City Council Meeting

CITY OF MARSHALL CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, October 28, 2025 The regular meeting of the Common Council of the City of Marshall was held October 28, 2025, at City Hall, 344 West Main Street. The meeting was called to order at 5:30 P.M. by Mayor Robert Byrnes. In addition to Byrnes the following members were in attendance: Craig Schafer, Amanda Schroeder, John Alcorn, See Moua-Leske (remote), Amanda Schwartz and James Lozinski. Absent: None. Staff present included: Sharon Hanson; City Administrator; Pamela Whitmore, City Attorney (remote); Jason Anderson, Director of Public Works/ City Engineer; E.J. Moberg, Director of Administrative Services; Jim Marshall, Director of Public Safety; Sheila Dubs, Human Resource Manager; Quentin Brunsvold, Fire Chief; Preston Stensrud, Park and Rec Supervisor; Laura Wing, Payroll and Benefits Specialist; and Steven Anderson, City Clerk. Also in attendance were many members of the Marshall Fire Department. Recognition of Quentin Brunsvold The city council formally recognized the achievement of Fire Chief Brunsvold who was awarded the “2025 Fire Officer of the Year” for departments serving populations over 10,000. Consider Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting Held on October 14 There were no requests for amendments to the minutes. Motion made by Councilmember Schafer, Seconded by Councilmember Lozinski to approve the minutes of the October 14, 2025, meeting. Voting Yea: Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua- Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schwartz. Voting Abstaining: Mayor Byrnes, Councilmember Schroeder. The motion Carried. 5-0-2. Vacation of Right-of-Way on 500 Pleasant Street (Portion of Northwest Right-of-Way of Lot 6, Block 2, Eastman’s Addition) -- 1) Public Hearing on Resolution Granting Petition to Vacate; 2) Consider Resolution Granting Petition to Vacate Right-of-Way A petition was received from the property owner located at 500 Pleasant Street to vacate a portion of the public right-of-way. The purpose of the vacation is that the portion of right-of-way to be vacated is not needed for current or future right-of-way purposes and to allow the vacated right-of-way to be transferred to abutting owner. Because this property abuts the public water of the Redwood River, the hearing notice was mailed via certified mail to the DNR Commissioner on August 28, 2025, which mailed at least 60 days prior to the hearing, per Minnesota Statute § 412.851. The response letter received from the DNR on October 21, 2025, indicated they had reviewed the proposed vacation and had no comments, nor objections to the proposed vacation. All utility companies were also contacted regarding the proposed vacation, and no objections were received. The cost of the vacation and applicable notices were to be reimbursed to the city by the property owner. Director Anderson confirmed that the sidewalk easement would remain in control of the city. Motion made by Councilmember Schafer, Seconded by Councilmember Alcorn to close the public hearing. Voting Yea: Mayor Byrnes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Motion made by Councilmember Schafer, Seconded by Councilmember Schroeder to adopt Resolution 25-076 Granting Petition Vacating a Portion of Certain Unused Right-of-Way Known as Pleasant Street. Voting Yea: Mayor Byrnes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Approval of the Consent Agenda No requests were made to remove an item from the consent agenda for additional discussion.  City Council Meeting October 28, 2025 Minutes Page 2 of 5 Motion made by Councilmember Schroeder, Seconded by Councilmember Alcorn to approve the items on the consent agenda. Voting Yea: Mayor Byrnes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0.  Snow Removal Services at Tall Grass Liquor and MERIT Center for the 2025/2026 through 2026/2027 Winter Seasons - Consider Award of Proposal  Request for Partial Closure of N 3rd Street for Veterans Day Workout Event Fundraiser (Tuesday- November 11, 2025)  Consider Approval to Allow Alcoholic Beverages at the Red Baron Arena for the Fairbank Ice Dogs on December 5th & 6th  Consider Approval of a Raffle Permit for United Way  Consider Approval of a Raffle Permit for Holy Redeemer Church  Consider Approval of Memorandum’s of Agreement for Each Union Contract Related to the Minnesota Paid Leave Program  Consider Authorization to Apply for a Polling Place Accessibility Grant  Consider Authorization to Declare Vehicles as Surplus Property for the Marshall Police Department  Call for a Public Hearing on an Amendment to the Spending Plan for Transferred Tax Increments  Consider Approval of the Bills/Project Payments City of Marshall & Marshall Municipal Utilities 2026 Partnership Agreement Pete