Please rise as you're able for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice.

Thank you and uh welcome everybody to our January twenty-first uh city council meeting.

Uh before we get started, I just wanted to give a thank you to Councilmember Miller and uh Public Works Director Niemier for shoveling the walkway to uh get you all in the room here.

So thank you.

Some servant leadership there from Councilmember Miller and just doing his job, Tyler.

So we open uh each of our meetings with an open comment period, and this is an opportunity for anyone from the public to speak on items that we will not be taking public testimony during a public hearing later on the agenda.

Each person has up to two minutes to speak for a total of 20 minutes.

Now the council also has the ability if we go over those 20 minutes to uh to uh extend that period.

Um I will be keeping track uh through two methods.

One is the uh stop light here, and uh you'll see a green, it'll turn yellow, I think, when you have a minute left, and red when you are to stop.

Also up uh to my left is the red uh digital clock, and that will count down the two minutes.

I'd also ask each speaker to be concise to allow more people to speak and participants are also uh encouraged to limit comments generally to topics that are within the scope and jurisdiction of the council's ability to affect policy.

Council members and staff do not respond to your comments during public comment, but will instead follow up on any specific requests separately.

If you have materials to share with the council, please give them to the city clerk who's to my right, and she will distribute them to the council.

You will be invited up uh in the order you signed up, and we will start with Kyle Pike.

Council President, members of the City Council.

My name is Kyle Pike.

I'm a disabled combat veteran and a student of Winona State University, and I come before you with a very simple problem, plaguing your city.

You have the Gestapo forces of an illegal tyrannical federal government seizing power in my home and corrupting the goodwill of an entire state, plaguing people of color as if they were othered to nothing but an alien and illegal, and you have done nothing hitherto this moment to stop the tyranny I never served to witness in my home.

Rochester is a community for Somali Americans, for Latino Americans, for Irish and German Americans, for Italian Americans, for all Americans, legal or otherwise.

And you are called tonight by a veteran of the armed forces of this country whose brothers and sisters are being plagued right now because of the color of their skin.

You are demanded here forward that you take action to prevent the Gestapo Nazi forces illegally invading my home.

I did not serve for the allow tyranny to destroy Rochester.

I served to pre to prevent it from ever happening on my shores, where my ancestors proudly defended the flag for seven generations.

I will not allow silence on this issue anymore.

Thank you, Mr.

Council President.

I thank you.

Thank you.

I'm sorry.

But no.

I'm sorry.

No.

Thank you, Mr.

Pike.

I'm going to just say that, you know, we we're going to hear some very impassioned speeches, and uh we uh we need for you to refrain from applause.

It allows the speakers for us to hear from more speakers.

So please uh try to reframe even when there are very impassioned uh people speaking.

So with that, we're gonna go to Jared uh Lucker.

Gerard.

Jared.

Hi, my name is Jared Looker.

I'm a resident of Rochester.

Good evening, Mayor Norton, Council members, and residents of Rochester and fellow Americans.

It's an honor to speak with you tonight to share my thoughts about the moment we're in, to acknowledge the stress, tension, and fear that so many of us are feeling right now.

In particular, I want to acknowledge the acute pain, undue stress, and fear felt by members of our immigrant communities, our Somali brothers and sisters, our Mexican neighbors, and anyone who feels vulnerable, scared, or as though their rights are being questioned or their dignity is being tested.

I do not pretend to have the answers, nor am I here to criticize you.

I am here as an individual, as a father, a husband, and a friend, to pose a simple set of questions for us all to consider.

What kind of city, county, state, and country do we want to live in?

What values do we cherish?

What is our response to rhetoric meant to divide and demean?

What are our children thinking when they see videos of people being taken from their homes, their vehicles, their jobs, and even their places of worship?

When my three sons ask me, Dad, why is this happening?

Why is my friend missing school?

What do I tell them?

Do I explain policy?

Do I ignore the question?

Do I change the subject?

Or do I teach them the values and principles I try to embody and hope for them to emulate?

Humility, empathy, rational thought, democracy, friendship, kindness to the stranger, help for the needy.

Do I model cruelty?

Do I brag, boast, or pontificate about my ideologies or my prejudices?

So I ask those of you on this council and in government who have been charged with upholding the Constitution and serving the greater good to reflect on these very questions.

I ask you to use your authority to set a moral example worthy of the trust placed in you, because it's always the right time to do the right thing.

Thank you.

Next, we have Toby Holliday.

Hi, Council.

My name is Toby Halliday.

I'm a Rochester resident and a member of Workers Strike Back.

In the last two weeks, I have personally observed ICE agents driving recklessly in our city, running red lights, speeding egregiously on our roads, and driving carelessly through our neighborhoods.

They have taken workers from construction sites and other workplaces.

They have ripped our neighbors from their families.

They've also aggressively claimed that they quote don't need a fucking warrant to be on private property.

These thugs are dangerous and negligent.

They are not welcome here.

And the longer this council goes without acting, the more of a threat they pose to our community.

We demand that you declare today that the city of Rochester is a sanctuary city and will truly stop any and all collaboration with ICE.

We demand that you direct the city attorney to prosecute civil and legal offenses committed against our neighbors by ICE.

ICE also routinely uses local surveillance databases like driver location data and public CCTV cameras to track people with the help of local police departments.

We demand that the city council end all drone and camera surveillance projects that can be exploited by ICE.

More broadly, to fight back against Trump and the billionaire classes agenda.

We urgently need mass protests and strike action nationally.

That's why workers strike back is supporting the day of mass protest and strike this Friday, January 23rd.

Back in 2017, when Trump announced his first Muslim travel ban, socialist city council member Shama Sawant and fellow workers and socialists in Seattle shut down CTAC Airport, preventing planes from taking off or landing, forcing a reversal on that ban.

This is the type of militant action needed.

This is why workers strike back voted to run Shama for U.S.

Congress, as she is explicitly calling to shut down ICE and all detention centers.

Shamma's opponent, Democratic Congress.

Thank you.

I'm wrapping up.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Democratic Congressman as a meeting voted in 2002 to form ICE as part of the Homeland Security Act, along with the majority of Democrats in Congress.

Ma'am, you have to stop.

Two minutes is insulting to all of us here.

We will let you know.

Because of the abject failures of both Democrat and Republican parties, we are in dire need of a new party for working people and immigrants.

And if you agree, I urge you to get involved with workers strike back and join us in fighting back against ICE.

Thank you.

Solidarity and free Palestine.

Now I'm gonna ask folks to please.

That is our rule is two minutes, and it just allows us to hear from more folks.

Next is Susan Robinson Denlow.

Good evening.

Uh Mayor, Council President and Council members.

Um, I am a retired.

Um my name is Susan Robinson Denver.

I'm in Ward 2.

I am a retired educator, specifically from a K-12 counseling uh position.

I have listened to students concerned as a part of my supportive position.

I'm sure staff are listening now because children and young adults have much to be concerned about, specifically how ICE is influencing and interfering in their lives.

At a protest at Mayo High School this last week, a teacher shared that half of her ethnic students are no longer showing up for school.

They are afraid that they will be taken on their way to or from school, or they don't leave home because they're afraid that their parents will have been taken while they were in school.

At the same protest, I was walking to my car, and two girls in front of me were sharing that their two friends, ethnic friends who were approached by ICE on a field trip.

Our Rochester high school students had a protest or a walkout last week and objection to ICE to our in our city.

Our youth are very savvy, they're smart, they're committed, and they're protective of their classmates and friends.

They should not have to deal with things, these issues.

In the Minneapolis area at a rally, I heard an elementary school parent say that she was asked by her principal to undergo a vetting process so she could qualify to take the students left at school whose parents had been taken by ICE.

In addition to my concerns for children and young adults, I visited businesses asking them to become a Fourth Amendment workplace, posting a sign that states ICE is not allowed in their establishment and cannot take a staff or customer without an appropriate warrant.

I'm sure you're aware of some of those who have been taken from our city, the restaurants, the construction site, the mail ramp, restaurants are now hiring family and divide and driving to staff to and from work to stay open.

I have four asked.

One publicly call to publicly call for ICE to leave our city and county and state following the mayor's request.

Prohibit use of government property for their operations.

Three contact congressional officials to say no more ICE funding by the federal government.

This needs to be done by January 30th.

And four of some.

Thank you, ma'am.

123 economic shutdown.

Thank you.

Next we next we have James Smith.

Good evening, gentlemen.

I have a simple request.

I would like to have the sewer line extended on 11th Avenue Southwest.

I sent you all an email.

We seem to have gotten lost in the mix over the years because the LC Industrial Park has sewer everywhere, but our four lots do not.

So I met with staff and they were very helpful.

Aaron Locksin was very helpful.

And I'd like to request the city extend the sewer in coordination with future redevelopment.

We have 10 acres on the exit to the airport.

And I think it's a beautiful site for uh a commercial venture, such as a hotel or whatever.

But we we need to have the sewer line put in somewhere in the next five years because we'd like to develop, redevelop the 10 acres.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And I am a veteran.

Thank you.

Next, we have Emma Smith.

Hello, I'm a member of Workers Strike Back, and I'm here tonight because ICE agents are terrorizing our cities.

Thousands of immigrant working and poor people are being abducted.

Thousands of immigrant working and poor people are being abducted, innocent people have been murdered, injured, abused, racially profiled, and stalked by white supremacist who get cozy Rochester accommodations while they're here.

Our cost of living continues to rise, and we are watching bipartisan authorization of 900 billion dollars for weapons and war.

Not cooperating is not enough.

Rochester police recently posted that they defer immigration enforcement to authorized federal agents.

It kind of sounds like they're just allowing federal thugs to carry out violent KKK values in our community.

So who is defending us against this stark imbalance of power?

The Democrats and Republicans on this council have not raised a finger to oppose ICE, and by default are helping them.

We urgently need mass protests and strike actions, and it is up to all of us to build movements like the one being organized for this Friday, the 23rd.

This council seems more interested in deliberating which big business boots need the most licking.

They could announce that the city of Rochester is stopping all collaboration with ICE, including the sharing of information and data on residents.

The passiveness of this council makes them an accomplice to white supremacy in all attacks on working people.

This will be remembered when we're voting on the four seats up for reelection this year.

We know what is possible based on the wins of former socialist city councilwoman, Shama Sawant, whose wins have already been spoken about this evening.

And she's now running for U.S.

Congress, bringing the same fighting approach.

Abolish ICE, end the US military occupations, and the genocide in Gaza.

And to anyone listening, please join our fight at workers strikeback.org.

Thank you.

Next, next next we have David Montequin.

All right, so now David Montequin.

Sorry.

All right.

So my name is David Montequin.

I'm also a member of Workers' Strike Back.

Um first I want to extend solidarity with every activist and young person who has spoken out against ICE this evening, and every activist who has faced arrest for speaking out against ICE.

Trump's ICE is terrorizing American cities.

A peaceful activist and 37-year-old mother, Renee Good was murdered by ICE in Minneapolis just last week.

