Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-09-26-R 'It -A�N HILLS Approved: March 9, 2026 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS,MINNESOTA REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING FEBRUARY 9,2026 7:00 P.M. -ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor David Grant called to order the regular City Council meeting at 7:00 p.m. Present: Mayor David Grant, Councilmembers Brenda Holden, Tena Monson, Emily Rousseau and Kurt Weber Absent: None Also present: City Administrator Jessica Jagoe; City Attorney Kori Land; Public Works Director/City Engineer David Swearingen; Finance Director Joua Yang; Community Development Director Jacob Reilly; and Assistant to the City Administrator/City Clerk Julie Hanson PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Councilmember Holden requested Item 8E be pulled from the Consent Agenda for discussion as Item 9A. Councilmember Weber requested the addition of Item I IA allowing for the discussion of the reconsideration of the EDA appointments approved on January 12, 2026. Mayor Grant requested comment from the City Attorney on how to proceed with this item. City Attorney Land explained in order to move an item forward a Councilmember had to be on the prevailing side. She clarified that Councilmember Weber had proposed this as a discussion on whether or not there would be a motion to reconsider. She stated Councilmember Weber would not be able to move or second a motion to reconsider if one were made. She advised that a motion to have a discussion was within the Council's discretion. Mayor Grant indicated this creates a concern of sorts. He explained it appears Councilmember Weber would like to hold a discussion of a reconsideration under Item 11 A on the agenda. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—FEBRUARY 9, 2026 2 Councilmember Weber stated this was correct. Mayor Grant reported previous notice was not given on this item. City Attorney Land advised previous notice does not need to be given for this item. Councilmember Monson requested Items 8L and 8M be pulled from the Consent Agenda in order for these items to be read aloud. Mayor Grant noted he would be reading these items aloud for the record. Councilmember Monson indicated she would not need these items pulled from the Consent Agenda. MOTION: Councilmember Monson moved and Councilmember Holden seconded a motion to approve the meeting agenda as amended. The motion carried (5-0). 2. TCAAP/RICE CREEK COMMONS UPDATE City Administrator Jagoe stated at the JDA work session on February 2°d, Ramsey County staff provided infrastructure updates on Rice Creek Boulevard. They shared that coordination with the US Army continues to be one of the critical path items that will impact the project schedule. The US Army will need to approve the TGRS Relocations, Monitoring Well Adjustments along with Site K Coordination. Ramsey County Community and Economic Development staff sent a letter in January to the Army urging their engagement. The roadway project schedule has shifted to having the 100% plans being completed by August with the start of construction anticipated to start in the Spring of 2027 with completion in the Fall of 2028. Ramsey County is reviewing p g p options for early work items that could begin yet this fall. Ramsey County along with its consultant Kimley Horn reviewed two TRC Amendments with the JDA. The first was to reduce the width of the multi-use trails in the TRC from 12 feet to 10 feet. There is a proposed multi-use trail on the east and west sides of Rice Creek Boulevard. Rasmey County staff share that 10 feet is their standard width for multi-use trails constructed on County roads. Reasons stated for practical difficulty were that the Rice Creek Watershed District exemptions for trails is capped at 10 feet, that a 12 foot trail requires stormwater treatment for entirety of trail width, and future development and cost impacts. The second TRC discussion item was lighting along Rice Creek Boulevard. The TRC states that street lights shall be placed at an average of forty feet on center. Ramsey County requested the JDA consider a recommendation to amend the TRC for spacing of street lighting. Commissioners requested Ramsey County and their consultant prepare photometric plans at a variety of spacing including as stated in the TRC and bring this back for discussion at their March meeting. This meeting was a work session so no formal action could be taken. There was consensus amongst the JDA to staff on moving forward with next steps. Therefore, JDA staff will be bringing this discussion to their March 2nd meeting for a formal motion to recommend to the City and County on minor TRC amendments to allow for a 10 foot multi-use trail and those considerations for potential street lighting spacing. