City Council Agenda & Minutes

CITY OF NORTH OAKS Regular City Council Meeting Thursday, February 13, 2025 7:00 PM, Community Meeting Room, 100 Village Center Drive MEETING AGENDA Remote Access - City Council members will participate in person in Council Chambers (Community Room, 100 Village Center Drive, Suite 150, North Oak s, MN) during the meeting. Members of the public are welcome to attend. Any person wishing to monitor the meeting electronically from a remote location may do so by calling the following Zoom meeting videoconference number: 1-312-626-6799, Webinar ID: 839 2360 4706 or by joining the meeting via the following link : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83923604706. 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Pledge of Allegiance 4. Citizen Comments - Members of the public are invited to mak e comments to the Council during the public comments section. Up to four minutes shall be allowed for each speak er. No action will be tak en by the Council on items raised during the public comment period unless the item appears as an agenda item for action. 5. Approval of Agenda 6. Consent Agenda - These are items that are considered routine and can be acted upon with one vote. 6a.Licenses for Approval: Arborist: Aaron Boyd's Tree Service LLC; Alliance Tree Care Inc.; Central MN Tree Service; Hugo's Tree Care, Inc.; Langer Tree Service; New Horizons Tree and Landscaping; Rainbow Tree Company Mechanical: Anderson Heating LLC; Apollo Heating, Air & Plumbing; Binder Heating & Air Conditioning; Conway Mechanical; Hamlin Installations; Heating & Cooling Two, Inc.; Hurlburt Heating, Cooling & Plumbing; Jensen Anderson Co; Joel Smith Heating & AC, Inc.; MSP Plumbing Heating & Air; Riccar Heating & Air Conditioning; Total Comfort; 6b.Approval of the Minutes of the January 9, 2025 Regular City Council Meeting 1.9.2025 Council minutes Draft.pdf 1  City Council February 13, 2025 6c.Approval of Special Meeting Minutes of 1.30.2025 1.30.2025 Special Council minutes Final.pdf 6d.Approval of Granicus Contract MN_North Oaks MN_Q-410737_2025FEB3.pdf 6e. Approval City Financials 7. Petitions, Requests & Communications - Deputy Craig Lydon Report 7a. Deputy Lydon's Monthly Report February 2025 Report.pdf 8. Unfinished Business 8a.Discuss 2025 Fee Schedule - Public Hearing regarding updates to Cannabis and sewer/water rates 8b.Discussion and possible action on amending City's annual meeting calendar 8c.Discussion and possible action on table for Council Chambers 9. New Business 9a.Discussion and possible action on Resolution Supporting Lake Johanna Fire Department New Headquarters Station Construction and Funding and Resolution for MN Department of Public Safety Grant Funding Assistance for Lake Johanna Fire Department, assigning fiscal agent and other necessary administration, amend JPA for Fire Station Headquarters LJFD Memo 2-13-25.pdf LJFD resolution 1kk.pdf LJFD resolution 2kk.pdf North Oaks City of MN_AnnualDisclosure_01_29_2025_01_26_16.pdf 10. Council Member Reports 11. City Administrator Reports 12. City Attorney Reports 13. Miscellaneous 13a. City Forester Monthly Report January 2025 in Review.pdf 14. Adjournment - The next regular meeting of the City Council is Thursday, March 13th, 2025. 2 2  North Oaks City Council Meeting Minutes North Oaks City Council Chambers January 9, 2025 1. CALL TO ORDER Councilor Wolter called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Welcomed new Councilor Gaspard serving a 2-year term, and returning Councilors Azman and Shah for 4-year terms. 2. ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Krista Wolter, Councilors Sara Shah, Andrew Gaspard, Grover Sayre, Mark Azman Staff Present: Administrator Kevin Kress, and City Attorney Bridget Nason Others Present: NineNorth Videographer Kenny Ronnan A quorum was declared present. 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Wolter led the Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. 4. CITIZEN COMMENTS There were no other public comments in audience or online to make comment. 5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA • Kress noted that Ilya Berchenko is in attendance to provide a quick update on the license plate reader program. MOTION by Sayre, seconded by Azman, to approve agenda with addition of an update on the ALPR contract as 7b under Petitions and Communications. Motion carried unanimously. 6. CONSENT AGENDA 6. Consent Agenda - These are items that are considered routine and can be acted upon with one vote. 6a. North Oaks City Financials for Approval 6b. Licenses for Approval: o Arborist: Alex's Lawn & Turf, Arboreal Tree Care; B4K Tree Industries LLC; Cameron Tree Services Inc.; Davey Tree Expert Company; Northland Landscape & Construction, Inc.; NWI Tree Service & Landscaping; Red Leaf Tree Care; Rivard Companies, Inc.; Tervo Tree and Landscaping; Twin City Tree Authority; Vineland Tree Care, Woodchuck Tree Care; Woodland o General Contractor - Commercial - Krause-Anderson Construction Company o Mechanical: A-Bear Heating & Air Conditioning Inc.; Access Mechanical; Air America Heating and Cooling Inc.; API HVAC Services DBA Metropolitan Mechanical Contractors; Apollo Heating, Air, & Plumbing; Aquarius Home Services; Ares Holding 3 Minutes of the City Council Meeting January 9, 2025 LLC dba CMS /Nexttech; Bonfe's Plumbing Heating & Air Service; Centerpoint Energy Minnesota Gas; Craig's Heating & Air Conditioning; Deans Home Services; Ellis Geothermal Inc, DBA Massmann Geothermal & Mechanical; H & S Heating & A/C Residential & Service LLC; Hearth & Home Technologies LLC dba Fireside Hearth & Home; Hero Home Services, LLC; Hoffman Cooling & Heating; Home Energy Center; Midwest Electric & Generator; Pronto Heating & Air Conditioning; Ron's Mechanical; Schulties Plumbing, Inc.; Standard Heating & Air Conditioning; Summit Heating & Air Conditioning; United Stated Mechanical Inc. 6c. Approval of City Council Meeting minutes of 12.12.2024 6d. Approval of 2025 City Hall Holiday Schedule 6e. Approve 2025 City Council meeting Schedule 6f. Approve hiring of Public Works Director 6g. Certify Pay Equity Compliance MOTION by Azman, seconded by Shah, to approve the Consent agenda. Motion carried unanimously by roll call vote. 7. PETITIONS, REQUESTS & COMMUNICATIONS a. Deputy Craig Lydon Report • Deputy Lydon’s monthly report is in the packet. • Introduced himself to new Councilor Gaspard. Highlights of issues this month