And the public approval rating for ICE has plummeted since Trump took office, and a majority of American people now disapprove of ICE.

Hundreds of thousands of working class people have taken to the streets across the nation to demand ICE out of their states and to shut down the detention centers and abolish ICE.

But despite these powerful movements of immigrants and working people, the Democrats at both the congressional and the local level have not raised one finger against ICE.

The Rochester City Council could declare today that their cities will stop all collaboration with ICE, uh, including ICE routinely using local surveillance databases like driver location data and public CCT cameras that others have spoken about tonight.

They could sponsor and pass legislation criminalizing the infringement of First Amendment protected activities in relation to ICE protests, and they could make it clear that any ICE officer who attacks an immigrant or any other person will be held fully accountable.

But what is most paramount about all of this is that both local Democrats and those in Congress could have been using their prominent public platforms, which can reach millions of working people and immigrants to launch mass protests and civil disobedience, but they have not done that.

Working people need the kind of leadership and fight back that workers strike back founder, socialist city councilwoman Shama Solant, Bratton her decade as a socialist on the Seattle City Council.

That's why I'm a member of Workers' Strike Back, and I urge any working or young person who's watching this to go to Workers Strike Back the ORG.

Thank you, Mr.

Now.

Thank you, Mr.

Montague.

Next we have Isaac Johnson.

Good evening.

My name is Isaac Johnson.

I'm a resident here in Rochester.

Also COO of a healthcare organization that's located here as well.

I want to tell the city council that ICE is not just impacting uh uh residents, but it's also uh a health issue.

We've seen at our health center about 86% of our patients are not showing up to their appointments just because they're afraid to leave their house.

Um, we've had so many conversations with patients where they're afraid to even go to the pharmacy, pick up medications.

These are diabetic patients that need their their medicines.

Uh, we've really had to change our strategy of how we actually care for patients.

It's really sad to see that we're actually having to mobilize and actually get out into the community.

We're having to use extensive uh manpower hours to really reach the community and make sure that they're still healthy.

Um, because they're not coming into clinic, because they're not going into pharmacy, they are not getting the health care that they need.

This is a serious concern, and I really hope that city council will take this under consideration and act to make sure that we can make sure that our residents of Rochester and this community is safe.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Thank you.

Uh we're we're roughly at 20 minutes.

We have uh 12 more speakers that have signed up.

Is there a motion to suspend the rules and hear from uh the remainder of the speakers on the sign-up sheet?

So moved.

Uh moved by uh councilmember Frederick, second by council member Doring.

All in favor say aye.

Opposed say nay.

Motion passes.

Next up we have Mr.

Peter Vavang.

Hi, hi, my name is Pete, and I'm uh a resident at Ward Five in Ward 5.

I want to thank the council for this opportunity to speak.

Uh I'll be I'll be brief.

We are being overrun by ice.

Our immigrant community is under attack.

We can't let this slide.

I urge you to find ways to preserve our freedom and secure our rights no matter what color our skin is.

If we don't act now, this is just the start of something terrible.

We have to act.

Thank you.

Bye.

Thank you.

Next we have Casey Hill.

Hello, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to speak.

I'm here because I'm a resident physician in Rochester, Minnesota, and many of my patients have stopped showing up to their appointments for fear of ice, and I'm terrified that one of them will face irreparable harm or even die because they're not um able to access critical medical care uh to treat entirely preventable diseases.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have uh Phry Johnson.

I probably ruined the first name.

Pabri.

Pierce.

There you go, Pierce.

So um, I'm just gonna say uh nothing nothing that I really have to say.

Nobody, everybody else has already said what I'm thinking, but uh I just don't want anybody collaborating with them.

And uh without resistance, there are no standards.

That is all.

Thank you, Mr.

Johnson.

Next we have Saleem Mohammed.

Salah peace into you all.

My name is Salah Muhammad.

Uh good evening, council members.

Tonight I'm not here to talk about policy.

I'm here to talk about fear, trauma, and belonging.

In our community, children are experiencing terror before they even have words for it.

And our parents, many of them refugees are relieving horrors.

They believe they escaped forever.

They fled civil war, they survived tyrannical dictators, they watched loved ones beaten, disappeared, killed by Ahmed men who use fear as a weapon.

Now those images are back, same gear, same intimidation, same terror.

Only now it's happening outside apartments near hospitals in our city.

We are told if you adduct if you have documents, if you are legal, you have nothing to fear.

But that is not what it's is happening.

Nasra Ahmed, a 23-year-old Minnesota-born woman stepped outside her aunt's apartment to get seizure medication.

She showed her ID, she said, I'm a U.S.

citizen.

That did not matter.

She was rushed by a dozen men, detained under terror triggered a shock-induced seizure.

Citizens are being stopped.

Indigenous people are being questioned, and they're in their own land, not because of what they they did, but because they fit a profile.

And so I go home and face the hardest questions of my life.

What do I tell my 14-year-old, my 11-year-old, my nine-year-old princess?

How do I tell them they belong here?

They are not garbage when the system around them say otherwise.

When enforcement is based on appearance instead of evidence, legality becomes meaningless, citizenship becomes conditional, and fear becomes universal.

Parents are choosing between health care and safety, between food and rent, programs caring for our most vulnerable children and women and elders are on pause.

Let me be clear.

Silence in moments like this is not neutral.

It is complicit.

We are not asking for sympathy.

We are asking for action.

We need this city to move beyond words to take concrete steps that protect residents, reject racial profiling, and affirm clearly and publicly that every child in Rochester belongs because a city is judged not by how it treats the powerful, but by how it protects its children.

Thank you, Mr.

Mohammed.

Next we have Gloria Torres Horband.

I'm so gloria Torres Herbeck.

Hello, good evening.

Thank you for having us.

Mrs.

Norton and board members.

My name is Gloria Torres Herbeck.

I'm here as a many hats as a teacher and as a member of the Alliance of Chicanos and Hispanic and Latino Americans.

I am a Mexican American.

I've been living here since 1992.

And it's so hard to see the city turning into what is now.

Sorry, I'm a crier.

And this is not an exception.

It's so hard to see my students, no showing to school.

Just because I spite a bus stop.

Ice is outside their homes.

Because I may be taking take their parents and not be able to come back home.

Sorry.

And parents are in denial.

They think nothing is gonna happen.

So they're not getting ready.

They're not prepared.

We work as a club members.

We work very hard to get them ready to have all the documents ready.

Um here we have a great friend that she was there trying to get not everything not right, and it didn't happen.

Um is trying to help and support the Latino community that we've been working for 20 years.

We are trying to do uh humanitarian work.

And even doing that, we feel the fear to be targeted.

So here is an example of why I carry on my phone.

I have my red card and my uh passport and a whistle to protect my students.

Yes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um Latino community.

Uh as a community uh member, I do uh Latino Fest, and now I really rethinking I'm gonna be doing Latino Fest or not because of the situation.

So I I ask the board trying to see how you guys can support us and how this is gonna affect everybody and the financial uh burden that is gonna come.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Samuel Korthaler.

Samuel Korthal.

My name is Samuel Cordhour, and I'm a resident of Ward 6.

I'm speaking here tonight at my very first council meeting, not for myself, but for those who do not feel safe to come here tonight.

I'm here for my neighbor, also in Ward 6.

She's a young mother, born an American citizen, and she will not take her daughter to preschool without both of their passports because of ice harassment.

Women and children are living with a justified fear that armed men in masks will box their car in and traumatize them because of their skin tone or their accent.

She feels trapped and may very well be, if not for her white partner who can still run errands without fear of racial profiling.

And I ask myself, is this who we are?

Is this America?

Is this great?

Is this winning?

As a neighbor, as an army veteran, and as a human being, my heart cries out for them, and it demands action.

It demands us all to speak up for our neighbors.

Ice out of Rochester schools, ice out of Rochester communities, and additionally, I implore leaders across the state to call for an investigation into the suspected use of hexacloroethane to disperse nonviolent crowds in Minneapolis earlier today.

It was removed from military stocks as a smoke agent for its dangerous effects on the lungs and liver, and it is being used today for those very same effects.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Jan Webber.

So current sitting members of the city council.

Hello, my name is Jen, and I shouldn't be here.

I should be in my warm house with my comfy pants on, like the great introvert that I am.

I've never been very active in local politics, but I'm here tonight, out of my comfort zone, using my voice and my privilege for those who cannot safely be here themselves.

I'm demanding that ICE uh ICE immigration and customs enforcement be removed and restricted from operating within the city of Rochester.

I personally have not been afflicted by ICE, but I'm deeply afraid for the days ahead.

For myself as part of the disabled population, for my neighbors, my community, and the city.

Rochester has repeatedly stated that it is a welcoming and inclusive city.

And the city has current policies limiting local law enforcement's cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, affirming that city resources are meant to serve residents, not to instill fear.

These commitments matter only if they are enforced fully and without exception.

And now is not the time to be complicit.

ICE has become a rogue agency whose tactics, the unwarranted stops, arrests in schools and churches, the repeated use of excessive force directly contradict Rochester's stated values and public safety goals.

Allowing ICE to operate here undermines trust in local government and law enforcement and puts our most vulnerable residents at risk.

ICE claims it exists to detain known violent criminals who are here legally, and that is not what we are seeing.

In one week's time, I've seen mass agents kick indoors.

I've seen peaceful protesters assaulted by pepper spray at close range.

I've seen American citizens detained based only on their skin tone or accent, and I've seen Native Americans assaulted and detained.

Like many others here around the world, I saw the killing of Renee Good all in one week's time and all in our backyard.

I've seen protocol and procedure disregarded, and I've seen constitutional rights ignored as if they do not exist.

We cannot condone, ignore, or try to justify any of their brute actions.

Next, we have Karen McLaughlin.

This is a democracy.

We are the unstrong finish.

Go ahead.

Good evening, Mayor Norton and City Council members, City Council President.

It's nice to be here.

First, I want to give my disclaimer.

I'm speaking on my own today, not representing any organizations that I'm involved with.

But I'm here to bring a voice for the voiceless to this council.

In my law practice, I work with a lot of people who experience poverty.

I also work with a lot of young people and many people who are discriminating experiencing discrimination.

And I bring for you the clear message to encourage you to use your collective voice to demand ICE leave Rochester, Olmstead County, and Minnesota.

I'm also here to remind you that if there are any violations of constitutional rights, which I believe that there are, I would encourage you to use your voice to ask that the federal government defund ice.

In reminding you about constitutional rights, it's important to know that our constitutional rights in our US constitution apply to everyone standing on our soil.

I'm here tonight to speak for parents of U.S.

children who are U.S.

citizens.

These people are raising their families.

They're not committing violent crime.

There is a system in our government and then our court system to adequately address people who are at um needing uh because of committing crime to be deported.

Those people are going directly from prison to ICE custody.

They're not out in our neighborhoods, and there's no reason for ICE to be there to um conceivably be um uh uh detaining people.

There is no constitutional basis for what ICE is doing.

They're stopping people, seizing them, detaining them, and entering people's homes.

