HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024.04.22 CC Minutes-Council Workshop MINUTES
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City Council Workshop T
City Hall Conference Room j ,1`J FST 1ao�
Monday,April 22, 2024
6 p.m
Mayor Weidt called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM
COUNCIL PRESENT: Klein, Miron, Strub, Weidt
COUNCIL ABSENT: Petryk
STAFF PRESENT: City Administrator Bryan Bear, Community Development Director Rachel
Juba, Public Works Director Scott Anderson, City Engineer Mark Erichson, Fire Chief Jim
Compton, Jr., Deputy Fire Chief Dave Jensen, Associate Planner Max Gort
2024 Bridge Projects
City Engineer Mark Erichson presented some background on the two bridges identified with
need for replacement in 2024. These bridges are the Fable Hill Bridge which connects two areas
of the Fable Hill Development, and the Forest Road Bridge which spans across Hardwood Creek
to the west of the Hardwood Creek Trail and Highway 61. In both cases, the bridges have been
identified as fracture-critical. Erichson presented a few options to the Council, including cost
estimates for repair, removal, or replacement. In both instances, the City Council directed staff to
begin drafting plans to apply for state bridge bonding funds.
Fire Department Update
Fire Chief Jim Compton, Jr. presented an update on the operations of the Fire Department since
he's come into his full-time role in November, 2023. Chief Compton detailed the organizational
restructuring of the department he had been preparing, including evaluating compensation for all
salaried positions and updating all job descriptions. Chief Compton also detailed the shifting
environment within the fire station where daytime firefighters who work remotely have been
working from the fire station, allowing much quicker response times due to a higher number of
firefighters at the station at any given time. Chief Compton asked for the Council's direction for
redesigning the fire station to allow for more firefighters to work their jobs remotely within the
office space, which the Council viewed favorably. The Council also discussed the ongoing "farm
system" and evaluation of the Fire Marshal position. Chief Compton requested that the City
Council approve the updated Fire Department job descriptions at the next meeting.
Shoreland Ordinance Discussion
Community Development Director Rachel Juba presented an update on the current state of the
City's shoreland ordinance, and the intention of the state statute that the ordinance follows. Juba
described the direction that staff received from the EDA to pursue implementation flexibility
with the MnDNR which would give the City more flexibility to allow development within
certain shoreland areas in exchange for more restrictive practices in other areas. The City
Council directed staff to begin the process of revising the shoreland ordinance and pursue
implementation flexibility with the DNR.
Council Workshop Minutes for April 22,2024
Page 2 of 2
Cannabis Discussion
Associate Planner Max Gort presented background on the 2023 legislation that legalized the
possession, use, and growth of cannabis, and set up framework for its ultimate sale. Gort
described the different types of cannabis businesses outlined in the statute, and the zoning
considerations that need to be discussed for each of these businesses. Gort explained that there
was still framework being written at the state level, but suggested discussion topics in the
meantime such as public use, high-level zoning considerations, whether to permit retail licenses
beyond the minimum required by statute, and whether to pursue the operation of a municipal
cannabis retail store. The City Council directed staff that they did not want to prohibit the use of
cannabis on public property at this time, and that they did not want to pursue the operation of a
municipal cannabis store, and that they wanted to permit the minimum required retail licenses at
first before potentially allowing more.
Respectfully Submitted,
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Max Gort
Associate Planner