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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026.05.18 CC MinutesMINUTES City Council Meeting City Hall Council Chambers Monday, May 18, 2026 7:00 p.m. Call to Order Mayor Weidt called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Roll Call and Pledge of Allegiance COUNCIL PRESENT: Krull, Miron, Petryk, Strub, Weidt COUNCIL ABSENT: None OTHERS PRESENT: City Administrator Bryan Bear, City Engineer Mark Erichson, City Attorney Dave Snyder, Community Development Director Rachel Juba, City Clerk Michele Lindau Approve Minutes for the May 4, 2026, City Council Meeting Petryk made motion, Strub seconded, to approve the minutes for the City Council meeting held on May 4, 2026, as presented. All Ayes. Motion carried. Approval of Agenda Weidt made motion, Miron seconded, to approve the agenda as presented All Ayes. Motion carried. Hugo Good Neighbor Days June 5-7, 2026 The Hugo Lions Club will hold its annual Hugo Good Neighbor Days Community Festival June 5–7, 2026, at Lions Volunteer Park. The Club requested the City co-sponsor the event by waiving the Special Event Permit fee and providing Washington County deputies during the event, consistent with past practice. Lions Club member Jason Schwieger and President John Kelly provided an overview of the event. Mr. Kelly noted the festival has been held for approximately 50 years and that the Club has raised over $1 million, with a focus on keeping 80 percent of funds within the community. The festival will include live bands on Friday and Saturday, a vendor fair (currently at capacity), and events throughout the weekend. Shuttle service will be provided from the Blue Heron and Schweiters parking areas. Jason and John reported that Good Neighbor Days is the Lions largest annual fundraiser. They noted recent donations to the Hopkins Schoolhouse, Veterans’ Camp, a fishing tournament, fire victims, and White Bear Lake Area seniors through scholarships. They also reported receiving inquiries from potential new members and outlined the membership process. Council Meeting Minutes for May 18, 2026 Page 2 of 6 The Mayor was invited to serve as a judge for the rib competition. The RibFest is expected to include approximately 20 teams and 240 racks of ribs, with prizes awarded for first, second, and third place, as well as People’s Choice. Ribs will be supplied by Grundhofer’s Old Fashioned Meats and the Bald Eagle Sportsmen’s Association. Council members inquired about additional event information and RibFest details. More information is available at www.goodneighbordays.com. Miron made motion, Krull seconded, to cosponsor Good Neighbor Days by waiving the special event and providing deputies as needed. All Ayes. Motion carried. Washington County Sheriff’s Department Annual Report – Sheriff Dan Starry Sheriff Dan Starry began by stating this would be his last formal yearly presentation to Hugo. Starry plans to retire when his term is up at the end of the year. The Sheriff introduced Sarah Halverson, Commander of Patrol, who has been with the County for 26 years, and Hugo Sergeant Matt Wieland, who introduced the Hugo deputies: Mike Nunan, Jeff Workman, Garrett Zakrzewski, Alec Zachrison, Andrew Schommer, Tyler Jarrett, Greg Rieter, and Isaac Robbins. Jarrett is the new Hugo detective and shared that he has been with the County for nine years. Deputy Schommer shared that he started in 2020, left to work with the State Patrol for a period of time, and was excited to be back in Hugo, where he grew up. Starry presented a PowerPoint showing the past year’s activities and Hugo’s 2026 service cost at over $1.7 million. The majority of the expense is for employee wages and benefits to remain competitive. The cost per capita is $102.56 for 24/7 coverage, which includes support from the entire Sheriff’s Office. Citations nearly doubled in 2025 from 555 issued in 2017. Most were traffic violations that resulted in education and warnings. Excessive violators are ticketed. In 2025, there were 265 cases investigated and over 10,000 calls for service, equating to approximately 27 calls per day. Starry reviewed call-by-hour data, showing that the most calls came in between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., with 699 calls, and the fewest occurred at 5 a.m., with 82 calls. He encouraged residents to call immediately if they see something instead of waiting. Arrests increased from 158 in 2024 to 170 in 2025. Motor vehicle accidents, mostly car versus deer, increased from 151 to 170, and mental health-related calls showed a small decrease from 131 in 2025 to 128 in 2026. Starry provided information on how the department is responding to trends. He discussed the new Community Impact Unit, e-bike safety, the increase in mental health professionals, and fraud tactics. He also discussed the department’s relationship with school districts and the DARE program led by Deputies Isaac Robbins and Cassie Rice. Starry thanked the Mayor, Council, and staff for supporting the Sheriff’s Office. Weidt commented that he appreciated having Washington County as the City’s law enforcement provider and wished Starry well in his retirement. Council Meeting Minutes for May 18, 2026 Page 3 of 6 Petryk shared her experience dealing with a resident’s mental health issue and thanked the