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—FEBRUARY 9, 2026 3 Lastly at the work session, the JDA discussed the hybrid developer approach and directed staff to identify and analyze the items needed to be addressed in a cooperative agreement and bring this topic back to the JDA in 90 days with an update. Under this hybrid approach, the City and County would need to negotiate and decide certain terms for a cooperative agreement prior to soliciting for development partners so that each developer would know the expectations before submitting a proposal. It is expected that the cooperative agreement would include issues surrounding timing, financing, operations, and maintenance of sitewide infrastructure and amenities such as parks, utilities, roads, natural resources corridor, and other common areas. Under a hybrid developer approach, some of these terms need to be agreed upon in advance to assure the City and County that critical infrastructure is properly accounted for and to set expectations for each development area, and therefore, for each developer. Next immediately following the Work Session, the JDA held a special regular meeting to approve the Chair and Vice Chair for 2026 along with the 2026 road map. Given the earlier updates from Ramsey County staff on Rice Creek Boulevard construction, the Commissioners agreed to move the timing of the next webinar to later in the year since Infrastructure was scheduled to be the next topic. Neither of the advisory committees have met. Then as an update to the JDA lawsuit against Alatus Arden Hills, LLC, there was an amended scheduling order issued and that order indicates the next benchmark for court activity would be in June with all discovery needing to be completed. At this time, the JDA litigation attorneys are in the discovery phase. The next JDA meeting will be held on Monday, March 2nd Councilmember Holden explained she had concerns with the fact the trail width would be reduced by two feet. She noted this trail was supposed to manage pedestrian and bike traffic and she supported the trail remaining 12 feet wide. She questioned if the County would have better results if negotiating with multiple developers, given the County did not have success negotiating with a single developer for the Rice Creek Commons project. City Administrator Jagoe reported through the hybrid approach the items that were being looked at by the City and County would come to terms. She explained the City and County would address these items specifically so the developers would know what the expectations were going into the solicitation phase when it came to land sales, fees, etc. Councilmember Holden stated if multiple developers were selected, she had concerns that the overall flow of the development would be compromised. City Administrator Jagoe commented in terms of flow the phasing would be discussed with County staff. She reported a real estate expert is being considered to help with phasing. She indicated the TRC zoning would assist with keeping the design guidelines consistent throughout the development. Councilmember Monson reported the hybrid approach was not a foregone conclusion. She indicated she was not fully sold on this being the right choice for the project. She noted staff was gathering more information and would be reporting back to the JDA at the March meeting. She ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—FEBRUARY 9, 2026 4 explained this was a very large project and staff had to evaluate if the hybrid approach would balance the risk of moving the project forward. Councilmember Holden reported a master developer was proposed to ensure Ramsey County did not have to assume all the risk. She supported someone completing research because now the Army was being blamed for delaying this project. She indicated the Army has always been clear about needing a five-year timeline for planning and budgeting purposes. She was concerned that there were communication failures when it came to working with the Army. Mayor Grant concurred this was previously known. Councilmember Monson stated a Councilmember may have asked staff for information regarding what the County was doing with the Army. She indicated she was a developer and she understood how the federal government operated. She reported this project was targeted for sustainability and noted the Army has been a point of frustration for herself. Councilmember Weber noted a question came up at the last meeting and comments were made about the desire to work with the Army. He explained he asked how far along the County was with the Army and it sounds like they were pretty far along and progress was being made. Councilmember Holden asked that the City's JDA representatives ask to see this progress. 3. PUBLIC INQUIRIES/INFORMATIONAL Patrick Burlingame, 3590 Snelling Avenue North, thanked the Council and staff for the work on the proclamation, resolution and letter that was sent to federal delegates. He noted in the last several weeks he met with staff and listened to residents. Through these interactions he has learned residents were feeling the effects of federal immigration enforcement agents and that the tools available to the City were limited. He appreciated the fact the City Council would be taking concrete steps to put the City's position on the record and to escalate the City's concerns to federal leaders. He asked how and when the City would be sharing the response the City receives from the federal delegation with residents. 