New York. >> Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It
is now 5:30 and I will call this regular meeting of the Burnsville City Council
to order. It is our tradition to stand for a moment of silence followed by the
pledge of allegiance and we invite you to join us.
I pledge allegiance [clears throat] to the flag of the United States of
America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [clears throat]
and welcome to the members of the public who are joining us in person this
evening. Thank you so much for being present. Members of the public can also
uh watch us on burnsvillemn.gov/meings
or comcast channel 16 or 859. The public can also participate through Zoom by
joining us at zoom. usjoin. More information is available on our
meetings web page and in the council agenda packet.
Uh the first item on the agenda is our announcements.
Our announcements have to do with all of our upcoming meetings. Our regular
council meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, July 21st at 5:30 p.m. and on
Monday, August 3rd at 5:30 p.m. Now, it's moved to Monday because Tuesday,
August 4th, is our night to unite event throughout the whole city. So, we're
going to be meeting on Monday rather than Tuesday.
And our work session is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14th at 5:30. And we have
a special work session which is our quarterly roundtable scheduled for
Tuesday, July 21st at 6:00 p. p.m. All meetings of the city council are in the
council chambers. Our roundt um
special work session. I think we haven't scheduled the location for that just yet
» because of all of the um changes going on with uh with all of the meeting
rooms, but it's going to be in one of the meeting rooms.
Okay. And then the next item on the agenda is
citizens comments. And this is the opportunity for anyone in the audience
to um address the council on an item that is not on a printed agenda and not
an application form that will be coming before us at a future date. Um
and I see that um Mr. John, you are going to be speaking
at citizens comments. You have the floor.
» Thank you. >> Good evening.
» Good evening. Thank you, Madam Mayor and city council members.
» Oh, sure. [clears throat]
My name is Chris John. I live here in Burnsville. I'm also a challenger in in
the current city council race. And I want to make clear that this is not an
attempt to campaign during the council meeting, but rather a plea to
current council members for a completely fair and free election and to discuss
possible illegal campaign practices of incumbent challengers in the upcoming
election. Specifically, I and others are
witnessing the same troubling practices of council work council member workmen
in this election cycle we have seen in past elections.
These have to do with him as a sitting council member exerting election related
pressure on Birdsville businesses of whom he as you all have regulatory power
over local licensing zoning and code enforcement and the like.
This not only puts him at an unfair advantage over competitors like myself,
Mr. Benson or Miss Gomez. It amounts to implied authority over
businesses and spoken or not coercion of the business person. In other words,
it's an abuse of powers that can lead to things like quid proquo.
The latest resulted in removal of a camp a promised campaign sign location at Red
Lion Liquors down by the performing arts center. This is after I met with owner
Harpo last week at which time he told me he'd put my sign up. Fast forward to
this morning when I heard from a mutual friend of council member Workman and
myself asking if it was okay to share my phone number with council member
Workman. To which I replied, "Yes, of course." After I did, the friend
forwarded snippets of council member Workman's request, which read, and I
quote, "Could you do me a favor and send me Chris John's phone number?" Harpo at
Redline Liquor asked me for it, and I said, "I would ask you." Here's the
problem. Not 10 minutes later, I received a phone call from Harpo at Red
Line Liquor telling me that he's changed his mind. He doesn't want my yard sign
on his property. He's just going to put the incumbents Keely and Workman up this
year. Nothing personal alone. This incident would be a red
would be a red flag, but nothing something that I would address the
council with. As Harpull, like any property owner, has every right to
support whomever he likes. It's the fact that two years ago I was made aware that
Miss Council member Workman made the exact same request and that he told
Harpo, "We don't like this Chris John all that much and asked Harpo not to
host my sign." I'm not sure who we were in that
scenario, but I was the only non-incumbent in that race and council
member Workman was not up for reelection.
The good news is that Harpo arranged to meet with me and ultimately decide to
allow me to put the sign up at that time. But now with council member
Workman's exerting pressure, he's reversing his position. And he's not the
only one. There have been similar incidences with other businesses.
