City Council Agendas & Packets

AGENDA OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF EAST GRAND FORKS TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 2025 – 5:00 PM CALL TO ORDER: CALL OF ROLL: DETERMINATION OF A QUORUM: PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: SWEARING IN OF OFFICER GRAY: OPEN FORUM: “An opportunity for members of the public to address the City Council on items not on the current Agenda. Items requiring Council action maybe deferred to staff or Boards and Commissions for research and future Council Agendas if appropriate.” APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1. Consider approving the minutes of the “Council Meeting” for the East Grand Forks, Minnesota City Council of April 1, 2025. 2. Consider approving the minutes of the “Work Session” for the East Grand Forks, Minnesota City Council of April 8, 2025. SCHEDULED BID LETTINGS: NONE. SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARINGS: NONE CONSENT AGENDA: NONE Items under the “Consent Agenda” will be adopted with one motion; however, council members may request individual items to be pulled from the consent agenda for discussion and action if they choose. ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF REPORTS OF OFFICERS, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS: 3. Regular meeting minutes of the Water, Light, Power, and Building Commission for March 19, 2025. COMMUNICATIONS: NONE OLD BUSINESS: NONE Individuals with disabilities, language barriers or other needs who plan to attend the meeting and will need special accommodations should contact Nancy Ellis, ADA Coordinator at (218)-773-2208. Please contact us at least 48 hours before the meeting to give our staff adequate time to make arrangements. Also, materials can be provided in alternative formats for people with disabilities or with limited English proficiency (LEP) by contacting the ADA Coordinator (218)-773-2208 five (5) days prior to the meeting. 1 NEW BUSINESS: 4. Consider approving the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of East Grand Forks and the Township LLC for the joint fire engine purchase and replacement plan. 5. Consider approving the 2025 Accessibility Special Deer Hunt Recommendation Form for Archery and authorize staff to submit to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 6. Consider approving the 2025 Special Deer Hunt Recommendation Form for Archery and authorize staff to submit to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 7. Consider adopting Resolution No. 25-04-31 accepting the donation of $10,364.00 from the East Grand Forks Fire Relief Association for the purchase of the proposed drone package. CLAIMS: 8. Consider authorizing the City Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer to issue payment of recommended bills and payroll. COUNCIL/STAFF REPORTS: ADJOURN: Upcoming Meetings Work Session – Tuesday, April 22, 2025 – Training Room – 5:00 PM Council Meeting – Tuesday, May 6, 2025 – Council Chambers – 5:00 PM Work Session – Tuesday, May 13, 2025 – Training Room – 5:00 PM Council Meeting – Tuesday, May 20, 2025 – Council Chambers – 5:00 PM Individuals with disabilities, language barriers or other needs who plan to attend the meeting and will need special accommodations should contact Nancy Ellis, ADA Coordinator at (218)-773-2208. Please contact us at least 48 hours before the meeting to give our staff adequate time to make arrangements. Also, materials can be provided in alternative formats for people with disabilities or with limited English proficiency (LEP) by contacting the ADA Coordinator (218)-773-2208 five (5) days prior to the meeting. 2  #1 UNAPPROVED MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF EAST GRAND FORKS TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2025 – 5:00 PM CALL TO ORDER: The Council Meeting of the East Grand Forks City Council for Tuesday, April 1, 2025 was called to order by Council President Larson at 5:00 P.M. CALL OF ROLL: On a Call of Roll the following members of the East Grand Forks City Council were present: Mayor Mark Olstad, Council President Brian Larson, Council Vice-President Tim Riopelle, Council members Tami Schumacher, Ben Pokrzywinski (via Interactive Technology), Dale Helms, Donald Casmey, and Karen Peterson. Staff Present: Karla Anderson, Finance Director; Jeff Boushee, Fire Chief; Maggie Brockling, Economic Development Director; Nancy Ellis, City Planner; Steve Emery, City Engineer; Ron Galstad, City Attorney; Michael Hedlund, Police Chief, Charlotte Helgeson, Library Director; Reid Huttunen, City Administrator; Jeremy King, Parks and Recreation Superintendent; Keith Mykleseth, Water and Light General Manager; and Megan Nelson, City Clerk. DETERMINATION OF A QUORUM: The Council President Determined a Quorum was present. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: OPEN FORUM: Council President Larson stated the open form was an opportunity for members of the public to address the City Council on items not on the current agenda and items requiring Council action maybe deferred to staff or Boards and Commissions for research and future Council Agendas if appropriate. He asked if anyone would like to address the City Council, please come up to the podium to do so. No one came forward. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1. Consider approving the minutes of the “Council Meeting” for the East Grand Forks, Minnesota City Council of March 18, 2025. 2. Consider approving the minute summary of the “Closed Meeting” for the East Grand Forks, Minnesota City Council of March 18, 2025. 3. Consider approving the minutes of the “Work Session” for the East Grand Forks, Minnesota City Council of March 25, 2025. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER RIOPELLE, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SCHUMACHER, TO APPROVE ITEMS ONE (1) THROUGH THREE (3). 3 City Council Meeting April 1, 2025 Voting Aye: Casmey, Larson, Peterson, Schumacher, Pokrzywinski, Riopelle, and Helms. Voting Nay: None. SCHEDULED BID LETTINGS: NONE. SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARINGS: NONE CONSENT AGENDA: Items under the “Consent Agenda” will be adopted with one motion; however, council members may request individual items to be pulled from the consent agenda for discussion and action if they choose. 4. Consider approving the Special Event Application for the East Grand Forks Senior High Prom scheduled for Saturday, May 3, 2025 and authorize the closure of the parking lot by restaurant row from approximately 5:00pm to 8:30pm. 5. Consider adopting Resolution No. 25-04-27 approving the use of the Altru Recreation Partnership funding for the Grand Bike Share Program for 2025 in the amount of $10,000. 6. Consider adopting Resolution No. 25-04-30 declaring the City will act as a legal sponsor for the application for the fiscal year 2025/2026 funding to the State of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for the trail maintenance of snowmobile trails managed by the Red River Snowmobile Club. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER PETERSON, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CASMEY, TO APPROVE ITEMS FOUR (4) THROUGH SIX (6). Voting Aye: Casmey, Larson, Peterson, Schumacher, Pokrzywinski, Riopelle, and Helms. Voting Nay: None. ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF REPORTS OF OFFICERS, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS: 7. Regular meeting minutes of the Water, Light, Power, and Building Commission for March 5, 2025. COMMUNICATIONS: NONE OLD BUSINESS: NONE NEW BUSINESS: 8. Consider declaring the police carbines and seized, forfeited, and abandoned firearms as surplus and trade them in to reduce the purchase of six new rifles and nine optic systems from Sig Sauer totaling $13,429.86. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HELMS, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CASMEY, TO DECLARE THE POLICE CARBINES AND SEIZED, FORFEITED, AND ABANDONED FIREARMS AS SURPLUS AND TRADE THEM IN TO REDUCE THE PURCHASE OF SIX NEW RIFLES AND NINE OPTIC SYSTEMS FROM SIG SAUER TOTALING $13,429.86. 2|Page 4 City Council Meeting April 1, 2025 Voting Aye: Casmey, Larson, Peterson, Schumacher, Pokrzywinski, Riopelle, and Helms. Voting Nay: None. 9. Consider declaring the John Deere 544J Loader as surplus and trade it in on the purchase of a John Deere 624P reducing the purchase price down to $264,176.00 from RDO Equipment. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HELMS, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RIOPELLE, TO DECLARE THE JOHN DEERE 544J LOADER AS SURPLUS AND TRADE IT IN ON THE PURCHASE OF A JOHN DEERE 624P REDUCING THE PURCHASE PRICE DOWN TO $264,176.00 FROM RDO EQUIPMENT. Voting Aye: Casmey, Larson, Peterson, Schumacher, Pokrzywinski, Riopelle, and Helms. Voting Nay: None. 10. Consider adopting Resolution No. 25-04-28 approving the Griggs Park Playground Project totaling $82,624.64, authorizing the purchase of playground equipment from Landscape Structures for a total of $48,975.70, and authorizing the utilization of the Altru Partnership Funds up to $4,617.64 for project costs. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER RIOPELLE, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PETERSON, TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 25-04-28 APPROVING THE GRIGGS PARK PLAYGROUND PROJECT TOTALING $82,624.64, AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASE OF PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT FROM LANDSCAPE STRUCTURES FOR A TOTAL OF $48,975.70, AND AUTHORIZING THE UTILIZATION OF THE ALTRU PARTNERSHIP FUNDS UP TO $4,617.64 FOR PROJECT COSTS. Voting Aye: Casmey, Larson, Peterson, Schumacher, Pokrzywinski, Riopelle, and Helms. Voting Nay: None. 11. Consider adopting Resolution No. 25-04-29 setting the city registration fees for cannabis businesses. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HELMS, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RIOPELLE, TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 25-04-29 SETTING THE CITY REGISTRATION FEES FOR CANNABIS BUSINESSES. CLAIMS: Voting Aye: Casmey, Larson, Peterson, Schumacher, Pokrzywinski, Riopelle, and Helms. Voting Nay: None. CLAIMS: 12. Consider authorizing the City Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer to issue payment of recommended bills and payroll. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER CASMEY, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HELMS, TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR/CLERK-TREASURER TO ISSUE PAYMENT OF RECOMMENDED BILLS AND PAYROLL. 