HomeMy WebLinkAbout01.05.26 Work Session Packet
AGENDA
Council Work Session
Meeting
5:30 PM - Monday, January 5, 2026
Farmington City Hall, Conf Rm 170
Page
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. APPROVE AGENDA
3. DISCUSSION ITEMS
3.1. Annual Organizational Matters - 60 mins
Review the annual organizational matters listed above and make
appointments to committees and assignments for 2026.
Agenda Item: Annual Organizational Matters - 60 mins - Pdf
2 - 49
4. CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE UPDATE
5. CITY ADMINISTRATOR UPDATE
6. ADJOURN
Page 1 of 49
COUNCIL WORK SESSION AGENDA MEMO
To: Mayor, Councilmembers and City Administrator
From: Shirley Buecksler, City Clerk
Department: Administration
Subject: Annual Organizational Matters - 60 mins
Meeting: Council Work Session - Jan 05 2026
INTRODUCTION:
Annually, at their first meeting of the year, the City Council addresses organizational
matters for the upcoming year.
DISCUSSION:
State Law requires that the City Council address annual organizational matters during its
first regular meeting of the year to make certain designations and appointments. The City
Council has traditionally taken this time to approve the following actions:
Acting Mayor for 2026
The City Council By-Laws state that an Acting Mayor shall be appointed annually and on a
rotating basis in the absence of the Mayor. According to the By-Laws, the Acting Mayor
shall be selected as follows:
In an even numbered year, the member serving their fourth year of term who received
the second most votes when elected.
In an odd numbered year, the member serving their third year of term who received
the most votes when elected.
With 2026 being an even numbered year, the member serving their fourth year of term and
who received the most votes when elected is Councilmember Nick Lien. Councilmember
Lien was elected in 2022 and received 5,120 votes at the November 8, 2022 General
Election. Councilmember Holly Bernatz was also elected at the November 8, 2022 General
Election and received 5,603 votes. Councilmember Bernatz served as Acting Mayor in
2025.
Official Newspaper for 2026
Staff solicited quotes from the Dakota County Tribune and the Star Tribune for legal notices
and publications, which are attached. The quote received from the Dakota County
Tribune came in lower than the Star Tribune again this year. Staff is satisfied with the pricing
Page 2 of 49
and service provided by the Dakota County Tribune and recommends retaining the
Dakota County Tribune as the City's official newspaper for 2026. This item is included on the
Council's regular agenda for approval.
Official Depositories
A resolution identifying the official City depositories for fiscal year 2026 is attached and also
included on the Council's regular agenda for approval.
Charges and Fees for 2026
At their December 15, 2025 Regular City Council Meeting, the City Council passed
Ordinance 2025-009 Establishing Charges and Fees for Licenses, Permits, or Other City
Approvals and Services for Calendar Year 2026.
2026 Boards and Commissions
The City Council held interviews with applicants on Monday, December 15, 2025 at a
Special Work Session for the purpose of selecting board and commission candidates.
Appointments will be made at the City Council's regular meeting on January 20, 2026 for
terms beginning February 1st.
2026 Council Committees
The City Council should discuss committee appointments for 2026 and direct the City Clerk
to add these appointed members to a resolution (draft attached) to be brought forward
for adoption at the Council's regular meeting. Also attached for review are the
appointments for 2025 Council Committees (Resolution 2025-05).
Responsible Authority for Data Practices
The attached resolution appoints the City Clerk as the Responsible Authority for data
practices and also identifies the Data Compliance Official and Data Practices Designees
for Fire, Human Resources, and Police. This resolution is on the Council's regular agenda for
approval. For the Council's information, the City's Data Practices Policy is also attached.
City Council By-Laws
The City Council's By-Laws are attached for review. The last amendment was approved on
January 7, 2019. Council should review the by-laws and advise Staff of any desired
changes. This item is on the Council's regular agenda for approval.
City Council Policies
The current City Council Policies are attached for review. Council should advise Staff of
any desired changes.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Review the annual organizational matters listed above and make appointments to
committees and assignments for 2026.
ATTACHMENTS:
Newspaper Quotes for 2026
Page 3 of 49
2026-006 Designating Depositories and Authorizing Investment Accounts
Appointments to 2026 Council Committees
Designating Data Practices RA
City Council By-Laws, approved 1.02.2024
City Council Policies, 2025
Page 4 of 49
AAA
November 7, 2025
Shirley Buecksler
City of Farmington,
430 Third Street
Farmington, MN 55024
Dear Ms. Buecksler,
Please accept the following bid from the Dakota County Tribune for legal newspaper designation for
the City Of Farmington. This newspaper is qualified by the State of Minnesota as a legal newspaper
under Minnesota Statutes Section 331A.02, Subd. 1.
The following rate structure for legals is effective January 1, 2026:
First insertion: 6.50 per column inch
Characters per inch: 320
Lines per inch: 9
A notarized affidavit will be provided for each notice published. A $20 charge will be assessed on legalPp99
notices that require typing. All published legal notices are posted on the Dakota County Tribune
website at no additional charge. All press releases are published at no additional charge as well.
The Dakota County Tribune is published weekly on Fridays. The deadline is 10:00 a.m. on Tuesdays
for publication on Friday of the same week. Early deadlines apply during the week of a holiday. Please
email legal notices to publicnotice(a)apgecrn.com. We currently have 2825 homes in the Farmington/
Rosemount/Apple Valley area subscribing to the Dakota County Tribune and 97,000 monthly average
views on our website. It is not necessary to be a subscriber to view the legal notices on our website.
They are available free of charge to the public.
Thank you for considering the Dakota County Tribune as the official newspaper for the City of
Farmington for the upcoming year. We appreciate the opportunity to serve the needs of your
district and would like to continue serving you in 2025.
Sincerely,
Tonya O beck
Adams MultiMedia
Legal Notice Department Manager
763-691-6000
15322 Galaxie Avenue Suite 219•Apple Valley,MN 55124.970.343.0407•SUNTHISWEEK.COM
Page 5 of 49
2026 Designated Legal Newspaper Rates
• $1.58 per line per day
o Legal notices will also run on startribune.com at no extra charge.
• Approximately $17.90 per column inch
o Notices are charged per line not per column inch so you are not paying for space
you are not using.
• Pricing applies to legal notices only.
• Product pricing only
Deadlines (applies to placement, changes & cancellations):
• Two business days prior to first publication date at 2pm CST
• Publication Day Deadline
• Sunday Friday 2pm
• Monday Friday 2pm
• Tuesday Friday 2pm
• Wednesday Monday 2pm
• Thursday Tuesday 2pm
• Friday Wednesday 2pm
• Saturday Thursday 2pm
• Legal display deadlines are advanced 48 hours.
• Deadlines will be advanced for holidays/special occasions.
