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Home My WebLink AboutCity Council - 03/03/2026Eden Prairie City Council Meeting Approved Minutes 7 p.m. Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2026 City Center Council Chambers 8080 Mitchell Road Eden Prairie, MN 55344 ATTENDEES City Council Members: Mayor Ron Case, Council Members 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, Police Chief Matt Sackett, Fire Chief Scott Gerber, Administrative Services/HR Director Alecia Rose, and City Attorney Maggie Neuville MEETING AGENDA I. Call the Meeting to Order Mayor Case called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Council Member Kathy Nelson was absent. II. Pledge of Allegiance III. Open Podium Invitation IV. Proclamations and Presentations A. Polar Plunge Proclamation Police Chief Matt Sackett explained the Polar Plunge and introduced area Special Olympics athlete Elizabeth Neuville and Oﬃcer Jason Hunt, who is the coordinator for the Polar Plunge event. Chief Sackett explained that the Polar Plunge raises money for Special Olympics in 29 locations in Minnesota, including Eden Prairie. He thanked all of the City Staﬀ and volunteers who helped out with this event. Miss Neuville thanked Oﬃcers Carter and Hunt, Chief Sackett, and the City Council for their continued support throughout the year. She stated she has been involved with Special Olympics since 2010 and participates in several diﬀerent sports, including bowling, bocce ball, basketball, dance, hockey, golf, track, tennis, and swimming. She stated she is also a Special Olympics global CITY COUNCIL MEETING APPROVED MINUTES March 3, 2026 messenger, and Minnesota is hosting the Special Olympics USA games this summer. Narayanan asked what time the Polar Plunge is. Chief Sackett said it is on March 14, and jumping starts around noon, and you can register on the City's website. Narayanan asked if there was any on-site registration. Chief Sackett said there will be on-site registration. Case read aloud the proclamation to declare March 14, 2026, as Eden Prairie Polar Plunge Day in the City of Eden Prairie and highlighted the partnership and signiﬁcant funds raised for Special Olympics Minnesota. V. Approval of Agenda and Other Items of Business Case added that Toomey would be providing a Councilmember Report on Southwest Transit. MOTION: Toomey moved, seconded by Narayanan, to approve the agenda as amended. Motion carried 4-0. VI. Minutes MOTION: Narayanan moved, seconded by Freiberg, to approve the minutes of the Council workshop held Tuesday, February 10, 2026, and the City Council meeting held Tuesday, February 10, 2026, as published. Motion carried 4-0. VII. Consent Calendar A. Clerk’s List B. Adopt Resolution No. 2026-025 approving the Bryant Lake Hills ﬁnal plat C. Adopt Resolution No. 2026-026 indicating intent to withdraw from the I-494 Corridor Commission eﬀective January 1, 2027 D. Adopt Resolution No. 2026-027 authorizing a grant request for Staring Lake Park Observatory deck reconstruction and boardwalk project to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Recreation Program E. Authorize entering into an agreement for the construction and shared use of a new cricket pitch at Flying Cloud Fields Park with the Minnesota Cricket Association F. Accept proposal and authorize entering a contract for the Edenbrook East Restoration with Edge Ecosystems CITY COUNCIL MEETING APPROVED MINUTES March 3, 2026 G. Enter into property restriction in accordance with the State of Minnesota Emerald Ash Borer Mitigation and Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources grant agreement requirements H. Approve construction contract to service and upgrade Municipal Well No. 2 with Keys Well Drilling I. Approve waste hauling agreement for Drop Oﬀ Day Event with Suburban Waste Services J. Award contract agreement for Magnolia Trail connection project to Dreamland Contracting, LLC K. Approve special assessment agreement, sewer access charges, and water access charges for Legacy Hoops L. Approve purchase of a tree truck cab chassis with Transwest M. Award contract for 2026 spring and fall sweeping to Pearson Bros Inc N. Award contract for 2026 pavement markings to Sir Lines-A-Lot O. Award contract for 2026 installation of hot-poured bituminous crack-sealant to Fahrner Asphalt Sealers LLC P. Award contract for 2026 concrete material pricing to Cemstone Products Company Q. Award contract for 2026 MOSS and Yard Waste Site hauling and disposal to Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC), Dakota Prairie Composting R. Approve quote and authorize procurement of desktops, monitors, and BARCO ClickShare wireless audio/video extender for Police remodel project S. Approve quote and authorize procurement of desktops to replace existing IT equipment on a 5-year cycle T. Approve standard agreement for professional services for commissioning services for the Police Department Renovation and City Center remodel with Dunham Associates, Inc. U. Approve Change Order #9 for mechanical scope modiﬁcations associated with the Eden Prairie Police Department Renovation Project with Weidner Mechanical MOTION: Freiberg moved, seconded by Toomey, to approve Items A-U on the Consent Calendar. Motion carried 4-0. CITY COUNCIL MEETING APPROVED MINUTES March 3, 2026 VIII. Public Hearings