Besides being a problem given council members workman's legal requirement not
to misuse his public position or accepting pre special privileges, it
puts myself again and this election's other non-incumbent candidates at a very
unfair advantage. City council races do not get a lot of attention. It's very
hard for a non-incumbent to win against an incumbent. Name recognition is
incredibly important, which means a lot of door knocking and a lot of yard signs
visible, especially at high travel areas such as the heart of the city where line
red line liquor is located. It may help explain municipal incumbents being
elected 10 to 20 plus years. Regardless, when a recognized incumbent
like Council Member Workman goes to a business and tells them that they
shouldn't put up somebody's sign that carries the implied weight of
consequences on businesses if they do put up that sign. Since it happened more
than once, I want to bring it up because I think it needs to stop and it needs to
stop now. If you can't win an election on your values without cheating, then
you do not deserve the seat on the council.
As for other times that has happened, two years ago, Ysef was running
against council member Workman's mother, Liz Workman for county commissioner. A
local business owner was recorded by Ysef saying that he can't put you sign
up because Vince Workman told him not to.
Four years ago, when I was running along council with Crystal Fett, we lost
several signs throughout the campaign, which harmed our campaign and cost
money. A mitzvah, who was a black woman, had
racist slurred written on one of them. I'm not saying council member Workman
did that, but that was the case. We have photographs of one of his campaign team
taking down these signs. We all deserve a fair election, and I don't only mean
for myself and the other non-incumbents. More importantly, our businesses and
residents deserve leaders, election year or not, who play by the
rules, in particular, don't abuse their power. I plan to continue running a fair
campaign that demonstrates that kind of fair leadership and legal practices that
always gives voters in our community the power they are they deserve.
Thank you for your attention and time. >> Thank you.
Okay, mayor. Yes, Council Member Schultz.
» Uh, so I would like to give uh residents an idea of the sign wars that happen.
Um, it is regular that we all lose signs. Um, it's regular that people run
them over, they steal them, they rip them up, the wind blows them. Um,
there's all kinds of things and shenanigans that happen with science.
That's normal and we all pull our big boy
panties on and move on. Now, I will tell you, Chris John, that last election when
you were running, I was door-knocking at a house and they had one of your signs
and I door knocked and they said why they supported you, which is perfectly
fine. um but it was actually a 180 of how you actually um spoke on a
particular issue. And so I said, "Well, you can check that out because we all
were in uh a chamber forum and there is a recording of that. So you can see what
that says." Now, I was contacted by that resident later because he picked your
yard sign up and threw it in the garbage and then he asked me for one of mine.
So, it does not mean that someone used their pressure
for why someone may do a sign or not do a sign. It can be that they decide they
don't like your policies or they don't like what they've heard about you. or it
could just be whatever. Sometimes they decide we're only going to do two signs,
we're going to do five signs. There's all kinds of things. We all need to be
respectful of what property owners decide.
And we also need to understand that just because you don't get a sign at a place,
that's not the end of the world. Knock your doors and move on.
If I may, Mayor. >> Yes, Mr. John.
» It's not the fact that I did not get the sign it. Like I said, this it's his
decision. It's his decision. >> So, one of the things we're not going to
be debating any of this. We understand. And you want to
» I just want to say then and then we're going to move on.
» It's the implied power of a sitting council member sitting standing in front
of a person. go for 10 years. >> Tell them not to put up a sign.
» To stand there and call me a cheater in a public forum is the bigger problem.
» I I can tell you that there's people I will tell
» members of the council sign for your comments. I really appreciate
that. Members of the council, >> uh we are going to move on. Uh this is
not a debate. Uh we have a resident who spoke and it um
um remarks were made and we're going to move on. Thank you for sharing your
thoughts uh this evening. Is there anyone else who wants to address the
council on an item that is not on the printed agenda and not an application
form that will be coming before us at a future date?
City clerk. Um yes.
Yeah. Uh, is it on the agenda or I have you down? Um, Miss Grazini that it's on
the agenda that you want to speak to an item.
» Okay. >> So, I'm going to wait till we get to
that item on the budget. >> Well, sure. That's right.
» Yeah. This is So, this is citizens comments. It's not It's an item that is
not on the agenda and not an application form.