4. RESPONSE TO PUBLIC INQUIRIES A. Public Inquiry Response from January 12, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting City Administrator Jagoe provided a verbal response to the inquiries that were raised at the January 12, 2026 City Council meeting. Councilmember Monson asked that these comments be sent to the speaker from the January 12, 2026 City Council meeting. Councilmember Weber commented he would have appreciated seeing this response prior to the meeting since it was a response from the City Council. 5. PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS None. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—FEBRUARY 9, 2026 5 6. STAFF COMMENTS None. 7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. January 12, 2026, City Council Work Session B. January 12, 2026, Regular City Council MOTION: Councilmember Monson moved and Councilmember Holden seconded a motion to approve the January 12, 2026, City Council Work Session meeting minutes as presented and the January 12, 2026, Regular City Council meeting minutes as amended. The motion carried 4-0-1 (Councilmember Rousseau abstained). 8. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Motion to Approve Consent Agenda Item - Claims and Payroll B. Motion to Approve 2025 Budget Carryovers and 2026 Budget Adjustments C. Motion to Approve City Administrator One-Year Performance Review D. Motion to Approve Amended Legal Services Agreement for City Attorney E. Motion to Appr-eve Agreements with Ramsey County and Freiffmth Enter-p r T r for-Cit,,n o,.,.,.ling Event a May 20 2II26 F. Motion to Approve Ramsey County Fleet Service Invoice for Annual Public Works Fleet Repairs G. Motion to Approve State of Minnesota Department of Transportation Cooperative Construction and Maintenance Agreement for Proposed MN-51 Trail H. Motion to Approve Contract for 2026 PMP Winter Tree Clearing with Castle Rock Contracting& Tree Service, LLC I. Motion to Approve Resolution 2026-006 Approving Plans and Specifications and Ordering Advertisement for Bids — 2026 PMP Street and Utility Improvement Project J. Motion to Approve Final Payment to Ramsey County — Construction and Engineering Costs — Roundabout at Old Snelling Ave and County Road E/Lake Johanna Boulevard Project and Mounds View High School Trail on Lake Valentine Road K. Motion to Approve Resolution 2026-007 Delegating to the North Suburban Communications Commission the Authority to Prepare Broadband Franchises L. Motion to Approve City Statement Regarding Federal Immigration Enforcement Activities M. Motion to Approve Federal Immigration Enforcement Proclamation and Authorization for Mayor to send a letter to Federal Legislators Mayor Grant read Item 8L — a Motion to Approve City Statement Regarding Federal Immigration Enforcement Activities in full for the record. Mayor Grant read Item 8M — a Motion to Approve Federal Immigration Enforcement Proclamation and Authorization for Mayor to send a letter to Federal Legislators in full for the record. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—FEBRUARY 9, 2026 6 MOTION: Councilmember Holden moved and Councilmember Weber seconded a motion to approve the Consent Calendar as amended and to authorize execution of all necessary documents contained therein. The motion carried (5_0). 9. PULLED CONSENT ITEMS A. Motion to Approve Agreements with Ramsey County and Freimuth Enterprises,LLC for City Recycling Event on May 30,2026 Councilmember Holden encouraged residents to start cleaning out their closets and to participate in the City recycling event which would be held on Saturday, May 30, 2026. City Administrator Jagoe reported the City hosted a similar event in 2025 and the City uses SCORE grant funding to cover the expense for the free clean up day. She noted the event would be held at the Ramsey County Yard. MOTION: Councilmember Holden moved and Councilmember Rousseau seconded a motion to approve Agreements with Ramsey County and Freimuth Enterprises, LLC for City Recycling Event on May 30, 2026. The motion carried (5-0). 10. PUBLIC HEARINGS None. 11. NEW BUSINESS A. Discussion of the Reconsideration of the EDA Appointments Approved on January 12, 2026. Mayor Grant stated a motion to reconsider this item would take a super majority vote and be made by someone on the prevailing side. The EDA appointments were made during the Consent Agenda which was approved 3-1. The vote against approving the Consent agenda had one dissenting vote, which was Councilmember Weber, which means Councilmember Weber cannot make the motion to reconsider because he was not on the prevailing side. Any motion to reconsider would take a 2/3 vote and for this Council would be 4/5. City Attorney Land explained as a point of clarification that a motion to reconsider does not require a super majority vote but rather requires a simple majority vote. She advised a motion to rescind would require a 2/3 vote. A discussion ensued between Mayor Grant and City Attorney Land regarding Robert's Rules. Mayor Grant stated he wanted to outline who could possibly make the Motion and went on to explain that Councilmember Rousseau was not there and Councilmember Weber had voted against it and so was not on the prevailing side, which leaves Councilmembers Holden and Monson and himself. He stated the discussion is limited on this agenda item to the Motion to Reconsider, not the merits of reconsideration. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—FEBRUARY 9, 2026 7 City Attorney Land clarified that the motion itself once made is not debatable, but rather the discussion whether we wish to reconsider is where we are. Mayor Grant reiterated the topic is the reconsideration, it's not the merits of reconsideration. Councilmember Rousseau stated she was not at the January 12 City Council meeting. She explained it was her understanding that the intent of the Council was to have one member from the business community and one resident and that the Council left the language in the ordinance vague in the event that there was not interest from a representative in one of those categories. She was curious to learn what happened with the appointments. She understood that there was one member from the business community and one member from the community that was interested in serving on the EDA. Mayor Grant reported the item at hand was to discuss the reconsideration of the EDA appointments. Councilmember Holden questioned how information got to the EDC. She stated there were already five residents on the EDA through the five Councilmembers who were all residents of Arden Hills. She indicated when this item came to a vote she supported the recommendations because Ted Brausen has been in the community for years and knows all of the business leaders in the community. She stated in knowing Kyle Sorenson personally, she believed he was another great selection for the EDA. She believed it would be nice to have both of these individuals serving on the EDA. Councilmember Weber discussed the reason he brought this forward and noted he had spoken with the Mayor since the January 12 meeting about how the process was conducted. He reported the process followed by Mayor Grant did not resemble what Councilmember Rousseau and himself had done in previous interviews for the Planning Commission and EDC. He was of the opinion more applications should have been accepted, the same questions should have been asked, notes should have been taken, and the entire EDC should have been interviewed for the EDA positions. He indicated the interview process should have been clear and identifiable and this did not occur. He explained this action has nothing to do with who was selected as the individuals selected may be the best choice. He reported he was more concerned with the process that was followed by the Mayor. He recalled discussion wherein two appointees to the EDA were to be one member from the business community and one resident, though this wasn't a requirement. Mayor Grant asked that Councilmember Weber discuss the reconsideration of the EDA appointments. Councilmember Weber requested the Mayor not interrupt his comments as he had the floor at this time. Councilmember Rousseau stated she agreed there were a lot of great individuals that could serve on the EDA but noted the concerns being raised go back to the process that was followed. She indicated she would like to see one individual from the resident space and one from the business space. She inquired if the Mayor reached out to EDC Chair Jud Murchie as he was interested in serving. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—FEBRUARY 9, 2026 8 Mayor Grant commented he did not reach out to him. Councilmember Rousseau explained it would be her preference to have these positions treated more like the JDA Chair where members are given a chance to apply and interviews are held with the Councilmembers. Councilmember Holden stated Councilmember Weber gave a synopsis of what has occurred over past years. She noted there have been many qualified individuals who came forward and put applications in that were not appointed. She indicated this would become a much greater topic if the Council was going to begin addressing who did and did not qualify for a position. Councilmember Monson explained all of the people were fantastic. She commented this situation was a little disappointing because the EDA was one of the few commissions that can levy. She reported these two individuals would sit on a board with the City Council and could levy taxes. She indicated the City had a more formal process for interviewing the parks and trail committee members. She agreed the process needed to be more aligned and formal with staff input and input from the remaining Councilmembers. She noted these appointments could be a liability. She stated she felt very uncomfortable and concerned that a formal process was not followed. Mayor Grant indicated the EDA was a special group and the appointments to the EDA were made by the Mayor. He reported all other commission appointments were conducted in a different manner because they were not statutory. He commented on the process he followed for the EDA appointments, noting he reviewed resumes,held interviews and made a selection. Councilmember Weber reported that everyone gets to apply for the commission positions and these positions are advertised broadly. He indicated this was a much smaller group that was not limited to just the EDC. Councilmember Rousseau requested the Mayor send Ted Brausen's resume to her. Mayor Grant asked if his ranking should be made public. City Attorney Land stated this was