and Meetings IX. Payment of Claims MOTION: Narayanan moved, seconded by Freiberg, to approve the payment of claims as submitted. Motion was approved on a roll call vote, with Freiberg, Narayanan, Toomey, and Case voting “aye.” X. Ordinances and Resolutions XI. Petitions, Requests, and Communications XII. Appointments A. 2026 Commissioners Case explained that the City Council hosted Commission interviews on Tuesday, February 24. Terms for new commission members will begin on April 1. A required orientation session for new commissioners will be held on March 31. MOTION: Toomey moved, seconded by Narayanan, to: • Appoint to the Flying Cloud Airport Advisory Commission Stephen Bohlig, Alan Matson, and Nick Rogers with terms ending March 31, 2029; and • Appoint to the Heritage Preservation Commission Nancy Cass, Rod Fisher, and Betsey Woods with terms ending March 31, 2029; and • Appoint to the Parks and Recreation Commission Cecilia Cervantes, Patrice Erickson, Kevin Harris, Duane Hookom, and Troy Parish with terms ending March 31, 2029; and • Appoint to the Planning Commission Peter Palmisano, Steve Schumacher, and Puh Civet with terms ending March 31, 2029; and • Appoint to the Sustainability Commission Michelle Frost, Moussa Ousmane, and Heike Peters with terms ending March 31, 2029. Motion carried 4-0. B. 2026 Board of Appeal and Equalization CITY COUNCIL MEETING APPROVED MINUTES March 3, 2026 Getschow explained that the proposed members for Council approval are Eden Prairie residents, experienced real estate and valuation professionals, with extensive knowledge of the southwest metro market. Case added that as a reminder to all of the residents who watch these meetings, but evaluations came out this week and are done in consultation with the county, and by state statute, those evaluations have to be within a certain percentage of the actual valuation of homes. If somebody is a resident and deeply disagrees with the valuation, this would be the time to come in and make that appeal. Getschow confirmed that Case is correct, and there are many rules and standards that govern how the valuation process works, but first, it is based on sales of like properties in the area. He added that there is an opportunity to contest the valuation, and the first step is for residents to contact the City Assessor's Office. He added that the individuals being appointed tonight would be part of the Board Appeal meeting for a resident to contest the valuation. Case added that if all property went up in value by 20 percent, then taxes would basically stay the same. He said the valuation can drive property taxes, but only if your home went up in valuation, and other properties did not go up, which does occur sometimes. MOTION: Narayanan moved, seconded by Freiberg, to appoint to the Local Board and Appeal and Equalization Lyndon Moquist, Nate Thompson, Steve Tessman, Mark Hoﬀman, and Danelle Simenson for the period of March 3, 2026, through May 31, 2026, or until the board of Appeal and Equalization completes its work. Motion carried 4-0. C. 2026 Commission Chairs and Vice Chairs Case explained that Chairs and Vice Chairs are appointed annually by the City Council following the appointment of members to City Commissions. MOTION: Freiberg moved, seconded by Toomey, to: • Appoint Marc Morhack – Chair and Nick Rogers - Vice Chair of the Flying Cloud Airport Advisory Commission; and • Appoint Robert Bowes – Chair and Paul Thorp – Vice Chair of the Heritage Preservation Commission; and • Appoint Patrice Erickson – Chair and Pedro Curry – Vice Chair of the Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Commission; and CITY COUNCIL MEETING APPROVED MINUTES March 3, 2026 • Appoint Trisha Duncan – Chair and Ed Farr – Vice Chair of the Planning Commission; and • Appoint Aaron Poock – Chair and Cindy Hoﬀman – Vice Chair of the Sustainability Commission; and • Appoint Gregory Leeper – Chair and Babar Khan – Vice Chair of the Human Rights and Diversity Commission. Motion carried 4-0. XIII. Reports A. Report of Council Members Toomey explained that there was an article in the Star Tribune about high- density routes with buses that mentioned Southwest Transit. Case said the article focused on the suburbs that were allowed to opt out of the main Metro Transit system in the 1990's and run their own transit services using a portion of regional transit funding. Over time legislators have changed the funding structure, making the system more complicated and contentious. Metro Transit often feels it does not receive enough funding while money continues to go to transit services that have opted-out. A key issue is some of these systems are considered highly successful and have won awards for buses, equipment, and drivers, like SouthWest Transit. Because of this, residents do not want these services eliminated. Some legislators are trying to redirect funding back to the core Metro Transit system, arguing subsidies per rider are very high in certain suburban routes. Public transit is heavily subsidized everywhere, the broader debate is how transit funding should be distributed. Toomey said the article focused on the high-density routes and considered those routes to be high subsidy. Of the 28 routes listed between the ﬁve diﬀerent providers, nine of them are Met Council routes, and 18 of them