CC VER 2019 11 25CHANHASSEN CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
Mayor Ryan called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. The meeting was opened with the
Pledge to the Flag.
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Ryan, Councilwoman Tjornhom, Councilman
McDonald, Councilman Campion, and Councilwoman Coleman
STAFF PRESENT: Todd Gerhardt, Jake Foster, Kate Aanenson, Todd Hoffman, Greg Sticha
and Roger Knutson
PUBLIC PRESENT:
Kendall and Sheila Qualls Medina
Greg Boe Chaska
Mayor Ryan: Well good evening everybody. To those of you that are watching at home we
have a packed council chambers so we’re really excited about that. And everybody is here for
our big event tonight for our first responders night so again we appreciate everybody being here
this evening. We have to get through a few items before we get to the main event but again
welcome everybody in council chambers and it’s a pretty cool scene for all of those that are
watching at home. For the record we have all of our council members present tonight. Our first
action is our agenda approval. Council members are there any modifications to the agenda as
printed? If not we will proceed with the published agenda.
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS:
INVITATION TO TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY, DECEMBER 7, 2019.
Mayor Ryan: First on our agenda tonight is an invitation to the tree lighting ceremony on
December 7th. With the holiday season approaching I’ m excited to invite everyone to the annual
Chanhassen tradition, the 2019 tree lighting ceremony presented by the City of Chanhassen, Buy
Chanhassen, Southwest Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Mustard Seed Landscaping and
Garden Center. I invite all area residents, their families and friends to join the community on
Saturday, December 7th starting at 5:00 p.m. on the plaza at City Center Park. People of all ages
will enjoy activities including the official lighting of City Center Park. That will be done our
Deputy Mayor Dan Campion and family. Thank you for doing that in my absence. In addition
to the lighting there will be refreshments, caroling, gingerbread house displays, live reindeer and
yes a very special visit from Santa Claus so very excited about that. The entire event is free and
registration is not required so we welcome all of the community to join us on December 7th at
5:00 for the tree lighting ceremony.
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POLICE/FIRE DEPARTMENT RECOGNITION NIGHT.
Mayor Ryan: Now to the main event and why we’re all here today. Thank you again for being
here. Tonight is the first time we’ve ever done a fire responders recognition night. I’m just
looking out at everybody. It’s very exciting to just see you all here so I really appreciate you
being here but we thought it was a great way to start off Thanksgiving week is taking the time to
thank all of you first responders for the service to the community. We have a fun program
planned for tonight but I want to take you back and kind of give you a little understanding of
how we arrived at this evening. So back in March/April of this year we held a Mayor for the
Day contest and we asked fourth and fifth grade students from Chanhassen to write in and say
what would they do if they were Mayor for a day and while we got a lot of responses and letters,
some very funny. A lot of them just really touching. We had two winners. We had Emmy
Rouse from Bluff Creek Elementary, if you want to raise your hand Emmy. You’ll be joining
me later. And I see Amelia Wagner over there who was in fifth grade at the time from Chapel
Hill. And they both wrote great letters and Emmy talked about how we treat each other and what
you should do to take care of each other and those in your community and the thing that kind of
put her letter over the top is she said that every day we should sprinkle joy and so we decided
that it would be a great opportunity for us to sprinkle joy and appreciation for all of you first
responders. And then Amelia also wrote a great letter and she talked about make sure that you
say thank you to people. In addition to serving the residents here in Chanhassen she thought it
was very important for Mayor and City Council to take the time to say thank you and so we are
here tonight to say thank you to all of you first responders. So I just wanted to make sure that
they both could check the box and say that you did your duties as mayor so well done. As part of
that another piece of the puzzle on how we arrived tonight is in separate conversations that I’ve
had both with the Fire Chief as well with Lieutenant Pearce. In conversations that I’ve had with
them they talk about and actually one of the council initiatives was on mental health and we were
talking about what we as a city should do in order to address the growing mental health crisis not
only in our community but at large and what is the role that city plays in addressing this and so
both Chief Johnson and Lieutenant Pearce have shared with the different experiences that you all
face when you go out on some of these mental health calls but what a lot of times we don’t
realize is the mental toll that it takes on all of you and the responsibility and the service that you
have facing different situations and so we thought what a better opportunity to say you know
what, this isn’t just, this isn’t a retirement. This isn’t some heroic act that we’re bringing you
before council but we really just wanted to bring you here to say thank you. Thank you for the
time. Thank you for your commitment and thank you for the service that you provide our
community. You take care of all of our residents. You go when you’re asked. You never
hesitate and you are faced with a lot of very challenging situations and so we just want to say
thank you for your service. And so tonight not only did I want to say a few words. I know my
fellow council members also want to share their appreciation and then there’s other people that
distinguished members that we have here tonight that want to say a few words. Both elected
officials and students and residents of our community that also have special wishes for you as
well so ladies and gentlemen thank you so much. You do tremendous work and you make our
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community a safer and a better place to live so thank you so much for your service. Council I
will turn it over to you to share a few words. Councilman McDonald if you’d like to begin.