a data practices request and any data the Mayor has regarding this business should be provided to Councilmember Rousseau. Mayor Grant clarified for the record he received all of his data from the City, so it was the City's data and not his data. Councilmember Rousseau explained regarding past appointments, the City had two individuals that applied to the PTRC and one said they would not come to meetings unless the PTRC discussed a specific item and another individual wasn't even aware of the name of their neighborhood park. She noted these responses made the appointment process more simple. Councilmember Holden commented she was not part of the interview process and she has not received the interview questions. She questioned if the majority of the Council wanted a certain individual on the EDA. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—FEBRUARY 9, 2026 9 Councilmember Monson stated she has spoken very clearly about why she would like these appointments to have a formal process. She inquired if the Mayor would hold a more formal process for these appointments in the future given how the appointments require Council approval. She would like to see a process followed similar to the appointments for planning commissioners and the JDA Chair. Mayor Grant explained these appointments were not like the planning commission or PTRC where everyone can apply. He indicated it was a smaller group. He stated he could commit to a more formal process in the future. He reported these individuals were appointed to a six year term and six years from now the Council can address this concern. Councilmember Monson asked what the next step would be if a motion to reconsider this item were to pass. City Attorney Land advised the first step would be to discuss the item. The next step would be to make a motion to reconsider and vote on this motion. If this item passes, the Council could then have the appointments back on the floor for consideration. Mayor Grant reiterated that a motion to reconsider would require a two-thirds vote to be adopted under Roberts Rules of Order and must be made by a member who voted on the prevailing side. Councilmember Monson commented she was relying on the information from the City Attorney regarding Roberts Rules of Order. Councilmember Weber explained he had no one in mind for the EDA, but rather he was concerned about the interview process being done transparently. MOTION: Councilmember Monson moved and Councilmember Rousseau seconded a motion to reconsider the EDA appointments that were made on January 12, 2026. Mayor Grant stated our agenda was to discuss the reconsideration but a motion is always in order. City Attorney Land reported as a point of clarification the maker of the motion and the seconder have to be on the prevailing side of the motion that was made on January 12. She advised this meant Councilmember Rousseau, because she was not present, could not second this motion because she was not in attendance at the January 12, 2026 City Council meeting. Mayor Grant agreed that Councilmember Monson made the motion but it would require a second from either Councilmember Holden or himself(having been present at the meeting and on the prevailing side). Mayor Grant said seeing none, this meant the motion would fail for lack of a second and this dispenses with the item. 12. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—FEBRUARY 9, 2026 10 13. COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilmember Rousseau requested data on the six-year appointment the Mayor has made for the EDA and that this information be shared with the entire City Council as well as the EDC members. Councilmember Rousseau stated she would like the City Council to consider not charging late fees for water and sewer for this quarter due to immigration enforcement concerns. Mayor Grant recommended this be a work session topic at an upcoming meeting because this action would require a formal motion from the City Council. Councilmember Rousseau asked that staff provide contact and resource information for individuals who were having trouble paying their Xcel Energy bills this winter. She noted payment plans were available and asked that Xcel's contact information be added to the City's website. Councilmember Rousseau stated she was looking forward to discussing the City joining the Safe and Stable Communities Coalition. Councilmember Rousseau commented she would like the City's tourism liaison be asked to resign because their decisions were not aligned with increasing tourism in the City of Arden Hills. Councilmember Weber stated he supported this being a direct action from the City but could also support this item going to a future worksession meeting. Councilmember Weber explained the Planning Commission met on Wednesday, February 4 and reviewed three planning cases. These items would be coming to the City Council in March. Councilmember Weber discussed an immigration enforcement issue that occurred in the community this past weekend at Arden Manor. He noted he witnessed ICE agents staging at County Road 96 and on a business property behind Holiday. He indicated this information did not show up on the immigration report from Ramsey County. He noted he spoke with