City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening and welcome to the Chaska City Council meeting for Monday, March 17th. I call this meeting to order at 7 o'clock. Would everyone please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

And as Council Member Benesch whispered to me, it's actually the month of August still. I fast-forwarded us, so it's August 17th. All right. And with that, Elise, would you please call roll?

Council Member Hatfield? Here. Council Member Benesch? Here. Council Member Shevlin? Here. Council Member McGraw? Here. Mayor Hubbard?

Here. All right. Next, we have the adoption of the agenda. Does anybody have any additions or corrections on the agenda? Otherwise, I would entertain a motion to adopt.

Motion to adopt the agenda.

All right, we have a motion from Council Member Hatfield.

Second.

And a second from Council Member Benesch. Any other discussion? Otherwise, all those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed? Agenda is adopted. And next, we have visitor presentation. We have one on the agenda. So come on down. We have the GTO graduation of Connor Klaisman and Kayla Rademacher.

Well, good evening, Mayor, council members.

Before we recap this year's growth through opportunity program, Kevin does have a video that he wants to show that will showcase what our cadets did over their time as our cadets.

All right, thanks, Chief.

Let's see if the sound works. That's going to be the key. Is that what we heard?

Well, I heard it, Sal, but will you hear it again? Thank you.

That's impressive. That's a stressful job there.

wonderful well i have to say i'm impressed when you guys were at the curling center if you put me in a sheet of ice i don't think i'd be able to walk anywhere so good job but if you guys want to come up here with me please if you remember back on june 1st is when we swore in these two as this year's cadets And as we know, every year we were not the first community in the state to adopt growth through opportunity. But I think we have a unique strength in our program that it touches every city department. And that continues to impress me and provide so much of an opportunity for the cadets to see everything that we do in the city. So this year I'm also very fortunate that they did provide me some information to share with everybody about what they enjoyed most about the program. So if you give me a few minutes, I'll share their thoughts. Kayla said that during the GTO program, she learned specifically what each department does for the city of Chaska and how they work together to make Chaska a great city for people to live in. There were three departments that she really enjoyed, and I promise I didn't bribe her to give this information.

Oh, I think I know where this is going then.

The first one is the police department, and she said that she enjoyed touring the new department, meeting the officers, and getting to know what they do to protect the city. And she also got to drive around the city in a police car with Officer Martine. In the second department that she enjoyed was the community center, and she enjoyed that to seeing what the community center has for people and things that they can enjoy, like the swimming pool, the indoor ice rinks, and the basketball courts. In the last department that she enjoyed was the town course. And I know that you've played golf. So also kudos there. I've never been able to figure that sport out. But she's played golf from seventh grade all the way through her senior year. And she enjoys playing golf for the Special Olympics since 2023. So she enjoys the sport a great deal. The program helped her with her career path by getting hands-on experience with each department in what they do daily. And she would recommend this program to other people because it gives you the opportunity to experience each one of these departments in a hands-on environment and do what those employees do every day. And she's also very appreciative of everyone that she's been able to meet and noted that they have been incredibly kind and that makes the program very enjoyable. Thank you for that. And then also Connor shared his thoughts, and he learned that during the Grow Through Opportunity experience that there's a lot of different departments and a lot of different jobs that people do every day, and they do their jobs successfully. He learned about building houses in the inspections department and how heavy the clothes are that firemen wear. It does look like a lot of gear, especially when it's hot, I bet. And he also learned how to spray a fire hose. And then he learned how the police do their jobs and also that they like to eat donuts. So you must have been there on a day where we had some donuts brought in, would be my guess. We won't take that personally. And he also got to learn how the police officers practice shooting. We saw that on the video with the new simulator that we have. And he also at Public Works learned how to make a good road sign and how to fix a lot of different things. So I think that's special. I've been here now for six and a half years, and they've never let me make a road sign. So those look pretty neat that you have that opportunity. And he also learned how all the water stays healthy at the water and sewer department. And you also saw a water tower, which he said was fun. I saw that on the video. And every time I go in there, it's just amazing to think how much water is above your head. And then at the Park and Recreation Department, he learned about the Zamboni. And at the Community Center, he really liked working with all of the kids. And at the Chaska Town Course, he got to learn how to take care of the grass, clean equipment, and learn how to make a new hole in the grass, which you also saw in the video. And then at the Electric Department, he learned how to climb an electric pole and go up in a bucket truck. So I'm guessing you're not afraid of heights. And he also learned that they have races to see how fast they can get up and down a pole in the Electric Department.

It's hard.

And he also learned that the workers are on call at night and they might have to wake up in the middle of the night if there's a power outage or some other kind of a problem. His favorites, and again, I didn't cook any books or anything on this, but he said the fire department was really cool to see what they do during the day. And he really enjoyed spraying the fire hose and apparently you got to spray the fire chief. So I might have to up my game next year. That does sound like fun. And he also thought the police department was great because he got to ride in a police car. And he also really enjoyed golf maintenance because they were able to make their own holes in the electric department, again, because of the bucket and being able to climb up the poles. But overall, this opportunity showed him that there's a lot of different jobs and introduced him to a lot of different people. And it gives him ideas about potentially what he wants to do with his future. And he also would recommend the program to others. So that said, I cannot emphasize enough the collective work, starting with Officer Martin Godinez, who coordinates the program, and quite frankly, all of our department heads and city departments in making this possible. It was another successful year, and like I do every year, I'll present you both with a department challenge coin. And these are things that we do not just issue to anybody. This is for a special achievement and recognition. And in this case, that's for completing our growth through opportunity program. It's been a pleasure having you both.

Thank you. Thank you.

Do the same thing.

We'll kind of go right back here. Yeah, we'll do a close up of that.

If anyone wants to go on my spot after I'm done, you can do that. All right, one, two, three, stay smiling. All right, perfect. Anyone else? Yeah, hold on. Keep the pose. thank you all right

Yes, thank you officer Martine for facilitating this I know I in talking with our staff. This is One of their favorite programs that the city does they love being able to show off what they do and have that sort of engagement and I think one of the most wonderful things that comes out of our GTO program is is the potential for future jobs. You know, some of our past cadets have been employed in some of the areas of the city that do interest them. And so that's just such a wonderful bridge across. So thank you so much. And to see all of you here, our law enforcement to support, it's just wonderful. So thank you very much. And I hope that you guys, it sounds like you had a wonderful time and it was really fun to learn about some of your favorite parts of the summer as well. Does anybody else want to say anything?

