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LINO LAKES CITY COUNCIL <br />WORK SESSION <br />MINUTES <br />DATE: April 8, 2024 <br />TIME STARTED: 6:00 PM <br />TIME ENDED: 6:28 PM <br />MEMBERS PRESENT: Councilmembers Stoesz, Lyden, Ruhland, Mayor Rafferty <br />MEMBERS ABSENT: Councilmember Cavegn <br />Staff Members Present: City Administrator Sarah Cotton; Finance Director Hannah Lynch; Human <br />Resources and Communications Manager Meg Sawyer; Public Safety Director John Swenson; <br />Community Development Director Michael Grochala; City Planner Katie Larsen; City Clerk Jolleen <br />Chaika. <br />1. Review Regular Agenda <br />Mayor Rafferty reviewed the meeting agenda. Staff provided an overview of submitted staff <br />reports for each agenda item. <br />Prior to the conclusion of the Work Session, Mayor Rafferty brought up the prior discussion of a <br />fire analysis and the public safety model as discussed at the previous two work sessions. He <br />recollected that the direction was for staff to find a consultant to focus on items 3, 4, and 5 from <br />the 2014 fire analysis. Councilmember Lyden clarified that he did not believe restrictions were <br />placed on the direction to staff, rather, the direction was to find someone to look at (the <br />situation). Mayor Rafferty recalled that Councilmember Cavegn had stated we need to look at <br />how 3, 4, and 5 can work for the city. Councilmember Lyden said that (in 2014), we did this: Put <br />blinders on and put constraints on the report; when we start narrowing it down, we will come up <br />with the same results as before. <br />Public Safety Director John Swenson reviewed the (draft) minutes and stated that his <br />understanding (from direction provided on April 1, 2024) was that the question posed to him and <br />the next steps should be, "How will fire service be delivered in Lino Lakes?" He advised that staff <br />have assembled several requests for proposals (RFP) from other cities for similar analyses; that <br />staff are continuing to gather information to put together an RFP from Lino Lakes to be submitted <br />to consultants/vendors. <br />Mayor Rafferty stated that back on March 1, it had been identified that Deputy Director L'Allier <br />was developing a five-year plan and he wanted an update on where that plan was at. Director <br />Swenson clarified that based on the direction from Council at the April 1 work session to work <br />with a consultant, work on the plan has paused so that staff could focus on the RFP. Mayor <br />Rafferty then stated that he wanted to see the five-year the plan as it is now to be sent out to all <br />of Council by tomorrow (April 9, 2024); however, Director Swenson informed Mayor Rafferty that <br />he did not believe a document was available to be sent out to Council though he will check with <br />Deputy Director L'Allier to see what may be available. Mayor Rafferty then directed Director <br />Swenson to have a document or update to Council by Wednesday (April 10, 2024). Mayor <br />Rafferty further stated he is looking for one thing: what we need for a fire department and he <br />thinks that with (L'Allier's) experience and knowledge, he is best suited to write the report. <br />1 <br />