City Council - Regular Meeting

Thank you. All right. Good evening everyone. It is April 13, 2026. It's 5:30 p.m. I am Mayor Shelley Carlson. The Morhead City Council welcomes public input on issues listed on the agenda or of general interest, time, and council permitting. Speakers are limited to three minutes each. If you would like to address the council during the meeting, please fill out a form provided by the city clerk and we will call you up during the citizens to address the council item on the agenda. You'll need to state your name and if you are a Morehead resident. If comments were submitted to the clerk prior to the meeting via email or phone. Those comments will be entered into the record. For more information on participation, please visit the more please visit the council's page on the city of Morehead website at morheadmn.gov. We the Morhead City Council collectively and with gratitude acknowledge the sacred land the city of Mort is built upon. We acknowledge the people who resided here for generations and recognize that the spirit of the Dakota Ojiway Mati and all indigenous communities permeates this land. With that, could I get a roll call, please?

Ryan Nelson here. Nicole Matson here. Heather Nyer here. Emily Moore, Deb White, Lisa Borggan, Sebastian McDougall here. Chuck Hendrickson present. Mayor Shelley Carlson here. And for those who are able, please stand for the pledge of allegiance.

Right. And city manager Molly, do we have any agenda amendments? Yes, mayor. We have two amendments tonight. So, one is a request to move action on items 9B and 9E to the April 27th city council agenda. Uh, the other is a request by council members Nissa Meyer and Madson to add discussion on federal a federal separation policy to new business. Okay. Um, do I have a motion to approve the agenda with those amendments? So, move Nissa Meyer. Second, Madson. Motion and a second. Uh, any discussion? Council member Borggan.

So, you know, I brought this up two meetings ago, I think, about how I don't think it's appropriate to ask for an agenda item two hours before the meeting. Public notice requires that we have the agenda out Thursday. And if there's something that is important that needs to be added, I think that it should be requested Thursday, Friday at the latest so that it would give council members and the public because it's posted on the online. So, we've had more additions in 2026 than we had in all of 2025. And I just don't understand why we've gotten to this point. and I don't think that it's necessary. So, I will not be supporting that motion.

Council member Dmeer. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Uh, to Council Member Borggan's point, I did request the item on April 3rd. Council Member Matson. Thank you, Madame Mayor. If I trusted or believed that I would have an opportunity to speak to um item 5C, I would not have added this to the new business. But I don't trust or believe that I will be given the opportunity to speak on the mayor's report. And so that's why I added it to new business.

Any other council members that have um things to add to discussion? All right. Seeing none, um I guess all those in favor um to have the agenda amended, move to approve, um signify by saying I I. All opposed? No. I So, um Carlson, um Council Member Hendrickson, take a roll call vote on that, please. Okay. Um could we get a roll call vote on that, please? Nelson, no. Matson, yes. Nisser, yes. Borggan, no. McDougall, no. Hendrickson,

no. Okay. So, um that is 4 to2. That means that the agenda cannot be amended as proposed. Um so the agenda needs to stay uh the way it is written. Uh city manager Molly. Uh so the request to move action on items 9B and 9E uh to the April 27th city council agenda uh we don't have the seven necessary votes to to approve that those two items. Okay. I'll make a motion to amend the agenda to take those off of the agenda until the next meeting. I'll second that.

Okay. There's a motion and second to take off 9B and 9E. Um any discussion on that? Council member Manson. Um will you allow all council members to have a an opportunity to speak on um the ad hoc committee report? Um that isn't a discussion item for this motion. So I'm not going to respond to that right now. We have a motion on the table to allow for um 9B and 9E to be moved to the next council. Uh, Council Member Matson, I would be happy to support that motion if I had some assurance that we all would be allowed to speak to uh, the ad hoc committee report.

Again, that's not the item that is under uh, discussion. I will address it after this motion is completed. Uh, council member Nisser.

Sure. Um I am curious the protocol if we are not um approving things that have been submitted before Thursday and Friday as council member Borggan had suggested why um there is not support for moving forward. I understand the count and that is the purpose, but I don't understand why adding something that was requested April 3rd is not being supported by my colleagues. Okay. Other folks who have a comment or for discussion. So with that, did do you want to do a roll call vote? Um, Council Member Borggan.

Yes, please. Okay. Um, roll call vote, please. Hendrickson, yes. McDougall, hi. Morgan, yes. Nissmeer, yes. Matson, no. Nelson, yes. Okay, that motion carries. So, items 9B and 9E will be um 9B and 9F are going to be moved to the April 27th council meeting. Um, and to address um, council members Matson's questions. Um, yes, we will have opportunities for council members to have questions in regards to what occurred at the mayor's ad hoc group. So, moving on to the consent agenda. Do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda?

So, move Nissa Meyer. Second. Motion and a second. Any discussion on the consent agenda? Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying I.

I. Any opposed? That motion carries. Okay, moving on to recognitions and presentations. The first one is our Moore Heart recognition. And I will turn this over to our parks and recck director, Sean Brandenburgg. Thank you, Mayor and Council. Um, I'm honored and excited uh to be with you this evening to present this month's Moreheart uh award. Uh so the Morheart Award recognizes individuals and organizations that go above and beyond uh to demonstrate community within our city um by their actions and service. A team of volunteers from city boards and commissions selects award recipients who recognized at city council meetings. The Moore Hart Selection Committee chose to recognize Joey Schmidt and Pete Carl for their expertise and volunteer efforts that informed the redesign and revitalization of the Woodlon Park disc golf course. In 2023, the recreation department began reaching out to local enthusiasts seeking ways to improve uh and promote the disc golf course in Woodlon Park. Joey Schmidt quickly stood out due to his enthusiasm and commitment to the project. Over time, the conversation evolved from conducting minor repairs to a full redesign of the course with new teapad and basket locations uh located throughout the park. That same year or 2024, the park advisory board approved funds to assist with the project, bringing his enthusia or excuse me, uh bringing the course design um to life. Over the next year, um Pete Carl was brought in and invited to join the project. Um over the next year, Joey and Pete worked diligently with the recreation and public works department um finalizing the new design of the course. Um as you

kind of see by the pictures on the board, that's the original baskets that are there from the '9s. Um very single chain, really beat up. Uh and they were placed there with double chain modern baskets. Um that'll really improve uh the gameplay uh over at Woodlon. Um the renovated discourse now features a completely redesigned 18hole layout with alternate basket locations, new teapads, um signage, and enhanced landscaping. Um so with the part of the new course, there'll be actually 36 baskets out there uh to where they can be changed for certain tournaments, changed to prevent erosion and um wear and tear on the grass. Um so this will really kind of um increase the longevity of the course. Um the course is an important free amenity um for young families, college students, and disc golf enthusiasts from across the metro region. Uh I personally had the pleasure to work on this project and I can confidently say it would not have been possible without the dedication of Joey and Pete. Uh they volunteered countless hours often on evenings and weekends to ensure the project stayed within budget while delivering a high quality and inclusive and safe recreation experience for the community. City of Morhead thanks Joey and Pete for this contribution to Morhead's park system. Uh and their dedication um is what makes Morehead a better place. So, on behalf of Morhead, I'd like to thank Joey and Pete and invite them up here to uh accept their More Heart Award.

