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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-10-04 City Council Meeting MINUTES COTTAGE GROVE CITY COUNCIL October 4, 2023 COUNCIL CHAMBER 12800 RAVINE PARKWAY SOUTH REGULAR MEETING - 7:00 P.M COUNCIL CHAMBER 1. CALL TO ORDER The City Council of the City of Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota, held a regular meeting on October 4, 2023, at Cottage Grove City Hall, 12800 Ravine Parkway. Mayor Bailey called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The audience, staff, and City Council Members stood and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL City Clerk Tammy Anderson called the roll: Mayor Bailey - Here; Council Member Dennis - Here; Council Member Khambata - Here; Council Member Olsen - Here; Council Member Thiede - Here. Also present: Jennifer Levitt, City Administrator; Amanda Johnson, Assistant City Attorney-LeVander, Gillen & Miller, PA; Tammy Anderson, City Clerk; Ryan Burfeind, Public Works Director; Gretchen Carlson, Economic Development Director; Pete Koerner, Public Safety Director; Brenda Malinowski, Finance Director; Emily Schmitz, Community Development Director. 4. OPEN FORUM Mayor Bailey opened the Open Forum. As no one wished to address the Council, Mayor Bailey closed the Open Forum. 5. ADOPTION OF AGENDA Council Member Dennis made a motion to approve the agenda; second by Council Member Thiede. Motion carried: 5-0. 6. PRESENTATIONS Proclamation Honoring Hispanic Heritage Month Staff Recommendation: Proclaim September 15 through October 15, 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month. Mayor Bailey asked Council Member Olsen to read aloud the proclamation. Council Member Olsen stated it was his honor and privilege to read this proclamation, after which Pete Koerner, Public Safety Director, will step to the podium, along with Rigo Aguirre, the National Latino Police Officers Association (NLPOA) representative in Cottage Grove. Council Member Olsen then read aloud the Hispanic Heritage Month Proclamation. Motion by Council Member Olsen to proclaim September 15 through October 15, 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month; second by Council Member Khambata. Motion carried: 5-0. Recognition of Rio Aguirre - National Latino Police Officers Association’s 2023 Lifetime Award Staff Recommendation: Recognize Commander Rigo Aguirre’s accomplishment of the NLPOA Lifetime Award. Director Koerner and Officer Rio Aguirre stepped to the podium, and Mayor Bailey asked the Council Members to join him in front of the dais. Director Koerner stated as we prepared the proclamation for this Council Meeting, one person really resonated with him, whom we will recognize tonight, St. Paul Police Commander Rigo Aguirre. Rigo was recently presented with the National Latino Police Officers’ Association 2023 Lifetime Award at the National Conference in Orlando, Florida. Director Koerner spoke about Rigo: In his 20 years in law enforcement, Commander Aguirre has had numerous assignments, which Director Koerner detailed. He's held several positions with the NLPOA; he’s currently the president of the Minnesota Chapter and is also on their Executive Board of Directors. The lifetime award is presented to someone who has shown great commitment to the mission and goals of the NLPOA and to the organization; Rigo has achieved that and more, as he’s given thousands of volunteer hours of his personal time, and consistently gives his energy to the improvement of the organization. He supports, promotes, and contributes to the growth and success of the Minnesota Latino community. Director Koerner stated some people might wonder why he’s recognizing a St. Paul Police Commander; he has many professional praises, but he wanted to honor Rigo tonight because he’s a family man who resides in Cottage Grove. He moved from St. Paul to Cottage Grove in 2004, and that says a lot about our community; there are many officers who want to live here because it’s a safe community. Rigo has also become a good friend to many of us here at the Cottage Grove Police Department. Director Koerner noted Rigo came to the Washington County Chiefs of Police Association and invited agencies to get involved in the NLPOA; so, he joined the association and it’s been nothing but a pleasure to be a member of the NLPOA. Since joining, he and Community Engagement Officer Schoen attended some of their events; Director Koerner appreciated that Cottage Grove was recognized as one of the departments that help contribute. A Woodbury member hosted their business meeting at the HERO Center, so, members from all over the metro saw the HERO Center and did some tours. Our Lions Club recently made a donation for a scholarship, so we’re slowly bringing different organizations together. Last week, Rigo and Carlos were at our HERO Center Open House, had a table there, and were