Eagan City Council Meeting - November 18, 2025: Public Comments, Swearing-In, Land Use Approvals
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Eagan City Council Meeting - November 18, 2025
The Eagan City Council held its regular meeting on November 18, 2025, at 6:30 PM at the Eagan Municipal Center. The meeting included a public comment period moved to the beginning for the group Communities United Against Police Brutality, who spoke about the death of Kingsley Bimpong during an encounter with Eagan police. The council listened but did not respond due to ongoing litigation. Following public comments, the council conducted a swearing-in ceremony for two new firefighters, approved a consent agenda with numerous routine items, considered old business on a bond sale, and addressed three new business items: a preliminary subdivision, a comprehensive guide plan amendment for a residential treatment facility, and a conditional use permit for truck parking.
Recognitions and Presentations
- Swearing-In of Firefighters: Fire Chief Hugo Soyle presented Nick Kindelspire and Conner Gross for badge pinning and swearing-in. Kindelspire has 10 years of experience in Fargo and 12 years in the National Guard; Gross has experience in Hastings and 10 years as an infantry officer. Both were sworn in as Eagan firefighters.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Michelle Gross (President of an organization and retired nurse): Criticized the police response to Kingsley Bimpong, stating that officers had proper training to provide medical care but chose not to act. She urged the council to create consequences for the officers involved.
- Cynthia (Community member and volunteer with Minnesota Freedom Fund): Called the death a failure of systems, noting that officers muted body cameras and failed to provide care. She demanded termination of all involved officers.
- Aquanette Early (Eagan resident and social policy worker): Expressed heartbreak over the incident, describing officers' actions as abandonment. She insisted the council use oversight to hold all parties accountable and enforce policy compliance.
- Cindy Devinish Hall (Eagan resident and taxpayer): Requested removal of the officers involved, an independent investigation, and updated training to prevent future deaths.
- Lavelle Oaks (Organizer with Tone Up and Rebuild Nation): Stated that the incident highlights systemic racial bias in policing, and urged the council not to wait for change.
The mayor concluded the public comment period, noting the council could not respond due to litigation but appreciated the comments.
Consent Calendar
The council approved the consent agenda with one change: moving visitors to be heard to the beginning. Items approved included:
- Approval of minutes
- Personnel items (including appointment of new police chief Salim Omari to be sworn in December 2)
- Approval of check registers
- Approval of contracts
- Resolution to accept donations
- Contract with Vermont Systems for park & recreation software
- 3rd Quarter Financial Report
- Joint Powers Agreement for Dakota County Drug Task Force grant
- 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan for Parks (2026-2030) and 2026 implementation
- Resolution for off-site gambling application for Eagan Lions Club
- Declaration of surplus city property
- Resolution updating polling location name
- Change Order No. 1 and final payment for Cedar Grove Parking Garage Landscaping
- Encroachment agreements for 4320 Trenton Trail and 4742 Oak Cliff Drive
- Cooperative Construction Agreement with MnDOT, Dakota County, and Inver Grove Heights
- Plans & specifications for 2026 Water Quality Improvements
- Final payment for 2025 Water Quality Improvements
- Acknowledgment of completion of MCES Building Expansion
- Railroad crossing repair agreement
- Final payments and change order for Eagan Art House
- Cancellation of December 9, 2025 special council meeting
- Premises permit for Eagan Hockey Association
- Off-sale liquor license for Merwin Liquors Eagan
- Direction to prepare ordinance amendment to change dog licensing period
Discussion Items
Old Business: Bond Sale
- Resolution approving sale of $1,315,000 General Obligation Housing Improvement Bonds, Series 2025B: Finance Director Josh Miller and municipal advisor Jessica Green presented the results. Four bids were received; RW Baird was the low bidder. True interest cost is 4.82%, below the estimated 5.57%. The bonds will finance improvements in the Widgeon Woods housing improvement area. The council approved the resolution, with Councilmember Hansen noting the use of Local Affordable Housing Aid (LAHA) funds to provide interest-free deferred assessments for low- and moderate-income homeowners.
New Business Item A: Preliminary Subdivision – Woods of Witham Lane 2nd Addition
- Request: To adjust the property line between two lots at 4070 Dodd Road and 654 Witham Lane, transferring 0.2 acres to enlarge the northern lot. No grading or development is planned.
- Decision: Approved unanimously, with conditions listed in the October 28 APC minutes. Vacation of drainage easements will be handled at final plat.