3|Page 5 City Council Meeting April 1, 2025 Voting Aye: Casmey, Larson, Peterson, Schumacher, Pokrzywinski, Riopelle, and Helms. Voting Nay: None. COUNCIL/STAFF REPORTS: Mayor Olstad thanked Sacred Heart for having him be a part of the fish fry on Friday night. He stated it was a good turnout with approximately 1350 meals served and he served over 800 meals for those Council Member Pokrzywinski stated a pulled pork fundraiser was going to held for the three EGF Robotics teams who were trying to fundraise $20,000 to pay for the expenses of attending the Worlds competition in Dallas, Texas. He said the fundraiser was going to be held at the American Legion on Saturday starting at 5pm, the tickets were $12 at the door, or tickets could be pre-purchased on their East Grand Forks Robotics Facebook page for $10. Council Vice-President Riopelle recognized his son from Buffalo, Minnesota who was attending the meeting, and how they were showing him what an efficient city government ran like. Mr. Huttunen said he had legislative updates, the cities enterprise zones legislation had a committee hearing scheduled later in the week, Moorhead was leading the charge on the item, and Senator Johnson signed on as a second author, so it had bi-partisan support since it was authored by Senator Kupec. He added it should get positive feedback during the hearing that was scheduled for Thursday starting at 9am. He stated that both he and Ms. Brockling were preparing to testify at the hearing. He told the Council they had been working on a bill to get the sales tax refundable on the recreation projects, the bill had been drafted and introduced in the House and Senate by Representative Gander and Senator Johnson. He stated he had not received a committee hearing date at this time, but they were optimistic that a hearing would happen in the coming weeks. ADJOURN: A MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HELMS, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RIOPELLE, TO ADJOURN THE APRIL 1, 2025 REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING OF THE EAST GRAND FORKS, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL AT 5:10 P.M. Voting Aye: Casmey, Larson, Peterson, Schumacher, Pokrzywinski, Riopelle, and Helms. Voting Nay: None. _______________________________________________ Megan Nelson, City Clerk 4|Page 6  #2 UNAPPROVED MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION CITY OF EAST GRAND FORKS TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2025 – 5:00 PM CALL TO ORDER: The Work Session of the East Grand Forks City Council for Tuesday, April 8, 2025 was called to order by Council President Larson at 5:00 P.M. CALL OF ROLL: On a Call of Roll the following members of the East Grand Forks City Council were present: Mayor Mark Olstad, Council President Brian Larson, Council Vice-President Tim Riopelle, Council members Tami Schumacher, Ben Pokrzywinski, Dale Helms, Donald Casmey, and Karen Peterson. Staff Present: Karla Anderson, Finance Director; Jeff Boushee, Fire Chief; Maggie Brockling, Economic Development Director; Steve Emery, City Engineer; Ron Galstad, City Attorney; Charlotte Helgeson, Library Director; Keith Mykleseth, Water and Light General Manager; Megan Nelson, City Clerk; and Jason Stordahl, Public Works Director. DETERMINATION OF A QUORUM: The Council President Determined a Quorum was present. 1. Operations Update from American Crystal Sugar – Ryan Wall & Chris Patullo Mr. Ryan Wall informed the Council Doug Emerson, the environmental affairs manager and Mark Nelson, the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors and who also farmed in the district were also in attendance. He then told the Council he was the current Vice President of Administration for American Crystal Sugar, he was the former factory manager of the East Grand Forks location, he had been with the company for 20 years and worked in four of the factory locations. Mr. Chris Patullo introduced himself as the Director of Operations, he ran the East Grand Forks and Drayton factories, he had been with the company for 22 years, and worked at all the factories except for the Moorhead factory. Mr. Doug Emerson introduced himself as the environmental affairs manager for American Crystal Sugar and he had been with the company for 15 years in this position. Mr. Wall said he wanted to give an update about last year’s crop and harvest, how operations went through the campaign process, what the planting outlook was for this spring, and some of the projects they have completed in East Grand Forks and what might be done in the future. He continued saying they were able to get into the fields early in 2024, they gained about 8 growing days, and that resulted in a record crop because they were able to harvest 13.2 million tons of beets harvested from 412,000 acres. He stated they started pre-harvest on August 13th, full harvest started October 3rd, and reminded the Council pre-harvest allowed them to start up the factories. He reviewed how the record harvest and sugar content reflected the changes in the agricultural practices and seed varieties. He said it was a good crop and a great harvest. 