include: Burglary of tools on a home under construction on Spring Farm Road. There was no sign of forced entry and cameras have not picked up leads yet. There was property damage to a truck bed cover December 27th in area of East Oaks Road and West Shore Road. There was a truck in ditch accident yesterday on Long Marsh Lane. • Encouraged residents to call 911 right away for anything suspicious. • For traffic control, he is driving streets more frequently as a deterrent instead of just running radar. • Sheriff’s office is seeing more fraud and scams impersonating law enforcement. Always get agency, name and id and then call the actual firm to validate. No official agency will ever request crypto currency and gift cards as payment. • Be aware of malware on computer with threats to spam email or release private information. Call in to 911 anything suspicious or suspected scams. b. ALPR Camera Installation update • Ilya Berchenko, 2 Island Road, provided update on the license plate reader camera project. The site survey was conducted by Flock on 1/8/2025 with no issues. A utilities survey is scheduled within next 2 weeks to ensure placements are good. Installation includes 14 poles and 17 cameras by the end of January / early February. • He is meeting with the Ramsey County next week to discuss ALPR reporting and how that looks back to City Council on a regular basis. 8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS There were no old business items. Page |2 4 Minutes of the City Council Meeting January 9, 2025 9. NEW BUSINESS 9a. Consider Planning Commission appointment resolution followed by 2025 annual appointment resolution • Kress noted that Resolution 1557 reflects the filling of vacancies on the Planning Commission. There were 5 applicants to Planning Commission, with the subgroup meeting with each to interview / get to know them. Three candidates were selected: Rick Anderson, Bob Ostlund, and Aaron Harkins. The Resolution also names Dave Cremons as Planning Commission Chair. • At the end of 2025, Commissioner terms end for Rick Kingston, Ilya Berchenko, and Dave Cremons. MOTION by Azman, seconded by Shah, to approve the Resolution 1557 with revisions as noted to clarify the number of openings and term for each. Motion carried unanimously. • Kress reviewed the proposed list of 2025 City Appointments which details who on City Staff / Council is the designated representative to attend meetings with external key partners and address issues during the 2025 year. (refer to detailed Appointment list). • There was no additional discussion, all in agreement. MOTION by Sayre, seconded by Shah, to approve the Resolution 1558. Motion carried by unanimous vote. 9b. Public Hearing - Consider Ordinance amending City Fee Schedule for Cannabis and Water and Sewer Rates • Wolter opened the public hearing to discuss the fee schedule for Cannabis and Water and Sewer rates. There were no public comments either in person or online. • Attorney Nason and Administrator Kress noted that since we are still pending water and sewer rates from White Bear Township and Shoreview, they suggest the hearing be left open and “continued” until the February Council meeting. Once those rates are known and approved, the water / sewer rates would take effect with the 2nd Quarter billing. • Cannabis and water / sewer are the only rate changes in the 2025 Fee Schedule. Everything else is the same as 2024. MOTION by Azman, seconded by Wolter, to continue to the Public Hearing until February to discuss items in the notice. Motion carried by unanimous vote. 10. COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS • Councilor Azman had nothing to report for Cable Commission and fire relief is between meetings due to holiday schedules. Page |3 5 Minutes of the City Council Meeting January 9, 2025 • Shah Will work with Azman to transition Fire Board and touch based with Sayre regarding VLAWMO. She’s looking forward to upcoming strategy session. • Mayor Wolter shared that on Wednesday 1/29 at 6 p.m. there will be a joint meeting with NOHOA and City Council. • January 30th at 5 p.m. will be a City Council Strategy session, just prior to the 7 p.m. Planning Commission meeting. • Gaspard and Sayre nothing to report. 11. CITY ADMINISTRATOR REPORTS • Administrator Kress mentioned that we have an agreement for a Public Works Director from the City of Hugo, who used to work for White Bear Township. He will start on 1/27/25 and will spend his first week introducing him to various other entities at White Bear, Shoreview, VLAWMO, NOHOA, etc. Hopeful they will be able to attend once or both of the upcoming special meetings. • This hire was necessary because White Bear Township decided that they no longer are willing to provide maintenance service to support our sewer / water system on the west or east side. That left us with options of: hiring on person, finding another City to support our system (which said no), or outsourcing to a external company at a higher rate. This was the best option. • Kress and Nason will be reviewing the Employee handbook again to ensure up to date with state laws. Will bring back to Council on Consent agenda. • Arden Hills asked for North Oaks for a letter of support for a road project they are considering, which could help them find funding opportunities. 12. CITY ATTORNEY REPORTS • Attorney Nason nothing to report. 13. MISCELLANEOUS 13a. Metropolitan Mosquito Control - 2024 North Oaks Report • The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) annual 2024 report for North oaks was included in the packet. 13b. December 2024 Forestry Report • The City Forester report for December 2024 was included in the packet. 13c. 2024 Building Official Report • The City Building Official report for the year 2024 detailing the number, type of permits generated for building, mechanical, plumbing, electrical and septic were included in the packet. 15. ADJOURNMENT The next meeting of the City Council is Thursday, February 13th, 2025. Page |4 6 Minutes of the City Council Meeting January 9, 2025 MOTION by Sayre, seconded by Azman, to adjourn the meeting at 7:28 p.m. Motion carried unanimously by roll call vote. ____________________________ _____________________________ Kevin Kress, City Administrator Krista Wolter, Mayor Date approved___________ Page |5 7  North Oaks City Council Special City Council Meeting Minutes North Oaks City Council Chambers January 30, 2025 1. CALL TO ORDER Councilor Wolter called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Krista Wolter, Councilors Sara Shah, Andrew Gaspard, Grover Sayre, Mark Azman Staff Present: Administrator Kevin Kress, Public Works Director Corey Triemert and City Planner Kendra Lindall Others Present: NineNorth Videographer Kenny Ronnan A quorum was declared present. 