HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council - 01/20/2026Approved Minutes
Eden Prairie City Council Meeting
7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026
City Center Council Chambers
8080 Mitchell Road
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
ATTENDEES
City Council Members: Mayor Ron Case, Council Members Kathy Nelson, Mark Freiberg, PG
Narayanan, and Lisa Toomey
City Staff: City Manager Rick Getschow, Public Works Director Robert Ellis, Community
Development Director Julie Klima, Parks and Recreation Director Amy Markle, and City
Attorney Maggie Neuville
MEETING AGENDA
I. Call the Meeting to Order
Mayor Case called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. All Council Members were present.
II. Pledge of Allegiance
III. Open Podium Invitation
IV. Proclamations and Presentations
A. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Proclamation
Case read aloud the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Proclamation that asks all
residents to continue their commitment and concern for equal rights for all
persons, to dedicate themselves to helping those who do not yet share in that
freedom, and to join the City of Eden Prairie in recognizing and celebrating Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream.
B. Hennepin EMS Overview
Getschow introduced Hennepin EMS, Chief Marty Sheerer, who will provide an
overview/update to the City Council on Hennepin EMS Operations.
Chief Gerber said the Fire Department responded to 2,781 EMS calls in 2025 in
the City of Eden Prairie, which accounts for 68 percent of the call volume. The
Police Department responded to 3,608 calls. He noted that the Police
Department responds to some of the Fire Department's lower acuity calls, and
those numbers do not include calls that include crashes on roadways. Calls
where the Fire Department, Police Department, and an ambulance are sent
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simultaneously include a fall, difficult breathing, a lift assist, a cardiac event, a
stroke, seizure, diabetic reaction, allergic reaction, overdose, and severe
bleeding. Chief Gerber added if law enforcement Staff are tied up and cannot
respond to the lower acuity medical events, then the Fire Department would be
dispatched. He added that EMS education provided by Hennepin EMS is
important as it provides ongoing maintenance and skill development for both
the Police Department and the Fire Department on a regular basis.
Narayanan asked if it is accurate that with 3,000 plus medical calls in a year and a
population of 44,000 in Eden Prairie, those calls come from eight to nine percent
of the population, as that is a large percentage. Chief Gerber confirmed that
that was correct, but said it is important to remember that some of those calls
may be coming from the same residence.
Case asked if the medical information communicated to EMS gets transferred to
the personnel who were first on the scene. Chief Gerber said in most cases, that
information does get transferred back to the first on the scene, but Hennepin
EMS starts gathering information immediately and does not wait until the first
resource arrives on scene and information is relayed either via radio or through
the Fire Department dispatcher.
Chief Sheerer said he has been Hennepin EMS Chief for the last six years. Prior to
that, he was a firefighter. Hennepin EMS serves 14 different cities. All EMS
Physicians are Board Certified. Hennepin EMS arrived on scene in 2025 about
5,268 times, and the average code 3 response time was 8 minutes and 51
seconds. Code 3 calls are lights and siren emergent calls, and code 2 calls are
non-emergent calls.
Chief Sheerer asked if the Council had any questions about response times and
call volumes. He noted that he, Chief Gerber, and Chief Sackett have a great
working relationship and do a lot of training together.
Case asked what the Police and Fire are able to do if the worst-case scenario
happens, and the Hennepin EMS ambulance is far away and cannot get on scene
for 15 to 20 minutes. Chief Sheerer said Police and Fire are both trained at
either EMR, which is emergency medical response, or EMT level, so they can do
basic first aid, and in the event of a cardiac arrest, they can use an AED. He
added that Hennepin EMS is in discussions about getting Police and Fire even
more advanced medical training. He said that response times are important, but
outcomes are more important.
Narayanan asked for time information on calls outside of the average response
time of 8 minutes 51 seconds. Chief Sheerer said for code three calls, the
Hennepin EMS average responded to 75 percent of calls under 10 minutes, 87
percent of calls under 12 minutes, and 96 percent of calls under 15 minutes.
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Narayanan pointed out the worst-case scenario then would be 15 minutes. Chief
Sheerer agreed and said Edina Fire or Ridgeview ambulance could also be called
to help via mutual aid. Narayanan thanked him for his service.
Chief Sheerer stated Hennepin EMS also has community paramedics that work in
the City to do house calls, have their own dispatch, and have a special operations
team that works with the Police and Fire Departments to help with training.