Affidavits:
• Emailed 24-48 business hours after last publication date
Circulation
• Sunday ~110,524
• Monday ~64,304
• Tuesday ~64,304
• Wednesday ~64,304
• Thursday ~64,304
• Friday ~64,304
• Saturday ~64,304
Contact
• Email: placeads@startribune.com
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CITY OF FARMINGTON
DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
RESOLUTION 2026-006
A RESOLUTION DESIGNATING DEPOSITORIES AND
AUTHORIZING INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes §§118A.02 and 118A.03 require that public
funds be deposited only in authorized depositories and that deposits exceeding
limits guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) be
secured by collateral or corporate surety bonds; and
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes §§118A.04 and 118A.05 authorize
municipalities to invest public funds not currently needed for other purposes in
permitted investments, including money market mutual funds and FDIC-insured
brokered deposit programs, and to enter into agreements with financial
institutions and broker-dealers for such purposes; and
WHEREAS, the Farmington City Council desires to ensure compliance with
Minnesota law, safeguard the City's public funds, and designate officers
authorized to sign checks on the City's depository accounts.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Farmington City Council that Old
National Bank is hereby designated as the official depository for the City’s public
funds under Minnesota Statute §118A.02.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that RBC Capital Markets, Oppenheimer, and
Moreton Capital Markets are designated as authorized accounts in
accordance with Minnesota Statutes §§118A.04–118A.05. These providers may
maintain accounts for the temporary placement of funds to facilitate the
purchase, sale, and custody of investments.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Finance Director may make additional
designations of depositories or investment providers as needed and remove
institutions as circumstances require.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that before any deposits are made that exceed
the amount that is guaranteed by the FDIC, or if the depository is not an FDIC
member, the depository must supply to the City a corporate surety bond in the
amount required by law or, in lieu of the surety bond, pledge collateral in the
manner and to the extent required and permitted by Minnesota Statutes
Chapter 118A.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that checks drawn on any official depository shall
require at least two authorized signatures. The officers authorized to sign checks
include the City’s Mayor, City Administrator, and Finance Director.
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Resolution 2026-006
Page 2 of 2
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this designation shall be reviewed and
reaffirmed annually by the City Council.
Adopted by the City Council of the City of Farmington, Minnesota, this 5th day of
January 2026.
ATTEST:
Joshua Hoyt, Mayor Shirley R Buecksler, City Clerk
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CITY OF FARMINGTON
DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
RESOLUTION 2026-003
A RESOLUTION APPROVING APPOINTMENTS
TO COUNCIL COMMITTEES FOR 2026
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Farmington held a Special Council
Organizational Meeting on Monday, January 5, 2026; and
WHEREAS, appointments were made to the following public agencies:
PUBLIC AGENCY MEMBERS APPOINTED
Airlake Airport Advisory Commission
_______________ – Primary
_______________ – Alternate
ALF Ambulance
(Apple Valley/Lakeville/ Farmington)
______________ – Primary
______________ – Alternate
Dakota 911 Board of Directors
______________ – Primary
______________ – Alternate
EFPAC
Empire/Farmington Planning Advisory Committee
______________ – Primary
______________ – Alternate
Eureka/Farmington Planning Advisory Committee
______________ – Primary
______________ – Alternate
Farmington/Castle Rock Discussion Group
______________ – Primary
______________ – Alternate
Fire Relief Board
______________ – Primary
______________ – Alternate
Liquor Operations Committee
______________ – Primary
______________ – Alternate
MUSA Review Committee
(Metropolitan Urban Service Area)
______________ – Primary
______________ – Alternate
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Farmington City Council approves
the appointments to public agencies as outlined herein.
Page 9 of 49
Resolution 2026-003
Page 2 of 2
Adopted by the City Council of the City of Farmington, Minnesota, this 5th day of January 2026.
ATTEST:
____________________________ ______________________________
Joshua Hoyt, Mayor Shirley R Buecksler, City Clerk
Page 10 of 49
Page 11 of 49
Committee Meeting Date/Time Location Council Representatives Date Appointed
Airlake Airport Advisory Commission Quarterly Primary - Holly Bernatz
Alternate - Jake Cordes January 6, 2025
ALF Ambulance
Apple Valley/Lakeville/Farmington
4th Thursday
January, April, July, October Rotates Primary - Steve Wilson
Alternate - Nick Lien January 6, 2025
Dakota 911 Board of Directors
8 a.m., 3rd Thursday
February, May, September,
November
Dakota 911 Training Room Primary - Nick Lien
Alternate - Steve Wilson January 6, 2025
EFPAC
Joint Empire/Farmington Planning Advisory
Committee
As needed Primary - Joshua Hoyt
Alternate - Jake Cordes January 6, 2025
Eureka/Farmington Planning Advisory Committee As needed Primary - Holly Bernatz
Alternate - Joshua Hoyt January 6, 2025
Farmington/Castle Rock Discussion Group As needed Primary - Joshua Hoyt
Alternate - Steve Wilson January 6, 2025
Fire Relief Board Quarterly City Hall Primary - Steve Wilson
Alternate - Jake Cordes January 6, 2025
Liquor Operations Committee Once a year Liquor Store(s)Primary - Jake Cordes
Alternate - Nick Lien January 6, 2025
MUSA Review Committee
Municipal Urban Service Area As needed Primary - Holly Bernatz
Alternate - Nick Lien January 6, 2025
2025 COUNCIL COMMITTEES
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CITY OF FARMINGTON
DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
RESOLUTION 2026-002
A RESOLUTION DESIGNATING
DATA PRACTICES RESPONSIBLE AUTHORITY
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes Section 13.02, subdivision 16, requires that the City of
Farmington appoint a Responsible Authority as the individual responsible for the collection, use,
and dissemination of any set of data on individuals, government data, or summary data; and
WHEREAS, the Farmington City Council shares concern expressed by the legislature on
the responsible use of all City data and wishes to satisfy this concern by appointing an
administratively qualified Responsible Authority under this statute.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of
Farmington, for the purposes of meeting all requirements of Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13, hereby
appoints the City Clerk as the Responsible Authority, as listed below along with the Data Practices
Compliance Official and Data Practices Designees:
Responsible Authority
Shirley Buecksler, City Clerk
Data Practices Compliance Official
David Chanski, Assistant City Administrator
Data Practices Designee – Fire
Matt Price, Fire Chief
Data Practices Designee – Human Resources
Samantha Hazelrigg, Human Resources Manager
Data Practices Designee – Police
Nate Siem, Police Chief
Adopted by the City Council of the City of Farmington, Minnesota, this 5th day of January 2026.
ATTEST:
____________________________ ______________________________
Joshua Hoyt, Mayor Shirley R Buecksler, City Clerk
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City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 1
Data Practices Policy
Page 14 of 49
City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 2
Table of Contents
Page
Minnesota Government Data Practices Act 3
Responsible Authority for the City of Farmington 3
Data Practices Policy for the Public
A. Your Right to See Public Data
B. How to Request Public Data
C. How We Will Respond to Your Data Request
D. How to Request Summary Data
E. Copy Costs When You Request Public Data
3-5
Data Practices Policy – Data about you and your rights as a Data Subject
A. What is a Data Subject?
B. When the City of Farmington has Data About You
C. Your Rights Under the Government Data Practices Act
D. How to Make a Request for Your Data
E. How We Will Respond to Your Data Request
F. Copy Costs – Data Subjects
6-11
Exhibit A – City of Farmington Data Practices Contacts 12
Exhibit B – Data Request Form – Requesting Public Data 13
Exhibit C – Data Request Form and Proof of Identity – Data Subject 14
Exhibit D – Standards for Verifying Identity – Data Subject 15
Exhibit E – Notice to Persons Under 18 16
Exhibit F – Consent to Release Private Data 17
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City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 3
Minnesota Government Data Practices Act
The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (“the Act”) is a State law that establishes
a classification system for documents gathered by governmental utilities. Under the Act,
all records collected and maintained by the City of Farmington (“City”) are considered
public unless otherwise classified by a State of Federal law.
This document has been prepared to help the public understand the procedures that
govern a request for data from the City. The City recognizes its obligation to provide
information or a response regarding the information to anyone who requests it. The City
also acknowledges the need to remain open and accountable to the public in the
maintenance of its records, while providing the privacy rights of individuals and
continuing the efficient operation of City government.