Wyffels, Marshall Municipal Utilities General Manager, presented the changes to the 2026 partnership agreement. The largest change to the agreement came from a change in the payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) formula. The new calculation would be based on a five-year average instead of ten and would have a minimum base of 500,000,000 kwh. The energy rate to determine the base amount would also be changing from $0.001 to $0.001754. The next major change to the PILOT payment would be the calculation was to be reviewed at least every three years prior to MMU completing a cost-of-service study of their electric rates. The mayor and council reiterated the great relationship that the city and MMU possess and the boon that was to citizens. Motion made by Councilmember Lozinski, Seconded by Councilmember Alcorn to approve the 2026 Partnership Agreement Between the City of Marshall and Marshall Municipal Utilities. Voting Yea: Mayor Byrnes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Consider the 2026 Medical, Dental, and Life Insurance Renewals A work session was held prior to the regular meeting regarding medical, dental and life insurance rates. Aaron Casper with National Insurance Services (NIS), presented a summary of the 2026 renewal information for medical, dental, and life insurances. For medical insurance NIS performed an RFP process to obtain proposals from carriers. Five carriers responded to the RFP with the lowest cost proposal received was an alternative proposal from BCBS with an 11% increase. For dental the current carrier, Beam Dental, presented a 44% renewal increase. As a result, NIS performed an RFP process to obtain proposals from other carriers. Three carriers, including Beam Dental, responded to the RFP. The lowest cost proposal received came from MetLife, with a 19% increase and a 2nd and 3rd year rate cap of 7% each year. Integrity Benefits recommended that the city transition from SunLife to Lincoln Financial for Basic and Voluntary Life insurance.  City Council Meeting October 28, 2025 Minutes Page 3 of 5 Motion made by Councilmember Schafer, Seconded by Councilmember Schwartz to accept the proposal from Blue Cross Blue Shield for Medical Insurance. Voting Yea: Mayor Byrnes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Motion made by Councilmember Schafer, Seconded by Councilmember Schwartz to accept the proposal from MetLife for Dental Insurance. Voting Yea: Mayor Byrnes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Motion made by Councilmember Schafer, Seconded by Councilmember Schwartz to accept the proposal from Lincoln Financial for Life Insurance. Voting Yea: Mayor Byrnes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. Voting Nay: Councilmember Lozinski. The motion Carried. 6-1. Aquatic Center Project Amendment-Land-Based Playground Structure City staff had been exploring playground structures for use on the site during aquatic center breaktimes, aquatic center non-business hours, and further develop the site as a park area for recreation beyond the aquatic center. Donation money was received to acquire playground equipment for the aquatic center site. A quote from GameTime was received in the amount of $172,001.54, with a $85,954.76 reduction if agreement to purchase was before the end of October. Staff reviewed available project funding, and the playground structure could be added to the aquatic center project further enhancing the amenities at this new facility for the community as well as the region. Parks staff would construct the new playground, pour footings, and install safety surfacing. Additional sidewalks would need to be installed that were not currently figured into the fiscal impact but could still be paid for via project funds. Councilmember Moua-Leske asked what kind of ADA amenities were to be installed at the playground. Stensrud did confirm that a number of items would be available on the ground level and would be ADA accessible. Motion made by Councilmember Schafer, Seconded by Councilmember Alcorn to accept the amendment to the Aquatic Center Project to Add a Land Based Playground Structure. Voting Yea: Mayor Byrnes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project - Consider Authorization to Execute Engineering & Construction Administrative Services Agreement with Bolton & Menk, Inc. Numerous segments of public sewer main were identified that would be good candidates for cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP) lining improvements. The CIPP method is trenchless, and the proposed pipe segments are not located in areas that would be scheduled for reconstruction in the 10-15-year capital improvement plan. CIPP lining is a “structural lining”, which meant the final product could bear the weight of the ground above the pipe on its own. The