We thought they No, no, you don't have to. I'm good. I'm going to say a little something.

I do want to say thank you so much for this. Uh definitely not expected. Uh we have been playing disc golf for the better part of 25 years. The Woodlon disc golf course was one of the first courses I ever played in my life. I think that's goes for the same with Pete. It was made by Tim Mackey in the '9s and it served its purpose, but it needed new life. And so that's what we tried to do. We tried to honor that course and give it new life and have it be ready for the new age of disc golfers and for all the community to enjoy. So we're hoping that this course lasts another 25, 30 years. And with some of the sustainability efforts that are in place, we're pretty confident that it will be. So thank you very much. Uh very appreciated. Thank you.

All right. Okay. And thank you again, Pete and Joey. That is uh it's so great that you volunteered that time um to make something in Morehead that it's accessible for everybody and and everybody can enjoy it. It's free. Um, I think about the fact that uh disc golf or frisbee golf is something that people can actually get scholarships to go to college for. Um, former council member Heidi Durand, her son actually um was on a disc golf team for college. Um, and I know he got us a little bit of a scholarship and is competing. So, this is cool that this is free, that people can use it, and uh just really appreciate um um that volunteerism in Morehead. So, um moving on to the next item on the agenda is a proclamation. Um and I'll turn this over to Council Member McDougall.

Uh thank you, Madam Mayor. Uh official proclamation. Whereas, the city of Morhead and its human rights commission are committed to preventing housing discrimination while promoting equal opportunity in Morehead. And we recognize the importance of increasing in community awareness regarding fair housing. Whereas each April the entire nation comes together to celebrate fair housing. And 2026 commemorates the 50th anniversary of title 8 of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, commonly known as the Federal Fair Housing Act. Whereas everyone has a right to safe, decent, and welcoming housing regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, public assistance status, and marital or familiar status. And whereas every everyone has a right to live in neighborhoods of opportunity and choice. and people can thrive and be healthy as a result of qu of a quality education, a clean and safe environment, and an economic and social opportunities. Now, therefore, uh Shelley Carlson, mayor of city of Morhead, does hereby proclaim April Fair Housing Month in Morhead and encourages lenders, real estate agents, landlords, business owners, and other residents alike to take this opportunity to recommmit to preventing unlawful housing discrimination while promoting equal opportunity. Thank you.

Thank you, uh, Council Member McDougall. Uh, next on the, uh, agenda is an update from the mayor's ad hoc group on federal immigration enforcement. So, um, just providing an update for everybody. So, uh, the mayor's ad hoc ICE committee, uh, second meeting was held on Friday, April 3rd to discuss a wide range of topics impacting our community with a focus on ensuring residents have accurate information, access to resources, and a sense of safety. Members from the following groups were in attendance and or provided information that was to be shared at the meeting, was shared at the meeting. Um, Morhead public schools, Morhead Police Department, Morhead City Attorney, Council Members McDougall and Nissa Mayor, Morehead City Manager, Morehead Public Housing, First Link Immigration Law Center, Justice North, Community Connect, Curtisani Diaspora Center of Minnesota, New Ritz Midwest, United Liberians Association, Isharaara Immigrant Development Center, Great MBA, Greater Morehead MBA, um, Downtown Morehead, Inc. and the Morhead human rights board chair and myself as a mayor. Um I kind of divided it into six different topics of conversation that was discussed. Um the first was presented by our uh Brandon Lunik our school superintendent. Um we in were informed by the superintendent um who had reviewed attendance data for Mora public schools which showed a temporary decrease in enrollment um 5 to 7% between the months of January and February and in March attendance returned to normal levels which he attributed to important sign of stability for students and families. Um, next our chief of police um talked about um the things that they've been doing and the entire committee reviewed the Morehead Police Department flyer that was distributed in January and agreed to

update the language to make it more welcoming and accessible. The flyer that was disseminated in January outlines important policies including the fact that Morehead Police Department does not ask about ICE or immigration status, does not arrest or detain individuals based on immigration status, and does not enforce civil immigration law. The chief also explained that the officers may respond to scenes with bodywn cameras activated to document observations and that is also on the flyer. The flyer has been translated into seven different languages which are being reviewed by our community partners um in their languages and to ensure that the translation is accurate. In addition to um the supporting the sharing of clear and reliable information and FAQ on legal document uh with legal questions that were asked of our city attorney is also being translated into those same seven languages so community members can under better understand their rights. what the city of Morhead is able to do and other available resources. Next, we heard from our civil legal assistance uh partners and information about what organizations in the community um can do to assist with providing legal assistance. The community agencies in our area that do that are Justice North, the Immigrant Law Center, and Community Connect. First Link offered to serve as a central hub to ensure this information is available on their website. First Link also encouraged everyone to share that folks can always call 211 for the information and first link can provide that help connecting individuals to services not just the civil legal assistance but also um housing and food resources. Next um discussed was housing uh housing stability was another key topic. Morehead housing shared that previous rental moratoriums created unintended

negative consequences and advised against um putting in putting in place similar measures. The conversation then switched to discussing alternative solutions for those helping uh needing help with rent um including possible use of SAHA funds for the city of Morehead. And um previously on this agenda under our consent agenda um this council did approve the use of $25,000 um in SAHA funds to support housing stabilization efforts. Those funds are um going to be distributed through CAP LP to um assist individuals facing challenges related to immigration. Food insecurity was also discussed. First Link again stepped forward to serve um as that central point of contact for coordinating food distribution resources, helping to ensure that residents can access the support that they need. In the Fargo Morehead area, there are over 20 places to access food. Some have eligibility requirements and some do not. First Link can help direct people on where to go um depending on eligibility requirements and where they live. Um and are working to ensure that again all of the resources, housing, legal assistant, food resources are online and easy to access. Um business assistance assistance was also discussed. Um thankfully there were no businesses that closed in Morehead due to any immigration activity. However, some did experience some slowdown in um customers coming to their locations of business. The city is in the process process of exploring ways that assistance could be provided to these businesses and will report back as soon as more information is known. Members of the group showed that the meeting was extremely beneficial and when asked if there were any additional topics they wanted to

