City Council Workshop

AGENDA City Council Workshop Meeting July 8, 2025 Hadley Conference Room 5:00 PM Amended 5:00 PM MPCA Project 1007 Multi-Benefit Well Array Feasibility Report 5:40 PM Proposed Updates to City Policy MIS-002: Canada Goose Management Plan 5:55 PM 2026-2035 Vehicle and Equipment Replacement Fund (VERF) 6:35 PM Administrator Update 6:40 PM Council Topics 6:55 PM Adjourn for Regular Meeting  COUNCIL MEMORANDUM To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Brian Bachmeier, Consulting City Engineer Date: July 8, 2025 Subject: MPCA Project 1007 Multi-Benefit Well Array Feasibility Report BACKGROUND The MPCA Project 1007 Multi-Benefit Well Array (MBWA) Feasibility Report is a study that evaluates options for reducing PFAS levels in groundwater resulting from the 1980’s 1007 Surface Water Outlet Project. Representatives from the MPCA will be in attendance for their presentation. The objective of the study is to: • Address migration of PFAS with drinking water acquirers • Aid in the selection of remedial alternatives • Satisfy a step of the Superfund process The recommendations focus on: • Reducing long term PFAS impacts in the East Metro • Reducing the spread of PFAS in surface water and groundwater • Provide long term protection of drinking water supplies Eight total remedial alternatives were evaluated, which fall into one of three categories: • Groundwater pump and treatment • Drinking water supply • Other media treatment The study concludes by stating: • Groundwater pumping is required to reduce plume migration • MBWA is a solution that is flexible, meets treatment needs, and can be sustainable COUNCIL DIRECTION REQUESTED There is no Council direction requested. The presentation is for information and discussion/consideration purposes. Attachment Presentation Slides Project 1007 East Metro Unit Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Feasibility Study Update July 8, 2025 3M Settlement Project 1007 | https://3msettlement.state.mn.us/project-1007 Project 1007 Overview • Stormwater conveyance system constructed to address flooding in the Tri- Lakes area • Impacts from Oakdale Disposal Site are discharged to Project 1007 via Raleigh Creek and later comingle with impacts from Washington County Landfill • Results in high PFAS concentrations in surface water in conveyance system Increasing PFAS P1007 Conveyance System to Raleigh Creek 3M Settlement Project 1007 | https://3msettlement.state.mn.us/project-1007 2 1  PFOS Groundwater Impacts – Jordan Aquifer White Bear Lake WCL Baytown >300 ng/L Maplewood MDH Health Risk Limit ODS Lake Elmo 75 – 299 ng/L 15 – 74.9 ng/L 7.6 – 14.9 ng/L 4 – 7.59 ng/L EPA Maximum West Lakeland Contaminant Level 2.3 – 3.9 ng/L MDH Health-Based Value Oakdale Below 2.3 ng/L Shakopee St. Paul Woodbury Afton 3M Settlement Project 1007 | https://3msettlement.state.mn.us/project-1007 3 Feasibility Study: Developing Options to Reduce PFAS Migration • Feasibility study used to develop potential Superfund Process alternatives to address migration of PFAS within drinking water aquifers Remedial Feasibility Study • Aids in selection of remedial alternatives Site Discovery Investigation (RI) (FS) • Required step of the Superfund process to advise future action • Recommendations focus on: Remedy Selection o Reducing PFAS impacts in the East Metro in Record of Remedial Design (Proposed Plan & Decision (ROD) (RD) Public Comment) the long term o Reducing the spread of PFAS in surface water and groundwater o Providing long-term protection to drinking water Remedial Action Operation and Maintenance Site Closeout supplies (Cleanup) (O&M) 3M Settlement Project 1007 | https://3msettlement.state.mn.us/project-1007 4 2  Large-Scale Treatment is Required PFOS in Groundwater PFOS: All Aquifers • PFAS plumes are currently spreading in the East >300 ng/L 75 – 299 ng/L Metro and are expected to increase treatment 15 – 74.9 ng/L costs across the region 7.6 – 14.9 ng/L 4 – 7.59 ng/L • Regional groundwater pump and treatment is WCL 2.3 – 3.9 ng/L Below 2.3 ng/L needed to reduce continued spread of PFAS Maplewood ODS Baytown • Additional communities may require treatment Lake Elmo with plume migration, lower regulatory values, and decreased analytical detection limits Oakdale West Lakeland • Pumping wells in Oakdale currently provide limited capture of the PFAS plume • Remedial options: o Pump and Treatment System separate from St. Paul municipal wells with all treated water injected Woodbury into ground to improve plume capture o Multi-Benefit Well Array where treated Afton water is distributed to communities for supply and excess water is injected 3M Settlement Project 1007 | https://3msettlement.state.mn.us/project-1007 5 Site-Wide Recommendation: Multi-Benefit Well Array Potential Well Conceptual Design Locations • Two water treatment plants (Oakdale and Lake Elmo) • Separate wells would supply each water treatment plant with water from West Lakeland being treated in Lake Elmo for supply to Lake Elmo and injection • Wells placed to improve PFAS capture • Excess water injected into the Jordan Aquifer • Utilize existing infrastructure to extent possible • Coordination between cities and MPCA would be required to ensure the system meets the requirements for Well array may be adjusted based on stakeholder input and changes in drinking water supply and plume demand control 3M Settlement Project 1007 | https://3msettlement.state.mn.us/project-1007 6 3 Rationale • Addresses PFAS impacts across region • Improves regional control of pumping to improve PFAS capture • Treated water is used for drinking water by impacted communities • Reduces overall costs associated with providing clean drinking water and remediation efforts • Reduce future impacts to additional communities 3M Settlement Project 1007 | https://3msettlement.state.mn.us/project-1007 7 MBWA: Implications for Oakdale • Coordination required between City and MPCA o Determine how to integrate into existing infrastructure o Ensure City’s maximum daily demand is met o Determine operational parameters to meet the drinking water and plume control needs • Communities would not be responsible for funding, discussion of funding source(s) are ongoing • Current wells o Wells south of ODS would be largely converted to either extraction or injection wells o Wells north of ODS would not be used 3M Settlement Project 1007 | https://3msettlement.state.mn.us/project-1007 8 4  Potential Next Steps Short Term • Update MBWA pumping rates and well configuration to reflect changes in 2040 vs. 2050 demand o Planned infrastructure improvements currently in progress by the City could be incorporated • Conduct a focused feasibility study o Identify final locations of wells o Determine where water must be added and at what pressure to existing distribution system o Analysis of existing infrastructure that could be incorporated o Develop an updated cost estimate • Injection testing • Permitting Long Term • Propose a finalized plan for public comment • Finalize funding source(s) • Establish as way to coordinate efforts across the region 3M Settlement Project 1007 | https://3msettlement.state.mn.us/project-1007 9 Conclusions • Groundwater pumping is required for hydraulic control and PFAS extraction to reduce plume migration • MBWA provides a long-term solution for drinking water supply and PFAS plume control • System is flexible and can be modified to meet increasing demand • Work with communities and other stakeholders to meet treatment needs and other constraints • More sustainable option than pump and treat alone We look forward to working with Oakdale throughout the completion of the feasibility study 3M Settlement Project 1007 | https://3msettlement.state.mn.us/project-1007 10 5  COUNCIL MEMORANDUM To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Max Lohse, Community Development Specialist Date: July 8, 2025 Subject: Proposed Updates to City Policy MIS-002: Canada Goose Management Plan BACKGROUND In Spring of 2025, the City of Oakdale received a higher number of inquiries on Canada Goose management than average. As a result, the City Council discussed the role of the City in Canada Goose management at the April 22, 2025 Workshop. During the meeting, the City Council directed staff to update City Policy MIS-002: Canada Goose Management Plan, which serves as the City’s DNR-approved management plan. The policy is intended to specify when the City becomes involved in Canada Goose management, and what interventions are appropriate. Based on Council direction from the April 22, 2025 Workshop, staff is proposing edits to City Policy MIS- 002: Canada Goose Management Plan. The proposed changes include: • Removal of language requiring the Oakdale Police Department to track and monitor Canada Goose populations. • Clarification that management is intended to reduce Canada Goose populations, not eliminate them entirely. • Specification of preferred and discouraged management techniques. • Clarification that the City is not responsible for Canada Goose management on private property. • Removal of language requiring staff to refer property owners to private Canada Goose management companies. • General language improvements. Given that this policy serves as the City of Oakdale’s official Canada Goose Management Plan, it should be noted that any changes adopted by the City Council will require approval by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Staff has reached out to the DNR and was instructed