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Council Meeting Minutes for November 3, 2025 Page 4 of 5 Weidt made motion, Petryk seconded, to approve RESOLUTION 2025-41 RECEIVING THE FEASIBILITY REPORT AND SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE 2026 BALD EAGLE INDUSTRIAL PARK STREET IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. Roll call vote- Ayes: Krull, Miron, Petryk, Strub, Weidt Nays: None Motion carried. Approve Resolution Appealing Metropolitan Council System Statement At its November 3, 2025, meeting, Community Development Director Rachel Juba provided the Council with an update on the Metropolitan Council System Statement. She explained that a system statement was prepared every ten years for each community in the seven-county metropolitan area within the Metropolitan Council’s jurisdiction and served as the starting point for the 2050 Comprehensive Plan cycle. She outlined several items that staff believed were incorrect in the system statement, including forecasts for population, households, and employment, and sewer allocation. She noted that she had anticipated the Council might need to formally appeal and request a hearing before the State Office of Administrative Hearings. Juba informed the Council that the City had 60 days to review the System Statement and had been unable to resolve the discrepancies with Metropolitan Council staff during that period. She emphasized the importance of the System Statement, explaining that these growth forecasts must be used in preparation of the City’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan. The forecasts indicated a 20% decrease, following a substantial decrease in the last Comprehensive Plan cycle. The City is expected to exceed its 2030 forecast before the 2050 Comprehensive Plan is submitted. Metropolitan Council staff have stated that the lower forecasts are due to the White Bear Lake lawsuit; however, Juba noted that this rationale does not make sense because water supply is not a Metropolitan Council system, the Metropolitan Council is not a party to the lawsuit, and the DNR regulates water supply for Hugo. The cap on growth would require the City to apply for and obtain approval of an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan Amendment each time the forecasts are exceeded. She also noted that the Metropolitan Council previously committed to providing sewer service for a population of 40,000 in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan. The forecasted 2050 population was listed as 23,500. Juba presented data demonstrating projected growth consistent with the 2040 projections, showing a population of approximately 35,000 in 2050. She stated that staff will continue working to resolve the discrepancies with the Metropolitan Council and will request a new system statement. She recommended approval of the resolution appealing the Metropolitan Council’s system statement for the City of Hugo and requesting a hearing. The hearing would be held within 60 days or on another mutually agreed- upon date. A new system statement may be issued within 60 days following the hearing. Petryk asked whether any other city had a similar growth cap. Juba responded that some other communities impacted by the White Bear Lake lawsuit have been held or capped for growth, though other cities have increased forecasts. Miron asked whether there had been any policy-based decision or calculation used to determine the numbers for each community. Juba responded that there had not.