address, the only item raised was the importance of um mental health support. So with a few a few of the following items remaining, such as reviewing the updated law enforcement flyer, identifying mental health resources to share, and determining a way to provide assistance to businesses. the committee agreed to meet again on May 1st from 12:00 to 1:30 and there will and we will be inviting additional um people to that committee um in addition to the people that I already listed. Um those other entities will be Klay County Social Services, Klay County Public Health, CAP LP and West Central Initiative Initiative to provide information and resources. In addition, uh, Justice North has committed to coordinating a community huddle in early June to share information discussed by the mayor's ad hoc committee along with additional relevant topics. The group expressed strong appreciation for the opportunity to come together, emphasizing the value of the open conversation between all these groups, sharing an understanding and learning from one another. Justice North will work in partnership with the participating agencies to organize the community huddle which will be open to the public and will provide an important opportunity for residents also to access information, ask questions, and connect with available resources. I do want to say that I'm really proud of the work that the mayor's ad hoc committee has done and the very thoughtful discussion that took place um and really want to um thank everybody in from those organizations that continued to show up and share information with one another. I think it really reflects our ongoing commitment to providing clear information and strengthening partnerships to support all members of our community. So, um, with that, Council Member McDougall and Council Member Nissa Meyer, um, do you have anything more to add to what was done or said at that meeting? Uh,

Council Member McDougall,

thank you, Madam Mayor. Um, again, really good summary of what happened in their meeting. Uh the only couple other things I could even highlight would be for Morhead public schools, we didn't know if they had a full action plan in case there was ice in the schools, but they had one of those plans already pre-done well before we even had to worry about the issue. Uh so that was great to hear. The only other thing I would say is I think most of the other um minority owned businesses uh according to Mr. Lysat said most of their business has rebounded right away. Uh so they're not so much of a loss in that sense too. uh didn't have much uh for employees being gone or anything like that. So, that was greatly great to hear as well. So, um that's about most of all I can add. Everything else was really well covered. Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Thank you, uh Council Member Nair.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. Um I would like to highlight a few things. Um businesses impacted and business assistance was not covered. Rather, uh Downtown Morehead, Inc. said no businesses had reached out to the city or Downtown Morehead, Inc. and MBA reported visiting with a few businesses and there was lower traffic uh during this uh time uh because of fear based on social media and so I don't know that that is uh business assistance or impact and so I hope that we can continue to discuss that as I have heard from local businesses and there is not only fear but there is um monetary impact Um, Council Member McDougall mentioned a procedure for um a response for ICE should they show up to a public school property, which I think was an excellent ad. Um, I there was also a request um and so I see this ad hoc committee as a catalyst for making connections. First Link was there to make a connection, but uh many of the nonprofits who uh are representing a variety of groups throughout Morehead um said that there should be a a request or a call out to all um parents and guardians within the Morehead area public school system to get their um child's uh accounts updated with emergency contacts because that was a concern about who the school would be able to contact if something did happen to a parent or guardian and they are the only ones on the students records. The um Justice North was also able to share um context for the um expansion of their services in im immigration. They had seen a reduction of um bipac individuals

coming to legal uh north or justice north sorry. Um and uh in response to that they added two additional um lawyers. They are specifically immigration lawyers and a parallegal lawyer. They are not to help those who have been in detention. There are several nonprofits there are working um with resources for that. If they are if individuals are detained, but Justice North is um looking to address more paperwork and processing um as a service that they offer throughout our region. So, I thought that that was a great deal of good information to have out to those organizations that have contacts within our community. Um, we also uh had more talk about uh rental assistance and impacts on housing. Not only was a mention of the lack of housing um discussed, but also uh the need for housing assistance. And while uh the mayor did mention the CAPL LP funds, um the $25,000 that we made available to CAP LP today, it does not address those who do not qualify or meet CAPLP requirements. And so, um, making assumptions on who, uh, the mayor is inviting to our next ad hoc meeting on Friday, May 1st, I anticipate that we will learn more about those CAPOP, um, requirements. And my hope is is that perhaps we can address uh, more needs in our community in the housing and rental assistance for those who do fall outside of some barriers just based on requirements set forward by funding. Um, I think while we can help with funds, it is uh tricky when we try to regulate any of the funds as they are used. And I'm hoping to learn more at our May 1st meeting.

Thank you. Other questions or uh Council Member McDougall. Thank you, Madam Mayor. The one thing I did forget in my notes was um I know lately we've been receiving a lot of emails about rent moratoriums and whatnot. Um it was interesting if I hear from the housing authority that most of most of the cities that are implementing those are directly within Minneapolis or directly next to Minneapolis. Not much else in the state has been um implementing a renting moratorum as well. That was my last thought. Right. Thank you. Um any comments or questions? Council member Matson.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. You said um making the flyer more welcoming and accessible. How what is what is what was the concern about welcoming and welcomeness welcomingness and accessibility with the flyer?

Yes. So, um, this this flyer that was disseminated in January, um, some of the members of the committee stated the first bullet point that it talks about, Morid police cannot impede or interfere with federal agents and does not have the ability to confirm the validity of a federal search warrant or arrest uh, federal search or arrest warrant. um just the way that some of those are written. Um the members said that they would prefer different wording to make it more welcoming. And so that is something that uh the police department is working on. I don't recall that they had any specific words that they were words smmithing at that time. I'll look to council member McDougall or Nissa Meyer. I think it was just that they were going to be working with them to make it so it seemed more welcoming to them. Council member Nisser. Thanks. Unless you wanted to take this one. Okay. Um I think the um wording of it was very legal as it was explained and that wouldn't necessarily uh dispel fear but in in fact may create more fear. And so several of the representatives from our uh local nonprofits had uh suggested having a more welcoming perhaps less legal language. And so I think it's sort of a a stuck between a rock and a hard place sort of situation, but um hearing them um translate it what was on the page, it was very important um to see that it uh did potentially cause uh more issues than um good. And so um because I had requested that we uh translate it, I am very eager to uh have the police department work with uh cultural groups. My biggest concern is that typically for translation services, while we have lots of technology tools, I think having

somebody who speaks it um as a native language or is very um well-versed in the language is very important and that is a service that we should pay for rather than ask for volunteers or take advantage of people's good-naturedness. And so I just want to mention that.

Council member Matson, thank you. I don't know. I was not at the meeting. Um, I've not been appointed to the committee, so I can't speak to what happened in the meeting. I can only speak to what a community member brought to me after the meeting. And and um, his concern was not so much the language as the policy. Um, particularly the policy of not um, confirming a judicial warrant or or am helping people distinguish between an administrative warrant and a judicial warrant. I think that was you can say it in a nicer way. It doesn't change how how this is going to be carried out. If someone is being um uh detained by by an un um uh an officer with no um identifying uh badge or anything like that and they say or a person, we don't even know if they're an officer. They say, "I'm ICE and I'm taking you and I have a warrant." Um, we are not, our policy is that we will not, our police department will not confirm whether or not that is a jud judicial warrant or an administrative warrant. That's a lot to ask of a person who most likely does not speak English as their first language to be able to discern between do they have the kind of warrant they can pick me up and take me away or do they not? And and I think that from what I was what was brought to me as a as a concern was not the language but the policy. So that's item number one.