3. DISCUSSION ITEMS 3a. City Council Strategy session regarding pending and future city matters; including budget and funding sources, utility related matters such as future utility connections and extension, roads and safety, environmental matters including; water, sewer, security/policing, technology and communication, internet, cable, electrical, solar. City Council priority setting, discussion of related City matters. • Mayor noted the goal for the special meeting is for each Councilor to bring to the table any discussions on priorities for the upcoming year. Council will also be taking a moment of silence at 5:30 p.m. in support of the community vigil taking place at the West Recreation center in honor of North Oaks Family Brian Solsrud and Toni Rahn who sadly lost their 8th grade daughter this week. • Damien Lepoutre, 17 North Deep Lake Road, was interested in coming to speak to City and NOHOA coming to discuss priorities. He would like to ensure NOHOA and City are aligned and have a common vision. Natural resources is a priority for both and would like to ensure we have adequate resources and expertise to ensure vision going forward. • Dave Cremons, Chair of Planning Commission, reported that he is participating in meetings to collaborate with NOHOA on roads project, and Commission will be working with NOHOA on clarifying setbacks and communications, updating City ordinances to make more user friendly and searchable. They also will be looking at infrastructure of water, wells, White Bear water challenges, ensure no contamination of wells and understand options going forward to ensure prepared for whatever happens going forward. Concerned about septic situation and whether our 1,292 septic systems will sustain us going forward with improved septic technology, is it possible to connect to a City system if necessary, and ensure we have data on all septic systems. Would like to bury utilities as road are getting redone. Wants to make sure the City is helping NOHOA with resources and synergies where applicable. He clarified that some of the NOHOA 8 Minutes of the City Council Meeting January 9, 2025 suggestions originated from desire to ensure improve processes between the entities, with land use areas to be addresses by the Planning Commission. • Brad Brekke, shared his safety initiatives & discussions with Ramsey County Sherriff’s office, communication, processes, the roles between City, Ramsey County and NOHOA. They are willing to formalize some of the communication and process. RCSO would like to see what the priorities of the City are such as speed enforcement, alarm systems, education, LPR roll out, elderly, emergency response. • Llya Berchenko, spoke to ensuring both City and North Oaks Vision is aligned. Sees four key topics: premier communication aligned with property values, ensure infrastructure supports, foundation for thriving areas within our communities, ensure sustained focus on nature to maximize expertise and funding, continued focus on privacy and trespassing. • Administrator Kress introduced Corey Triemert as City Public Works Director. He comes from White Bear Township 6 ½ years, and most recently City of Hugo for past 2 ½ years. He will have responsibility for all water and sewer issues and maintenance of associated equipment. White Bear Township has ended their joint power agreement effective end of February; therefore he will be taking on infrastructure maintenance. We will be required to put in our own scata system to monitor all the lift stations through White Bear, as they will not allow us to currently access their system. They are working through equipment and computer needs now, as well as work with other local Cities to see if there are any shared resources available. With only 1,200 systems on Septic, all other homes in our communities and commercial sites are on public water/sewer system which have lift stations and maintenance required. They are also working on a hydrant map. Kress and Triemert will continue to meet with community partners to see where synergies exist. • Discussion between Councilors of matters of Community interest and priorities to address for the upcoming 2025 year. Highlights include: o Councilor Sayre mentioned interest in: water/sewer, utilities, cost analysis on City and NOHOA office locations, perhaps working with NOHOA to explore additional indoor community space such as exercise space, walking, courts. o Councilor Shah mentioned interest in: public works, safety & speeding enforcement, operation clear view initiative, upcoming fire station build, streamline processes City/NOHOA resources, forestry long term planning and broad vision, 2015 Comp Plan, develop junior City Council. o Councilor Gaspard mentioned interest in City process structure and possibility of developing more committees when needed to dive more fully into projects. Crime, traffic, safety, speeding, emergency response, fact finding and data. Financial committee could go in depth on budget, project, long term planning, best place to find money/grants. Making sure being efficient in meetings and providing support to staff. o Administrator Kress attended the bid opening for the fire station. Bids ranged between 13 – 17 million, which is well under the estimated 25 million. The 3 joint cities purchased the new fire station property from Bethel University 3 years Page |2 9 Minutes of the City Council Meeting January 9, 2025 ago, on County Road E. Will now look into best method to bond to finance. The Fire Board will soon review and accept a contractor bid. They will receive approximate 9 million of state money, and still pursuing possibility of federal funds. The Shoreview fire station located on Victoria Street will be decommissioned once the new station is fully operational. o Councilor Azman mentioned interest in: master infrastructure plan as mentioned above, focus on ordinance rewrite and organization, and put zoning map online. o City Planner Lindall will update the City “smart sheet” with goals to ensure focus going forward. This is reviewed every Wednesday with