department for the way it handled the situation. Starry noted that it is National EMS Week and described the department’s relationship with the Hugo Fire Department as excellent. Recess The Mayor called for a five-minute recess. The meeting reconvened at 7:42 p.m. Approval of Consent Agenda Petryk made motion, Krull seconded, to approve the following Consent Agenda: 1. Approve Claims Roster 2. Approve Quote for Gravel Contract 3. Approve Amended State Building Code Agreement with Scandia 4. Approve Special Event Permit for Blacksmith Lounge for 2026 Events 5. Approve Temporary Liquor License for Hugo Lions Club for Tough Mudder on June 27, 2026 All Ayes. Motion carried. Approve Claims Roster Adoption of the Consent Agenda approved the Claims Roster as presented. Approve Quote for Gravel Contract Staff received quotes for Class 5 modified gravel to be placed on our rural gravel roads. Staff received two out of the three quotes requested. The City will need approximately 5,280 tons for a total contract of $77,563.20. The roads included in this year’s re-graveling project are Ingersoll Avenue, 175th Street, Inwood Avenue, and 180th Street. Adoption of the Consent Agenda approved the contract with Dresel Contracting to provide Class 5 modified gravel at $14.69 per ton. Approve Amended Agreement with Scandia for Administration of the State Building Code In February 2015, the City Council approved a contract with the City of Scandia for the administration of the State Building Code. Under this agreement, the City of Hugo has provided plan review, inspection, scheduling, and reporting services for all building permits issued by Scandia. Revisions to the agreement have been prepared to remove plan review and inspection services for state-licensed facilities, as the City of Hugo no longer maintains state delegation for these activities. Additionally, the agreement has been updated to reflect the mileage rate to follow the current IRS mileage rate for business. Adoption of the Consent Agenda approved the amended agreement with the City of Scandia for administration of the State Building Code. Council Meeting Minutes for May 18, 2026 Page 4 of 6 Approve Special Event Permit for Blacksmith Lounge for 2026 Events The Blacksmith Lounge, 17205 Forest Boulevard North, has applied for a Special Event Permit for their 2026 events to be held between Memorial Day and end of September. Events include four auctions, seven car shows, one motorcycle swap meet, and one White Bear Lake Hockey fundraising event. A Special Event Permit approved by Council is required because there will be alcohol served outside and there may be up to 200 people in attendance. Adoption of the Consent Agenda approved the Special Event Permit for the Blacksmith Lounge. Approve Temporary Liquor License for Hugo Lions Club for Tough Mudder on June 27, 2026 The Hugo Lions Club submitted a temporary liquor license application to serve beer and seltzers at the Tough Mudder event to be held at Wild Wings Game Farm on June 27, 2026. The request for approval of a Special Event Permit for the event will be on the next Council agenda. Adoption of the Consent Agenda approved the temporary liquor license for the Lions Club for the Tough Mudder on June 27, 2026, subject to approval of the Special Event Permit. Discussion of Equipment CIP and Approve Purchase of Brush/Rescue Combination Truck As part of the City's 2026 Focus Goals, the City Council set a goal to evaluate the equipment CIP to accommodate future Fire Department trucks. Fire Chief Jim Compton Jr. has appointed a truck committee that has completed a thorough review of the Fire Department's fleet. They have advised that certain vehicles should be phased out and replaced with new vehicles with different capabilities, due to the changing needs of the Department. They also believe this new strategy should equate to long-term cost savings for the City. The Fire Chief will present recommendations concerning the City's equipment CIP. At the end of his presentation, the Chief will recommend the purchase of a new brush/rescue combination truck to replace the aging brush truck that is currently scheduled for replacement in 2026. A truck committee was formed to evaluate the CIP to accommodate future fire trucks. The committee consisted of Deputy Chief Dave Jensen, Chief Engineer Tom Kaspszak, Lieutenants Ryan Nadeau and Bob Bieniek, and Firefighter Tom Robinson. Replacement years are this year for Brush Truck 1, 2032 for Tender 1, and 2034 for Rescue 1. Compton explained that the equipment CIP is on a five-year cycle. The lifespan of their trucks is 30 years for large apparatus, 20 years for small apparatus, and 10 years for the chief squad trucks. The truck committee analyzed the incorporation of a re-chassis strategy for their four large fire trucks. This can be done once during the life of the truck if it is purchased new. They proposed a 25-year re-chassis cycle and a 50-year new build resulting in a savings of 30-40% compared to building a new truck, lowering replacement costs in the CIP. He presented a truck consolidation model, similar to what has been done in the past. The committee proposed consolidating three trucks into two and reducing the fleet by one large apparatus. This would result in annual and long-term savings of up to $1.5 million, but the expense would