7 Work Session April 8, 2025 Mr. Wall told the Council because of the record harvest they had to increase their slicing rates, they were capped on the amount of tons they were able to slice at each factory, they were looking at 280 days of campaign this year, and there was about 40 days left so they would be finishing up around May 20th which was one of the longest campaigns they ever had. He stated how in the past they had struggled with staffing but currently that was not the case. He said they had a high performing workforce, they were almost fully staffed, the company as a whole had about 1700 employees, and this week they were only short about 30 positions, which was a great spot for them to be in because about two years ago that number was closer to 200 open positions. He explained they had some challenges with storage of beets, so their average sugar content was at 18.3%. Mr. Wall continued with the planting outlook, they were expecting planting to start around April 15th, so they were expecting an early plant date, and another good crop. He said they were expecting 400,000 acres were going to be planted, and they had an allocation of acres that could be planted which was set by the USDA. He added in the last 20 years they had not filled that allocation because of improved farming practices, and they were able to raise more tons per acre, reducing the overall number of acres needed to be planted which was why they were planning for the 400,000 acres to be planted. Mr. Wall moved on to projects and last year in East Grand Forks they installed a new pond aeration system for storm water treatment. He stated before this pond was covered and the contents were slowly fed into a treatment system, but with a multi-million dollar system they were able to treat the water as it entered the pond system. He said the other projects listed were steam economy projects, they were a very heavy energy user, and they continued to invest to increase efficiency while reducing steam demand. He added they would need to be replacing the pond cover because it has become compromised, a temporary cover was added, and the cover would be replaced over the summer. He said they were also looking at a wet hopper extension and explained that was where the Transystems trucks were unloaded. He added the State approved the increase to load weights on a portion of Highway 2 coming to the East Grand Forks factory. He stated the trucks would be able to haul 122,000 pounds instead of 97,000 pounds so this would mean less trucks and they would need to modify their receiving station which was another investment and allowed them to reduce the number of trucks on the road and their footprint. Mr. Wall said the last slide of information was about the economic impact that the company had on the region. He said NDSU had completed studies over the years, the last one was completed about two years ago, and showed the company had over a $6 billion economic impact on North Dakota and Minnesota. He said it was not just their revenues and sales but included the impact to local businesses all over the valley, in North Dakota it made up about 1.6% of the State’s economy, and about .5% of Minnesota’s economy. He added between the three companies located in Minnesota and North Dakota, they produce 50% of all the beet sugar made in the United States, and a quarter of the sugar made in the United States was produced in North Dakota and Minnesota. He told the Council the company did make an effort to give back to the communities of 5 cents for every ton of beets harvested. He asked for questions. Council member Helms asked since they had a record crop and sugar content, if they were having storage issues. Mr. Wall said they marketed their sugar with another cooperative, they had to be more diligent to get the products moved out to customers, they had not increased storage, so sales and delivery had to be faster. Mayor Olstad thanked them for being good community partners to the City of East Grand Forks, they had met quarterly to talk about what was upcoming, and he appreciated the efforts they were making. Council President Larson thanked them for the update and how there was a long lasting, mutually beneficial relationship, and looked forward going down that same path. There were no further questions. 2|Page 8 Work Session April 8, 2025 2. Review of the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Safety Action Plan – Stephanie Halford & Cody Christianson Ms. Halford told the Council that Mr. Cody Christianson would be presenting instead of Mr. Weber. She introduced herself as the director of the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). Mr. Christianson introduced himself as the project manager from Bolten and Menk. He stated a lot of work had been happening and that he would be reviewing upcoming engagements, implementation, project prioritization, and next steps. He reminded the Council this project has started in March of 2024 and they were just a few months away from wrapping up the project. He stated there would be more public engagements that would be taking place in the next few months, they would be meeting with the community advisory groups as they had throughout the process for additional input, they were giving presentations this month to all of the agencies involved, and there would be another council workshop at the beginning