Osseo Approves Night To Unite Event Permit | Government

The Osseo City Council approved an event permit for a Night to Unite citywide event at its Monday, June 13, meeting.

The council also considered items related to the upcoming election in November.

The council approved the special event permit for this year’s Night to Unite event set for Tuesday, Aug. 2. Activities will run from 5-8 p.m. This is a citywide event for residents of Osseo.

Police Chief Shane Mikkelson said things will be set up in Boerboom Park and in the parking area at City Hall.

There will be a DJ in the park’s band shell, and bounce houses will be located in and near the park. Also in the park will be yard games, face painting, sidewalk chalk and bubbles.

Max Cakes will serve hot dogs, chips and water in front of City Hall.

In City Hall parking area, there will be emergency and utility vehicle tours.

Demonstrations from the Osseo fire and police departments will take place in the parking lot of the fire station. Mikkelson said he believed one of the reserve officers is willing to be tased.

Portable toilets, hand washing stations and hand sanitizers will be located around the area.

Central Avenue will be closed between Fourth and Fifth Streets to keep attendees safe while walking between City Hall and the park.

“All of our police officers should be there and on duty to meet and walk around and interact,” he said.

According to Officer Anthony Mortinson’s memo to city staff in the application, the event would be “a night of food, games, music and other entertainment to bring the citizens of Osseo together. The goal is to get to know each other and to give crime a going away party.”

Also during the meeting, the council, considered increasing wages for the election judge and head judge for the 2022 General Election in November.

In December, the council approved wages for all staff, including the election judges. Acting City Administrator Mikkelson said it was discovered that those wages for the judges are under the state minimum requirements. The city set the rates at $9.65 for judges and $10.65 for the head judge.

The city is classified as a large employer because gross revenues exceed $500,000 or more. Because of this, the minimum wage for the judges must be at least $10.33 an hour.

City staff recommended the council approve the election judge hourly rate be at $10.33 and the head judge rate be at $11.33.

The council approved the increase for the 2022 election judge hourly rates.

In a related matter, the council also looked at the establishment of an absentee ballot board.

“Minnesota law requires that the governing body of each municipality establish an absentee ballot board, and they would then review to accept and reject absentee ballots,” Mikkelson said.

The ballot board would have a sufficient number of election judges as provided in the state code or deputy clerks trained in the processing and counting of absentee ballots.

Administrative Assistant Karen Broden and Community Management Coordinator Joe Amerman are requested to be designated as deputy clerks to be members of the board. They would also be trained. There is no budget impact.

The council approved the establishment of the absentee ballot board.

In other action, the council:

APPROVED special event permits for the Osseo Lions Roar and 5K race events Sept. 9 and 10.

PROMOTED Mike Cogswell to the position of captain 11 in the fire department effective June 14.

HIRED Chad Malmon to the position of a full-time police officer.

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