Yeah, it's such an amazing program. How many years has it been now? Five. Four, five. Yeah, and I think my favorite part, of course, is getting to see all the things you guys go and do. But also just from our first meeting when you guys are kind of sworn in as cadets to now when you're sworn in. It was kind of like, come on, get up here. It took a little bit for you guys to get up here to now see when Chief asked you to come up, you guys came running up. You were so excited. And to see that transformation and comfortability and growth is so fun. And to the mayor's point, the job opportunities and getting to see our cadets, past cadets' faces around town all the time, I love that. I get to see several of them, you know, if it's at the golf course or wherever it may be. That is so fun. So it's just an amazing program.

absolutely congratulations congratulations yes congratulations so wonderful anybody else want to speak speak to this otherwise thank you guys for being here and taking part of this program All right, well that moves us on to anybody else wanting to come up under visitor presentation to talk about an issue that's not on the agenda. If so, feel forward to move towards the microphone, but everybody's walking away from it. I'm gonna move us on to approval of the meeting minutes. These meeting minutes were from August 3rd, 2026. Does anybody have any additions or corrections to the minutes? Otherwise? And entertain a motion to approve.

Motion to approve minutes from 8-3-26.

All right, so a motion from Council Member Sheplan.

Second.

And a second from Council Member Graw. Any other discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed? Minutes are approved. Next, we move on to our consent items. These items typically receive little to no discussion, although something can certainly be moved off the consent item and onto the action items. Does anybody have any additions or corrections? I do.

I was just going to make a comment on, I hope I lost which one it was, 7B, the on sale liquor at community events, Chaska Downtown Business Alliance community event series. And just kind of speak to that for a second, just as a liaison to the Downtown Business Alliance. getting to see them this is something we've done a couple years now see them pull together and curate really a fun list of events to do this at i'm sure one of the staff can probably get into the technicalities of how it works but it's been really exciting to see the downtown business alliance come together see the success of the farmers market want to pull together a fall market happening on saturdays and then into the holiday season and put some really fun events that bring people downtown on and we last year the sipping sipping Saturday Saturday sips I can't remember which sipping shop sipping shop Saturday so that's what it was those were some really fun Saturdays downtown and it's also really fun to see the collaboration of the businesses you had size at hayloft doing some fun drinks there so you could grab a drink on their back patio and then shop pay loft and and that's really fun to see that collaboration happen between our businesses and they're doing it kind of even bigger this year with that fall market into the uh deer opener and the holiday market and small business saturday and hometown holiday so uh just really exciting to see this um it wouldn't hurt i don't know if staff is willing to just touch on the technicality of how it works, because I think this is, you know, I saw some comments today online about just, well, why don't you have a social district like Anoka? And it's bigger than that, but I think maybe we could touch on that.

Yeah, real quickly, the state did authorize what are officially called social districts.

for only three communities in the state. So it was Anoka, Stillwater, and Shakopee. And so they still have to designate areas that can occur, but the difference is that that can occur at any time. So they sort of define their own sort of Number of days they allow it, hours they allow it, things like that. For other communities, we're given 12 opportunities during the course of the year to be able to do this. I think what's unique about the Downtown Business Alliance, very similar to what you said, is that I think they've been really smart about trying to put them together during a time period when people are really wanting to be out shopping and doing things. Instead of spreading them out over the course of 12 months, really having a good set of activities that are tied to and trying to be as strategic as possible with using those 12 days as they can. But that's really the difference between an official social district and what is being considered here. There continues to be a push at the legislature to allow social districts and other communities. It did not really get any traction last year, but we're probably going to see some change in the legislature this year, so we'll see if it goes one way or another.

well it's very exciting thank you for explaining that and I know from the past times that's been done I never it's always really tasteful and I think I appreciate that too like it's really our bit downtown business is coming together and making it a special time for people to get out and enjoy our beautiful downtown it always feels very safe I haven't I'm sure our police officers left but they would probably touch on I don't think there's been any incident so it's a very very safe few in our historic district few block area that this is happening and i would say generally people kind of stick to a couple spots and uh like i said maybe they're just grabbing a something from the size booth and then shopping hayloft and staying right there so i think that's true nice too is that it it still feels very family friendly very safe um and all of that i've appreciated that about the event

Yeah, I was just going to say, speaking to it earlier, some of the drive is boosting local businesses, attracting visitors, improving the perception of downtown, bringing people into new and existing businesses to kind of be able to shop downtown. You touched on that, Council Member Hatfield, that we had done this last year and there were no negative incidents that have stemmed from it. I think that's important to note as well as part of our business alliance focus to make a vibrant downtown and as a council or strategic goal is to make a destination downtown. And I think that really lends to that with respect to the rules and regulations and that this isn't changing our liquor laws or rules and regulations regarding liquor laws. It's just taking advantage of what the state offers us.

I think, too, it's important to reiterate that given the comments we've seen and the emails we've received and that this isn't the first year we're doing this, something of this type, we're not the first community to do it. And again, to all your points, we've never had any negative incidents during these sorts of events. And it's just really important to reiterate that this is not a new thing for the city of Chaska.

Yeah, and our police and fire departments, they're aware of this permit and the dates, that the dates start, there are 12 separate community events, and it starts September 10th and runs through December 5th, and that they're aware of that and are prepared to deal with if there does arise anything. So, yeah. All right, well, wonderful. Any other questions or comments on anything else consent-wise? Otherwise, I would entertain a motion for approval.

I'll make a motion to approve consent.

All right, I have a motion from Council Member Hatfield. Second. A second from Council Member Benesch. Any other discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed? All right, motion carries. All right, that moves us on to our action items. We have one, 8A. Adopt resolution number 2026-74, approving the concept plan for Scandic, Scan Vic, right? Nordic Spa, PC number 2026-17.