Responsible Authority for the City of Farmington
The City of Farmington has appointed the City Clerk as the person who is the Responsible
Authority for compliance with the Act. Questions regarding access to documents should
be directed to the appropriate individual listed in Exhibit A – City of Farmington Data
Practices Contacts.
Data Practices Policy for the Public
A. Your Right to See Public Data
The Act presumes that all government data are public unless a State or Federal
law says the data are not public. Government data means all recorded
information a government entity has, including paper, email, flash drives, CDs,
DVDs, photographs, etc.
The Act also says that the City must keep all government data in a way that makes
it easy for you to access public data. You have the right to look at (inspect), free
of charge, all public data that the City keeps. You also have the right to get copies
of public data. The Act allows the City to charge for copies. You have the right to
look at data, free of charge, before deciding to request copies.
B. How to Request Public Data
You can look at (inspect) data at our offices or ask for copies of public data that
the City keeps. Make your written request for data in person or by mail using the
Data Request Form – Requesting Public Data (Exhibit B).
If you choose not to use the Data Request Form, your request should:
1. Say that you are “making a request for public data under the Government
Data Practices Act (Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13).”
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City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 4
2. Include whether you would like to inspect the data, get copies of the data,
or both.
3. Provide a clear description of the data you would like to inspect or have
copied.
You are not required to identify yourself or explain the reason for your request.
However, you may need to provide us with some personal information for practical
reasons. For example, if you want us to mail copies to you, you need to provide us
with an address or P.O. Box. If we do not understand your request and have no
way to contact you, we cannot respond to your request.
C. How We Will Respond to Your Data Request
Upon receiving your request, we will review it.
• We may ask you to clarify what data you are requesting. If you do not
respond within 10 business days, we will conclude that you no longer want
the data and will consider your request closed.
• If we do not have the data, we will notify you in writing as soon as reasonably
possible.
• If we have the data but we are not allowed to give it to you (the data are
not public), we will tell you as soon as reasonably possible and identify the
law that prevents us from providing the data.
• If we have the data and the data are public, we will respond to your request
appropriately and promptly, within a reasonable amount of time by doing
one of the following:
o Arrange a date, time, and place for you to inspect the data at our
offices, if your request is to look at the data; or
o Provide you with copies of the data as soon as reasonably possibl e by
the following means:
▪ You may choose to pick up your copies;
▪ You may choose to have your copies mailed to you:
• For mailing, you will need to provide us with a mailing
address; and
• You will need to prepay postage costs prior to copies
being mailed.
• We will provide notice to you about our requirement to prepay for copies.
• Following our response, if you do not make arrangements within 10 business
days to inspect the data or pay for the copies, we will conclude that you no
longer want the data and will consider your request closed.
If you do not understand some of the data , such as technical terminology,
abbreviations, or acronyms, please tell the person who provided the data to you.
We will give you an explanation if you ask.
The Act does not require us to create or collect new data in response to a data
request or to provide data in a specific form or arrangement if we do not keep the
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City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 5
data in that form or arrangement . For example, if the data you request are on
paper only, we are not required to create electronic documents to respond to your
request. If we agree to create data in response to your request, we will work with
you on the details of your request, including cost and response time.
In addition, the Act does not require us to answer any questions that are not
requests for data.
D. How to Request Summary Data
Summary data are statistical records or reports that are prepared by removing all
identifiers from private or confidential data on individuals. The preparation of
summary data is not a means to gain access to private or confidential data. We
will prepare summary data if you make your request in writing and pre -pay/pay for
the cost of creating the data. You may use the Data Request Form in Exhibit B to
request summary data. We will respond within ten business days with the data, or
details of when the data will be ready and how much we will charge you.
E. Copy Costs When You Request Public Data
Minnesota Statutes, Section 13.03, Subdivision 3(c) allows the City to charge for
copies.
• You must pay for the copies before we will give them to you.
• We do not charge for copies if the cost is less than $5.00.
• Multiple requests made within the same three business day period will be
treated as a single request for the purposes of calculating the total copy
costs.
• If possible, and upon request, we will provide you with an estimation of
the total cost of supplying copies.
For 100 or fewer paper copies = 25¢ per page
100 or fewer pages of black and white, letter or legal size, one-sided, paper copies
cost 25¢ per page; or 50¢ per page for a two-sided copy.
Most other types of copies = actual cost
The charge for most other types of copies, when a charge is not set by statute or
rule, is the actual cost of searching for and retrieving the data and making the
copies or electronically sending the data. I f the number of pages exceeds 100
paper copies, the City will charge the actual costs for collection , excluding the
time to redact private information.
In determining the actual cost of making copies, the City factors in employee time,
the cost of the materials onto which we are copying the data (paper, CD, DVD,
etc.) and mailing costs, if any. The cost of the employee time to search for data,
retrieve data, and make copies will equal the actual cost of the employee’s wage
and benefits. If, because of the subject matter of your request , we find it necessary
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City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 6
for a higher-paid employee to search for and retrieve the data, we will calculate
the search and retrieval portion of the copy charge at the higher salary/wage.
If your request is for copies of data that we cannot reproduce ourselves, such as
photographs, we will charge you the actual cost we must pay an outside vendor
for the copies.
Note that inspection is free.
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City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 7
Data Practices Policy – Data About You and Your Rights as a Data Subject
A. What is a Data Subject?
When government has information recorded in any form (paper, hard drive , email,
flash drives, CDs, DVDs, photographs, etc.), that information is called “government
data” under the Act. When we can identify you in government data, you are the
“data subject” of that data. The Act gives you, as a data subject, certain rights.
This policy explains your rights as a data subject and tells you how to request data
about you, your minor child, or someone for whom you are the legal guardian.
The Government Data Practices Act (Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13) (“the Act”)
says that data subjects have certain rights related to a government entity
collecting, creating, and keeping government data about them. You are the
subject of data when you can be identified from the data. Government data is a
term that means all recorded information a government entity has, including
paper, email, flash drives, CDs, DVDs, photographs, etc.
B. When the City of Farmington Has Data About You
The City has data on many people. We can collect and keep data about you only
when we have a legal purpose to have the data. The City must also keep all
government data in a way that makes it easy for you to access data about you.
Also, we can collect and keep only those data about you that we need for
administering and managing programs that are permitted by law.
Government data about an individual have one of three “classifications.” These
classifications determine who is legally allowed to see the data. Data about you
are classified by state law as public, private, or confidential. Here are some
examples:
Public Data
The Act presumes that all government data are public unless a state or
federal law says that the data are not public. We must give public data to
anyone who asks. It does not matter who is asking for the data or why the
person wants the data.
An example of public data about you: Your name on an application for a
license from the City.
Private Data
We cannot give private data to the general public. We can share your
private data with you, with someone who has your permission, with our
government entity staff whose job requires or permits them to see the data,
and with others as permitted by law or court order.
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City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 8
An example of private data about you: Your social security number.
Confidential Data
Confidential data have the most protection. Neither the public nor you can
access confidential data even when the confidential data are about you.
We can share confidential data about you with our government entity staff
who have a work assignment to see the data, and to others as permitted by
law or court order.
An example of confidential data about you: The identity of a subject of an
active criminal investigation .
C. Your Rights Under the Government Data Practices Act
As a data subject, you have the following rights:
Access to Your Data
You have the right to look at (inspect), free of charge, public and private data that
we keep about you. You also have the right to get copies of public and private
data about you. The Act allows us to charge for copies. You have the right to look
at the data, free of charge, before deciding to request copies.
Also, if you ask, we will tell you whether we keep data about you and whether the
data are public, private, or confidential.
As a parent, you have the right to look at and get copies of public and private
data about your minor children (under the age of 18). As a legally appointed
guardian, you have the right to look at and get copies of public and private data
about an individual for whom you are appointed guardian.