It's an open and obvious act of discrimination, and it's based on racial profiling.

That causes fear in our community and it's dangerous.

Thank you, Miss McLaughlin.

And I would ask you to use your collective voice.

It's we can no longer be silent.

Thank you.

Next next we have Ismar Hodu.

Say your name!

Is your name?

Sir, sir, please.

Please, sir.

Uh Ishar Hodiv.

I'm probably screwing up your name.

Esther.

Sorry, I scribbled my name.

My name is Asmir Hodzik.

And I am a member of Ward 2 within the city of Rochester.

And the big thing, the big overarching thing with what everybody wants to say is whether or not you realize it now, this might be the easiest political decision any of you will ever have to make in your career.

The noise is deafening across the entire city, across the entire state.

Just speaking from my background, I come from a Bosnian American household.

I was the first person in my family that was born here in America.

My older siblings and my parents lived indescribable things, or at least that's what I thought.

My father, he knows what it's like to have somebody knock on your knock on your door and suddenly you're in a camp far away for three months.

And I don't want to see that happen to anybody I know ever again.

My parents didn't endure that for me to see what's going on right now.

It is completely and utterly unfair.

And whether or not this may seem like a difficult decision for any of you to make right now, a year from now, five years from now, 10 years from now, it's going the conversation is going to be overwhelmingly against everything that's happening.

It already is.

I have been canvassing businesses with many other people in this room over the past two weeks.

And the response has been overwhelmingly anti-ICE.

And this is business owners we're talking about.

And the regular people we've spoken to, it's been about the same.

We and the organization I'm with Isaiah are explicitly demanding that you all of you make a public stance against ICE's presence in Rochester and in Minnesota and to shut down all but essential operations on Friday, January 23rd.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Kirsten Lincoln.

I'm still now.

Kirsten Lincoln.

Hello, my name is Kirsten Lincoln, and I'm a resident of Ward 2.

And um I am here, and people have already talked about the fear at schools.

And I can say, as my kids were raised in the Rochester school system, and I drive by Fallwell and I see parents out there patrolling.

I think, well, what else could the city do to help the schools feel safe?

That's kind of a no-brainer.

If there's something that could be done.

And I have to say that it is the worst thing ever to know that there are people who need food and they are not coming.

They're not coming.

And Channel One has reported with us, we're partners with Channel 1, that they are people are not coming.

So we have, you've heard about health.

People are not coming for their health, people are not coming to school, people are not eating.

So I would like to just double down on the things that have been asked of you to take some kind of stand.

If you can help with the the January, what is this Friday?

January the Friday thing, that would be awesome.

If there's anything you guys can do to help the schools, please.

If there's anything that the police force can do to help our citizens feel safe, please, please do it now.

Thank you very much for your time.

Thank you.

Next, next we have Ruchi Gupta.

Ruchi Gupta.

Good evening, Madam Mayor, Chair Shield Ring, members of the council.

My name is Ruchi Gupta.

A brief background about me.

I immigrated from India in 1993.

And after moving around a little bit and in the process of securing a green card, I moved to Rochester in 2002 and became a naturalized citizen of America in 2007.

2007.

While in Rochester, I raised two children.

And today, my daughter is an environmental lawyer, and my son is a second-year neurology resident at Mayo Clinic.

I work at Mayo Clinic as a statistical programmer, and I'm also proud to serve my community as chair of planning and zoning commission.

I'm here today because on afternoon of Friday, January 9th, I was headed downtown for an appointment when an unmarked SUV started tailing me from a distance.

I suspiciously kept an eye on it and stopped at a red light.

It pulled up right behind me where I could see the driver in my right in my side rear view mirror.

Sure enough, after a few moments, he picked up his walkie-talkie like so.

I saw him like this, and he spoke into it, which is what confirmed my suspicions.

I was being watched, and I was afraid to park and get out.

I called my partner at home and I alerted him, asked him to text me a picture of my passport, which he did.

He stayed with uh me on the phone, and when the light changed, I turned left, but the ice agent did not.

I felt relieved, but still was rattled and drove around a bit to make sure that there were no others.

Finally, I went to my appointment, but upon return, scanned the area thoroughly before I approached my car.

I now check everywhere before I leave the house or even before I let my dogs out.

I feel fear in my own community, and I see it reflected when I go out to restaurants that have started locking their doors.

Rochester, by its character, is a safe, healthy, and an international city, and I implore to our leadership to get ice out of here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, we have Molly Dennis.

Yep.

Thank you.

All right, thank you for your time.

So you have a packed agenda tonight.

I don't see anything about ICE or any of this on the agenda.

Please put it on there.

My name is Molly Dennis.

I'm a former elect official.

I sat right there on the city council a year ago.

I want to say that it is your job as elected officials to represent the citizens of our city.

We have a huge amount here who are vocalizing.

Let's scrap what the executive branch, let's focus on what the legislative branch wants to do and make this a priority.

We need people who people are scared.

You look at Brooklyn Park, who their police chief has made a public stance because their under uh off uh off service officers have been uh pulled over by ice.

We need tangible things done here on city council, not platitudes, right?

We need things, not just statements, right, or fear mongering.

We need city council to take action, make city policies.

I know from a former elected official that we hold the purse strings of the police department, the purse strings of the entire city, right?

You need to make sure that you allocate funds for training, pass legislation to make sure that this is a sanctuary city, other laws that have been mentioned.

I echo everything that has been mentioned today.

This is an urgent time in our society, beyond the correct side of history.

Uh, there are two pastors, you know that two pastors right here on the council, right?

You know that thoughts and prayers work in churches, but it doesn't work here.

We need, we need to make sure that legislators do their jobs and represent the people.

Please, please take action, not just you know, the the rhetoric, but constitutional rights are not suggestions.

And that is really important that we uphold that on a local level.

You have you have a lot of citizens here, a huge pack crowd.

Listen to them.

You should also do your work, but also prioritize your job as a representational democracy.

Thank you, Miss Dennis.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

Thank you all.

Uh, that is everyone who signed up.

I just wanted to also mention uh that we will take the role, and then uh we will have some of our city leaders uh uh administrators elms, uh city uh attorney Spindler Craig, the mayor, and the police chief uh speak to uh the issue that was dominating our um public uh comment period.

So with that, uh Clerk Caso, could you please call the role?

Good evening, Councilmember Keene.

Here, Councilmember Miller.

Here, Councilmember Wall.

Here, Councilmember Fredericks.

Here, Councilmember Palmer, Councilmember Doring.

Here, Council President Schoebering.

Here, Mayor Norton President.

And with that, uh City Administrator Zelms.

Uh thank you, Council President, Council members, Mayor Norton, members of the public.

Um, as the person entrusted to guide day-to-day city operations, I typically begin each city administrator's report by thanking our teammates for their work and for showing up every day with respect, integrity, service, and excellence for our community.

And typically we do not address open comment, but these are not typical times, as we've heard clearly from community members.

And in recent weeks, um, the city's community vision begins with a simple but powerful statement.

Rochester is a city that cares, a city where all people are treated with dignity and respect.

It is important to say this plainly.

That is not what all members of our community are experiencing or feeling right now.

We know that some residents are anxious, afraid, and uncertain about the present present and the future.

Some feel hesitant to speak or seek help or unsure about where to turn.

It matters that we name the reality and that we respond to it with care.

I'm grateful to our elected leaders for their recognition of that need.

Rochester has long been a community where people look out for one another, helping a neighbor, supporting local businesses, welcoming those who arrive here during some of the hardest moments of their lives, and embracing those calling Rochester home for the first time.

That spirit of care is part of who we are.

The City of Rochester organization remains committed to serving all members of our community, especially in times of uncertainty.

Our role is to be steady, reliable, a reliable and steady presence.

That means continuing to provide essential services, clear information, and support rooted in dignity, respect, and compassion.

This moment affects all of us.

And it's also important to acknowledge that some members of our community are more deeply impacted.

Centering their needs is not separate from our mission.

It is fundamental to it.

How we share information and how we show up may feel different than normal because this is not a normal moment.

Being a city that cares means recognizing when our values are not being felt by everyone.

Our community vision is not aspirational for us.

It is a responsibility, and we, as the organization serving the community, take it seriously every day.

Through steady service, clear communication, and compassion in how we serve.

We will continue to show up for our community of that, you can be sure.

In moments when not everyone feels supported or secure, our work is to create stability where we can and to ensure our actions reflect the dignity and respect every person deserves.

As a local government, our responsibility is to remain steady and focused on the people we serve.

We will continue to meet this moment with care, provide clear and reliable services, and respond thoughtfully as circumstances evolve.

These are the expectations that have been shared with our team and what you can expect from city provided services.

And I believe Mr.

Spenler Craig has some additional information he would like to share.

Thank you, City Administrator Zelms, Council President Schoebering, Council members, Mayor Norton, members of the public.

Thank you for being here this evening.

As the Rochester City Attorney, I'm certainly not in a position to address all of your questions or concerns, but I want to speak to a few.

Thank you for sharing your experiences, your perspective, your life and family stories, your pain, your fears, your humanity.

I would like to share a few points from my office and from my perspective as the Rochester City Attorney.

Along with the Olmsted County Attorney's Office, the Rochester City Attorney's Office has a dedicated and busy team handling many criminal matters that occur within the city jurisdiction.

These include domestic assaults, protection order violations, property crimes, DUIs, traffic, and many other common day crimes that reflect real life public safety dynamics of our community.

As has always been true, we continue to be committed to serving victims of crime regardless of immigration status.

It is vital to our work, vital to community safety, that community members trust local law enforcement enough to call when they are in need.

We will continue to do everything we can to ensure that victims of crime feel safe coming forward to seek protection, pursue justice, and access the criminal justice system.

But we are mindful of the concerns and fears faced by vulnerable immigrant communities.

Many in my office and I do this work because we believe deeply in the rule of law and in the integrity of our justice system, despite its flaws.

The rule of law, as we've heard tonight, is fundamental to a functioning society.

We cannot normalize racial profiling or systemic violations of civil liberties or the dehumanizing rhetoric that has become far too common.

The city has built out a resource page that includes various resource links, immigration legal resources, FAQs, and also a link to an incident form through the Attorney General's office.

Please, if you are aware of an incident of concern, document it through that process if you are comfortable doing so.

My office will continue to work closely with the Rochester Police Department, the Police Policy Oversight Commission, with victim services and with other community agencies.

We will do our part to uphold the rule of law and to bring as much safety and security to the community as we can.

In the process, we will always strive to treat everyone with dignity and respect.

That is, of course, what the community deserves.

Back to you, Mr.

President.

Thank you, Mr.

Spindler Craig.

Mayor Norton.

Thank you very much.

And I didn't write a speech out.

I'm just going to just speak from my mind and my heart.

Many of you know that back on January 8th, I made a post and interviewed publicly about the concerns that I knew the community was facing, even back on January 8th.

Since that time, things have become more tense, certainly in Minneapolis and St.

Paul.

Um, but also down here.

