HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-28-2025 MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
July 28,2025-6:00 PM
Lakeville City Hall,Marion Conference Room
1. Call to order,moment of silence and flag pledge
Mayor Hellier called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM.
Members Present: Mayor Hellier, Council Members Bermel, Lee, Volk. Councilmember
Wolter joined via Teams.
2. Citizen Comments
None
3. Discussion Items
a. Youth Advisory Commission Update
Olivia Schmidt, Faadumo Mohamed, and Addison Johnson presented an update to
Council on behalf of the Youth Advisory Commission. They discussed what went well
and what didn't, and asked for Council input on what they would like to see next year.
Council gave the Commissioners feedback and thanked them for their presentation.
b. Rail Storage Update
City Engineer Zach Johnson and Community Development Director Tina Goodroad
presented on the Rail Project. Dan Schmittdiel of Compass Rail presented to Council
about their role in the project and their partnership with Progressive Rail. He discussed
the phased storage project and outlined the steps they would take to achieve it.
The council had questions regarding the capacity of this new storage facility and
whether it would be able to store all the cars currently on the tracks in Lakeville.
Progressive Rail informed them that there would be 225 storage spaces. Currently, they
can hold 300 carts on the track at full capacity,but only about 20 cars are being stored.
They also asked how long this project would take to complete. Johnson informed them
of the timeline estimation. They thanked both Progressive Rail and Compass Rail for
being great partners on this project and are pleased to see it coming to fruition after
years of conversation.
Mayor Hellier allowed community members Angela Vanden Busch, Jeff Vanden Busch,
and Craig Manson to ask questions regarding timeframes and rail usage. Their addresses
are listed in their respective order below.
19371 Jersey Ave, Lakeville, MN 55044
19371 Jersey Ave, Lakeville, MN 55044
City Council Work Session Minutes
July 28, 2025
Page 2
19839 Jersey Ave, Lakeville, MN 55044
c. Electric Bike Ordinance Discussion
Parks Director Joe Masiarchin and Police Chief Brad Paulson presented to Council
regarding a new electric bike ordinance. This ordinance would reduce the speed to
fifteen miles per hour on trails in Lakeville. Chief informed Council that the department
does not currently have electric bikes,but they are budgeted to be purchased in 2026. He
also mentioned that they have other ways of monitoring speeds on the paths until they
get electric bikes.
Council asked if there were safety specifications, like horns, that are mandatory for
these bikes. Chief Paulson informed them that there are currently none. They would also
like to see an electric bike education piece in an upcoming newsletter. Council would
also like to see new signage on the trails that makes the speed limits visible and known.
d. Short-Term Rental Discussion
Community Development Director Tina Goodroad led a discussion with Council
regarding Short-Term Rentals in Lakeville. Currently, the City does allow short-term
rentals with administrative approval. Council would like to create a process similar to
the long-term rental application they already have in place. They want to ensure that any
ordinance requiring the registration of short-term rentals would have repercussions that
the City can enforce to ensure the safety of the community. They also emphasized that
parking would be an important area to discuss regarding the rental requirements.
e. Preliminary 2024 Financial Statements Audit Review
Finance Director Julie Stahl presented to Council. She informed them that auditors
from Clifton Larson Allen had no findings during their audit. She also updated Council
that our accounts are tracking as expected. Finance Committee member Barry Fick also
provided insight and feedback to Council.
4. Items for Future Discussion
None
5. Committee/City Administrator Updates
Councilmember Bermel gave an update from the Airlake Airport Advisory Committee.
They discussed road construction progress at their last meeting.
Councilmember Volk provided an update from the Personnel Committee. The committee
went over ordinance changes that ensure certain positions are under cannabis testing
requirements.
Councilmember Lee updated the Council on the Public Safety Committee meeting. It is
recommended that Council consider enhancing year-round parking restrictions. He also
mentioned that Fire Relief had another successful Pan-O-Prog Breakfast.
6. Adjourn
City Council Work Session Minutes
July 28, 2025
Page 3
Motion was made by Volk, seconded by Bermel,to adjourn. Voice vote was taken on the
motion. Ayes - All in Favor
Mayor Hellier adjourned the meeting at 7:33 PM.
Respectfully Subm' ed,
�
Taylor ider,Assi to the City Administrator L M. Heller, Mayor