Meeting 7.4 Minutes of the September 9, 2025 Special City Council Meeting 7.5 Payment of Claims 7.6 Agreement with MetLife fore Paid Family Medical Leave Coverage 7.7 City Administrator Employment Agreement 7.8 Staff Approvals and Recommendations, including: • Promotion of Kelly Huntington from ICPOET Cadet to Police Officer • Appointment of Derrik Pelant to ICPOET Cadet 7.9 Declaring Surplus Equipment - IT 7.10 Declaring Surplus Property - Police 7.11 2025 Mill & Overlay – Change Order No. 1 Motion was made by Councilmember Bernatz and seconded by Councilmember Lien to approve the Consent Agenda, as presented. Motion carried: 5 ayes / 0 nays 8. PUBLIC HEARINGS Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2025 Page 3 of 8 9. AWARD OF CONTRACT 10. PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS 10.1 Waiver of Platting Application – 5275 190th Street W Planning Manager Wippler presented a request from Hebert Homes for a waiver of plat approval to split the property located at 5275 190th Street W to create an additional residential lot. Motion was made by Councilmember Wilson and seconded by Councilmember Cordes to approve the waiver of plat, as presented. Motion carried: 5 ayes / 0 nays 11. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 12. NEW BUSINESS 12.1 Preliminary 2026 General Fund Budget and Tax Levy Director Sommerland presented the Preliminary 2026 General Fund Budget and Tax Levy. Chief Price spoke in regard to the increase for the Fire Department, which includes the addition of six full-time Firefighter positions in 2026. Motion was made by Councilmember Lien and seconded by Councilmember Bernatz to adopt Resolution 2025-061 Adopting the Preliminary 2026 Budget and Setting the Preliminary Tax Levy Collectible in 2026. Motion carried: 5 ayes / 0 nays Motion was made by Councilmember Cordes and seconded by Councilmember Wilson to set the public input meeting for the final 2026 budget and tax levy to be held on Monday, December 1, 2025 at 7 pm. Motion carried: 5 ayes / 0 nays 12.2 Ordinance 2025-007 Amending Title 6, Chapter 9, of the Farmington City Code as it Relates to Park Regulations Director Omlid introduced Ordinance 2025-007 and answered questions for Council. Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2025 Page 4 of 8 Motion was made by Councilmember Cordes and seconded by Councilmember Bernatz to pass Ordinance 2025-007 Amending Title 6, Chapter 9, of the Farmington City Code as it Relates to Park Regulations. Motion carried: 5 ayes / 0 nays 13. CITY COUNCIL ROUNDTABLE City Attorney Schmidt followed up on comments made by Mr. Ryan during the public comment section. Just for the public’s awareness of the litigation that the City is engaged in related to the data center, there was a motion hearing on July 31, 2025. The court heard the City’s motion to dismiss the Township’s claims, and the matter is still under advisement with the court. The Judge has 90 days from the date she took it under advisement, which was July 31st. We are still waiting for the Judge’s decision on that issue. In the meantime, there has been some written discovery that has been served in exchange. City Staff has been working with the lead litigation attorney appointed by the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust to answer that discovery. At the same time, on August 15th, based on a stipulation that the parties in both the coalition lawsuit and Township lawsuit, which have been consolidated by the court, the court ordered that any further discovery be stayed (put on hold) until the Judge makes her decision on the City’s motion. So, we are in kind of a holding pattern on that. Mr. Ryan is correct that, eventually, there will be a time when there will be some mediation that will occur. Since we are in state court, not federal court, it won’t be with a magistrate judge, it will be with a mediator that is agreed upon by the parties. We are following the court’s direction and waiting for her to make her decision. Councilmember Lien said if anyone noticed Consent Agenda item 7.7, you’ll see why I am very happy tonight. Councilmember Bernatz congratulated our new Police Captains, as well as Kelly and Derek, who are part of the ICPOET program, for their promotions. And I, too, am excited that we have come to an agreement for our City Administrator. Also, if you want to get out and see what’s happening in our community and with our youth and looking for a fun opportunity, I recommend coming to the Homecoming Parade on September 24th. Councilmember Cordes said he is excited about the news that was approved under the Consent Agenda tonight. Also, not only is the Homecoming Parade a great opportunity to see your community, but the football game on Friday should be a fun game. Councilmember Wilson commented on the levy and said trail maintenance budget is a high priority for the City and a priority for all of us. If you drive by Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2025 Page 5 of 8 Apple Valley and Lakeville both have park-related construction going. A couple years ago, Apple Valley passed a $73 million separate referendum. Lakeville recently passed a $38 million referendum. Up to this point, Farmington has refrained from