Minutes - Council Work Session - 04/14/2026

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City Administrator Hagen explained the concept would be a small-scale, local drop-off site for residents, not a full processing facility. He described it as a satellite location where residents could bring recycling or compost materials, rather than handling processing on-site. Senior Planner Anderson described the idea as a resident-focused drop-off site for yard waste and compost, addressing frequent requests from residents who currently must travel long distances to county facilities. He noted it would function similarly to nearby city sites, offering a convenient local option for leaves and debris, with materials collected and then transported elsewhere for processing rather than processed on site. Councilmember Specht stated that the idea has merit but feels it is premature to include it in the strategic plan, given that it is in the first discussion stage and lacks detailed information. City Administrator Hagen explained that keeping the item on the strategic plan signals Council interest and gives staff direction to begin researching and developing more detailed information, rather than bringing it forward later without prior context. Acting Mayor Riley noted that including the item as a strategy would signal the need to study it further, allowing the Council to gather information before deciding whether to move forward. City Administrator Hagen proposed retitling the section to “areas for improvement,” focusing on where the City can build on existing efforts, such as team building and employee wellness, based on feedback from the employee survey. He noted updates to the opportunities section, including removing outdated items, advancing the Historic Town Hall project into the restoration phase, and recognizing upcoming opportunities, such as continued Highway 10 study efforts. He invited Council input on any additions or changes. Mayor Heineman asked whether grant writing could be considered an area for improvement, seeking insight into how successful the City has been in securing outside funding and whether there are opportunities to pursue more state or other grant dollars. City Administrator Hagen responded that the City is performing well in grant writing, highlighting recent successes including funding for Highway 10, the water treatment plant, Historic Town Hall, parks projects, and tree replacement efforts. He also noted that staff have attended grant-writing training to strengthen their efforts further. Parks and Assistant Public Works Director Riverblood noted the City has been successful in securing grants, particularly for projects already planned, such as the boulevard tree replacement program. He explained that the focus has been on leveraging grant funding to support existing priorities rather than pursuing new projects that would require additional local matching funds. Mayor Heineman expressed that he is satisfied with the City’s current approach to grant writing, noting it appears to be well managed and appropriately balanced with staff workload, and confirmed he feels comfortable with the current level of effort. City Council Work Session / April 14, 2026 Page 3 of 10