» Okay. Thank you.
All right. Uh, city clerk Collins, is there anyone on um line who wants to
address the council? >> No one online has asked to speak, mayor.
» Okay. Thank you. We will then move on. The next item is additions to the final
agenda. This is for emergency items only.
City Manager Lindberg, are there any emergency items to come before the body?
» Nothing from staff. members of the council. Okay, we are
moving on and now we are at the consent agenda. The consent agenda is a group of
items that's considered to be routine and will be enacted by one motion.
However, an item on a consent agenda can be removed for a separate discussion and
vote. Is there anyone in the audience who wishes an item on the consent agenda
to be removed for a separate discussion and vote?
City Clerk Collins. Anyone online who wishes an item to be removed?
» Uh, no one online has made a request. Mayor,
» City Manager Lindberg, does staff want an item to be pulled?
» Not from staffer. >> Members of the council?
» No. >> Okay. Uh I am requesting to pull uh item
4H and this is to authorize the purchase of a joint police and fire department
mobile command p uh post uh vehicle. So I'm pulling that item for a separate
discussion and vote. May I have a motion for the balance? Please
» move to approve. >> Second.
» There's a motion and a second. All in favor, please say I.
» Oppose say nay. And the motion carries. Thank you.
uh members of the council and um our community. I'm pulling this item
because I want to highlight the strength of relationships and
working together for the good of the community.
This item is to authorize the purchase of a joint police and fire department
mobile command uh post vehicle. And this item
is the result of work that we do well together with our congressional
delegation. I am pulling it because I wish to
express my deep appreciation uh to Cong um council to Congresswoman
Angie Craig who carried this item uh in the House of Representative
because it's a federal congressional direct spending
item and to Senator Clober Bushar who carried
it in the Senate for us and both
these members of Congress take my call asking for their support
and all of my letters asking them for their support.
And the result of that is that we have this
which allows us to have this um opportunity where the federal government
is going to be paying for this vehicle for us for police and fire and that our
neighbors can also use. the one that we have
no longer is it's it's ex extended its uh useful life and again this was back
in after 911 and we received in 2004 so it has passed its useful life so I want
to just express my deep gratitude and appreciation to Congresswoman Craig and
to Senator um Globachar and uh with the support of Senator Smith because after
the vote was taken in the Senate and it was after 9:00
Senator Clolobachar called me to tell me it is done and you have it. Those are
the kinds of things that the power of relationships
and working together allows us to get receive the kind of
result for the city of Burnsville. So with that, I move approval of this item
and I thank you very much for your support and your partnership.
» Second. >> There's a motion and a second.
» Triple. Yeah, it is it is a good thing because when we work together for the
good of the people, we get great results. So there is a motion and a
second. All in favor, please say I. I. >> I. Oppose say nay. And the motion
carries. Thank you very much, everyone. All right.
And now we will move on to um our regular agenda. And the first item on
the regular agenda is a public hearing. And this is to approve on sale wine and
on sale 32 malt liquor license for Tsunami Japanese LLC doing business as
Tsunami Japanese Cuisine at 1601 County Road 42 West. This is a public hearing.
Presenting this evening is our city clerk,
Mrs. Collins. The floor is yours. >> Thank you, ma mayor and city council.
the uh new owners of Tsunami Japanese Cuisine uh known as Tsunami Japanese LLC
has submitted an application for wine onale wine and on sale beer license at
the existing location there on County Road 42 West. The Burnsville Police
Department has conducted background investigations on the principles
involved with nothing found to deny the application. Uh the license issued
contingency listed in the background has been resolved. The associated license
fee has already been paid. Uh, city code requires a public hearing for all new
liquor license applications. I stand for any questions. This is a public hearing.
» Members of the council, [clears throat] questions for city clerk. Okay, there
are no questions. This is a public hearing. Is there anyone who wishes to
speak to this item? Anyone who wishes to speak to this item?
Seeing no one, I will close the public hearing. Members of the council, your
pleasure. Move to approve. >> Second.
» There's a motion and a second. All in favor, please say I. I.
