The Hampton City Council met on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at Hampton City Hall for the regularly scheduled meeting. Present were Mayor John Knetter and Council Members Jerry Huddleston, Anthony Verch, and Nick Russell. Absent was David Luhring. Also present were Brad Fisher and Angie Smith of Bolten & Menk, Chris Meyer Treasurer, Melissa Timm, Luke Nicolai, and various residents.
Regular Meeting Called to Order – Mayor Knetter called the regular meeting to order at 7:00pm.
Disclosure of Interest – Mayor Knetter stated that he is a member of the Fire Department and will not be voting.
Approval of February 4, 2025 Regular Meeting Minutes – Motion by Verch, seconded by Huddleston, to approve the February 4, 2025 regular meeting minutes. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 4-0.
Approval of Disbursements - Motion by Verch, seconded by Russell, to approve the March disbursements. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 4-0.
Public Comments: Melissa Timm addressed the council about a reconstruction project on Highway 47 starting at Highway 50. She suggested adding a pedestrian blinking light triggered by a pedestal to improve safety at the intersection. She requested the council's support for this upgrade, which the county showed interest in.
Luke Nicolai expressed concerns about the approval process, urging the council to thoroughly read all 420 pages of documents before making any decisions. He emphasized the importance of understanding the details and recommended a public hearing for the community to voice their opinions, rather than relying on brief, ineffective open houses. He also discussed the policy around data request fees, questioning the need for a new policy when existing procedures are available. Finally, he suggested that a lack of trust in the council is driving many data requests and urged the council to foster better transparency. The council thanked both speakers for their time.
Petitions, Requests, and Communications: Randolph-Hampton Fire Department: At the annual meeting held on February 10th it was voted to raise their retirement by $1,000, from $2,800 to $3,800. Motion made by Verch, seconded by Russell to approve the $1,000 increase towards the pension. All voted in favor with Mayor Knetter abstaining from voting. None opposed. Motion passed 3-0.
Chris Meyer, the Treasurer, presented the Fiscal Year Ending December 2024 financial statements to the City Council. He highlighted key financial points, including a large cash balance of $3.4 million, with $2.3 million allocated for water tower replacement and $262,000 set aside for January bond payments. The city has a zero balance in CDs and investments, though the treasurer is monitoring rates for potential future investments. The Water Fund had operating income for four consecutive years, a first in 15 years, due to lower maintenance expenses. The Sewer Fund also had a small operating income, with revenue from sewage dumping contributing to the pavement project. The city currently has four bond series outstanding, totaling $5.2 million. Meyer will submit the financial reporting form to the state auditor by March 31st and publish it in the newspaper.
Mayor Knetter thanked Meyer for his work, and Councilor Huddleston inquired about the internal audit. Meyer explained that he needs a couple of council members to assist with the annual internal audit review and will schedule it for April or May. Councilors Huddleston and Russell volunteered to participate.
Mayor Knetter addressed a growing concern at the city council meeting: the high costs the city incurs in fulfilling public data requests, particularly those involving Bolton & Menk, a contractor the city hires for engineering and planning services. Many of these requests involve data stored on Bolton & Menk’s servers, not the city’s systems, and often require searches of irrelevant or repetitive information. The city is expected to incur tens of thousands of dollars to retrieve this data, which typically involves emails and documents unrelated to official city records.
The Mayor proposed a solution: charge requesters the same hourly rate the city pays Bolton & Menk for retrieving this data. He cited an example involving a request from Kimley-Horn for city-related information, which led to the city being charged for research on emails and documents unrelated to official city matters. Since the information ultimately becomes part of the city’s public records, the Mayor argued it’s fair for the requester, not the city, to cover the costs for retrieving data from Bolton & Menk’s internal systems.
Councilman Huddleston raised concerns about handling internal data requests and suggested further discussion on the topic. The Mayor clarified that requests for city-held data, whether digital or printed, would still be charged the established rate of 25 cents per page. However, for data stored on Bolton & Menk’s servers—such as emails and documents not yet processed into city records—the Mayor argued it was inappropriate for the city to absorb the costs. Instead, the requester should cover these expenses.
Councilman Verch acknowledged the public's desire for transparency, especially regarding large projects like the data center, which may be driving many of these requests. While he understood the eagerness for quick access to information, he agreed with the Mayor’s point that the city should not bear the cost of retrieving data that hasn’t yet been made public.
The conversation also addressed the need to refine the data request process. The Mayor encouraged requesters to review available documents before submitting new requests, as many questions could be addressed at council meetings or through phone calls. He emphasized that while the city should remain transparent, it shouldn’t have to absorb the costs of redundant or excessive requests for data that hasn’t yet been processed into public records.
Throughout the discussion, Councilman Verch acknowledged the increased interest in local governance, with more citizens attending council meetings. He appreciated the public’s concerns but emphasized the need to balance transparency with the city’s limited resources. The goal is to ensure that data requests don’t overwhelm the city’s budget.
In conclusion, the Mayor reiterated that the 25-cent per page fee for data stored on city servers would remain unchanged, but any requests for data held by Bolton & Menk would be subject to the same hourly fees the city pays the contractor. This policy aims to ensure that the city isn’t burdened by unnecessary data retrieval costs while still maintaining transparency.
Councilman Russell supported charging requesters for data retrieval but proposed a compromise where the city could cover part of the costs. However, he recognized that, given the city’s reliance on external contractors, it may not be feasible for the city to absorb any portion of the fees. The Mayor clarified that the city already accounts for the costs of the clerk's time and effort in processing requests, but the real concern is the high fees paid to external contractors like Bolton & Menk for extensive data searches.
