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Home My WebLink About12/10/2024LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 1 of 5 December 10, 2024 Call to Order Mayor Gaasch called the Regular City Council meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. Roll Call Councilors present: Evan Sayre, Jeff Dains, Sharon Kelly, Duane Pulford, and Mayor Mary Gaasch. Councilors absent: None. Staff present: Heather Butkowski, City Administrator; Jim Bownik, Assistant to the City Administrator; and Miles Cline, Deputy City Clerk. Approvals Mayor Gaasch asked if there were any additions to the meeting agenda. Butkowski requested adding rehiring an intern on a part time basis over the holidays. Council Dains added staff appreciation days to the Additional Items section of the agenda. There being nothing else, Councilor Dains moved and seconded by Councilor Kelly to approve the agenda as amended. Motion carried unanimously. Mayor Gaasch asked if there were corrections to the minutes of the November 26, 2024, City Council meeting. There being none, Councilor Pulford moved and seconded by Councilor Sayre to approve the November 26, 2024, City Council meeting minutes. Motion carried unanimously. Mayor Gaasch asked if there were any questions on the claims. There being none, Councilor Dains moved and seconded by Councilor Pulford to approve the claims totaling $48,457.24. Motion carried unanimously. Consent Councilor Kelly moved and seconded by Councilor Sayre to approve the Consent Agenda thereby approving the warming house/rinks seasonal hires, year-end accounts payable authorization, and the 2025 SafeAssure contract. Public Hearings A. Ordinance No. 24-03 Repealing Title 3, Chapter 11 of the Code of Ordinances and Replacing with a new Chapter 11 Regarding Cannabis and Hemp Business Regulations Butkowski explained, the City has an interim ordinance regulating hemp and cannabis sales that will expire January 1, 2025. The State expected to have cannabis regulations and licensing in place by that date. This hasn't happened, so cities are adopting ordinances regulating areas allowed by state law. At the last meeting, the City Council reviewed a draft ordinance prepared by Kennedy and Graven attorneys which was modified by the City's planning consultant to reflect future zoning LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 2 of 5 December 10, 2024 changes. Since that meeting, the ordinance was tweaked and finalized for adoption. The primary changes were adding language related to temporary cannabis events and adding language that uses the county -wide cap to limit the number of cannabis businesses in the City. Prior to adoption, the City Council held a public hearing to allow for input. Mayor Gaasch opened the floor to those interested in addressing the Council on this topic at 7:26 p.m. Elizabeth Nguyen, 1669 Rosehill Circle, approached the dais. She inquired how the legalization of cannabis would affect crime rates in the City. She asked how legalization would impact taxation, health, and usage rates. Nguyen stated that she would like to see a coffee shop in town. Amal Mubarak, 1669 Rosehill Circle, was next to address the Council on this topic. She was interested in knowing what benefits the City would gain by having a dispensary in town. There being nobody else interested in speaking, Mayor Gaasch closed the floor at 7:31 p.m. Mayor Gaasch noted that state law does not allow cities to prohibit cannabis retailers in their communities. The ordinance is as restrictive as state law allows. Staff were asked to follow up with Ms. Nguyen and Ms. Mubarak regarding their questions. Councilor Pulford made a motion to adopt Ordinance No. 24-03 Repealing Title 3, Chapter 11 of the Code of Ordinances and Replacing with a new Chapter 11 Regarding Cannabis and Hemp Business Regulations. This was seconded by Councilor Kelly and carried unanimously. B. Resolution No. 121024A — Authorizing Publication of Ordinance No. 24-03 by Title and Summary Councilor Kelly made a motion to adopt Resolution No. 121024A — Authorizing Publication of Ordinance No. 24-03 by Title and Summary. This was seconded by Councilor Pulford and carried unanimously. C. Resolution No. 121024B — Adopting and Certifying Liens for Delinquent Utilities and Unpaid Services Butkowski explained that cities must submit a resolution to Ramsey County certifying special assessments before the end of the year. This year, the City has one special assessment for unpaid tree removal services. The City Council may hold a public hearing to give the owner the opportunity to contest the special assessment. Mayor Gaasch opened the floor to those in attendance interested in addressing the Council on this topic at 7:35 p.m. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 3 of 5 December 10, 2024 There being nobody interested in speaking, Mayor Gaasch closed the floor at 7:36 p.m. Councilor Kelly made a motion to adopt Resolution No. 121024E A Resolution Adopting and Certifying Liens for Delinquent Utilities and Unpaid Services. This was seconded by Councilor Dains and carried unanimously. Discussion/Action Item A. Resolution No. 121024C — Adopting the 2025 Final Property Tax Levy At the previous meeting, the City Council held the Truth -in -Taxation public hearing required by statute. Butkowski said that unless the Council put forward changes, the only remaining items were to adopt the levy and budget resolutions. Councilor Kelly made a motion to adopt Resolution 121024C—A Resolution Adopting the 2025 Final Property Tax Levy. This was seconded by Councilor Dains and carried unanimously. B. Resolution No. 121024D — Adopting the 2025 Final Budget and Establishing Fund Appropriations Councilor Pulford made a motion to adopt Resolution 121024D—A Resolution Adopting the 2025 Final Budget and Establishing Fund Appropriations. This was seconded by Councilor Dains and carried unanimously. C. Resolution No. 121024E — Adopting and Certifying Recycling Assessments Butkowski noted that city-wide organized recycling costs were recouped through special assessment. The County requires a resolution to this effect. Councilor Sayre made a motion to adopt Resolution 121024E Adopting and Certifying Recycling Assessments. This was seconded by Councilor Pulford and carried unanimously. D. Resolution No. 121024F — Levying Special Assessments Butkowski explained that the City has three special assessments that were negotiated via petition and waiver agreements. The resolution levying the assessments is a formality as the petition and waiver agreements eliminate the need for a public hearing and the owners have forgone the right to appeal. This resolution was initially adopted in November, but the amounts have changed. Councilor Sayre made a motion to adopt Resolution No. 121024F — A Resolution Levying Special Assessments. This was seconded by Councilor Dains and carried unanimously. Additional Items A. Return of Previous Intern LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 4 of 5 December 10, 2024 William Farley, the City's intern from this summer, reached out to staff about potential work over the holiday season. Butkowksi shared that we could use help for a few days preparing old permits for future scanning. Councilor Kelly moved, and seconded by Councilor Dains to have William Farley return over the winter holiday at a rate of $20/hour. Motion carried unanimously. B. Staff Recognition Councilor Dains voiced his appreciation for City staff for their work throughout the year. He proposed staff be granted two personal days to be used at the City Administrator's discretion. Councilor Dains made a motion to grant staff two personal days to be used at the City Administrator's discretion. This was seconded by Councilor Pulford and carried unanimously. Set Agenda for Next Meeting Butkowski stated that the January 14 Council meeting might include designating the official depository and investment institutions, the 2025 committee appointments and assignments, establishing the 2025 fee schedule, establishing the 2025 City Council meeting schedule, and the November Financial Report. Work Session A. Community Development Update Butkowski stated that the Environmental Committee will meet on the third Tuesday of each month. The ice rink staff will continue to flood whenever weather permits. The Warming House is expected to open for the season on December 20. B. Opportunity for the Public to Address the City Council Mayor Gaasch opened the floor to those interested in addressing the Council. There being nobody interested in speaking, Mayor Gaasch closed the floor. Closed Session A. City Administration Annual Performance Review Councilor Pulford made a motion to enter a closed session to conduct the City Administrator's annual performance review at 7:50 p.m. This was seconded by Councilor Sayre and carried unanimously. Councilor Kelly made a motion to come out of closed session at 8:35 p.m. This was seconded by Councilor Pulford and carried unanimously. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 5 of 5 December 10, 2024 Adjournment Councilor Pulford moved and seconded by Councilor Sayre to adjourn the meeting at 8:36 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Ohiz Miles Cline Deputy City Clerk