This item is coming back to you from the Planning Commission with a recommendation for approval sort of an exciting plan being discussed for the old Oak Ridge Conference Center as we have talked about many times this has been a sort of an issue property for us since it closed down a few years ago and to have a potential reuse for this site that could be a destination into the community I think is exciting to be talking about so I'll turn it over to Liz and she can go through and give the presentation

Scanvec hotels The site in question encompasses Lot 1, Block 1 of the Oak Ridge development, which is comprised of three separate lots on the west side of Highway 41 and north of the Twin Cities and Western Railroad. So existing uses out there contain the Costco site as well as a multi-family residential site to the south known as Springs at McKnight Lake. The site is also bordered on the west by McKnight Lake and then Big Woods Lake to the northeast. The main entry point into the development area is a private road that is called Oak Ridge Drive, which has two access points onto Highway 41. Just to give you a refresher in terms of the process and where we're at right now, the city does require a three-step review process anytime there's site planning involved for most applications. So we're at the first step in that three-step review process known as the concept plan review. So this is more of a high-level review overview of the project and starting to identify issues for the applicant to address in their subsequent submittals with the city. If this does get approved this evening, then they would be able to move on to their second step known as the preliminary step. In terms of background and other approvals that have occurred on this site, first and foremost, the city does require a neighborhood meeting to be conducted ahead of a concept plan application being submitted with the city. So the applicant did conduct that on June 24th of this year. They did not have any attendees at that meeting, nor have they received objections from neighboring properties. The site dates back to 1987 when the original approvals came in for the building that exists on site. At that time, it was identified and used as what was known as the IDS Learning Center. And in 1987, that's when the concept as well as a rezoning to PMD4, the pre-plat and the final plat were all approved in that year. And then in the 90s, so several years after that opening, it did transition into the Oak Ridge Hotel and Conference Center use and then remain that way up until its closing in September of 2020. So as Matt mentioned, the building has been vacant for a number of years and we have a user now who is wanting to utilize the existing building. Some other approvals that have occurred since the closing of the building, August of 2021 is when we saw a concept plan come forward in front of the city and commissions for the multifamily residential known as Springs at McKnight Lake, the Costco building, and then at that time also the preservation of the Oak Ridge Hotel and Conference Center. There was no user identified during those 2021 approvals. It was merely to keep the building existing as is. Then in December of 2021, the preliminary site and building plan, preliminary plat and rezoning to its current zoning district, PMD 22 was approved. And then in June of 2022 is when the final site and building plan and final plat were approved for the overall Oak Ridge development, Costco and the springs of McKnight Lake. The site in question is a 22-acre lot, and it currently has an existing building on site that totals 171,000 square feet of usable space. As I mentioned before, access to the site comes off of a private road known as Oak Ridge Drive. There's two entry points, if you will, from that private road. Also in existence on the property is a shared stormwater pond on the north side of the property, which was put in with the development of Costco and Springs at McKnight Lake. Another notable feature or condition of the property is wooded steep slopes exist on a majority of the edges of the property and mainly on the west, north, and east sides. The current request is specifically for concept plan approval for the Oak Ridge Conference Center building. The applicant, known as Scanvic Hotels, is proposing to operate, generally speaking, a Nordic spa and hotel type use at the building. But it really entails kind of a multitude of things that they wish to change with the property. With the use of the existing building, they do want to modernize the front facade, so the east elevation that fronts Oak Ridge Drive, to really match their branding and create more of a contemporary and welcoming experience to the user. They would also like to refurbish the existing hotel rooms in the building and have a total of 130 guest rooms available. They would also like to use a portion of the conference center area, roughly 15,000 square feet, so that they could still provide corporate retreats, weddings, and other community gatherings within the building. Additionally, they would like to operate a restaurant and lounge use that could seat anywhere from 100 to 150 guests within that use. And then have some retail and guest amenities centering around kind of the wellness side of the use. Traditional spa uses as well within the existing structure. And then also expanding outside of the existing structure. Building footprint there to incorporate a outdoor Nordic spa area on the west side of the building totaling approximately 20 to 25,000 square feet in area. That would also be connected to the building and be ADA accessible. And additionally, they would also be improving the surface parking lot on site and construct it to the approved building and site plan that was approved in 2022, which would provide a total of 306 parking stalls. And then also landscaping around the property as well. These images are meant to show kind of that proposed use that I went over in the last slide. The image or exhibit on the left-hand side of the screen shows kind of where those parking areas would be constructed on the north side of the building, and then where the outdoor Nordic spa component is conceptually located, which is on the the west side or facing out towards the wooded area and McKnight Lake. The two images on the right-hand side, the top image is a rendering of that outdoor spa use on the west side of the building, and then that bottom image is kind of that programmable space within the outdoor Nordic spa component. So they are proposing a balance of outdoor space incorporating warm water pools, cold water pools, As well as some sauna structures kind of in the center there. And then they have four conceptual buildings kind of on the perimeter there that would be their relaxation pavilions housing saunas. in terms of zoning so like i said the property is zoned pmd 22 which is a planned multi-use district which was put in place in 2022 or 2021 when the overall development came through for their approvals In terms of them wanting to use the property as a hotel and conference center use, that is consistent with the zoning that is currently in place out there. The outdoor spa use is a new use that isn't explicitly identified or defined in the PMD 22 zoning. So in this preliminary step, the second step, we will likely have a zoning ordinance amendment before you to act on to incorporate that use into the zoning. Also in terms of zoning, because of the presence of wooded steep slopes that exist on the property, construction into those slopes or impacts to the wooded steep slopes is not consistent with the intent the PMD 22 zoning as well as the city's special regulation zoning ordinance specific to what its steep slopes fifteen point two eight point one hundred to be exact So getting into that side of things, what its steep slopes are, a natural amenity that the city's ordinance seeks to protect. And as I mentioned before, those slopes exist on the west, north, and east sides of the property. And with those wooded steep slopes, there's protection limits. There's a 30-foot no-grade, no-mow setback from the edge of the wooded steep slopes. It's basically a buffer area to protect the wooded steep slopes, and then a 50-foot building setback from the wooded steep slope edge as well. the applicant kind of in the preparation of their concept plan and what they've submitted did evaluate three different locations on their site for their outdoor Nordic spa component and this was really advised by staff to understand kind of The reasoning as to why they got to their preferred location on site, which is number three, identified on their site plan and on the west side of the building and shown on this left exhibit here. That is their preferred location to create a private, tranquil, and nature-immersive area for their outdoor Nordic spa space. So that is why they have identified that as their preferred area. They also identified number two, which is on the west side of the building, also within wooded steep slope areas. And then number one on the north side of the building, kind of where that required parking was identified in those 2022 approvals. So in short, staff would not support locations numbers two and three due to the wooded steep slope impacts. And that's just based on the zoning ordinance requirements in terms of protecting the wooded steep slopes. the only location that we would be in support of is location number one as that area would not impact wooded steep slopes but it does impact the required parking for the building so if there is a parking alternative achieved, we would be in support of that location. So that's just kind of the general analysis that staff has provided at this concept level based on the locations that were identified by the applicant. It is worth noting that the building when it was originally approved in 1987 did allow for encroachment into portions of the wooded steep slope area in setbacks. and what we're gonna describe or identify as disturbance limits on the property. So this really entailed outdoor patios, mowed grass, pathways, and a fire pit space on that west side of the property. Most of the area or the existing site stays out of wooded steep slopes. There are a couple exceptions on site, which would be the fire pit area, where I'm showing my cursor here, and the pathway that leads down to the public trail around McKnight Lake. And again, those were pieces approved with those 1987 approvals. These disturbance limits have been actively maintained up until the building's closing in 2020. From staff's perspective, We did advise the applicant to look at this area more heavily in terms of locating their outdoor Nordic spa space. Their concept proposed that In terms of their layout does extend into that wooded steep slope area If you look at the setbacks identified on there so really our advice meant to the applicant is to get it outside of the wooded steep slope areas and within what we identify as the disturbance limits that were called out during the 1987 approvals and how the property has actively been maintained over the last 30 or so years. The applicant has started to evaluate this area and they did provide a supplement in your packet dated August 11th that looks at revising the location of their outdoor Nordic spa space into those disturbance limits areas. Just from a timing perspective staff didn't really have time to analyze that in detail But it was made a condition of approval as a part of this concept plan The applicant will kind of have their own presentation this evening to kind of walk you through where they're at and how they're Evaluating that area From a parking standpoint, 306 parking stalls were identified and approved with the building plan in 2022. So to a majority of those being on the north side of the building as an expansion to the existing parking lot that exists there today, which would expand on kind of the east and west sides of that existing parking lot. And then there is an existing shared parking lot on the south side of the site, which is shared with the Costco user to the west there. And 20 of those stalls in that shared parking lot were approved for the use of the Oak Ridge Hotel and Conference Center. Because of an expansion outside of kind of the existing building footprint area and new uses, if you will, to the overall building and site. We have asked the applicant to put together a parking analysis that they'll have to submit during their preliminary or second step approval process to really summarize what their parking needs are for the overall building and site. Seeing if the stalls that have been identified for the site would be sufficient in accommodating the overall use of the site. In terms of building design, so the existing building will be preserved, a majority of it. As I mentioned before, there will be some modernization of the front facade or east facade to bring it into more of a contemporary look as well as kind of meet the branding that they hope to achieve out there for their use. The new construction out there really entails what's happening on the west side of the building within that outdoor Nordic spa space. Again, their conceptual plan shows up to four new buildings out there that will be known as their relaxation pavilions, and they'll total approximately 4,000 square feet between all four buildings. That could change as we're moving into the next steps here, but there is a level of additional indoor structured space that they're planning for in that outdoor spa space. So a few things to work on for preliminary. All of it, which is identified in the staff report, but a few to mention here. And kind of reiteration of what I've spoken about is in the next step, there's likely going to be an amendment to the PMD 22 zoning district to identify any undefined uses as a part of what's proposed here specific to the outdoor spa space and kind of the most critical piece for the applicant to work on is exploration and revision of their outdoor spa space outside of the wooded steep slopes and looking at the space known as the disturbance limits from the 1987 approvals and maintained outdoor space around the building. There's a likelihood that there could be a variance request. with the second step here if there's impacts kind of outside of what was originally approved. So that may be in the second step as well. Also need to put together a parking analysis for the needs of the building and then a slope stability analysis which is a typical requirement if there's uses or buildings or improvements proposed um in proximity to wooded steep slopes so they'll have to put that together for their second step here so with that we are asking you to make a motion this evening to adopt resolution number 2026-74 which is approving the concept plan for scanvic at oak ridge hotel and conference center and then based on the conditions that are listed within that resolution. I'm happy to answer any questions, otherwise we do have the applicant here in the audience to help answer questions and go through their own presentation as well.