Hennepin EMS also includes specialized teams for emergency rescue situations,
supporting high-risk law enforcement situations, special response teams, and
partnerships for water rescue on Lake Minnetonka, and mental health support
for employees.
Chief Sheerer stated that EMS care undergoes periodic professional and patient
reviews and focuses on improvement efforts. EMS was recognized for providing
outstanding pre-hospital care by the MN Emergency Medical Services Regulatory
Board, and 96.21 percent of surveys about EMS had positive responses. The
cardiac arrest survival rate with Hennepin EMS was at 40 percent without
bystander care, and 47 percent with bystander care. The national average is
closer to 33 percent and 37 percent. The only thing that could be improved on is
bystander CPR.
Case asked if Minnesota has a lower number of AEDs, and that is why the
bystander CPR rate is lower. Chief Sheerer confirmed that is the reason why.
Case said people are sometimes shocked at the cost of EMS services, and asked
what percentage of the bill is user fees. Chief Sheerer said EMS fees are just
from transports, but there is a high number of transports. Case thanked Chief
Sheerer for his service.
V. Approval of Agenda and Other Items of Business
MOTION: Toomey moved, seconded by Narayanan, to approve the agenda as amended.
Motion carried 5-0.
VI. Minutes
MOTION: Narayanan moved, seconded by Nelson, to approve the minutes of the
Council workshop held Tuesday, January 6, 2026, and the City Council meeting held
Tuesday, January 6, 2026, as published. Motion carried 5-0.
VII. Consent Calendar
A. Adopt Resolution No. 2026-018 authorizing approval of Hennepin County 2026 –
2028 Residential Waste Reduction and Recycling Grant Agreement
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B. Adopt Resolution No. 2026-019 authorizing Director of Public Works to track
expenses and apply for reimbursement related to the Metropolitan Council
Environmental Services’ Municipal Infiltration/Inflow Grant program
C. Approve construction contract agreement for Valley View Road and Bittersweet
Drive retaining wall reconstruction project with Blakeborough Hardscapes
D. Approve professional services agreement for Design, Bidding, and Construction
Administration Services of the 2026 Lift Station Rehab Project (Bearpath) with
AE2S
E. Approve Police and City Center remodel mechanical system piping tie-in change
order with Weidner Mechanical
F. Reject all bids for the Dorenkemper House addition project
MOTION: Nelson moved, seconded by Toomey, to approve Items A-F on the
Consent Calendar. Motion carried 5-0.
VIII. Public Hearings and Meetings
IX. Payment of Claims
MOTION: Narayanan moved, seconded by Toomey, to approve the payment of claims
as submitted. Motion was approved on a roll call vote, with Freiberg, Narayanan,
Nelson, Toomey, and Case voting “aye.”
X. Ordinances and Resolutions
XI. Petitions, Requests, and Communications
XII. Appointments
XIII. Reports
A. Reports of Council Members
1. ICE Impacts on Businesses
Case explained that he and Toomey, along with Congresswoman Kelly
Morrison, went to visit a few businesses in Eden Prairie and learn about
ICE's impacts on those businesses. He said they met with the manager and
owner of the Asia Mall. Business at their restaurants are way down, and
they have had a loss of employees due to ICE apprehending employees in
the parking lot. The bigger hit has been the loss of patrons shopping and
frequenting the restaurants. He urged Eden Prairie residents to eat at local
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restaurants that may be struggling or suffering because of the loss of
employees.
B. Report of City Manager
1. Council Schedule
Mr. Getschow explained that the typical February meeting schedule for the
Council is the first and third Tuesday, but this year is different. The first
Tuesday in February is a caucus evening, and City Councils throughout the
State cannot meet that night. The City Council will meet on the second and
fourth Tuesdays instead, which are February 10 and February 24. A Council
meeting with interviews for Commission members will be held on February
24 at 5 p.m. and will not be televised, but will be open to the public. The
March schedule will be discussed at a later meeting.
C. Report of Community Development Director
D. Report of Parks and Recreation Director
E. Report of Public Works Director
F. Report of Police Chief
G. Report of Fire Chief
H. Report of City Attorney
XIV. Other Business
XV. Adjournment
MOTION: Narayanan moved, seconded by Nelson, to adjourn the meeting. Motion
carried 5-0. Mayor Case adjourned the meeting at 7:35 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
______________________
Sara Potter, Administrative Support Specialist