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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01.20.26 Council MinutesCity of Farmington Regular Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 20, 2026 The City Council met in regular session on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, 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: Lynn Gorski, City Administrator David Chanski, Assistant City Administrator Petra Asani, Attorney, Campbell Knutson Kim Sommerland, Finance Director Matt Price, Fire Chief Kellee Omlid, Parks & Recreation Director Nate Siem, Police Chief John Powell, Public Works Director McKenna Anderson, Water Resources Specialist Shirley Buecksler, City Clerk 4. APPROVE AGENDA Motion was made by Councilmember Bernatz and seconded by Councilmember Cordes to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried: 5 ayes / 0 nays 5. ANNOUNCEMENTS / COMMENDATIONS Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of January 20,2026 Page 1 of 10 6.CITIZENS COMMENTS / RESPONSES TO COMMENTS The following citizen(s) addressed the Council: •Steven Endress, Farmington •Daniel Crawford, Brooklyn Park •Brandon Sell, Invisible Wounds Project 7.CONSENT AGENDA 7.1 Amendment to Council Policy - 06, Council Meeting/Public Hearing Citizen Participation Protocol 7.2 Minutes of the January 5, 2026 Council Work Session 7.3 Minutes of the January 5, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting 7.4 Fourth Quarter 2025 New Construction Report -Year-End Totals and Revenue Report 7 .5 2025 Budget Amendments. 7 .6 Payment of Claims 7.7 Bylaws of the Farmington Firefighters Relief Association and Pension Payout for Retired Firefighter Brian Hanson 7.8 Purchase of Caterpillar Model 265 Ultra Compact Track Loader 7.9 Purchase of John Deere 6M 125 Tractor and Attachments 7.10 Purchase of John Deere 1575 Tractor and Rotary Broom Attachment 7.11 Contract with City of Lakeville for Use of the FiRST Center 7.12 Final Acceptance of Public Streets and Utilities and Release of Securities for Vermillion Commons 2 nd Addition 7.13 Plans and Specifications and Authorize the Advertisement for Bids for the Devonshire A venue & 206th Street Pond Maintenance 7.14 Purchase of a Dump Truck 7.15 Receive Quotes and Award a Contract for the 2026 Winter Ash Tree and Stump Removal 7.16 Resolution 2026-011 Declaring Items as Surplus and Authorizing Disposal Motion was made by Councilmember Cordes and seconded by Councilmember Lien to approve the Consent Agenda, as presented. Motion carried: 5 ayes / 0 nays 8.PUBLIC HEARINGS 9.AWARD OF CONTRACT 10.PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS 11. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of January 20, 2026 Page 2 of 10 12.NEW BUSINESS 12.1 Appointments to Boards and Commissions for Terms Starting February 1, 2026 Assistant City Administrator Chanski presented the City Council's recommendations for appointments to the following boards and commission for terms starting February 1 , 2026: BOARD/COMMISSION APPOINTED TERM START TERM END Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission David Barr Feb 1, 2026 Jan 31, 2029 Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission David McMillen Feb 1, 2026 Jan 31, 2029 Planning Commission Lisa Ellis Feb 1, 2026 Jan 31, 2028 Planning Commission Gary Rutherford Feb 1, 2026 Jan 31, 2028 Planning Commission Phil Windschitl Feb 1, 2026 Jan 31, 2028 Rambling River Center Advisory Commission Maureen Kunde Feb 1, 2026 Jan 31, 2029 Rambling River Center Advisory Commission Pennie Page Feb 1, 2026 Jan 31, 2029 Rambling River Center Advisory Commission Blanche Reichert Feb 1, 2026 Jan 31, 2029 Water Board Mitchell Snobeck Feb 1, 2026 Jan 31, 2029 Correction: The term for Mitchell Snobeck, Water Board, was corrected to Feb 1, 2026 through Jan 31, 2029. It was stated incorrectly on the City Council agenda item as ending Jan 31, 2028. Water Board Commissioners serve 3-year terms. Motion was made by Councilmember Bernatz and seconded by Councilmember Wilson to approve the appointments to the City of Farmington boards and commissions for terms starting February 1, 2026. Motion carried: 5 ayes / 0 nays 12.2 Professional Services Agreement with WSB, LLC for the Willow Street MSA Improvements Public Works Director Powell presented the Professional Services Agreement with WSB, LLC for the Willow Street MSA Improvements Final Design and Bidding. Motion was made by Councilmember Cordes and seconded by Councilmember Wilson to approve the Professional Services Agreement with WSB, LLC. Motion carried: 5 ayes / 0 nays 13.CITY COUNCIL ROUNDTABLE Attorney Asani thanked the City Council for having her here today. Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of January 20,2026 Page 3 of 10 Councilmember Lien thanked the speakers who spoke tonight. There are people in our talented community right now who are afraid, nervous, or on edge, and I think we could all do a little bit better about having compassion for the people who are right in front of us. That's all I think I would ask for in this current environment. Councilmember Bernatz congratulated the Farmington High School Debate Team and William Cannon and Nikola Nounawon-Castro for winning the final round of the 125th Minnesota State High School League State Policy Debate Tournament. This is the first time this has ever happened in Farmington High School history. Also, in general support of the arts, the Community Education Department and Farmington High School Choir are collaborating on a showcase musical theater and jazz showcase coming up on February 20th and 21St called "Cabaret." This is a great program that highlights elementary-age students, 4th through 6th grade, from all of the schools, as well as Farmington High School students that prepare solos and duets, and they do this all under their own direction and audition for it. It's a fantastic way to expose your families and