Um I have calls to my office from people saying, I'm afraid to come to your community for health care.

That was shared by a couple of individuals here today.

I have people calling to say, I'm afraid to leave my house, I'm afraid to go to my car, I'm afraid to go buy food, and I'm afraid to take to take care of myself and my children.

I know children are staying home from school.

The things we heard today from the wonderful public that came to speak are the things we've been hearing about in the office, and it is what caused me to again go out and make a second statement.

Um not going to read it to you, but I want I made that second statement because I want you to know that we're hearing, we recognize what's happening, we acknowledge, not just hearing, but we're acknowledging that we see what's happening.

And frankly, we're sorry about what's happening in this country and in our city.

These are frightening times, frightening for people in this room, frightening for our friends and neighbors, frightening, frankly, politically, because you know, I think I use the word uncharted waters.

This has not happened in my lifetime that we are facing the kind of actions that we're facing in our community, and it's frightening.

We're all frightened, some of us more than others, understandably.

But I wanted to not only acknowledge that, but I also wanted to say there are people out there who from the bottom of their hearts want to help.

They want to find solutions.

Many of them spoke here, and there are many, many, many more out in our community who want to help.

And they want to help in ways that don't hurt the cause, that don't hurt the individuals they're trying to support.

And there's real fear out there that they don't know what to do, but they desperately want to do something.

I also wanted to let the community know that.

We have a caring, compassionate and loving community.

Yes, there are individuals who don't feel the way that we all are feeling in the room tonight.

They don't even experience in their own lives or see experienced in their communities what you've described here tonight.

And it's our job to let you know that we hear you and we see you, and we will do what we can within the limits that we have, unfortunately.

If you remember in the comments that I made earlier this week, I did say I have made the call myself to federal officials asking them to help us remove ice from our community.

We didn't ask for ice to be here.

We don't need ice to be here.

We have a law enforcement trained, properly trained law enforcement group in this community who is here to care for the community, and that's their job.

We didn't ask for, nor do we need any extra help.

And I say that in quotes.

A couple things I do want to say that I heard from some of the speakers tonight.

I want to be perfectly clear about this, and I'm going to ask our police chief to address it when I'm done.

The Rochester Police Department is not helping ICE in any way.

The Rochester Police Department is not notified by ICE when they're in town.

They are on their own working for a different boss, doing their own thing.

Okay?

I want to be perfectly clear about that.

In Rochester, the police department is not giving license information or they're not giving any information to ICE.

And so that may be happening in other communities.

It is not happening in our community.

And when I hear that said time and again, it really undermines the work that our police department has been doing since I've been mayor to do community policing and build community trust and make sure our communities, whether it be Somali or Sudanese or Hispanic or any immigrant population, among any of our many wonderful immigrant populations we have here, they need to be able to call the police when they need help.

And when we use that kind of language that you can't trust our police department, people then are afraid to call when they need help.

They have to know that our police department is not ICE, it's not border control, and it's not doing any of that, and we're helping them.

So I'll conclude in just a moment, but um would the chief like to say a couple words?

Um I know he's sitting over here now, and maybe he'd like to help the community understand what you do and don't do.

Yeah, thank you, Mayor.

Uh, thank you, Council President, uh, Councilmember, City Administrator Zelms, thank you for this uh opportunity to speak.

Over the past several weeks, I've spent a considerable amount of time trying to navigate the unchartered waters that we find ourselves in, and reflecting on how I can best lead the city as police chief with the weighted responsibility of ensuring public safety for all of our members in this community.

The one central question that I continually ask myself is what does this community need to hear from its police department?

Quite frankly, that's been a very difficult question to answer.

And in moments like this, where there is no playbook to follow, there is no crystal ball that predicts the future.

I believe it comes down to these two things, similar to what the mayor touched on.

It's acknowledging the community and providing reassurance.

So first let me address the acknowledgement.

Acknowledgement of the fears, perceptions, concerns.

I have heard from Rochester residents, community leaders, elected officials, that there is in fact an underlying current of fear, particularly surrounding on how immigration enforcement is being conducted.

I have heard from local businesses in schools that this is having an impact on behavior in attendance.

Second is the reinsurance.

Reassurance of what I can actually control.

My commitment to you and my reassurance is twofold.

First, how the Rochester police department is going to conduct business, and we are going to remain unwavering in our commitment to providing the highest level of public safety to everyone in this community.

As a reminder and to address some of Mayor Norton's concerns, we don't have authority to enforce civil immigration law, nor do we have authority to prevent ICE from enforcing laws in our community.

We have no database on immigrants within this community.

We're not collecting data, we're not asking for data, and nor are we, or has ICE asked to see CCT cameras or whatever else was said, um, drone footage, et cetera.

That is the farthest thing from the truth.

It's not true, and it's not occurring.

It's no secret that law enforcement in Minnesota has faced significant adversity and unprecedented challenges over the past several years.

In response to that, this police department, your police department, the Rochester Police Department has been very proactive and deliberate in building trust and strengthening relationships and policing this community in a way that reflects our shared social contract in the expectations of the people that we serve.

Fear exists within our community.

And when that exists, it has the potential to erode the communication and collaboration that is actually essential for public safety.

And that's why I want to clearly reassert to our pri that our priority, the Rochester Police Department priority is and always has been the protection of public safety for this community and the preservation of order within our community.

I also want to reaffirm that Rochester PD has operated for several years under a very clear constitutionally grounded immigration related policy.

This policy was developed in partnership with public input input in the community members, and in fact, even included an immigration attorney as part of that.

It guides our daily practice, decision making, community engagement in full compliance with state and federal laws while protecting civil liberties, upholding the Constitution, and maintaining that public trust.

You can find that policy online.

Yes, our policy explicitly explicitly states that we do not engage in immigration enforcement.

We do, in fact, defer that to the federal agencies.

We will continue to meet with community groups.

We are going to continue to answer questions.

We are going to continue to address concerns.

And as always, if you need law enforcement assistance, please do call 911.

You're never bothering us.

Thanks.

Thank you.

And so I'm just going to close my remarks because I do have a couple other normal announcements that I need to make this evening, and I apologize for taking so much time.

But I want to thank the community for coming.

I want you to know that we care.

I hate to say we because I I don't really feel like I can speak for the council here.

But I do know that we have all heard you this evening.

And we will do everything in our power to support you as we move ahead in times that I hope are not going to be ongoing.

I hope we can ask to be allowed to run our caring, compassionate community the way we have in the past, without ICE and with our law enforcement protecting every single one of us that lives here.

So I do have a couple other announcements.

Can I just add one thing before you go to the end?

Before you go to the uh your usual mayor's report.

So the council will have an opportunity to uh discuss this at during our other business, which is at the end of our agenda.

But with that, I will uh turn it back to you, Mayor.

Thank you.

Um, just uh a couple things.

The first one is I do have a proclamation to read.

This is kind of the normal stuff that we usually do every year, and this is our first proclamation in January, and it reads as follows.

Whereas certified registered nurse anesthetists provide high-quality, cost-effective anesthesia care, safely administering more than five than 50 million anesthetics to patients each year in the United States.

And whereas CRNAs have been an essential part of the American health care system for more than 150 years, ensuring patient safety and comfort and access to anesthesia services, and whereas CRNAs were the first specialists to provide anesthesia care in the United States, tracing their roots to Nurse Alice McGaugh, the mother of anesthesia, who practiced at Minnesota's Mayo Clinic and helped establish excellence in the field.

And whereas CRNAs are the primary providers of anesthesia care in Greater Minnesota and rural communities nationwide, supporting access to obstetrical, sorry, surgical trauma, stabilization, and pain management services in medically underserved areas, and whereas CRNAs serve as innovative leaders and anesthesia care, collaborating with a wide range of health care providers and practices in hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, military settings, and veterans affair health care facilities.

And whereas Minnesota continues to lead a nurse anesthesia education and practice with approximately 2,000 CRNAs authorized to deliver anesthesia services to patients across the state, strengthening Minnesota's health care system.

Now therefore be it resolved that I, Kim Norton, mayor of the City of Rochester, do hereby proclaim January 18th through 24th, 2026 as certified registered nurse anesthesists week in the city.

And witness whereof, I have hereinto set my hand and cause the corporate seal of the city of Rochester to be affixed this 21st day of January, 2026.

And I do believe Robin Finney is here to Robin here to accept the proclamation.

Just a couple other um quick announcements.

Just a reminder that uh January 27th, 2026 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

We recognize that each year.

Um there is also an informational meeting about the sister city's trip to Germany that will be held at uh 125 live on Saturday at 11 a.m.

January 24th.

If anyone is interested in learning a little bit more about um our sister city, both of Moosburg and Munster and the trip and the cities we'll be seeing in between.

You're welcome to swing by 125 live at 11.

And Mr.

Chair, that's all I have for today.

Thank you, Mayor.

And thank you, police chief Franklin and uh City Attorney Spindler Craig and Administrator Zooms.

And as I mentioned, the council will have an opportunity if uh need be to discuss uh this issue later.

So thank you all for being here.

And as the mayor said, you are heard.

With that, um I will uh uh move on to the order of the agenda.

Are there any changes to the agenda?

Seeing none, is there a motion to approve the agenda?

So moved.

Moved by move by councilmember Keene, seconded by councilmember Fredericks.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed say nay.

Motion uh passes.

Uh moving on to the consent agenda, council members Wall, Miller and myself are polling item F 10.

Uh, is there anything else?

Uh if not, uh I'd invite a motion to approve and block items F1 through F9 and item F11.

So moved.

Second.

Moved by Councilmember Doring, seconded by Councilmember Miller.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Uh opposed say nay.

Motion passes.

We have two public hearings on our agenda this evening.

And uh just before we move into our uh public hearings, uh uh a little clarification on public hearings, uh staff will introduce or present the item, and then if there is an applicant uh or an applicant representative, they will have uh opportunity to make a presentation for up to 10 minutes, and then I will open the public hearing.

Uh public hearing uh members of the public have five minutes each, uh, but you are encouraged to keep comments brief, concise, and uh building on not repeating previous comments.

Uh public can be uh can only join us uh in person.

Uh then I will close the public hearing.

And uh if there's an applicant, uh they will have up to five minutes uh for rebuttal.

And at that point, I will invite my colleagues to ask uh clarifying questions of the applicant and staff.

And at that point, there I a more motion would be in order.

So with that, I will move to our first public hearing, which is item G1 is a conditional use permit by UCI Tower, and this will be presented by Mr.

Desmond McGull.

Um thank you, uh Council President Schuberg, um, Mayor Norton, members of the council, good evening.

Um my name is Desmond McGill.

I'm with the community development department.

And I'll be bringing you this application.

Um, this is a conditional use permit for a wireless uh communication facility tower, uh, which will consist of a hundred and five foot monopole and accessory uh equipment for the tower.

The subject site is located at 1807 uh Marion Road southeast uh in a R3, or I'm sorry, uh uh in a R2 low density residential zone district.