of May to go more in-depth about the implementation process. He added there would also be a public open house in May to present the draft plan and implementation process. Mr. Christianson continued with the elements of the action plan that were required by the federal grant including the leadership coordination and policy and process recommendations. He said they would focus on the projects that were identified, getting safety countermeasures identified, and putting the implementation plan together. He said they would be looking for specific infrastructure solutions in the high injury areas of the network, the matrix identified those areas, and how they could be improved. He added they would work closely with the steering committee as well as planning and engineering departments from both cities to identify specific projects in areas and possibly be more proactive than reactive in certain areas. He stated the high injury network was more reactive data driven piece, but they had also done a lot of engagement to identify locations to make sure the areas made sense. Mr. Christianson explained the scoring criteria for project prioritization to help get the most out of the funds spent on the projects. He said engagement input was considered in the scoring process along with the equity areas. He said the high impact low-cost projects would rise to the top. He moved on to the drafts of the project prioritizations for both cities and both Department of Transportation projects. He listed the East Grand Forks segment projects that included adding a shared use path on the Louie Murray Bridge to connect the greenway, Bygland Road all the way out to the Middle School, the curve on Highway 2 east of the city, and the intersection of 14th Street. He then reviewed the segment projects in Grand Forks. He stated the intersection project areas in East Grand Forks include a possible round-a-bout at the River Road, 17th Street, and 12th Avenue intersection and the north end of Central Avenue and 23rd Street. He continued with the intersection projects in Grand Forks. Mr. Christianson said they were working on finalizing the prioritization, they were looking forward to the council workshop at the beginning of May, and the public engagement events that would be taking place in May. He asked if there were any questions. Council President Larson said he was interested in seeing what the plan was for the Louie Murray Bridge to make that connection and thanked them for the update. This item will be brought back to a future meeting. 3. Review of Bid Results for the 2025 City Project No. 3 Lift Station No. 13 Rehabilitation – Steve Emery Council President Larson said this item was being pulled from the agenda. 3|Page 9 Work Session April 8, 2025 4. Consider Approving the Joint Fire Engine Purchase & Replacement Plan Memorandum of Understanding – Jeff Boushee Chief Boushee stated a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was requested for the purchase and replacement of fire engines, he worked with Mr. Huttunen and Mr. Galstad on the MOU, and recommended the Council approve it. He asked for questions. Council President Larson thanked him for getting this put together. There were no questions. This item will be referred to a City Council Meeting for action. 5. Discuss Tri-City Council Meeting with Crookston & Thief River Falls – Brian Larson Council President Larson reminded the Council this event would be taking place on April 29th starting at 6pm on a Tuesday, they would try to figure out how to carpool up to Thief River Falls, a meal would be provided with the meeting to follow, and asked if there were items they would like to see included on the agenda. Council Vice-President Riopelle said they could email agenda items to staff. Council member Pokrzywinski asked if it was the fifth Tuesday so there was no regularly scheduled meeting. Council President Larson said yes. There were no further questions. ADJOURN: A MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HELMS, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RIOPELLE, TO ADJOURN THE APRIL 8, 2025 WORK SESSION OF THE EAST GRAND FORKS, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL AT 5:34 P.M. Voting Aye: Larson, Peterson, Schumacher, Pokrzywinski, Riopelle, Helms, and Casmey. Voting Nay: None. _______________________________________________ Megan Nelson, City Clerk 4|Page 10  #3 Minutes of the regular meeting of the Water, Light, Power and Building Commission of the City of East Grand Forks, Minnesota held on March 19, 2025, at 8:00 am in the City Council Chambers. Present: Grinde, Quirk (Interactive Technology), Rapacz, Riopelle Absent: None Also present: Ron Galstad, Keith Mykleseth, Brian Johnson, Todd Grabanski, Todd Forster, Brianna Feil, Jordan Midgarden, Corey Thompson, Tyler Tretter It was moved by Commissioner Rapacz supported by Commissioner Quirk to approve the minutes of the previous regular meeting held on March 5, 2025. Voting Aye: Grinde, Quirk, Rapacz, Riopelle Voting Nay: None It was moved by Commissioner Quirk supported by Commissioner Rapacz to authorize the Secretary to issue payment of the recommended bills and payroll in the amount of $1,497,692.21. Voting Aye: Grinde, Quirk, Rapacz, Riopelle Voting Nay: None It was moved by Commissioner Quirk