Councilman McDonald: Well thank you very much and I guess I’m going to keep this brief
because I really appreciate all the distinguished politicians and everybody that showed up for
this. This is really important. The big thing is I want to say thank you to the fire department for
all you do. I think without you in this community it would be a much sadder place. I know a lot
of the calls you go on are mainly, well they’re life and death calls so I thank you for responding.
And then to the police officers who also support our firemen, thank you for responding also.
Also you do keep the community safe and for that we’re greatly appreciative and I think we have
one of the safest communities in the Twin Cities to be truthful but with that I would yield my
time to our distinguished guests tonight and I’ll let them talk. So thank you all very much.
Councilwoman Tjornhom: You mean me next? I don’t think you did but I’ll go next anyways. I
too want to echo Councilman McDonald’s words. When I think about what you do every day
both of your departments, it’s not just being a hero. It’s not just being a, saving someone’s life.
What you’re doing is you are making a difference in someone’s life and they’re probably having
the worst day of their life and you will forever be a part of that with them and they will carry that
memory of that moment you guys shared together and I want to thank you for that because I
mean that’s really the end result. Once the situation has been taken care of or resolved it still is
with us and it still, we still carry it in our heart. I know I do and so I just want to thank you for
your service and everything you do for this community.
Mayor Ryan: Thank you.
Councilwoman Coleman: Good evening. As the proud daughter of a Ramsey County Deputy
and wife of a Chanhassen firefighter I’ve had the privilege of seeing first hand the dedication, the
sacrifice and the commitment that first responders put into their service. From the late nights to
the missed family events to leaving your spouse at a restaurant to make a call. You all answer
the call to duty without complaint. You put your lives on the line every single day with the level
of humility that truly makes me proud to be an American. Thank you and your families for the
sacrifice and commitment to service that you all put into this. We owe you a debt that I don’t
think we could ever truly repay but we are so grateful that you do this for us. Thank you.
Mayor Ryan: Thank you. Councilman Campion.
Councilman Campion: That was very well said Councilwoman Coleman. I would just like to
keep it simple and say you know thank you to the fire department and thank you to the sheriff’s
department for everything that you do. For your dedication. For the service that you provide to
keeping our community safe every day and again those sacrifices that you make in being away
from your family and loved ones to do just that for us and keep us safe so thank you.
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Mayor Ryan: Thank you council members for your words. Now I’d like to invite our
distinguished guests. As many of you know that your service and your commitment to serve
goes beyond just our city limits and so we have representation at the county level. At the state
level and at the federal level and I was just overjoyed for lack of better words when I sent out the
email inviting our elected officials to join us this evening and it was a resounding yes. I will be
there and I couldn’t be more honored and privileged to have them here so we’ll begin with your
Congressman Dean Phillips. Thank you for being here.
