Matthew Ray Gottschalk

The meeting began with a roll call and the pledge of allegiance. The agenda was approved as amended, including only one closed session item. There were no presentations or open forum discussions due to no cards being submitted. The council discussed and voted on the consent agenda, with specific items E, F, G, and H being pulled for individual consideration. Discussions during the consent agenda covered appreciation for community support during holiday drives (Toys for Tots, toy and food drive) and recognition for public works staff. Council members also discussed donations to the 'See My Legacy' program. The planning business involved a concept plan review for 'The Springs at Corcoran,' a proposed 294-unit market-rate apartment community by Continental, along with future commercial development space. Public comments focused heavily on concerns regarding the proposed location of community trails (Three Rivers Diamond Lake extension and off-road trail), preserving a grove of trees, setbacks from property lines, zoning changes, and safety/noise mitigation related to the apartment complex adjacent to existing homes. The council acknowledged that this is an initial concept plan and noted feedback regarding the snowmobile trail proximity.

The work session focused on reviewing and discussing the 2026 core strategies, objectives, goals, and measurables, particularly in relation to ongoing 'audacious goals' from the previous year. Key discussion points included the status of gateway signage development, which is nearly complete pending finalization of maintenance responsibilities, and the city park rename project, which has been accomplished. The council discussed adding the mural project as a completed item. For strategic park planning, discussions involved next steps for park space in Bellweather and Tava, and prioritizing the use of existing park dedication dollars for new projects this summer. A joint session with the parks and trails commission is scheduled for March 12th to finalize guidance. The council welcomed the new Finance Director, Matt Selmmeire, who is currently phasing in responsibilities from the contracted financial services firm, focusing initially on escrow services. Regarding fire service planning, the council affirmed the status quo of maintaining current service agreements with partner agencies, noting upcoming leadership changes among partner fire chiefs, and decided to postpone further long-range facility studies until capacity allows for action.

The meeting initiated with a roll call and the pledge of allegiance, followed by the approval of the agenda and previous meeting minutes. The primary new business involved a discussion and initial guidance development for a wayfinding outline and policy. Key considerations included establishing a consistent signage system covering monument signs, regulatory signs (rules signs), directional/wayfinding signs, and interpretive signs. Specific discussion points focused on monument sign design differentiation between community and neighborhood parks, the required inclusion of park address, logo, and name, and the preference for illustrative rather than aerial maps for wayfinding. Regulatory sign placement in high-traffic areas was also addressed.

The work session meeting focused on budget presentations for multiple departments. The Administration department budget discussion covered milestones achieved in 2025, such as hiring efforts, implementing online recruitment and onboarding programs, and completing a compensation study. Future goals included navigating the Minnesota paid leave program and updating the employee handbook. Significant discussion focused on the necessity of hiring a full-time Finance Director to manage complex escrow accounting and budget software implementation (Questica), rather than continuing reliance on contracted services (ABDO) which proved inconsistent in skill level and increasingly costly. The IT budget discussion highlighted the implementation of fiber internet, distribution of iPads, and the launch of the I Legislates app, with planned 2026 projects including a VMware server upgrade and public safety Motorola server upgrades for video footage storage. The City Clerk's division reviewed 2024 election statistics, including a 93% voter turnout for the general election, and upcoming 2025 charter commission amendments and a new recycling contract. The Operations department (streets and parks) highlighted ongoing winter and summer maintenance activities, including work on 35 miles of gravel roads.

The meeting focused primarily on the draft wayfinding policy. Key discussion points included reviewing the types of signs required (monument, regulatory, directional/wayfinding, and interpretive signs), and the need to engage HKGI for design assistance to ensure aesthetic accuracy. The commission discussed specific requirements for external funding and partner recognition signage, acknowledging that design specifications might be predetermined by funders. Implementation details, including signage for Wildflower Park and future parks, were reviewed. The commission also addressed consistency in design elements like color palettes and typography, and determined that the implementation section should be removed, with design details potentially residing in an appendix. Additionally, the commission moved to discuss the draft 2025 annual report and 2026 priorities, with further goal setting scheduled for a subsequent work session.