Administrator, Attorney, Engineer and Planner. o Mayor Wolter mentioned her interest in: ensuring cohesion working with NOHOA to ensure same constituents are well served. She thanked Dave for his work on the ordinances to minimize overlap and ensuring fairness to residents. She feels infrastructure will become even more important as there as some lots that are out of room on their septic locations. Council will need to be creative and think outside the box, revisit our engineering partners to make sure we have resources needed, have GIS online resources needed for both NOHOA/City, and perhaps investigate if prudent to have single garbage hauler. Ultimate goal is to ensure a legacy community in place for all to age. o Cremons mentioned they would like to see a City well water sampling event to validate what is coming from our well water at check points throughout the community. Kress agreed this is a good idea. o Planner Lindall noted State Statute requires all Cities do a Comprehensive Plan update every 10 years. Met Council is responsible for managing sewer reference in these plans. The North Oaks Comprehensive plan updates are anticipated to be primarily standard updates which would start taking place in late 2026-2027. o Discussions on priorities to continue during joint City/NOHOA goal setting session on Thursday, February 20th, 2025. 3b. Closed Session pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 13D.05, subd. 3(b) and attorney-client privilege to discuss the following pending litigation matter: Damien Lepoutre and The Lepoutre Family Revocable Trust v. City of North Oaks, Ramsey County District Court File No. 62-CV- 22-5473 MOTION by Wolter, seconded by Azman, to move to closed session pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 13D.05, subd. 3(b) and attorney-client privilege to discuss the following pending litigation matter: Damien Lepoutre and The Lepoutre Family Revocable Trust v. City of North Oaks, Ramsey County District Court File No. 62-CV-22-5473. Motion carried unanimously. Moved to closed session at 6:23 p.m. A motion was made by Councilmember Sayre, seconded by Shah, to reconvene in open session. The Council voted 5-0 to reconvene in open session. Page |3 10 Minutes of the City Council Meeting January 9, 2025 15. ADJOURN The next regular meeting of the City Council is Thursday, February 13th, 2025, with a special joint/NOHOA meeting on February 20th, 2025. MOTION by Councilmember Gaspard, seconded by Councilmember Shah, to adjourn the meeting. That motion passed 5-0. The meeting was adjourned at 6:58 p.m. ____________________________ _____________________________ Kevin Kress, City Administrator Krista Wolter, Mayor Date approved___________ Page |4 11  THIS IS NOT AN INVOICE Order Form Prepared for North Oaks, MN Granicus Proposal for North Oaks, MN ORDER DETAILS Prepared By: Esteban Bonilla Phone: Email: esteban.bonilla@granicus.com Order #: Q-410737 Prepared On: 03 Feb 2025 Expires On: 31 May 2025 ORDER TERMS Currency: USD Payment Terms: Net 30 (Payments for subscriptions are due at the beginning of the period of performance.) Current Subscription End Date: 31 May 2025 Initial Order Term End Date: 31 May 2028 Period of Performance: 01 Jun 2025 - 31 May 2026 Order #: Q-410737 Prepared: 03 Feb 2025 Page 1 of 6 12  Order Form North Oaks, MN PRICING SUMMARY The pricing and terms within this Proposal are specific to the products and volumes contained within this Proposal. Renewing Subscription Fees Billing Solution Quantity/Unit Annual Fee Frequency Peak Agenda Management Annual 1 Each $4,422.32 Open Platform Suite Annual 1 Each $0.00 SUBTOTAL: $4,422.32 Order #: Q-410737 Prepared: 03 Feb 2025 Page 2 of 6 13  Order Form North Oaks, MN FUTURE YEAR PRICING Period of Performance Solution(s) 01 Jun 2026 - 31 May 2027 01 Jun 2027 - 31 May 2028 Peak Agenda Management $4,864.55 $5,351.01 Open Platform Suite $0.00 $0.00 SUBTOTAL: $4,864.55 $5,351.01 Order #: Q-410737 Prepared: 03 Feb 2025 Page 3 of 6 14  Order Form North Oaks, MN PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS Solution Description Peak Agenda Management Peak Agenda Management is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution that enables government organizations to simplify the agenda management and minutes recording process of the clerk’s office. Peak Agenda Management allows clerks to streamline the way they compile and produce agendas and record minutes for public meetings and includes: • Unlimited user accounts • Unlimited meeting bodies and meeting types • Access to up to one (1) Peak Agenda Management site Open Platform Suite Open Platform is access to MediaManager, upload of archives, ability to post agendas/documents, and index of archives. These are able to be published and accessible through a searchable viewpage. Order #: Q-410737 Prepared: 03 Feb 2025 Page 4 of 6 15  Order Form North Oaks, MN TERMS & CONDITIONS • This quote, and all products and services delivered hereunder are governed by the terms located at https://granicus.com/legal/licensing, including any product-specific terms included therein (the “License Agreement”). If your organization and Granicus has entered into a separate agreement or is utilizing a contract vehicle for this transaction, the terms of the License Agreement are incorporated into such separate agreement or contract vehicle by reference, with any directly conflicting terms and conditions being resolved in favor of the separate agreement or contract vehicle to the extent applicable. • If submitting a Purchase Order, please include the following language: The pricing, terms and conditions of quote Q-410737 dated 03 Feb 2025 are incorporated into this Purchase Order by reference and shall take precedence over any terms and conditions included in this Purchase Order. • This quote is exclusive of applicable state, local, and federal taxes, which, if any, will be included in the invoice. It is the responsibility of North Oaks, MN to provide applicable exemption certificate(s). • Any lapse in payment may result in suspension of service and will require the payment of a setup fee to reinstate the subscription. Order #: Q-410737 Prepared: 03 Feb 2025 Page 5 of 6 16  Order Form North Oaks, MN BILLING INFORMATION Billing Contact: Purchase Order [ ] - No Required? [ ] - Yes Billing Address: PO Number: If PO required Billing Email: Billing Phone: If submitting a Purchase Order, please include the following language: The