[0:00] meeting um on Monday, December 8th, 2025
at OSFA City Hall at 700 p.m. Um if we
[0:08] would all please rise to the pledge of
allegiance.
[0:14] » I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the
[0:19] republic for it stands. One nation under
God, indivisible, with liberty and
[0:26] justice for all.
[0:36] We've got a few people in attendance, so
maybe we should do roll call.
[0:42] » Stephanie Henan, city council. Laura
Bros, city council.
[0:46] » JD, mayor. Tim Doroom, city council.
Randy Anderson, city council. Larry Del
[0:54] Craig will say sorry chief
[1:01] » Jason Murray
>> and Angela Jacobson.
[1:06] » Um
if we could look at the agenda. Is there
[1:10] anything any changes that anybody needs
to make or can we approve the agenda as
[1:15] presented?
>> Motion to approve the agenda.
[1:20] Motion has been made and seconded to
approve the agenda. All in favor say I.
[1:24] I.
>> Oppose. Same sign. Motion carries. Um I
[1:28] will now entertain a motion to suspend
this regular meeting to go into our
[1:32] first public hearing through the
taxation.
[1:36] » I'll make a motion to suspend the
meeting.
[1:40] » Motion has been made and seconded to
suspend the regular meeting to open
[1:45] public hearing truth and taxation. All
in favor say I.
[1:48] » Oppose. same sign.
We will move on to the truth and
[1:53] taxation hearing.
Um,
[1:57] » pardon me.
>> Come up and Yes.
[1:59] » Yes, please.
[2:06] Tonight, uh, we're having the public
hearing we're required to have for our
[2:11] budget. So, I did have for everybody in
the public here to get this sheet that
[2:15] says OUS
um city highlights. Everybody receives
[2:19] this in their newsletter in the fall.
Um, so it's not changed from then, but
[2:24] just wanted to go over some of the
details of that and not read everything
[2:28] off, but just for the public's
information is that um the council is
[2:33] looking at a 5% increase to our tax levy
and that's $44,09
[2:40] and that's proposed for 2026 and that
would cover the general fund
[2:44] expenditures
um reserve fund and our debt levy. And
[2:50] right now the taxes that the city does
collect is approximately 47.59%
[2:58] of the total budget that the city uses
throughout year in their general fund.
[3:03] The expenditures that we're looking at
this year are 7.2%
[3:08] increase 426 from the 25 budget. Um the
main um changes are our parks, beach,
[3:17] community center, trails, and ice rink
and the police department are the
[3:21] biggest changes in our budget.
For the revenues, it's also increasing
[3:26] by 7.2%.
And the main items that we receive that
[3:33] cover the cost of our general fund are
um the local government aid, taxes, and
[3:39] grants. and we do transfer some money
from um other funds to help with the
[3:43] budget. Um so in the main part the
council is looking at tonight adopting
[3:50] that budget. So like we talked about in
our preliminary budget we had a 5%
[3:57] increase. I did have in the packet
tonight um I went through the budget and
[4:03] finalized some numbers based on some
changes that we had recently. there was
[4:07] a
uh carryover of $4,889.
[4:13] So, we could reduce the uh levy mode to
4.5%
[4:18] and still stay uh within not affecting
the budget that we had set up in um
[4:25] September. But if the council wanted to
go a little lower, we'd have to reduce
[4:30] some of the reserve funding in order to
do that. So the council tonight can open
[4:34] it up to questions from the floor and
then move into making a decision on
[4:39] that.
Any questions for me first of all?
[4:46] » Nothing for me.
[4:51] » Thank you.
[4:55] » And do we have any questions from the
floor or any comments from the floor?
[5:07] If not, um,
I will entertain a motion to close the
[5:12] public hearing.
>> Motion to close the public hearing.
[5:14] » And do I have a second? Second.
>> Motion has been made and seconded to
[5:18] close the public hearing at 7:06 p.m.
All in favor say I. I. Oppose. Same
[5:25] sign. Motion carries.
[5:30] Um, and with the information that Angela
has provided to us, um,
[5:37] my feeling, um, is I don't think you
want to reduce it to, uh, 4%, I would
[5:43] rather not have to pull from reserves,
but if she's comfortable with us
[5:48] bringing it down to 4.5,
um, I would, uh, appreciate that. Um,
[5:56] any discussion? Um on this from you guys
[6:12] that
[6:19] I'll make a motion to approve resolution
2025-30
[6:22] the uh 226 final Excellent.
4 and a2%.
[6:30] » Second.
>> Motion has been made and seconded to
[6:34] approve resolution 2025-30
uh for final tax levy of 4.5%. All in
[6:40] favor say I.
>> Oppos. Same sign. Motion carries.
[6:48] » There are two more items on the duty
too.