Congressman Dean Phillips: Thank you Mayor Ryan and to the council for doing something that
is quite remarkable and frankly the anecdote to I think what so troubles our nation right now and
it’s expressing gratitude and as I look at all of you in uniform I’m humbled and I’m honored and
I am eternally grateful for what you do. So many of us can sleep at night because of what you do
and I want to thank not just you but also your families who I’m sure are in attendance and your
children. As a Gold Star son myself I can understand what it means when your mom or dad goes
off to protect all the rest of us so it is with gratitude that I share with all of you and just to tell a
very quick story because I think for Thanksgiving week it’s one we could use. In a Congress
that I know so many see as terribly dysfunctional, and you’re not incorrect in assuming that,
there was a beautiful moment just a couple weeks ago. Congressman Elijah Cummings passed
away. An esteemed member of Congress. Representative of Baltimore. A very liberal member
of Congress and at the service at the Capitol upon his passing members of the House and Senate
leadership made their speeches but it was the most remarkable eulogy was from Mark Meadows.
My friend, member of Congress. One of the most conservative members of Congress. Co-Chair
of the Freedom Caucus and he talked about their beautiful friendship. Their relationship that he
Elijah Cummings had which none of us knew about and his final words in his eulogy were these
and he said our Country and the world would be so much better off with more unlikely
friendships so to all of us in the room, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, anything
inbetween, thank you for standing up. For participating. For loving one another and taking care
of this extraordinary community. I do believe the future will be better because of so many of
you in this room and I’m so humbled to be amongst you and to serve you so thank you and God
speed.
Mayor Ryan: Thank you Congressman. Senator Osmek, please join us.
Senator Osmek: Well thank you Mayor, members of the council. It’s so loaded I’m outside
standing room only. A wise man once told me never stand between a crowd and a cake so I’ll be
very brief. One of the good things that the legislature has done to help first responders is helping
your city have their services as tax exempt. That they can buy equipment that is tax exempt and
we did that a couple of sessions ago to stretch your dollars further. I think that’s important
because why do we need it in St. Paul when you folks can spend it better here in Chanhassen.
And I’m hoping I can get through this. Last month I lost my mom and first responders were the
ones that came out and I know that they go to places and events that are hopeless. Where you
can’t a life. But for a family member I just want you to know we appreciate you. We appreciate
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what you’ve done and we appreciate the fact that you go into a place where you know there is no
hope so thank you.
Mayor Ryan: Thank you Senator. Representative Morrison. Welcome, thank you.
Representative Kelly Morrison: Thank you Mayor and thank you council. Good evening. I’m
Kelly Morrison. I’m the State Representative for District 33B which includes part of
Chanhassen. I’m really honored to be a part of honoring first responders tonight and as a
physician and specifically an obstetrician I relate to some of your work. The jolt out of sleep in
the middle of the night. The adrenalin. The moments of boredom abruptly interrupted by an
urgent call to action. Occasional fear. That awful feeling when the news is sad and things don’t
go well. And the satisfaction of a job well done and the appreciation from those that you helped.
But my job has never required me to put my life on the line the way that your’s do so I want to
thank you for your bravery. I want to thank you for your service to our community. And I want
to thank you for keeping us safe. Thanks very much.
Mayor Ryan: Thank you. Representative Boe. Welcome.
Representative Greg Boe: Thank you Mayor, members of the council. Greg Boe, District 47B
which is a good portion of Chanhassen. A good portion of Victoria and also the City of Chaska.
I’m here tonight because I just want to also say a heartfelt thank you. Thank you for your
selfless giving of time and energy. Time spent with a large amount of training necessary to do
the jobs that you do in our community but also time spent responding to calls for assistance.
And those calls can come anytime day or night. They can come during a family meal. They can
come during a piano recital. They can come during the middle of the night and interrupt a
peaceful, relaxing sleep but you dutifully get up and you go out into the cold, or the heat of a
summer day. Summer night and you respond. You dutifully risk your life or your health or your
sanity to help a friend, a neighbor or perhaps even a complete stranger and because of that
selfless attitude we owe you a great debt of gratitude and so I just want to tonight say thank you
so much for all that you do to make our community a better place to raise our families. Thank
you.
Mayor Ryan: Thank you. Commissioner Workman. Welcome.
Carver County Commissioner Tom Workman: Madam Mayor and council. Good to see you.