pricing, terms, and conditions of quote Q-410737 dated 03 Feb 2025 are incorporated into this Purchase Order by reference and shall take precedence over any terms and conditions included in this Purchase Order. AGREEMENT AND ACCEPTANCE By signing this document, the undersigned certifies they have authority to enter the agreement. The undersigned also understands the services and terms. North Oaks, MN Signature: \s1\ Name: \n1\ Title: \t1\ Date: \d1\ Order #: Q-410737 Prepared: 03 Feb 2025 Page 6 of 6 17  Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office Public Safety Report: North Oaks JANUARY 2025 Deputy Craig Lydon 651-755-8089 craig.lydon@co.ramsey.mn.us Calls for Service: 171 • 37 Medical calls • 8 Fire calls • 7 Traffic Stops o 3 Accidents – 1 Vehicle vs Deer, 2 Vehicles leaving roadway • Notable calls: o Assist – 01/16 A resident called concerned about their nanny’s Ex boyfriend coming by the address and was advised to call if he did. The Ex-boyfriend was later seen parked outside. Deputies made contact and trespassed the male and escorted him off North Oaks Property. o Harassment – 01/29 A report of an unknown party having spread nails and screws across the resident’s driveway. Concerned it was a past employee requested deputies make regular patrols. o Solicitor– 01/13 Deputies came upon a male walking with a clip board and made contact to find the male was a solicitor. Informed the male there was no soliciting in the city of North Oaks and that he was trespassing. Deputies then drove the man off property. o Solicitor– 01/16 A solicitor was reported in the area of Meadow Lark Lane. Deputies made contact with the solicitor as they exited the city limits for a traffic violation and informed them the city of North Oaks is private property and there was no soliciting allowed. SAFETY AND SECURITY • Warming your Car o If warming your car it is important to secure your car. Even if you take you key FOB with you your car will still drive until it is shut off. • Keep garage doors closed • If heading out of town add your house to the watch list • If walking before sunrise or after sunset, please wear high visibility / reflective clothing and or carry a flash light or head lamp. 18  MEMORANDUM DATE: February 13, 2025 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Kevin Kress, City Administrator SUBJECT: Lake Johanna Fire Department Station Funding Budgeted Amount: Actual Amount: Funding Source: N/A N/A Bonding and/or Fire Capital Fund Council Should Consider Motion to approve, table, or deny the following: • Resolution relating to the Lake Johanna Fire Department Station new headquarters station support of project construction and associated funding. • Resolution relating to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Grant Funding Assistance for the Lake Johanna Fire Department project matching funds. Background For the past few years, the Lake Johanna Fire Department (LJFD) has been in discussions with its three cities, Arden Hills, North Oaks, and Shoreview, on a new fire station. The department and the cities acquired the land at 3535 Pine Tree Drive and completed the design of the station. The department and cities also worked cooperatively to receive $6.37 million in State funding for the station construction. This grant shall be used to construct, furnish, and equip a facility on land owned by the Lake Johanna Fire Department Headquarters Board to provide emergency fire and medical services. Early estimates of the station (hard costs for construction) in 2018 put the cost around $18 million. Those cost estimates were updated in 2024, and the total project was estimated to be between $20 million and $25 million in total. On January 30th, the LJFD held their bid opening, and the lowest responsible bidder was BCI Construction. The following is a summary of the anticipated headquarters project costs: Page 1 of 3 19  General Construction (hard costs) $13,619,069 Soft Costs (furnish and equip facility) $2,762,100 Construction Contingency 10% $1,348,069 Total: $17,729,238* *Final project cost is yet to be determined and above estimates are not inclusive of the City of North Oaks, including Arden Hills Permit Fees, project financial escrows/surety, and property acquisition reimbursables to the LJFD. Currently, North Oaks’ share of expenses to the LJFD are 14.4 percent based on the 2025 Cost Share formula; the City’s share of the project would be the total, less State funding, and we would be responsible for 14.3 percent of the costs. Based on the summary of estimated project costs, the cities would be responsible for approx. $11.36 million and the North Oaks’ share would be approx. $1,624,480 million. The Architect for the LJFD has indicated the construction schedule will be 12 to 14 months for project completion after the issuance of permits. Additionally, he’s stated that construction payments will be requested by the contractor on a bell curve method meaning the largest draw of payment will be at that midpoint of construction. There will be project costs incurred in 2026 that will be calculated for each cities proportional amount based on the cost share percentages at the time of invoicing for construction using the formula as defined in the JPA as 25% population, 25% households, 40% fire calls, and 10% assessed value. The cost share percentage will not fluctuate for the duration of financing terms of each respective city whatever that period may be. Below is a five-year history of cost share percentages: I have been in communication with Ehler’s about preliminary debt service schedules, to align with the construction of the new facility, with debt service payments expected to occur in February 2026. We will need to sign an agreement with Ehlers to issue and call for sale of bonds if desired by the Council. It was agreed that each city will individually pay for their cost share. Estimated bonding schedule figures are referenced higher due to the timing and refinement of project costs that is still underway. The City would ultimately bond for only those funds necessary to cover our cost share proportion. Under this memo, the Council is being asked to consider two resolutions. The first resolution (Attachment A) relating to the Lake Johanna Fire Department Station new headquarters station is the City’s support for advancement of project construction and associated funding that will be given to the Lake Johanna Fire Department Headquarters