City Council Meetings

Watertown City Council T Regular Meeting Mayor Michael Walters Deborah Everson F Jim Kasheimer Fred McGuire Kay Thul A 7/8/2025 - Minutes 1. Call To Order And Roll Call R Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the regular meeting of the Watertown City Council was called to order in the Council Chambers of City Hall at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, by Mayor Walters. Councilmembers present: Mike Walters, Jim Kasheimer, Kay Thul, Fred McGuire and Deborah Everson Councilmember(s) absent: None D City staff present: City Administrator Dan Tolsma, Administrative Services Director Michael Sommerfeld and City Engineer Philip Schupp Others present: Carver County Cpl. Buckentin, Zach Mink, Tour de Tonka Coordinator, Gretchen Gottsacker, 721 Green Avenue SE, and Jill Blair 2. Adopt Agenda Mayor Mike Walters would like to add Resolution 2025-32 Rails to Trails Fireworks to the end of the agenda list as 5E. COUNCILMEMBER DEBORAH EVERSON MOVED TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO ADD GRETCHEN GOTTSACKER OF 721 GREEN AVENUE SE TO ITEM 5A AND MOVE THE REST OF THE AGENDA ITEMS DOWN. COUNCILMEMBER WALTERS SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0 COUNCILMEMBER KAY THUL MOVED TO APPROVE THE AMENDED AGENDA TO INCLUDE THE ADDITION OF ITEM 5A. GRETCHEN GOTTSACKER, AND RESOLUTION 2025-32 RAILS TO TRAILS FIREWORKS AS ITEM 5E. COUNCILMEMBER EVERSON SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0 3. Consent Agenda Discussion And Approval  FIREWORKS AS ITEM 5E. COUNCILMEMBER EVERSON SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0 3. Consent Agenda Discussion And Approval COUNCILMEMBER THUL MOVED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. COUNCILMEMBER JIM KASHEIMER SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0 3.A. 3.A. June 10, 2025 Regular Meeting Minutes 3.B. 3.B. June 24, 2025 Work Session Meeting Minutes T 3.C. 3.C. June 24, 2025 Regular Meeting Minutes 3.D. 3.D. Sanitary Sewer Extension Pay Application No. 5 F 3.E. 3.E. Water Tower Pay Application No. 8 3.F. 3.F. Mobile Food Unit Permit For Winta Ice Cream Truck 3.G. 3.G. Solicitor Permit Bold North Roofing A 3.H. 3.H. Resolution 2025-26 Approving Rails To Trails Street Closures 3.I. 3.I. Resolution 2025-27 Approving The 2025 Fire Contracts R 3.J. 3.J. Resolution 2025-28 Approving Temporary Liquor License 3.K. 3.K. Resolution 2025-29 Approving Charitable Gambling Application 3.L. 3.L. Resolution 2025-30 Approving The Updated Watertown Lions Liquor License D 4. Open Forum 5. New/Old Business Cpl. Buckentin presented his report. I don't have a lot to report on, just gearing up for Rails to Trails that we have coming up in a couple weeks. We are working on meeting with everybody to hammer out all the final details, with this being my first bike rodeo. We have four bikes that have been donated to be raffled off that will be given to kids that participate. Recently, I have had a few more fraud calls. So, I just want to bring that up to make sure people are aware of these scams that are going on. Make sure you are aware of who you are talking with and verifying the information that they are providing. If it doesn't feel right, don't give them any more information. 5.A. Sink Hole Discussion (Amended Agenda / Added) My name is Gretchen Gottsacker, I live at 721 Green Avenue SE. Myself and Mike Lorentz, he lives at 725 Green Avenue SE. We have a very significant sink hole located between our two properties. I have been reaching out to the city when it first started around May 5th and calling and receiving very minimal contact. This is a really important to me because the sinkhole I am seeing structurally between our two houses it is beginning to sink, and I have a young son and don't feel comfortable with him running around even by that sinkhole. One thing I am concerned about is that we don't even know the extent of how much the damage is. It doesn't sound like it's been scoped, and it hasn't been televised yet to see. City Administrator Dan Tolsma said that he met out there today with Gretchen and Mike and we looked at the situation. I think we came up with a strategy for putting a few things in place for the immediate  around even by that sinkhole. One thing I am concerned about is that we don't even know the extent of how much the damage is. It doesn't sound like it's been scoped, and it hasn't been televised yet to see. City Administrator Dan Tolsma said that he met out there today with Gretchen and Mike and we looked at the situation. I think we came up with a strategy for putting a few things in place for the immediate future to help improve the safety and then we will have Phil take a look at it as well to see what is causing the sinkhole. Tolsma continued that the water going through the pipe is pulling dirt down with it, and that's what is creating that sinkhole. The main issue going on is just the lack of getting a contractor in there because they are all so busy and have projects going on and you get on the back side of their list. Our City Engineer Phil Schrupp will take a look at it and see if we can come up with a temporary measure to kind of stop the sinkhole from expanding and address some of the safety issues around it as well. T Ms. Gottsacker continued that the bottom line is, I understand there is going to be some sort of time constraint, I am just looking for some sort of communication. I really appreciate Dan and the councilmembers that have reached out to me and gave me this voice here and also, just keeping me in the loop of what the status of this is and a timeline. F 5.B. 5.A. Tour De Tonka Special Event Application Zach Mink of Minnetonka Community Education presented a slideshow on the Tour de Tonka event happening on August 2nd. Thank you for having me here. It is our 20th year, and we