to share any proposed changes after Council consideration. COUNCIL DIRECTION REQUESTED Staff is requesting that the Council review and provide feedback on the proposed changes to City Policy MIS-002: Canada Goose Management Plan. Attachment Proposed Revisions to City Policy MIS-002: Canada Goose Management Plan with Tracked Changes  Standard Operating Policy City of Oakdale Policy Number: MIS-002 Pages: 3 Subject: Canada Goose Management Plan Approved: 2017 Amended: 2025 1.0 Background 1.1 Canada Goose populations in the Twin Cities metropolitan area pose a significant challenge for communities attempting to address resident concerns of Canada Goose conflicts. Abundant habitat, low natural predation, reproductive success, and limited hunting all contribute to the high population of the Canada Goose in the Twin Cities. The City of Oakdale contains habitat that the Canada Goose prefers, which includes areas with open views, water access, numerous wetlands for nesting, and short grasses common to parks and lawns providing them a generous food supply. The primary challenge with the Canada Goose is maintaining an acceptable population in public areas without negatively impacting public safety. Canada Goose populations in the Twin Cities metropolitan area pose a significant challenge for communities attempting to address the concerns of residents with regard to Canada Goose conflicts. The abundant habitat, low natural predation, reproductive success, and limited hunting in the Twin Cities metropolitan area are all factors in the abundance of Canada Goose. The City of Oakdale is among communities in which the abundance of natural habitat, open grass areas with generous food supply, and numerous wetlands for nesting all favor large populations of Canada Goose. The challenge is to maintain an acceptable population of geese in public areas without negatively impacting public safety. 1.2 The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) manages Canada Goose populations primarily through regulated hunting seasons. When local governmental units (i.e. cities, townships, park departments etc.) preclude hunting through weapons discharge or other ordinances, responsibility for goose population management reverts substantially to the local government unit. The MN DNR then acts in a support role and provides technical assistance and coordination to local government units. MN DNR can issue special permits to take geese under the various federal control and depredation orders. 1.3 The MN DNR requires local government units have a DNR approved Canada goose Goose management Management plan Plan in place before Canada Goose can be trapped and removed. Once an approved plan is in place, the local government unit can then request a DNR permit for summer removal. and may contract with a licensed service provider. The local area wildlife office maintains a list of licensed service providers. This council- approved policy is intended to meet the established DNR requirements. 1.4 For the purpose of this policy, any reference to “goose” or “geese” is a reference only to the Canada Goose breedspecies. 2.0 Monitoring and Surveying 2.1 The Oakdale Police Department is responsible for animal control in the City of Oakdale. The City of Oakdale encourages residents to report geese-related problems and overpopulation by contacting the Oakdale Police Department at 651-738-1025 during business hours Monday – Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Residents should dial 911 for immediate police 1  service in the event of a public safety concern, violation of city ordinance or state statute, traffic accident, aggressive, sick or injured geese. 2.2 Canada Goose conflicts and safety issues will be monitored and evaluated through police service data and surveys of the area population will be completed. Should the police department determine, on a case-by-case basis, some degree of mitigation needs to occur at a specific location, the department will report the situation to the city council for additional discussion and a determination how much, if any, city funds will be expended for the mitigation effort. 32.0 City-Managed Properties 32.1 The City of Oakdale will monitor property complaints of damage and goose droppings on all cityCity-managed property. 32.21 As a matter of policy, the city City council Council has determined that the highest priority for damage mitigation of the damage or goose population disruption of the goose population will be active cityCity-managed parks, as they are used widely by residents for a variety of activities. because of the wide use by residents for a variety of activities. The second highest priority will be issues created by geese on cityCity-managed streets, bikeways and sidewalks. The third highest priority will be all other cityCity-managed properties not previously discussed. 