Minors have the right to ask us not to give data about them to their parent or
guardian. If you are a minor, we will tell you that you have this right. We will ask you
to put your request in writing (Exhibit E) and to include the reasons that we should
deny your parents access to the data. We will make the final decision about your
request based on your interests.
When We Collect Data From You
When we ask you to provide data about yourself that are not public, we must give
you a notice called a Tennessen warning. The notice controls what we do with the
data that we collect from you. Usually, we can use and release the data only in
the ways described in the notice.
We will ask for your written permission if we need to use or release private data
about you in a different way, or if you ask us to release the data to another person.
This permission is called “informed consent.”
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City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 9
If you want us to release data to another person , you must use the consent form
we provide (Exhibit F).
Protecting Your Data
The Act requires us to protect your data. We have established appropriate
safeguards to ensure that your data are safe.
In the unfortunate event that we determine a security breach has occurred and
an unauthorized person has gained access to your data, we will notify you as
required by law.
When Your Data are Inaccurate or Incomplete
You have the right to challenge the accuracy and/or complete ness of public and
private data about you. You also have the right to appeal our decision. If you are
a minor, your parent or guardian has the right to challenge data about you.
D. How to Make a Request for Your Data
You can look at (inspect) data at our offices or ask for copies of data that we have
about you, your minor child, or an individual for whom you have been appointed
legal guardian.
Make your written request for data to the appropriate individual listed in the Data
Practices Contacts, Exhibit A. You may make your written request in person or by
mail.
We recommend using the Data Request Form – Data Subjects, Exhibit C. If you do
not choose to use the data request form, your request should:
• Say that you are making a request as a data subject, for data about you (or
your child, or person for whom you are the legal guardian), under the
Government Data Practices Act (Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13).
• Include whether you would like to inspect the data, have copies of the data,
or both.
• Provide a clear description of the data you would like to inspect or have
copied.
• Provide proof that you are the data subject or data subject’s parent/legal
guardian.
We require proof of your identity before we can respond to your request for data.
If you are requesting data about your minor child, you must show proof that you
are the minor’s parent. If you are a legal guardian, you must show legal
documentation of your guardianship. Please see the Standards for Verifying
Identity, Exhibit D. If you do not provide proof that you are the data subject, we
cannot respond to your request.
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City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 10
E. How We Will Respond to Your Data Request
Upon receiving your request, we will review it.
• We may ask you to clarify what data you are requesting.
• We will ask you to confirm your identity as the data subject.
• If we do not have the data, we will notify you in writing within ten business
days.
• If we have the data but the data are confidential or not public data about
someone else, we will notify you within ten business days and identify the las
that prevents us from providing the data.
• If we have the data, and the data are public or private about you, we will
respond to your request by doing one of the following:
o Arrange a date, time, and place to inspect data in our office, ensuring
you have a meaningful opportunity to inspect data within ten business
days of your request at no charge.
o Tell you how much the copies cost and then provide you with copies
of the data within ten business days and upon payment of charges for
the copies.
▪ You may choose to pick up your copies;
▪ You may choose to have your copies mailed to you:
• For mailing, you will need to provide us with a mailing
address; and
• You will need to prepay postage costs prior to copies
being mailed.
• We will provide notice to you about our requirement to prepay for copies.
• Following our response, if you do not make arrangements within ten business
days to inspect the data or pay for the copies, we will conclude that you no
longer want the data and will consider your request closed.
• After we have provided you with your requested data, we do not have to
show you the same data again for six months unless there is a dispute about
the data or we collect or create new data about you.
If you do not understand some of the data, such as technical terminology,
abbreviations, or acronyms, please tell the person who provided the data to you. We
will give you an explanation if you ask.
The Act does not require us to create or collect new data in response to a data
request, or to provide data in a specific form or arrangement if we do not keep the
data in that form or arrangement. For example, if the data you request are on paper
only, we are not required to create electronic documents to r espond to your request.
If we agree to create data in response to your request, we will work with you on the
details of your request, including cost and response time.
In addition, we are not required to respond to questions that are not about your data
requests, or that are not requests for government data.
Page 23 of 49
City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 11
F. Copy Costs – Data Subjects
Minnesota Statues, Section 13.04, Subdivision 3, al lows us to charge for copies.
• You must pay for the copies before we will give them to you.
• We do not charge for copies if the cost is less than $5.00.
Actual Cost of Making the Copies
We will charge the actual cost of making copies for data about you. In determining
the actual cost, we include the employee time to create and sent the copies, the
cost of the materials onto which we are copying the data (paper, CD, DVD, etc.),
and mailing costs such as postage, if any. If the amount of copies exceeds 100
paper copies, the City of Farmington will charge the ac tual costs for collection
excluding the time to redact private information.
If your request is for copies of data that we cannot copy ourselves, such as
photographs, we will charge you the actual cost we must pay to an outside vendor
for the copies.
Page 24 of 49
City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 12
EXHIBIT A
CITY OF FARMINGTON DATA PRACTICES CONTACTS
Responsible Authority
Name: Shirley Buecksler, City Clerk
Address: 430 Third St, Farmington, MN 55024
Phone Number: 651-280-6803
Data Practices Compliance Official
Name: David Chanski, Assistant City Administrator
Address: 430 Third St, Farmington, MN 55024
Phone Number: 651-280-6804
Data Practices Designee – Fire
Name: Matt Price, Fire Chief
Address: 19695 Municipal Dr, Farmington, MN 55024
Phone Number: 651-280-6941
Data Practices Designee – Human Resources
Name: Samantha Hazelrigg, Human Resources Manager
Address: 430 Third St, Farmington, MN 55024
Phone Number: 651-280-6806
Data Practices Designee – Police
Name: Nate Siem, Police Chief
Address: 19500 Municipal Dr, Farmington, MN 55024
Phone Number: 651-280-6701
Page 25 of 49
City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 13
EXHIBIT B
CITY OF FARMINGTON DATA REQUEST FORM – REQUESTING PUBLIC DATA
Request Date:
The data I am requesting:
Describe the data you are requesting as specifically as possible . If you need more space,
you may use the back of this form.
I am requesting access to data in the following way:
□ Inspection
□ Copies
□ Both inspection and copies
Note: Inspection is free but the City charges for copies when the cost is over $5.00.
Contact Information (optional): *
Name:
Address:
Street Address City State Zip
Phone Number: Email Address:
We will respond to your request as soon as reasonably possible.
* You do not have to provide any contact information; however, if you want us to mai l to
you copies of data, we will need some type of contact information. We also need to
contact you for clarification if we do not understand your request. We will not work on
your request until we can clarify it with you.
Police Records: Visit the Farmington Police Department webpage for information on how
to request Police reports.
All Other Requests: Mail or drop this form off at City Hall, 430 Third Street, Farmington, MN
55024.
Page 26 of 49
City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 14
EXHIBIT C
DATA REQUEST FORM AND PROOF OF IDENTITY – DATA SUBJECT
Request Date:
The data I am requesting:
Describe the data you are requesting as specifically as possible. If you need more space,
you may use the back of this form.
I am requesting access to data in the following way:
□ Inspection
□ Copies
□ Both inspection and copies
Note: Inspection is free but the City charges for copies when the cost is over $5.00.
Contact Information:
Data Subject Name:
Parent/Guardian Name (if applicable):
Address:
Street Address City State Zip
Phone Number: Email Address:
Police Records: Visit the Farmington Police Department webpage for information on how
to request Police reports.
All Other Requests: Mail or drop this form off at City Hall, 430 Third Street, Farmington, MN
55024.
