City Council Agendas & Packets

AGENDA – February 10, 2026 AGENDA OF THE WORK SESSION CITY OF EAST GRAND FORKS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2026 – 5:00 PM Must Be Done By 6 P.M. – Due to Special Election CALL TO ORDER: CALL OF ROLL: DETERMINATION OF A QUORUM: AGENDA: 1. Presentation from MNDOT on planned US 2B Reconstruction project in 2029 - Reid Huttunen, City Administrator 2. Request to Proceed with Advertising for Facility Improvement Project Bid Package #2 3. Request Adoption of Preferred Growth Rate for the City of East Grand Forks - Teri Kouba, Forks MPO Senior Planner 4. Request One-Off Residential Property Tax Abatements – Maggie Brockling, Economic Development Director 5. Request to Advertise for Administrative Assistant - Jason Stordahl-Public Works Director ADJOURN: Upcoming Meetings Council Meeting – Tuesday, February 17, 2026 – Council Chambers – 5:00 PM Work Session – Tuesday, February 24, 2026 – Training Room – 5:00 PM Council Meeting – Tuesday, March 3, 2026 – Council Chambers – 5:00 PM Work Session – Tuesday, March 10, 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  AGENDA # ___1_____ Request for Council Action Date: February 10, 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: Reid Huttunen, City Administrator RE: Presentation from MNDOT on planned US 2B Reconstruction project in 2029 Background: The Minnesota Depart of Transportation is planning to reconstruct US2B in East Grand Forks during the summer of 2029. (State Project 6001-74). MNDOT has completed a preliminary layout of the proposed improvements and will attend the Work Session to present the proposed project. Project Location map is included. Budget Impact: Unknown at this time. Recommendation: MNDOT is seeking feedback from City Council on the proposed project scope and timeline. Attachments - Project Location Map 2  SP# 6001-74 US 2B Concrete Urban Reconstruct with ADA Concrete Reconstruct 001 Signal Replacement at 2nd Ave NE Signal Replacement 3" Bituminous Mill and Overlay at 2nd St NW North Dakota East Grand 004 Forks 002 This work is licensed under the Esri Master License Agreement.View Summary | View Terms of Use ² REFERENCE LEGEND PROJECT DESCRIPTION: PROJECT LOCATION: Reference Post US 2B, FROM DEMERS AVE TO ROUTE: US 2B Miles MnDOT Truck Hwy US TH 2, PAVEMENT SP#: 6001-74 0 0.15 0.3 0.6 REPLACEMENT W/SIDEWALK LENGTH: 2.53 MILES City IMPROVEMENTS BEG. R.P.: 000+00.286 The State of Minnesota makes no representations or warranties expressed or implied, with respect to the reuse of the data provided County END R.P.: 002+00.737 herewith regardless of its format or the means of its transmissions. There is no guarantee or representation to the user as to the accuracy, currency, suitability, or reliability of this data for a any purpose. the user accepts the data "as is". The state of Minnesota assumes no responsibility for loss or damage incurred as a result of any user's reliance on this data. All maps and other material provided herein Project Location 3 are protected by copyright. Permission is granted to copy and use the materials herein. Path: X:\Groups\GIS\PROJECTS\Planning\Scoping\D2_STIP_2024_2027\6001-74\Proj_Location_6001-74.aprx  AGENDA ITEM #___2____ Request for Council Action Date: 2/10/2026 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 and Recreation & Tom McDonald, Construction Engineers RE: Request to Proceed with Advertising for Facility Improvement Project Bid Package #2 Background: The Steering Committee has been working with JLG and Construction Engineers on the Facility Improvement Project at the Civic Center and VFW Memorial Arena. The project has completed the Design Development (DD) phase for Bid Package #2 and is transitioning into the Construction Documents (CD) phase. Bid Package #2 includes work at both facilities and generally consists of HVAC, mechanical, electrical, accessibility improvements, site, and construction upgrades. Advertising for Bid Package #2 at this time will help maintain the overall project schedule, avoid delays to the start of construction, and support competitive pricing by allowing sufficient time for subcontractor bidding and review. Budget Impact: There is no immediate budget impact associated with advertising this bid package. The Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) will be brought forward for City Council consideration as the project progresses closer to completion of the Construction Documents (CD). Recommendation: Move forward with advertising for Facility Improvement Project Bid Package #2. Enclosure: Materials will be available at the Work Session. 