Today's speaker was Kevin Watson, Vadnais Heights City Manager. Kevin has been with the City for 8 years, working previously in city management in Oregon where he is from. He comes from a family line of city managers, with both father and grandfather serving in similar roles. His wife hails from the Twin Cities - hence the move here. He spoke about some of the new real estate development activity and retail openings in the city, including a Marshalls store, Radiance Spa, Olive Me Chiropractic office and a number of new homes being built. The largest real estate development under way is The Reserve at Sono - new high end apartments under construction at the corner of Hwy 96 and McMenemy Road. Pickleball enthusiasts will be happy to learn of new dedicated PB courts in Bridgewood Park. Kevin spoke of the age old struggle to balance new development with the desire of residents to maintain existing open space in the community. The median home value in the city is now $325K. There will be a small property tax increase this year to fund a new fire truck and other items needed for public safety. The 2020 Census shows that the population of Vadnais Heights is now 12,900, which is slightly higher than in the 2010 Census. As with most cities, the population has become somewhat more racially diverse.