To be completed by City Staff:
Proof of Identity: Type: ID #:
Issued by: Date Issued: Expiration Date:
Staff Printed Name: Staff Signature:
Page 27 of 49
City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 15
EXHIBIT D
CITY OF FARMINGTON STANDARDS FOR VERIFYING IDENTITY – DATA SUBJECT
The following constitute proof of identity:
• An adult individual must provide a valid photo ID, such as a:
o State Driver’s License
o Military ID
o Passport
o Minnesota ID
o Minnesota Tribal ID
• A minor individual must provide a valid photo ID, such as a:
o State Driver’s License
o Military ID
o Passport
o Minnesota ID
o Minnesota Tribal ID
o Minnesota School ID
• The parent or guardian of a minor must provide a valid photo ID and either a:
o Certified copy of the minor’s Birth Certificate; or
o Certified copy of documents that establish the parent or guardian’s relationship to
the child, such as:
▪ A court order relating to divorce, separation, custody, foster care.
▪ A foster care contract.
▪ An affidavit of parentage.
• The legal guardian for an individual must provide a valid photo ID and a certified copy of
appropriate documentation of formal or information appointment as guardian, such as a:
o Court Order
o Valid Power of Attorney
• A person authorized by court order must provide a valid photo ID and:
o The court order that identifies:
▪ Persons authorized to access the individual’s private data; and
▪ The scope of the access.
• A person authorized to access private data of a deceased person must provide a valid photo
ID and:
o Documents establishing the relationship to the deceased, which may include:
▪ Court-issued document appointing personal representative of the estate.
▪ Birth certificate to prove parental relationship.
▪ Marriage certificate to prove spousal relationship.
▪ Death certificate/notice of death.
• Authorized representatives, such as attorneys and insurers, must provide:
o The name of the data subject.
o A description of the data they are authorizing access.
o The name of the person or entity being authorized to receive the private data.
o Data subject’s notarized signature.
Note: Individuals who do not exercise their data practices rights in person must provide either
notarized or certified copies of the documents that are required, or an affidavit of identification,
by U.S. Mail or other delivery service to the City of Farmington , 430 Third Street, Farmington, MN
55024.
Page 28 of 49
City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 16
EXHIBIT E
CITY OF FARMINGTON NOTICE TO PERSONS UNDER 18
Some of the information you are asked to provide is classified as private under State law.
You have the right to request that some or all of the information not be given to one or
both of your parents/legal guardians. Please complete the form below if you wish to have
information withheld.
Your request does not automatically mean that the information will be withheld. State
law requires the City of Farmington to determine if honoring the request would be in your
best interest. The City is required to consider:
• Whether you are of sufficient age and maturity to explain the reasons and
understand the circumstances;
• Whether denying access may protect you from physical or emotional harm;
• Whether there are reasonable grounds to support your reasons; and
• Whether the data concerns medical, dental, or other health service provided
under Minnesota Statutes, Sections 144.341 to 144.347. If so, the data may be
released only if failure to inform the parent would seriously jeopardize your health.
Notice given to: Date:
By: Title:
REQUEST TO WITHHOLD INFORMATION
I request that the following information:
Be withheld from:
For these reasons:
Printed Name:
Signature: Date:
Page 29 of 49
City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 17
EXHIBIT F
CITY OF FARMINGTON CONSENT TO RELEASE PRIVATE DATA
Request Date:
If you want the City of Farmington to release private data about you, your minor child, or
individual under guardianship to an outside entity or person, the City needs written
permission (“informed consent”) from you to authorize that release. This form can be used
to provide informed consent for the City to release private data to another entity or
person.
If you have a question about anything about this consent, or would like more information
before you sign it, please contact the appropriate individual listed in the Data Practices
Contacts, Exhibit A.
Explanation of your rights and permission to release private data:
I, (name of individual data subject), give my permission for the
City of Farmington to release data about :
□ myself
□ my minor child or individual under guardianship:
(name of minor child or individual under guardianship)
to as described in this consent form.
(name of entity or person receiving the data)
The specific data I want the City of Farmington to release include:
Describe the data you are requesting to be released as specifically as possible:
I want the City of Farmington to release the data in the following way:
Explain how you want the data to be provided to the person or organization and
provided necessary contact information for doing so (for example, mailing address or to
be picked up).
Consent to Release Private Data, Page 1 of 2
Page 30 of 49
City of Farmington Data Practices Policy Required by Minnesota Statutes, Sections 13.025 and 13.03 pg. 18
I understand that:
• I do not have to allow the City of Farmington to share my information; I have asked
them to do so.
• Although the data are classified as private at the City of Farmington, the
classification/treatment of the data at the entity/person the data is being released
to may not be the same.
• The City of Farmington will not be able to control what happens to my information
once it has been released to the person or entity named above.
• Signing this consent is completely voluntary.
Printed name of data subject, parent, or legal guardian:
Signature: Date:
Verification of Identity:
The City of Farmington needs to verify that you are a person who has the right to authorize
the release of this data. One way to do this is to provide a notarized signature using the
section below. Please refer to the City of Farmington Standards for Verif ying Identity,
Exhibit D, for additional information and documents required to support verification of
identity.
STATE OF )
COUNTY OF )
Signed or attested to before me on this day of ,
by .
Signature of Notary Public
My Commission Expires:
To be completed by City Staff:
Proof of Identity: Type: ID #:
Issued by: Date Issued: Expiration Date:
Staff Printed Name: Staff Signature:
Consent to Release Private Data, Page 2 of 2
Page 31 of 49
CITY COUNCIL BY-LAWS
Page 32 of 49
CITY COUNCIL BY-LAWS
SCOPE
These by-laws are proposed pursuant to the provisions of Title I, Chapter 5, Section 2, of the
Farmington City Code. These by-laws, when adopted, are intended to deal with matters not
otherwise covered by state law, city ordinance, or elsewhere.
SECTION I – MEETINGS
SUBD. 1 – Regular meetings of the City Council shall be held on the first (1st) and third (3rd)
Monday of each month at 7 p.m. Any regular meeting falling upon a holiday shall be held on the
next following business day at the same time and place. All meetings, including special and
adjourned meetings, shall be held in the City Hall unless otherwise designated.
SUBD. 2 – Special meetings of the City Council may be called by the Mayor or by any two
members of the City Council in writing, filed with the Clerk. At least three days before the meeting,
the Clerk shall notify each member of the time, place, and purpose of the meeting by electronic
notice to be sent to him/her personally. At least three days prior to the meeting, the Clerk shall also
post notice of the meeting and notify each person who has filed a written request for notice of
special meetings. Emergency meetings may be held because of circumstances that, in the
judgement of the City Council, require immediate attention; notification requirements shall be
suspended for special meetings except that the Clerk must make a good faith effort to contact each
City Councilmember and persons filing a request for written notice.
The notice of special meeting shall state the item(s) to be discussed and possibly acted upon. Items
not stated in the notice may be discussed, but no action may be taken if any member objects.
Any special meeting attended by a majority of the Councilmembers shall be a valid meeting for
the transaction of any business that may come before the meeting.
SUBD. 3 – At the first regular City Council meeting in January of each year, the City Council
shall: (1) designate the depositories of city funds; (2) designate the official newspaper; (3) pursuant
to this section, choose an Acting Mayor from the trustees, who shall perform the duties of the
Mayor during the disability or absence of the Mayor from the city or, in case of a vacancy in the
office of Mayor, until a successor has been appointed and qualifies. The Acting Mayor shall be
selected as follows: Odd Numbered Year – Member serving third year of term who received the
most votes when elected; Even Numbered Year – Member serving fourth year of term who
received the second most votes when elected.
