Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.
The Waconia City Council met on Monday, August 3, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. for a regular meeting. The agenda was adopted with the removal of the 2026 State of the Library presentation. The meeting included a public forum, approval of routine consent items, and discussions on several significant council business items. Key actions included the adoption of an ordinance amending cannabis retail buffers, authorization of a construction contract for Water Treatment Plant No. 4, and a decision on a deck permit fee appeal. The meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m.
Good evening, everyone, and welcome to our Monday, August 3rd City Council meeting here in Wilconia. Thank you for attending. Got a good crowd tonight. And so if you're here in person or if you're viewing online tonight, welcome to the great city of Waconia City Council meeting here for this evening. And if you would please rise with all of us, remove your hats and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. I appreciate it. Pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Uh we have an agenda in front of us, uh, council members, but we will be removing um item number seven. Uh Jody Ernst is uh unable to make it with us tonight from the library, so we'll scratch that item and move her to another future agenda item. So with that removed, can I have a motion to approve the agenda, please? So moved. Second. Councilmember Siddons, thank you. Second by Councilmember Coleman, thank you. All in favor. Aye. Opposed, very good. We have an agenda. Uh and then we have an open forum this evening, and we will begin with Matt Steen. So no Matt, welcome. Matt is a uh candidate for Carver County Sheriff. Good evening, sir. Good evening. Mayor and council members, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you tonight. I'm Matt Steen, candidate for Carver County Sheriff. I'm a U.S. Army National Guard veteran and a Minnesota Peace Officer with more than 29 years of law enforcement experience, 17 of those years being in supervisory and leadership roles within the richfield police department. I've worked patrol investigation, SWAT undercover operations, and as a range master, I'm currently holding the rank of a sergeant. I've managed complex incidents, civil unrest, the Republican National Convention, Super Bowl 52 security, and the operational shifts that came after 2020. In 2022, I pioneered Minnesota's first distracted driving enforcement vehicle. That grant and uh system was adopted by 13 other agencies statewide. I'm running for Carver County Sheriff as a one-term candidate, four years only. My focus is to deliver experienced servant leadership that strengthens the sheriff's office for the next generation. Carver County is growing, and with that growth brings real pressure on public safety safety. Cities feel it every day with uh staffing, school safety, the cost uh of overtime driven by turnover. I've seen what what uh uh works and doesn't work from uh a high volume metro environment. True leadership means staying connected to the street. You cannot effectively lead what you no longer understand. I will lead from the front, train with deputies, be out there and be visible and make decisions grounded in the realities our people face every day. First, I want to talk about recruitment and retention. Chronic understaffing drives up overtime and weakens coverage.