Thank you for that. And um I'll we'll make sure to note that. Um I don't believe that it's what it says on the flyer is that they do not have the ability to confirm the validity. Well, if they don't have the validity, who does? If the police department doesn't have the abil the ability to confirm a judicial warrant, who among us does? I I can't answer that. I'm not law enforcement. So,

well, that actually is very concerning to me. If they cannot if they cannot identify a judicial warrant, that is very concerning and that's a problem for another day. Second question, um we are in the process of ex of exploring ways to assist businesses and what would what would the process of exploring and what would the ways be? Can you what did you say? Did can you repeat that? Yeah, you said we are in the process of exploring ways to assist businesses. Can you can you talk more about that please?

Yes. Um what we had heard was and what was um being discussed was that businesses lost income due to not having customers come to their businesses. And we were trying to figure out a way and maybe the city manager can answer this uh more eloquently, but find if there are ways to provide either grants or lowincome loans or whatever it might be through different avenues that we have available to us in the city to be able to offer that to businesses who have experienced some of this um this detrimental um ramifications of what occurred. So that takes some time to explore some of those um ability the ability to do that or not. I don't know if you can add a little bit more, city manager Molly.

Uh other than we are planning to reach out to West Central Initiative, which is our economic development partner for this region. We have a Morehead loan fund. We have some funds there. Um trying to figure out if there's a creative way. So that's what I meant.

Council member Manson. Um I am happy that we are making progress. It's it's good news for sure. Um we have been begging for something to be done since January and now we're talking about you know the next meeting's in May and so by the time we actually make decisions and actually make things happen now that's going to be June. Something's better than nothing. But we could have been doing all of these things. There's nothing that we've talked about tonight we could not have been doing three months ago. So, um, again, I'm happy that we're doing something. I wish I wish people had recognized the urgency when it was the most urgent. It is not not urgent now, but but things have calmed down a little bit. It would have been really nice if we had taken this on when it was when it was the most needed. Any other questions or comments from council members? All right, seeing none, move on to the next item on the agenda is the approval of the March 23rd, 2026 meeting minutes. Have a motion to approve.

So moved. Second. Motion and a second. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? That motion carries. Okay, we have a number of individuals who um want to speak and I think we have the exact number that everybody will be able to have three minutes. So, we will I'm just going to go with how they were given to me. So, this is in no particular order at all. Point of order. Mayor,

pardon me. Can you advise us what that number is so everyone can have three minutes? Oh, I'm sorry. We have six. So, we will allow for everyone to have three minutes. It's one more. So, moving on. Um, we will The first person is Mark Feldi. I'm not sure if I'm saying your name correctly or not. So, um you can come to the podium and um like I said um under citizens to address have three minutes to speak to the council. Um this very techn technically advanced contraption here will tell you when your three minutes are done. It'll be green when your time is going and then it will be red when your time is up and then you'll need to wrap it up. um when citizens address a council, it's an opportunity to hear from um the people who wish to address, but it's not an opportunity to do a back and forth. So, there's no questions that are going back and forth. And if um people have things that can be addressed, and I have a there's a staff person here that can speak with you out in the lobby, we can uh get it taken care of right then. So, with that, if you will state your name and if you are a Morehead resident.

Mark Feld. I'm a Morehead resident. It is time for a little talk. I offer no deluge of facts and figures. Just place yourselves in others shoes for a moment. To the library design. It has a lack of consideration for the disabled individual. It is illprepared for access in a logical manner and growth of an aging population. The entries are on the east end. You'll see the parking lot is going on the west. The handicap designated spots are few and poorly placed. For those with disabilities not requiring a placard, the distance to the western lot is prohibitive. The restrooms have no automatic doors to gain entry. For your conscience sake, please supply a remedy to this situation. To the mayor, your political career during these events is not uncertain. Through the neglect of foresight and disregard of your constituents, your future is unelectable.

Okay. Thank you. Next is Cat Stewart.

Good evening. Good evening. And go ahead. You can state your name and if you're a Morehead resident. I'm Cat Stewart and I am a Morehead resident. Yeah, go ahead.

Okay. Uh, I'm a resident who chose to move to Morehead because I wanted to be part of a community that deeply values diverse voices and perspectives. I would like to thank you guys for the update to the ad hoc committee, but I would like to say it's not enough. The inaction of the ad hoc committee with actionable items has been deeply disappointing and the conversations around ICE have become more about questioning the community instead of proposing action. Um the addition of these I would say cherrypicked guests to the ad hoc committee to provide data is an effort by some of the committee to show that residents are not concerned about immigration enforcement. This is a direct slap in the face to those of us who have come up here to express such concerns. This does not reflect what many of us are facing currently. Uh and it's definitely not what we're trying to express. We should never have gotten to the point where the central question has become whether these concerns exist rather than what the city can do right now to help residents feel safe. We have seen what the inaction of other cities can do. Uh so this action this lack of action and actionable items disgusts me. Uh I am concerned about the reliance on individuals in positions of power of privilege to manipulate this conversation. While the voices of those most directly impacted are minimized. I want to be clear. Those who have experienced fear and racism and those who are directly affected by immigration enforcement should be the center of this discussion. Their voices should not be silenced. They should be leading. Uh each time this issue is pushed to the workshop, then pushed to committee and then pushed to the next committee. It sends a message to some of our most vulnerable residents that their fears are not urgent, not valid or not worth addressing. Um the research also shows that with increased immigration enforcement uh we have a lot of different negative things that happen because of it. Uh we see reduced prenatal care, delayed care

initiation, measurable declines in birth rate which carries serious lifelong consequences. Uh we we keep seeing more information like this comes out. Regardless whether or not you believe that people here are worried or that is an issue for Morehead, the risks are way too high to not do your duty to keep the citizens of Morehead safe. While we cannot legally keep ice out of the city completely, we can reduce cooperation, increase transparency, and make their overreaches more visible. We know a city policy cannot control ice, but you certainly can change the environment they are operating in. I'm calling on you to move forward with a separation ordinance and rent stabilization measure and policies that would materially materially support stability and safety for residents now and in the future. Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you. Next is Ria PCEL and I'm apologize if I pronounce your last name wrong. Thanks.