supported by Commissioner Rapacz to approve the Plans & Specifications for the 2025 Miscellaneous Electrical Distribution Construction Project, advertise for bids and set bid date for April 24, 2025, at 2:00 pm. Voting Aye: Grinde, Quirk, Rapacz, Riopelle Voting Nay: None It was moved by Commissioner Quirk supported by Commissioner Rapacz to adjourn at 8:16 am to the next regular meeting on April 2, 2025, at 8:00 am to be held in the City Council Chambers. Voting Aye: Grinde, Quirk, Rapacz, Riopelle Voting Nay: None Kristen Shipes Commission Secretary 11  AGENDA ITEM #_4______ Request for Council Action Date: 4/2/2025 To: East Grand Forks City Council Mayor Mark Olstad, Council President Brian Larson, Council Vice-President Tim Riopelle, Council Members Tami Schumacher, Ben Pokrzywinski, Dale Helms, Donald Casmey, and Karen Peterson. Cc: File From: Fire Chief Jeff Boushee RE: Joint Fire Engine Purchase and Replacement Plan MOU Background: At the March 4th City Council meeting the council approved authorizing staff to develop a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of East Grand Forks and the seven townships contracted for fire and rescue services. This MOU will establish a joint fire engine purchase and replacement plan. The resulting MOU is included as an enclosure. This MOU has been reviewed by Mr. Galstad. Budgetary Impact: None Recommendation: Approve and sign the Memorandum of Understanding. Enclosure: Joint Fire Engine Purchase and Replacement Plan MOU -1- 12 MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) For Joint Fire Engine Purchase and Replacement Plan This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is entered into on this __ day of __, 2025 by and between: 1. City of East Grand Forks, a Minnesota municipal corporation, with its principal office located at 600 Demers Ave, East Grand Forks, MN 56721, herein referred to as "City." 2. Township LLC, Grand Forks, Sullivan, Keystone, Nesbit, Huntsville, Rhinehart and Bygland Townships with its principal office located at [address], herein referred to as "Townships." Collectively referred to as "the Parties." RECITALS WHEREAS, the Parties have had a cooperative agreement for fire and rescue services in the Townships for many years and the current extension agreement is in place through March 31, 2030; and WHEREAS, the Parties agreed to jointly purchase Fire Engine 407 and its equipment in 2017 under a 60% City and 40% Townships ownership share; and WHEREAS, the Parties wish to jointly purchase future fire engines to serve the city and townships; WHEREAS, the Parties recognize the need for fire engines for fire suppression and emergency response; NOW, THEREFORE, the Parties agree to the following terms and conditions: 1. PURPOSE The purpose of this MOU is to outline the terms and conditions under which the Parties will jointly purchase future fire engines to be used for fire prevention, response, and emergency services in the City, Townships and elsewhere at the discretion of the City’s Fire Chief. 13 2. FINANCIAL COMMITMENT The Parties agree to replace and share the cost of the fire engines as follows: ENGINE # REPLACEMENT YEAR OWNERSHIP SHARE Fire engine 409 2030 City 60% - Townships 40% Fire engine 408 2040 City 60% - Townships 40% Fire engine 407 2050 City 60% - Townships 40% 3. PROCUREMENT PROCESS • The Parties agree to jointly select a vendor or manufacturer for the fire engines. • The procurement process will follow the City’s Procurement Purchasing Policy, in accordance with the Procurement Requirements of the State of Minnesota. • A formal contract will be executed with the vendor once the Parties have agreed on specifications, price, and terms of delivery. 4. OWNERSHIP AND OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES • The fire engines will be jointly owned by the Parties in proportion to their respective contributions. City 60% and Townships 40%. • The East Grand Forks Fire Department will be responsible for the operational duties, upkeep and maintenance. • Usage and location of the fire engines will be at the discretion of the City’s Fire Chief. 5. MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR • The Parties agree to the following maintenance and repair schedule. • The City shall be responsible for all upkeep, maintenance and repair of the jointly owned fire engines. However, if the annual maintenance costs exceed $500, the City shall pay 60% and the Townships shall reimburse the City for 40% of the maintenance costs in excess of $500. All in-house labor provided by the city will not be charged to the townships. 14 6. TITLE AND INSURANCE • Title to the Fire Engine will be controlled by the Fire Apparatus Purchase Contract for each respective Fire Engine, and upon completion of the purchase contract the title will be transferred to the City of East Grand Forks, MN. • The fire engines will be insured for its full value under a policy that is mutually agreed upon by the Parties. 7. TERM • This MOU will be effective upon signing and will remain in effect for as long as the fire engines remain in joint use under the Agreement for Fire Services between the Parties. 