City Council Meeting

CITY OF MARSHALL CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, November 25, 2025 The regular meeting of the Common Council of the City of Marshall was held November 25, 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 (remote, out of state), Amanda Schroeder, John Alcorn, See Moua-Leske, 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; Sheila Dubs, Human Resource Manager; Ilya Gutman, Plans Examiner; Alex Peterson, Media Communications Specialist; Preston Stensrud, Park and Recreation Superintendent; and Karla Drown, Finance Director. Consider Approval of the Minutes of the Meetings Held on November 10th There were no requests to amend the minutes. Motion made by Councilmember Lozinski, Seconded by Councilmember Alcorn to approve the minutes from the meetings held on November 10, 2025, as presented. Voting Yea: Mayor Brynes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Project ST-013: N High Street (N 4th to Oak) Reconstruction Project - 1) Public Hearing on Improvement; 2) Consider Resolution Ordering Improvement and Preparation of Plans Director Anderson explained that the property owners affected by the project were notified according to law. The project consisted of reconstruction and utility replacement on North High Street from North Fourth Street to Oak Street; sanitary sewer replacement of the alley between North Fifth Street to North Sixth Street. All utilities would be replaced, including watermain, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer. The project would also include new water and sewer services to the right-of-way. Other items of work included with the project were pavement removal, aggregate base, bituminous surfacing, concrete driveways, sidewalks, curb and gutter and other minor work. City staff had invited all property owners of the project area to an informational meeting that was held November 18, 2025, in the City Council Chambers. Though the informational meeting was lightly attended, there was good discussion amongst staff and residents that did attend. The current estimated project cost, including 10% allowance for contingencies and 16% for engineering and administrative costs, was $1,667,825. All improvements would be assessed according to the Special Assessment Policy, including, but not limited to, participation from Marshall Municipal Utilities, Wastewater Department, Surface Water Management Utility Fund and Ad Valorem participation. Schafer mentioned that the Public Improvement and Transportation Committee met and discussed the project in detail and thought there would be a lot of additional benefits to the improvement. Motion made by Councilmember Schroeder, Seconded by Councilmember Moua-Leske to close the public hearing. Voting Yea: Mayor Brynes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Motion made by Councilmember Lozinski, Seconded by Councilmember Alcorn to adopt Resolution 25-080 Ordering Improvement and Preparation of Plans for Project St-013 North High Street Reconstructions Project. Voting Yea: Mayor Brynes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0.  City Council Meeting November 25, 2025 Minutes Page 2 of 7 Amendment to a Spending Plan for Various Tax Increment Districts 1) Public Hearing 2) Consider Resolution Amending TIF Spending Plan As part of the omnibus tax bill enacted July 2021, Minnesota State Statute §469.176 was amended, giving Minnesota communities temporary flexibility to use unobligated increment from existing tax increment districts to help stimulate private development that would not otherwise commence without assistance. The deadline for using those funds was December 31, 2025. In 2025, Minn. Stat. § 469.176 was amended again with language added “Prior to December 31, 2025, the municipality may amend a written spending plan to extend the date by which transferred increment may be used, and to authorize use of interest earned on transferred increment, after holding a public hearing as required in this section. A signed and approved copy of the amended plan must be filed with the state auditor.” The city may amend the spending plan prior to December 31, 2025, to extend the deadline for use of transferred increments from December 31, 2025, to December 31, 2027, pursuant to the City’s special legislation, and to authorize the use of any interest earned on transferred increment. An authority making a transfer under this authority must provide a copy of the original spending plan approved and signed by the municipality, as well as any approved and signed amended spending plans, to the Office of the State Auditor. The temporary authority to transfer the unobligated increment expired on December 31, 2022, and the transferred increment must now be used by December 31, 2027. All transferred increments must be spent, loaned, invested, or otherwise irrevocably committed by December 31, 2027. Increment not spent, loaned, invested, or otherwise irrevocably committed by December 31, 2027, must be returned to the district. If the district has already been de- certified, the increment would be treated as excess increment and distributed as provided by state statute. Motion made by Councilmember Schafer, Seconded by Councilmember Alcorn to close the public hearing. Voting Yea: Mayor Brynes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Motion made by Councilmember Lozinski, Seconded by Councilmember Moua-Leske to adopt Resolution 25-083 Amending Spending Plan for Tax Increment Financing Districts 1-1, 1-7, and 2-1. Voting Yea: Mayor Brynes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Studio 1 Cablecast System Update Studio 1 utilizes a Tightrope Media System “Cablecast” platform for cable and internet channel delivery of content for the Studio 1, Tiger TV and SMSU Media channels. The system was purchased and brought online in 2016 when Studio 1 relocated to the SMSU campus and combined all three TV channels into one system. Since that time, we have replaced one of the eight servers due to failure, but the rest of the system was still original. Staff have been unable to update the templates of our digital signage channels for over five years due to the age of the players. The equipment reached a point where Cablecast would no longer support the outdated