are excited. We A have 1,044 riders so far from 18 US states over 113 different cities. We will be celebrating our 49 Legacy riders who have ridden every year consistently since 2006. We would like to give a shout out to the Watertown Lions Club, we have some of them representing and volunteering here in the community that day. If you have any availability or any interest, or you know anybody that would like to volunteer, we have many different things, areas and times available. Watertown should start seeing riders come through intermittently between 9:00am to 11:00am. R COUNCILMEMBER EVERSON MOVED TO APPROVE THE SPECIAL EVENT APPLICATION FOR THE TOUR DE TONKA 58-MILE BIKE RIDE SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, AUGUST 2ND BETWEEN THE APPROXIMATE HOURS OF 9:00 AM AND NOON. D COUNCILMEMBER THUL SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0 5.C. 5.B. Resolution 2025-31 Authorizing Change Order No. 1 To 2025 Mill And Overlay Project City Engineer Philip Schrupp presented on the change order to the 2025 Mill and Overlay project. The change order has been signed authorizing the removal of the existing manhole and constructing a new manhole. The budget impacts, based on the estimate that Bituminous Roadway and the change order is $36,244. The Carver County Water Management Organization awarded Watertown $25,000 to help offset some of that cost. The total cost to the city will be $11,244. COUNCILMEMBER FRED MCGUIRE MOVED TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2025-31 AUTHORIZING THE CHANGE ORDER FOR THE ADDITION OF THE SUMP MANHOLE AND SAFL BAFFLE TO THE 2025 MILL & OVERLAY CONTRACT. COUNCILMEMBER KASHEIMER SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0 5.D. 5.C. Use Of Lewis Avenue Right Of Way For Filming City Administrator Tolsma presented information from Aaron Mycke of Nail Centered Productions, reaching out to the city requesting three evenings to do some filming, mainly on the sidewalk in the city. COUNCILMEMBER EVERSON MOVED TO APPROVE A STREET CLOSURE REQUEST FOR NAIL CENTERED PRODUCTIONS FOR THE DATES OF JULY 14TH THROUGH JULY 17TH AND DIRECT CITY STAFF TO EXECUTE A HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT WITH THE APPLICANT FOR THE PERIOD OF TIME INDICATED ON THE APPLICATION. COUNCILMEMBER KASHEIMER SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0  COUNCILMEMBER EVERSON MOVED TO APPROVE A STREET CLOSURE REQUEST FOR NAIL CENTERED PRODUCTIONS FOR THE DATES OF JULY 14TH THROUGH JULY 17TH AND DIRECT CITY STAFF TO EXECUTE A HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT WITH THE APPLICANT FOR THE PERIOD OF TIME INDICATED ON THE APPLICATION. COUNCILMEMBER KASHEIMER SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0 5.E. Rails To Trails Fireworks Administrative Services Director Michael Sommerfeld presented on the fireworks proposal received from Flashing Thunder. The cost of fireworks went up by $240 out of the whole approximately $10,000, for cost of materials. This is an upfront cost the city would pay, but after this goes in place commonly the Watertown Lions will make a donation to the festival fund that will cover a portion of the fireworks. T COUNCILMEMBER WALTERS MOVED TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2025-32 APPROVING THE FIREWORKS DISPLAY PROPOSAL. COUNCILMEMBER THUL SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0 F 6. Other Reports Dan Tolsma shared some unfortunate news of a long-time Planning Commissioner, Don Hendricks, passed away over the weekend. His memorial service is scheduled for July 19th. A Engineer Schrupp reported on the new water tower. The bowl is getting put on. The plan is to have the steel inspected, certified and they are hoping to start painting late next week or the following week. Then they will be taking everything out of the stem and raising the bowl and going forward with that. R Councilmember Thul reported that she attended the League of Minnesota Cities Conference with Councilmember Everson. We both attended some similar and some different sessions. I attended a session on the cannabis regulation. I also went to a session on website accessibility and found that by 2027 all websites will need to be ADA accessible. Together, we attended a session on city festivals, and we are excited to bring a few more things to our town. D Councilmember Everson continued that one of their breakouts they attended was successful city festivals and learning how we can better hold more and larger festivals in our city and creating more of an environment where people want to come and shop and just enjoy our town. The other one I attended was called Big Organizational Culture in Small Cities, and how city administrators are working with staff to build team culture and working with their council. Very appreciative of the ability to be able to attend and interact with other councilmembers in other cities. Councilmember McGuire reported on Commission on Aging that they are working hard on the senior dinner to be held on December 2nd. Councilmember Everson also wanted to mention that the EDA is meeting on Monday at 1:00pm. Anyone is welcome to come to that. 7. Claims COUNCILMEMBER KASHEIMER MOVED TO APPROVE THE CLAIMS ROSTER AS PRESENTED. COUNCILMEMBER EVERSON SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0 7.A. 7.A. Claims 8. Adjournment COUNCILMEMBER WALTERS MOVED TO ADJOURN AT 7:31 P.M. COUNCILMEMBER THUL SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0  8. Adjournment COUNCILMEMBER WALTERS MOVED TO ADJOURN AT 7:31 P.M. COUNCILMEMBER THUL SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0 309 Lewis Avenue South; P.O. Box 279, Watertown, MN 55388 _________________________________________________ Michael Walters, Mayor ATTEST: ________________________________________________ T Dan Tolsma, City Administrator AF D R