» I. Oppose say nay. >> And the motion carries. Thank you. The
next item on the regular agenda is the uh amendment
to the 2026 operating budget to fund private security cost for the Burnsville
Festival and Fire Master for one year. Presenting this evening is our fire
chief BJ Gentleman. Chief. >> Good evening, Madame Mayor, members of
the council. I've got a short presentation uh just to cover how we got
here. Um so the item is to amend the operating budget to fund private
security for Burnsville Festival. Uh from C from a council direction
standpoint. Uh April 14th, staff brought uh request forward from the festival for
the city to fund the private security associated with the festival. Uh June
9th, the city council directed staff to prepare a budget amendment to provide
one-time funding for private security for the 2026 festival and fire muster.
And tonight before you is a one-time general fund budget amendment in the
amount of $17,849
that would be funded from fund balance. So
» questions for Chief Gentleman.
Okay. Thank you, Chief. We do have uh members of um our community who wish to
speak to this item. Uh I have Mr. Nick Benson. Mr. Benson, the floor is yours.
» Uh hello, I'm Nick Benson. Is the microphone on?
» Yeah. >> Okay. Um disclosure, I am also running
for city council. Uh but I am not campaigning. In fact, I admire the sign
work that I have seen around town. Uh you I could learn a lot from all of you
clearly. Um in the discussion regarding the uh the funding for this I had seen
in the last meeting in early June that there was concern about the conflict of
interest with Mr. Keely's um being on the board of the fire uh of the
festival. Uh it was explained away that there since you're a volunteer and
that's admirable that it is not a there's not a fiduciary conflict of
interest. But I did see that companies that Mr. Keley works for sponsor events
and their name and logo is all over at the festival with uh Pawn America and
Cheddar. And so I just wanted clarification on if that to to me that
appears to be a potential fiduciary conflict and I just wanted to see if if
that made sense to anyone else either. That's a concern I had when I saw that.
So thank you. >> Thank you.
Okay. Uh the next one is uh Miss Gazini.
Sorry, sorry I uh get a little confused on when I can talk.
And I'm sorry for this, too. I would like to make a note regarding Mr. John's
comments. It appears there is evidence of what he claimed. I didn't hear him
complaining about an isolated case. What I heard was a pattern. Patterns are a
problem. While there are apparently videos of at
least two of the incidents, the recent one regarding Red Lion sounds plenty
suspicious to me. One wonders why Mr. Workman would seek to intervene on
getting Mr. John's phone number to the Red Lion owner,
» who would then call Mr. John less than 10 minutes later.
» That's not complaining about a sign blowing away. It's not complaining about
a sign falling. It's not complaining about not having a sign somewhere. It's
a problem. Whenever a council member is speaking to a business person
» about a competitor, >> okay,
» council members have power over what businesses can do.
» Madam Mayor, I would like to interrupt this. This is not on this topic. This
topic >> I'm sorry is about Thank you.
» Thank you. and and uh and forgive me if I
stopped you from because I saw your name on the list and I thought you were
but >> I didn't know I was I didn't know I was
going to say anything about Mr. John. I'm sorry. So that was my mistake. Okay.
I I do want to ask about uh or talk about the uh the budget decision because
the bud this is about 5B the budget. So, I'm mainly concerned about council
members putting their finger on the funding scale. Um, and obviously I'm
talking about you, Mr. Culy. When our attorney says it's illegal for you to
participate at all and the statute that I read it does seem to, as I read it,
I'm not an attorney. Does make it sound illegal. It didn't look good to me that
you kind of bullied your way and insisted that the attorney was wrong and
you could do it anyway. And so, I guess what I'm
the lawyer clarify. You use terminology that didn't exist.
» It is not illegal. >> Seems to be a trend.
» So, um >> I I will I will I will have our attorney
address that when we when her remarks are done.
» I apologize if I use but it is a statute. So, to me, if you're breaking a
statute, that's illegal, but I'm not an attorney. So, again, I apologize. Um, I
was especially kind of surprised because the leader that spoke for the fire
muster at the meeting said, "If we don't get the funding, it's okay. We'll work
it out." I didn't understand why Mr. Workman who
volunteers for the fire muster claimed that it might go away if they didn't get
$18,000 more on top of the what 150 or whatever we've already given them. I'm a
taxpayer. I'm wondering where fidiciary responsibility comes in on this council.