engaging with residents. Director Koerner stated as the Chief, it makes him proud that so many East Metro police officers choose to live in Cottage Grove and raise their families here; they know we’re a great, safe community, and that says a lot. We’ll be presenting Rigo Aguirre with an Outstanding Citizen Achievement Award; prior to doing that, he invited Rigo to say a few words. Commander Aguirre thanked Director Koerner and the Council Members for this great honor. He appreciated the award of recognition, not only for himself but for the association. The NLPOA has been around for over 50 years nationally, 20 years here in Minnesota, and it’s all about the partnership. Building this partnership with Cottage Grove has given us so much; being able to bring Cottage Grove into the NLPOA, to go to all these events, and be showcased on a national level is the key to these partnerships. He looks at Cottage Grove as a great place to live, many officers do, as this is a very safe place to live. You may have more officers living in Cottage Grove than anywhere else, including members of his family who are in law enforcement. Cottage Grove has somewhere around 4-to-5% Latino population, but that doesn’t give the whole picture; you know how fast Cottage Grove is growing, you know all the development that’s taking place, so if you look around, we’ve probably doubled the Latino population. That’s also the community that we have to reach out to, not just what’s on paper, what the census says, but also everybody who’s coming through Cottage Grove, who uses Cottage Grove for business and pleasure. This is a great partnership. He appreciates being here, and he hopes we’re going to continue to partner up with Director Koerner, the Police Department, and with the City to do bigger and greater things. He can’t say enough about Cottage Grove and again said thank you for this great honor. Everyone applauded. Mayor Bailey read aloud the Outstanding Citizen Achievement Award, which was signed by Public Safety Director Pete Koerner, but stated he, the Council Members, and the City staff are proud to have him residing here in Cottage Grove. Mayor Bailey stated they’re very appreciative of all the work he’s done and the support within the community as well as the City of St. Paul. He thanked Rigo Aguirre for his service, and presented him with the award. Everyone applauded, photos were taken, and the Council Members congratulated Rigo. Mayor Bailey thanked Director Koerner for recognizing this opportunity and creating and promoting diversity in our community, City staff, and our Public Safety Department. As noted earlier, the demographics of our community are changing and changing for the better. He again thanked Rigo Aguirre for making Cottage Grove his home. Fire Prevention Week Proclamation and Fire Department Open House Overview Staff Recommendation: Proclaim the week of October 8 to 14, 2023, as Fire Prevention Week and receive a brief presentation about the Fire Department Open House. Director Koerner stated we have a Fire Department open house every year, and it will be on Thursday, October 12, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Central Fire Station. There will be demonstrations on kitchen safety by Steve Zaccard and Mike Dandl, kids will be able to operate the nozzle, and the ladder truck will be there. There will also be EMS demonstrations including CPR and Stop the Bleed. You also get to check out all of our fire trucks, which is especially exciting for kids. There will be more information on social media about this event. Mayor Bailey asked Council Member Dennis to read the Fire Prevention Week Proclamation. Council Member Dennis stated it’s his privilege to do so, and read aloud the proclamation; the Fire Prevention Week theme is “Cooking Safety Starts with You, Pay Attention to Fire Prevention,” effectively serves to remind us to stay alert and use caution when cooking to reduce the risk of kitchen fires. Motion by Council Member Dennis to proclaim the week of October 8 to 14, 2023, as Fire Prevention Week; second by Council Member Thiede. Motion carried: 5-0. 7. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approve the September 6, 2023 City Council Special Meeting Minutes. B. Approve the September 6, 2023 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes. C. Approve the Off-Sale Liquor application for Bill’s Liquor, LLC, located at 7155 Jorgensen Lane South, #150, Cottage Grove, Minnesota. D. Approve the Tobacco application for Bill’s Liquor, LLC, located at 7155 Jorgensen Lane South, #150, Cottage Grove, Minnesota. E. Approve the Joint Powers Agreement with Washington County for elections administration. F. Approve the issuance of rental licenses to the properties listed in the attached table. G. Authorize the Fire Department to apply to the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation for a grant up to $35,000.00. H. Approve the appointment of Brad Petersen to the position of Deputy Director of Public Safety - Police Captain, effective January 1, 2024. I. Approve the Community Project Funding Grant Agreement B-22-CP-MN-0496 with the Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Shoppes at Cottage View Project. J. Adopt Resolution 2023-129 supporting the City’s Minnesota Highway Freight Program application for the County Road 19A/100th Street Realignment Project. K. Authorize Resolution 2023-119 supporting the acquisition of a 50-acre portion of the Gustafson property by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and inclusion in the Grey Cloud Dunes Scientific and Natural Area. L. Adopt Resolution 2023-127 approving the final payment for the Hamlet Park Phase 3 Project to Miller Excavating, Inc. in the amount of $81,769.11. M. Adopt Resolution 2023-128 approving the final payment for the 2023 Mill and Overlay Project to Bituminous Roadways, Inc. in the amount of $27,322.28. Council Member Dennis asked that we pull Items C and D, Liquor License for Bill’s Liquor and Tobacco License for Bill’s Liquor, for a separate vote. He will be abstaining from that vote as he had a connection with that property, so will recuse himself. Council Member Olsen wished to pull Item H, Appointment of Brad Petersen to Deputy Director of Public Safety-Police Captain, for further comment and/or discussion. Council Member Olsen stated he pulled this item to congratulate Brad on this tremendous opportunity. He’s known Brad for many years and has watched him move from a patrol officer into a sergeant position and now into a captain position. It’s truly been a pleasure. Brad is intensely focused on ensuring that the City of Cottage Grove Public Safety Department is the very best Public Safety Department in the State of Minnesota and, frankly, in the country. He has been instrumental with training in our department for many years. He does a tremendous job of leading the initiative of analyzing Use of Force in the City, and making sure that we are consistently reviewing all of those policies and procedures so Use of Force is something that is exceptionally rare in Cottage Grove. It was a very difficult decision for Director Koerner to make, as he had some unbelievably qualified applicants, who went through a rigorous process to become finalists, and he knows it left Director Koerner with several sleepless nights before making his decision. Director Koerner made a good decision, though he doesn’t think he could have made a bad decision with the candidates from which he had to choose. He has every confidence that Brad will do a great job. He encouraged his colleagues to approve Item H, to appoint Brad Petersen to Deputy Director of Public Safety-Police Captain. Motion by Council Member Thiede to approve the Consent Agenda without Items C and D; second by Council Member Olsen. Motion carried: 5-0. Motion by Council Member Khambata to approve Items C and D; second by Council Member Thiede. Motion carried: 4-0 (Council Member Dennis recused himself). 8. APPROVE DISBURSEMENTS Approve payments for the period of 9-14-2023 through 9-27-2023 in the amount of $2,037,722.93. Motion by Council Member Dennis to approve disbursements; second by Council Member Olsen. Motion carried: 5-0. 9. PUBLIC HEARINGS - None. 10. BID AWARDS - None. 11. REGULAR AGENDA Declare Vacancy - Council Member Dennis Staff Recommendation: Adopt Resolution 2023-130 accepting Council Member Dennis’ resignation and declaring a vacancy. Approve the appointment process outlined in the memo. Council Member Dennis read aloud his resignation letter, and noted the letter was addressed to the Honorable Mayor Myron Bailey: “It has been my honor to serve the residents and investors of the City of Cottage Grove since January, 2015. I am extremely proud of the accomplishments made by our City Council, staff team, and those community members who have volunteered their time to make Cottage Grove a better place. I also carry tremendous appreciation toward the dignified way our Council has approached our call to service and the outstanding results we have achieved on behalf of the entire community. As you are aware, the past year has brought many changes for me; as a result, I have chosen to pursue aspirations that are more closely aligned with my current and future goals, personally and professionally. And while I ultimately arrived at the decision to resign from my position on the City Council, it has been extremely difficult because of my consideration and dedication to a place that’s been my home for over 34 years. I will always care very deeply for our people but stand confident in knowing that we made an indelible difference. I am very proud of our entire work, but especially the following accomplishments, both team and personal: Solving a decades old blight in structuring a deal to bring a new