Board to authorize and proceed with execution of contracts, other agreements (i.e. lease, land transfer), and issuance of payments as outlined in the Joint Powers Agreement. Page 2 of 3 20 The second resolution (Attachment B) relates to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Grant Funding Assistance for the Lake Johanna Fire Department project to show evidence of matching funds. This is needed to unlock the State money, and each City will need to submit to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety a resolution of matching funds to demonstrate full funding of the project. The Shoreview and Arden Hills City Councils will be asked to approve this same template resolution provided by the State prior to receipt of grant dollars. Budget Impact The City had been slowly stepping up its increases to its Public Safety Capital Fund to support the upcoming construction of the station and avoid large levy spikes. On December 12, 2024, the City Council adopted the budget which included capital funding of $350,000 annually to offset debt service for the new fire station. Attachment Attachment A: Resolution LJFD Support of Project Construction and Funding Attachment B: Resolution Minnesota Department of Public Safety Page 3 of 3 21  CITY OF NORTH OAKS COUNTY OF RAMSEY STATE OF MINNESOTA RESOLUTION NO. XXXX RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE LAKE JOHANNA FIRE DEPARTMENT NEW HEADQUARTERS STATION CONSTRUCTION AND FUNDING WHEREAS, as the result of a needs study done in 2018, the Lake Johanna Fire Department (the “Department”); has been in discussions with its three cities, Arden Hills, North Oaks, and Shoreview (the “Cities”), to find a location for a new fire station; WHEREAS, the needs study identified a piece of property at 3535 Pine Tree Drive in Arden Hills, MN (the “Property”) as an ideal location for a new fire station; WHEREAS, a Joint Powers Agreement dated November 17, 2021, was executed between the Cities to establish a joint powers board, the Lake Johanna Fire Department Headquarters Board (the “Board”) for the purposes of acquiring the Property and constructing improvements to said Property (“JPA”); WHEREAS, the Property was purchased for the new fire station headquarters for the Department on October 15, 2020 for $1,353,177.50; WHEREAS, the Property was purchased because it is large enough to accommodate headquarters for the Department and has improved access ideally situated to cover southern Arden Hills and Shoreview as well as the entire service area for the Department; WHEREAS, the new fire station is owned and operated by the Board. The Board is responsible for serving the Cities and overseeing the construction of the new fire station; WHEREAS, the Department and the Cities completed the design of the new fire station in the spring of 2024; WHEREAS, by Resolution No. 2024-037, the City of Arden Hills approved a Conditional Use Permit for the Lake Johanna Fire Department Fire Station (the “Development”) on July 22, 2024; WHEREAS, in accordance with the plans submitted for the Development, the Board has recommended the Development begin construction this year, 2025; 22  WHEREAS, to receive State Funding for the Development, the Cities must secure their financial share of the Development and reach an agreement regarding their portion of the estimated costs for the Development; and WHEREAS, the City of Arden Hills desires to provide the necessary support for the advancement of construction of the Development, and additionally desires to provide support for the funding required to finance the Development, authorizing the Board to proceed with execution of contracts, other agreements (i.e. lease, land transfer), and issuance of payments as outlined in the JPA. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORTH OAKS: Hereby adopts Resolution XXXX supporting the construction and associated funding for construction of a new headquarters fire station and authorizes the North Oaks member of the Lake Johanna Fire Department Board of Directors and the Lake Johanna Fire Department Headquarters JPA to proceed with execution of contracts, other agreements and issuance of payments as outlined in the JPA and associated bylaws. PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORTH OAKS THIS 13TH DAY OF FEBRUARY 2025. Krista Wolter, Mayor ATTEST: Kevin Kress, City Administrator 23  CITY OF NORTH OAKS COUNTY OF RAMSEY STATE OF MINNESOTA RESOLUTION NO. XXXX RESOLUTION FOR MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY GRANT FUNDING ASSISTANCE FOR LAKE JOHANNA FIRE DEPARTMENT PROJECT BE IT RESOLVED that under the provisions contained in Minnesota Laws of 2023 Regular Session, Article 1, Section 9, Subdivision 14, the State of Minnesota has allocated $6,370,000.00 to Lake Johanna Joint Powers Board (“Board”) for a grant to complete the proposed project described as a grant to the Lake Johanna Fire Department Headquarters Board, a joint powers entity established under agreement by the cities of Arden Hills, North Oaks, and Shoreview, for a public safety facility to house the Lake Johanna Fire Department. This appropriation is to construct, furnish, and equip a facility on land owned by the Lake Johanna Fire Department Headquarters Board to provide emergency fire and medical services. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Lake Johanna Joint Powers Board has the legal authority to apply for financial assistance, and the institutional, administrative, and managerial capability to ensure adequate management of contracts for space needs assessment and design contractors and vendors. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the project cost is estimated for: Construction (including contingency) $13,619,069 Furnishing and Equipment $2,762,100 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED Board will provide any required matching funds in addition to the State grant and that the source of Board’s matching funds shall be from the cities of Arden Hills, North Oaks, and Shoreview, and will not include other State funding sources in the following prorated percentages based on the 2025 cost share formula and may be adjusted in 2026 as outlined in the Joint Powers Agreement: Arden Hills 24.2% North Oaks 14.3% Shoreview 61.5% 24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board has not violated any Federal, State, or local laws pertaining to fraud, bribery, graft, kickbacks, collusion, conflict of interest or other unlawful or corrupt practice. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that upon approval of its application by the state, the Board may enter into an agreement with the State of Minnesota for the above referenced project, and that the Board certifies that it will comply with all applicable laws and regulations as stated in the contract agreement. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the North Oaks member of the Lake Johanna Fire Department Board of Directors and the Lake Johanna Fire Department Headquarters JPA is hereby authorized to execute such agreements as are necessary to implement the project on behalf of the City of Arden Hills. PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARDEN HILLS THIS 13TH DAY OF FEBRUARY 2025. ______________________________ Krista Wolter, Mayor ATTEST: Kevin Kress, City Administrator 25 January 29, 2025 Kevin Kress, City Administrator City of North Oaks, Minnesota City Hall 100 Village Center Drive, #230 North Oaks, MN 55127 Re: Written Municipal Advisor Client Disclosure with the City of North Oaks (“Client”) Pursuant to MSRB Rules G-10 and G-42 Dear Kevin: For Ehlers & Associates, Inc., to engage in municipal advisory activities - as defined in the Securities Exchange Act and Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) Rules - we are required to provide certain information and disclosures in an annual written Municipal Advisor Disclosure. This letter serves as our disclosure for the period from January 29, 2025 through December 31, 2025 for municipal advisory activities provided to Client. Under MSRB Rule G-42, Ehlers & Associates is required to: 1. Act in a fiduciary capacity, which includes a duty of loyalty and a duty of care. 2. Provide written disclosure of all material conflicts of interest, including any actual or potential conflicts that might impair our ability to render advice to you in accordance with our fiduciary duty, along with our efforts to mitigate such conflicts. This information and other required disclosures are attached as Appendix A. Ehlers & Associates will provide municipal advisor advice and services at the rates described in Appendix B unless a project-specific disclosure is provided that sets forth the amount and nature of fees and charges relative to that project’s scope of engagement. This documentation and all attached appendices will be effective during the period indicated above unless otherwise terminated by either party upon 30 days written notice to the other. This Municipal Advisor Disclosure will be amended or supplemented to reflect any material changes during the term of our municipal advisory relationship. Sincerely, Ehlers & Associates Todd Hagen Senior Municipal Advisor/Vice President ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Documentation of Municipal Advisor Relationship 1 Ehlers & Associates, Inc. January 29, 2025 26 Appendix A DISCLOSURE OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST/OTHER REQUIRED INFORMATION MSRB Rule G-42 requires that a municipal advisor disclose all material conflicts of interest, whether the firm engages in certain business practices that could present a material conflict of interest, and any legal or disciplinary events that are material to the client’s evaluation of the municipal advisor or the integrity of its management or advisory personnel. Any mitigation activities related to any conflicts must similarly be disclosed in writing. Municipal Advisor Registration and Investor Brochure Ehlers & Associates is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB). MSRB Contact Information The website address of the MSRB is www.msrb.org. A municipal advisory client brochure is available and posted on the MSRB’s website. The brochure describes the protections that may be provided by MSRB rules and how to file a complaint with an appropriate regulatory authority. Client may access Ehlers & Associates’ most recent Form MA and each most recent Form MA-I by searching the Securities and Exchange Commission’s EDGAR system (currently available at http://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html) under either our company name (Ehlers & Associates, Inc.) or by using the currently available “Fast Search” function and entering our CIK number (0001604197). Ehlers & Associates has not made any material changes to Form MA or Form MA-I since the previous Municipal Advisor Disclosure. Material Legal or Disciplinary Events Neither Ehlers & Associates nor any of its associated persons have been involved in any legal or disciplinary events reported on Form MA or Form MA-I, nor are there any other material legal or disciplinary events to be reported. Ehlers & Associates’ application for permanent registration as a municipal advisor with the SEC was granted on July 28, 2014 and contained the information prescribed under Section 15B(a)(2) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 and rules thereunder. Ehlers & Associates did not list any information on legal or disciplinary disclosures on its application. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Documentation of Municipal Advisor Relationship 2 Ehlers & Associates, Inc. January 29, 2025 27 CONFLICTS Affiliated Entities Ehlers Companies is the holding company for three wholly owned subsidiaries. Ehlers & Associates is a registered municipal advisor that provides municipal advisory, as well as other financial and consulting services. Bond Trust Services Corporation (BTSC), commonly referred to as “Ehlers Paying Agent Services,” provides fiscal agency services. Ehlers Investment Partners, LLC (EIP), commonly referred to as “Ehlers Investments,” is an SEC-registered investment adviser that provides services with respect to the investment of bond proceeds and other investable assets. While engaged as municipal advisor by Client, Ehlers & Associates may solicit services on behalf of BTSC and EIP. If Client wishes to retain BTSC and/or EIP, a separate agreement will be provided for Client’s consideration. Ehlers & Associates, BTSC and EIP do not share fees and no personnel of Ehlers & Associates are compensated for specific engagement of BTSC and EIP. However, compensation paid to personnel of Ehlers & Associates and its affiliates is based on the overall profitability of Ehlers Companies and, therefore, fees earned by the affiliates of Ehlers & Associates may affect the compensation of Ehlers & Associates