During the public comment portion of the October 6 Lanesboro City Council meeting, Peter Torkelson asked if the disciplinary action taken against the library director had been removed from the records yet as he had requested at last month’s meeting, citing improper procedure and misquotes. Sandy Webb also spoke in support of good things that were happening at the Lanesboro library, stating that she had attended three book talks there in just four days.
The consent agenda was approved and included the accounts payable, an on-sale liquor license for 5th Sun Gardens, an exempt gambling permit for Root River Game Protective League, the 2026 liquor and tobacco license applications, and resolution 2025-46 authorizing an application and support for a pilot Grants Navigation Program from the League of Minnesota Cities.
City Administrator Mitchell Walbridge gave an update on the Highway 250 project. The first community meetings have taken place and the final design is now being worked on based on comments and feedback received during the meetings.
Recently, the city received an OSHA complaint about mold in the community center. An air quality assessment was completed which revealed that the mold spores are dying in the HVAC system and not circulating. The council reviewed several bids for mold remediation and HVAC cleaning, which were in the $35,000 range. Councilor Mindy Albrecht-Benson asked if that kind of an expense was in the budget. Walbridge said that the council would need to pass an amendment to the budget to move money from capital outlay to the routine budget and maintenance fund to cover it. Maintenance Director David Haugen said that some of the items on the quotes were things that the city staff could do, which would keep costs down. Walbridge noted that since the mold spores are not traveling through the ducts, the HVAC cleaning could be done at a later date. The council approved a motion to spend up to $20,000 for mold remediation services from ServPro.
Two applications were received for the vacant seat on the library board. Albrecht-Benson made a motion to appoint Gwen Harmon to the seat, but noted that both candidates were very well qualified. Mayor Alicia Pearson pointed out that Sandy Webb had library board experience and said that, though both Webb and Harmon would be very qualified, Webb would be her first choice. The motion passed with Kathryn Wade abstaining and Pearson voting no.
The current personnel policy for city employees states that there is 100% coverage for single premiums and 75% for family coverage. Walbridge recommended that the family coverage also be set at 100% as that would actually yield a cost savings to the city and encourage employees to select that plan. The council approved the change.
A mediator has been identified for the Wapasha Construction Company contract negotiation. A council or city staff member will need to be at the mediation. The council approved a motion to have Walbridge attend the mediation with Jerod Wagner as an alternate.
Haugen presented a bid from Olsgard Auto for a western style snowplow to put on the new pickup, in the amount of $8,436.24. The council approved the purchase.
Mayor Pearson asked if there was anything the city could do about the lack of cell service on a portion of Highway 16 from Lanesboro to Rushford. “It’s a complete dead zone,” she said, adding that it was a safety issue. Councilor Chase Bakke said that 60 new cell towers are in the works, but the locations haven’t been released yet. He had reached out to the county commissioner who recommended that the city write a letter of support with the other affected cities and townships to appeal for a cell tower to be placed in that area. The matter was tabled until more information can be obtained.
Mayor Pearson made a request on behalf of the University of Minnesota for the city of Lanesboro to act as the fiscal agent for a rural health innovation initiative with a clinical study pilot to take place in Lanesboro and Whalan. Pearson has had an interest in bringing more healthcare access to the residents of Lanesboro. Earlier this year, she conducted an online personal survey that indicated that 80% of the 133 respondents in Lanesboro would use healthcare services in Lanesboro if they were available. She has been looking into ways to bring pharmacy and healthcare services to the area. Joe Cullen said that as he understood it, the city would not be impacted financially by serving as the fiscal agent, but it would take time for the city staff to manage it the account. Walbridge said that he wasn’t sure how feasible that would be with the Hwy. 250 project ramping up which will increase his typical workload. He also had questions about how the expenditure process would take place. He noted that the initiative could be of interest to Fillmore County Public Health and suggested writing a letter of support for it. The matter was tabled indefinitely.
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