All right, thank you, Liz. Does anybody have any questions for staff first? Otherwise, come on down, Travis. And introduce yourself.

Sure.

Good evening, everyone. I'm Travis Batting. I'm from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. And Jennifer, I believe, is online as well. Yeah, she is. Okay. So yeah, I'm the president of Scanvik, and I've had the delight of going through this property for a number of months. And I guess first off, I want to thank the staff, Economic Development Board, the Mayor, for the collaboration to kind of walk through the different steps. I think we have worked really well together to kind of find the defined areas that work best for this property. I think we all have the same goal of getting this property back up and operating. It's a unique property. It's an absolutely beautiful environment, and we want to enhance that. And so we're not looking to completely disrupt the property. We're bringing amenities that will enhance its already beautiful state. And that's our goal. And I'm here to answer any questions tonight. of what you might have for our operations, but I don't know if you wanted Jennifer and I to go through the presentation because I think what was presented in our application and then the timing of our meeting, and then the understanding of everything. I think it really helps define how we're working together to make this move forward. Jennifer, are you there?

She might be on mute. Yeah, she's there. Krista will probably be able to.

Okay.

good evening everybody can you hear me yes we can hear you now thank you Jennifer for being here yeah thank you mayor members of the council um first of all I'm so sorry that I can't be there this evening uh because I'm also very excited about this project and have enjoyed working with your staff to try to understand what your objectives are and how we can make sure that this project moves forward so that's that's my first statement the second is I actually can't see anything on your side the video and so I'm happy to walk through the presentation but I can't see the slide deck so I can do it but I'm just wondering if there's a way or a setting that

That's a great question.

Nate will just Yelp every time you should switch the slide.

Yeah, next slide please.

I think this is this might be my very first time of doing this blind, so I'm going to do my best.

We're accommodating group, so don't no worries.