SUBD. 4 – Commission appointments for boards and commissions shall be made at the second
regular meeting of each year. All appointments will be made from applications that have been filed
with the Clerk. All applications submitted shall be retained for a period of one year to serve as a
file from which appointments can be made during the year if needed.
Page 33 of 49
City Council By-Laws
Page 2 of 7
SUBD. 5 – All City Council meetings, as defined by state law, including special and adjourned
meetings, shall be open to the public. The City Attorney or City Administrator shall advise the City
Council, in writing, as to his interpretations of the state “Open Meeting Law.” All new members
shall be provided such written interpretation and briefed on such by the City Attorney or City
Administrator. The Attorney or City Administrator shall bring any changes in his interpretation to
the attention of the City Council, in writing, and have the subject placed on the agenda for
discussion.
SUBD. 6 – The City Council shall adopt such policies that will ensure an orderly, mutually
respectful, and appropriate public meeting atmosphere conducive to the proper conduct of City
affairs and business. Rules governing the conduct of the meeting shall be enforceable by the
presiding officer, typically the Mayor, or any other such Councilmember in the absence of the
Mayor. The City Council may adopt such rules as a separate City Council policy and may make
such changes in policy as deemed appropriate.
SECTION II – PRESIDING OFFICER; RULES OF ORDER
SUBD. 1 – The Mayor shall preside at all meetings of the City Council. In the absence of the
Mayor, the Acting Mayor shall preside. In the absence of both, the Clerk shall call the meeting to
order and shall preside until the City Councilmembers present at the meeting choose one of their
members to act temporarily as presiding officer.
SUBD. 2 – The presiding officer shall preserve order, enforce the rule of procedure herein
prescribed, and determine all questions of procedure and order. Except as otherwise provide by
statute or by these rules, the proceedings of the City Council shall be conducted in accordance with
the following rules of order:
A. A motion must be seconded before being considered by the City Council, and the mover,
as well as the seconder, must be recognized by the presiding officer.
B. Any motion may be withdrawn by its mover with the consent of his/her second. But a
motion, once debated, cannot be withdrawn except by majority vote of the City Council.
C. A motion will not be subject to debate until it has been stated by the presiding officer and
s/he has opened it to debate.
D. Each member, while speaking, shall confine him/herself to the question at hand and avoid
all personal, indecorous, or sarcastic language.
E. Whenever any member of the City Council desires to speak on any question which affects
him/her personally, s/he shall first vacate his chair and shall not resume his seat until the
matter under consideration has been acted upon. He shall be allowed to make comments
on the question as a private citizen.
F. Whenever public hearings are held, the presiding officer, during the open hearing, shall
allow any member of the public present, the privilege of speaking. A reasonable time shall
be allowed to anyone as long as they are not repeating points already made. The public will
conduct themselves in the same manner as would be expected from the City Council. The
presiding officer shall be responsible for the public’s conduct and may rule anyone out of
order.
Page 34 of 49
City Council By-Laws
Page 3 of 7
G. During times at any meeting, the presiding officer will allow the public to participate as
long as there is reason to believe the input is beneficial.
SUBD. 3 – Any member may appeal to the City Council from a ruling of the presiding officer. If
the appeal is seconded, the appealing member may speak first on the reason for his appeal. General
discussion can then take place on the appeal before a vote. The appeal s hall be sustained if it is
approved by a majority of the members present.
SECTION III – AGENDAS
SUBD. 1 – The agenda shall be prepared by the Clerk and shall be closed at Noon on the
Wednesday preceding the meeting for publication purposes. Items added after this time must be
listed as supplemental and presented to City Council under the “Approve Agenda” section of the
meeting.
SUBD. 2 – The agenda packet shall be distributed electronically to the City Council by 6 p.m. on
the Thursday preceding the City Council meeting.
SUBD. 3 – Any Councilmember can place an item on the agenda by so instructing the Clerk.
SUBD. 4 – No item shall be placed on the agenda unless the item is expressed in such a way as to
clearly show the subject matter involved.
SUBD. 5 – The agenda shall be subject to approval by a majority vote of the members present.
Items not on the agenda may be discussed, but no action may be taken if any member objects.
SUBD. 6 – A Consent Agenda may be included as part of the agenda, to be approved by a
unanimous vote of the City Council. Items may be removed from the Consent Agenda by request
of the Mayor or Councilmembers.
SECTION IV – ORDER OF BUSINESS
SUBD. 1 – Each meeting of the City Council shall convene at the time and place appointed
therefore. City Council business shall be conducted in the following order:
1. Call to Order
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Roll Call
4. Approve Agenda
5. Announcements
6. Citizen Comments
7. Consent Agenda
8. Public Hearings
9. Award of Contracts
10. Petitions, Requests and Communications
11. Unfinished Business
Page 35 of 49
City Council By-Laws
Page 4 of 7
12. New Business
13. City Council Roundtable
14. Adjourn
SUBD. 2 – The order of business may be varied by the presiding officer, with the scheduled time
of a public hearing publicly specified as concurrent with that of the time of the City Council
meeting. Public hearings scheduled shall then be opened by the presiding officer in the order they
appear on the agenda or may be varied to facilitate the efficient conduct of City Council business.
SUBD. 3 – Each person shall be allowed a maximum of five minutes to address the City Council
under Citizen Comments.
SECTION V – MINUTES
SUBD. 1 – Minutes of each City Council meeting shall be kept by the Clerk, or, in his absence,
his designee. In the absence of both, the presiding officer shall appoint a Secretary Pro-Tem.
Ordinances, resolutions, and claims need not be recorded in full in the minutes if they appear in
other permanent records of the Clerk and can be accurately identified from the description given
in the minutes.
SUBD. 2 – The minute of each meeting shall be reduced to typewritten form, shall be signed by
the taker, and included in the agenda packet for approval at the next City Council meeting. The
minutes are placed under the Consent Agenda. The minutes need not be read aloud, but a member
shall request the minutes be pulled from the Consent Agenda for separate vote if there are any
additions or corrections or the member was absent from the meeting and would need to abstain
from voting on said minutes.
SUBD. 3 – Executive sessions recorded pursuant to state law shall follow state guidelines.
SUBD. 4 – The minutes shall substantially follow the following format:
MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
(REGULAR OR SPECIAL) MEETING
DATE
1. Presiding officer, time, and place of meeting
2. Members Present and Absent, time any member arrives late, or leaves early. The time shall
also be recorded in the text of the minutes.
3. Summaries of all discussions, communications, decisions, including a copy of each motion
exactly as stated, whether or not it was adopted, and a record of the vote. (Complete copies
of resolutions and ordinances are not required to be recorded as part of the minutes.)
4. Time of adjournment.
Page 36 of 49
City Council By-Laws
Page 5 of 7
SECTION VI – QUORUM AND VOTING
SUBD. 1 – At all City Council meetings, a majority of all Councilmembers elected shall constitute
a quorum for the transaction of business.
SUBD. 2 – The votes of members on any question pending before the City Council shall be by roll
call, except for the following agenda items: approval of the agenda, approval of the minutes,
approval of the Consent Agenda, and adjournment. The Clerk shall call the roll on a rotating basis.
The names of those voting for and against the question shall be recorded in the minutes. If any
member, being present, does not vote, the minutes shall be stated: “Abstain: Name.”
SUBD. 3 – Except as otherwise provided by statute, a majority vote of a quorum shall prevail.