I don't see a lot of brakes being put on it. And forcing it through when you head
the organization, legal or not, doesn't look good. It
looks like it's my baby. I'm going to make sure I defend it to hell. That's
not what I was told our city's about. But increasingly, I'm beginning to
wonder. Seeing some really ugly behaviors in this council, and I didn't
expect it from you, Dan. And I'd like, for that reason, I'd like this vote not
to occur. I don't It's a statute. I'd like the attorney to address it. If this
was an illegally contrived vote or unethical, I'd like it to be pulled.
» Okay. >> Thank you.
» Thank you. Um Mr. Jared, um would you like to uh address the
remarks that were made with regard to the statute?
» Sure. Um you know, members of the council has my opinion with respect to
the conflict of interest questions. I will say for the for the public um
courts use what's called the lend factors when they look at
non-contractual conflicts of interest. So they look at a various things that
that the council members are then entitled to examine and make their own
determination as to whether or not they feel like they're conflicted. Those are
the nature of the decision being made, the nature of the financial interest if
any, the number of officials who possess interest, the need to have those
officials make the decision, other means of review available which could ensure
officials do not act arbitrarily uh to further their own selfish interests. So
those are the kind of the factors that the courts will look at. Um, again, I
just advise the council and advise individ individual council members on um
the state of the law and those decisions are yours to determine whether or not
you feel like you're conflicted and and obviously council member Keley uh spoke
his opinion at the work session on this topic.
» Okay, very good. Uh, Council Member Schultz,
» uh, I would like to make a motion to approve.
Uh if I may there there's a motion in a second and I would like for council
members to have the opportunity to speak to this item.
» Absolutely. >> Because it is the right of each council
member before anyone calls a question because a now a vote is made and second
and yet we have not given everyone the opportunity to speak and it is their
right to make those remarks. I will accept a friendly amendment to allow
comments by each council member if they so choose. Do I
have a second on a friendly amendment? >> Absolutely. Yes. Thank you.
» Okay. There's a motion and a second. >> All right.
» Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you.
» And now, Council Member Keley, you wanted to make a remark?
» Yes. Um,
point of record, this isn't the first time that our city
attorney has advised any one of us on optics, not the law, optics. It happened
previously. It happened by his predecessor. This goes back many many
years, few decades or so with council members who volunteer their time on an
event that the city um provides public safety and public works for uh
international festival which was um the mayor was very involved in might even
created the event. I mean it's a great event and she has volunteered her time
and made votes related to financial support that the city gives. art and all
that jazz. It's unfortunate that it's not around because it was a great event.
Um, I met my wife at one many, many years ago. Uh, Council Member Gustoson
voted as well. My comments that night were it's really I think the pot calling
the kettle black to say, "Okay, we all did it, but you can't." And I don't
think that's fair. So, I want first I want to thank you for reaching out in
perspective and and sharing your perspective. I I know you're very
engaged and I appreciate that and I do appreciate when residents closely
monitor how public funds and our council decisions are made. I would love it if
this room were full every meeting every Tuesday night because that's an engaged
community. Now, we're on camera so they can you can sit at home and watch it.
I want to address your concern regarding my involvement with the 501c3
Princeville Festival and FireMuster. My role in this organization is entirely
voluntary. I do not receive a salary, a stipend or
any form of personal financial compensation or benefit from the
involvement. Quite the contrary, it takes a few hundred hours of my personal
time to give to it to make the event happen. It also takes a lot of hours by
almost 150 people. It's a very large effort to make that three-day event um
happen each year. And it's not different from any other city. Go to Lakeville, go
to Savage, go to Apple Valley, go to Rosemont, go to Heaggan, our neighboring
cities, anywhere else. A 501c3 non 501c3 nonprofit of a group of volunteer
citizens is at the heart of putting these events on. And in every case they
partner with the city and the city provides an as significant as you have
found with Burnsville amount of public safety and public works to make it work
right because you need streets blocked off. You need police there to make sure
everyone has a safe event. So it is the city is the largest partner of anybody.