8. DISPUTE RESOLUTION In the event of a dispute arising from the interpretation or implementation of this MOU, the Parties agree to first attempt to resolve the issue through informal discussions. If the dispute cannot be resolved, the Parties will proceed with mediation or other alternative dispute resolution methods. 9. MISCELLANEOUS • This MOU is non-binding and is intended solely to outline the intentions of the Parties regarding the joint purchase of fire engines. • The Parties will negotiate in good faith to formalize any and all agreements that result from this MOU. • This MOU may be amended only in writing and with the consent of both Parties. 15 SIGNATURES IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this MOU as of the date written above: CITY: City of East Grand Forks, Minnesota A Municipal Corporation By: ____________________________ Name: __________________________ Title: ___________________________ Date: ___________________________ By: _____________________________ Name: __________________________ Title: ____________________________ Date: ____________________________ 16 TOWNSHIP: Bygland Township Bygland Township By: _____________________________ By:____________________________ Name: __________________________ Name:_________________________ Title: ___________________________ Title:___________________________ Date: ___________________________ Date:__________________________ Grand Forks Township Grand Forks Township By: _____________________________ By:____________________________ Name: __________________________ Name:_________________________ Title: ___________________________ Title:___________________________ Date: ___________________________ Date:__________________________ Huntsville Township Huntsville Township By: _____________________________ By:____________________________ Name: __________________________ Name:_________________________ Title: ___________________________ Title:___________________________ Date: ___________________________ Date:__________________________ Keystone Township Keystone Township By: _____________________________ By:____________________________ Name: __________________________ Name:_________________________ Title: ___________________________ Title:___________________________ Date: ___________________________ Date:__________________________ Nesbit Township Nesbit Township By: _____________________________ By:____________________________ Name: __________________________ Name:_________________________ Title: ___________________________ Title:___________________________ Date: ___________________________ Date:__________________________ Rhinehart Township Rhinehart Township By: _____________________________ By:____________________________ Name: __________________________ Name:_________________________ Title: ___________________________ Title:___________________________ Date: ___________________________ Date:__________________________ Sullivan Township Sullivan Township By: _____________________________ By:____________________________ Name: __________________________ Name:_________________________ Title: ___________________________ Title:___________________________ Date: ___________________________ Date:__________________________ 17 2025 Special Deer Hunt #5 Recommendation Form - Archery This form is to be used for city, park, and SNA archery hunts. This form should be sent to non-DNR hunt coordinators to fill out and return to Area Managers. Area Managers must input the information on this form into the WDRIS system by April 21, 2025. 2025 Archery deer season: September 13-December 31 Hunt Area Name City of East Grand Forks Hunt Administrator/Contact Police Chief Michael Hedlund Address 520 Demers Ave NW East Grand Forks, MN 56721 Phone E-mail 218-773-1104 mhedlund@egf.mn Website address with hunt information (if applicable) https://www.egfparks.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1951968 Dates of Hunt (From/to; e.g. Oct. 11-12) GPS coordinates of hunt location (lat, long) October 9-11 Lat (47.874048) Long (-96.924085) Additional Hunt Dates (from/to...only if part of the same hunt) Application Deadline Note: Applications and permitting for most archery special hunts are processed by the hunt administrator. Application dates and methods vary by special hunt. September 15, 2025 Application Fee (if applicable) Non-applicable for accessibility hunt Number of Permits (the number of hunters participating in the hunt) 4 18 With rare exception, hunters participating in a special hunt will be allowed to use any combination of licenses/permits to take deer in a special hunt regardless of bag limit. Legal bucks must be tagged with a license but bonus permits may be used to take any antlerless deer. If an exception is needed, please contact Barb Keller, barbara.keller@state.mn.us Bag Limit (Select from drop-down menu) Note: this is specific to this hunt and may be different from the surrounding permit areas. For example, if a special hunt falls within a permit area that is under lottery management and "2 deer" is selected, an individual hunter can tag both deer during the special hunt with bonus permits and use his/her license in the deer permit area. 1 deer Special Management Strategy Antlerless only Antler Point Restriction Earn-a-buck Either sex Other 2 Anterless and 2 Either Sex Reason for Special Permit Hunt (check all that apply) Deer are causing substantial damage to Ag or Forest Crops ✔ Unacceptable level of deer vehicle