City Council Agendas & Packets

AGENDA OF THE WORK SESSION CITY OF EAST GRAND FORKS TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2026 – 5:00 PM CALL TO ORDER: CALL OF ROLL: DETERMINATION OF A QUORUM: 1. Request to keep ice installed at Blue Line Arena until June 15 - Jeremy King, Parks & Recreation 2. Request to Accept Mighty Ducks Grant for R22 replacement at VFW Memorial Arena - Jeremy King, Parks & Recreation Department ADJOURN: Upcoming Meetings Council Meeting – Tuesday, February 3, 2026 – Council Chambers – 5:00 PM Work Session – Tuesday, February 10, 2026 – Training Room – 5:00 PM Council Meeting – Tuesday, February 17, 2026 – Council Chambers – 5:00 PM Work Session – Tuesday, February 24, 2026 – Training Room – 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. 1  Request for Council Action Date: January 27, 2026 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: Jeremy King, Parks & Recreation RE: Request to keep ice installed at Blue Line Arena until June 15 Background: Traditionally, ice is removed from the Blue Line Arena (BLA) at the end of March. This spring, due to the upcoming Facility Improvements project and requests from the EGF Blue Line Club, the Northern Lights Figure Skating Club along with other users to rent ice time at the BLA during the spring and summer months, staff are proposing to keep the ice installed at BLA through June 15. While proposed rental dates and rates are still being finalized, they are expected to be comparable to past rental rates based on time usage. Maintaining the ice during this period would reduce costs associated with removing and reinstalling the ice between April and June and would allow staff to focus on other priorities. The Parks and Recreation Department is requesting approval to rent ice during this timeframe in the same manner as ice is rented throughout the winter season. Looking ahead, once the VFW Facility Improvement Project is completed with upgrades to the ice plant and dehumidification system, we would like to operate the arena annually during this timeframe. Recommendation: Allow Parks and Recreation staff to keep ice installed at the Blue Line Arena until June 15. Budget Impact: Minimal budget impact as the rental revenue will offset the expenses associated with building operation, utilities, and part- time staff required for Zamboni operation and arena cleaning. Enclosure: None 2  Request for Council Action Date: October 7, 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: Jeremy King, Parks & Recreation Department RE: Request to Accept Mighty Ducks Grant for R22 replacement at VFW Memorial Arena Background: With Council approval, City staff applied for and have been awarded funding through the 2025 James Metzen Mighty Ducks Ice Arena Grant. This grant program is specifically intended to support the replacement of R-22 refrigeration systems across the state of Minnesota. The City applied for $500,000 from the $1.0 million available statewide. The grant committee awarded funding to four communities across Greater Minnesota, with each community receiving an equal distribution of $250,000. Budget Impact: Any funds awarded through this grant will directly reduce local funding obligations for the refrigeration system replacement and may also support additional elements within the project scope. Recommendation: Accept the awarded grant funding. Enclosures: Mighty Ducks Grant Program Award Resolution 3  MINNESOTA AMATEUR SPORTS COMMISSION James Metzen Mighty Ducks Grant Program Award Resolution (November 12, 2025) WHEREAS the Minnesota Legislature authorized the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission (MASC) to administer the $1.0 million James Metzen Mighty Ducks Grant Program as per the 2025 Laws of Minnesota 240A.09, and WHEREAS the MASC was authorized to award grants for arena air quality and R-22 replacement, and WHEREAS the MASC published a Grant Request for Proposal in the State Register on July 14, 2025, with an August 29, 2025, deadline, and WHEREAS, the MASC Mighty Ducks Grant Committee has reviewed the 4 applicants totaling $1,250,000 in requests and recommends the following to the MASC, and WHEREAS the MASC is instructed to work with Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) to determine an appropriate administrative fee to be retained by MASC relative to the total appropriation WEREAS the MASC will distribute awarded funds equally across the grantees identified, and THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the James Metzen Mighty Ducks Grant agreements for the following awardees be to include a total amount of up to $1,000,000 less administrative fees: East Grand Forks, City of (Direct R-22) Luverne, City of (Indirect R-22) Rogers, City of (Indirect R-22) Roseau, City of (Indirect R-22) THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the grant awards are conditional upon applicants meeting MASC and the State of Minnesota laws and guidelines as well as the Capital Grants Manual prepared by Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) in cooperation with the Department of Administration, Department of Employment and Economic Development, and Department of Education. 4