New Waconia City Council is pictured: Mayor Nicole Waldron flanked by council members Jeff Grengs and Steve Yetzer, left, and Randy Sorensen and Nick Gleason, right. (Photo courtesy city of Waconia)
New Waconia City Council is pictured: Mayor Nicole Waldron flanked by council members Jeff Grengs and Steve Yetzer, left, and Randy Sorensen and Nick Gleason, right. (Photo courtesy city of Waconia)
Waconia’s second woman mayor struck the gavel on her first city council meeting last Tuesday, Jan. 3. Nicole Waldron convened the organizational meeting at 6 p.m.
She downplayed that aspect in her mayoral campaign and points out that Waconia already had a female city administrator for almost 20 years before she took office. Nonetheless, the second woman mayor distinction is an important historical footnote since the city was established in 1858. Louise Butke - the city's first female mayor - was mayor of Waconia from 1936-1938. She was chosen by voters from a field of three candidates, two of them men, during an election that featured an unprecedented field of 19 candidates for city council, according to the Waconia Patriot. Butke served for one two-year term, choosing not to file for re-election in 1938
Waldron campaigned that she was the best qualified and most experienced of the three-person mayoral field after four years as city council member, and pointed out following her election that she went down every street in the city to reach out to constituents.
“The first meeting went well,” she said. “There are some important and exciting projects going on in Waconia this year. I look forward to working with this new council as we serve our city.”
Last Monday’s meeting also was the first for new council members Nick Gleason and Jeff Grengs. The third new council member Steve Yetzer stepped in immediately following a special election for that vacant seat in November.
Council business
In the brief first meeting of 2023, the council through its consent agenda named the most senior council member Randy Sorensen as acting mayor if Waldron can’t serve. The council also made committee, advisory board and council liaison appointments, and designated various agents such as city attorney, consulting engineer and fiscal advisors.
In other business, the council authorized an outside city employee classification and compensation study to ensure compensation and benefits are competitive to hire and retain qualified employees, and to satisfy state pay equity requirements. The first-time study will include a thorough review of all city employee job descriptions and compensation structure. The projected cost of $11,500 has been programmed in the city’s 2023 budget.
The study is expected to take 5-6 months to complete and results should be in hand in time for 2024 budget development, according to city leaders.
Council and city staff also had a brief discussion about speed limits on Waconia Parkway North and South. Those roadways have been improved in recent years, and have generated calls about excessive speeds. Speed limits are expected to be a topic for future meetings in 2023.
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