4  AGENDA ITEM #__3_____ Request for Council Action Date: 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: Teri Kouba, Forks MPO Senior Planner RE: Adoption of Preferred Growth Rate for the City of East Grand Forks RECOMMENDATION: Adoption of 0.6% annual growth rate for the City of East Grand Forks. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Before the Forks MPO starts work on the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), we gather the data needed to support the development of the MTP. A foundational piece of data is the population growth and job or employment growth in the MPO planning area between the base year and the final year of the MTP. The upcoming MTP will have a base year of 2025 and a final year of 2055. In October 2025 the MPO contracted with SRF and Praxis to help with the analysis of growth in the MPO Planning Area. We have invited local experts who work closely with job growth and economic development to be part of a steering committee. We have held several focus group conversations to obtain input from a broader range of subject matter experts, to obtain a robust perspective in the community. SRF and Praxis have collected data from the Census and other sources to establish existing job and household conditions. A range of growth rate estimates have been identified including Low, Baseline and High rate of growth. The Baseline annual growth rate of 0.6% population growth per year, resulting in 10,831 persons in the City of East Grand Forks by the year 2055 is the most likely to occur based on past growth trends, comparisons of projections in Minnesota and North Dakota, and the consultant’s analysis consultation with area industry experts. If adopted the Baseline growth rate will be used to establish housing, population, and employment projections for the years 2040 and 2055 which will be incorporated into a travel demand model for the region. This model is used in part to determine transportation needs out to the year 2055 to be considered in the forthcoming MTP. This plan will identify a financially constrained list of transportation needs out to the year 2055 for the region, qualifying them for federal transportation funds. Given the plan is financially constrained having a most likely to occur growth rate is important. 5  May 2, 2002 Request for Council Action Projecting population too low and it may reflect not enough demand for transportation projects in the future, however projecting too high can be equally as counter productive as it may identify transportation needs that may not be needed taking funding away from other projects that are more likely to occur. Historical Growth Rates for Cities and States Average Annual Growth Rate Period Grand Forks 1 East Grand Forks1 North Dakota2 Minnesota3 1991-2024 0.58% 0.07% 0.66% 0.86% 2001-2024 0.82% 0.63% 0.91% 0.72% 2011-2024 0.88% 0.26% 1.23% 0.70% Source: 1. Average percentages derived from decennial Census counts and ACS estimates. 2. Average percentages derived from single-year estimates produced by the North Dakota State Demographer / State Data Center. 3. Average percentages derived from single-year estimates produced by the Minnesota State Demographic Center. The next steps will be to use the established land uses to divide the growth into Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZs) so the data can be used in the MPO’s traffic demand model. ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS: • The 2025 estimated population for Grand Forks City is 9,113. • The growth rates that the analysis finds reasonable are: Forks Area Population Change 2025 - 2055 Annual Change Total Change Area Low Baseline High Low Baseline High MPA 0.5% 0.7% 1.2% 14% 22% 35% MSA 0.1% 0.3% 0.6% 2% 8% 18% Grand Forks City 0.5% 0.8% 1.2% 14% 23% 36% East Grand Forks City 0.5% 0.6% 0.9% 14% 19% 26% Grand Forks County 0.3% 0.5% 0.9% 9% 16% 28% Polk County -0.4% -0.3% -0.2% -13% -10% -6% Source: SRF Forecast Model 2 6  May 2, 2002 Request for Council Action • Forks Area Population Forecasts 2055 Area 2025 Low Medium High MPA 70,382 80,464 86,000 94,842 MSA 104,424 106,763 113,195 123,190 Grand Forks City 59,405 67,823 72,818 80,763 East