Um, under the city's ethics code and state law, a conflict of interest arises
when an official stands to gain a direct personal or private financial benefit
from a vote because my involvement is strictly voluntary and carries zero
financial uh interest. There is no legal conflict of interest and I am fully
qualified and obligated to represent the public on this matter. In local
government, we want council members who are actively engaged in the community as
the mayor was with the international festival, as council member Gustoson was
with the art and all that jazz, as council member Workman has been for many
years with the uh Burnsville festival firebuster, as I was for many years with
the heart of the city race, which was another legacy event by the city. All of
us give our time willfully because we're engaged in the community. And I think
the people, it's true, people do expect us to be engaged in the community. So,
it's a little difficult to be a volunteer and then sit up here and and
have to recuse every single vote that has anything to do with what we
volunteer in. And as I noted, it isn't indicated by law because we're not
taking any personal benefit. >> Can I respond?
» My volunteer work gives me a deep understanding of the organization's
impact on our residents. We had an estimated a very good estimate of 34,000
attendees at the Burnsville Festival in Fire Muster in 2024. A little less than
that last year because rain canceled Thursday, cold winds and 50° Friday, and
three bouts of rain on Saturday. But ultimately, this organization
has come back to life because of so many people getting involved. I'm just one of
those people. It's a huge effort. So I think that helps me make more
informed decisions at this dis. My role in this matter as always was guided
strictly by what is in the best interests of our entire city and this
organ this particular 3-day festival has a 46-year history in this history in
this city. No other event has that kind of depth uh and uh tenure in the city.
So that is what drives my decisions. I think about it very carefully. I
talked to our legal counsel as I did his predecessor in votes that happened years
ago. Same exact situation and I'm sure Council Member Gustoson and the mayor
did as well. And so it's I just want to ask everybody to know all
the facts and understand the history that many of us here are involved in
volunteer efforts that we bring events to the city. We're very proud of all the
festivals that we we bring in this city. It brings a quality of life that I think
is a part of why somebody chooses to live in Burnsville.
We have great houses. We are very good location. We believe we have good
schools and the festivals are a talk of the town. People love when the community
brings folks together with festivals and events like Party on the Plaza, what was
art and all that jazz. What is still the international festival and and what is
the Burnsville festival? So, I think it's all good.
That's all I have to say. Thank you. Can you wait till I have have all and
then I will come back to you? Uh, Miss Gazini. Uh, Council Member Gustoson.
» Thank you, Madam Mayor. Um, I agree that festivals are the fabric of our city and
it brings neighbors together. Neighbors become friends and it's important that
that happens in our community. I do have to set the record straight a little bit
on art and all that jazz though. up until just as we were coming out of
COVID, I recused myself from votes for art and all that jazz, including when we
became a legacy event to begin with and I asked for some money the same year the
fire muster had asked for $10,000 for the fireworks because it was your 40th
anniversary and we were struggling as we were coming out of CO. But that's really
that and the time that we did the $50,000 grant to uh funding for the fire
muster. That's the only two times I actually voted. Nobody ever told me I
should have recused myself in any one of those things. And so I I did that. But
prior to that, I always recused myself and all this art and all that jazz
things that came to the city. In fact, I never brought anything to the city for
art and all that jazz. And the records will definitely show that. Um
there's a couple things I want to say about this particular budget amendment.
One is I I really think we need to uh make a
differenti between public safety commitments that we have to the festival
and private safety that we that that we have to hire
out for the festival. I think they're two different things. I know this I know
this is going to be happening for the next year. We're going to be reviewing
it coming up here sometime toward the end of the year, first part of next year
because we're going to have to for the festival for next year. I'd like us to
be able to talk about all that when we when we bring that forward in the in the
future. The second part I want to remind everybody that
this festival is a 501c3. It's a private festival. It's not a city festival. The
policy is our policy as a sponsor of the festival. It's it's not an entitlement.