OK. Well, so as Travis said, after we received the staff report and spoke with the group at your city staff, we understood that there was some question or concern about putting the spot improvements in an area that encroached further into that steep slope area. And so there was some discussion back and forth in terms of how do we do the disturbance area? How does that get essentially you know refined to establish what the limits of the development might be and in a way that's more palatable to the city uh so that hopefully we can bring the project forward so with that um i have no idea what's on your screen it's the concept plan i was just going to say it is the concept plan yep um and so this is our original submission and one of the things i wanted to highlight that i think uh didn't get discussed quite a bit uh through the staff's presentation is really the commitment of this group to ensure that whatever happens on what I'll call the lake side of the property is done in a very environmentally conscientious way. And so the incorporation of pervious pavers, walkways, revegetation, et cetera, are all things that have been talked about by the group in terms of how do we make sure that not only are we embracing and embedding sort of this development within that area, but also respecting it and enhancing it long term. So regardless of what happens back there, I know that this group is very committed to that and making sure that whatever goes in there has the least amount of impact possible. And I think that was one of the key pieces that we were trying to emphasize in our original concept plan. So if we move to the next slide, We understood what disturbed areas really meant. And so we as a group took a look at this and worked with your staff to try to figure out what that boundary for those disturbed areas might be. Because as Liz referenced, there were a lot of improvements that occurred over time in terms of maintenance, manicuring, et cetera, in that area when it was its previous use. And so figuring out what that border looks like to see if it was reasonable, we took to heart and we went back and really tried to figure out what that disturbance limit, if you will, or that disturbed area might be. So that's what that red line represents, which if you go to the next slide, just in an effort to be fully transparent, we basically took the disturbance area or that disturbance line and laid that over top where the concept plan is. And obviously what you'll see here is we've got some areas that are outside of what that disturbance limit is. And again, we understand that the idea here is, is it possible, can we rework this and get it to be within areas that have already seen some kind of impact? And then if that is in fact the case, how does that affect our layout? So you can see here, obviously, that we've got, especially those structures or the tree houses, if you will, that are outside the disturbance limits, and how might we reprogram the space so that it would actually lie within or very close to what that disturbance boundary is. So on the next slide, We started in a very short period of time to explore what could actually fit within that disturbed area and what does it do to the spa area and how can we reprogram it and realign it? Where are some of those relaxation pavilions in relation to where that disturbed area is? What we came up with is that we're pretty confident that we can actually make this spa component fit within that disturbed area. With a little bit of creativity and a little bit more exploration, I think there is a commitment from our group to figure out how can we get this within that area. so that we're not further encroaching into what are your buffer and protected areas. And if we are, that we are minimizing it to the maximum extent possible. So some of that includes looking at reprogramming some of the interior spaces to see how we can make those connections as opposed to making them on the second story, maybe they're on the ground level. How do we maintain, obviously, it being an ADA accessible space? improvement so we've got some things we have to figure out in terms of that programming but we're pretty confident that with a little bit more effort and exploration that we can figure out how to get those improvements within that within what has already been disturbed so the final slide that is in our package this evening is just a quick rendering essentially of of how this might lay out within that historic disturbance area. You know, I think one of the things that's key from the group, the ScanVic group, is making sure that whatever spa improvements do get built and improved, that they are in an area that is immersive with nature, that does have a relationship to the lakeside. It's kind of central to the theme and the idea of creating a really interesting spa environment And the other piece of that is making sure that it also makes sense with respect to the programming on the inside of the facility as well. So part of the reason that the location we identified was selected was existing programming within the facility because obviously this is a huge investment from this group to try to reposition the building and use as much as we can so that we can do this in a really interesting way, but also actually financially make it a viable project. So paying attention to existing programming, trying to get that spa function on the lake side, I would call it. And then the other piece of that, also making sure that you know, that it makes sense from a privacy and a usability so that it really becomes something that people want to come and enjoy. And so I think that's the last slide. I think our takeaway here is really the statement that we heard staff loud and clear and we do believe that there is a way that we can rethink this and reprogram it a little bit to get those spa improvements in some of your disturbed area or within that disturbed area that's already been defined. So with that,

can answer any questions um i'm very glad it was only six slides because that would have been more difficult you aced it i mean you would have never if you never said anything we wouldn't have really known any difference so great job um does anybody have any questions for for jennifer

No questions, but this is really exciting. It's been a vacant spot for a while, and many people in the community are asking what is happening and if anything is happening. I think, was it a year ago, we heard another potential buyer give our pitch? Yeah, roughly about a year ago. We got excited and then went nowhere. So this is, again, very exciting to hear. As a lover of pools, I love that there's pools in it, so this is, I think, very great, and it's great that you're working with city staff to try to figure out how to incorporate all of that into the current landscape and regulations.

Travis, do you want to speak to the uniqueness, maybe, of what you're proposing here? I think that would be really important to kind of put out to our 1.3 million listeners.

Yeah, and especially uniqueness in the United States.

Yeah, because you had touched on it earlier.

I did. Yeah. So being from Canada, being from Minnesota, we share winters. In Canada, there have been a lot of successful Nordic spas, as they call them. Most of them are standalone spas. So it is a destination. It drives tourism to the communities in large volumes. And so what a Nordic Spa is, it's a place to be able to press pause. I think we all agree that the world is a stressful place. Travel can be stressful. So the nice thing about a Nordic Spa, it allows you to kind of just press pause and it's about the thermal cycle. So you have outdoor heated pools, so you have a hot or a temperate pool. You have steam rooms, you have sauna rooms. So that's the first part of the thermal cycle is you want to heat your body up. And then what a lot of people don't like is the cold plunge cycle. But we have the opportunity to be able to do that. And so it's both the hot, the cold, and then you need a place to rest. And that's what's so unique about this property is just the natural environment. Part of what Scanvic believes in is about... It's a Scandinavian term, it's Freelutsiv, and it's about celebrating nature. So we want people to be able to connect with that. And so you do this thermal cycle a couple times over, and it just does so much for wellness, and we feel the efficiencies being connected to the hotel help make this project a lot more feasible. As I mentioned, a lot of them are standalone in Canada, So this would be a unique concept of bringing the two together in which we really feel will help drive tourism to an area that we feel needs a little more tourism and some more accommodation rooms for the area rather than exporting rooms we want. the feasibility to stay here in the area.

So last week, my family was in Quebec City. OK. And so it was interesting because I looked up what's the places to go to here. And in the top five was a Nordic spa. And Quebec City has all kinds of stuff to go to. And they listed that as a top tourist destination. So I thought that was pretty interesting and I only was really looking for it because we had just met right before we went out on site and you had mentioned it in Canada. For sure, it was a destination type of place.

And Minnesota is very naturally Scandinavian, so I think our branding and the amenities that we're adding will be embraced by everyone here. Last week I did comment one thing about We're going to get into the parking elements, right? So just the understanding that the two businesses do complement each other. And that's really important from our side. But then from an administration side, parking will definitely be of importance. The Nordic spas do better in the winter. We celebrate winter, right? And then tourism is busier in the summer, where the Nordic spa is a little bit slower. So they do complement each other very well. And we are doing some reductions to the property because it is such...

large building so we are reducing kind of the number of rooms and the number of conference space to be able to accommodate the demand for the new amenity yeah I thought that was an interesting thing when we had met on site that you had said that your busy time is the winter time which generally in Minnesota you don't you really don't think about that as a factor but I mean that would be a great compliment yeah over here yeah definitely yeah

I think this is very exciting, and I appreciate the consciousness of the landscape and the beauty back there. I think that's important, and one thing I appreciate about Chaska is it's not flat. We have those wooden steep slopes, and that's part of what makes it so beautiful here. So I appreciate that that may make it a little more difficult, but the respect for the land there I think is important, so I certainly appreciate that. I think it's very exciting. The community, when it hits socials, the community's Certainly seemed very excited about it, which is always a great sign. So I think that's amazing. I think when it comes back for preliminary, just the unfun stuff would be things like construction access, understanding that because it's such a busy site. That already makes me very nervous to drive in. So to understand what that will look like, like I said, the unfun stuff, but the stuff that'll be helpful to know for preliminary that's not sort of listed here. And then parking. One question I had from the community, whether it's staff or you, that answer is, was the public walkway along the lake is very loved and that that would be, that's not going away. And I said, no, we own that. But I think just for people watching to understand that that's still going to be there and people will still be able to walk on that public walkway around the lake because I do know that's well loved back there. So by the way, it's exciting.