[6:53] motion to approve the budget.
[7:04] » And do I have assistance?
>> I'm sorry. It's
[7:07] » okay.
>> Motion has been made and seconded to
[7:09] approve the budget for 2026 as
presented. All in favor say I. I.
[7:14] Oppose. Same time.
Motion carries.
[7:18] And then uh last meeting we discussed
the um
[7:24] new um water and sewer rates
which Angela has provided to us here
[7:31] also.
>> I'll make a motion to approve the new
[7:36] rates for 2026.
>> Motion has been made and seconded to
[7:41] approve the water and sewer rate for
2026 as presented. All in favor say I.
[7:46] I. both same sign. Motion carries.
[7:56] We have a few minutes before the next
public hearing. So, we will look at the
[8:00] consent agenda and item, please.
[8:13] I will make a motion to approve the
consent items and pay the bills of
[8:17] $367,2395.
[8:22] » Sorry. Motion is made and seconded to
approve the consent agenda and approve
[8:27] bills of $367,23925.
[8:33] All in favor say I. Bullet same sign.
Motion carries
[8:56] on to um item number 60-1 ordinance
rental. Um, I know we um tabled this at
[9:04] the last meeting. Um,
I know that uh Angela and Lynette have
[9:11] given me some more information regarding
the number of units that we have in
[9:14] town. Um, I do feel that
um
[9:21] we should have further conversation on
this. Um,
[9:26] but if it's okay with the council, u I
would like the table to have a February
[9:31] meeting.
This January gets to be a little hectic,
[9:34] too. Um, unless you guys have some other
thoughts or any other information that
[9:39] you would like um
the city girls to get together for us.
[9:46] Um, I know I can have Angela share what
she's already the information that
[9:50] they've already gathered.
[10:02] Okay.
>> I'll make a motion to table the rental
[10:08] ordinance
project number 16-1 to the February
[10:12] meeting.
>> Second.
[10:14] » Motion has been made and seconded to
table the ordinance for rental units uh
[10:18] till February. All in favor say I. I.
>> Oppose. same sign. Motion carries.
[10:33] Um project number 60, ordinance meters.
Um
[10:39] the public works department has been
working to replace the water meter
[10:42] batteries for properties that are
receiving estimated bills. Uh we
[10:47] currently have 24 properties that have
received three notices to have the meter
[10:52] battery replaced and they have not
complied. Uh public works is looking at
[10:58] um
us changing our ordinance for a
[11:02] compliance a non-compliance fee.
Um I think this is probably something
[11:07] that we should have looked at.
[11:12] Currently, we're allowed to shut them
off, not charge a fee,
[11:17] » but we can't do that during winter also.
Correct.
[11:20] » Well, shut them off. You're legally
required unless they heat with water,
[11:26] but typically we don't do it because of
the cold weather rules and having to
[11:30] find the curb stops and shut them off.
It causes problems. So, we don't on a
[11:35] typical basis. So, now you can't shut
anybody off for non-compliance. So, we
[11:40] discussed this fee that we saw other
cities do on compliance, but wanted to
[11:45] see if it was even worth investigating
or have an attorney look at some draft
[11:51] language before I went that far. But I
did have some here just to get you an
[11:56] idea of if we did do something that
would be something that would look like.
[12:02] So just so I'm understanding this
correctly.
[12:06] So they're not replacing the battery. So
are we just guesstimating then what on
[12:12] average what they've used and that's
what they're getting for the bill. So
[12:16] ultimately they it also could get a
surprise if they're using a lot more
[12:21] water.
>> And we we have had so it the system
[12:24] estimates it itself. It goes off of
people's average and we have had some
[12:30] that are really close. So, we've had
some that their bill is $300 or more and
[12:35] then they come in and they're
complaining. It's like, well, they've
[12:37] been estimated for a year now and now we
have people that have gotten three
[12:42] notices and haven't complied. So,
is there a reason why they aren't
[12:51] keeping up with it? I don't know. Or
don't want to do it. We're not sure. I
[12:56] did have a gentleman that complained
about having to do it to me and um he
[13:00] said he didn't get his first two
letters.
[13:02] I can't say that he did or didn't. I we
sent them out, you know, to him. And so
[13:07] these 24 people we are actually today
calling them just saying, "Hey, did you
[13:11] know that you're supposed to be doing
this and seeing if we can get a few more
[13:16] people just don't want to do it?"
The matter is they just don't want to
[13:20] have anybody in their house. So
>> we don't have an accurate rating to
[13:26] know.