It's a it's a sponsorship. And we can't just keep coming back when we need more
money every time. And different circumstances require different things
from the fireworks and a couple years ago to the $50,000 cash. And I
understand there were there were issues raising money and I get that. And then
now there's current thing with with the private security that has to be hired
for it. And so for that reason alone, I think I I know I'm going to be voting
no on this budget amendment on it, but I do look forward to having us have this
conversation going forward about our legacy festivals and how we're going to
deal with them in the future. And I really want to kind of separate public
safety from private security as who's responsible for that. And I and I don't
think the city is. With that, I'll pass. >> Council member Schultz.
Uh so I will be voting yes on this. And just to reiterate why I'm voting yes on
this, uh we're voting yes for one year. Um the city is the one that through our
first responders is placing the additional burden
of security on the festival. Um this is not the festival deciding out of the
blue through their own initiative that certain levels of security are needed.
um this is the city telling the festival this really needs to happen. Um and so
when government tells an entity that something needs to happen, like I'm not
a big fan of unfunded mandates. I don't like them in our schools and I don't
like them in this and I see them as very comparable. Um,
however, I also think that we have a problem with the vagueness in our policy
and I pointed that out when we discussed this in our work session. I I was
hopeful and I am hopeful um that we can take that up because I don't think this
will be the first time we see this. Um, I think we'll see this with other other
festivals um in our city. And the issue is that we have some vagueness in in our
policy. And so I would like the um Burnsville Festival to have a year to
figure things out for themselves, but I also think that the city uh needs the
year to be able to reook at that policy and tighten the language up so that it's
more clear and more defined. So let's do it. Council member Burkeman.
» Thank you. I'm in support of this as well for one year. Um as Cara Schultz or
Council Member Schultz stated, um this is a requirement coming from public
safety. Um I'm fine doing this for one year so we can hash out everything
that's been said from distinguishing public safety um and private security
and so on. The festival is already losing the carnival um this year, which
I think is going to make a pretty significant impact. Um
and like I already said in the work session, um
this is our longest standing festival. I understand we're not just going to
continue to throw money at it uh just to keep it alive, but this is new territory
for the festival. Um this isn't something we've discussed previously.
It's not like we're paying for fireworks or live music. this is a security thing,
which is why I'm a little bit more um okay with this. Um so with that said,
I'm I'm fine with it for this year, but we do need to go back and tighten up a
lot of things in the next 12 months. Thank you, uh council members for all of
your remarks. And um I appreciate the work that goes into community events
like the Burnsville Festival and Fire Muster and the International Festival.
and when we had art and all that jazz. And yes,
it is good for all of us to be engaged in our community and to be
proponents of things that enrich the lives of our community. However,
when we are engaged in these events, I have voted against
the amount of money that we give to the legacy. So my
position has been consistent all along. I do not support the city
contributing money to festivals because I think that's a 501c3.
It is the responsibility of that organization to raise the money to make
the festival a reality and to meet what it is that they want the festivals to
look like. So I have never come to the city in my capacity
uh as a volunteer uh at the international festival to ask
for money for the festival. I have voted against the legacy funds
because I believe that that is the responsibility of those 501c3
organizations.
The festivals and the events matter to our residents, but this request and
other requests that ask for our taxpayers to cover that kind of money,
like tonight it's $17,74923
in private security cost that were not budgeted and would require us to amend
the general fund. When we amend the general fund, that
means that it's going to take money away from some or some some department within
the organization because the budget is already set.
And our residents expect tax dollars to support public safety, public works,
parks, and community assets and responsible stewardship. and for us to
be good responsible stewardships of their money, not private operational
expenses for nonprofit events. That's my belief.
And so I've not voted for any of that. So tonight, I'm not going to be voting
for this because nonprofits and businesses have the responsibility to
raise the funds needed to deliver their mission and what their outcome is for
that event. Shifting private security costs to taxpayers sets a precedent that
I cannot support. And for that reason, I will be voting against this like I have
in the past in all the other uh requests that have come before the city because I
believe that our residents are asking us to be good stewards of their money. And
when we work hard on the budget, because we start in February and we go through a
very transparent process that allows everyone in the city
to understand how we're going to be spending the public's money, the
residents and business money in this community.