grocery store and fill the old, vacant Home Depot store; Accomplishing the all-time records for economic development success that has allowed us to grow the community in a way that brought tremendous value to the taxpayers; Performing a relentless and dedicated approach towards a safe and clean water supply; Achieving a AAA stable bond rating through exceptional fiscal management and planning; Lastly, on this particular sheet, is in the entirety of my years of service, I have never missed a Council Meeting at this dais. Please accept my sincere thanks for your partnership and friendship over the years, it’s always been my honor to serve as your Mayor Pro Tem, and as Vice President of our Economic Development Authority. I hereby resign all position and appointments at the conclusion of this meeting, October 4th, 2023. With kindness, regards, and gratitude in knowing that we moved our goals very far.” Mayor Bailey stated since Council Member Dennis is resigning, what is before us, Council, is to accept his resignation and declare a vacancy; starting tomorrow, staff will be sending out information to the public, taking in applications for those who would like to be appointed by the Council. We’ve done this once before, with Council Member Khambata, so this will be a similar process with timeframes that will be forthwith in the information. Motion by Council Member Thiede to Adopt Resolution 2023-130 accepting Council Member Dennis’ resignation and declaring a vacancy, approve the appointment process outlined in the memo; second by Council Member Khambata. Motion carried: 5-0. 12. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REQUESTS Mayor Bailey stated once it’s his turn to make comments, he will ask all of the Council Members to join him in front of the dais. There are some guests in the audience who want to speak, and things that we want to share with Council Member Dennis on his final night here with us as a City Council Member. Council Member Khambata told Council Member Dennis that he’s been a mentor to him, and he really is a little heartbroken that you’re not going to be sitting next to me. Council Member Thiede mentioned as this is now October, Halloween is coming up and we’ve got the Monster Bash parade. So, he wants to get everybody excited about getting out there and putting on some costumes, walking in the parade; that will start on Saturday, October 28, at 10:00 a.m., at East Point Douglas Road between Applebee’s and the School Administration Center on East Point Douglas Road. He encouraged people to be there or be scared. Council Member Thiede also wished Council Member Dennis good luck. Council Member Olsen stated obviously having to vote in the affirmative on 11A, to declare that vacancy, was a reluctant vote but a necessary vote. He knows that Council Member Dennis took this decision extremely seriously and pondered for quite a long time, and obviously, we all wish him very well. On a personal note, he simply wants to say that it has been an honor and a privilege to be able to serve with Council Member Dennis; it all started with a conversation between Mayor Bailey and Council Member Dennis and me at Caribou Coffee when he said, hey, I’m thinking I might want to do this, and he never looked back. He’s an admirer of Council Member Dennis’ work ethic and his passion and dedication to fulfilling the obligations of the role of Council Member. It’s something that he thinks we all take extremely seriously, and he knows that Council Member Dennis holds that responsibility in the highest regard, and stepping aside is a very difficult decision for you. As a constituent, somebody that Council Member Dennis represents, he’s very grateful for what he’s done for our community and for being a good listener and somebody that has definitely put their heart and soul into the position of Council Member. He thinks that’s the only way you can do it well, at least that’s been his experience. As a colleague, he remembers when we talked about if this was something that he wanted to do, as the Council was going through a challenging time then; we were not a united Council. Having you come aboard and provide us with that opportunity to heal some of those wounds and move forward in a very cohesive and comprehensive way made our community better. It made our Council better. You’ve always been somebody who has looked out for the team and defended the community with every ounce of energy that you have, and he’s grateful for that as a colleague. As somebody who worked with you on the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon team for many years, your contributions, especially with the organization of the Memorial Day event, taking what former Council Member Jen Peterson had brought forth, you expanded upon that and made it even better, year after year after year. That’s something that this community appreciates, it’s something that