By Hannah Wingert
Several residents of Lanesboro spoke at the March 3 Lanesboro city council meeting regarding the library board. Peter Torkelson noted that that evening’s proposed resolution regarding the appointment of a new library board member had language that was not consistent with the ordinance. Bonita Underbakke felt that the library board had been weakened by cutting the number of members from seven to five and by making it an advisory board instead of a governing board. “That hurts the library and it also hurts the community,” she said.
Sarah Pieper asked if there was a resource such as a training/support group for mayors and city administrators in which to be involved. She had spoken with the Preston city council to find out how their mayor and city administrator work together and shared what she had learned. Pieper also suggested that Lanesboro go back to its two council meetings a month model instead of the current once monthly meeting.
The minutes of the February 3 regular council meeting were approved. The minutes of the special meeting on February 11 were reviewed. Mayor Alicia Pearson said that she didn’t feel the minutes accurately reported what she said at that meeting and that some information was lacking. She asked that the minute be rewritten using the recording from the meeting. The minutes were tabled to allow City Administrator Mitchell Walbridge time to revise them before the next meeting.
The consent agenda was approved and included the accounts payable, Resolution 2025-19 supporting the Lanesboro Public Utilities for the TH250 funding, Resolution 2025-20 accepting donations to the Lanesboro Fire Department, gambling and fireworks permits for Buffalo Bill Days, approval of holding the Rhubarb Run during Rhubarb Fest, and the resignation of Stacy Schultz from the Lanesboro library board.
The Fire Department board of trustees recommended an increase to $1,850 a year for the department’s pension. Council member Chase Bakke noted that there are funds available to cover the costs. The council approved the increase.
After reviewing proposals and talking with representatives of three organizations at the February meeting, the council had tabled the approval of the city’s new comprehensive plan. After some discussion on the budget for the plan and the methodology of the organizations in creating it, the council unanimously approved a motion to accept the proposal from Bolten & Menk.
The possibility of having team building exercises for the Lanesboro council was revisited from last month’s meeting. Council member Mindy Albrecht-Benson expressed complaints that Mayor Pearson is monopolizing Walbridge’s time with excessive emails and not following the council’s code of conduct. She also stated that the survey about healthcare needs in Lanesboro that Mayor Pearson had posted on Facebook could be misconstrued as coming from the city when that wasn’t the case. Mayor Pearson noted that an audit of her emails to Walbridge showed an average of approximately 3-4 per week which she didn’t feel was excessive. “I’m trying to create an open conversation that is in line with open meeting laws,” she said about the items that she’s asked to have added to the monthly agenda. She also mentioned that the survey was posted from her personal account and was not intended to seem as if it were coming from the city. The matter of team building for the council was tabled indefinitely.
Walbridge asked the council to approve a motion to allow him to put signage up at the civil defense siren. He noted that he will be working with residents who live near the siren to sign them up to receive text alerts giving them advance notice of when the monthly test will go off. The council approved the motion.
At the February 11 special meeting, a motion made by Kathryn Wade was passed to have Walbridge and Mayor Pearson enter into mediation. Since that meeting, it has been determined that the League of Minnesota Cities does not provide mediation services so any mediation will have a cost. Due to that, Wade rescinded her motion from the special meeting. Walbridge asked the council if they believed there was a problem with how he puts together the agenda, stating that he believes the ordinance gives him leeway to use his discretion on whether or not to add items to the agenda. Albrecht-Benson and Wade both said that they didn’t agree with how Mayor Pearson is handling the agenda items. Chase Bakke suggested that Walbridge and Mayor Pearson have a scheduled meeting face-to-face each week to cut down on the number of emails and the possibility of misinterpreting tone. “I think we all just need to be adults and find a way to work together,” he said. The council agreed to revisit the matter at the April meeting.
Several applications were received for Jon Bugg’s open library board seat. The council noted that all of the applicants were well qualified. The library board recommended Anna Lane for the position. The council approved the recommendation. Resolution 2025-21 appointing Lane to the board was amended to match the language in the ordinance. Stacy Schultz’s open board seat will be posted until March 11 and those who applied for Bugg’s seat will be notified in case they wish to also be considered for this one.
City Engineer Brian Malm presented the public involvement schedule and assessment process for the TH250 project to the council. The first public information open house will be held on March 25 starting at 4:30 p.m.
The open EDA director position was discussed. Walbridge had spoken with the City of Preston and an interest in job sharing for the position was expressed. With the CEDA contract, the Lanesboro EDA director works 16 hours a month in Lanesboro. With the job share proposal, that amount would increase to nine hours a week. Council member Kathryn Wade said that she felt that would be a feasible option, especially since Preston and Lanesboro are very different, limiting any conflict of interest that might occur. A draft agreement was reviewed which City Attorney Joseph O’Koren will finalize before it can be approved. The director would technically be an employee of the City of Preston, but would contract with Lanesboro. The council approved a motion to move forward with the contract contingent on EDA approval.
The Fillmore County ordinance regarding hemp and cannabis was reviewed. As Lanesboro doesn’t have a separate ordinance, Resolution 2025-22 was adopted allowing the city to follow the county ordinance.
Currently, the public comment section of the meetings takes place right after the agenda approval. The council reviewed the ordinance regarding public comments. Mayor Pearson asked if other council members felt that step five of the ordinance stating that the council will engage in factual investigation and report back is being followed. She also asked if it would make more sense to move the comment section to the end of the meetings. Bakke said that if an actual concern is brought up, the council does look into it and address it, but that not everything is an actionable item. Albrecht-Benson stated that if someone wants to comment on something that the council will be voting on, they would want to do that at the beginning of the meeting. It was noted that the ordinance limits the total public comment section to 15 minutes and speakers to two minutes apiece. As the time often goes over 15 minutes, it was suggested that a sign-up sheet could be posted for people to sign up to speak at the meetings. Walbridge will reach out to neighboring communities for more input on how they handle public comments.
Mayor Pearson asked what the city council role has been in the past for local events. She expressed interest in having the council members run a booth to be involved in the community. Several other council members noted that a good way for them to be involved and have input on various activities around Lanesboro is to join committees.
The public utilities 1998 Ford truck has around 239,000 miles on it and has had some mechanical issues. Public Utilities Director Jerod Wagner has found a 2015 Ram truck on an auction as a replacement. The funds to purchase it are available so the council approved a motion to allow a max bid of $40,000 for the truck.
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