32.32 Because the health and safety concerns of the park users are important, the City of Oakdale will use a variety of techniques and practices to minimize or eliminate goose goose-related problems if necessary. The City acknowledges that these management techniques are intended to reduce Canada Goose nuisances rather than eliminate geese entirely. The non-lethal techniques for dealing with goose problems might include, but not be limited to, strategies such as waterfront vegetative buffer zones, raking beaches for debris removal and using predator decoys or fencing. The following non-lethal habitat management techniques to be used in addressing goose problems on a case-by-case basis might include, but are not to be limited to, strategies such as:  Planting native prairie seed mixes, dense shrubs, and trees as a deterrent in parks with high geese populations.  Maintaining waterfront vegetative buffer zones.  Raking public beaches regularly for debris removal.  Limiting access to water with barrier fencing.  Utilizing predator decoys (mock wolves, coyotes, etc.). 32.43 In the event there is evidence of public health or safety concerns on city-managed properties, a combination of trapping and egg/nest predation may be employed at the City’s discretion. The City will may contract with a MN DNR approved/licensed Canada Goose management and removal company to conduct egg and nest removal and/or the removal of geese from the affected public place. The goal will be to keep the summer population per site to a number that will reasonably minimize reduce or eliminate the public safety concerns. 32.54 In the event there is a complaint or evidence of poor water quality at Tanner’s Lake Swimming beach Beach due to Canada Goose droppings the City of Oakdale will complete water quality testing to identify unsafe levels of E. coli, and or nutrient levels. The City of Oakdale will cooperate with Washington County Health and Human Services and the Minnesota Department of Health if such a project is required. 2 43.0 Private Property Policy 43.1 For the purpose of this policy, private property is defined as any property in the city’s City’s jurisdiction that is not owned or routinely managed by the city Citygovernment. 43.2 For the purpose of this policy, the management of the geese is a private-property issue if the presence of the geese on the property is the source of the complaint, even if the geese have entered onto the private property from cityCity-managed properties. 43.3 The council-approved policy with regard toregarding the management of geese on private property is that the removal of the geese is the responsibility of the property owner or manager. City government resources will not be expended for the removal of geese from private property. The following management techniques and actions are discouraged, and are not limited to, strategies such as:  Direct methods of vegetation removal or hunting; these actions are prohibited under the City of Oakdale Code of Ordinances, Chapter 15, Article 2, Section 15-11.  Actions taken without proper registration or permits from State and Federal agencies such as egg addling, egg removal, trapping and removal, or hunting.  Harassment techniques such as using untrained dogs to chase geese.  Using chemical treatment without a licensed service provider. 54.0 Public Information Policy 54.1 The City of Oakdale will may inform citizens of Canada Goose management techniques that may can be employed to reduce or eliminate problems on private property. Informational brochures are available at the City of Oakdale or Oakdale Police Department. Information may also be obtained on-line at the City of Oakdale Websitewebsite: www.ci.oakdale.mn.us. 5.2 For owners of private property requesting assistance with goose problems and/or removal of geese, the guidelines set forth in this management plan for City Parks and Public Property are to be followed. An approved Canadian Goose Management Plan must be in place for private landowners. Private landowners may choose to use the City of Oakdale’s Goose Management Plan as an umbrella plan to contract with a MN DNR licensed goose removal service provider. 54.32 The City of Oakdale will assist private property owners in contacting Canada Goose management companies to help with goose problems, including removal of problem geese. The City of Oakdale will not pay for removal or control costs on private property. Removal or control costs will be entirely at the private property owner’s expense. 