Summary

Waconia City Council summary

WaconiaJun 1, 20263 min read

At a glance

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Council ordered the 5th Street Reconstruction Project, accepted plans and authorized advertisement for bids for Water Treatment Plant No. 4, approved the consent agenda including downtown and subdivision actions, and discussed short-term rental regulation.

Projects mentioned

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Addition Development JMH Land Development Elm Creek Ridge Development

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City Council

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TransportationBudget & TaxPublic SafetyCommerceHousingUtilities

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What this means

The council approved moving forward with rebuilding parts of 5th Street and related streets; property owners in the project area may later receive special assessments, but final amounts will be recalculated after design. The council also approved final plans and the start of the bidding process for a new water treatment plant (projected cost about $35 million), which is intended to increase long-term water capacity and meet regulatory requirements. Routine approvals on plats, development agreements, downtown construction pay requests, and administrative items were also adopted, and the city clarified that short-term rentals remain regulated under the existing rental licensing and inspection program.

Key decisions

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Opened and closed public hearing on 5th Street Reconstruction Project and adopted Resolution No. 2026-140 ordering improvements and preparation of plans.
Adopted Resolution No. 2026-141 accepting plans and specifications and authorizing advertisement for bids for Water Treatment Plant No. 4 (total probable cost: $35,041,000).
Adopted the consent agenda including: approval of May 18, 2026 minutes; June 1, 2026 expenditures; Downtown Reconstruction Phase 4 pay request to GMH Asphalt Corporation; change order for City Square Park electrical improvements; Waterford 10th Addition development agreement; Elm Creek Ridge plats and revised development agreement; utility easement with Song River Holdings, LLC; closing Debt Fund No. 304 and transferring to PIR Capital Project Fund No. 103; and acceptance of cash donations for the Fire Department.
City staff reported that the final special assessments for the 5th Street project are preliminary and will be limited by the lower of an independent special benefit evaluation or actual assessable costs; advancing the project to coincide with the State Highway 5 work is expected to produce significant savings (including about $700,000 watermain cost avoidance and combined savings potentially approaching $1,000,000).
Confirmed that short-term rentals are presently regulated through the city's rental licensing and inspection program and are not treated separately from other rental properties.

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Meeting information

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City Council Meeting

Jun 1, 2026, 6:00 PMCity Hall, 201 South Vine Street, Waconia MN 55387completed

Agenda

1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
1) Caleb Louden, fifth grader from Southview Elementary, will lead all in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Decision: PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. PROCLAMATIONS
4. ADOPT AGENDA
5. PUBLIC HEARING
1) Public Hearing on the Improvements to the 5th Street Reconstruction Project
attachments=3 | reports=1
Decision: PUBLIC HEARING
6. OPEN FORUM
7. COMMUNITY INTEREST PRESENTATIONS
8. ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA
The items listed on the Consent Agenda are considered routine and non-controversial by the Council and will be approved by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Councilmember, City Staff, or Citizen so requests; in which case, the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered at the end of the Regular Agenda.
1) Approve the May 18, 2026, City Council Minutes
Approve the May 18, 2026, City Council Minutes | attachments=1 | reports=1
Decision: ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA
2) Approve June 1, 2026 Expenditures
Approve June 1, 2026 Expenditures | reports=1
Decision: ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA
3) Contractor Pay Request - Downtown Reconstruction Phase 4 to GMH Asphalt Corporation #1
Motion to approve Downtown Reconstruction Phase 4 Pay Request No. 1 to GMH Asphalt Corporation | attachments=1 | reports=1
Decision: ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA
4) Downtown Reconstruction Phase 4, Change Order No. 1, City Square Park Electrical Improvements
Adopt Resolution No. 2026-133 Approving Change Order No. 1 Downtown Reconstruction Phase 4 project. | attachments=3 | reports=1
Decision: ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA
5) Waterford 10th Addition Development Agreement– JMH Land Development Company, LLC
Adopt Resolution No. 2026-134 approving the Development Agreement for Waterford 10th Addition. | attachments=2 | reports=1
Decision: ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA
6) Elm Creek Ridge1st Addition Final Plat & Elm Creek Ridge 2nd Addition Final Plat — Elm Creek Ridge, LLC
Adopt Resolution No. 2026-135 Approving the Elm Creek Ridge 1st Addition Final Plat and the Elm Creek Ridge 2nd Additional Final Plat. | attachments=3 | reports=1
Decision: ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA
7) Elm Creek Ridge Development Agreement - REVISED
Adopt Resolution No. 2026-136 approving the revised Development Agreement for Elm Creek Ridge 1st Addition and Elm Creek Ridge 2nd Addition, which are both included in the draft Development Agreement for Elm Creek Ridge | attachments=2 | reports=1
Decision: ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA
8) Utility Easement Agreement – Song River Holdings, LLC
Motion adopting Resolution No. 2026-137 approving a permanent utility easement to the City of Waconia to facilitate the extension of utility stubs to vacant land owned by Song River. | attachments=2 | reports=1
Decision: ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA
9) Close Debt Fund No. 304 & Authorize Transfer to PIR Capital Project Fund No. 103
Adopt Resolution No. 2026-138 Approving the Close of 2014A GO Bond Debt Fund No. 304 & Authorization to Transfer Remaining Funds to PIR Capital Project Fund No. 103 | attachments=1 | reports=1
Decision: ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA
10) Accepting Cash Donations for Operations of the Fire Department
Adopt Resolution No. 2026-139 Accepting Cash Donations for Operations of the Fire Department | attachments=1 | reports=1
Decision: ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA
9. COUNCIL BUSINESS
1) Ordering Improvements for the 5th Street Reconstruction Project
Resolution No. 2026-140 Ordering Improvements & Preparation of Plans | attachments=1 | reports=1
Decision: COUNCIL BUSINESS
2) Accept Plans & Specifications and Authorize Ad for Bids - Water Treatment Plant No. 4
Adopt Resolution No. 2026-141 Accepting Plans & Specifications and Authorizing Advertisement for Bids for the Water Treatment Plant No. 4 project. | attachments=2 | reports=1
Decision: COUNCIL BUSINESS
10. ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA
11. BOARD REPORTS
1) Staff Reports
Decision: BOARD REPORTS
a. Regulation of Short Term Rentals - Shane Fineran
reports=1
Decision: BOARD REPORTS
b. Election Update - Jackie Schulze
reports=1
Decision: BOARD REPORTS
2) Councilmember Siddons
Decision: BOARD REPORTS
3) Councilmember Coleman
Decision: BOARD REPORTS
4) Councilmember Gleason
Decision: BOARD REPORTS
5) Councilmember Grengs
Decision: BOARD REPORTS
6) Mayor Litfin
Decision: BOARD REPORTS
12. ANNOUNCEMENTS
13. ADJOURN REGULAR MEETING
OFFICE OF THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR Shane Fineran
Work Session: Old Fire Station, Social Media Communications
UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS/MEETINGS: