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LINO LAKES CITY COUNCIL <br />REGULAR MEETING <br />MINUTES <br />DATE: July 13, 2026 <br />TIME STARTED: 6:30 PM <br />TIME ENDED: 7:05 PM <br />LOCATION: City Council Chambers <br />MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Rafferty, Councilmembers Lyden, Nelson, Ruhland and Rennaker <br />ABSENT: <br />None <br />Staff Members Present: City Administrator Karen Anderson, City Clerk Roberta Colotti, <br />Finance Director Tracy Thoma, Community Development Director Mike Grochala, City Planner Katie <br />Larsen, City Engineer Diane Hankee, Public Service Director Rick DeGardner and Chief of Police <br />Curt Boehme. <br />CALL TO ORDER <br />Mayor Rafferty called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. <br />SETTING THE AGENDA <br />The agenda was adopted as presented. <br />SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS <br />None <br />PUBLIC COMMENT <br />Mayor Rafferty opened the Public Comment period at 6:33 p.m. <br />Chris Stowe, 426 Pine Street, Lino Lakes, stated regarding current and proposed gas and electric <br />franchise fees of 4%, when his home was built the original builder paid the utility company to drag <br />the natural gas line all the way up 4th Avenue out of their own pocket. Because that was the only <br />way to serve their area. That was a private investment in infrastructure. Since then, the City has <br />raised his taxes and his neighbors by roughly double digits percentages year after year, the exact <br />numbers vary by year and by property, but the effect is the same, their property taxes continue to <br />increase faster than their incomes. <br />Mr. Stowe stated that meeting packets, audits and bond resolutions are technically public, but most <br />residents do not have a practical way to track the money trail. That's not real transparency. <br />