54.43 The City of Oakdale will may inform citizens of the management plan objectives, background, management methodologies, applicable ordinances, and policies through the City newsletter and the City web pagewebsite. A particular informational effort will be made between December and March to remind residents to maintain a vegetative buffer zone and to employ hazing techniques for the upcoming season. 65.0 Aircraft Hazard 65.1 The City of Oakdale will cooperate with the Metropolitan Airport Commission (MAC) and the United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Service to control the Canada Goose population in the event a hazard exists within a designated radius of MAC property. 3  COUNCIL MEMORANDUM To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Jake Foster, Assistant City Administrator Date: July 8, 2025 Subject: 2026-2035 Vehicle and Equipment Replacement Fund (VERF) BACKGROUND The Vehicle and Equipment Replacement Fund (VERF) was established in 2021 to proactively plan and finance the replacement of the City’s fleet. The fund is supported through property tax levy allocations and revenues from the sale or trade-in of surplus equipment. Historically, VERF projections have included an annual 3.5% inflationary adjustment to account for rising replacement costs. However, in recent years, actual cost increases, particularly for large, specialized equipment used by the Fire and Public Works departments, have exceeded this estimate. For the 2026 replacement cycle, department directors were comfortable retaining the 3.5% inflationary factor due to some market stabilization and cost reductions for certain less- specialized vehicles. In 2025, staff initiated a more data-driven approach to fleet management. Departments are now required to provide justification for each replacement request, and input from City mechanics is actively sought. Through this process, replacements have been identified for the Police, Fire, and Inspections departments. 2026 Vehicle and Equipment Planning Staff are continuing to evaluate the replacement needs for Street Maintenance, Park Maintenance/Recreation, and Utilities. The vehicles currently listed for these departments in the VERF are placeholders pending further analysis. This approach ensures that equipment not requiring immediate replacement can remain in service, while higher-priority needs, based on reliability, maintenance costs, and overall condition are prioritized for funding. Although several items are listed as placeholders, staff recommend maintaining the projected 2026 vehicle and equipment replacement projected expenditures at $1,667,500. Of this amount, $157,400 will be funded through the Charitable Gambling Fund to support the purchase of two of three police interceptor vehicles. The remaining $1,510,100 is proposed to remain VERF expenses for 2026. During the presentation, staff will review requests for Police, Fire, and Inspections and will present specific recommendations for the remaining departments at a future City Council Workshop before any equipment is ordered. Regardless of final recommendations, the total 2026 VERF allocation will not exceed $1,667,500. Long-Term Financial Outlook The 2026–2035 VERF outlines a projected total cost of $17,658,791 across all 10 years of the plan, with an average annual investment of $1,765,879. These estimates reflect current pricing trends and the preliminary expected life cycles of City-owned vehicles and equipment. 1 The proposed 2026 expenditure represents a $281,000 decrease compared to the amount projected for 2026 in the previous year’s 2025–2034 VERF. This reduction is due to: • The removal of cardiac monitors and LUCAS CPR devices (originally requested by the Fire Department), which will now be included in the City’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), aligning VERF expenditures with its intended focus on assets maintained by City mechanics. • Updated replacement cost estimates reflecting more accurate and current market data. Future Improvements through Asset Management Looking ahead, staff plans to develop a scoring system to objectively prioritize replacement decisions using performance metrics. However, current systems do not support the level of data tracking necessary for this model but the planned asset management system is expected to fulfill that need. Implementing an asset management system will enhance staff’s ability to: • Monitor equivalency hours for mechanics and service performance • Track detailed repair and maintenance costs (including overhead, e.g. facility and tool use) • Evaluate projected repair vs. replacement costs • Account for the type and intensity of equipment use COUNCIL DIRECTION REQUESTED Staff are requesting feedback from City Council regarding the proposed 2026-2035 VERF, including the proposed 2026 expenditures and planned next steps. 2