come earlier than expected. Compton talked about the maintenance issues with the aging trucks saying City Mechanic Steve Garcia does an annual vehicle assessment inspection and has seen them decline. Council Meeting Minutes for May 18, 2026 Page 5 of 6 Garcia had proposed a 25-year replacement for the large apparatus instead of 30 years, which is expected to lower maintenance costs. Compton summarized by saying the department would like to reschedule the large apparatus to a 25-year life by adding re-chassis model (if allowed), replace Rescue 1 and Tender 1 with a pumper/tanker in 2029, sell Rescue 1 and Brush 2 this summer, sell Tender 1 in 2029, and replace Brush 2 with a brush/light rescue now. Miron asked which current apparatus would be eligible for re-chassis. Compton explained Engine 1 was due to be replaced in 2038 and would be eligible for a re-chassis in 2033. The 2019 ladder truck was scheduled to be replaced in 2049, and a re-chassis could save 30-40%. Strub was concerned about planning for a re-chassis and having the truck be unavailable during that time. He questioned how long the vehicle would be out of service and how the department would cover the need for the unit. Compton replied that he hoped for less than a year, and they have auto aid contracts to assist in coverage. Jensen added that downtime would depend on whether other modifications were needed to the truck. Council Member Miron questioned the risk if the re-chassis could not be completed when due. He expressed concern about the financial risk of potentially needing to replace a truck without sufficient funds allocated in the CIP. City Administrator Bryan Bear responded that it is always a moving system, and adjustments may need to be made. If the re-chassis could not be completed at 25 years, the City would revert to the 30-year replacement schedule and make the necessary financial preparations. Petryk asked whether the vehicle would be evaluated prior to the work being done and inquired about warranty coverage. Compton replied that the truck would need to be taken to their facility for a full assessment, noting that multiple individuals review the vehicle before a final determination is made. Compton further explained that the main body is covered under the manufacturer’s warranty. Pumps are inspected to ensure they meet standards and are repaired if necessary. The existing department body would be installed on the new truck. He noted that concerns are typically related to the truck frame rather than the body, and no issues are anticipated with the body. Weidt questioned whether they would have the ability to get all personnel to a scene. Compton replied that, without doing the math, he believed they would, and that a utility vehicle would be relatively inexpensive if the need arose. Jensen added that they can currently seat 38 personnel, not including the chief’s vehicles, which would allow for three additional seats. Four additional seats would come with the new Tender. Weidt asked about selling the old trucks, noting that the rescue is a relatively new truck. Compton pointed out that it was already 22 years old but still has a lot of life left in the engine. Weidt said getting 50 years out of the body would be incredible but noted that technology evolves and could change things. He also stated that vehicles perform best when they are regularly operated, and he was concerned about purchasing a truck that has been sitting unused since 2024. He wanted to have an inspection completed prior to purchase and suggested having the City Mechanic inspect the chassis. He added that combining the other two trucks made sense. Compton said he could work Council Meeting Minutes for May 18, 2026 Page 6 of 6 with the City Attorney to add an addendum to the contract for the City’s inspection. Jensen said they would go through the same process used in the past by reviewing the specifications line by line. Bear outlined the recommendations. Miron asked a question about the new build for a pumper/tanker scheduled for delivery in 2029 and whether the estimate could prompt a change in the CIP. Bear replied that adjustments have been made to the CIP to accommodate it, and that the purchase would need to be authorized by the Council soon in order for delivery to occur in 2029. Weidt made motion, Petryk seconded, to approve staff’s recommendations to: authorize the purchase of a “demo” brush/light rescue from Fire Safety USA; direct staff to return to the Council with a recommended plan to advertise and sell Rescue 1, unit ID 7102-04 and Brush 2, unit ID 6103-06; authorize staff to adjust the CIP for future large Fire Department apparatus to include a re-chassis after a 25-year interval with full replacement at 50 years; and authorize the Hugo Fire Department truck committee to create a formal specification for a new build pumper/tanker for delivery in 2029, with the addition of the inspection of the fire truck prior to purchasing. All Ayes. Motion carried. League of MN Cities Annual Conference June 24-26, 2026 City Administrator Bryan Bear informed Council that the League of MN cities will be holding their 2026 annual conference in Rochester on June 24-26, 2026. Adjournment Miron made motion, Krull seconded, to adjourn at 8:21 p.m. All Ayes. Motion carried. Respectfully Submitted, Michele Lindau, City Clerk