are other opt-out providers. Southwest Transit has no routes that are considered high subsidy, and their bus routes are 20 percent less expensive to operate than the Met Council's. Southwest Transit's passenger subsidies in 2024 were $12.70 per passenger compared to $15.42 for the Met Council. Southwest Transit oﬀers a very eﬃcient system and was the fastest-growing transit agency in the state, with ridership growing 14 percent in 2025. There are some legislators who would like to take Southwest Transit away from Eden Prairie. Toomey urged residents to tell legislators how they feel about possibly losing this transit system by visiting Southwest Transit's website to get more information. CITY COUNCIL MEETING APPROVED MINUTES March 3, 2026 Case said people do not realize every public form of transportation in the country is subsidized. He encouraged residents to keep an open mind and that there are a lot of reasons governments get into the business of public transportation, and one of the beneﬁts is economic value to the region. The Green Line extension has cost $2.8 billion, but there has already been $6.5 billion of economic development growth along the route in the past ﬁve years. Freiberg said last year he served as Chair of the Southwest Transit Commission. In 2024, Southwest Transit was awarded the number one public transit bus company in Minnesota. He said it is important that residents contact their elected oﬃcials about this issue if they want Southwest Transit to remain in Eden Prairie. He added that he contacted a legislator and got an immediate response. Case added that the legislators representing Eden Prairie regarding this issue have been fantastic. B. Report of City Manager C. Report of Community Development Director 1. Local Aﬀordable Housing Aid, Aﬀordable Housing Trust Fund update Community Development Director Julie Klima explained Local Aﬀordable Housing Aid (LAHA) was passed by the state legislature in 2023. The aid is funded by a dedicated sales tax in the seven-county Metro area, and funds are distributed to those seven counties. LAHA funds vary from year to year and must be used toward aﬀordable housing programs and initiatives. Eden Prairie receives allocations twice a year, and the funds must be spent within three years of receipt. Annual reporting of the fund balance and expenditures is required by Minnesota Housing. Klima stated LAHA spending in Eden Prairie has been used for ﬁrst-time home buyer loan programs, residential rehab loan programs, rental assistance (administered by PROP), larger residential rehab projects for older residential developments, future redevelopment projects, and the First Generation First Time Home Buyer loan program. As the three-year deadline approaches to spend funds, Staﬀ can reallocate funds to where there might be emerging needs. To date LAHA has funded ﬁve ﬁrst-time home buyer loans, 18 rehab loans, and rental assistance for 45 households in 2025. The City committed $125,000 to PROP for rental assistance in January 2026. Klima explained the other funding source is the Aﬀordable Housing Trust fund, which was established in 2022. This fund was created to identify CITY COUNCIL MEETING APPROVED MINUTES March 3, 2026 funding source considerations and uses, and secured a grant for $150,000 from Minnesota Housing. The funds must be spent within three years on housing programs at or below the state median income. Narayanan asked if the $150,000 is a one-time grant. Klima conﬁrmed it is a one-time grant, and a spending report must be sent to Minnesota Housing. Klima explained the Aﬀordable Housing Trust Fund spending includes the ﬁrst-time home buyer loan program, residential rehab loan program, ﬁrst- generation ﬁrst-time home buyer loan program, rental assistance (administered by PROP), community land trust, and administrative costs. Narayanan asked if these funds are described on the City's website for residents. Klima said all information is available on the City's website, along with the speciﬁc Staﬀ member who is the most knowledgeable to contact. Klima added when a resident comes to request funds for a loan, there are multiple sources their loan can be funded through; the forms are all the same. Narayanan asked if the City's website currently details how many units are under Aﬀordable Housing in Eden Prairie. Klima said projects receiving TIF are reporting aﬀordable units and inclusionary units as part of the agreement, all the information is on the City’s website. Narayanan explained the reasoning for his many questions is hearing some misinformation from individuals confused about how this funding works. 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 A. Closed Session for City Manager Performance Review MOTION: Toomey moved, seconded by Narayanan, to enter into a closed session pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 13D.05, subdivision 3(c) for the purpose of conducting the City Manager's review. Motion carried 4-0. CITY COUNCIL MEETING APPROVED MINUTES March 3, 2026 MOTION: Toomey moved, seconded by Narayanan, to move out of closed session. Motion carried 4-0. XV. Adjournment MOTION: Narayanan moved, seconded by Freiberg, to adjourn the meeting at 8:39 PM. Motion carried 4-0. Respectfully Submitted, ___________________________ Sara Potter, Administrative Support Specialist