he personally appreciates, and he knows our Beyond the Yellow Ribbon team appreciates; when we had to do it without you this last year, it was not easy, so, we’ll try to maintain some semblance of the legacy that you built with that and we’ll give it our best. He’s grateful for all that you did with that. Last, but certainly not least, just as a friend, you’ve been somebody who has always had an open ear. When I have one of my crazy days that seem to happen more often as I get older, when I really need to bounce some things off of somebody, and get some perspective that I may not have, regardless of what the issue may be, I could always stop down to the shop and sit and visit or make a phone call. I’d benefit from good, sound, solid advice. I hope to continue to be able to do that, even though we won’t be colleagues on the City Council; please don’t change your phone number, that’s all he's saying. Without getting overly emotional, just thank you for everything you’ve done, and thank you on behalf of the community for everything you’ve done. Change is a constant in life, and this Council will move forward from you and from me and from everybody else who’s sitting up here at some point in time. All we hope is that we’ve left a legacy that people can be proud of and that they can build upon. He looks back at people like Rod Hale and all of the former Council Members who came before us, Conway Olson, and we stand on their shoulders. Now, it will be somebody else’s opportunity to stand on yours; the good news is it’s a pretty stable pair of shoulders, so, he thinks it will work out okay for all of us. Thanks again. Council Member Dennis commented thank you, brother. Mayor Bailey stated if it weren’t for this being Council Member Dennis’ final night, he could almost say ditto to Council Member Olsen’s comments. He and Steve have talked about this many, many times; when he first got elected onto the Council, he thought we were down at Applebee’s, and Council Member Dennis asked how far can we take this; Mayor Bailey replied as far as we want to go, and we have taken this City to absolute new heights, never seen before within Cottage Grove. He talked about things that maybe the public doesn’t really realize; it’s funny because as a collective Council, everybody has different opinions on things, and we don’t always agree. But when it comes to the end, we all are respectful to one another, and when he goes out and talks to other mayors and other council members in other cities, that’s unheard of out there, that we have a respectful and respected Council. Council Members here respect each other, even when we may not always agree. The other part, too, is how we all kind of join together to support things; there are moments in life where you remember things vividly, you remember where you were and what you did, but he remembers us standing inside your liquor store with most of the lights off. What we were doing is we were building a wreath where the Council pooled our money together to build a wreath to have at the Holiday Train. Each of us put money in towards the wreath, and we each brought things to add to the wreath that represented Cottage Grove. That was one of those moments where you could just tell the teamwork; that’s what makes certain things that we do so special because we do it because we love this community. Whether you’re moving away from our community, you’ll still call Cottage Grove home; it will still be a place for you, and you know you can always come back, too, you know that. Your son, who is in the audience tonight, is still here in Cottage Grove, so there’s obviously going to be that opportunity for you to do that. Or it’s the Fill the Boot Campaigns, doing fundraising events, not because you had to, bagging groceries, stepping in when there was a need for the Memorial Day event. Everybody loves the Memorial Day event that we have here, and there was a need for somebody to step up, and you stepped up, and you said I’m going to take this and we’re going to run with it. So, he also appreciates the fact that you always, multiple times, if there was dissenting opinions maybe with certain people out in the public, you always tried to navigate that and tried to figure out how we can maybe in some way, shape, or form help them along the way. Maybe it isn’t going to be exactly everything they want, but we try as best as we can or to at least explain to them the reason behind it. So, you will be missed big time. I will miss our after Council dinners and trading off steaks and things like that, as I love ribeye steaks. Steve has gotten me into rare; it started out at medium well, and I’m now at a rare, and I like rare, so, that’s pretty cool. Mayor Bailey asked the Council Members to join him in front of the dais. He asked Washington County Commissioner Karla Bigham if she wished to join them, and she did. Commissioner Bigham presented