And go ahead whenever you're ready. I'm Ria Purcell and I'm a Morehead resident in Ward 3. I'm here today to express my concern about the availability of affordable housing options in our city both in general and in light of immigration enforcement activities and changes at the federal level. As a social worker who has previously worked with the unhoused and newly housed, I cannot impress um enough the importance of preventing homelessness. Increasing affordable housing options are not only compassionate policies, but they provide significant returns on investments. Local studies consistently identify a storage a shortage of affordable housing as a top need in our city. Many households are paying more than they can afford for rent and forcing trade-offs like food or healthcare. Preventing homelessness is not just is not just more humane, it's far less expensive. In fact, studies often find that every $1 spent on prevention can save $2 to7 in public costs, especially when people avoid entering crisis systems altogether. Stable housing also helps people stay healthier, keep their jobs, and avoid repeated interactions with emergency services. In communities like Morehead, that means fewer people in crisis, and a smarter use of limited local resources. The funds approved today will help many, but long-term solutions to housing and stability are also needed. Limiting annual increases in rent or using vacancy deont control would ensure that low income workers aren't abruptly priced out of Morehead. As the Morhead Metro population continues to grow, adding jobs and attracting new residents, we need housing that matches that need. Investing in affordable housing is um investing in the well-being and future of us all. When we make housing affordable, we make communities stronger, children safer, and futures brighter.

Thank you. Next is Katherine Ferguson. Katherine, excuse me, Katherine Ferguson. I'm a Morehead resident. Um, I am just wondering about why a separation ordinance cannot be discussed um at this meeting today since I know that a large number of citizens did um reach out to you and I appreciate the the those of you who did respond to my emails about that. Um, I'm hearing, you know, about the committee that a flyer was done. Um, and then we got, you know, information kind of connecting people to resources and some housing funds. Um, but I think we are still looking for Morehead to take more of a stand to focus on action and fundamental changes in policy. Um, and you know, I'm kind of hearing that Morehead is feeling like that this has been addressed and can move on. Um, I wanted today to read a statement on behalf of a person of color who's not comfortable expressing critical feedback about this topic in this forum. This person writes, "James Baldwin, renowned author and activist, once said, "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." Ideally, I would love for you to hear this directly from me. However, as history has shown us, it is dangerous for people of color to speak up and speak out. This is why I've asked my statement to be read by Katherine. I have been a resident of Morehead for over 20 years and currently live in Ward 3. I'm a small business owner and a woman of color. Because my business supports a majority BIPAC population, I'm disappointed in the mayor and the city council's lack of vocal support for our BIPAC and immigrant neighbors. I am privileged in that I'm a naturalized US citizen and English is my first language. However, this does not protect me or help me feel

safe. Every day when I leave the safety of my home, I need to be on alert and aware of everything and everyone around me. If I feel this level of vulnerability, imagine the dread and the fear felt by those in our community who do not share my privileges. While Operation Metro Surge may seem to be subsiding, the threat of ICE remains a constant shadow over Morehead. Silence from our city leadership is not neutrality. It's a choice that leaves our neighbors exposed. I'm asking Mayor Carl May, excuse me, Mayor Carlson and the city council to publicly and forcefully show support for bipok and immigrant citizens by addressing the threat of immigration and customs enforcement immediately.

Thank you. And next is Jalisa Philippy. Go ahead.

Hi, I'm Jalisa Philippy. I am a Morehead resident. I am from Morehead and I know that uh I've known some of you have known my family for quite a while. I wanted to talk today a little bit about symbolism because I remember that Mayor Shelley brought this up when we first asked about a separation or ordinance between ICE and our city. And the the reasoning was that it was a symbolic gesture that didn't have any teeth behind it and it wouldn't do much for our city. And I want to talk to you about my day yesterday. I spent Sunday morning outside of a church for two hours just hanging around so the people inside at the request of those congregants would have enough peace of mind so that they could get together to pray. Now, can I do much as a citizen if I shows up outside that church besides a symbolic gesture of being there with them and recording this interaction? I can't. But my being there says something and my doing something says something. And I have not seen that from this city council and this mayor. And I am disappointed that it took you so long to decide that this was important enough to have an ad hoc committee about it. But it is not enough and I request that you do more. This is an ongoing problem and it's not going to be solved by wishful thinking and thoughts and prayers. Thank you. And next is Lynn Dr. Pinnick. My name is Lynn Dr. Pinnick and I'm a resident of Morehead. I appreciate that we heard an update tonight on the ad hoc committee and the city's response to ICE in Morehead. I appreciate that we're

providing $25,000, something that will quickly be used up to provide housing assistance. I acknowledge that we have not seen the level of engagement with ICE here as the Twin Cities or even the awful experiences of Wilmer. But what we expect as citizens is that our public officials will be planning not only for the challenges of today, but for the harms of the future. Minneapolis didn't just do a separation ordinance during the metro surge. What Minneapolis did was update a 20-year-old ordinance last December. Similar kinds of ordinance to protect or to prohibit ICE from staging in public parks have been discussed here for months at meetings and workshops. Unfortunately, many council members felt such actions were not necessary. But thankfully some city council members felt such actions were important and we now have this ad hoc committee which hopefully will eventually bring some meaningful recommendations forward to the council for real action and policies like a separation ordinance. I am part of several pro-democracy groups concerned about the ongoing assault on our democracy and on human decency by the actions of the current administration. We witnessed the brutality of that in the metro surge. We also hear it in statements made by this administration about annihilating entire civilization. The risks remain real and none of us know with certainty what future harm this administration will try to cause next to our communities. We must remember too that separation ordinances are about public public trust as well as ensuring opportunity for future accountability. We have been talking about this since January. It is now April. Doing a timely

separation ordinance in Morehead would have provided clearer reassurance to we the people that our mayor and city council understand the concerns that exist within members of our community. But it is not too late. The time is always right to do what is right. We have the opportunity to do what is right through a separation ordinance or a rent stabilization measure. I was hoping to hear that kind of policy suggestion tonight. I want to be reassured that my local officials are looking ahead on my behalf and for future generations. Information is useful. Action is even more so. I like many others think we have much to worry about and the president's truth social account lays that out quickly every day. We need policies and action. Thank you.

Thank you. And those are uh the only people that I have um that wanted to speak to the council tonight. So, moving on, we have a public hearing scheduled um for the 17th Street and 4th Avenue North Street improvements. And I will turn Well, first we need to open the public hearing. Do I have a motion to open the public hearing? So, move second. Borggan motion and a second. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? All right, that motion carries and we are in public hearing. I'll turn it over to Mr. Clay Lexon.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. This is the public hearing for the 26 A203 project. This is a map of the project area. This is located by Park Christian School and DNS Beverages. It includes 17th Street from 1st Avenue to 5th Avenue and sorry uh 4th Avenue from 14th Street to 17th Street. These are batuminous streets that were originally constructed in 1956. PCI values range um from 43 to 71. Public utilities were generally installed beginning in the 1940s. The sanitary sewer is vitrified clay pipe or VCP pipe. The storm sewer is reinforced concrete pipe. Both are in acceptable condition. The water man is in poor condition and will be replaced by Morehead public service ahead of the city street improvement project. You've heard me speak previously about the city's sidewalk policy. Uh, with this project, we do have several gaps in the city's sidewalk system, which are shown as the purple lines on the map. This includes a short segment on 4th Avenue near the west end of the project area.