Uh the proposed facility will accommodate a Verizon Wireless uh monopole facility antennas uh for and um will allow for future telecommunication facilities to be located co-located on the tower as well.

Uh the wireless communication facility is a permitted use within the zoning district.

However, such facilities are limited in height to 65 feet in residential zoning districts.

Uh subject to a conditional use permit.

Facilities can be granted uh an additional 50 feet in height uh if the applicant can demonstrate that functional coverage cannot uh provide uh thorough uh co-location um be at a lower height, and also if it's in a zoning district such as this, cannot be provided in an alternative zone district, such as commercial industrial mixed use or agriculture.

The targeted service area of this facility um cannot uh uh be co-located on uh an existing uh tower or water tower, uh any kind of existing structure uh within the area.

Uh commercial and industrial land uses are limited in area uh in this general portion of the city.

Uh the a 105-foot um monopole will adequately address the target service area.

Um and uh that anything less than the 105 feet will have would require at least one additional tower and perhaps multiple towers, uh, which would be contrary to our objectives for minimizing uh cell tower locations and minimizing uh their visual appearance.

Um the applicant has produced maps showing the uh service coverage of a 65, 105, and 150 foot high tower in this general facil area, and based on the coverage maps and the engineering RF affidavit provided by the applicant, community development supports the the granting of the 105-foot high tower uh uh to meet the public interest objectives.

Uh the planning commission has unanimously recommended 70 that the city council approve the subject application.

I do have a couple of clarifications.

Um wanted to note that monopole is 105 feet, but the uh there is a lightning rod that is on the top of it that extends another four feet, so the total height of the structure would be 109 feet.

Um also that uh the staff report notes uh that a 65-foot tall facility would require two tower facility locations.

It should read multiple tower locations rather than two, and then also there is a uh a uh sentence or two in on page two that is italicized suggesting that the RF engineer response suggesting that it's an RF engineering response, which it which it is not.

That is just language uh taken from the UDC that was uh italicized.

Um so uh that is of uh the UDC, not not the applicant.

So I think that uh concludes my presentation, my introduction on this, and I'd be happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Is there a uh representative uh of the applicant here?

If you would step forward, identify yourself, and you have up to 10 minutes, but you don't have to use it all.

I'm Matthew Coonard.

I represent UCI Tower and Verizon uh on this wireless project.

Um the the staff presentation was was uh well done and and I think comprehensive, but if you have additional questions, I'd be happy to answer anything you might want to ask about.

Okay, well, I'll have you sit down and invite you back after the public hearing.

Okay.

At this point, uh I will open the public hearing and ask if anyone wishes to be heard on this item.

Does anyone wish to be heard on this item?

Does anyone wish to be heard on this item?

Seeing no one, I will close the public hearing.

And if you'd like to come back and say a closing comment.

It's been quite a long project.

Uh and the same presentation, I think, has been given uh quite a few times.

But if if you do have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

It's a it's a needed project, it's been worked on for a long long time.

Um council members, questions for the applicant or staff.

Councilmember Keene.

Thank you.

Uh yeah, I went to the neighborhood information meeting and thought was uh well presented, but I just wanted to clarify.

Uh Desmond, you made some qualifying statements.

Did there's some changes on the resolution compared to what we have, or what was the clarification?

The clarification is actually in the staff report.

Uh okay, all right.

All right, thank you.

That's helpful.

Any other questions?

Seeing not you, you can sit down.

Okay, thank you.

Uh is there a motion on this item?

Uh I'll uh move uh adopting a resolution approving conditional use permit number CD 2025 010 C UP by UCI Tower for the construction of a wireless communication facility consisting of a hundred and five-foot monopole tower and ancillary equipment located in R2, which is low density residential small lot zoning district.

Second uh moved by council member keen and seconded by council member Fredericks.

Uh any more to add?

No, nothing to add.

Thank you.

Councilmember.

Uh any further discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed say nay.

Motion passes.

Thank you.

Thank you for coming.

Uh next up we have item G2, which is a final plat by the city.

Uh and Mr.

McGill.

Thank you, Council Shubring.

Uh Council uh President Schuberg.

Uh, this is an application for a final plat uh by the city of Rochester.

Uh this uh final plat is known as the sports uh regional sports and recreational complex.

Uh this will be for the subdivision of 158 acres, uh located in an R3 and MXG zoning district.

Uh the site is located uh uh north of 48th Street Southeast and south of 40th Street Southeast, um, and uh east of the east terminus of Orchid Road.

Uh this plat encompasses one lot and four outlots and the dedication of right-of-way for 45th Street Southeast.

Uh the subject request is uh quasi-judicial in nature, uh subject to the approval criteria of the major land subdivision of the UDC.

Uh authorization uh will uh uh permit the splitting of the land uh into separate parcels for future sales and dispossession of the of the land uh as needed.

Uh and uh the development review committee is recommending approval of the subject uh application.

So uh that concludes my introduction.

I'd be happy to answer any questions.

At this point, I'll open the public hearing.

Is there anyone wishing to be heard on this item?

Anyone wishing to be heard on this item, please step forward.

Anyone wishing to be heard on this item, please step forward.

At this point, I will close the public hearing and invite uh council members.

Uh any questions?

Uh uh or motion, council member Fredericks.

Make a motion to approve final plat number C D 2025-043 PLAT by city, adopting a resolution approving final plat number C D 2025-043 PLAT by the city to be known as a regional sports recreation complex with three conditions for the subdivision of 158.21 acres of land into one lot and four outlots.

Uh motion made by council member Fredericks is there a second.

I'll second seconded by Councilmember Keene.

Councilmember Fredericks, any more to add council member Keene.

Further discussion, seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed say nay.

Nay.

Motion passes 6-1 with councilmember Doring voting nay.

Moving on to uh reports and recommendations.

We have uh a site development agreement with Mayo Clinic for the West Logistics Center and the Osmond Waterman Clinical Building.

And this item was pulled by uh Councilmembers Wall Miller and myself.

And Councilmember Wall, maybe you can kick us off on this one.

Thank you.

Need to pull up my notes.

Uh primarily I I pulled uh this because it is uh such a huge uh project in the city of Rochester.

And I think that by drawing attention to it at uh at this meeting, uh we signal uh to the residents and even to our own council the magnitude of uh what we are doing with this uh particular F10.

I have other questions, but that's uh primarily why I pulled.

Uh Councilmember Miller, any more to add?

Sure.

Uh similar to Councilmember Wall, I think there is uh value and open discussion on this item, particularly um having the ability to put on the record some of the clarifications that have been provided to us this week and also clarify how this process moves forward uh for transparency and understanding where the public get to uh engage with Mayo and the public realm and where we do as well and how we receive updates moving forward.

So I I think it's a major project, and we're in uncharted territory on this as well.

Uh and I think more information is good.

Thank you.

Uh and for myself, I I agree with both my colleagues.

I I think uh really understanding where members of the public can continue to engage on this project as it moves forward.

A couple more specific issues and I think I'm gonna turn to either Ms.

Steinhauser or on this.

A couple specific issues is uh clarifying Mayo Clinic's commitment to this council to feature uh the article that were removed from the former Lords High School in the park design, uh clarifying the park dimensions and that it extends the to the right of way on the west side.

Um and then uh also the the potential costs of burying the overhead power lines and efforts to encourage a uh a joint funding of this between our major employer, DMC, the city, uh and so some specific questions there.

So, Ms.

Steinhauser, if you can give us a little briefing on this.

Sure, thank you, Council President Schubering and members of the city council.

Um happy to uh try and respond to those.

Um I will also say that community development director Irene Woodward is here as well as RPU director Tim McCullough, who are also um available to answer for questions.

And we do have online outside legal counsel Rachel Tierney, who helped with the um drafting of these agreements as well as prior agreements.

So um specifically to your questions related to the use of artifacts that is come from the historic lords um uh sites uh that has come up a number of times.

We have confirmed on a number of occasions and including most recently this week with the May representatives that they will absolutely incorporate artifacts from the former Lord Historic Lords High School into the park and in their words uh incorporate them in a way that meaningfully honors the history of the site.

So that is very much um a commitment on the part of Mayo to do that.

I think at the time when the demolition of the um site was before this counts, they had also indicated at that time, and that commitment continues.

Um in terms of the park design, the park is not fully designed.

I think uh uh in conversations with Mayo representatives, they recognize that this is a really important asset, not only to the community, but to the neighborhood in particular, and so they want to make sure that the neighbor neighbors and the community have specific input on how Lourdes High School is honored on this site and and the desires of the community are incorporated into the design of the site.

I do not have specifics on a schedule for additional neighborhood meetings.

Um we have uh representatives from both City and Mayo and DMC that attend the Kutsky Park monthly neighborhood meeting.

That's an opportunity to get input, but uh I anticipate based on my conversations with Mayo that they will conduct additional neighborhood meetings for and community engagement around um this site.

And as that information becomes available, we'll happy to we'd be happy to communicate it to this council and to others.

In terms of the park size, it is what we would refer to uh uh in planning terms, more of a linear park.

Um contractually, they were required to have a 30-foot dimension width from the building to the curb line.

Um that the actual dimension is 43 feet, and then it runs the length of the block north-south.

So that is the um size of the uh green space, the linear park that we're talking about.

In terms of the conversation on overhead line and the burning of overhead lines, um, that of course was brought up by this council during uh discussion when you um approved the uh DMC CIP budget uh last October.

Um since that time, um there's been a lot of discussion internally from city teammates and a lot of work done and research done by Tim McCullough in terms of um understanding the landscape that we're looking at when it comes to not only bearing overhead uh wires on 7th Avenue, but the ask was beyond it was for Cutski Park.

But as it relates specifically to 7th Avenue, um I'll defer to Tim in terms of providing information on those costs.

I will say that um it it is not a budgeted item.

Uh it was not an item that we had in putting together the $38 million of unbound funding for the 30 square block of improvements did not contemplate an allocation for the bearing of under underground wires.

Um that said, there is in that $38 million that was approved by DMC and approved by this body, uh, eight million dollar allocation for public realm improvements for Kutsky Park and how those dollars are to be spent is a conversation that we will have with the neighborhood.

So with that, maybe I'll pause and let Tim speak to the cost of the burring of the underground wires.

Very good.

Good evening, Council President Schubering, Council Mayor, happy to be here tonight to help provide some context here.

Uh as Ms.

Steinhauser said, we have done some preliminary budgetary type estimates on what undergrounding efforts would look like in the broad impact area around the the 38 million that we've discussed previously, the 7th Avenue Northwest Corridor specifically is one of the more challenging corridors because it's a heavy three-phase line there.

So it's one of our bigger lines.

The total corridor from uh we did this in sections not specifically focused on block by block, but from about street southwest all the way up to almost Civic Center Drive, if it would connect, is about a two million dollar effort to underground that entire line.

Now, obviously, this discussion is about a smaller piece than that, but is it a piece right in the middle of that, which becomes challenging to go under and back up around?

