If you missed Monday night's City Council meeting, you missed one of those rare sessions where almost everything was good news. New officers joining the force, a major award for the city's newest facility, and long-awaited pedestrian safety improvements finally moving forward.
Here's what happened and why it matters for Rosemount residents.
The meeting started with the swearing-in of Officers Jalen Ker and Braden Letcher—both hired through the IC POET program (Intensive Comprehensive Peace Officer Education Training), a relatively new state initiative addressing Minnesota's law enforcement staffing shortage.
Most police departments struggle to find qualified candidates who can afford to leave their current jobs to attend the police academy. The IC POET program solved this by allowing cities to pay competitive wages to candidates while they're in training.
Rosemount secured $150,000 in state grant funding to hire three officers through this program—a creative solution that Police Chief highlighted during the ceremony.
Governor Walz and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson launched the program in December 2024, with significant support from local legislators including Rep. John Hoyt, who worked to ensure Dakota County communities had a voice in the program's development.
Jalen Ker came to Rosemount from the Dakota County Sheriff's Department, where he served from 2017 to 2024 and was promoted to Sergeant. He was also part of the Dakota County Honor Guard—an assignment he said "changed my outlook on law enforcement and gave me something that will impact me for the rest of my life."
Dakota County Sheriff Tim Leslo told the Chief he wished Ker had stayed with the county, but acknowledged "it is to our credit that we have him here."
Ker graduated from Hastings High School in 2012 and earned a BA in criminology with a minor in coaching from the University of Minnesota Duluth. He completed the IC POET program at Hennepin Technical College in March 2025, then spent three months in field training before being released to solo patrol.
Braden Letcher is a Rosemount native who graduated from Rosemount High School in 2020. While in high school, he took emergency services courses through District 196, which solidified his decision to pursue law enforcement.
He earned a Bachelor's degree in criminal justice with a minor in sociology from UW-Eau Claire, volunteered with Eau Claire County Victim Witness Services, and worked as a park ranger for the Dakota County Sheriff's Office for four years. Before attending IC POET, he served as a community service officer in Rosemount—giving him firsthand experience with what the job would actually entail.
Oh, and the ceremony happened to fall on Letcher's birthday. The packed council chambers sang "Happy Birthday" after he took his oath.
The meeting's second major announcement: Rosemount's new Public Works and Police Campus won the American Public Works Association's Project of the Year award in the structures category.
Representatives from APWA's Minnesota chapter—Eric Lemke (Awards Chair) and Richard McCoy (Robbinsdale's Public Works Director)—presented the award to Public Works Director Nick Mathern and explained why this project stood out among all the submissions they reviewed.
The committee looks for several criteria: innovation, sustainability, completion on schedule despite challenges, strong community relations, environmental considerations, and long-term value to both the profession and public perception.
This project checked every box:
McCoy admitted he toured the facility to steal ideas for Robbinsdale's upcoming public works rebuild. "I'm entirely jealous," he said. "I think I'm gonna try and get an office that's at least as big as what Nick has... actually, I might get the dimensions and make it just a touch bigger."
The project took 20 years from initial planning to completion—a facilities task force worked with City Council and the community throughout to ensure it met long-term needs rather than just minimum requirements.
Rosemount will submit the project for national-level APWA recognition this summer, with winners announced in late summer 2026. Read the full story about the award here.
In what Council Member Fres called "a hot topic for community members over the past couple years," the council approved a cooperative agreement with MnDOT to install two rapid rectangular flashing beacons (RRFBs) along Highway 3.
The two installations will happen this summer at:
City Engineer explained these locations were identified through analysis as spots that "could use a boost in visibility when pedestrians are looking to utilize those crossings."
MnDOT is covering approximately 50% of the cost through their Local Partnership Program grant, which the city successfully applied for in 2024. The project was originally slated for 2025 but got delayed due to administrative processes—a common theme with state-funded infrastructure projects.
This cooperative agreement was the final administrative hurdle before the city can solicit contractor quotes and get the work done.
Robert Trail Library Branch Manager Terry Rums delivered the annual library report, which included some impressive usage numbers—and some disappointing service cuts.
Dakota County libraries weren't immune from county-wide budget cuts. While there were no layoffs, the system had to eliminate some services:
The library also lost its long-time circulation supervisor, Peter Alda, who'd been with the library for 10 years and volunteered at local polling stations. He was replaced by Megan, who started in December and brings library experience from Oklahoma.
Robert Trail Library is due for a remodel, possibly in 2027 or 2028. The timing keeps shifting based on other county projects (Wentworth is currently closed for remodeling, Burnhaven in Burnsville will close this spring for about a year).
The library system also launched a podcast in 2025, now up to 20 episodes and available wherever you stream podcasts.
The council approved several consent agenda items without discussion:
Speaking of Leprechaun Days: Council Member Klimpel reminded everyone about the Halfway to Leprechaun Days Bingo Bash on Saturday, February 28th at 4 PM at the Steeple Center. Tickets are available at leprechaundays.org or through Facebook, and the event typically sells out before the day arrives.
City Administrator Logan Martin shared that City Council met with the senior leadership team on Friday afternoon for about five hours to set goals for 2026 within the context of the city's five-year strategic plan (2024-2029).
The strategic plan focuses on four pillars:
Each department head presented their 2026 vision and work plan, with council providing feedback and confirmation on priorities.
Martin said there are "a lot of really exciting things to come, a lot of work ahead of us, a lot of big things to tackle and take down."
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