A formal motion was made to adopt the new fee schedule, charging external requesters the actual fees the city incurs from contractors like Bolton & Menk and attorneys for data retrieval. The motion was seconded by Councilman Verch and passed unanimously, ensuring that the costs of extensive data searches are borne by the requesters, not the city.
In addition to the data fee discussion, the Deputy provided updates on community issues, including warnings about fraud—particularly scams involving individuals impersonating law enforcement officers and demanding payments through gift cards or cryptocurrency. He advised residents to remain cautious and report suspicious activities. The Deputy also discussed traffic safety, reminding residents about the need to register side-by-sides and the importance of stopping for school buses with flashing red lights. He also highlighted curfew laws and the dangers of reckless driving.
Councilman Russell briefly mentioned ongoing graffiti issues in city parks, encouraging residents to report such incidents to help authorities track and address the problem. The Deputy agreed and reiterated the importance of reporting these issues promptly.
The meeting concluded with the Deputy being thanked for his updates, and the council returned to discussing the motion regarding data request fees. The unanimous approval of the new fee schedule marked a significant step in ensuring that external requesters bear the costs of extensive data searches, protecting the city’s limited resources.
Angie Smith from Bolten & Menk provided an update on the AUAR (Alternative Urban Areawide Review) process, which is now moving into Phase Three. Phase One focused on scoping, while Phase Two involved creating the draft AUAR, which included a technical analysis by Kimley Horn, along with the draft mitigation plan. The draft was then sent out for a 30-day public review, with additional public review for the scoping phase.
Phase Three is the final period, where public and agency comments from the draft AUAR were reviewed and addressed. These comments were incorporated into a table with responses, which were then added to the final AUAR document, including the final mitigation plan. Smith highlighted key concerns raised during the review, including water resources (both groundwater and surface water), air quality (particularly related to diesel backup generators), traffic impacts, and zoning. These issues were addressed in the final document and mitigation plan.
Smith then outlined the next steps: the city council is being asked to approve the final AUAR and mitigation plan tonight, which will then be sent for a 10-day agency review period. After that, the city council will revisit the plan in April for final adoption. The council will also review any objections from the agencies during that time.
The final AUAR document includes mitigation strategies for two possible development scenarios: Scenario 1 (commercial and industrial development) and Scenario 2 (a data center). For Scenario 1, mitigation focuses on potential zoning changes, water resource management (including protecting a DNR-designated trout stream), and addressing construction impacts such as dust and noise. Scenario 2, focused on the data center, includes mitigation for water use (especially for cooling needs), hazardous waste from diesel backup generators, and noise concerns from the facility’s operation.
Smith also noted that while this is the final step in the AUAR process, additional reviews and public hearings will take place as more specific development plans are submitted. The AUAR is a living document that will be updated every five years to reflect new information and ensure ongoing mitigation efforts are in place.
The city council approved the motion to move the final AUAR and mitigation plan forward, initiating the 10-day agency review period before it returns for final adoption in April.
Ordinances and Resolutions:
Reports of Officers, Boards, and Committees:
Engineer Report – Brad Fisher of Bolten & Menk provided an update on the water tower project to the mayor and council. The team has finalized the color selection for the tower after evaluating swatches in various lighting conditions, with approval expected soon. Work is progressing with material procurement and structural preparations, and subcontractors may begin site work next week, depending on weather and conditions. However, no work will begin on Lincoln Street yet, with at least seven days' notice being given to nearby residents in case of limited access. Construction will start slowly, with more visible progress expected in late spring, followed by a pause as materials are prepared, and then further activity in late summer for the tower's erection. Weather conditions will determine the timeline for the removal of the old tower. Fisher emphasized that residents would be notified of the upcoming work. The council thanked Fisher for the update.
Water / Sewer Report – Nothing to report
Park Report – Nick Russell provided an update regarding the graffiti situation, mentioning that he reached out to A Brighter Image of Minnesota, the company that handled the previous case, but did not receive a response. He suggested either repainting the entire building with a few gallons of paint or contracting the job out, depending on the council's preference. Mayor Knetter left the decision to Russell, noting that he is in charge of the parks, and Russell proposed using a red color to match the Cardinals. Russell assured that the repainting could be done in one day and should only take a couple of hours. He also mentioned that once the weather stabilizes, he would open the tennis courts and fill in the cracks.
The council discussed the issue of wood chips, with Councilman Russell expressing concern about the current situation. Mayor Knetter suggested waiting until the ground is drier to handle the wood chips, similar to how it was done in the fall, as the chips that are blown in are expensive. Russell asked if the chips would be used for playgrounds, to which Knetter confirmed. Councilman Huddleston noted that playground chips are more cost-effective.
Street Report – David Luhring was absent but there was a quote for Street Sweeping at $170.00, when David gets back he can sign the contract and Kelly will get the street sweeping schedule for the spring.
Councilman Huddleston mentioned if anyone has received complaints about snowplow damage, including one instance where a plow went about a foot and a half into a yard. Mayor Knetter advised taking a picture of the damage and sending it to Kelly to address with the contractor. Huddleston agreed to follow up on this.
Unfinished Business: None
New Business: None
Adjournment - Motion by Russell, seconded by Verch, to adjourn the meeting. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 4-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Kelly Roan