So I will give a very vague and non-committal high-level answer of somewhere in the realm of one to two million dollars of undergrounding, probably in this vicinity, and that is just represented that is not only representative of the cost to the electric utility, which we don't have a funding source for, there's also some private investment that would be required here for service laterals that connect to homes or businesses, depending on the extents of the um the undergrounding there.

We've had very successful undergrounding successful uh projects.

Uh North Broadway is a great example of that.

A lot of lines were pulled underground in partnership.

So with the right funding sources with the right partnership with the right communication with the communications companies, it could be a successful outcome here.

Um I will reiterate from the RPU perspective, we typically invest uh a couple hundred thousand dollars a year in undergrounding, but in this immediate forward period, those investments were focused on another project, the 18th Avenue project.

So we did not identify any dollars for undergrounding in the downtown corridor area in the budget planning.

So there's not currently a utility source for any undergrounding for aesthetic or other reasons here.

We would typically look for those funds to come from developer partner or others, depending on who's asking for who's contributing to the the project there.

Umless there's any questions, I believe I've answered the portion of the call.

Council member Wall.

Uh thank you, Ms.

Steinhauser.

I want to go back uh to uh the lured part of uh the project.

Uh months ago, um representatives and and city leaders made a commitment to the council that uh there would be uh this linear park with artifacts.

Uh I think that there's some narrative uh in the public that uh there is some withdrawal of that commitment uh by male representatives.

I have been assured both in writing and and now orally by you that instead of reducing their commitment, the the park seems to have grown and that they are equally committed to using artifacts.

Would that be true?

That is correct.

Uh and that was one of the reasons I wanted to pull this is to get that under the record, like I think Miss Mr.

Miller uh suggested that uh the council remains committed to that from months ago uh to today.

Uh another question, and I think that uh you addressed that uh that Mayo is committed to uh further meetings with the public that uh they haven't had their last opportunity to weigh in on either the uh logistics building or Osman Waterman building.

Yes, that is correct.

That's great.

The one thing that uh I think is important for uh the council is to recognize I believe if if I have understood it correctly, that if we were to approve uh F 10 as it is currently written, that this is not likely to come back to uh our council for uh any kind of meaningful action.

Uh I have a have I read that correctly.

Yes, this is would be the last um uh formal action that you would take related to this item.

It's an agreement.

Normally um site development plans do not come back to city council.

Um but as we indicated in the communication to you because they don't have all of the site development, the landscaping in particular is the the biggest piece that's not yet complete.

Um we wanted to have something uh on the record, something official, something enforceable to make sure that not only do the did the designs get complete, but that they actually build what uh is shown in the designs that city staff would review at the community at the staff level, review and approve at the staff level.

Thank you.

And I think there's at least one council member up here who would say Mayo has uh always gone over and above uh what uh they have been asked to do in the community.

Uh and so with the uh oversight by city staff, we're really quite assured that uh we're going to get just an a number one project, even if it doesn't come back to the council.

I would agree with that assessment.

Thank thank you.

Councilmember Miller.

Uh sure, just a few questions.

And while I appreciate Mr.

Wall's optimism, I I think um I I would anchor myself in the oversight of this project and and set that as uh hoping that city staff and knowing that city staff will hold Mayo Clinic or any developer to our standards and not assume that just because they're the largest employer in town and the majority uh stakeholder of downtown that they will just deliver something that it meets the community needs.

So just want to be that on the record too that I will agree very much.

Uh will not uh give away my expectation.

Um and I'm grateful for the UDC and the process that led to that.

But my question, I guess I would start uh Ms.

Steinhaser, you've enumerated some of the conditions related to both of these sites.

Could you go through the conditions related to the Osmond Waterman building and give us a status update of where this site development plan as well as other work brings us on those?

There's the pedestrian access through the Osmond Waterman building, uh the downtown active transportation network.

Could you enumerate those and and just share where where we stand?

Sure.

And then I will also um lean in to my colleague um uh Ms.

Woodward from the community development department.

Um so in terms of the pedestrian access uh through the building, uh that was what that was a condition of a street vacation, and so um and you approved um as part of that condition, the access.

I I don't remember all the the exact hours, but it's every day and it's uh generally a hours.

The hours are early morning well into late at night, I believe it's 10 or 10 30 at night.

So um so that access is um a public access through the building um at to replace the um access that was eliminated with the street vacations uh of third and fourth avenue.

Um in terms of the conditions um yet to be approved, uh Miss Woodward took point on negotiating and and vetting um the site development plan that has been submitted by the Mail team and reviewing what was incomplete in that plan and identified and developed that list of conditions that uh we will enforce through this agreement.

So uh maybe I'll just pause and let Ms.

Woodward speak to that.

Thank you.

Um so for the access, it also says approved in concept in the agreement.

Um so just to note what that kind of means is they mayo has showed us numerous ways that they're creating that concept.

Um, and in general, we are in agreement of making sure the pedestrian flow and we've maintained it in the agreement until it gets to um full construction documents and building permits to make sure that those continue.

And this was a method for us to be able to make sure that that continues, knowing it's a priority.

So could you clarify the exhibit because there were yellow arrows and indicating staff entrances and red arrows indicating public entrance or access.

And I was sent an email from uh Mayo Communications saying that unfortunately the graphic attached was incorrect.

I thought we had corrected that, Mayo, in the council record before submission.

Could you clarify what the current proposal and whether or not the the exhibit included in our packet is the most recent version?

We there was some um change to the exhibit.

It is correct online currently, um and it is a public access, and it is showing that in the exhibits.

Okay.

Um another question related to the West Logistics Center and the linear park.

Um obviously that is still in a process of engagement.

Mayo had a meeting last week with the neighborhood.

I will just reiterate that a priority that was overwhelmingly clear, uh, and several of us attended that meeting was undergrounding the power lines, particularly for overstory tree possibilities for that park.

Um and so I I guess I just want to put that on the record of it it was abundantly clear to me that that was the first priority, even more so than artifacts is that the quality of that park is contingent on um overhead power lines or undergrounded.

Uh and I I do hope that we do find a way to move that forward because it feels like a so we talk about dig once.

This feels like a dig once, build the park once and allow the trees to to grow overhead.

Um I I guess another question um uh that's come up in other presentations to us is about the air quality alliance and it was uh indicated in that meeting that Mayo had declined to participate as a site uh for an air quality monitor in that park.

And um, I guess uh I don't necessarily have a question other than just uh it feels unfortunate that we're out of step and monitoring air quality.

Uh and I would hope that the city might think of of ways near that access point to reassure the neighborhood and other downtown visitors that the air quality is um is sufficiently monitored and reported as as it relates to public health.

And uh my final question is is related to the public realm experience and what assurances might you give us that um the features of the public realm around these buildings will be more than bushes and benches.

So I will uh attempt to answer that and again if others want to respond.

So I think part of not think I know what will drive the review is um the unified development code has a robust set of design standards that they use that go beyond just um bushes and benches.

Uh and then layered on top of that, also embedded in the UDC is the city design guidelines for uh DMC district, of which this is part of.

And so if anything to me, that that is an elevated level of design that the planners that review the site development plan apply to the um review and approval process.

Okay, councilmember Keene.

Yeah, I I just wanted to do two things.

One's kind of already been covered.

Um one on the overhead power lines.

I mean, I this is uh a big deal from the neighbors' perspective.

I also think it's a better quality park if this were done.

But I I want to reiterate when we talk about like we can talk about the you know, the the project person doing it or sometimes this is done through RPU, but there are other there are other buildings that would need to pay for their access things that would need to be worked out.

And I and I want to make sure the community understands that before we push for something that drives other costs that um other residents are gonna have to pay for.

Um we uh I think the staff made the good point here that what we're proving tonight isn't any sort of design or anything like this.

It's it's this ability to keep moving right now but still hold these other site development plan requirements, even though one of those site development plan requirements is you don't get any permits until you have it.

So we're doing these agreements now so we can keep up with this.

And I think this is a stated goal of this council to try to be responsive and stay um stay, keep keep these projects moving and not have them drag throughout out and start um losing time.

So I appreciate the ability to try to put an agreement like this together.

Um one of the things we do with these sort of things that says not coming back to council is we have to trust the work we did back in 2021 and 2022 to do the uh unified development code because I trust that the staff will use that as their guiding document, and that's really what what we're we're going forward with.

But I also wanted to make sure people know that along with not having any approvals, there is a planned um study session to go over the bulb forward plans.

And do you want to talk about that a little bit?

Sure.

We thank you, council member can we periodically come before this body and provide an update on um supporting transformation and where we're at with bold forward unbound and uh related initiatives.

We have a request in for a study session in early March to come to you with an update.

Um and we could speak to this.

Our focus for that update will be to talk about the construction coordination work that's happening behind the scenes between um our across our departments, um our communication strategy for the next 12 to 18 months related to that, as well as some additional um uh detail related to the research being done about the cost and implications of of considering bearing underground wires.

So we periodically bring updates to you.

Happy to bring an update specifically related to the park and incorporate it into that presentation as well.

I think that would be a good suggestion if you could you could do that.

Thank you.

Agree.

Councilmember Palmer.

Thank you.

And I'm surprised that people are doubting that.

I have a couple questions, and I'm confused on this first street southwest to Civic Center Drive to bury the lines.

Why would we would the citizens of Rochester or the ratepayers of RPU want to pay for this?

Because the policy is that we don't.

And so I I don't understand why you know the people out in the brave areas have to pay for this.

That just is boggles my mind.

I mean, that certainly we we would bring forward to you what we're hearing in the community meetings, and that would be a policy decision that this council would make whether or not you wanted to allocate resources and pay for it as opposed to putting it on a ratepayer.

But Mr.

McCall, it looks like he's not.

But these meetings that you're talking about are the neighborhood meetings that's maybe 20 people are not reflective of the community.

And I don't think that that if you said to the community, oh, it's going to cost you a hundred dollars so that the the Cusky Park neighborhood doesn't have to look at these lines on the Seventh Avenue um portion.

I don't think anybody would agree to that.

I certainly think there's a lot more work.

I'm I'm not advocating a position one way or the other.

I mean, I understand that.

Yeah, I think there's a lot of um and work still yet to be done to understand the financial implications as Mr.

McCullough indicated that we have uh generally rough estimate of bearing that a large line, um, but understanding what the cost per household would be for the people that would have to replace the line, the lateral line from the main to their household, and if there's any other implications, if it's an older home that needs to be brought up to code, there's a lot to understand in terms of considering bearing underground wires, and we haven't fully vetted that.

And I'd just like to add, I probably spoke uh broader than was necessary for this conversation and describing 7th Avenue to its full extents.

The planning work that we've done up to this point has been looking at the full broad impact area and trying to divide it up into segments that can further be subdivided.

So I apologize if I extended the conversation further than the extent of what the discussion point was tonight.

Okay.

And and the other question I have is this I think you said eight million dollars for public realm.

Is and this is coming from the DMC money, is that correct?

That is correct.

Of the 38 million dollars that was approved, um, it includes an allocation from 7th Avenue West in the Cutski Park area.

