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Home My WebLink About10/13/2026LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 1 of 4 October 13, 2026 Call to Order Mayor Gaasch called the Regular City Council meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Roll Call Councilors present: Jeff Dains, Sharon Kelly, Duane Pulford (virtually), and Mayor Mary Gaasch. Councilor absent: Evan Sayre. 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. There being none, Councilor Dains moved and seconded by Councilor Kelly to approve the agenda. Motion carried unanimously. Mayor Gaasch asked if there were corrections to the minutes of the September 22, 2026, City Council meeting. There being none, Councilor Dains moved and seconded by Councilor Pulford to approve the September 22, 2026, City Council meeting minutes. Motion carried unanimously. Mayor Gaasch asked if there were any questions on the claims. Councilor Kelly moved and seconded by Councilor Dains to approve the claims totaling $176,693.31. Motion carried unanimously. Consent Councilor Pulford moved and seconded by Councilor Dains to approve the Consent Agenda thereby acknowledging the September financial report, the quarterly investment report and approving an agreement with 8th Day Landscaping for snow removal and an encroachment agreement with the owners of 1897 Carl Street. Informational Presentations/Reports A. Halloween at City Hall, October 31 from 4:00 — 6:00 p.m. Assistant to the City Administrator Bownik shared a Halloween event planning update. On Halloween, candy and beverages will be available from 4-6 p.m. at City Hall. There will also be volunteers preparing and serving hot dogs. Volunteers are encouraged to help set up City Hall on October 30. Public Hearings A. Application for a Lot Coverage Variance at 1961 Malvern Street The owners of 1961 Malvern Street proposed to construct a 10' x 16' shed in their backyard. Lot coverage is limited to 30% in the R-1 Residential District. Lot coverage at this property is LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 2 of 4 October 13, 2026 currently 31.2% due to a variance granted in 2025. The owner is requesting an additional 1.6% variance for lot coverage, for a total lot coverage of 32.8%. Mayor Gaasch opened the floor at 7:18 p.m. to those interested in addressing the Council on this topic. Debbie Gustafson, 1961 Malvern Street, stated that she was hoping the Council would consider their request for the shed for both privacy and extra storage purposes. She continued to say that it would be consistent with other houses in the neighborhood. Seth Dahlquist, 1966 Walnut Street, shared that he supports the variance request, but is concerned about the setback from the alley for snow removal purposes. There being nobody else interested in speaking, Mayor Gaasch closed the floor at 7:23 p.m. The Council discussed the city attorney's recommendation to deny the variance as the application does not meet the variance standards test as provided in state statute. As the owner designed and constructed the home last year, they cannot meet the standard of unique circumstances not created by the landowner. Councilor Dains made a motion to deny the variance request based on advice from the city attorney. This was seconded by Councilor Kelly and carried unanimously. Discussion/Action Item A. Copier Lease Quotes The City has leased its current copier for eight years and it needs to be replaced. The City received proposals for another 60-month lease from two vendors. The pricing information is not public and will not become public until the Council approves a contract with one of the vendors. The Council discussed that Vendor #2 offered better pricing. Councilor Pulford made a motion directing staff to negotiate a contract with Vendor #2 for a copier, and for the Mayor and City Administrator to execute any documents related thereto. This was seconded by Councilor Dains and carried unanimously. B. Amendment to CAD and Mobile Data Agreement Among Ramsey County and Members Ramsey County Emergency Communications Staff provided the following: The City Council approved a Joint Powers Agreement with Ramsey County for Dispatch Services (JPA) as part of an initiative to consolidate multiple 9-1-1 centers into a unified Ramsey County Emergency Communications Center (ECC). In 2013, The City Council and all other members of the Joint Powers Agreement with Ramsey County for Dispatch Services signed a LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 3 of 4 October 13, 2026 CAD and Mobile Data Agreement as part of a project to upgrade the Computer Aided Dispatching System that is used by the ECC and first responders. Earlier this year the County began an initiative to update and modernize this 20-year-old agreement. Although it is not set to expire for another 20 years, it contains outdated language, does not reflect current practices, and is not flexible enough to adapt to future changes. County staff have been actively engaging and surveying stakeholders to gather feedback and ideas for a modernized JPA that will be drafted and circulated for review by member cities in the coming months. In the process of reviewing documents and agreements that relate to this work, it was discovered that the CAD and Mobile Data Agreement from 2013 are set to expire on December 31, 2026. Because this agreement needs updating and modernizing like the ECC JPA, the County is asking all members to approve a simple amendment to extend the expiration date to avoid interruption of critical services and allow time for a thorough and collaborative process to do that work. This amendment contains no new terms or conditions. Councilor Kelly made a motion to approve the Amendment to CAD and Mobile Data Agreement Among Ramsey County and Members and directing the Mayor and City Administrator to execute all agreements related thereto. This was seconded by Councilor Pulford and carried unanimously. Set Agenda for Next Meeting Butkowski stated that the next meeting may include the October financials and a City Council bylaws discussion with the City Attorney. Work Session A. Community Park Archery Range Butkowski mentioned that the archery range at Community Park was created about 50 years ago. Until recently, it received light usage during the year with a few more archers corning out before hunting season. Staff saw users as cautious and following basic archery protocols for safety. This has started to change. Recently, staff have been forced to intervene due to users participating in the following: • Using crossbows (staff recently installed signage prohibiting). • Setting up targets away from the city -provided bales (putting their shots in line with other park features like picnic tables). • Multiple archers at one time — they also set up targets away from the city -provided bales. • Arguing with staff who asked them to stop behaviors that seemed unsafe. • Staff also found arrows in other locations in the park away from the bales. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 4 of 4 October 13, 2026 Staff sought out an expert to help evaluate the archery range. All recommendations pointed to Arron Willis, Recreation Supervisor for Youth and Family for the City of Bloomington. He overseas Bloomington's Archery Range. He provided a wealth of recommendations and even drafted the Preliminary Capital Improvement Proposal provided in the packet. Staff's conversation with Arron centered around creating a safe environment for archers, protecting other park users, and protecting the City from liability. He noted items that the City could improve to increase recreational immunity should any injuries occur. He also laid out options for safety improvements. Ultimately, he recommended the City eliminate the archery range due to its size and placement within a busy park. Councilor Dains made a motion to close the archery range due to safety concerns. This was seconded by Councilor Kelly and carried unanimously. B. Staff Project Updates Butkowski shared that Friday, October 16 marks the beginning of expanded early voting hours for Ramsey County locations. She also said that the 15 boulevard trees had been planted. C. 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. Adj ournment Councilor Dains moved and seconded by Councilor Pulford to adjourn the meeting at 7:51 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Miles Cline Deputy City Clerk