SECTION VII – ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS,
MOTIONS, PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS
SUBD. 1 – If requested by any member of the City Council, every ordinance and resolution shall
be presented in writing and shall be read in full before a vote is taken thereon. All motions shall
be recorded in the minutes and stated in full before they are submitted to a vote by the presiding
officer. All petitions and other communications addressed to the City Council shall be in writing
and shall be read in full upon presentation of the same to the City Council. They shall then be
recorded in the minutes by title and filed in the office of the Clerk.
SUBD. 2 – Every ordinance and resolution passed by the City Council shall be signed by the
Mayor, attested by the Clerk, and filed by him/her in the ordinance or resolution electronic file.
Proof of publication of every ordinance shall be on file in the office of the Clerk.
SUBD. 3 – Every ordinance and resolution repealing a previous ordinance or resolution, or a
section or subdivision thereof, shall give the number, if any, and the title of the ordinance or
resolution to be repealed in whole or in part. No ordinance or resolution, or section or subdivision
thereof, shall be amended by reference to title alone, but such an amending ordinance or resolution
shall set forth in full each section or subdivision to be amended.
SECTION VIII – ADMINISTRATOR REVIEW
SUBD. 1 – The City Council shall conduct an annual review of the City Administrator. The
procedure shall be substantially as follows:
A. The Administrator shall distribute a City Council approved evaluation form on or before
the anniversary of the Administrator’s appointment.
B. Councilmembers shall complete the prescribed form and schedule a special meeting to
evaluate the Administrator, based upon the written evaluations submitted.
C. The completed evaluation form shall be submitted to the City Attorney within 21 days from
the date the evaluation document is received by City Council.
D. The City Attorney shall tabulate the results of the evaluation without any reference to
individual Councilmembers.
Page 37 of 49
City Council By-Laws
Page 6 of 7
E. The City Council shall consider the tabulated results during a meeting following the special
meeting to evaluate the Administrator and may take action accordingly.
SECTION IX – BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS;
MINIMUM PERFORMANCE
SUBD. 1 – There shall be submitted to the City Council at the first meeting of January of each
year, an attendance report of various boards and commission to the City Council.
SUBD. 2 – Attendance reports shall be submitted to the City Council on the following citizen
involvement in boards and commissions: Water Board, Planning Commission, Parks and
Recreation Commission, Rambling River Center Advisory Board, and Economic Development
Authority.
SUBD. 3 – Reports shall state the number of regular and special meetings held and the total number
of meetings attended by each member.
SUBD. 4 – It shall be the goal of the City Council to meet at least one time per year with each
board and commission on an informal basis. Such meeting shall not be held in conjunction with a
regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council, board, or commission.
SECTION X – AUTHORIZED EXPENDITURES AND REIMBURSEMENTS
SUBD. 1 – Definitions: For the purpose of this section, the following terms shall have these
meanings given to them.
Authorized Person: The Mayor or any Councilmember.
Authorized Expenditure: Expenditures made on behalf of the City for a public purpose as
determined by the City Council. Authorized expenditures shall include, but not be limited to, the
following: travel (except auto mileage within 25 miles), meals, registration, tuition, course
materials.
Official Function: Any function which is for a public purpose as determined by the City Council.
Official functions shall include, but not be limited to, the following: City Council meetings outside
of the city limits, League of Minnesota Cities functions, training sessions, education courses,
official City business, legislative meetings, seminars, meetings where City representation is
requested.
SUBD. 2 – An authorized person may be reimbursed for all authorized expenditures incurred for
attending an official function, provided that the following conditions are met:
A. The expenditures must be for a public purpose as determined by the City Council.
B. The City Council must be authorized to make the expenditure.
C. The money must have been actually been spent on behalf of the City, except as provided
under Subdivision 3.C.2.
Page 38 of 49
City Council By-Laws
Page 7 of 7
D. The City Council has approved the request to attend an official function except as provided
under Subdivision 3.C.1.
SUBD. 3 – Procedure:
A. A request to attend an official function, or to request reimbursement for attending an official
function, shall be submitted to the City Council on an authorized form for consideration as
soon as reasonably possible.
B. The City Council shall either approve the request, provided that the conditions set forth
under Subdivision 2.A.B.C. are met or deny the request.
C. The person may submit a list of itemized expenditures on an authorized form for City
Council action as follows:
1. Reimbursements for expenses may be submitted for City Council consideration.
2. The City Council may advance the estimated cost of traveling to and attending the
function, provided the person submits a list of itemized authorized expenditures, and
reimburse the City for any unused portion.
SUBD. 4 – The Mayor shall be reimbursed on a monthly basis as set forth in the annual operating
budget, provided that the Mayor submit an affidavit of expenses for the allocated amount.
SECTION XI – SUSPENSION OR AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS
SUBD. 1 – These by-laws may be temporarily suspended by a unanimous vote of the members
present.
SUBD. 2 – These by-laws shall not be repealed or amended except by a majority vote of the whole
City Council after notice has been given at some preceding City Council meeting.
SECTION XII – EFFECTIVE DATE
SUBD. 1 – These by-laws have been adopted by the City Council on the 6th day of September
1983 and become effective on the first day following publication of the same in the official
newspaper.
Adopted: 9/06/1983
Effective: 10/03/1983
Reviewed: 1/03/2012, 1/07/2013, 1/06/2014, 1/05/2015, 1/04/2016, 1/03/2017, 1/02/2018,
1/07/2019, 1/06/2020, 1/04/2021, 1/03/2022, 1/03/2023, 1/02/2024
Amended: 8/03/1987, 1/21/1992, 4/20/1992, 8/17/1992, 2/01/1993, 7/18/1994, 9/06/1994,
1/17/1995, 1/16/1996, 3/03/1997, 11/03/1997, 1/05/1998, 2/01/1999, 1/18/2005, 2/02/2009,
1/03/2012, 1/05/2015, 7/05/2016, 1/02/2018, 1/07/2019
Page 39 of 49
CITY COUNCIL POLICIES
2025
Page 40 of 49
Adopted 10/6/97
COUNCIL POLICY - 01
Council-Resident Complaint Resolution Process
The handling and resolution of resident complaints is a very high service priority for council and
staff. In order to effectively and efficiently address resident complaints brought directly to
Council members, the following procedures and value statements are proposed:
a) If a Council member is uncertain as to the proper referring department of a resident
service complaint, she or he is encouraged to contact the City Administrator, or if the
referring service department is known, the Council member is encouraged to contact
the Department Director directly. Consequently, all resident service complaints or
process questions should be taken either to the City Administrator or to the affected
Department Director to maintain consistency in service communications, accuracy,
appropriate management accountability, and general courtesy to the managing
director.
b) All resident service complaints or concerns are important, however, in order to
effectively resolve the issue and maintain consistency in resolving existing service
priorities, a reasonable amount of time may be required to address the issue in the
order received. In complaint situations where the level of difficulty is high and/or
some amount of time is needed to focus organizational resources on the issue,
Council members and the respective resident will be updated on the status.
c) In situations where either the City Administrator or Department Director is
unavailable, leaving a detailed message on voice mail is encouraged. Staff will
respond to these messages within a reasonable amount of time, usually within the
day or next business day at the latest.
d) The reporting Council member will receive service feedback on the complaint by the
responding department director/designated staff person or the City Administrator
upon resolution or as may be requested by the Council member.
e) Once the resident service complaint is brought to the attention of the City
Administrator/Department Director, it is expected that staff will handle the issue
exclusively to ensure direct communications with the resident, and will handle the
issue in question according to the City Code, professional judgment and reasonable
service time frames.
f) Council members are encouraged to refer the resident to the appropriate department
director, or indicate that the administrator or department director will contact them
on their respective concerns.