>> I get that. But we also are providing
[13:29] them with water. We have to have a way
to be accountable for their benefit as
[13:35] well as ours. We all need to be on the
same page. So
[13:39] » I have no problem with going forward
with that. I mean,
[13:43] » if if they don't want to do that, then
they shouldn't live in city limits, I
[13:47] guess. I mean, we need to have it
accurate for
[13:52] » when it's for both. I mean, we're
billing them. We don't want to
[13:54] overcharge them, but we have no idea
where estimate if it's too much or not
[13:59] enough.
>> I did ask Lynette to take these 24 lease
[14:02] and look back and figure it herself just
to make system isn't figuring it wrong
[14:08] because the closer we can get the
better. Otherwise, like you said,
[14:11] there's going to be two, three, $400,
and it's like they don't like that when
[14:16] we send that to us,
>> right?
[14:18] » We've had people complain to us. It's
like, well,
[14:21] I'm sorry. But
>> I was going to say the news and Lynette
[14:24] and I had a conversation about the new
system, too. The way it averages it is
[14:29] weird.
>> It's
[14:32] just I mean, the system doesn't go back
to look at the time period.
[14:38] It just I don't know where it comes up
as a number and Lena has no idea either
[14:44] » but I know Steph you had
>> we had ours and we had it estimated and
[14:50] then we got our actual bill and truly
for us it was more that we used 10,000
[14:55] gallons and I'm like good lord you guys
are done showering.
[15:00] » So that was more my shock but then as I
talked to Judy and I talked to a couple
[15:04] of my neighbors they're like don't worry
about that number they have to start
[15:06] somewhere like Okay.
>> Yeah, cuz I get a final reading when
[15:10] they do it and when they replace this
battery at zero,
[15:13] » it starts over. So then they give us
that reading. That's what we build as
[15:17] that final rating.
>> And so it probably was underestimating
[15:20] some for your
>> Oh, I'm sure.
[15:22] » Yeah,
>> it went down again this month. So I'm
[15:24] okay.
>> Yeah.
[15:26] » Yeah.
But I
[15:28] » sounds reasonable after three times that
reason
[15:33] » and and maybe in if we want to go
forward and look at this because I don't
[15:37] think that it's a bad idea. You know,
people have to understand that we have
[15:42] to
replace these things.
[15:46] » Well, we couldn't predict that they
would fail early either.
[15:49] » Yeah. But maybe we in the language we
can put you know three letters and then
[15:53] follow up with the phone call and if we
can't get any anything after the phone
[15:58] call
>> Yeah.
[16:00] » done due diligence.
>> Yeah.
[16:01] » Yep.
>> The under monitors our
[16:06] water that comes out of our wells and if
we can't
[16:11] » Yeah. We have to keep within that 10%.
>> Yeah. So, I will make a motion to
[16:17] approve moving forward.
>> The motion.
[16:20] » Yeah.
>> Last year, I had my water meter freeze
[16:23] up and broke. They gave me a new water
meter. I put it in. Not I don't know if
[16:29] that has a battery in it or what it
might hooked up.
[16:33] » Mhm. Yeah. You have to put in They won't
put it in, but this is just a the unit
[16:38] on top of it is the battery,
and that's what sends it to their
[16:42] reading. So, as they drive around,
that's how they get the reading from.
[16:46] » Okay. How does the battery in it
>> when I got it?
[16:49] » Yep.
>> How long are they usually last?
[16:51] » Well, what what we're doing now is
between 10 and 12 years.
[16:55] » Oh, okay.
>> That's what we're doing. Yeah.
[16:57] » So, if you just got a new one, you
should be good for 10 years hopefully.
[17:01] » Okay. Just making sure.
>> Cross.
[17:06] » Beautiful. So I will make a motion to
approve moving forward to prepare
[17:09] language to amend our meter ordinance
and allowing for non-compliance fees.
[17:14] » Second. Motion is made and seconded to
approve moving forward and prepare
[17:19] language to amend our meter ordinance to
allow a non-compliance fee. All in favor
[17:25] say I.
>> I post same sign. Motion carries.
[17:33] Now I will ask or entertain a motion to
suspend our regular meeting to move on
[17:38] to um our tax increments public hearing.
So move
[17:44] » second. Motion has been moved and
seconded to suspend our regular meeting
[17:50] um and open public hearing for tax
increments. All in favor say I.
[17:56] » Oppos. Same sign. Motion carried.
Jason, if you know, join us.
[18:04] » Good evening, mayor and councel.
>> Good evening.
