At the September 28 meeting of the city council, the preliminary budget and levy payable in 2027 was approved. Councilor Dave Franks was absent.
The levy can be reduced in December when the final levy for 2027 is considered but it cannot be increased. The total preliminary levy is $3,027,995 which is an increase of $142,355, or 4.9% over last year. The levy portion for operations is $2,323,489 and the portion for debt services is $704,506.
The city’s goal to reduce the debt per capita to less than $3,500 has been reached. The debt per capita is $3,340. The guiding principles for 2027 include delivering vital municipal services, the protection of resources, the maintenance of public safety, the protection of city data and operating systems, and the maintenance of the city’s high-quality, investment grade bond rating.
A draft of the 2027 fee schedule was reviewed. A couple of clerical errors were noted.
Other Business in Brief
•An agreement for a grant proposal authorizing Widseth to apply for a 2026 Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP) grant for Winona St. SE (CR 5) was approved. The grant writing and engineering services for preparation and submission of the grant application are estimated to cost of $2,000. The grant would be for the partial reconstruction of Winona St. SE.
A resolution recommended by staff was adopted supporting the application to LRIP with Fillmore County as the sponsoring agency for the reconstruction of Winona St. SE from TH 52 to Third St. SE in Fillmore County.
•A motion to approve membership in the Southeast Service Cooperative until June 30, 2027, was approved. The annual membership fee is waived for the first membership year (ends June 30). City Administrator Michele Peterson said this first year membership will allow her to check it out to see if membership is a good investment for the city.
•A resolution was adopted authorizing the transfer of a city owned IPad to retiring City Attorney Fred Suhler. Suhler has had use of the IPad assigned to him years earlier; it is an older model. No city data will remain on the device.
•Fire Chief Peter Erickson said the Fire Department Retirement Plan is 127% funded. They will be considering possible increases for retirees this year.
•A quote for 2026 Financial Audit services submitted by CohnRezick in the amount of $36,900 plus a technology fee of $1,845 was accepted. This is a nearly 8% increase over 2025.
•Approval was granted to add breach and vulnerability services to the existing Managed IT services contract as recommended by staff. The additional service will cost $650 per month. This cost has been included in the 2027 budget.
•A letter of support was approved for a grant application to be summitted by the Source Water Protection Collaborative convened by the non-profit Environmental Initiative. This is a statewide network that brings groups together to ensure safe drinking water for all.
•A library donation in the amount of $50 was accepted from Tri-State Quilters.
•A donation in the amount of $70,000 was accepted from the Chatfield Firefighters Activity Association to be used for truck/equipment needs.
•A resolution appointing election judges for the November 3 General Election was approved.
•Mayor John McBroom asked residents to refrain from blowing grass out on to the streets.
Leave a Reply