The idea uh and the thought behind that allocation is how do we, I think as someone put, soften the edges of the impact of a $5 billion investment that lives right next door to a neighborhood that has preserved a lot of its character.

And so, how do you not uh have a negative impact to that neighborhood?

And so the thought was that um those dollars would go towards an enhanced public realm that softens and uh the impact of what's happening with a five billion dollar investment right next to it.

So then explain to me how do we use DMC money outside the DMC area.

It's a fair question.

Um not all of the area is in the DMC district, depending on how those dollars are being recommended being spent, it could require a district and a boundary amendment that would have to go to the DMCC board and then to the city council for consideration.

Well, in the past, the idea of moving the DMC boundary has been lack of better way to say frowned upon and greatly not wanting to do, and and I'll point to one of my bugaboos is the parking ramp at the rec center, and and that we will not change the boundary.

I'm not sure why we'd want to change the boundary.

And I know the last time we talked about this, we were it was confusing because you're talking about bearing lines down Center Street or First Street.

Um the cost of that would be horrendous, and you would lose the trees.

And so who's making this decision that this $8 million is going to be spent?

Well, no decisions have been made and how it's being spent.

It's an allocation, right?

And um, there's been, as I said, we've we've had uh some initial conversations with the neighborhood, the Kutsky neighborhood in particular, uh, and want to be sensitive to the fact that there is inevitably going to be an impact to that neighborhood, whether it's traffic, whether it's uh well, traffic being one thing in particular.

Let's so let's just take traffic as an example.

Um so if there's uh what proves to be true is an intense amount of traffic that happens that um necessitates improvement for pedestrian connections, um, improvements to the streetscape in some way, shape, or form, that there are dollars that are uh allocated to um can to do those improvements now.

Whether those would be required, those improvements are in the DMC district or not and require boundary modification is something that we've talked about with DMC staff, and um they're aware that it could require boundary modification and um we would need to go through the appropriate process and bring the the appropriate justification forward.

But that's been the pro early conversation.

So the people in lower town are going to be affected by the downtown redevelopment and and everything.

So how do they get their eight million dollars?

That sounds like a rhetorical question, council member.

Well, it's not a type of question that it's fair to ask staff to answer at this point.

Uh just I I want to clarify a little bit to Councilmember Palmer's question.

So those allocations for that eight million dollars, uh whether we there's a request for boundary changes will go to come to this council and specific allocations of that eight million dollars will all come back to this council.

So we will have an opportunity to discuss those as they come forward, correct?

So you you approved the funding, you already approved the $38 million.

Um we would bring forward uh if the eight million dollars for for anything in Cutski Park went beyond the boundary modifications, current boundary modifications, that would come before you as part of the justification for the boundary modification.

If it's an expense that is already in the DMC district, what would come to you would be the RFP for design services for planning services, the RFP to um go out for bid and toward the bid contract.

So if it's in the boundary already, that's what would come to this council.

Thank you.

Sorry to interrupt council member.

I just wanted a clarification.

So do you have uh several more questions or like two?

I'll have two.

Okay.

Go ahead.

So um the area between 7th Avenue and 11th Avenue in 2nd Street southwest of the river, it's approximately 450 parcels.

Of that, about 125 are single family dwellings.

So if you expanded the boundary of of the DMC area, would you then change the zoning to R3 and R4?

Because it's almost already a commercial area with that much rental, don't you think?

I wouldn't want to guess on what the appropriate zoning would be.

I would have to defer to either uh Miss Woodward or Mr.

Yetzer of on how I mean their zoning doesn't correlate to how you um spend uh dollars in a public you know public realm dollars.

No, but it does moving the district, the DMC district the district boundary modification would be to enable dollars to be spent in the public realm.

That is not a zoning specific item.

So my my last question is the requirement for Mail Clinic on this this linear park is 30 feet.

So so when your inspector goes out there and looks at it and measures 30 feet, is that what they're looking for?

I'm not I'm not sure that I uh understand the question completely.

We know what we know is that the in rotating the building it enabled the park to go beyond 30 feet, and that Mayo has clearly indicated um that will be the result is that it will be 43 feet based on rotating the building creates the opportunity for additional green space in that linear park.

So they've more than met the requirement.

I don't know if that answer answers your question.

Can I can I add a little uh my understanding is that the mail clinic has also said that they would maintain the right of way so that the park itself would go from building to curb and the path or the sidewalk would land somewhere in that linear park.

Is that kind of a correct interpretation of what their planning and what you've agreed to with uh mail clinic?

That's my understanding, but I'll ask Ms.

Woodward to also comment on that because I think she's seen more recent documents.

So yes, it does include up to the curb to the building.

That area is 43 feet currently, and that's showing up on the existing site development plan.

It is just not fully designed in terms of where the sidewalk is going to land and some of those other elements, but the the distance and the width has been identified.

And Mail Clinic has agreed to maintain that right of way.

That is correct.

And we will work with them on any of the other documentation needed as we continue to move forward.

Council Member Miller.

Yeah, just one additional clarification on the conditions.

Um related to improving the pedestrian and active transportation.

There's could you give us an update on the Sixth Avenue design?

Like how perhaps truck traffic planning is moving along as well.

And when we should expect updates for our council action on those.

Sure.

So it's part of the 38 million dollars.

There's a planned improvements along Sixth Avenue, which will support multi-modes, right?

And they, as you saw at prior study sessions and updates, it includes a separated cycle track bike lane, um, larger sidewalks.

We um this council asked us to also take a look at um uh alternatives in addition to the ones we were studying, which was First Avenue and Sixth Avenue, taking a look at 2nd Avenue specifically through Annenberg Plaza.

Um, most of that work is complete, that analysis is complete.

We went to PBAC uh a week or so ago, and it is scheduled to come back to you, I think uh February, February 18th for an update.

And related to the truck traffic as well, uh there was some discussion of finalizing what the configuration would be of box trucks, semis, etc.

Are there any updates worth noting since this is part of that site development plan?

I know the construction would be different than operations, but I uh and are you excuse me, Councilmember Miller, are you referring specifically to the West logistics?

Specifically related to the West Logistics Center operations.

Yes.

So I might lean again into Ms.

Woodward specifically on the truck sizes.

I'm not recalling.

I don't think there's any other updates on the number of trucks.

Um, all of the traffic was reviewed as part of the traffic study, um, and that was already reviewed and approved for this project.

Okay.

Councilmember Fredericks.

Thank you.

Are you tired of being in the hot seat yet?

It's fine.

All right, I'll make it, I'll make it simple on you.

Uh, who exactly is asking for underground utility versus overhead?

Who's exactly asking for that or whose idea is it?

It has something, it is something that's come from um the Cutski Park neighborhood uh meetings that we attend.

I don't know, all the representatives, you know, there's generally 10 or 12 people at the same time.

Well, they're on board to help pay for it.

Um there's not been a commitment from the Cutswee Park neighborhood to pay for it.

All right.

Um, and then uh Mr.

McCullough, could you explain to us some of the benefits of underground versus overhead?

Uh cost of connections, tap-ins, abandonment, you're gonna have abandonments from time to time.

Uh, explain to us some of the cost differences between underground and overhead.

I can certainly take a shot at it, Councilmember Fridricks.

Um, generally speaking, the cost of underground construction is a factor of five times more than overhead construction.

It often has a longer life cycle, so you can reap some of the benefits of the higher investment over time.

You do gain some reliability by putting wires underground because trees, ice squirrels don't tend to find the wires when they're buried in the ground.

So there's slight gains in reliability with a piecemeal type undergrounding where there's still segments of overhead.

You really don't realize the full benefit until everything's underground, having come from a community in my former world where nearly everything was underground.

That's a different story than what we're telling about here.

You get incremental reliability benefits, you save operational costs on a cycle of not having to trim trees.

You certainly get an aesthetic benefit of not having the wide trees like cut out of the middle when you have the conflict between overhead lines and trees as well.

Um there are some inherent benefits of uh we've I think encountered about a dozen pole versus car versus pole accidents.

So interfaces with traffic can be um improved when you put things underground, but those nice big green boxes that stick out of the ground still get hit by cars as well.

So those are it's not a full hundred percent there.

RPU has a goal of trying to move forward and continue progress towards undergrounding our system.

There's a board adopted policy, and we partner often to do so on that.

I will say that the cost of undergrounding is not always recovered in the savings in individual segments.

It can lead to some higher upfront capital costs and all the benefits that we're trying to quantify of vegetation management, direct cost and and reliability are hard to put dollars to to make it always pencil out.

So one of the reasons that we're very careful about designing our undergrounding projects so that they can best benefit the community and the entire rate base.

And any time there's requests for individual for aesthetic reasons or other reasons, we typically seek to uh have funding sources come from those requesting the undergrounding as well.

Um hopefully I answered your question on that.

If there's anything else I'd like you'd like me to touch on behalf of the one last thing.

So let's say hypothetically you move forward with this, we move forward with this.

Who does pay the bill?

So I will I will jump in as Mr.

McCullough said it's not something that's currently funded in RPU's capital plan.

So it would have to, we would have to look at what fun funding options are available and bring forward to you as an amendment to your budget because it's not currently in the budget.

And when I mentioned earlier, we'd want to understand what the cost is to the individual homeowner or commercial property that has to pay for the cost then of this you call it the service line, the secondary service line, secondary service line to their property.

Okay, I just asked that because I'm not into mandating you're gonna do this and you're gonna pay for it when they have operational uh you know operational lines in place and just saying, hey, you're gonna do this.

We will, you know, we decide you're gonna do this.

I I don't I don't I'm not on board with that, but so that's where I'm at.

Any further uh discussion on this?

Uh is there a motion on this item?

I'll make a motion.

Go ahead, Councilmember Palmer.

Authorizing the site development agreement with Mail Clinic, a Minnesota nonprofit organization for conditional site plan approval for the construction of the West Logistics Center and the Osman Waterman Clinical Building as part of bold forward unbound in Rochester.

Second.

Council uh motion made by council member Palmer, seconded by councilmember Fredericks.

Any more to add, Councilmember?

No, I've done enough.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, uh all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed say nay.

Motion passes.

Thank you.

Um moving on to our ordinance first readings, Mr.

Spindler Craig.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Item J1, an ordinance rezoning approximately 2.04 acres of land located at the southwest corner of East Center Street and 6th Avenue Southeast.

Identified by pins number 026571 through 026576 and 026578 through 026583 and zero two six five eight five from R2X low density residential infill to R4, high density residential and amending ordinance number 4478, known as the Unified Development Code of the City of Rochester, Minnesota.

Thank you.

We have no tabled items, other business.

Councilmember Doring.

Yeah, I uh I don't want to let the moment pass to discuss what was um what was presented in our our public hearing uh this evening.

Um since uh ICE has been in our community.

Uh I have also been an outspoken uh critic of the tactics that ICE has been using and the harm that it has caused to our community.

I'm not gonna read uh the multiple Facebook posts or social media posts or rehash any other public statement I've made at this point.

