Special City Council & Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Summary: October 13, 2026

The Eagan City Council held a special meeting on October 13, 2026, covering an extensive agenda that included a joint session with the Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission (APRC), an update on the 2050 Comprehensive Guide Plan, a presentation on a Drones as First Responder (DFR) program, and a long-term review of the city’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The council expressed conceptual support for several major initiatives and provided direction for future phases, with formal approvals scheduled for December 15, 2026.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda Adoption: The council unanimously adopted the meeting agenda as presented.

Public Comments & Testimony

• None offered.

Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission (APRC) Joint Meeting

• Tribute: The council and commission paid tribute to the late Linda Klein, a long-serving APRC member. Her husband, Joel Klein, was acknowledged in the audience. APRC Chair Andrew Pramenthal delivered remarks on her extensive service and impact on the community.
• Parks CIP Presentation: Andrew Pramenthal presented the 2027-2031 parks capital improvement plan. The plan prioritizes maintaining existing assets using the "4R" principles (Repair, Replace, Remove, Reimagine) and is guided by the recently adopted 10-year master plan.
• 2026 Project Update: Staff provided updates on several projects, including the Northview tennis courts (replacing 35-year-old courts), the Quarry restroom replacement (moving to single-user universal rooms), Goat Hill turf installation for year-round programming, and new shade structures.
• 2027 Planned Projects:
  • Three playgrounds: South Oaks, Meadowlands Park, and a joint-powers project with Eagan Hills Church.
  • Installation of additional small park shelters and funding for professional services for future design work.
• Budget & Finance: The five-year plan represents approximately $6.8 million in investments. The fund has roughly $5 million cash on hand. Director Josh Feldman noted that revenue is becoming increasingly reliant on the annual tax levy as park dedication fees decrease due to the city being largely built out.
• Council Feedback: Council members inquired about tennis vs. pickleball usage trends, specific playground replacement locations (prioritized by a condition index and geographic equity across city quadrants), and the flexibility of the Goat Hill space for non-ice events. The council expressed strong support for the CIP direction and staff work, and commended the statewide recognition of the Art House project.

2050 Comprehensive Guide Plan Update

• Phase 1 Public Engagement Results: Director Horwath and planner Joe presented results from the first phase of public engagement, which included an online survey (568 responses) and numerous in-person community events (Big Rig Rally, Market Fest, senior groups, realtors).
• Community Feedback Themes:
  • A strong desire for attainable housing (affordable to median-income residents).
  • Preserving the character of existing neighborhoods.
  • Demand for improved pedestrian and bike connectivity.
  • Support for moderate-density growth in targeted redevelopment (special) areas.
• Housing Growth Options: Three conceptual approaches were presented to meet the Metropolitan Council’s forecast of 1,600 additional units (4,600 total by 2050):
  1. Incremental Growth: Allowing two units per lot citywide (least preferred by in-person engagement participants).
  2. Proactive Growth: Targeting moderate-density development near special areas and county roads (most preferred by 93% of in-person participants).
  3. Focused Growth: Concentrating all high-density development strictly within special areas.
• Staff Recommendation & Boundary Changes: Staff recommended placing all 23-50 forecasted growth within the Special Areas, including minor boundary adjustments to the Cliff Road Commons Special Area to add redevelopment potential (Metcalf Park, areas along Nicols) and remove stable single-family neighborhoods.
• Council Discussion:
  • Councilmember Backen noted a discrepancy between Met Council and State Demographer projections, urging flexibility in planning.
  • Councilmember Sabina observed potential overrepresentation of homeowners in the online survey results.
  • Councilmember Fields requested a more targeted, hyper-local engagement strategy in Phase 2 for residents in potentially impacted areas.
  • Mayor suggested a "parallel track": using Focused Growth to meet Met Council requirements, while keeping Proactive and Incremental approaches on the radar philosophically to address community attainability goals and neighborhood flexibility.

Emerging Technology: Drones as First Responder (DFR) Overview

• Presentation: Chief Amari and Chief Maholland presented a plan to expand the city’s existing drone program (active since 2021) to a Docked Drone First Responder model. Drones would be pre-positioned at four sites (Fire Stations 1, 2, 4, and Central Maintenance).
• Capabilities: The system provides live visual and thermal information to responders before arrival. Examples from St. Paul (missing child located in water) and Minnetonka (avoided unnecessary police contact in a theft misidentification) were cited to illustrate the value of an informed response.
• Legal & Privacy Standards: Chief Amari emphasized that deployment requires a warrant or fits one of 11 statutory exceptions. Drones are not used for general surveillance, are not armed, do not use facial recognition, and all flights are documented in a transparency portal. Data is deleted within 7 days unless part of an open investigation.
• Cost & Funding: The total 8.5-year contract cost is approximately $3.7 million. Director Feldman proposed funding the 2027 cost ($345,000 in existing CIP savings plus setup costs) from general fund reserves. Starting in 2028, the program would be funded by an estimated 0.7% property tax levy increase.
• Council Support: Council members were highly receptive. Councilmember Backen framed the technology as a "force multiplier" that reduces "fully informed response time," enhancing officer and citizen safety. The council signaled clear support for moving the proposal to a formal vote.

Long-Term Review of Capital Funds (5-year CIP)

• Presentation: Director Josh Feldman presented the comprehensive 2027-2031 Capital Improvement Plan across multiple funds, highlighting a significant shortfall in the Equipment Revolving Fund.
• Equipment Revolving Fund: Faces a projected gap due to rising costs for vehicles, IT, police, and fire equipment (costs up over 50% since 2021).
• Proposed Solutions for Equipment Fund:
  • Transfer $2 million in general fund reserves in both 2027 and 2029.
  • Shift unused parks levy capacity to the equipment fund for 10 years.
  • Increase the fund’s tax levy by $150,000 annually from 2028 to 2031.
  • Extend vehicle life cycles to manage cash flow.
• Other Funds: The Fire Apparatus Fund requires further study. The Facilities R&R and Recreation Facilities Funds (Civic Arena, Community Center, Cascade Bay) are generally healthy, though the Civic Arena East Rink floor replacement in 2029 represents a major cost that may require bonding.
• Council Direction: The council unanimously supported the staff’s proposed funding plan, acknowledging the financial realities of maintaining capital assets.

Key Outcomes & Next Steps

• 2027-2031 Parks CIP: Conceptually supported by the council. Formal approval will be on a future agenda.
• 2050 Comprehensive Guide Plan: Council endorsed planning for housing growth within Special Areas. Staff will proceed with infrastructure analysis and a more targeted Phase 2 public engagement strategy.
• Drones as First Responder: Council strongly supported the program. Formal action on funding and implementation is scheduled for the December 15, 2026 city council budget meeting.
• 2027-2031 Capital Improvement Plan: Council endorsed the funding plan (general fund transfers, levy shift, levy increases). Formal adoption of the CIP is scheduled for December 15, 2026.
• Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned following the completion of the agenda items.