We’re not going by seniority here or rank of office I hope. Maybe years of service. I’ve been
around a while. I know I don’t look old but you know I wonder how many people have had a
first responder at their home. I know Councilmember Tjornhom and others and I was minding
my own business on Bluff Creek one beautiful fall afternoon. I was a good husband. I built and
got ready he wood fire in the fireplace like I, you know because it was a little chilly in the air and
well my wife lit it and the chimney started on fire so after a frantic call with 5 holes to go, and I
didn’t want to leave the golf course and came around the corner to this group of good looking
folk on my front yard. Putting out the fire and running fans and everything else and so I always
Chanhassen City Council – November 25, 2019
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thought that was going to be somebody else. I went a long time without having these guys show
up at my house and that’s over so. I know I live closer to Highway 5 now and I know they have
been very busy in the early, early mornings going up and down Highway 5. That’s how I tell
what’s going on. Something was going on at 4:00 a.m. the other night. While I was warm in bed
and thinking about what they were doing. The call that a person makes of course comes down to
our Carver County Dispatch Center. It does not go to the County Commissioner’s home as many
wonder. That would be a disaster. But those good people manage those calls and it gets out to
the fire department. The men and women of the fire department in the brown and white shirts
here. The Carver County Sheriff’s Department which we at Carver County are very proud of
and our relationship with Chanhassen and how that all works. You know the congress people
and the legislators you know they’re in that white castle. You know we’re down here really
working that, that I like to say that, but it is day to day working hard with the city and the county
together to really get that accomplished but it’s these good folks that accomplish it so I want to
take my hat off to them. Thank you.
Mayor Ryan: Great, thank you Commissioner. I can’t believe you didn’t end your’s with Row
the Boat. I know you really wanted to do that. Well as many of you know your hours are long
and you go when you’re called but another component of your job and something that we so
appreciate is the community outreach and you all do such a fabulous job really inserting yourself
in the community. Going into schools. Going into businesses and really teaching our youth
about fire safety. About public safety and there’s no politician that could say it so instead we
asked some elementary students from Chanhassen Elementary School to come forward and they
have a few words that they would like to share with all of you so, headed by PTO member,
President of Chanhassen Elementary Laura Allen. If you want to have your kids come up and
say a few words we’d appreciate it.
Leo Allen: Hi. My name is Leo Allen. I’m a fourth grader at Chanhassen Elementary. Each of
us wrote down a word that describes the first responders in our community. We would like to
share those words with you. I think first responders are tough because they’re willing to go to an
emergency at any time.
Eli: Hi, my name is Eli and I chose the word helpful because I think first responders are helpful.
They help people in the community.
Ruthie: My name is Ruthie. I think first responders are courageous because they can save lives
and help people.
Jacob: My name is Jacob. I choose time because I think first responders are on time because
they help you and save you as well.
Wyatt: My name is Wyatt and I think first responders are smart because they have to think fast.
Heather: Hi my name is Heather and I think first responders are strong because they can break…
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Wilton: My name is Wilton and I chose brave because first responders will go through a fire and
risk their lives just to save your’s.
Lila: Hi I’m Lila and I think first responders are amazing because they come for an emergency
and they give their time to take care of us and make sure that we’re okay.
Addie: Hi I’m Addie and I think first responders are heroes because they are people who lunge
at problems and help during a time of need.
Tina: Hi I’m Tina…that we would like to give our firefighter and our police officers, thank you
for your time.
Mayor Ryan: Awesome. You guys are awesome. Thank you so much. I know how much that
meant to all of our first responders and like I said nobody says it better than kids so we
appreciate all of you being here and parents thank you for bringing your kids here tonight. And
again thank you for the community outreach that all of you do within our community. So the
next part we’re going to do a little pinning ceremony. I’m not going to put the pin on you but
I’m going to ask, I never was good at all that stuff there. So we’re going to have, I’m going to
ask my two mayors for the day to join me down front and invite you up and we will give you a
pin that is a City of Chanhassen pin and is representative of your continued service to our
community that all of us so greatly value and appreciate so Emmy and Amelia if you want to join
me down and then Lieutenant Pearce if you want come up and call up your deputies.
Lt. Lance Pearce: Mayor, council I appreciate the invite to this amazing night for me and my
staff along with our firefighters in the audience here. Tonight I’d like to highlight the dedication
our deputies have shown to the sheriff’s office and to the city of Chanhassen. To point out just a
few items collectively to date this year our deputies and sergeants assigned to Chanhassen, I
think we have everybody except for one here in attendance tonight. We’ve put in over 28,000
hours. Kept our streets safe by arresting 66 people for DUI. Responded to 453 traffic crashes.