That's an important point. Just to clarify, this is something the community can come and use without booking a room, right? It's a spa that they can...

apps absolutely yeah no day use and kind of an expanded model to what we do is our member membership model so there will be some ability to integrate with the community so there's more frequent visits yeah and then because you had talked about you know outdoor use and potentially winter not being or summer not being the most fun time to do this kind of thing is there a plan to maybe

continue this kind of thermal spa, cold plunge in an indoor setting inside with some of the space you have in there. I know not to compare you to Lifetime, but Lifetime has the cold plunge and the warm spa and the steam rooms and the whole gamut in their aquatic area. And it does get a year-round a lot of use. I mean, people are definitely using the steam rooms, the cold plunges, the hot tubs, and then the pools. Yeah.

Yeah, I think our ability to operate 365 days outside is unique. I mean, we want people to be able to enjoy the nature, whether it's in the summer or the winter. So we definitely program around that. And we're just in the concept plan to figure out how that conference center gets adapted into the operational use.

Yeah, because some of the proposed structures were the spas and things, which obviously would be used year-round. Yeah. Very cool.

Very exciting.

I mean, we talked on it earlier with the 12 community events, but, you know, our goal as a council is to make our community a destination. Your proposal lends to that ability. She's looking at all the Nordic spots.

That's a good sign.

And it's exciting to hear of partnership opportunities and the ability for community members that live in the community or in neighboring communities that don't necessarily need to book a room, still being able to take part and be able to enjoy the amenities and services that you do plan to offer. It was really nice to be able to walk through and kind of see the vision, but also kind of set the tone for what I talk about with the variants. We don't love granting variances because they set precedents.

Correct.

And those precedents are really important because we have to kind of overlay what's best for the community as a whole, and then anybody can come through and have a completely different intention in mind and different plan and say, well, they did that. We kind of talked about that. And we also talked about the importance that this is a concept plan. And so bringing it forward and seeing what you kind of have proposed, that is really exciting and kind of lending to that. So it is very exciting to see what you have. And I appreciate Jennifer's time and your time giving that opportunity slideshow slide deck to kind of see as you work through because I know you submitted that before we met and so kind of see as you've already started the work to kind of rework the plan and I really appreciate that you really listen to what I had to say about it and then what our staff had to say about it and you're kind and considerate to kind of already start putting those wheels in motion and so I really Can't say how much I appreciate that because we all want this to work. Oak Ridge is a unique site, has a wonderful long history. I mean, it was, you know, proved when I think I was four years old in the 1980s when, you know, and I was even talking to somebody today and they said that their father-in-law was the general manager of that site and they were the first wedding that was actually there before they even marketed the weddings. And so many people have so many wonderful stories of getting married there or having a conference there or a treat or eating in the restaurant. So it's nice to be able to see that building relive its life again and be its true self. And it sounds like it's going to be a wonderful fit. So just working through that process, working with our staff in order to have that best collaboration to kind of have that best outcome. I'm very excited to see that move forward.

Thank you very much. I think this was a great example of how developers and cities can work together and achieve what we all want is a vibrant tourism economy for the area.

Yeah, appreciate that. Does anybody have any other questions or any other comments they'd like to touch on at all in regards? Otherwise, we do have a motion in front of us. It's a motion to adopt Resolution 2026-74, approving the concept plan for the Scandic Oak Ridge, at Oak Ridge Hotel and Conference Center. with those conditions listed in there, so.

Sorry, Mary, I just wanted to find the bullet points where I could talk about what I wanted to. I just thought it was important to note to the community as well, if you haven't heard of the hotels, but the operating on the Marriott's Tribune portfolio, I think is important because people understand that connection to a bigger organization versus like, who is this? I haven't heard about this. So I was trying to find it quickly because I wanted to make sure I didn't say the wrong one because there's lots of those type of organization but yeah you know that Marriott name with their portfolio of the collection of independent upscale people I think helps people understand too that if they haven't heard of you or your hotels they most likely probably have heard of that name as well and that connection too so I think that's important for the community absolutely yeah and it's quite an investment that he has proposed to be making so

Yes. Yeah. No, the global brand has walked through the property. They like it. And we're just working through the number of improvements that have to be achieved for a building that has sat vacant for five years and has been around for decades. since 89, right? So yeah, definitely a lot of capital investment will be put back into this property, which is definitely needed.

Absolutely.

No, that's a really, that's a really good point to make. Absolutely. I think that's great as well. All right. Well, I had entertained to approve the motion I made earlier, or at least put forward earlier.

Motion to approve.

Okay, so I have a motion from Council Member Shevlin. Second. And a second from Council Member Hatfield. Any other discussion? All right, hearing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed? Consent plan is approved. I look forward to seeing you back here. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. All right, well that moves us off our action items and on to bills. Does anybody have a question on the roster of bills?

I'll make a motion to pay the bills.

All right.

I have a motion from Council Member Graf. Second. And a second from Council Member Benesch. Roll call, please.

Council Member Hatfield? Yes. Council Member Benes? Yes. Council Member Chauvin? Yes. Council Member McGraw? Aye.

Mayor Hubbard?

Aye. All right, bills are paid. All right, that moves us along to other business. Councilmember Hetfield.

