City Council Meeting

CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 7:00 PM Baxter City Hall, 13190 Memorywood Drive, Baxter, MN “A Growing Community” CALL TO ORDER Mayor Olson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Mayor Darrel Olson and Council Members Connie Lyscio, Zach Tabatt, Patrick Sundberg, and Mark Cross were present. City Administrator Brad Chapulis, Assistant City Administrator Kelly Steele, City Attorney Greta Bjerkness, Finance Director Jeremy Vacinek, Police Chief Matt Maier, Community Development Director Josh Doty, and Public Works Director Trevor Walter were present. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE All joined Mayor Olson in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. PRESENTATIONS None. ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO THE AGENDA None. PUBLIC COMMENTS - Comments received from the public may be placed on a future meeting agenda for consideration. Josh Loahr, business agent for Teamsters Local 320, explained the union and city are heading to mediation over health insurance. Mr. Loahr compared the cost of Teamsters health insurance and the city’s health insurance and suggested potential savings to the city. CONSENT AGENDA - The following items are considered non-controversial by staff and are recommended to be read and passed in one motion. Any council person, staff, citizen, or meeting attendee can request one or more items be pulled from the Consent Agenda and the item will be pulled and addressed immediately after the passage of the Consent Agenda; otherwise, the following items will be passed in one motion: 1. Approve City Council Minutes from January 6, 2026 2. Approve the Payment of Bills and Finance Report (Addendums A and A-1) 3. Accept the Utilities Commission Minutes from January 7, 2026 1/20/2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 2 4. Approve the SEH Contract in the Not to Exceed Amount of $18,290.00 for Professional Services during the Construction Phase for the VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic 5. Accept the Lake Forest Road Assisted Living Traffic Review Report 6. Approve Integrated Process Solutions, Inc. Final Pay Estimate No. 2, contingent on submittal of final documentation, in the amount of $23,241.60 for work completed on Contract C related to the 2025 Water Supply Improvements – Wells 5 & 6, Municipal Project No. 6011-45040 7. Approve the Anderson Brothers Construction Change Order No. 6 in the Decreased Amount of $270.00 for the 2025 Commercial Full Depth Reclamation Improvements Project, Municipal Project Number 4425 8. Approve the Anderson Brothers Construction Partial Pay Estimate No. 4 in the amount of $50,426.79 for the 2025 Commercial Full Depth Reclamation Improvements Project, Municipal Project Number 4425 9. Approve the J.R. Ferche, Inc Partial Pay Estimate No. 5 in the amount of $21,526.50 for the 2025 Design Road & TH 371 Stormwater Improvements Project, Municipal Project Number 4135 10. Approve the Widseth Agreement for Professional Engineering Services in the Not to Exceed Amount of $15,000.00 for the Lift Station 18 Reconstruction 11. Approve the MNL, Inc. Partial Pay Estimate No. 3 in the amount of $6,270.00 for the Whiskey Creek Stormwater Improvements Project, Municipal Project Number 200292 12. Adopt Resolution 2026-005 Approving Crow Wing County 2025 Hazard Mitigation Plan 13. Adopt Resolution 2026-006 to Enter into MnDOT Agreement No. 1061078 with the State of Minnesota Department of Transportation for the 2026-2027 TH 210 MnDOT Project 14. Approve Lawful Gambling Permit for Lighthouse Beginnings to Conduct a Lawful Gambling Raffle on June 6, 2026 15. Adopt Resolution 2026-008 Authorizing Advancement of Municipal State Aid Funds 16. Approve Proposal from Hegele Inc. for Organizational and Professional Development Services for an Amount Not to Exceed $15,000 17. Accept Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes from January 13, 2026 MOTION by Council Member Cross, seconded by Council Member Lyscio to approve the consent agenda. Motion carried unanimously. PULLED AGENDA ITEMS None. OTHER BUSINESS 18. Adopt Resolution 2026-007 Pertaining to Municipal Consent for State Project 1809-98 – TH 371/210 Grade Separation Project 1/20/2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 3 City Administrator Chapulis explained on September 9, 2025, MnDOT submitted a letter seeking municipal consent on their proposed final layout for the 371 overpass project. Since receiving the letter, the city has taken all of the required actions out lined in Minnesota statute. Per Minnesota statute, the city has until February 1, 2026 to vote on the municipal consent request. The vote is required to pass a resolution. If the council does not pass a resolution, the request for municipal consent is considered approved. The resolution must identify one of the following actions: 1. Approve the final layout; 2. Disapprove the final layout; or 3. Disapprove the final layout with conditions for approval. The third option allows the city to identify conditions that will convert their disapproval into an approval for municipal consent. MnDOT would review the conditions and determine whether they are agreeable to them or not. MnDOT will notify the city if they are agreeable to the conditions. Mayor Olson thanked the council for their time on this matter and asked the individual council members to share their comments. Each council member took time to explain how they arrived at their final decision. The council discussed seven conditions. Those conditions in summary are: 1. TH 210 East Ramp Intersection/WB RAB Reconfiguration 2. Posted Speed 3. Wayfinding Signs 4. Clearwater Road and Woida Road 5. Glory Road (west leg) 6. Right in only on Southbound TH 371 at Design Road 7. Maintain 3/4 Intersection on TH 210 and Golf Course Drive MOTION by Council Member Cross, seconded by Council Member Lyscio to adopt Resolution #3 and hold a special meeting to develop a list of conditions to provide to MnDOT to incorporate into the project. The council discussed if condition #6 should be excluded from the resolution. Council Members Cross and Lyscio agreed to withdraw the motion. MOTION by Council Member Tabatt, seconded by Council Member Lyscio to adopt Resolution #3 with the seven identified conditions. Council Member Cross made a friendly amendment that an additional condition, a northbound right in and right out at Design Road, be added. Council Members Tabatt and Lyscio did not accept Council Member Cross’ friendly amendment. Motion carried with Council Members Lyscio and Tabatt and Mayor Olson voting yes. Council Members Sundberg and Cross voting no. CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT MOTION by Council Member Cross, seconded by Council Member Lyscio to enter into a closed session at 8:03 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. MOTION by Council Member Cross, seconded by Council Member Tabatt to return into an open session at 8:46 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. 1/20/2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 4 24. Closed Session Under Minnesota Statue 13D.05, Subd. 3(c), consideration of offers for the purchase of real property: PIDs 40020631, 40020630, 40020794, 40020713, 40020712, 40020711, 40020710, 40020709, 40020787, 40020788, 40020789 and 40020790 25. Closed Session for Attorney-Client Privilege Pursuant to Minn. Stat. 13D.05 Subd. 3(b) to Discuss Litigation Regarding Whiskey Creek Stormwater Project and HR Green MOTION by Council Member Tabatt, seconded by Council Member Lyscio to present offers of the purchase of real property as identified on the agenda. Motion carried unanimously. City Administrator Chapulis explained no council action was taken on the Whisky Creek agenda item. ADJOURN MOTION by Council Member Tabatt, seconded by Council Member Sundberg to adjourn at 8:47 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. Approved by: Respectfully submitted, _____________________________ Darrel Olson Kelly Steele