children to the arts. There is a lot of information out there and studies that have been done on how the arts help and support all kinds of health journeys. This is a great thing to do with your friends, with your family, and support some kids locally. Councilmember Cordes said earlier tonight we appointed members to boards and commissions, but I wanted to take a moment to thank the members who are ending their terms, whether at the end of their normal length of time in office or resigning early for one reason or another. Thank you to Krista Tesky who served on the Planning Commission, Megan Merricks on the Parks and Recreation Commission, Pat Hennen who served on the Rambling River Center Advisory Board, and Lacelle Cordes who served on the Water Board. And I'm going to exercise a little point of personal privilege. For anyone who didn't know, Pat Hennen and Lacelle Cordes went by other titles to me growing up. They were Grandma Pat and Aunt Pete. So, to Grandma Pat and Aunt Pete, thank you for demonstrating what civic engagement looks like and being a role model in that part of my life. Thank you to those four women. Councilmember Wilson also thanked the individuals who spoke tonight and said a lot of times we have an empty Chamber, so I do appreciate those who came from near and far to speak to us tonight and share what's on your heart. Thank you. City Administrator Gorski also thanked the speakers and thanked Steven for sharing your comments tonight. While I'm unable to discuss personal matters publicly due to privacy and confidentiality, I believe there is always room for improvement. If you would like to meet with me privately, one on one, we can Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of January 20,2026 Page 4 of 10 have a conversation, and I can listen to you and hear your thoughts on how the City can improve. Thank you to the other speakers who were here. One technicality- I was informed by the IT Director that our streaming was not live in the beginning of tonight's meeting, but David went back and checked and it is streaming. The full meeting will be uploaded. Director Powell said weather will turn colder later this week. Public Works will be out salting and clearing snow where it occurs, but when it gets extremely cold, salt doesn't work anymore. So, just be patient - if needed, we put sand out to introduce some grit to the ice if necessary. Hopefully, it will be short-lived, and we will be back to more moderate temperatures next week. To celebrate National Skating Month, Director Omlid said we will be hosting an open skate this Sunday from 1 :30 to 3 pm at Schmitz-Maki Arena. The event is free if you bring a good will donation to the food shelf. Also, the next Skate Park Design Meeting will be February 9'" from 6 pm - 8 pm at the Rambling River Center. This is two weeks later than originally scheduled. Spohn Ranch will be presenting the two conceptual plans. Director Sommerland said today kicked off the City's official audit. We had two auditors on site. They will return to their offices and continue to work to close our books for 2025 and will be back at the end of March to finish up the audit. Fire Chief Price made a response to comments that were made at the last City Council meeting and also this meeting. We would like to thank you (Steven Endress) for raising your concerns regarding Firefighter mental health. Farmington acknowledged that the battles with mental health are a serious problem that affects many First Responders. Minnesota Firefighters work tirelessly to keep our communities safe, but they're significantly and disproportionately affected by serious health, both physically and mentally.The City takes very seriously the risk faced not only by Firefighters, but all First Responders who are employed by or volunteer for the City of Farmington. However, it is important to clarify that the City's intent has always been and continues to be to support its First Responders and promote their long-term health and wellbeing. We recognize the mental health support is not always visible; however, the City takes on-going steps to inform Firefighters of available resources and to maintain access to those resources. First, the City takes full advantage of the resources available through the Minnesota Firefighter Initiative (MnFIRE). The vast resources of the MnFIRE program include: MnFIRE Assistance Program, which provides 24/7 access to mental health support resources, including counseling services for Firefighters and their families. Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of January 20,2026 Page 5 of 10 MnFIRE Training Program, which provides annual training focused on emotional wellness and occupational risk associated with firefighting. MnFIRE Critical Incident Program, which provides up to $20,000 in medical expense assistance for qualified conditions including PTSD. The City also realizes that certain MnFIRE resources require Firefighter initiation. The practical reality is that many Firefighters do not feel comfortable seeking help.To help mitigate this, the Fire Department also implemented Wellness That Fits on June 5, 2024. This program provides annual wellness check-ins, confidential counseling sessions, which the Department pays for, critical incident and trauma event response debriefings, and additional therapy sessions. The City of Farmington recognizes mental health as an essential component of Firefighter safety and Public Safety. The City also acknowledges the stigma surrounding mental health remains a challenge within the fire service and that even established resources may not always feel accessible or sufficient. This is not a challenge unique to Farmington. It is an on-going issue faced by first responding agencies nationwide. The City remains committed to addressing the challenge through continued evaluation, education, and resource development. The City is committed to regular reviewing of