Assisted 110 people in mental health crisis and assisted on 829 medical emergencies so far this
year. We increased our community outreach and additional citizen contacts and several other
additional events compared to last year. What I can tell you tonight is that the deputies have a
dedication to the sheriff’s office mission statement which is to serve everybody with respect and
dignity and to do so with honor, integrity and pride. They have a dedication to service as a core
value. Chanhassen is a community for life. The efforts of this group continue to help make this
a reality. The partnership and support of the City Council, city staff and fire department
fundamentally help us achieve our goal of public safety. I am truly proud of the service to the
county and to the city of Chanhassen for our staff. For their dedication and service tonight I can
only say a simple thank you.
Chanhassen City Council – November 25, 2019
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Mayor Ryan along with Mayors for the Day Emmy Rouse and Amelia Wagner handed out
City of Chanhassen pins to Carver County Sheriff Deputies introduced by Lt. Lance
Pearce and his leadership team.
Chief Don Johnson: Good evening Mayor and council. Thanks again for having us here to hear
your accolades and appreciation from the council so it’s exceptionally special for me tonight for
having all of us here to thank our staff and the work that they do. I didn’t bring a bunch of
numbers with me tonight. I usually have them on the top of my head but our staff has responded
to 901 calls this year already so with a total of 920 last year we’re still above the pace so
appreciative of what our folks are doing on a daily basis. They just keep coming at us and we
keep responding so we appreciate being here tonight. I'll start on this end of the room and we
can just start rolling through staff.
Mayor Ryan along with Mayors for the Day Emmy Rouse and Amelia Wagner handed out
City of Chanhassen pins to Fire Fighters introduced by Chief Don Johnson.
Mayor Ryan: Well before we adjourn for the cake, which is the most exciting part I again want
to say thank you to the first responders for your continued commitment and service to our
community. You make us a safer and a better place and really you’re at the heart and soul of our
community so really appreciate your dedication to this community. I’d also like to extend my
thanks to council, our elected officials and of course my co-mayors Emmy and Amelia for
joining me here tonight so thank you all. I wish all of you a happy, safe Thanksgiving and
holiday season and really appreciate all that you do for our community and we’ll take a short
recess for, oh my gosh and the school children. I forgot the school children. Leo sorry buddy.
Thank you all for being here. I know I’ll hear about it later Leo. I know. You can send me a
text but thank you all for being here tonight so we’ll take a short recess and have some cake and
again thank you all very, very much.
There was a short recess to serve cake in recognition of appreciation to the first responders.
Mayor Ryan: Alright call the meeting back to order. Well that was great. Thank you for all
your words council.
CONSENT AGENDA:
Mayor Ryan: Are there any items that council would like to consider separately? Yes.
Councilman McDonald: Yes Your Honor or Mayor. I’d like to pull item number 5 off of the
consent agenda.
Mayor Ryan: Okay we will pull item number 5 off and move that to New Business. J-1. Okay
with that is there a motion to approve consent agenda items 1through 4 and 6?
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Councilman Campion moved, Councilwoman Coleman seconded to approve the following
consent agenda items pursuant to the City Manager’s recommendations:
1. Approve City Council Minutes dated November 12, 2019
2. Receive Park and Recreation Commission Minutes dated October 22, 2019
3. Receive Environmental Commission Minutes dated October 9, 2019
4. Receive Senior Commission Minutes dated September 20, 2019
5. Item pulled for separate discussion.
6. Tort Liability Limits
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 5 to 0.
VISITOR PRESENTATIONS.
Mayor Ryan: I believe we have one visitor presentation. Please welcome.
Kendall Qualls: Yeah thank you Mayor Ryan and the City Council. Thank you for having me
tonight. Let me introduce myself first. My name is Kendall Qualls. I am running for U.S.