Yeah. Some exciting things coming up. The Farmers Market is continuing. That's been a great event. A lot of fun. So if you haven't been to the Farmers Market, obviously we're going to start winding down here, but definitely make it out before it's done. Those are on Thursday nights. And the concert series is still going so that's very a lot of fun too to get to kind of Do the farmers market and then make your way to the music. So And then of course the public safety open house is coming up on September 14th from 5 to 8 so that's very exciting to get to have the community in and Southwest transit, I think something important Southwest transit will be providing Why can't I think of words transportation to the public safety building because there's enough parking for a few, but definitely not for everybody that's so excited to come out and see this. So you can park at East Creek Station and they will take you on down to the building. That's running from 5 to 830. First bus is at 5. The last bus to East Creek will be at 830. So it's a short jaunt, but we'll really help with the parking situation. but definitely make your way to that I think it's very exciting with that building being done it was the first in that building program and I know that the departments are very excited to show it off as well I think that's a big part of it so and then this Thursday's touch a truck at 5 at the high school and that's always a really great event so that's coming up And really, I think the last thing I have is the Chaska Crime Prevention Fund. It's a new nonprofit here in Chaska. And they had one of their fundraisers last night. I was privileged to get to be the ticket girl and volunteer with that organization to help them kick that... That fundraiser off but they're a and I'm I've asked them that they should come speak to the whole council So I'm hopeful they will and kind of share about what they're doing. But Eden Prairie has something similar This is something that's done around the state and maybe the nation I'm not sure but for sure the state even prairies has existed for 40 years but what it does is it helps fund things for our police department and so it's dollars there that can do help with officer wellness the reward fund if some there's a crime that needs a reward to help get information and They can help with that, all sorts of things. Programming, when the teen academy had their graduation, they provided dinner for that. And so just those little things that they can come alongside the police department and help fund, that's what they're there for. They've had a couple events around town. They'll be at the public safety open house with a table there. So if you want to learn more about them, like I said, I've asked them to come into a council meeting and tell us more about it. But I wanted to kind of share that because I think it's very exciting that we have that stood up here in Cheskis Border Police Department and raise funds. Just since it's fresh after volunteering with them last night, I wanted to share that. They have a website if you want to go check it out. I think it's chayaskacrimepreventionfund.org. But very exciting to have that to support our police department.

So I think that is everything. All right. Wonderful. All right. I've got some more to finish.

I don't have anything. All right, well, Council Member Shevlin. For anybody that did not attend, you missed a great fair. The Carver County Fair was this past week. It was fantastic. It was very crowded. I saw many people that I knew, and it looked like all of the cities in the county really got together and had a good time out in Waconia. So hopefully you got to go. If you did not, try next year. Also, Parks and Rec has their fall, fall, winter, whatever you want to call it, classes and community ed up and registration is going actually very fast I went to sign up for skating and I got one of the last three spots for ice skating so yes so if you are interested in any of that kind of programming and now is the time to sign up and there's a lot of cool programming for both youth and adults out there

Awesome. Touch a truck, everybody talks about it, but I can't not take the opportunity to remind myself that on the park board, the number of hot dogs I've served at Touch a Truck, it's just, I mean, I remember just like head down. And then if you ripped the bun in half, you had to have a good bun person. Who could open the bun with the gloves on.

Be delicate with it.

Yeah, because if you rip the bun, trouble ensues. But yeah, that was, so if I think about memories that have helped shape who I am as a person, truthfully, and as a council member, and as a . Touch Truck was awesome. My kids have, unfortunately, kind of aged out. They kind of think it's cool. um just to see the smiles and the kids and the dripping ice cream and the hot dogs that just was awesome so yeah touch truck five to seven chester high school on thursday um i don't think it's supposed to rain i think it's supposed to no it's supposed to be nice i think it's supposed to rain in a couple days that's good I was going to talk, I'm just taking a couple things off the math report here. Latin Food and Music Festival on September 18th with fireworks. I mentioned that. I actually kind of like the fireworks in the later fall because it's not so late. They're earlier. They're earlier because it gets darker sooner. Always a good bonus when you have kids and you go to school. Speaking of school, we will have another meeting on the first day of school. It will be the first day. Two weeks from today, school starts. So this will be my reminder to traffic changes, to drive slower, look after bus stops. lot of excitement in those kids on that first day and they might spill into the street a little bit at the part at the bus stop so just should be safe i think it's important to understand that we you know you'll anticipate that traffic might be a little bit different and everything like that but i wish everyone uh a good start to the school year and teachers too don't forget it's their first day back too yeah so that's important and then last i just timed out of my phone the chaska cubs play Air Freight August 21st at 7.30 in the first round of the state championship. So that is at 7.30, and that is actually in Chaska Athletic Park. So I'm going to probably miss one, but Shakopee, Jordan, Chaska, is there one other community that's hosting? I feel like there was four, and I feel like I'm missing. Maybe New Prague are hosting the state tournament. So Chaska players, that's great to get the home game at 7.30 in the first round, but there will be other teams playing there too. So it's

You know, I... You said August 21st?

August 21st, 7.30. Okay. I love the fact that during the year, the Chaska Cubs, and actually even when they had that first round playoffs to qualify to go to state, that kids are free. That is so awesome. Like, the cost barrier is to go to anything with a family of more than one. It can be expensive. And so I just, I don't know if that's a Chesa Cubs thing, if that's a like organizational thing or how that works, to be honest. I've just been so happy.

I think it's a mix of community sponsorship and yeah, the organization.

And it's good baseball, right? It is. It's fun and it's good. So I wish them luck. But again, I think it's not, it won't be, unfortunately it's not free anymore for state tournament. That's not true because that is a different type of thing. So it is have to pay there.

But it's only a dollar for kids 18 and under.

Thank you. So it's just.

It's just $1. Basically. Very, very affordable. But it's great.

I mean, you think about the cost of just going to a ball game and seeing good baseball. So that's a huge shout-out. I wish the Cheska Cubs good luck. It's a lot of games. I forget how big that bracket is every year until I see the bracket. I go, man, it's a hard work to get through, and pitching has to hold up. So good luck.

Wonderful. All right. Elise? Nate?

I do. Because without saying that the City Hall Plaza is under construction right now. Yes. So anytime you're under construction, things change and timelines shift and things. We've known since the start of construction that at some point the main door to the library would need to change and it would need to be closed temporarily. and that access would then come off of 4th Street. We also have known since the start of construction at some point that the main entrance to City Hall would need to be temporarily closed, and so then there would be access off of where the stairs come up from former PD, and then also coming through Pine Street, kind of in the back entryway there. So details of that, I'm recovering from vacation right now, so I'm seeing in my emails there's some updates around timing of that. It looks like it may be next week, at least for the library and potentially City Hall as well. But so you all are aware that that is coming soon. We will use our social media, and we do have a communication strategy around both of them. So we'll work through that as we go forward. construction will continue to disrupt the norm until it's done.

Yeah, I think generally people are understanding of it, but it is a little bit like a maze to get through.

Yep. The end product will be great.

I noticed coming in today, like the grading, like it's all level, like it's all, there's no offset of the level now, which is kind of interesting to see kind of set up that way because it's like, oh yeah, there was the steps and all that fun.

