City Council Meetings

Watertown City Council T Regular Meeting Mayor Michael Walters Deborah Everson F Jim Kasheimer Fred McGuire Kay Thul A 2/11/2025 - Minutes 1. Call To Order And Roll Call Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the regular meeting of the Watertown City Council was R called to order in the Council Chambers of City Hall at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, by Mayor Mike Walters. Councilmembers present: Mike Walters, Kay Thul, Deborah Everson and Jim Kasheimer D Councilmember(s) absent: Fred McGuire City staff present: City Administrator Dan Tolsma, Administrative Services Director Michael Sommerfeld, City Planner Mark Kaltsas and Utilities Superintendent Logan Pysick 2. Adopt Agenda COUNCILMEMBER JIM KASHEIMER MOVED TO ADOPT THE AGENDA AS PERSENTED. COUNCILMEMBER DEBORAH EVERSON SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 4-0 3. Consent Agenda Discussion And Approval COUNCILMEMBER MIKE WALTERS MOVED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. COUNCILMEMBER KAY THUL SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 4-0 3.A. January 28, 2025 City Council Work Session Minutes 3.B. January 28, 2025 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes 3.C. Watertower Project Pay App No. 3 3.D. Wastewater Treatment Facility Project Pay App No. 33 3.E. Pay Adjustment For Howard Simar  3.C. Watertower Project Pay App No. 3 3.D. Wastewater Treatment Facility Project Pay App No. 33 3.E. Pay Adjustment For Howard Simar 3.F. Resolution 2025-07 Accepting Donation From Watertown Garden Club 3.G. Resolution 2025-08 Approving Liquid Waste Haulers Licenses 3.H. Commission On Aging Spring Country Fling Expenditure Request 3.I. Temporary Liquor License T 4. Open Forum 5. New/Old Business F 5.A. Ordinance 444 - Regulation Of Cannabis Products City Planner Mark Kaltsas presented to Mayor and Council the information that was discussed at the January 14, 2025 meeting and also after the public hearing that was held at the December 12, 2024 Planning Commission meeting. I will give you a high-level review and then talk about some of the A discussion points that came out of the January 14th meeting and where there was a direction given to staff to seek more clarification. On July 31, 2024, the Office of Cannabis Management issued its first draft of the administrative rules related to adult use cannabis in Minnesota. Under the Cannabis Act that was the law approving the R legalization of cannabis in Minnesota, gave cities two areas that they had the ability to consider and then potentially enact regulation around. One of those was for zoning regulations that would provide the city the ability to regulate where and what type of cannabis businesses are allowed to conduct business within the city limits. The second piece is the city has the ability to administer the registration requirements. D So, with that, the part that was presented and is in front of City Council tonight, is the zoning or land- use piece, that did require a Planning Commission to hold a public hearing and the Planning Commission to provide a recommendation to the City Council. COUNCILMEMBER EVERSON MOVED TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE WATERTOWN CITY CODE REGARDING ZONING DISTRICT RELATED TO CANNABIS BUSINESS INCLUDING OPTION ONE. COUNCILMEMBER KASHEIMER SECONDED. MOTION FAILED 1 - 3 Ayes: Kasheimer; Nays: Walters, Thul, Everson; Absent: Fred McGuire Councilmember Everson would like to say on the record that they should not be having a discussion at all because at the Federal level it is still illegal. Everson expressed disappointment that the State approved this to begin with because it brings so many other things and because it is not legal at the Federal level. We're not even getting the taxes and the tax revenue, so that being said, the reason why I made my motion is because the State has approved it and we as a city need to get ahead of it and have some parameters and have an ordinance in place. COUNCILMEMBER KAY THUL MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AS RECOMMENDED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION. COUNCILMEMBER WALTERS SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 3 - 1 Ayes: Walters, Thul, Everson; Nays: Kasheimer; Absent: Fred McGuire  COUNCILMEMBER WALTERS SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 3 - 1 Ayes: Walters, Thul, Everson; Nays: Kasheimer; Absent: Fred McGuire COUNCILMEMBER WALTERS MOVED TO APPROVE THE SUMMARY PUBLICATION OF ORDINANCE 444. COUNCILMEMBER EVERSON SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 4-0 5.B. Logan Pysick Promotion To Utilities Superintendent T Mayor Walters introduced Logan Pysick as the new Utilities Superintendent with Doug Kammerer stepping down this month. Councilmember Everson asked City Administrator Dan Tolsma to give some background for this move. F Dan explained to council that the Assistant Superintendent position was created to lead us to this situation where when the Superintendent either leaves or retires, in this case, Doug, that an assistant is ready to move into that full superintendent position. The assistant position is more of a person actively being taught and prepared for this superintendent position. We may not always have an assistant. Logan is being prepared to be moved into that superintendent position. We would recommend that he A start at Grade 15, Step 4. Councilmember Everson asked if Dan could give a little more information around how we came to doing that without posting and what our process is, if its normal, legal? City