Applause was heard from the audience after the Caledonia City Council unanimously approved the 615 W. Washington development proposal submitted by Gran Properties and Alpha Performance at its meeting on November 10.
The city received one proposal for the city-owned 0.73 vacant acres located on Highway 44 and W. Washington. According to the Request for Proposal (RFP), the property is zoned B-2 Highway and must conform with both zoning requirements and the comprehensive plan. The goal of the plan is to maximize the City’s potential to pursue high quality economic development opportunities. The city was offered $100,000 for the property which was purchased in 2021 for $95,000 to build a new ambulance station.
Co-owner Joshua D. Gran said that they will be building a “Best-in-Class” gym on the property. The proposal states that the “facility will contain all types of fitness equipment for local athletes or competitors. There will also be wellness equipment within the facility. Additionally, the facility will contain a space for martial arts (wrestling, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, etc..).” This facility will replace the current Alpha Performance gym in Caledonia.
All city council members were in attendance at the 6 p.m. meeting: Bob Klug, Amanda Ninneman, Mayor Jeremy Leis, David Fitzpatrick and John Rauk.
Others present included City Clerk/Administrator Jake Dickson, Public Works/Zoning Director Casey Klug, Traci Knutson, Kathryn Lamb, Rolling Hills Transit, Bill Spitzer and Joshua D. Gran.
The minutes from the October 27 regular city council meeting were unanimously approved, with a motion by Rauk and seconded by Fitzpatrick.
The consent agenda, which included payments and disbursements, was approved in a single unanimous vote.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Kathryn Lamb expressed concern regarding the building code as it relates to rental properties. Lamb asked if the city could start small and basic when it comes to the code and require owners to carry hazard insurance. She wondered who would pay if the owner did not have hazard insurance, and there was a fire. Who pays for the fire department? Who pays for the cleanup? Dickson replied that the city does not charge for in-town calls. Dickson assumed it would be an abandonment issue and the city would use Chapter 463, hazard building statue, and the city would take ownership and clean it up, and that taxpayers would be responsible for paying. Traci Knutson started by stating there was a small fire at the DeWitt building and is concerned that there might be another fire and somebody would die. Mayor Leis reassured Knutson that the city is working very hard on this and are being very proactive. There are things being done that the city cannot talk about. Mayor Leis encouraged residents to give him a call or stop by city hall and ask questions.
Rolling Hills Transit, represented by Transportation Director Bill Spitzer, presented last year’s report to the council. He also requested $5,700 from the city to help them secure the match required by the state needed for transportation services in 2026, explaining the rising cost of buses. When Spitzer started at Rolling Hills Transit, buses cost $96,000; now, they cost $134,000. No action was taken at this time.
After the public hearing on the certification of unpaid utility bills and special charges, the council approved Resolution 2025-10 which authorized the assessment of properties for unpaid special charges.
No action was taken on the request from the pickleball players until Dickson has answers to the council’s questions. He is confident that a plan can be put into place that will be beneficial to both the pickleball players and walkers.
Councilmember Klug made a motion to amend the Doering Estates Purchase Agreement, which was seconded by Fitzpatrick.
The council reviewed the overtime report for the pay period ending October 26, with the mayor noting that there was nothing unusual.
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