Grand Forks City 9,113 10,428 10,831 11,505 Grand Forks County 73,340 79,755 85,299 93,877 Polk County 31,084 27,008 27,896 29,313 Source: SRF Forecast Model • Forks Area Population Change Forecasts 2055 Area 2025 Low Medium High MPA 70,382 +10,082 +15,618 +24,460 MSA 104,424 +2,339 +8,771 +18,766 Grand Forks City 59,405 +8,418 +13,413 +21,358 East Grand Forks City 9,113 +1,315 +1,718 +2,392 Grand Forks County 73,340 +6,415 +11,959 +20,537 Polk County 31,084 -4,076 -3,188 -1,771 Source: SRF Forecast Model SUPPORT MATERIALS: Presentation Project webpage: https://www.theforksmpo.org/plans_projects/2055_socioeconomic_study 3 7  2/4/2026 Socioeconomic Study East Grand Forks Work Session February 10, 2026 1 Tonight’s Goal  Recommend a preferred Year 2055 forecast and annual growth rate to adopt for East Grand Forks. 2 8 1  2/4/2026 Study Purpose Socioeconomic & Demographic Forecasts Local Land Use, Comprehensive, Metropolitan Transportation Plan Growth Plans, & Subarea Studies & Other Long-Range Planning Efforts 3 Study Process Data Collection Preferred Alternative TAZ Allocation 1 3 5 2 4 6 Baseline Analysis & Socioeconomic Document & Review Forecast Scenarios Detail 4 9 2  2/4/2026 Engagement Framework Focus Steering Committee networks Groups Steering City and County Stakeholders, Committee Chamber, EDC z Project MPO, Grand Forks, and East Grand Management Forks Planning Staff Team 5 Cohort Component Model  Group the population into 5-year age groups  Run the age structure forward and adjust migration rates according to assumptions. 2025 2055 6 10 3  2/4/2026 Historical Population Trends Period Grand Forks East Grand Forks North Dakota Minnesota 1991-2024 0.58% 0.07% 0.66% 0.86% 2001-2024 0.82% 0.63% 0.91% 0.72% 2011-2024 0.88% 0.26% 1.23% 0.70% *Source: Decennial Census, ACS (5-Year), single-year estimates from ND State Data Center and Minnesota State Demographic Center 7 Contextual Factors  Census has historically undercounted this market with its interim population estimates  Age structure and birth/death rates are basis for a positive growth projection  Current housing market trends suggest growth pressure and in-migration recently  Over past decade “primary” sector industries have outperformed “consumer” sector  Steady growth in the face of economic shocks over the past 30 years 8 11 4  2/4/2026 Historical Shocks Canadian $$ Ag Downturn State Budget Cuts MSA EMPLOYMENT (THOUSANDS) Air Force Tankers Relocated Air Force Great Missile Wing Recession Deactivated COVID-19 Flood and Fire 9 Future Economic Inflection Points  Can manufacturing continue to drive growth?  Can continued enrollment growth at UND sustain the region?  Is Autonomous, Defense, and Space Systems the next growth lever?  Does Health Care flip from a headwind to a tailwind?  Will future Air Force missions spur growth?  Will community attractiveness and quality of life assets be an attractant force in the future? 10 12 5  2/4/2026 Focus Groups  Four meetings  26 participants Strong participation from East Grand Forks  Format  Assessment of recent growth or decline  Identifying key trends pushing favor of and against the region’s growth along with key opportunities for growth  Impressions about the region’s hospitability for growth  A point-in-time rating of the region’s growth potential 11 Focus Groups Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 1. Growth is real but 4. Defense, autonomous 6. Demographic deliberate. systems industries, and headwinds are real but space are the strongest understood. 2. Housing is the primary growth engines. constraint on growth. 7. Constraints on 5. For growth, quality of infrastructure is 3. Grand Forks and East life framing matters becoming a potential Grand Forks are on more than raw growth risk. divergent trajectories. population. In a Nutshell: The Grand Forks–East Grand Forks region is experiencing steady, resilient growth constrained primarily by housing and infrastructure capacity, with Grand Forks capturing most near- term gains and East Grand Forks facing structural headwinds. 12 13 6  2/4/2026 Focus Groups 13 East Grand Forks Growth Scenarios Average 30-Year EGF Migration Annual 2055 30-Year Percent Period Rate Growth Rate Population Change Change Low 2.6% 0.5% 10,428 +1,375 14% Baseline 3.4% 0.6% 10,831 +1,718 19% High 4.5% 0.9% 11,505 +2,392 26% 2025 Population Estimate: 9,113 14 14 7  2/4/2026 East Grand Forks Growth Scenarios 15 Discussion 1. Adopted forecast could be baseline, low, or high, or a modified growth rate. 2. Adopted forecast will impact the MTP travel demand model and future roadway improvements. 