Congress on the Republican ticket for the upcoming 2020 election and I thought it was apropos
actually that you had the first responders here but you know unfortunately they’re gone but if
they wanted to see a Black Republican announcing for U.S. Congress on a Republican ticket
anybody that passed out could have had immediate response and help and you know I say that
with all you know humility and humor but I say that with proud honor to be able to run on the
Republican ticket as an American and also again I want to introduce myself to the council
because if duly elected I’d look forward to working with you on federal related topics of agenda.
Transportation. Environmental. Those type of things but I want to give you an idea of why I’m
running and a little bit of my background. I haven’t run for local office before but it’s not the
first time I served my country. I started out in my career after college serving our country in
uniform and U.S. Army. I was actually 5 years serving in the U.S. as well in South Korea as an
artillery officer. After that I spent roughly 15 years in health care all on the pharmaceutical side
of the industry with Johnson and Johnson. And the other half of my career, say another 10 years
or so on the med tech side most recently with Medtronic and so that’s my rationale for presence
being here in Minnesota. It’s a jewel of a company. Just really a, when I talk to people across
the country it’s really the envy of the country that you guys have that here. We have that here in
Minnesota. Little bit about my background beyond professional. My wife is here with me.
We’ve been married for 33 years. We have 5 children. People ask why am I doing this now? I
tell we have 4 kids that are out of the home. We have two things we haven’t had in a long time.
That’s leftovers and spare time and I just felt the need that based on where we are in politics
Chanhassen City Council – November 25, 2019
10
today that I needed to serve. I felt compelled to serve my country again so again no action. Just
an introduction and again is duly elected I’d be honored to be able to work with you guys as I
mentioned on federally related topic of agenda. I’m also honored to have my opponent join me
tonight but he left before my announcement so thank you.
Mayor Ryan: Alright thank you Mr. Qualls in your election process.
Kendall Qualls: Thank you.
Mayor Ryan: Thank you. Are there any other visitor presentations? I won’t put you on the spot
like that. With no visitor presentations. We already got the updates from the fire department and
law enforcement and so we’ll move right to New Business and go to what Councilman
McDonald pulled off the consent agenda.
CONSENT AGENDA. (5). ACCEPT DONATION FROM LOVE INC FOR DONATION
TO THE SENIOR CENTER MAPLE ROOM (MEMORY CAFE).
Mayor Ryan: Who would be, Mr. Hoffman or Mr. Gerhardt?
Todd Gerhardt: I can take it.
Mayor Ryan: Okay.
Todd Gerhardt: Before you tonight is a request to accept a donation from Love INC for donating
to the Senior Center Maple Room Memory Café. Love INC played a huge role in donating
furniture to the Memory Café and just for those in the public, Memory Café is for those families
that have loved ones that are dealing with memory care issues. They can come to the café and
socialize with other family members that are dealing with Alzheimers or memory issues and we
think that is the number one support group that is out there when other people are afflicted with
this type of issue and the Memory Café is to help bring families together and share ideas and
share thoughts and a lot of thanks go to Mary Blazanin, our Senior Center Coordinator.
Sharmeen Al-Jaff, our Senior Planner that is also coordinates our Senior Commission. The
Senior Commission was, played a big role in this. Ace Hardware made a lot of donations. Help
me out if I’m forgetting anybody Todd.
Mayor Ryan: The Legion.
Todd Gerhardt: And we also had private donation of $2,000 to do our financial gap at the end
that helped finish off the Memory Café and we’re very proud of it and it’s a beautiful facility.
We had a ribbon cutting a couple months ago and thank you Mayor for doing that and would
love to give you an update a year from now on how we’re doing.
Mayor Ryan: Great. Thank you Mr. Gerhardt. Councilman McDonald?
Chanhassen City Council – November 25, 2019
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Councilman McDonald: Yes Mayor. As part of my long standing tradition I really believe that
anyone who donates to the City to help us as far as doing causes or anything that would be a
benefit to the community, I really think that they deserve a public acknowledgement which is
why I wanted to pull this off. And according to the write up here we also forgot B&B Carpet
One. Carpet’s always important.
Todd Gerhardt: Yeah, always important.
