06-23-2027 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES CITY COUNCIL JUNE 239 2025 The Community Development Director commented that Keller is not within Little Canada and therefore cautioned the Council from mandating use of that lake. He stated that this is a land use permit and would not put any liability on the City. He commented that it would be no different than the City allowing a single-family home to be built and that homeowner doing something negligent on their property, noting that would not put any liability on the City. Malone stated that if there was an accident on the lake and the city permitted this, the city would be tied to it. Kwapick stated that the City would not have that liability. He stated that the city is talking about what could be done on the land, and the situation Malone provided is a hypothetical situation on public water. Mayor Fischer commented that the city would be allowing boats to be stored on a yard. Kwapick stated that he is trying to weigh private property rights versus public access, and the privilege that goes with owning private property in a public space. He acknowledged that this is not really a business, but it is bringing a lot of people in daily. He stated that it sounds like the club is trying to make this as amenable as possible, noting that the next -door neighbors have no issues with the activity, which is a good sign. Malone used the scenario where a hockey team sets up rinks on the lake and practices six days per week. Mayor Fischer commented that if this is approved, it would set a precedent with a lot of restrictions. He stated that the staff does an incredible job of preparing reports and working with the Council and business owners to present a proposal that is unanimously supported. He stated that this is one of the times that he still has questions. He commented that while he is not as concerned about the issue of safety and/or liability, he does have concerns with precedent and whether this would open Pandora's box. Malone stated that it does seem that these are responsible children, and she supports athletics. She stated that she would prefer to find a solution that gets the kids back on Phalen. Miller noted that the club could work with Ramsey County to be on the beach and still be on Gervais. Mayor Fischer agreed that there is a longer -term desire to get them back on Phalen. The Community Development Director commented that this is an incredibly unique situation. He stated that it would set a precedent that this same process would be followed but would not set the city into the situation where it would need to approve all requests. He hoped that the Council would not make a decision based on the thought that they would need to approve future requests. Miller commented that saying no would also set a precedent, as the dragon boat also uses the water. Mayor Fischer asked for input from the Council on the issue of exterior storage and whether the fence would be needed. There was no opposition to not requiring the fence. The Council had no issues with the non-resident coaches. 6