And when it is set, it is set. And tonight we're asking our
city manager and our staff to amend this budget. Now, I don't know where this
money is going to come from, but I understand it's going to be out of the
general fund, but out of that general fund, I can tell you that it's coming
out of some department that's going to be losing some of that money.
And so, I am voting against this just as I have in the past. It is the
responsibility of all 501c3s that are legacy events within the
community of Burnsville. Raise the money if that's what you want to do uh with
regard to your events. Raise the money. The 501c3s that I belong to,
like the community foundation or the police uh and fire foundation, we bring
money to the city. We're not asking for the city to pay any of that. We bring
money to the city. [snorts] That's what I believe. I'm
going to be raising money to help make the city uh events
uh a success, not coming out of the taxpayers.
» Council member Keely, >> two things real quick. uh your last
point about um the wonderful police and fire foundation. That event doesn't
happen in the city of Burnsville. It happens actually in Lakeville. So, uh it
wouldn't be gerine to this discussion. Number two, you mentioned um this is
going to take money from another department. City Manager Lindberg, would
you please uh enlighten everyone on the current unallocated balance in the
city's general fund uh sources and whether this is going to quote, as the
mayor put it, take money from another department,
» city manager Lindberg, >> Madame Mayor, members of the council, is
is reflected in the background information provided to you. a budget
amendment. Uh the budget amendment in front of you uh is to increase
expenditures in the general fund operating budget. Um that's related uh
the staff recommendation is related to um the the policy of legacy events in
the definition of basic city services. Um so the request in front of you is for
uh event security related to operating expenses. um uh the funds uh or the
revenue side would be through available general fund balance.
» Okay. And um to clarify, council member Keley, the Burnsville Police and Fire
Foundation is a Burnsville Police and Fire Foundation
that is through its declaration >> and address is Burnsville, not
Lakeville. It just doesn't have a an event that happens in the city of
Burnsville and it's not a legacy. >> We're using using the brackets crossing
because they have a a golf course in Lakeville. We don't have an 18hole golf
course, >> but it's also not a legacy event. So,
it's not >> But the thing is the the purpose of my
remarks is that I belong to organizations that bring money to the
city, not take money from the city. All right. Um, Miss Grazini, I'll give you
one more time, but please keep your your comments short.
» I will I will do that. I just want to uh respond to some claims that were made.
Um, I think your semantics is might be a little misleading, Dan. Um, the statute
treats officers of 5013C's differently than it treats just general volunteers,
even if you're a volunteer officer. My understanding is you are a vol you are
officer. >> Okay. So, that's different. Um,
» are you >> It appears unfair in that case. Let me
finish. Can you stop interrupting me kindly?
» Well, I just you're you're you jump to legal situations.
» Absolutely. I do because legal matters. >> Well, and you said you're not a lawyer.
I think we need a lawyer to weigh in on this.
» Council member Keely, it is respectful to give um Miss Gazini her time and then
I am going to go to Mr. Sheepard. Mayor, just if I may, really quickly, um
just to let the council know where we are procedurally, we had a a motion and
a second and we had a friendly amendment to allow discussion of the council.
» Yeah. Yes. >> So, we're we're really outside of the
public comment section of this. We're we're we're back to the council. So,
that's where we're at in terms of the You have a a motion and a second in
front of you. [snorts] >> Thank you, Mr. Sheepard, for the
clarification. So, Miss Gazini, according to Robert's rules and where
we're at, you are outside of that request. So,
perhaps in a different environment, [snorts] you can cl make your
clarifications. >> I will do that.
» So, thank you so much. Okay. If the clerk can then take the
role because there has been a motion and a second and the friendly amendment was
accepted. So, if the clerk could please take the role.
» Keely, >> yes.
» Estiffson, >> no.
» Schultz, >> yes.
» Workman, >> yes.
» Couts, >> no.
And um thank you and the clerk and everyone has
the division of the house. And then I thank everybody for their uh input into
this particular item and members of the council. There are no other items to
come before us this evening and a motion to adjourn is in order.
» So moved. >> Second.
» There's a motion and a second. All in favor, please say I. I. Oppose. Say nay.
And the motion carries. Thank you for being with with us and have a good
evening.