Council Member Dennis with a Commissioner’s Service Award from a grateful County for his nine years of service on the Cottage Grove City Council. We wish you luck, happiness in your future ventures, and thank you for friendship, which doesn’t go away, and all the good memories, hard work, and dedication that you’ve done for this community. Thank you. Council Member Dennis told Commissioner Bigham you and I have walked a lot of miles together, and thanked her. Mayor Bailey stated Council Member Olsen is holding a plaque that we’re presenting to Council Member Steve Dennis in appreciation for his dedicated service to the City of Cottage Grove from the City, but obviously, it’s from all of the citizens in Cottage Grove, the Council, and the staff. Again, on behalf of all of us, we do appreciate everything that you’ve done for this community. We obviously wish you great success in your future endeavors. Like we already said, you can come back anytime. Council Member Olsen presented Council Member Dennis with the plaque and congratulated him. Mayor Bailey stated we’re doing a proclamation to call Wednesday, October 4, 2023, as Steve Dennis Day in the City of Cottage Grove. He read aloud the proclamation, noting all of Council Member Dennis’ multiple achievements during his tenure with the City. Everyone applauded and he was congratulated. Council Member Dennis stated wow, when he thinks back on time, he’s been trying to prepare himself mentally because people don’t want to see an old cop cry. He wanted this to be a celebration, not a day of sadness, but a celebration of accomplishments and amazing things that we were able to do and achieve as a group of people that had a call to service and were dedicated to wanting to make a difference. He’s been very, very proud to be part of the group, aligned here with everybody. He came at this from a position of gratitude. He was grateful for living in an amazing community where he had a home, my family lived here, I had a business for 20 years, my kids graduated from Park High School with a fantastic education. He was able to live an amazing life, and he wanted to take things that I learned about life and about business and be able to give back. And he was inspired by people like yourself and Justin and Karla and Dan Schoen and a number of other people who I saw were dedicated to wanting to make great things happen here, and I saw that actual work, and I saw the differences and changes that were occurring in the community. There was a time when it was difficult, when you guys advocated for this building we’re in now, and there were certain people in the community that had a differing opinion; we can be respectful of that, but it turns out it was the right thing to do, it moved the community forward. It took courage to do that. You guys did that, and so, as a local business owner and a person who lived here and paid a lot of property tax between the two, I had a vested interest in wanting to bring some things I thought could make a difference. And so I worked on a plan and I had Katie Sieben reach out to me and got me connected with Karla, and talked with Dan and you guys, and we just decided to get behind it and make the push. And that’s what really, that initial dedication, which is what allowed us to be able to accomplish these things. These things don’t belong to me, they belong to everybody up here. So, it’s a position of gratitude, and I’m more and more grateful. I always say the most successful person in the room should be the most gracious; that’s me tonight. So, you can’t do this stuff by yourself, it takes a lot of people, a lot of friends. Start with family, Kathy, Greg, my son, who is here tonight; the first time he ever attended a Council Meeting, my last one, which is kind of cool. And all the friends and people that I knew through my business over the years, and people who volunteered on campaigns and came out and worked, and my gosh, three times elected. And to be able to get that much support out of the community is amazing; so, I appreciate everyone who got behind and did that. I want to talk a little bit, very, very quickly about some of the accomplishments that were important to us. We’ve highlighted economic development; we own every single sales record ever set in the City of Cottage Grove for any measured period of time for economic development success. What are those three areas? Residential, industrial, commercial and retail. We own all of that; that took a tremendous amount of work. We had to remake the wheel here, change some things, and put together a team of dedicated people that were built for speed in sales so were ready to come in and make things happen along with the support of the Council. You and I went to Vegas every year; we promoted this City, got it to a point where we were no longer oh, you’re Cottage Grove, Oregon or Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, or