Councilman McDonald: But that was the reason I pulled it off and I really have no questions. I
just wanted to make sure that publicly we thanked everyone for the facility that they help put
together for us. You know memory care units and memory care was a big priority of our’s about
a year ago getting everything started and up and running so I’m glad to see that we’re continuing
to make improvements to that and to add another resource to people whose loved ones are
suffering through that disease. So thank you to everyone who contributed. And with that Mayor
if you would like I’ll make a motion.
Mayor Ryan: Yes please.
Councilman McDonald: I’ll make a motion that the City Council adopts a resolution accepting
donations from Love INC for improvements to the Senior Center Maple Corner Room.
Mayor Ryan: We have a valid motion. Is there a second?
Councilwoman Tjornhom: Second.
Resolution #2019-57: Councilman McDonald moved, Councilwoman Tjornhom seconded
that the City Council adopts a resolution accepting donations from Love INC for
improvements to the Senior Center Maple Corner Room (Memory Café). All voted in
favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 5 to 0.
Mayor Ryan: Thank you for pulling that off Councilman McDonald. I appreciate the public
recognition. I don’t know if anyone, if we’ve all had a chance to go down to that room but it
really is, they’ve transformed that room so it’s just past the Fountain Conference Room. Go
down the hallway a little bit further and you walk in and you can’t believe that, not only their
furniture but the design elements that they, that Love INC contributed to this and it was the
carpet and the blinds and they’re going to have students come in and paint a, kind of a collage
type painting on the walls and so according to Sharmeen she said they’ve already had one
meeting already. Or collage. I think I said mirage. They’re maybe one in the same. But they’ve
already had one meeting last week and it was a tremendous success and people are really
enjoying that room so again thank you for pulling that off and public recognizing all of our
donors on behalf of the Maple Corner Room.
Chanhassen City Council – November 25, 2019
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COUNCIL PRESENTATIONS. None.
ADMINISTRATIVE PRESENTATIONS.
Mayor Ryan: Administrative presentations Mr. Gerhardt.
Todd Gerhardt: Mayor, council members. This is for the public. We have on June 2nd at 7:00
p.m. our Truth in Taxation meeting in this room so I think everybody’s received their Truth in
Taxation statement.
Councilman McDonald: Did you say June 2nd?
Mayor Ryan: December.
Todd Gerhardt: December. What did I say?
Councilwoman Tjornhom: You said June.
Todd Gerhardt: June oh. I don’t know what’s going on on June 2nd but yeah December 2nd. I
didn’t have any cake. So December 2nd and so we look forward to the public coming to the
council chambers here and having the opportunity to present our 2020 budget to them and again
everybody should have received their notices in the mail and any questions that the public may
have regarding their value or about the budget staff has prepared a great presentation to give to
the public and explain how we’re planning to spend the 2020 taxes that will be collected from
our residents and businesses. So if there’s nothing else for the council on that one. I’d also like
to announce that we have hired our New Public Works Director, Charles Howley. He comes
from us from Hansen-Thorpe-Gillian and Olson, known as HTPO and he was a vice president
with HTPO. He’s worked on a couple of projects in Chanhassen. Has strong stormwater
management resource background. He lives in Prior Lake and family man with 3 children and
we’re excited. Very customer service oriented. Great listener. And has had experience as a
council member. He has experience as a planning commissioner so Kate’s going to like that.
She’s not here. Oh there she is. And so it’s always nice that my engineering staff is talking with
my planning staff so he understands planning and he also serves on a watershed district over in
Prior Lake right now so I think that’s everything that you’re looking for in an engineer and he
has project management experience on roads so, and that’s right up our alley. It too us a while to
find the right candidate but Mr. Howley is going to do a great job for us I think now and into the
future so he starts January 2nd and not think of June 2nd as I mentioned earlier but I’m just excited
to have my sixth public works director in a year, counting the interims and so I think he’s going
to be here for the long run so excited for him to start.
Mayor Ryan: Perfect.
Todd Gerhardt: And that’s all I have.
Chanhassen City Council – November 25, 2019
13
Mayor Ryan: Thank you Mr. Gerhardt.
CORRESPONDENCE DISCUSSION. None.
Councilman Campion moved, Councilwoman Coleman seconded to adjourn the meeting.
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 5 to 0. The City
Council meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Submitted by Todd Gerhardt
City Manager
Prepared by Nann Opheim