personnel. Ehlers Companies does not participate in the day-to-day operations of Ehlers & Associates. Solicitors/Payments Made to Obtain/Retain Client Business Ehlers & Associates does not use solicitors to secure municipal advisor engagements, nor make direct or indirect payments to obtain or retain municipal advisory engagements with Client. Payments from Third Parties Ehlers & Associates does not receive any direct or indirect payments from third parties as an inducement for Ehlers & Associates to recommend third-party services to Client in relation to any municipal securities transaction(s) or municipal financial product(s). Payments/Fee-splitting Arrangements Ehlers & Associates does not share fees with any unaffiliated parties that provide services to the Client. However, within a joint proposal with other professional service providers, Ehlers & Associates could be the contracting party, or a subcontractor to the contracting party, resulting in a fee splitting arrangement. In such cases, the fee due Ehlers & Associates will be identified in a Municipal Advisor Disclosure or project specific disclosure, and no other fees will be paid to Ehlers & Associates from any of the other participating professionals in the joint proposal. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Documentation of Municipal Advisor Relationship 3 Ehlers & Associates, Inc. January 29, 2025 28 Conflicts Arising from Compensation, Including Compensation Contingent on the Size or Closing of Any Transaction Ehlers & Associates’ fees may be contingent on the size and successful closing of a transaction. Compensation contingent on the size of a transaction presents a conflict of interest, as there is an incentive to advise the Client to increase the size of the securities issue for the purpose of increasing compensation. Compensation contingent on the closing of the transaction presents a conflict, as there may be an incentive to recommend unnecessary or unsuitable financings to the Client. In addition, if the transaction is delayed or fails to close, there may be an incentive to discourage a full consideration by the Client of such facts and circumstances or alternatives that may result in the cancellation of the transaction. Ehlers & Associates shall disclose the contingent nature of any fee and Client may select an alternative form of compensation that best meets the Client’s needs related to a specific engagement and agreed-upon scope of services. If Client is concerned about conflicts arising from any compensation contingent on size and/or closing of a transaction, Ehlers & Associates is willing to provide another form of municipal advisor compensation. The Client must notify Ehlers & Associates in writing of such request within 10 days of receipt of this Municipal Advisor Disclosure. Ehlers & Associates is required to uphold its fiduciary obligation regardless of the method of compensation. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Documentation of Municipal Advisor Relationship 4 Ehlers & Associates, Inc. January 29, 2025 29 Appendix B GENERAL CONSULTING SERVICES As part of our Municipal Advisory relationship, Ehlers & Associates ordinarily provides Client with certain ongoing services, in some cases without compensation. Examples of such services include: • Respond to Client questions and provide general information on finance approaches • Act as a public finance resource for Client • Provide educational and informational materials • Provide current debt schedules for existing Client obligations • Answer questions pertaining to existing Client debt obligations • Provide periodic analysis of and recommendations for refunding of existing Client debt obligations • Participation in surveillance calls conducted by bond rating services • Preliminary debt issuance planning, which may include, but not be limited to: Ø Discuss potential projects with Client and Client’s objectives relating thereto Ø Identify feasible financing option(s) suitable for Client Ø Structure possible financing option(s) and estimate the financial impact(s) Ø Solicit input from Client on financing options Ø Develop a preliminary financing plan for Client’s preferred option(s) Ehlers & Associates may charge Client for these or other general consulting services depending on the time required to provide the service, the level of analysis needed, or degree of complexity involved. Prior to charging Client, Ehlers & Associates will first advise Client of the anticipated charges and receive authorization to proceed. Unless another basis for compensation is agreed to by Client and Ehlers & Associates, Ehlers & Associates will bill Client at an hourly rate that is dependent upon the task(s) and personnel required to meet Client request(s) at no less than $125/hour and not to exceed $400/hour. Ehlers & Associates will provide a Municipal Advisor Disclosure or project-specific disclosure with scope of work and associated fee(s) for any specific engagement involving municipal advisor advice. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Documentation of Municipal Advisor Relationship 5 Ehlers & Associates, Inc. January 29, 2025 30 January Month in Review January 2025 • Provided recommendations for DNR tree seedling species to be handed out at local events next Spring. The city ordered 1500 seedlings as the 1000 from last year went very quickly. • We responded to a homeowner call with regards to tree concerns and provided tree care advice at 20 E. Gilfillan Rd. • The first round of oak wilt re-inspections is complete. There are some delinquent removals and we are following up with residents and tree care companies to see who is still on their lists for removals. All diseased oaks should be out before road restrictions go into effect. • Ash tree inspections are in full effect, and we are working with residents to educate and inform on their options as Emerald Ash Borer continues to impact the community. A few diseased ash tree removals are now in the final notice state. We have been working with local tree care companies to get bids. If necessary, we will remove the trees for the resident and assess their taxes, but only as a last resort when we feel we are no longer making progress. • We provided a Zoom arborist workshop for a few tree care companies that were unable to attend in December. We have a lot more tree care companies in town mostly due to the high volume of Emerald Ash Borer. 31