New Business Item B: Comprehensive Guide Plan Amendment, Rezoning, and Preliminary Planned Development – Eagan Hope and Wellness
- Request: Change land use from QP (Quasi Public) to RC (Retail Commercial), rezone from PF (Public Facility) to PD (Planned Development), and approve a preliminary planned development for a 16-bed residential treatment facility at 1581 Century Point. The Metropolitan Council approved the land use amendment on July 2, 2025.
- Details: The 0.6-acre site will have a two-story building with 13 parking stalls (7 required). Several deviations are requested for setbacks and building materials. Staff noted the intended residential character of the facility.
- Public Comment: Patricia Pascuzzi expressed support for transitional housing but requested details on management and funding to ensure success.
- Council Response: The mayor explained that the council's purview is limited to land use; operational details are regulated by state agencies. The applicant (Aisha Nur of Eagan Hope and Wellness) stated the facility will be licensed by DHS and Minnesota Department of Health, and Dakota County has approved a statement of need.
- Decision: Approved in three separate motions: (1) Comprehensive Guide Plan Amendment (unanimous), (2) Rezoning (unanimous), (3) Preliminary Planned Development subject to APC conditions (unanimous).
New Business Item C: Conditional Use Permit – 10 Roads Express
- Request: Allow overnight parking of 20 trucks and 10 trailers at 3321 Mike Collins Drive, replacing a prior CUP that allowed only passenger vehicle storage.
- Details: The 2.35-acre site is zoned I-1 (Industrial). Screening with a 6-foot chain link fence with slats will be installed.
- Decision: Approved unanimously, subject to APC conditions.
Key Outcomes
- Public Comments: The council listened to community concerns about police accountability but did not respond due to litigation.
- Bond Sale Approved: $1,315,000 in General Obligation Housing Improvement Bonds sold at a true interest cost of 4.82%.
- Land Use Approvals: All three new business items approved unanimously.
- Upcoming Events: Tree lighting ceremony on December 2 at 4:30 PM at the community center.
Meeting Transcript
Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. I want to welcome everybody to the November eighteenth regular meeting of the Egan City Council. This is our second and final meeting of the month of November. We have a um substantive but I think fairly efficient uh agenda tonight. My understanding is that we have a group here from uh the communities united against police brutality, and uh uh my understanding is that group has asked to uh make comments at the end of the meeting uh as opposed to at the beginning of the meeting, or is that changed since I was lost updated? No? Okay. Uh so uh opportunity was to um move comments up to the beginning of the meeting. Uh apparently that group would rather wait until uh visitors be heard later on in the meeting, so uh in the meantime, uh we'll look forward to that, and I'll probably make a few comments uh preceding that listening such or that uh public comment period. Uh with that, we have a uh swearing in of a firefighter tonight, uh some other uh land use business, and then we'll get to the uh communities united against police brutality. Uh with that, uh Ms. Miller. Are there any any other changes to tonight's agenda? No, Mr. Mayor. Uh council, same question. Councilman Bachard. Move to adopt the agenda as presented. Second. That's moved and seconded. Okay. Okay. Um you want to draw your motion? Um well, let's pass the motion, but move visitors to be heard up to in front of the book. Yep. Okay, so let's add public input uh right before recognitions and presentations or after. Uh before recognition presentation. That'd be great. Okay, that's the motion. That's moved and seconded. Uh just to explain, we've adopted uh we've uh moved to adopt an agenda that that adds a public comment period right after our adoption of the agenda. Uh that's the place we'll hear from the communities united against police brutality. Uh and then we'll go on with the rest of the meeting after that. Uh with that, uh motion is made and seconded. Any further discussion on the motion? All in favor is going to say aye. And opposed nay, that motion carries. Uh and we have an agenda. Uh with that, um, I'll move right into the newly added public comment period. Um, I'll uh um I can't hear. Uh just uh uh remind folks that uh the uh uh uh participation in public comment is important to uh the city of Egan. Uh we appreciate uh having you here tonight. Um the city of Egan uh fully uh respects the community's right to express its views uh and we're committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for everyone uh to do that. Uh because this topic involves ongoing litigation. The city cannot provide additional comment at this time. The council will be more than happy to listen and take your comments, but will not engage in back and forth discussion. Um ask that we try to uh conduct our uh public comments in the same way we do our public hearings, uh, and that each speaker um uh had to try to limit their comments to uh between four and five minutes uh so we can get out of here uh as quickly as possible, but having as many people as possible express their facts. Uh with that, uh, the council's tradition is usually uh not to uh answer questions or make comments uh during uh public comment periods like this one. Uh and because this one involves litigation, uh, we'll continue that as well. So uh with that, uh the microphones are open.
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