Cle, if you just want to wait a second, can we get the screen switched so it's so we can see this on our screen? Thanks. Thank you. It includes a segment on 4th Avenue near the west end and then it also includes several segments on 17th Street near the south end of the project. Notably, there is no current sidewalk on either side of the street on 17th Street between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue North. With this project, we proposed to install sidewalk to fill in these gaps. and we contacted property owners to find out if they would or would not support the installation of the sidewalk. By city policy, there would need to be at least 75% of pro property owners opposed to the installation in order to remove it from the project. Out of the six pro properties that were surveyed, three responded against the installation and there were three that did not give a response. In this case, the 75% threshold was not met and so the sidewalk will be installed. The proposed street improvements include a mill and overlay and a rehab. On Fourth Avenue, we are proposing a rehab. And on 17th Street, we will do a combination of a mill and overlay and a rehab. The rehab involves removing and replacing the entire pavement section, but the curb and gutter largely stays in place. A with a mill and overlay, we remove and replace the top couple inches of pavement. We also have sidewalk installation as I mentioned previously and ADA updates as well. Two other important items to note is that we will be doing curb extensions

at the intersections as well as adding on street bike lanes. In 2021, there was a metro cog corridor study for 17th Street. In that study, there were a couple of recommendations that could be made to increase safety and mobility. That included curb extensions and adding bike lanes with curb extensions, which is the picture on the right. We will bring the curb farther out into the road, which reduces crossing distances and also decreases the amount of time pedestrians spend crossing the road. And through striping or pavement marking, we will create dedicated bike lanes on this corridor as well. 17th Street is really wide. We have plenty of room to put the bike lanes and the curb extensions in without without affecting any of the normal travel lanes or the on street parking. This is a map of the assessment area. 17th Street is functionally classified as a collector street. So, we will have an areawide assessment component to this project. There are also two different rates for the properties that are immediately adjacent to the improved streets. That includes a mill and overlay rate of $45 a front foot and a rehab rate which is $93 per front foot. Assessments will generate approximately $433,000. In total, there are 112 properties within the assessment area. The average assessment is about $3,900 and the maximum assessment is approximately $98,000 which is the Park Christian School property. City-owned lots account for approximately $46,000. The total project cost is expected to be about 2.17 million. Again, assessments will generate 434 $433,000 and the city will bond for the remaining

amount of about of approximately 1.73 million. It's worth noting that this project that we are right at the minimum threshold needed in assessments in order to bond for the project, which is 20%. Assessments make up that 20% right now. The public hearing notice was mailed out on April 2nd. We've received several general questions about that from the from the public. That includes discussions with Park Christian Schools, DNS Beverages, and Steenerson Lumber. Anformational video was posted to the city's website on March 24th. As of last week, that had 21 views. This project was bid in March and anticipated for construction this year. And tonight, um, we'll just hold the public hearing and the resolutions for ordering improvements and awarding the bids would be pushed to a later council date. And that's the end of my presentation. Do you have any questions?

All right. Thank you. Are there any members of the public who wish to speak to this item? And are there any members of the public who wish to speak to this item? Seeing none, I will entertain a motion to close the public hearing portion of this item. So move Matson second. Nyer motion and a second. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying I. I.

Any opposed? All right. The public hearing is closed. Any um questions or discussion from council members. Otherwise I guess see can we before I call in you can we do 9 C we're not able to do 9C without doing 9B first okay and we can't do 9B without seven of us correct correct so okay council member for or city manager Molly.

Yeah. Can I suggest so if the public hearing closes, action would move to April 27th and then we would move on. So B and C actually would be held off and then correct me if I'm wrong. Um Clay, uh move on to item D and then E and F would be held over.

Okay. So do we need to update the agenda? I think we just did 9B and 9 E. So, can I maybe I is somebody willing to put a motion in place to also carry 9 C and 9 F to the next council meeting. Madam Mayor, you you could have a motion to table those to the next meeting. I move to table 9 C and 9F to April 27th, 2026's meeting. Please second.

Okay. So, there's a motion to table those two agenda items. Um, any discussion? All in favor signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? All right. That motion carried.

Okay. So, we are out of public hearing. There is going to be no motion for 9B or C, but are there any questions? Council member Benson. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Um, Clay, we had uh I had asked the city manager and so I will ask you um not that you didn't give me an answer, but just so that everyone hears me asking the question. Um I believe that school starts at Park Christian on August 31st and this um kind of the rough timeline goes into September for this project and that would be somewhat disruptive for their transportation. Have we um figured out a plan for that or talked to them or what what are we going to do about that? Yep. We have been in contact. We've had staff in contact with with their staff. The expectation is that we will complete our work on 17th Street before school begins for Park Christian. We have work outside of 17th Street that we would then transition to after that time.

Thank you. Y any other questions? Right. Seeing none, um we will move down to 9D, which is a public hearing for 20th, 22nd, and 23rd Avenue South and 6th and 7th Street South Underground utility and street improvements. Do I have a motion to open this public hearing? So move Nissa Meyer. Second, Nelson. There's a motion and a second. Um any discussion? Right. Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying I. I. I.

Any opposed? That motion carries. Go ahead, Clay. Thank you, Madam Mayor. This is the public hearing for the 26 A204 project. This includes 6th Street and 7th Street South, portions of 20th Avenue South, 22nd Avenue South, and 23rd Avenue South. These are Batuminous Streets that were originally constructed in 1955 and 1956. PCI values range between 1 and 70. The sanitary sewer and the storm sewer were installed in the 1950s and are in acceptable condition. The water man was generally installed in the 1940s through the 1960s and includes several different materials, but is in generally acceptable condition. There are also ADA ramps throughout the area, though many are non-compliant. The proposed improvements in the area include areas of reconstruction and of rehab. And you can see which area we're proposing um on the map by the key. A rehab and again involves removing the entire pavement section, but we keep the curb and gutter largely in place except for spot repairs. A reconstruction includes removal and replacement of the entire road section, including the curb and gutter. Will we will also be making some sidewalk and ADA improvements. There are no substantial utility improvements on this project. This is a map of the assessment area. There are two types of improvements, the rehab and the reconstruction. So, there are two different rates. The rehab rate is $93 a front foot. The reconstruction rate is $145 a front foot. The total amount being assessed is approximately $495,000.