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Adopted 10/6/97
Amended 1/21/25
COUNCIL POLICY - 02
Council-Staff Communication Protocol
In order to maintain a consistent, open, and mutually productive relationship, it is encouraged
that Council members communicate with the administrator or appropriate department director on
all service-related issues. It is important that when a service-related issue affecting the
organization is in question, that the administrator or affected department director is notified to
provide Council with a senior level management response. Any communication with any
member of our team should always include the City Administrator.
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Adopted 10/6/97
COUNCIL POLICY - 03
Council Expectations of Staff Work Assignments
All City-related issues will be objectively and professionally reviewed by staff. Staff research
and concluding opinions will be based upon all available relevant sources of data, and based
upon respective staff expertise. Staff is hired to provide Council with professional expertise on a
variety of subjects and issues to be presented in an unbiased, objective manner. Council is free
at all times to question staff rationale, process, and procedures issues and associated background
information, but should allow staff to exercise their professional judgment with confidence.
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Adopted 10/6/97
COUNCIL POLICY - 04
Council-Management Team Statement of Commitment to Productive Working
Relationship
Council and staff roles are mutually supportive and respectful; committed to working together as
a team. Keeping communication lines open, mutually respectful and honest are key to a
productive, high-quality and mentally healthy work environment. Staff respects Council’s role
as that of preeminent policy maker on all issues affecting the community. Conversely, Council
respects the management team’s role as professional, competent managers committed to
implementing Council policies in a credible, considered, and objective manner.
Page 44 of 49
Adopted 10/6/07
COUNCIL POLICY - 05
CITY COMMISSION APPOINTMENT PROCESS
Policy Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to set forth the procedures to be used in appointing interested
citizens to the City Commissions.
The appointment of citizens to City advisory commissions and boards shall be made by the City
Council on an annual basis to fill all expired terms. The Council shall conduct interviews of all
qualified candidates to consider relevant qualifications and interests, and appoint such members
as the Council deems in the best interest of the City.
Commission seats vacated by resignation and/or removal shall be appointed by first reviewing
any applications on file and/or any requests to be appointed by interested citizens having taken
notice of an existing vacancy. If no applications are on file, the City shall solicit applications for
appointment by advertisement in the legal newspaper and other public mediums as appropriate.
Appointments to fill seats vacated by resignation and/or removal shall coincide with the normal
expiration date of the seat and shall be made as soon as practical. Appointments to fill vacated
seats during an unexpired term shall be in accordance with the City Code.
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Effective 1/98
Amended 1/05
COUNCIL POLICY – 06
Council Meeting/Public Hearing Citizen Participation Protocol
POLICY PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for citizen participation at public
meetings that will ensure that the following Council objectives are achieved.
▪ Welcome and encourage citizen comments on matters of interest or
concern
▪ Preserve and promote the accurate exchange of information
▪ Preserve the equal rights of citizens to communicate their views
▪ Provide for an orderly, courteous, and efficient meeting
▪ Provide adequate time for Council to review and consider agenda items
COUNCIL MEETING
The following Council meeting guidelines are established and shall be enforceable by the
Mayor or presiding Council member. The following guidelines may be amended by a
majority vote of Council.
1. Questions are to be addressed to Council during the meeting; citizens are
encouraged to contact City staff prior to or following the Council meeting for
further information. Council is free to call upon or direct a question to staff
as necessary or appropriate.
2. A citizen desiring to speak may do so only after being recognized by the
Mayor. Upon recognition, the citizen should approach the podium and
clearly state his/her name and address.
3. To allow for equal time, citizens are limited to five (5) minutes to address
Council.
4. Complaints or concerns expressed during ‘Citizen Comments’, and not on a
regular Council meeting agenda, will be responded to by the next regularly
scheduled Council meeting and placed on the Council Agenda. Citizens will
receive a copy of the City’s response prior to the next meeting.
PUBLIC HEARING
Citizen testimony, opinions, or questions at a public hearing are encouraged, and are
considered by Council in their respective deliberations. The following guidelines are
established by Council and are enforceable by the Mayor or the presiding Council
member.
1. A member of the City staff will introduce and explain the agenda item.
Page 46 of 49
Effective 1/98
Amended 1/05
2. The Mayor will invite public comment and set a time limit for each speaker so
that all citizens desiring to address the issue may have the opportunity to do
so. A group of persons may select one spokesperson to speak for the group;
that person may be granted more time at the Mayor’s discretion.
3. A citizen desiring to speak may do so upon recognition by the Mayor. He/she
shall approach the podium and state their name and address. Citizens not
recognized by the Mayor shall refrain from interrupting a speaker who has
been recognized as a matter of general courtesy.
4. Questions should be addressed to Council. Council is free to call upon or
redirect a question to a staff member. Citizens are encouraged to contact staff
members prior to or following the public hearing to obtain further
information.
5. Each citizen will be permitted to address Council once during the meeting. At
the Mayor’s discretion, second comments may be heard if time exists or if
new information is to be presented.
6. After citizen comments have been heard, Council will close the public portion
of the hearing and then hold its own discussion on the issue. A decision may
be made at this time or postponed until a later meeting. No further public
comment on the topic will be allowed unless specifically invited by the
Mayor.
These guidelines may be amended upon a majority vote of the Council.
Page 47 of 49
Adopted 10/6/97
COUNCIL POLICY - 07
Council Workshop Protocols and Purpose
POLICY PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines and clarify the legislative nature and purpose
of a Council Workshop.
WORKSHOP DEFINITION
Council workshops are special work sessions attended by Council. Designated as special
informational opportunities for Council, as a whole, to address, examine, and formulate
legislative positions on a variety of complex policy issues affecting the community at local, state,
and federal levels.
WORKSHOP PROTOCOLS
The following guidelines have been adopted by Council to establish an appropriate framework
for Council workshops to ensure a productive, team oriented and conducive work session
environment.
▪ Because the work sessions are attended by a quorum of the City Council, they are
considered public meetings subject to the state Open Meeting Law.
▪ Any Council member may request that a workshop be held to discuss a matter, however,
items will only be scheduled for a work session by a majority of the Council.
▪ The Mayor or Acting Mayor, as meeting chair, shall endeavor to provide all members
with an opportunity to participate in workshop discussions.
▪ Because Council workshops are primarily held for the benefit of locally elected officials
to further study, evaluate, and understand complex community issues and their related
policy implications, no official actions will be taken by Council and there may be limits
placed on the participation of interested individuals and organizations.
▪ Issues to be studied at Council workshops shall be publicly identified and appropriately
publicized. Agendas shall be prepared in accordance with the issues to be discussed by
Council.
▪ Workshop meeting dates, when requested and approved by Council, shall be scheduled as
needed and meet the requirements of the Open Meeting Law.
WORKSHOP FORMAT
As the intent of a Council workshop is designed to facilitate a better understanding of legislative
issues before Council, members shall have the opportunity to freely express their thoughts, ideas
and concerns in order to fully explore the issues before coming to a final policy position. As
Council workshops are conducted as an informal work session, all discussions shall be
Page 48 of 49
Adopted 10/6/97
considered fact-finding, hypothetical and unofficial critical thinking exercises, which do not
reflect an official public position.
While individual and group positions may be formed as part of this process, no official vote shall
be taken. Should Council express consensus of opinion on any given matter under deliberation
at a workshop, Council members reserve the right to modify, amend, or change their positions
prior to an official vote.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
Council work session outcomes should not be construed by the attending public and/or reporting
media as the articulation of a formal City policy position. Only official Council action normally
taken at a regularly scheduled Council meeting should be considered as a formal expression of
the City’s position on any given matter.
This policy may be amended by a majority vote of Council as deemed necessary and appropriate.
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