final product would be watertight, smooth (results in excellent flow characteristics), and structural. This type of work is very specialized so city staff would like to engage a consultant engineer that specializes in CIPP lining. This assistance would be critical to ensure that each pipe system is thoroughly reviewed for adequacy as a host pipe, that clear and defensible project plans and specifications are created, and that contractor construction was proper and met standards. A proposal from Bolton & Menk, Inc. for engineering services in the amount of $129,786.00 was received. Primary concerns were Elm Street, Walnut Street, and College Drive pipes. Additional candidate pipe systems are some backyard sewers in the Robert/Lawrence/Viking neighborhood. Other locations for consideration are a segment off Bruce Street between Lincoln/Washington, and an alley between Whitney and Hill. The rehabilitation project was identified in the CIP for $1,600,000. Motion made by Councilmember Lozinski, Seconded by Councilmember Schafer to Authorize Execution of an Engineering & Construction Administrative Services Agreement for the 2026 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project  City Council Meeting October 28, 2025 Minutes Page 4 of 5 with Bolton & Menk, Inc for an amount not to exceed $129,786. Voting Yea: Mayor Byrnes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Introduce Amendments to Chapter 70 Article II Lodging Tax Under Minnesota Statute 469.190 the City of Marshall may impose a local lodging tax of 3% on stays less than 30 days. 95% of the 3% lodging tax was used to fund the Convention and Visitors Bureau to promote and market the City of Marshall. In 2012, the voters of Marshall chose to enact an additional 1.5% lodging tax to help pay for the Minnesota Emergency Response and Industry Training Center (MERIT) and the Southwest Minnesota Regional Amateur Sports Complex. Collection of this additional tax began in 2013. The lodging tax is manually collected by the city clerk and was due by the 25th of the following month. Staff believe that moving the lodging tax administration to the Department of Revenue (DOR) would be beneficial to both the city and lodging establishment owners. The Minnesota Department of Revenue would charge an administrative fee of 1% of the collected amount. A 90-day written notification would also be required to be given to the state before the process can be implemented. Staff would work with the Department of Revenue to notify affected businesses at least 60 days before the lodging tax is transferred. Clerk Anderson noted that the number of short-term rentals in the city have been increasing. Mayor Byrnes also added that collection was inconsistent with hotels and short-term rentals and having the state take over should help alleviate that issue. Motion made by Councilmember Lozinski, Seconded by Councilmember Schroeder to Introduce Ordinance 25-013 Amending Chapter 70, Article II Lodging Tax. Voting Yea: Mayor Byrnes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Commission/Board Liaison Reports Byrnes Fire Relief Association met and discussed investments. SRDC discussed the 10-year plan and identified priority items. Alcorn No report. Lozinski MMU will be hosting a public hearing on a proposed rate increase on November 19, 4:30PM. Moua-Leske CVB held a focus group for the Master Park Plan and also discussed the purchase of ADA picnic tables. Schafer PI&T met on various items but a major talking point was mosquito control. Schroeder Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership met with the EDA to discuss a possible housing project. Schwartz No report. Councilmember Individual Items Councilmember Lozinski said that Halloween was coming and wanted citizens to be aware of walkers and cross walks.  City Council Meeting October 28, 2025 Minutes Page 5 of 5 Councilmember Moua-Leske tagged onto the Halloween message and awareness of bullying potential trick or treaters. Mayor Byrnes thank Councilmember Schafer for conducting the October 14th meeting during his absence. City Administrator Attended the Hmong new year event at the Red Baron Arena. Director of Public Works/City Engineer Project updates were given on the following: College Drive, bike trail and the MMU partnership agreement. City Attorney No report. Information Only There were no questions about the Information Only items. Upcoming Meetings There were no questions or comments about the Upcoming Meetings. Adjournment At 6:28 PM Motion made by Councilmember Schroeder, Seconded by Councilmember Lozinski to adjourn the meeting. Voting Yea: Mayor Byrnes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. Voting Nay: Councilmember Schafer. The motion Carried. 6-1. Attest: _________________________ _________________________ City Clerk Mayor