16 15 8  AGENDA ITEM #___4____ Request for Council Action Agenda Item: One-Off Residential Property Tax Abatements Date: February 10, 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. Prepared by: Maggie Brockling, Economic Development Director Cc: File Staff Recommendation: 1. Consider request of the one-off 2024 property tax abatement; 2. Authorize EDA staff to move forward with one-off abatement process; 3. Hold public hearing on this request at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 3, 2026; Background: This property was unintentionally excluded from the 2024 newly built tax abatement approvals due to a technical oversight that caused it to appear as though it was not assessed at full value because a veteran’s property tax discount was applied. This veteran’s property tax means the first $300,000 of the home's value isn't taxed. The owner brought this to our attention in January 2026. The owner indicated intentions to sell the house this year so adding the missed year onto this year’s regular approval batch will not work. • Is there willingness to run an individual process for this one property outside of the normal tax abatement approvals in the fall? • Should the school district or county decline applying tax credits, is the council open to covering their portions? • The taxing entity breakouts are: City: $1,050.95 | School: $129.28 | County $555.54 for a total rebate of $1,735.77 To prevent this from occurring in the future, the tax abatement standard operating procedure was updated to include awareness of this tax credit. Staff plan to review the newly built home values-to- property tax bills for this tax credit and any others the state/county tax credits that may be included going forward. 16  AGENDA ITEM #___5___ Request for Council Action Date: 2/6/2026 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: Jason Stordahl-Public Works Director RE: Request to advertise for Administrative Assistant Background: In 2023, following the resignation of Jeremy King, Public Works Supervisor, staff conducted a review of the Public Works Department’s organizational structure. This review resulted in a modest restructuring intended to streamline operations and improve efficiency. The Lead Equipment Operator position was eliminated and the Foreman position was reinstated to provide clearer operational oversight. The Administrative Assistant position was eliminated, with administrative responsibilities reassigned to the Foreman and Supervisor roles. Additionally, select field duties were transferred from the Supervisor to the Foreman position to better align responsibilities with daily operational needs. Following the subsequent 2025 resignation of Erika Perez, Public Works Supervisor, staff again reviewed departmental operations and determined that the structure implemented in 2023 was not functioning as efficiently as intended. Operational challenges included inconsistent communication to field staff due to overlapping supervisory direction, as well as gaps in responsiveness to the public when neither the Foreman nor Supervisor was consistently available to address inquiries. These issues contributed to staff and resident frustration, along with other operational inefficiencies. In light of the vacant Supervisor position, the City Administrator and Public Works staff determined this was an appropriate opportunity to reassess the department’s structure. As a result of this review, staff are proposing a small restructuring that includes reinstating the Administrative Assistant position and revising the Public Works Supervisor role. Further details regarding the proposed revisions to the Public Works Supervisor position will be presented to Council at a later date. At this time, staff are requesting Council authorization to advertise and recruit for an Administrative Assistant position. The position is classified as a Grade 10 under the City’s pay plan. Including salary and benefits, the total annual budget impact is $72,759. Funding for this position was included in the approved 2026 City Budget. Recommendation: Approve staff’s request to initiate the recruitment and hiring process to fill the Administrative Assistant position. 17