[18:06] » Tonight, you're holding this public
hearing just on the modification of of
[18:11] the uh original sus properties uh tax
incurren financing district 1-5. It was
[18:17] originally established back in 2000. So,
it's it's hitting its last few years of
[18:22] life. And so the main reason why we're
modifying this is the city of Oasis has
[18:26] been very uh aggressive in how it's used
in to support specifically single family
[18:33] uh housing uh improvements within the
city. It's also looking at I know the EA
[18:38] is talking about some future housing uh
new development and that. So we want to
[18:43] maximize this tiff district as best we
can. So the tiff plan governs how the
[18:47] city can use this increment over the
life. So really looking over this life
[18:52] of this 26-year district. So the key
piece of this diff plan is really that
[18:56] budget that's on page I think it's page
three. It maximizes what we're trying to
[19:00] do is maximize that budget um to make
sure that we have the ability to collect
[19:07] the increment. So right now um right now
if we we didn't if we didn't approve
[19:13] this you see that total from
modification number one that 1.8 8
[19:17] million would be the maximum increment
we could collect. Um nice the the the
[19:23] the experience this tiff district has
had is we're hitting that capacity. So
[19:29] in order to make sure that we can use
this tip district through its life
[19:32] through the end of 2027. We just want to
modify this this budget maximize this as
[19:37] much as we can based on all the
activities. So really with this little
[19:41] dis modification really tried to balance
out. We've had a lot of land sale
[19:46] proceeds over the years. So we want to
make sure we're accounting for that the
[19:49] increment and maximizing this budget. So
again council we're not adding parcels.
[19:56] This has nothing to do with anything new
from the standpoint of adding parcels.
[20:00] It's mainly a budgetary uh amendment or
modification at this time. Um we'll see
[20:07] in a couple years where the where the
council and EDA want to go as far as the
[20:10] use of this um district
and at the end of 2027 we'll no longer
[20:16] be collecting increment but if there is
some funds available within that tiff
[20:20] district from these activities we can
continue to use it as long as it's
[20:25] supporting housing that meets specific
income levels whether rental or home
[20:31] ownership and so uh the council and EDA
has been very aggressive over the last
[20:36] few years of trying to do the single
family home fix up. It's been a very
[20:40] good program for for the city here.
Any questions on the modification
[20:46] council? It's just uh again just trying
to maximize that that the use of this
[20:51] tip for the city.
[20:58] » I have no questions.
[21:03] » Thanks. I'll step back if there's any
questions. Thank you.
[21:09] » And it was in our minutes was requesting
[21:18] and I'll now entertain a motion to um
close the public hearing.
[21:27] » Second. A motion has been made and
seconded to close the public hearing and
[21:32] return to our regular meeting. All in
favor say I. I oppose. Same sign.
[21:37] Motion carries.
[21:41] So in order for us to do that, we have
to um approve uh the resolution that
[21:47] Angela has attached.
[21:51] » I'll make a motion to approve the
2025-32
[21:55] resolution
uh approving the modification for the
[21:58] TIFF 1 through five.
Second. Motion has been made and
[22:03] seconded to approve resolution
25-32
[22:09] approving the modification of TIFF
district 1-5. All in favor say I.
[22:14] » I. Opposed. Same sign.
>> Motion carries.
[22:19] » Angela, the last sentence on this
document, do we need to make a motion to
[22:22] pay that invoice?
>> No. They'll send us one later on
[22:29] estimate. Yeah.
[22:38] » Okay. Then we will move on to project
299-489
[22:43] bond lift station main lift station. Um
[22:52] Jason
you're back up.
[22:57] » Well perfect. Well, this has been uh
kind of a fall project for you and
[23:02] improving this lift station. So, uh
mainly due to kind of the timing timing
[23:08] of it and the need for funds, uh we
decided best option was using Minnesota
[23:12] water to uh to issue this deck. And so,
you have in front of you a loan
[23:17] agreement resolution that would approve
the issuance. Um, trying to find the
[23:22] cheat sheet here. Dropped into
[23:29] I had bonds. I just wanted to hit the
highlights on
[23:37] sorry um
first and foremost this is a utility so
[23:42] we are collecting shore and water
earlier. I know that uh during your
[23:45] budget conversation um you improved the
water new water and sewer rates. So,
[23:50] that's something Angel and I have been
speaking to uh speaking with over the
[23:54] last few months here just as we prep for
this borrowing this issue. $759,000
[24:00] total bond issue. Again, it will pledge
sewer revenues. There was there was some
[24:04] mixtures of some generators in there for
the water plant, but there was also a
[24:08] grant to offset that. And so, this is
going to mainly pledge sewer runs uh for
[24:15] that uh main lift station. So, um, if
council wishes, we can lock in tonight
[24:22] and, uh, within a couple weeks, we'll
have funds in the bank for you to make,
[24:26] um,
construction
[24:30] invoice or pay instruction invoices.
[24:35] » What rate are we looking at?
>> I knew you were going to ask
[24:39] 4.4.
>> Yeah, that's what I locked in.
[24:43] » That's what I locked in. I did some I
was uh on my way up here panicing a
[24:46] little bit. There was a couple 4.65s
that came in today. I was uh confusing
[24:51] myself, but yes.