its support system to ensure consistency with evolving standards and best practices. This includes listening to Firefighters and leadership regarding how those practices can effectively be implemented. The City remains confident in its ability to continue providing services to the community safely and effectively with a workforce that is prepared to serve. In closing, the City reiterates its respect and appreciation for its Firefighters who serve this community and for their families.The City, again, thanks you for raising the concerns and remains committed to on-going dialogue, learning, and improvement and support of those who protect our community every day. Thank you. Police Chief Siem wanted to recognize on the Consent Agenda, the FiRST Center contract was approved. In my 20 years here with the Farmington Police Department, that is the biggest accomplishment in advancing our training in that time. It's going to be an incredible addition to our training sites - two ranges, large classrooms, mat room for defensive tactics, a virtual reality training room, and force on force training settings, as well. So, thank you for that. Tomorrow night is our first Movie with the Cops. We're going to have 20 kids, 5 to 10 years old at the Police Department. We'll be serving pizza and watching Lilo & Stitch, so if you're in the area, stop by and see it. I'm sure it's going to be amazing. Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of January 20,2026 Page 6 of 10 Hot off the press - I just got an email during the Council meeting from Farmington High School Boys Hockey that Thursday, February 5'h, will be their first, First Responders Night. They're offering free admittance to Farmington First Responders, as well as collecting donations to raise funds for the Zajac family. I want to take a moment to clearly explain the Farmington Police Department's position regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations within our city. First and most importantly, the Farmington Police Department does not conduct immigration enforcement. We do not arrest individuals for civil immigration violations. We do not conduct traffic or pedestrian stops at the request of ICE. And we do not assist with apprehensions or detentions related to immigration status.That is not our role under Minnesota law, nor is it consistent with our Department's mission. Mayor Hoyt said he's a little torn because, one of the things that happens when you get into an elected capacity is, the purview of your comments and the purview of your area of responsibility are pretty clear. They're defined by the League of Minnesota Cities as to when you talk about certain things, what you talk about, so as not to be confused with the individual and their stance and the position of the City. The reason I struggle is because there's a lot that I wanted to say to you (Steven Endress), not just after the last meeting, not just over the last couple of years. There's a lot that I wanted to say in response to the comments, what was done, how it was done. I want to first start by clarifying why we changed the Citizen Comments portion of this meeting. Even after you spoke last week, the Castle Rock resident that spoke immediately after you disregarded the time. And even after I said, "Your time is expired," I gaveled, she still continued to talk. That is the lack of decorum and the lack of respect for decorum that this Council is trying to curb. It's unfortunate that that was interpreted as if we didn't want to hear you, we didn't want to listen to what you had to say, and it certainly wasn't in response to any number of people being in Chambers. Put a thousand people in here. I'll stand up and have the hardest conversations with anyone. What I struggle with is what I want to say choosing whether or not to do it publicly or to do it privately with you. And I'm not going to air on the side of caution. I will say it publicly. I am very familiar with your situation over the last couple of years. There are certain components of that that are protected by law. There are confidentiality rules and policies that we have to follow. That's not just for your protection but for the protection of others. That's something that we will never deviate from. However, as the guy who stood up and rallied while you were in a medical situation, who put himself on the line, who went through the process to donate a kidney, I didn't appreciate how it was handled. I didn't appreciate the running to social media and the stone that was cast. I'll leave it at that. When you sign up for this job, there are a lot of things that you know are going to come your way. There's a Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of January 20,2026 Page 7 of 10 lot of people that are going to disagree with the decisions that you make. There's a lot of people that are going to attack every component of every decision that you make in everything that you do. I've heard it all, from my tattoos, to my beard, to my jobs, to what I drive. I know what I signed up for. What you don't sign up for, and you don't think is ever going to happen, is to have people read the post that was made and then start accusing me of being a fraud in the mental health realm. And that's not on you, Steven. But everything we do has consequences and, sometimes unintended, that was the reality of the situation, and that one stung. Because as someone who lost their Dad to suicide,who's had too many people in my life lose their battle to suicide, I've gone out and spent hundreds of hours speaking to our high schools, speaking to our kids, advocating at regional levels, being involved in more things than I ever anticipated in the suicide awareness and prevention realm, that one stung. However, I'm not going to let it sit there. There are parts of human resources and employee handling that even Council is not privy to, nor should we be privy to. There are surveys that are