There are a total of 95 properties within the assessment area. The average assessment is about 35 or sorry $5,300 and the maximum assessment is approximately $29,000 which is one of the staff apartment parcels. The total project cost is expected to be about 2.15 million. assessments again will generate approximately $495,000 and the city will bond for the remaining amount of approximately 1.66 million. Public hearing notice was mailed out on April 2nd. We've received several questions including a couple questions uh this evening and this afternoon that pertain to scope of work, sidewalks, schedules, and assessments. Theformational video was posted on the city's website on March 24th. As of last week, that had 33 views. We also received bids for this project in March and anticipated that construction will occur this year. And that is the end of my presentation. All

right. Thank you. Are there any members of the public who wish to speak to this item? Again, any members of the public who wish to speak to this item? Seeing none, I'd entertain a motion to close the public hearing portion of this agenda item. I'll move Nissa Meyer. Second. Motion and a second. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? That motion carries. Uh, any questions from the council on this item? All right, we don't have any questions. So, thank you so much. And the other items will be addressed at the next council meeting. We also need a motion to table this item as well. So, moved. I think we did that.

I think we did it together. We did it together in the last motion. Okay. Okay. I was questioning it, but okay, we're good. All right. Moving on to mayor and council reports. Uh, council members have reports from boards and committees. No. Okay. Oh, Council Member Bern Nelson.

There we go. Uh, just uh, briefly, um, I think it was March 25th, 26, the um, CGMC, uh, Coalition U, Greater Minnesota Cities had their, um, I guess legislative, um, gathering down in the cities for some, uh, lobbying efforts. So, um, Council Member Borggan and I attended that with some, uh, city staff along with Mayor Carlson, similar to the LMC, uh, lobbying, uh, day or legislative day or day on the hill a few weeks before that. So, we had a good meeting in the morning with the CGM staff and, uh, board members and then spent the afternoon at the capital um, with a lot of handful of legislators. Um, and so it was a productive afternoon. We got a lot of um kind of last minute meetings in as well. So um yeah, the session's coming up to an end pretty quickly. So I would say that uh we had a good after good day down there and had a lot of productive meetings. Um and so again, thanks to Lisa Bod and city staff for lining up a lot of the uh quick meetings with the legislators down in St. Paul. So hopefully uh we'll see a successful uh end to the uh legislative session coming up and I know council member Borggan may have stuff to add to that but very similar to the previous one that we were at.

Yeah, I think uh we had some really good meetings. We feel pretty confident about the border city legislation. We continue to work on flood mitigation. There's another contingent of folks going down on Wednesday. Um there's been some movement I think on that with some finances that we were unaware of before and we're hoping that we can get some matching dollars from the um the state legislature to match the federal funds that we received um thanks to um Senator Hovind. So as long as I'm talking, can I just finish with my report as well?

Yes, go ahead. Okay. Um, I also attended the global intelligence friendship event which was a celebration of the relationship between Morehead and our Kurdish neighbors. I have to say it was really an outstanding event. There was well over a hundred people in attendance and I'm sure Mayor Carlson, you're probably going to talk a little bit about about it as well, but I was very happy to attend and I think that sometimes in Morehead we don't recognize the um the large population of Kurdish Americans that live here. I think we have the the largest Kurdishamean um residents outside of Minneapolis. So, it was very very uh was a really cool event and I was really happy to be there. And then finally, I attended the food bank, the the um red no what's it called? Great Plains Food Bank in Fargo. Received a truckload of of food from the Church of Latter-day Saints. There was a nice event for that. It was 43,000 pounds of food mostly grown by the church which was a really interesting and you um I thought it was very inspiring. They have farms everywhere and they actually produce product and they're going around the country giving these truckloads to different states. I think they're trying to do 50 truckloads and Fargo got one of them and which was very nice. And Morehead is the only part of Minnesota that also gets food from the the food bank over in Fargo. So I was glad to represent us there.

Right. Thank you. Uh Council Member Nisser.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. Um the ribbon cutting grand opening and celebration. It's like three thing three things wrapped into one nugget is um this Saturday, April 18th at the new library and community center. Ribbon cutting is at 9:45 and then the celebration is happening all day until 2 with activities, events, and really fun things. So if you haven't had a chance to get out to the library, please do. Um I know that they um have lots of opportunities for people to see it for the first time. Others of us have been there already. And so um it's a great experience to sort of share in the moment um and uh provide feedback on how the the the shindig went. Uh remember this community and library uh or community center and library was paid for um those who shop in uh the city of Morehead with their halfsent sales tax. And so, uh, my thanks to everybody who shops in Morehead and helped made that happen. Um, also on the same day because we plan everything the same day, um, as the Folkways Red River Market um, at Concordia and so um, it is always fantastic to have Red River Markets and extravaganzas together. Um, but we are able to do that because um, Folkways comes over to our side of the river a couple of times a year. So, if you're around and interested in some market goods, um they are going to be at Concordia from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Uh and they have welcomed everybody from the Morehead community and beyond to join them for that fun festivity. Um the great uh Nope. The Growing Together community has an open house and it's tomorrow, but I'm No. Is that wrong? It's Tuesday. Is that tomorrow? Tomorrow is Tuesday. a week from Tuesday. Oh, I got it wrong. There were so many emails back and forth. I confess I got it

wrong. Um, and so it is uh next Tuesday uh 3 to 5:00 p.m. at the cornucopia. Um Lisa's comments about farms and foods. It really just got me super energized again about growing together, starting a collaboration with Concordia and uh the Cornicopia, which is right on the corner by the picture tree because everybody knows what the picture tree is in Morehead. And if you don't, it's on, um 11th Street and 12th Avenue South. And so, um if you're around next Tuesday, please stop by and see what sort of growing um activities we're having in Morehead. Right. I really wanted you to say 11 and 12 like they say 67, but so um so because it's been a while since we had a council meeting, there were a plethora of different things that I was invited to to represent the city of Morehead. Um one of them was the United Way lunchon where myself and um my fellow Metro mayors were uh uh nominated for a collaboration award. Um we did not win it. The Jeremiah program actually did. Um so congratulations to the Jeremiah program. Um it was very nice though to be honored in that way with my fellow metro mayors. Um I was also invited to attend the Grand Ga Association uh coronation queen coronation um which is a county from a county association from Liberia um with our Liberian friends. Um so that was very fun. And if you've ever been to an event with uh the Liberians, they decorate to the tea or just to the nines. It's it was absolutely beautiful and very fun. Um let's see here. Um I also was a judge in the Horizon um West talent show where there were 31, I believe, different groups of middle school kids that uh

