11-24-25 - City Council Meeting Minutes

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LINO LAKES CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES DATE: November 24, 2025 TIME STARTED: 6:30 PM TIME ENDED: 7:03 PM LOCATION: City Council Chambers MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Rafferty, Councilmembers Cavegn, Lyden, Ruhland and Stoesz MEMBERS ABSENT: None Staff Members Present: City Administrator Karen Anderson, City Clerk Roberta Colotti, Finance Director Tracy Thoma, Finance Consultant Kelly Horn, Human Resources and Communications Manager Meg Sawyer, Community Development Director Mike Grochala, City Engineer Diane Hankee, City Planner Katie Larsen and Chief of Police Curt Boehme. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Rafferty at 6:30 PM. SETTING THE AGENDA The agenda was approved as presented. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS None PUBLIC COMMENT Mayor Rafferty opened the public comment period. Jeff Johnson, 6965 Sunrise Drive, Lino Lakes, stated that he received his 2026 property tax statement and taxes are proposed to go up significantly. He encouraged other taxpayers to attend the December 8, 2025 City Council meeting, Truth -in -Taxation Hearing. He questioned the budget for the Rookery including the line item for a building engineer and asked if that was a full- time position. He commented that unlike other cities, Lino Lakes does not offer other recreation programing outside of the programs at the Rookery. He questioned the need for a new public works building, as proposed next year. He stated that while he has heard that there was a need to park city vehicles indoors, he questioned if the vehicles were weatherproof. Angella Coil, 7672 Sunset, Lino Lakes, questioned the level of spending proposed for 2026. She stated that in February the estimate she heard for the proposed public works building was $16 million and in a recent issue of the Quad Press it was reported that the amount was now $31 million. She asked why the City Council couldn't push back on that increase in cost. Page 1 of 7