City Council Recap: January 13, 2025 
MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2025  
CHANHASSEN CITY HALL, 7700 MARKET BOULEVARD  

Summary   

5:30 P.M. - WORK SESSION (Fountain Conference Room) 

All councilmembers were in attendance. 

Director of Public Works/City Engineer Charlie Howley began the work session by summarizing the Council's history with the Market Boulevard Improvement Project and asked councilmembers for any questions or feedback. (See previous, relevant Council summaries from November 25 and December 9). 

A majority of councilmembers voiced their support for a Market Boulevard Improvement design named "Alternative 1," which was one of the designs originally presented by Howley to the Council in the summer of 2024. Alternative 1 would feature a two-lane section with a center median and multiple mini-roundabouts. The goals of the project include the replacement of public infrastructure, coordinating with new development (Civic Campus and Hotel/Cinema Redevelopment) and improvements to pedestrian/bicycle safety and mobility. 

During the discussion, councilmembers shared their perspectives on the project and identified a few important areas to focus on as the project moves forward: 

• The Council and City staff should work hard to ease any burdens faced by businesses located within the Market Square shopping center, which would be most acutely affected by the Market Boulevard Improvement Project. 

• The Council and City staff would continue to discuss the two roundabouts proposed in Alternative 1. 

• The Council would continue to pay attention to the project’s effect on traffic congestion on nearby Great Plains Boulevard. 

• Councilmembers stressed how important it will be for the City to fully communicate details of the project to Chanhassen residents and businesses. 

• A councilmember inquired about a stoplight at the Market Street intersection and another councilmember drew a comparison to the successful roundabout and single lane road in front of Costco in Chaska. 

The Council briefly discussed the City's 2025 Legislative priorities (which can be viewed here) and talked about future plans to discuss such priorities with state and national elected officials, including Rep. Tom Emmer. 

City Manager Laurie Hokkanen talked with Council about the City's Request for Proposals (RFQ) for an architectural firm for the future Chanhassen Bluffs Community Center, which was approved by Chanhassen voters during the 2024 General Election. Anyone is welcome to submit proposals and interviews will likely begin during a special Council session on February 19. 

Howley discussed with the Council the City's plans to apply for a RAISE Grant in order to help fund the City's future reconstruction efforts on Pleasant View Road. The City hopes to upgrade to as near city standards as feasible, add a multi-use trail, conduct stormwater management and rehabilitate (or replace) sewer & water utilities. The RAISE grant is part of the Federal Government’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The application is due by January 30, 2025. The project is currently estimated at ~$20.7M, and, as such, the City's Municipal State Aid and other Pavement Management Program funding will not cover all of the needs. The Council had a resolution supporting the grant application on the consent agenda at the regular council meeting later that evening. 

Howley and Fire Chief Andrew Heger discussed a petition signed by 24 residents living on or around Kiowa Avenue, Iroquois Street and Huron Avenue (between Chan View and W 76th Street). The petition seeks to remove established No Parking areas on those streets. The one-sided No Parking restriction was put in place as a result of the recent 2024 Street Improvement project whereby all of the streets and utilities were fully reconstructed. Both Howley and Heger expressed their preference to leave the No Parking designation in place for these streets due to the narrower street width, Fire Code compliance, winter snow narrowing concerns, improved safety for pedestrians and bicyclists and the benefits of traffic calming, stormwater management and reduced costs. 

Mayor Elise Ryan stated that while this petition was limited in scope, it highlighted the need for a broader discussion by the Council to establish a city-wide vision and policy for parking rules and regulations. The Council agreed to have a more in-depth conversation on the topic in February. 

7:00 P.M. CITY COUNCIL MEETING (City Council Chambers) 

All councilmembers were in attendance.  

City Clerk Jenny Potter administered the oath of office to Councilmembers Josh Kimber and Haley Schubert, both of whom were re-elected by Chanhassen voters during the November election. 

“We show that we can work together, collaborate, share ideas, ask questions of each other and staff and get the work done that we were elected to do,” said Mayor Ryan. “We have a tremendous amount of work on our plate ... but I have no doubt this City Council will be successful.” 

Mayor Ryan announced vacancies on several city commissions (read more details here) and encouraged any interested residents to get involved. The application deadline is Friday, January 24, 2025. The City Council will interview commission applicants at their February 10 and 24, 2025 Work Sessions. Appointments will take place at the March 10, 2025, City Council meeting. 

Mayor Ryan applauded Chanhassen Finance Director Kelly Grinnell and her colleagues in the City’s Finance Department for recently being awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting through the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for the annual comprehensive financial report for the 2023 fiscal year. The report has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive "spirit of full disclosure" to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management. 