the City Administrator regarding this matter and asked that any contact with immigration enforcement be recorded as such by Ramsey County. He reported he was happy to see the event at Arden Manor did not escalate. Councilmember Weber stated he was very disappointed with the fact the City Council could not come together to reconsider the EDA appointments. He noted he was not given clear information or transparency from the Mayor on his process when appointing members to the EDA. He reported two members of the City Council refused to allow this to happen. Councilmember Holden reported when she heard about the immigration event she contacted the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office and asked about what happened at Arden Manor. She reported the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department received no calls from Arden Manor regarding ICE activity but rather two ICE vehicles were viewed on County Road 96 and someone called in reports of accident. She noted a Ramsey County Sheriff drove by these vehicles, looked up the license plates and learned they were ICE vehicles. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—FEBRUARY 9, 2026 11 Councilmember Holden explained there were also calls on Round Lake Road on the cul-de-sac that ICE was in the area. She noted a Ramsey County Sheriff visited this area and ICE said they had arrested someone,but the exact location was unknown. For this reason, an incident report was not created. She encouraged residents with questions about ICE activity in the community to contact the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office. Councilmember Holden stated she would like to further discuss the tourism appointment at an upcoming worksession meeting. She indicated there were other issues that should be addressed such as where ICE agents were getting food and gas. She discussed how the hotels in the area have GSA contracts for the National Guard and stated she did not want the community to lose all of these rooms if the GSA contract were to go away. Councilmember Holden inquired if staff had an update on Shoreline Lane. City Administrator Jagoe reported the Property Owner had submitted a data request and the City Clerk was pulling together permit history for this property. She noted there was nothing to share with the neighborhood at this time. She stated if there were code enforcement items or concerns a resident should make a complaint with the City. Councilmember Holden indicated she had a request regarding the open ice hole on Lake Johanna and noted there was a request to see if the PTRC and the City of Arden Hills would like to take this over. Councilmember Monson reported on Saturday, January 31 the City held a special work session to discuss federal immigration activities in the community. She thanked the public for attending this meeting and for their show of support for the community. She noted the Council would continue to work to adapt as things change. She appreciated that ICE activities in the community were now being tracked. She encouraged residents to call 911 if they see ICE working in the community in order to assist with tracking the ICE activity in the community. Councilmember Monson stated the 75t' Anniversary for the City of Arden Hills was this year and noted a community was working on creating a community event that would be held in July of this year. She noted the committee was seeking sponsors to assist with funding this event. Councilmember Monson explained she could support the City waiving late fees for the City water and sewer fees for the first quarter of 2026. She indicated she was looking forward to the EDA appointment information being forwarded to her email. She noted she supported the Xcel Energy information be posted on the City's website. Mayor Grant stated the City of Roseville recently implanted franchise fees. Mayor Grant commented on the process he followed for the EDA appointments, noting he received applications from City staff, he ranked them, held interviews and made offers on these positions. He reiterated that these appointments were statutory and was part of his duty as Mayor. He had no doubt that the two people appointed were high quality individuals that wanted to see Arden Hills succeed. Mayor Grant explained he believed requesting the Gateway Visitor Bureau's representative to resign was not appropriate at this time. He did not believe there was justification behind whether ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—FEBRUARY 9, 2026 12 or not ICE was at a hotel, or whether or not this individual had any decision making authority over this. He stated he would not be supporting such an action. He anticipated ICE agents were gassing up in the community or buying groceries at local businesses, but he did not want to go after these business owners either. Mayor Grant thanked Councilmember Monson for the update on the 75t' Anniversary event. He reported the Arden Hills Foundation would like to sponsor the car show. ADJOURN MOTION: Mayor Grant moved and Councilmember Holden seconded a motion to adiourn. The motion carried (5-0). Mayor Grant adjourned the Regular City Council Meeting at 8:25 p.m. J 'e Hanson David Grant Clerk Mayor