whatever? No, Cottage Grove, Minnesota; everybody knew that, and those connections are what resulted in a lot of the opportunity that came our way, which is absolutely fantastic. I’m proud of the AAA bond rating; this is going to save the community millions and millions of dollars over the course of time by virtue of our financing costs to do projects that are necessary to protect the integrity of our assets. This is huge, a city of our size usually doesn’t get that, and this came through a lot of dedication and a lot of great financial standard and good work. I want to mention very quickly that we provided as a Council tremendous support for Public Safety, Police, Fire, and EMS. Having a world class operation here, thank you, Pete, and everybody on the team; fastest response times, dedicated service, taking care of our end users, keeping our people safe. This has been absolutely incredible, and I’m so happy to have played a small role in doing that. As a Council, we funded the tools and the processes that allowed this to happen by virtue of the money that the community provided, and it has been fantastic. I want to mention that as I look at things, I remember a quote from Don Shelby years ago, his final radio broadcast, and he says, “The thing people remember most about you is the last thing you did.” Okay, so this is my last thing, right here, and it’s a great message and it’s a message of my hope for the community and positive reinforcement for things that will keep Cottage Grove moving forward. We have some of the most incredible staff. I’ve provided Jennifer with a little card, I don’t know if she opened it yet, but inside of that I talk about the amazing people. This team could go and be measured against any team, any place; bottom line, fantastic. The people of the community have no idea how fortunate they are to have these dedicated public servants working on their behalf, it is world class. I hope that in my absence you guys will do everything possible to keep this team of people together as long as you can, and continue to source additional great people that can supplement what we do here and make things be even better. One thing that we did this year is we created a Financial Management Plan; my recommendation is we stick to that plan. It’s a 10-year plan, let’s keep that thing moving forward, okay? Because that provides stability and success financially for the community. Do that, and it’ll serve everybody really well. Also, continue to follow great financial principles; we’ve worked very, very hard to be stewards of the taxpayer money each and every day, to make hard decisions but to do what was best in the interest of the community long term. I also want to ask the community for their support; normally, our mayor would never talk about an election up here, but seeing as I’ve now resigned, I’m going to talk about it, next year’s election. There are three individuals who are going to be running for reelection here on this team, and I really ask the community for those who know me, have known me over the years, and trust me, keep this group of folks intact: Myron Bailey, Justin Olsen, and Tony Khambata. These guys are absolutely fantastic, and they will do everything to make sure that our community stays moving in the best possible way. One of my absolute favorite quotes, and I’m going to end with this, some of you probably heard me say this one before: “Quality has no fear of time, and whether it be in the past, present, or future, the things that we do matter; and when we do things the right way, they never come back in a bad way.” So, my ask and my support is for courage; if you ever want to reach out, I’m not going to change my phone number, okay? I’ll be here as a sounding board, I’ll come back to visit from time to time, but keep doing what we do because this is what makes this community the special place that it really is. So, I want to thank everybody here for that, but again, it doesn’t belong to me, it’s shared by everybody in this room. I’m deeply honored to have had a chance to be part of this here. So, thank you. Everyone applauded, and photos were taken. Mayor Bailey stated after the Council Meeting is completed, Council, staff, and some guests who have joined us will be having a little gathering at the River Oaks Golf & Event Center to commemorate and celebrate, as Council Member Dennis said, the years of success in having him part of our amazing team. 13. WORKSHOPS - OPEN TO PUBLIC - None. 14. WORKSHOPS - CLOSED TO PUBLIC - None. 15. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Council Member Dennis, second by Council Member Thiede, to adjourn the meeting at 7:55 p.m. Motion carried: 5-0. Mayor Bailey stated Council Member Dennis you are hereby relieved; Council Member Dennis replied, Mayor, I stand relieved. Minutes prepared by Judy Graf and reviewed by Tamara Anderson, City Clerk.