participated in this incredibly impressive talent show. I also learned that Rubik's cubes and solving them in a race is a huge very very popular thing. Um there were several groups actually groups of kids that were participating in their talent with that. Um and there were people singing and dancing and Rubik's cubing and drawing. Um it was very impressive to see the youth that we have here in in the city of Morehead. Um I also um was invited to attend the chamber women connect intentional collisions um and also uh attended the MSUM graduate student appreciation week where I read a proclamation um participated in an interview with Prairie Pulse to talk about the work that I've done as president of CGMC which is a coalition for greater Minnesota cities. um they wanted to learn more about that organization. Um I attended the MState Morehead President's Lunchon and to hear an update from MState uh President Carrie Brimhol. She talked about that they are launching 20 plus new programs to our air traffic controller um an air traffic controller program and a fire science program among the 20 new ones. and they talked a lot about that a lot of students in the Morehead Dworth area are really utilizing PSO um at MSTate. So that was incred incredibly good to know that students are taking um advantage of that um that opportunity. Um attended the um Metro Flood Diversion Authority Board. Um, a lot of that discussion revolved around the public partnership agreement between the US Army Corps of Engineers, City of Fargo, City of Morehead, and the Metro uh Flood Diversion Authority, which was approved

on our consent agenda. Um, that will allow us to amend um our PPA um to be able to utilize the federal dollars that um that Senator Hovind worked for down in um in Washington DC. um the Morehead Clay County Joint Powers um association. We also met that or met with um that group approved a number of um land acquisitions and let's see, city manager Molly and I also um we were on the Amy and JJ show on CaveGo on the day that the loop opened to talk about um that incredible amenity. And then last but not least with the global intelligence friendship um event that was held at MSUM between our uh the city of Morehead, MSUM and Zaho Kurdistan. Um, the coolest thing about that entire event was we got to hear from the people who had there was I think eight or nine individuals that actually went to the city of Zaho and we got to hear back from them on their experiences and also one of the tables there were various members of faith communities and we had individuals representing the the Jewish faith, the Christian faith, Muslim faith. Um, and they talked about how um, in Zaho they all coexist very seamlessly and peacefully together. Um, and I just thought that was really great. So, uh, that's just some of the things that I've been doing the last couple weeks. So, with that, I will turn it over to you, city manager Molly.

Thank you, Mayor. A couple updates. Um, one, Council Member Nisser had mentioned the uh ribbon cutting at the the new library and community center on uh Saturday at 9:45 a.m. So, all are welcome there. Um, the doors will open at 10 till 6:00 that day. You know, we heard tonight about some accessibility concerns. And so, one of the things I wanted to bring up is that, you know, sustainability and universal design was a priority during design and development of this project. So, if those these concerns do come up, we want to hear about them. We want to talk about it. it's fine to bring it here or to the library or where wherever we always know that, you know, we always strive to be better. So, so that's good. Um there the the public facility that area um not all the streets are in. We're still working on the project. Um but they are consistent with our ADA transportation plan um which are approved. So there will be there is um a significant amount of accessible parking. Um the concern about the parking lot um to the west that is a temporary parking spot, the long-term plan. There's structured parking that is planned into this project. It's just it's going to take a while for the development of this downtown neighborhood. Um we'll be talking about that as a council at an upcoming workshop about what's going into that. But um just um wanted to share that you know as the library gets going that um we want it to be a place that all people can use and that that as we seek um ways to improve we um we're we're open to listening and learning. Um the um so severe weather awareness week is on right now. It's April 13th to the 17th and it's part of severe weather week. Um the sirens are going to be tested twice on Thursday, April 16th. I this is I've I've been a part of this happening and you wonder what is going on. It's like twice in a day. So at 1:45 in the afternoon and then 6:45 in the evening that sirens will be going off on

a day that nobody's used to it and at times and it's it's abrupt. Um so the the drill in the afternoon, emergency managers across the community, they talk schools, businesses, other facilities are um um encouraged to conduct tornado drills. talk about the concerns, what happens, what we're going to do with sheltering in place plans. The evening drill, the reason for that one is that most severe weather events occur between 3 and 8:00. Um, and so it gives you that time. The 6:45 drill also allows families to practice um and then second shift workers around sheltering in place. So, interesting fact, um, um, uh, statewide, um, according to the state of Minnesota, look this up. We experienced an average of 46 tornadoes a year. Uh, that's a lot. And the last big number was in 2022. 83 tornadoes struck um, North Dakota. And, um, I almost I kind of want to make a game out of this. Does anybody want to guess the all-time record number of tornadoes? No. Okay. Uh, it's 113. And it didn't happen that long ago. It was 2010. There were 113 tornadoes that um that were in Minnesota. That's that's real. Okay. So, understanding this um helps us know what to do and approaching it um smart um saves lives. Uh Earth Week, that's next week. Um what we do here in Morhead, we call it Restore Morehead. That it's April 19th to the 25th. So, residents um are invited to help chip in by cleaning the city uh is what we're thinking. So, our goal is to have every park, street, river trail, and pond area um cleaned up and folks can pitch in. Um information is on our morheadparks.com site where we can sign up. In the last few years, we've had an incredible number of volunteers that have helped. Um the wreck team also has put together these prize packs. So, um you can, you know, you can race for the prize uh just

for helping to keep Morehead clean and beautiful. So, that's happening. There'll be more information coming out about that next week. And lastly, um we're preparing our 2026 annual action plan for housing and community development. So this is the plan that we have. These are federal funds. Um they call typically you'll hear CDBG, community development block grants. It's one of the last entitlement federal entitlement programs that are still out there. And the idea when it started in 1973 was to appro was to promote affordable housing and support for low to moderate income um individuals, households, and neighborhoods. And so we're hosting a public meeting to discuss community needs, listen and learn um on Monday, April 20th at noon in the Fireside Commons at the new public library. So, and if anybody's curious to know what the 2025 action plan looks like, that's on the city of Morehead's website and just in the search area, just search put CDBG in there and and that'll bring you right to it along with the five-year plan. Thank you, mayor.

All right. Thank you. also forgot to mention that April 12th through the 18th is telecom telecommunications week um dispatchers. So, um I know that both council member Nelson and I are on the regional Red River dispatch um board and work with uh those dispatchers and they do an incredible job. They're kind of the unsung hero of our public safety arm. Um so, if you know a dispatcher, tell them happy telecommunications week. Also wanted to um congratulate uh Detective Brad Stin on his retirement. Uh he has served the city of Morhead over 30 years and this will be the first time in 56 or 58, I don't recall, 56 years that there has not been a Stuan at the Morehead Police Department because um Officer Stuan's father also served with the Morhead Police Department. So, entering a new era within our law enforcement. So, with that, we do not have an executive session or new business. So, it is 6:55 and we are adjourned. Good night, Morehead.