bringing a park referendum to the community. With all the work the Parks & Recreation Commission is doing, and the good work Director Omlid is doing, I think this is something the City should talk about in the near future, given how much we’re trying to do with a limited amount of funds. Trails are in the top three favorite amenities in this community for obvious reasons. City Clerk Buecksler congratulated Captains Sauter and Van Dorn. It was great to see a full house here tonight to support them. Director Chanski spoke on behalf of Chief Price who had to leave the meeting tonight for training on new equipment. The Fire Department Open House is this Wednesday, September 17th, starting at 5:30 pm at Fire Station #1. Also, this evening you approved an Employment Agreement with Lynn Gorski to return as City Administrator. Throughout the organization, there’s excitement to have her back. For myself, I’m looking forward to going back to wearing one hat in just a few weeks. She should be back with us and in that chair on October 6th. Congratulations to Captains Van Dorn and Sauter. I had the privilege of being a part of their selection process. As Chief Siem said, four fantastic candidates, very hard decision, no wrong decision. It’s been really cool to see them jump into their new roles over the last month. Lastly, thank you as the Council for adopting the preliminary budget and showing your trust in us as your Staff in developing that and making recommendations that we did. Thank you to my colleagues in the collaborative process and, especially, to Kim and her very hard work. It’s not an understatement to say hundreds of hours that she had put into this budget over the last six months. It’s been a big undertaking in implementing the new financial management plan and all the different capital changes and things that are going into the budget. Obviously, we still have some more work to do over the next couple of months, but we have a great foundation, and I think we’re going to be in a very good spot for our final budget. Two other things I want to say on that. First of all, I’ve only been here for seven months but, whenever someone outside of these walls asks me what I enjoy about working for the City of Farmington, one of the things I consistently say to people is what I enjoy and am proud about with the City of Farmington is that we generally do good governance and we stick to our core principles and our service provision items. We don’t do a lot of fluff stuff, we focus on providing the highest level of core values to our residents, and I think that shows in this budget and what my colleagues and I put into it. Also, to give a little context, 12.98% is an increase, obviously. But, when Kim talked about some of the factors that resulted beyond the Fire Department in those increases, those are things that we are not the only entity facing. I want to share where some of Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2025 Page 6 of 8 our neighbors are at (as of the last Dakota County Manager’s Meeting a few weeks ago): Dakota County – about 8% increase Apple Valley – 15.58% increase Hastings – 8.38 % increase Eagan – 8.9% increase Rosemount – 12.9% increase Lakeville – 7% increase Burnsville – 7.4% increase We are in the ballpark with all of our neighbors and where they’re experiencing stresses on their budgets, as well. Director Powell stated for those residents on Second Street that are not attending the Fire Station Open House, there is an Open House for the 2026 Street Improvement Project Wednesday evening from 5 – 6:30 pm here in the City Hall atrium. Director Omlid said the playground equipment for the Westview Acres Park was supposed to be delivered today at Noon. I believe they will start the installation tomorrow. I talked with the Principal at Boeckmann Middle School and invited his student who helped select the equipment to come to the ribbon cutting. Once we have a date and time, we will let you know, as well. We are really excited to have the students come to a ribbon cutting, which may be mid - to end of October by the time we get the site restoration done. Also, tomorrow is Open Door Food Pantry from 3 to 4:30 pm at the Rambling River Center. And following the Homecoming Parade is the Tiger Cub Pep Fest – hope you attend that, as well. Chief Siem said on the Consent Agenda was Kelly Huntington for appointment to the position of Police Officer, and that’s been our second ICPOET candidate. We are really excited to have her start tomorrow. It’s going to be great to have her on patrol. The second position was Derrik Palant, our third ICPOET candidate, that $50,000 grant position. He was approved to start school on October 6th at Hennepin Tech, and we hope to have him here in uniform in February. Also, before our next meeting, we will be starting Toys for Town preparations – it’s that season again. Just to get it on your radar – it’s right around the corner. And the promotions of Captain Van Dorn and Captain Sauter – thank you so much for approving those. They’re going to be great additions to the Department. Lastly, I want to mention a great friend to the Farmington Police Department, Pam McCarthy, and offer my condolences to her on the passing of her husband. Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2025 Page 7 of 8 Mayor Hoyt thanked Chief Siem for his condolences to Pam McCarthy – it was a little bit of what I was referencing last week. Obviously, there is a very high- profile event that happened. This country as a whole, in my opinion, is really at a tipping point. There has been a lot of political discourse for the better part of the last ten years or so. When it elevates to that level, it completely turns the page on what we think normal is. And as you have more conversations with your friends, your social circles, whatever it may be, it’s tough because we’re starting to get desensitized to the severity of all of it. When you hear about a school shooting, I have noticed that people make comments like “how many this time?” or “where was it at?” It’s beyond the fact that it happened – it’s now as if we’re somehow measuring what the severity of the thing is, and it’s heartbreaking that that’s our current reality. That we have, as a nation, gotten to a point where we walk with our phones stuck in our hands, things happen, and we’re quick to take video of it, and the information is out before people are even notified. It’s especially disturbing when it happens in front of a large crowd of young adults and the spouse and children of the slain. It’s disturbing, and it’s a harsh reminder for all of us to really dig deep and look at our core values, our moral compass, what we think is important, and what we want to put our energy and effort into. But it’s also the reason why we need to continue to have people across this nation engage in dialogue, stand up, have conversations, even in the face of diversity and the face of disagreement. Just having the conversations isn’t enough. Just listening isn’t enough. It’s a two-way street. Nate Ryan and I can have conversations all day long. Nate and I can talk about what we believe or don’t believe to be true, what we want or what we don’t want to happen with any number of topics. But if Nate and I can’t have a conversation where we’re willing to listen to the other side and respect the difference of opinion – insert any topic you want it doesn’t matter. No one wins. One person may win an argument. One person may win a disagreement. But the totality of society comes down to our ability to have constructive dialogue in the face of disagreement. And without pivoting too far, I’m going to pivot right into the school’s referendum for this fall. Community growth starts in our schools. Community, culture, identity, and the strength of our nation is in the hands of our kiddos. The future President of the United States is sitting in a classroom somewhere. The future Chief of Police is sitting in a classroom somewhere. The future executive of Fortune 500 companies is sitting in a classroom somewhere. The leader of a non-profit is sitting in a classroom somewhere right now. Much has been said in the last few years in the failed referendums within our School District but let’s not be mistaken. Our School District is our number one employer. They have over 1,000 employees. Insert any name you want – when your number one employer has to have a significant reduction in staffing, there is a loss to those in the schools. It directly impacts the level of education, the classroom sizes, the program offerings, everything. It’s not something you’re going to feel in year one, you’re going to feel it in year five, year ten, year 15. It’s a long play. And I appreciate what the District is doing Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2025 Page 8 of 8 to try to over-communicate and put out all the information. The net of it is – they have too many unfunded mandates. There are too many things that our District has to continue to fund because of our State Legislature. At the end of the day, they need more money. Now, you say yes this fall, it means they’re going to revoke the existing and they’re going to implement new, and your taxes will go up for two years. Then, they’re going to go down because of the long-term capital debt that is being paid. Say no, and your taxes will not go up, and they will go down over time, but so will the educational opportunities for all of the children. And it doesn’t matter what house they live in, what development they live in, it doesn’t matter. Everyone is going to be affected. I usually don’t like to cross lines when it comes to City Council, City Government, and the School District, but we’re going to feel the impact of a no vote. Everybody in this community is going to feel the impact of a no vote. So, please, educate yourself, find the resources that are out there, talk to other individuals, but please vote. Support the referendum. Support the growth of this community. It’s going to be uncomfortable for a little bit, but I promise you the alternative is far more uncomfortable. And that is not a reality that I know a lot of people want to be any part of. So, please, vote yes this fall for the School’s referendum. 14. ADJOURNMENT Motion was made by Councilmember Bernatz and seconded by Councilmember Cordes to adjourn the meeting at 8:55 pm. Motion carried: 5 ayes / 0 nays Respectfully submitted, Shirley R Buecksler City Clerk