accidents are occurring adjacent or in the unit Deer are causing a significant negative impact to native plant communities and/or forest regen. in the unit ✔ Deer are causing significant negative impact to adjacent landowner’s vegetation ✔ Other Reduction to Deer Population Additional comments (e.g., are facilities are available for disabled hunters?) Any questions regarding this form should be directed to Barb Keller, Big Game Program Leader, 651-259-5198 or barbara.keller@state.mn.us Approvals by Area Manager, Regional Manager, and Big Game Program Leader will occur via the WDRIS application. Hunt Administrator Approval 19  #6 20 21  AGENDA ITEM #_7______ Request for Council Action Date: 4/10/2025 To: East Grand Forks City Council Mayor Mark Olstad, Council President Brian Larson, Council Vice-President Tim Riopelle, Council Members Tami Schumacher, Ben Pokrzywinski, Dale Helms, Donald Casmey, and Karen Peterson. Cc: File From: EGF Fire Dept. Relief Association RE: Donation Background: Through fundraisers the East Grand Forks Fire Department Relief Association supports community programs and purchases equipment for the Fire Dept. Recently the Relief Association approved a proposal to purchase a drone package. This drone would be a great resource for the Fire Dept. It will be used to improve situational awareness, enhance safety for our Firefighters, improve our search and rescue capabilities and provide cost effective monitoring and damage assessment. We believe the addition of a drone to our fire department’s toolkit will provide a substantial return in terms of safety, effectiveness, and efficiency. This technology is already being used successfully by fire departments across the country. We are confident that it will be a valuable asset to our fire department and a valuable citywide resource. The Relief Association would like to donate $10,364.00 to purchase the listed drone package for the Fire Dept. Budgetary Impact: The Fire Dept. would commit to the maintenance, insurance, registration, pilot/observer training and licensing costs which are estimated at $500.00 annually. Initial pilot training and licensing can be obtained free of charge through a program offered by Greater Northwest EMS. The Fire Dept. would develop a drone program consisting of pilot and observer requirements, training and use policies. Recommendation: Accept $10,364.00 donation. Authorize the Fire Dept. to use donation to purchase listed drone package. Enclosure: Drone package sheet -1- 22  RESOLUTION NO. 25 – 04 - 31 ACCEPTANCE OF DONATIONS Council Member _______, supported by Council Member ________, introduced the following resolution and moved its adoption: WHEREAS, the City of East Grand Forks is generally authorized to accept donations of real and personal property pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 465.03 for the benefit of its citizens; WHEREAS, all such donations have been contributed to assist the City in general operations or other purposes, as allowed by law; and WHEREAS, the East Grand Forks Fire Relief Association would like to donate $10,364.00 for the purchase of a drone for the Fire Department; and WHEREAS, the drone would be used to improve situational awareness, enhance safety for the firefighters, improve search and rescue capabilities, and provide cost effective monitoring and damage assessment; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds that it is appropriate to accept the donation to be used for the purchase of a drone; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED the City Council of East Grand Forks accepts the donation of $10,364.00 from the East Grand Forks Fire Relief Association for the purchase of the proposed drone package. Voting Aye: Voting Nay: Absent: The President declared the resolution passed. Passed: April 15, 2025 Attest: _________________________________ ____________________________________ City Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer President of the Council I hereby approve the foregoing resolution this 15th day of April, 2025. ____________________________________ Mayor 23 DJI MATRICE 4T PUBLIC SAFETY & RAPID RESPONSE KIT – COVERT DRONES $10,364.00 KEY FEATURES & BENEFITS: • Advanced Thermal Imaging  640×512 Thermal Sensor for ultra-clear heat signatures.  Ideal for night operations, search and rescue, and hotspot detection. • Powerful Zoom Camera  48MP camera with up to 200x hybrid zoom.  Conduct detailed inspections or surveillance from a safe distance, reducing risks to personnel. • Extended Flight Time & Intelligent Batteries {4}  4 TB-Series Intelligent Batteries for longer missions.  Smart Battery Management ensures quick turnaround times and simplified fleet logistics. • Multi-Directional Obstacle Avoidance  Advanced sensors deliver real-time hazard detection in multiple directions. 24   Mitigates collision risks, especially in complex or fast-moving operations. • Enhanced Night & Low-Light Operations  Equipped with a high-intensity spotlight for improved visibility.  Maintain situational awareness and capture clear footage, even in dimly lit environments. • Fast Deployment & Easy Transport  Foldable arms and a protective GPC-Style Carrying Case allow for rapid setup.  Perfect for time-sensitive emergencies and frequent mission shifts. 25  #8 26 27