Administrator Tolsma answered, yes, its perfectly legal. In this case where someone has been R actively trained to take this role, it's a natural progression that makes sense. The city has already made this decision when they created the assistant superintendent position and put Logan in it. COUNCILMEMBER WALTERS MOVED TO AUTHORIZE THE HIRING OF LOGAN PYSICK FOR THE POSITION OF UTILITIES SUPERINTENDENT AT GRADE 15, STEP 4, TO BE EFFECTIVE MARCH D 1, 2025. COUNCILMEMBER KASHEIMER SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 4-0 New Utilities Superintendent Logan Pysick thanked the Mayor and Council and read aloud his background with the city and working alongside of Doug. I have worked in some capacity for the City of Watertown since 2005, when Doug hired me at 16 years old to work at the hockey rink in the winter and cut grass in the summers. I continued to work for the city part-time all throughout high school and college. After graduating college, Doug hired me as a utilities intern, where I began to learn from him the inner workings of all things water and wastewater. In 2016, the intern label was dropped and I was a full-time utilities operator. I quickly earned my Class D operator licenses in both water and wastewater, as well as a Type 4 Biosolids license. I continued to work alongside Doug learning Watertown's systems for more than half of my life. Doug has been an excellent role model and teacher throughout it all. I remember early on in my career in the Utilities Department, shortly after completing a less than luxurious task, before I even had time to wash my hands or change my clothes, Doug looked out over the wastewater plant and said, keep working hard and never stop learning, and one day this place can be yours. Believe it or not, that didn't resonate much to a 24-year-old with a college degree and a K-12 teaching license, yet I stuck with it and here I am. We have a massive state-of-the-art plant nearly complete, which I have overseen since its inception. Doug has been slowly passing ownership of duties and decision in the utility department to me for years which I am confident and grateful for. I wish I could say that Doug has taught me everything he knows. On second thought, maybe it a good thing I don't. In all seriousness though, Doug's knowledge and expertise in all aspects of this job can never be outdone, and it would be beyond beneficial to keep him around in some capacity as bumps int he road and questions arise, because Doug truly has seen it all. Thank you. Mayor Walters and councilmembers welcomed and congratulated Logan in his new position.  everything he knows. On second thought, maybe it a good thing I don't. In all seriousness though, Doug's knowledge and expertise in all aspects of this job can never be outdone, and it would be beyond beneficial to keep him around in some capacity as bumps int he road and questions arise, because Doug truly has seen it all. Thank you. Mayor Walters and councilmembers welcomed and congratulated Logan in his new position. 6. Other Reports City Administrator Tolsma discussed the position announcement for the public services superintendent. Mike Loehrs who has done a great job filling in on an interim basis. He enjoys being out in the field more than in the office, so he has respectfully declined being in competition for the superintendent position and wants to go back to his role as lead. We will have an opening for the public services superintendent. My recommendation is that we post it open until filled. T Dan also mentioned he would like to do a work plan with council to lay out what's on the radar here and going forward as sort of a goal setting session or visioning session as to what does this council look at as priorities and goals for the next two years plus going forward. F Councilmember Kasheimer asked how the applications going with the commissions. Dan mentioned that there has been an influx of applicants for the commission on Aging but have not received any other applications for any of the other commissions. We are trying to get the word out as much as possible. (council discussed social media, etc.) .... A Mayor Walters mentioned that he and Dan will be going downtown to the Capitol testifying in front of the Senate at 8:30am and then in front of the House at 10:15 seeking a grant. We are seeking another huge grant for the two public infrastructure projects that we have going on in town, the wastewater treatment facility and the water tower. R Councilmember Everson thanked Dan for bringing up the visioning and goal-setting retreat idea. I think with two new councilmember and then Dan coming on, this would be a good thing for us to all get on board and gives Dan direction and staff direction. Councilmember Kay Thul mentioned celebrating Doug Kammerer and his retirement. The public is invited D to come down and congratulate him on Thursday, February 27th from 2:00-6:00pm here in the community rooms. 7. Claims COUNCILMEMBER KASHEIMER MOVED TO APPROVE THE CLAIMS ROSTER AS PRESENTED. COUNCILMEMBER EVERSON SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 4-0 7.A. Claims 8. Adjournment COUCILMEMBER WALTERS MOVED TO ADJOURN AT 7:49 P.M. COUNCILMEMBER KASHEIMER SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 4-0 309 Lewis Avenue South; P.O. Box 279, Watertown, MN 55388 _________________________________________________ Michael Walters, Mayor _________________________________________________ Michael Walters, Mayor ATTEST: ________________________________________________ Dan Tolsma, City Administrator F T R A D