done of teams that should never be discussed at any level, should not be shared because it takes away from the sanctity and the integrity of the process. I've been doing a lot of work with suicide awareness and prevention for the better part of the last two decades. I will stand on the hill, that our City, we're not perfect, but we have made a lot of strides from where we were when I came in in 2019. Do we have room to grow? Absolutely. The one challenge, and I think anyone who spends time in advocacy in this space will tell you, is that the hardest thing you can do is to get someone to raise their hand. You can fund programs all day long. You can throw millions of dollars at programs. Somehow we have to break down the barrier of our men and women, not just our First Responders, but our men and women who serve in any capacity, when they're dealing with something, to raise their hand. There's privacy involved with that and, as much as we want to know how our programs are working, and are they reaching the audience the way that we intended them to? The truth is, we don't get answers on some of that and there's laws to protect that. There are things that will preclude us from wanting to do more, even when our hearts want to do a lot more. But we will not stop. As long as I'm involved, the City of Farmington will continue to put the necessary resources in place to make sure everyone has the opportunity to receive the help that they deserve, at whatever expense. But we need people to raise their hands. And I encourage anyone, not just within the City of Farmington, wherever you work, wherever you interact, within your circles, please - when somebody is visibly changed, when something is off, ask the question. Just go. Raise the alarm. I will always err on the side of caution that I would rather someone be pissed off at me because I dug a little bit too deep, I maybe struck a chord that they weren't comfortable with, than to get the notice of their passing. I think we can all agree on that, but we have to get more people to raise their hand and talk about it. And that's part of why I've done it because, if I can sit here as the Mayor of the City of Farmington under Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of January 20,2026 Page 8 of 10 constant public scrutiny - if I can talk about my mental health, I hope the next person can before it's too late. What we went through with Pete and his passing, I don't wish that on anybody ever. Even though you have moved on beyond the City of Farmington's Fire Department, I hope that you still believe that you can reach out. You can pick up the phone -you've got my number, you can call. That's not a false promise. That's not an invitation to not deliver on. I hope there's something still there. Moreover, I applaud you for standing up, because God knows I've spent time with too many people that have not spoken up and it's resulted in the worst possible outcome. So, from Joshua to Steven, I hope you sincerely know and believe that I have been there, I will be there, and I will do anything I can within my capacity not only serving the City but also as a human being to help you. Steven Endress asked to approach the podium and thanked Mayor Hoyt for his words. He and Mayor Hoyt continued the conversation. Steven applauded Chief Price in getting the contract with Wellness That Fits. He said Cities do a really good job on the front end with offering programs for anyone who's struggling, but the issue, he said, comes when someone ends up in his situation and is really struggling with PTSD, the support is not there. And we have to worry about what the League of Minnesota Cities thinks and their liability, versus taking care of our people. Again, that's not an attack on you or anyone here, he said, but just the reality of the way it works. That's where we need to change. That's where we need people to have the courage to stand up and say that it's not acceptable. It's not acceptable to see him or anyone that's served being blacklisted and not appreciated because they end up with a mental health injury. It would be completely different if it was a physical injury. There are people out there that see this treatment and think, "I'm never going to speak up; I'm never going to get help, because if I end up struggling that bad and they know it, I'm going to get treated like all the other people." And that's where we need to change. That is where the true change is going to come for First Responders, as well as Dispatchers. That's where I encourage you to really start digging deep into what Cities can do to actually support their people. The problem, he added, is that some don't feel like they can publicly support him. He said, there's this concept of a brotherhood/sisterhood family, but it ends to moment you end up with a medical disability due to your mental health. It ends that second, and that's where we need to change. He said it's not that he doesn't feel comfortable reaching out to you (Mayor Hoyt) directly, but he doesn't feel supported by the City. Mayor Hoyt said that Lynn extended the invite, and he is going to ask both of our Chiefs and himself to be a part of that conversation. Because of his workers' compensation claim, Steven said he needs to ask his attorney, but he would be open to that. He said he would definitely welcome that conversation with Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of January 20,2026 Page 9 of 10 the two Chiefs, Lynn, and the Mayor because he believes there is a huge opportunity here for the City of Farmington to be the change. Steven thanked the Mayor and Council for all the extended time. 14.ADJOURNMENT Motion was made by Councilmember Wilson and seconded by Councilmember Cordes to adjourn the meeting at 8:30 pm. Motion carried: 5 ayes / 0 naysYY Respectfully submitted, S ey R ksler City Clerk Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of January 20,2026 Page 10 of 10