12-09-2025 City Council Workshop Packet

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STAFF REPORT DATE: 12/9/2025 Workshop TO: Lake Elmo City Council FROM: Sophia Jensen, Senior City Planner AGENDA ITEM: Public Hearing Notice and Process - Discussion REVIEWED BY: Jason Stopa, Community Development Director Nicole Miller, City Administrator CORE STRATEGIES: ☐ Vibrant, inclusive, connected community ☒ Efficient, reliable, innovative services ☒ Responsive, transparent, adaptive governance ☐ Balanced Finances now and future ☐ Managed Growth ☐ Resilient Infrastructure BACKGROUND: The Planning Commission expressed interest in reviewing the City’s public hearing process and discussed increasing the mailing distances for rural land use applications at the 2025 Joint Workshop. In the past, there has been feedback from residents that the public hearing notice process could be improved to provide additional transparency and accessibility. The City currently follows State Statute and send a mailed notice to property owners within 350’ of the area of interest for a land use application and publishes the notice at least 10 days prior to the public hearing in the City’s official paper, the Stillwater Gazette. City Staff reviewed neighboring Cities and their process. Hugo, Stillwater, and Waconia all follow a similar process as Lake Elmo (same as state statute). Lakeville, Oakdale, and Cottage Grove all have set mailing distances of 500’ in addition to the paper publication. Forest Lake and Minnestrista adjust the mailing distances based on the type of application and/or the zoning in addition to the paper publication. City Staff also contacted the City Attorney for a legal opinion on proposed changes. The City Attorney expressed concerns with the idea of expanding mailing distances for only rural applications because it creates inconsistencies and may lead to future conflicts. The City Attorney advised the City maintain a consistent mailing distance for all zoning districts and land use applications. Since conducting research, City Staff has expanded the language on the public hearing mailer to include pathways on how to find the packet information and additional details about said proposal and processes. ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL: Does the City Council want to change the Public Hearing Notice (PHN) process and/or mailing distances? AND Does the City Council want to add public hearing notices as push notifications on the City Website? FISCAL IMPACT: Staff anticipates additional postage expense if mailing distances are increased.