Um I am saddened that those who spoke to public comment uh decided to leave.

Uh so they will not hear the commitments I am willing to make this evening.

Uh I am I remain committed to um pushing our city administration, our uh Rochester police department, and all entities who have any legislative power to look for solutions or clarifications about how our community can be can continue uh to be a safe place for everyone to live.

Um so I'm gonna be a bug in their ear still.

I am fully committed um and have been fully committed to working on solutions uh within the law to feed those who are going hungry to alleviate um uh fears that this that the affected parts of our community have to ensure uh that uh they feel safe seeking the essential services um that they need to live their best life in this community.

Uh to this point, I have been involved in uh numerous food runs.

I have been trained as a constitutional observer.

I have stood vigil outside of mosques so people can worship uh without fear.

Um it is my commitment to uh the affected community and to the entire Rochester community that I will do everything in my power as an elected official to make sure that everyone feels safe.

I will continue to lend my voice to ask ICE to leave our community, and I encourage all Rochester residents who are as concerned as I am to um to serve their neighbors, to reach out and to do so in legal fashions.

Um if we all engage in this type of behavior, uh Rochester can certainly be the place uh that I and those that you heard this evening want it to be.

Thanks.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Anyone else want to be heard on this item?

Or uh on other business, I'm sorry.

Go ahead, council member uh Wall.

I appreciate uh Mr.

Doring's words.

I have heard a lot uh really from both sides uh on this issue.

And what I'm so sad about is that everybody feels like they're losers.

I don't think anybody thinks they're winning this battle if it's a battle.

Uh and no matter uh what is done.

It seems like there's losers on all sides, and that that just really hurts.

I I work weekly with uh people who are affected uh by this and uh hear stories.

Um it's just so sad that we uh choose not to treat each other as uh God's children uh no matter where we live, from where we come, uh skin color, ability.

Uh it's just uh it is just a real sad commentary on uh the current state of things.

Uh I really appreciate the statements made by the four uh city leaders uh uh as we got into our business meeting tonight.

Um really am grateful that the safety for the community uh rises to the top in what I heard all four of those people saying, and that uh we as a council and just as human beings, uh need to commit ourselves to the safety of uh our families and our neighbors.

Thank you, council member.

I'll just say one of the things that I will be looking at as we move forward, and again, I I appreciate that uh leader administrative leadership as well as the mayor have uh taken a uh vocal stance on this.

I also uh appreciate so much councilmember Doring and his taking the lead on this issue, and I will be there to with him to bring items to this dais if uh we uh need to.

Uh at this point, I think it's so important that we hear from our community.

I appreciate everyone who came here tonight and you were heard.

I appreciate those that uh reach out to me and my colleagues on what's happening in uh in your lives and in your neighbors' lives.

It's important for us to hear that.

I think it's also very important as we move forward as leaders to recognize that uh I think as the chief said, this is uncharted territory.

And when you're in that kind of environment, the more information the better.

And so I will be pushing our administrative team to give us more information, give, and when I say us, I mean myself and uh our residents who are all of my constituents as much information as we can, even if we don't know the answer, we should say we don't know.

And uh I know we do have uh a site that uh that Ms.

Motella has gathered a lot of frequently asked questions.

It's a it's a living site that is constantly being populated.

I think we need more visibility for that site on uh on our uh on our city website.

And uh as I've heard a lot today uh from the administrator from the mayor, we need to meet this moment and we need to to really respond to our community uh and uh and when they're hurting and make sure we recognize that hurt is real.

So uh as we move forward, you'll see hopefully more from us, more visibility, and we'll tell you when we don't have the answers.

So with that, uh councilmember Fredericks.

Thank you.

Mayor Norton, I want to thank you for your statement earlier.

I thought you did a very nice job on that.

And Chief Franklin, we appreciate what you're doing for this community.

You're putting a tough spot often by a lot of people.

And I think you did a very good job of addressing what was going on tonight, and we fully support you.

Councilmember Miller.

Sure.

I'll just add I I really appreciate all of the people that came out to speak to us tonight and realize that people have other activities, family commitments, and there are many valid reasons that people wouldn't stay.

So I I hope that people will take the opportunity to review the recording or perhaps they're watching live.

But I heard I hear loud and clear that people are asking us to do something.

And I hear that in the area of public safety.

How do we reassure and I appreciate Chief Franklin all of your reassurances of how we are engaging in public safety in the local work, the ongoing commitments to provide service?

And I I share uh Council President Schubring's expectation that those resources are very public and clear to community members to make sure that they are not assuming uh something in in a void of silence.

I'll also say that I I share uh strong um concern for school attendance for people to access work, for people to access health care, and to the and what I I feel like we don't yet have in a in a coordinated way, and perhaps the AG's office has this is documented impacts of what's going on in our community, and I would hope that we can work towards making that clearer to us as policymakers and understanding because at the MLK event that the chamber and the NAACP hosted on Monday, there were testimonies directly going to that, and I suspect goes much farther than what we heard.

Um so I would like to see some way that we receive reporting and understand how ICE is impacting people's health, economics, access to education in our community.

Uh and I I hear loud and clear that people are going to have economic impacts on their own personal lives.

And I I would think about specific things that we do have the power to do.

We have the power to implement uh suspension of citations under a process for alternate site parking if people are unable to move their cars.

It's snowing today.

People are making the choice between perhaps being ticketed and um moving their car to the other side of the street so the plows can move through.

And and that's a very tangible thing that we could do.

We can uh reassure people of programs uh to provide utility bill relief.

And while we can't directly uh implement an eviction moratorium, I would just note that the Minneapolis City Council has universally sent a resolution to Governor Walls asking uh him to declare an eviction moratorium.

February 1st is coming up really fast.

And I do worry that people will be choosing between um basic needs, going to work, uh fear of detention, and paying the rent.

And so I would absolutely support a resolution engaging that we share that fear and asking the governor and state to take action to make sure that people do not lose access to their housing and protection.

Um thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Councilmember Keene.

Uh thank you.

It's just good for me to kind of hear where my peers are at.

Um, I I approach this both personally, but then also as a representative differently.

Um and I've been trying to work with um our attorney and and thinking of the bigger action.

So let me just start by like things have been very uh ill at ease at my home in the last um couple of weeks.

Um the our national issues have come to our streets and our our doorways, and it's unsettling.

I get to respond in two ways.

One as an individual, but then as a representative.

As an individual, I feel a lot more um that I can respond from my gut and say, what should we do with our time and our talent and our treasure to support the community?

As a as a city council representative, I cringe when I find myself doing that.

I want to operate out of a place of data.

And we've all talked about it's it's one of our bigger problems right now with this.

We have antidotes that we want to believe, but then they're kind of we we hear other things that we hear in testimony turn out not to be true, and it's very difficult to get your arms around what we're really dealing with.

Um but over the last week I have been exposed to some firsthand accounts and very much on methods and techniques that are happening in our streets that I just think we with our with our our public safety um responsibilities must act on.

Um methods of profiling and targeting that put Rochester residents in danger.

Um before talking about the council here, I wanna talk about three other things.

Three I have three people I'm gonna talk about that I think can come to bear on this.

First, I wanna call out to uh Congressman Brad Frinstead.

Um I know the representative as uh an honorable man who wants the best for his community.

He's a good Christian, and and he's looking at this as the bigger picture.

He does see the value in it.

And like so many is viewing this current problem in our streets as about a policy, the differences on immigration.

But I challenge Congressman uh Finstad to change his frame and look at the methods being used and the impact it's having on his zone of Southwest Minnesota, not just Rochester, Mankato, Austin.

Like have him look at this not as a policy issue, but as a methods that are coming to our community and to our streets.

Uh second, I'll I'll I'll call out to uh Bishop Robert Barron.

Uh Bishop Barron is my bishop because I'm a practicing Catholic here in the city.

And Bishop Barron and I share a Chicago history.

We went to rival high schools in the 70s.

I didn't know him, he didn't know me.

We went different paths, but we met about three years ago when he was first around here.

But again, Bishop Barron, I mean, I he's written these letters, and you can feel the pain in his voice.

Uh he's struggling with this, but he's also struggling with it as this politics and where the church belongs and where this is.

And again, I challenge Bishop Barron to go deeper into the human rights side of this and go beyond the separation of church and state, take a moral stand and not just uh position to look out for your organization or to look out for your responsibilities.

I think that's the way people are gonna be looking back at this in five and ten years, and we should take that, they've taken that lens at it right now.

Lastly, I'll I'll talk about our own police department and Chief Franklin.

And Chief Franklin and I have been back and forth on this.

Chief Franklin's in a difficult position because there are federal authorities operating in his city and they're not communicating with them.

Um that creates challenges for sure.

Um but uh sorry, let me get my throat, but at the same federal authorities, they're communicating outwardly that within days of arriving in Rochester, they're rounding up murderers and thieves and drug drug dealers.

And I'm looking at this and going, how can this be true?

We have our own police department here, we think they're competent, they think they're doing all this stuff.

So I I want to find help the get to the facts here.

And I'm challenging the police department to how can we get to the point that we know what's really happening in our streets?

When when there's no authority that reports objectively, we are left to operate from a gut.

And as I say up front, I don't think we get good policy operating from the gut.

Um I I've come to believe that the best remedy for what's happening in our streets lies with the courts.

Um following the success both Illinois and California had, Minnesota is now suing the federal government.

This is our state's attorney's office is leading the lawsuit, and some cities are signing on to it.

I'm looking for ways through our legal department through through my peers to say, what can we do in support of this?

I think it's important that if there's a lawsuit that's uh from Minnesota, it doesn't look like it's from Minneapolis.

It looks like it's from Southern Minnesota.

It looks like it's from other parts of the state.

I think it makes it a more powerful statement.

Um I I don't know how we can come to bear.

I'm I'm getting feedback that says stop, don't make the lawsuit more complicated.

I'm getting feedback that says write a brief.

But as a council member, I can't direct that, and an attorney Spindler Craig can't do it, even if he wanted to, because we are a deliberative body and we are a majority kind of rule thing.

And I I guess I'm at the point now where I want to throw this out and see if we can do something like this and how we would do something like this.

And um, and that's where I'm at with it right now.

And um I I don't want to, I I really do appreciate the idea of uh people like me or my wife going and helping and donating money or doing these other things.

I think we can all do those as individuals, and I think they're powerful.

But what I'm looking for is how uh a legislative authoritative body can come to bear.

Um and and I I don't think we're all in the same place, but I I think we've heard enough, and I've heard enough from my peers up here that says there's starting to be some consensus.

Thank you.

Thank you, council member.

Anyone else want to be heard?

I think I think at this point, I think you uh our staff has heard uh the sentiments of uh the council and uh and we'll continue to be discussing this and and bringing things uh forward to the council dais uh as we m as we move through this difficult issue.

With that, is there a motion to adjourn?

Make a motion to adjourn.

Made by council member Fredericks, second, seconded by council member Wall.

All all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, say nay.

We are adjourned.