The Council unanimously approved all items on the Consent Agenda. They were:  

• Approve City Council Minutes dated November 25, 2024 

• Approve City Council Minutes dated December 9, 2024 

• Approve City Council Special Meeting Minutes dated December 18, 2024 

• Receive Commission on Aging Minutes dated October 18, 2024 

• Receive Commission on Aging Minutes dated November 15, 2024 

• Receive Environmental Commission Minutes dated November 13, 2024 

• Receive Park and Recreation Commission Minutes dated October 22, 2024 

• Receive Park and Recreation Commission Minutes dated November 26, 2024 

• Receive Planning Commission Minutes dated December 3, 2024 

• Approve Claims Paid dated January 13, 2025 

• Adopt 2025 Legislative Priorities 

• Appoint Acting Mayor 

• Designate Official Newspaper 

• Appointments to the Fire Relief Association Board of Trustees 

• Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Federal Background Checks Joint Powers Agreement 

• e-PLANSOFT License Agreement 

• Approve Memorandum of Understanding with Carver County for Cardboard Drop Off 

• Arbor Day Proclamation 

• Approve an Encroachment Agreement between the City of Chanhassen and the property owner at 7320 Longview Circle 

• Approve Publication of Request For Qualifications for Chanhassen Bluffs Community Center Architect Services 

• Approve Contract for 2025 City Tree Contractor with Pro Tree Expert Arborists 

• Construction Materials Testing Contract for MMSW Roundabout Project 

• Declaring Official Depositories for City Funds 

• Hennepin County Hazard Mitigation Plan 

• Authorization of Electronic Transfer of Funds 

• Designating Official Authorized to Declare Official Intent Under Reimbursement Bond Regulations 

• Solar on Public Buildings Grant 

• RAISE Grant application for the Pleasant View Road Improvement Project 

• Approve the proposed minor PUD amendment for signage at Seven Forty-One Crossing Planned Unit Development 

• Amending Chapter 20 Regulating Group Homes as a Conditional Use 

Chief Heger provided a 2024 Q4 update on the Fire Department. Notable statistics included: 

• 6 minutes and 49 seconds was the average response time 

• 397 calls for service in Q4 2024 (1,480 for 2024, 9% increase over 2023)

• 70% of the time, the Fire Department arrived on the scene ahead of the ambulance service. 

Heger also gave a presentation on Community Connect, a safe, secure, and free resource where homeowners and businesses can share critical information about their property with us before an emergency happens. 

“Knowledge is power,” said Heger. “Anything we can do in advance is really beneficial. It provides our firefighters with the most information, so they can make sure they are operating in a safe capacity.” Heger also highlighted the program’s strong data security. “The system we use utilizes bank-level encryption standards, so it is as safe as some of the financial institutions that are out there.”  

The Council held a public hearing and subsequently unanimously adopted an ordinance “Adopting the 2025 Fee Schedule and the Resolution Approving Summary Publication of Ordinance Adopting 2025 Fee Schedule." This ordinance is updated annually to establish all of the fees and charges for the city. In lieu of publishing the entire ordinance in the newspaper, a resolution is included for summary publication of the ordinance. Prior to 2022, the city's fees and charges have been set within several areas of the city's code. On January 10, 2022, Ordinance 683 was adopted by the Chanhassen City Council. This new ordinance replaced all of the references to fees in other ordinances with one comprehensive fees and charges schedule. The Fees and Charges Schedule is updated annually and included in the budget process. The 2025 schedule will be posted on the city's website for reference. 

The Council held a hearing and subsequently unanimously approved a resolution "approving the vacation of public drainage and utility easements, over multiple easement areas within the Civic Campus property development legally described as, Lot 1, Block 1 Schneider Park 2nd Addition and Lot 2, Block 1 Schneider Park 2nd Addition, according to the recorded plats thereof, Carver County, Minnesota." Vacating existing public drainage and utility easements required as part of the Civic Campus development. The City's Civic Campus property is needing to vacate existing public utility easements in association with its development. The portion of the development where platted easements are needing vacation are located within Lot 1, Block 1 and Lot 2, Block 1 Schneider Park 2nd Addition. All platted drainage and utility easements on these properties are to be vacated by this action. A condition of this easement vacation approval is that the Chanhassen Civic Campus Plat be recorded simultaneously with these vacations. This action is a routine action that is part of the overall approval of the development. 

Kimber and Mayor Ryan took time during “Council Presentations” to praise Councilmember Jerry McDonald’s work on the SW Transit Commission.  

“We should feel better about where transit is over the past few years, specifically because of Jerry McDonald’s contributions,” said Kimber. 

Mayor Ryan thanked Heger for his department’s community outreach efforts, including Fire Captain Marissa Smith and Firefighter Ana Fatturi, who recently met with local girls to talk about being female firefighters.