Yep. It'll all develop as we continue. So that's my update.

It will all develop. That's a nice pun.

Yeah, thanks. I need to try it.

Christophe? Yeah.

Actually, I just have a short testimonial for the city's amenities. My cousin got married at the Chaska Curling Center this Saturday. And I just have to say that we had such a wonderful time. The city's staff, or I should say the Curling Center staff and the caterers did such a fantastic job. putting on a really a excellent event and I know that my cousin and his now wife are both Chaska residents and they both mentioned how wonderful it was to have the curling center available for their wedding so that's great well congrats to them Matt

Just a couple things. First of all, touch a truck. First of all, Joan Cedar started this back in 2003, 2004, something like that. And she's still in charge of it. And I think one of the reasons I think it is one of the best events we have is it's a huge number of people that come and it's different people that come to touch a truck than come to any other event that's in the community it's brand new families brand new you know people who maybe haven't got involved in the community yet and it's sort of their first way to start getting introduced into the community so it's i just think it's unique in the sense that it really attracts to a different crowd than any other celebration or thing that we have so kudos to joan for all the work she's put in there I wanted to mention, I can't remember how many years this has been, I think four or five. Tomorrow, we're hosting, I think it's 15 Ukrainian students, and we've been doing this the last few years. Richard and Irina Fersman, who are people who do our strategic planning, Hugh Life, She is from the Ukraine, and so they've had sort of as their mission to bring a group of Ukrainian students over since the war started. And when they come to Chaska, like tomorrow, they're going to spend the morning at the new public safety facility. They're going to learn how our policing works in the United States, how our fire and emergency management works in the United States, tour the facility, have lunch there. And then the afternoon, we're going to take them down and have them curl and just have some fun down there. And it never ceases to amaze me each year how these kids are just kids, but the things they have seen are not normal. And the having them have the ability to come over for a month, having them have the ability to come over for a month and be away from the chaos. They have relatives that have been killed. They have all kinds of things that have happened to them. To be able to be away from that, but then to also come over and be deliberate about saying, how do we want our country to be in the future? And, you know, being able to come into local governments, being able to go into state governments and learn what are the things that we do here that maybe as they grow up and become leaders in their own country can be able to bring back there. So I love it. I think it's a great experience to be able to do it. It's a new group of kids each year and just a great program. So they'll be here. uh most of the day tomorrow so that's wonderful yeah and then just to update our reminder the meeting schedule coming up you know we have august 31st is a fifth monday so we uh are planning on having a meeting but no work session that night uh september uh we have labor day uh so we get have two meetings in a row the 14th and the 21st The 14th, we will have a work session, which will finish up our general fund budget discussions to prepare us for setting our preliminary tax levies. So some changes in the schedule. Oh, okay, because I was like, that's fine. It's all the same as what I had there, but I just want to remind people.

Just confirm, as you said.

No work session on the 31st. No work session on the 31st.

The biweekly says there is.

Oh, well, there's no work session 31st. For budget discussion.

We're going to do a work session on the 31st so that on the 14th they can go to the open house until we get to come back to the council meeting. So we weren't going to do a work session on the 14th.

Oh, I didn't remember. I was going to share with you afterwards. Forget everything I just said. Just like Nate, I'm just coming back from vacation, and I'm getting my mind around this. Yes, there is going to be our second budget discussion on the 31st. Sorry. And the 14th is when we'll establish the plenary levy. We will not have a work session on the 14th because that is the night of the open house. Thank you, Elise, for keeping me straight.

What time on the 31st? 5.30.

Actually, no. We'll do 5.45 because it's what it says in the thing.

It's the first day of school and my kid gets off the bus close to 5. We'll have enough time at 5.45. Okay.

Anything else from you? I don't think I want to say anything more. Okay. All right, just a few things to recap. Night 2 Night, believe it or not, was just a couple weeks ago. So many great neighborhood parties, a lot of really great conversations, but the one thing I wanted to note was we had a four-city challenge in regards to food shelf donations, and we won. So congratulations, Chaska. We beat those other three cities out. And overall, with all the cities contributing, it raised over 3,000 pounds of food for the food shelf, which they went through in like a week. So we talked about the importance of continuing donations for them to help them out as people need help. So I just wanted to mention that. But yeah, we won. I think Patty, the director of the food shelf from Bountiful Basket, will be here in a future meeting to present said trophy to the council. What neighborhood did Edelwood win again? You guys, yes, they did, but I think your neighborhood was second. Yeah, it was second. I know, sorry. And then another thing I wanted to mention that had happened, and our fire chief Krause will enjoy this. I gave him a hard time last year because they had their black helmet ceremony. not invited I got to the business meeting for the Relief Association and I was like what's going on here he was like oh we have this big ceremony thanks for the invitation but he made sure to invite me this last year and I was able to attend the fire department's black helmet summer ceremony it's just like an award and recognition ceremony it welcomed we have four new firefighters that are joining and then presenting the helmets to the ones that have past the probationary period, also granting like the years of service award to some of, I mean, from five years to 30 years of people serving on our fire department. That's just astounding. And then this year they introduced a firefighter of the year, which is an award, nominated by the peers and presented or reviewed by a board of nominated candidates and alex cook won and i just want to say congratulations alex i see him there all the time working so hard it's very well earned so thank you to all of our firefighters for all their heartfelt and hard dedication to our community uh okay Did you mention the downtown master plan survey?

Did you mention that?

Okay, so just take note. There's a downtown master plan survey. It is open, it's on our website, and it's open until August 24th. So if you have, I know as I've been talking to residents this last weekend, you know, some have been telling me like, I went on there and I pinpointed everything on the map and some people have been very engaged on that. So we want to hear from you as to what you want to see happen downtown. And the same thing in relation to that, our library task force is going to be meeting here mid-September. So if there's something that you'd like to see with the library, Email one of us council members or myself. We'll pass that along to city staff as they kind of go through and start that preliminary process. And I know that there's going to be lots of public engagement pieces with Latin Food and Music Festival, Touch a Truck, and things of that nature, right?

Yeah, Touch a Truck, Farmer's Market, Latin Food and Music Fest.

so yeah so that plenty of opportunity for that um and then also just for our uh people that drive highway 10 kind of going west it's part it's closed kind of between chaska and waconia right now for resurfacing just a heads up for people as far as that goes um but otherwise that's it next meetings yeah august 31st so with that i would entertain a motion to adjourn motion to adjourn All right, a motion from Council Member Hatfield. Second. And a second from Council Member Benesch. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed? We are adjourned. Thank you, everybody.