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Minnetrista council approves appointments, consent items and hears staff updates
Summary
The Minnetrista City Council unanimously approved a slate of planning- and parks-commission appointments and adopted the consent agenda, and staff reported progress on legislative outreach and a regional fire partnership.
The Minnetrista City Council on Jan. 20 approved appointments to the planning and parks commissions, adopted its consent agenda, and heard staff updates on legislative outreach and a regional fire partnership.
Mayor Lisa Whalen opened the regular meeting and led a roll-call and the pledge of allegiance before the council took action to approve the evening’s agenda and the consent items. The council approved meeting minutes from Jan. 6, 2025; a resolution to approve claims; a WSB task order for GIS services; and authorization to acquire a police and building inspection vehicle, all as part of the consent agenda.
The council then completed appointment business discussed during the earlier work session. The council approved reappointments and new appointments for the planning and parks commissions, including the reappointment of Jen Reiser and the application of Melissa Gehring for a parks appointment. Other appointments and alternates discussed were Ashley Yelich, Lindsay Jamieson, Damien Young, and Carissa Gary Young. Mayor Whalen noted an informal expectation that commissioners attend at least 70% of meetings; council members said that attendance language also appears in city ordinance language but described the 70% benchmark as an unofficial local standard.
In staff reports Administrator Jasper Hulo and other staff updated the council on recent meetings with state legislators and a regional fire partnership. Hulo said staff met with State Senator Anne Johnson Stewart and Representative Andrew Myers to request support for a bonding bill and asked the legislators to consider including Minnetrista in that bill. City staff also reported formation of two subcommittees within a Fire Partnership: one to draft Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) language and another to examine formulas and financing for a JPA; city staff expected both workstreams to continue through March with follow-up steps and further budget refinement aimed at a summer timeframe.
Staff also invited council members to a water treatment plant tour scheduled for Jan. 27; the visitor will include a civil engineer from the state senator’s office. Mayor Whalen said she and staff would attend. The council adjourned after about nine minutes of business.
Votes at a glance - Approval of meeting agenda: motion passed (yes 4, no 0, absent 1). Moved by Councilmember Claudia Lacy; second noted in the record as “Mr. Tavern.” - Consent agenda (approve minutes 01/06/2025; resolution to approve claims; WSB task order for GIS services; authorize police and building inspection vehicle): adopted (yes 4, no 0, absent 1). - Appointments to planning and parks commissions (reappointments and new appointees as listed): approved (yes 4, no 0, absent 1).
No public hearings or persons to be heard were recorded for the meeting, and no ordinances or resolutions requiring extended debate were presented. The meeting record shows one absence: Councilmember Catherine Reardon.