hardware with important features and security updates. Therefore, staff worked with Cablecast to find the most cost-effective system upgrade. The new system design would take the total number of servers from 8 down to 3, which would reduce energy use, heat output, and fan noise. With the franchise agreements with Spectrum and Bluepeak, the City receives payments of $1.50 per cable video subscriber per month to fund our PEG Fund (Public, Educational & Government). The dollars for this fund are only allowed to be spent on capital equipment and hardware, and this system upgrade would qualify as an eligible use of those funds. There was approximately $100,000 for the upgrade. Studio 1 received a quote from a vendor in Eden Prairie at the state contract price which was the lowest price available at $42,435.74. Motion made by Councilmember Moua-Leske, Seconded by Councilmember Schafer to approve the recommendation for the purchase of the equipment for the cablecast system update. Voting Yea: Mayor Brynes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0.  City Council Meeting November 25, 2025 Minutes Page 3 of 7 Accept Quotes and Award Aquatic Center Fencing and Gates to American Fence Company of Sioux Falls, SD. On March 25, 2025, the City Council approved the budget for the Aquatic Center which included under “Owner Items” Fencing and Gates with a budget of $150,000. On October 10, 2025, the city sent out a Request for Quotes for the Chain Link Fence & Gates and the Decorative Metal Fence & Gates at the Aquatic Center to numerous companies. On October 27, 2025, quotes were received from four companies. Contegrity Group worked with city staff to review quotes and followed up with the companies for any clarification as needed. The low quote was submitted by American Fence Company of Sioux Falls, SD in the amount of $95,307.00. Staff have reviewed the quote results with the Aquatic Center Committee, which agreed with awarding the quote to American Fence Company of Sioux Falls. The remaining budget of $54,693 would be used towards interior rope fencing and stanchions. Fencing for the pool was required by building code. Stensrud confirmed that the city has used American Fence Company in the past for other projects and have had a good experience. Motion made by Councilmember Moua-Leske, Seconded by Councilmember Schroeder to accept the low quote from American Fencing Company of Sioux Falls, SD for fencing at the new aquatic center facility. Voting Yea: Mayor Brynes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Approval of the Consent Agenda There were no requests to remove an item from the consent agenda for additional discussion. Motion made by Councilmember Lozinski, Seconded by Councilmember Schwartz to approve the items on the consent agenda. Voting Yea: Mayor Brynes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Consider Approval of Liquor License Renewals for 2026 Consider Approval of Tobacco License Renewals for 2026 Consider Approval of a Temporary Liquor License for the Marshall Convention and Visitors Bureau Consider Renewal of the Health Care Savings Plan Memorandums of Understanding for 2026-2027 Consider Amendment Personnel Policy Manual Approving a Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave Policy Consider Resolution Approving the 2026 Fee Schedule Consider Approval of the Bills/Project Payments Convention and Visitors Bureau Annual Report Cassi Weiss, Visit Marshall Director, provided a brief presentation on the activities of the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Adri DeBoer would follow up with the Red Baron Arena activities during the December 9th regular meeting. Highlights of the Convention and Visitors Bureau included: a recap of marketing and promotional items, events such as the Made in Minnesota Beer and Wine Festival, community support and in-kind marketing donations, industry updates, financial information, and goals for the upcoming years. Weiss mentioned that Visit Marshall has been on four shows of Twin Cities Live in 2025. No motion was made as the item was informational only. Adoption of an Ordinance Amending Sections 86-161 Height Modifications and 86-162 Yard Modifications Staff had proposed minor changes to the height and yard modifications sections of the Zoning Ordinance based largely on the amended sign ordinance and definition changes. These proposed changes were to clarify some provisions and revise terms to correspond with recent revisions. Additionally, higher commercial silos and industrial equipment would now be permitted to reflect construction of the industrial district. These changes were a part of the continuing improvement process staff has undertaken to make Zoning Ordinance more straightforward and  City Council Meeting November 25, 2025 Minutes Page 4 of 7 consistent. The Planning Commission conducted a public hearing on November 12, 2025, and unanimously recommended approval. Motion made by Councilmember Lozinski, Seconded by Councilmember Moua-Leske to adopt Ordinance 25-014 amending Chapter 86, Article VI, Division 1, Sections 161 and 162 and authorizing its summary publication. Voting Yea: Mayor Brynes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Adoption of an Ordinance Amending Division 18-III-2 Permit to Move into Residential District The last changes to this division were almost 50 years ago when it was codified in 1976. The proposed changes were to align the section with other building and zoning related sections in applicable procedures such as moving the public hearing to the Planning Commission and allowing for an appeal; adding bond requirements and an expiration provision if the move had not occurred within a year of approval are also added. Motion made by Councilmember Lozinski, Seconded by Councilmember Schroeder to adopt Ordinance 25-015 amending Chapter 18, Article III, Division 2 Permit to Move Into Residential District and authorize its summary publication. Voting Yea: Mayor Brynes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua- Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Adoption of an Ordinance Amending Ch. 22, Article VIII, Section 225 Limits on Registrations The city council passed Ordinance 25-010 on August 26, 2025, adding provisions for the registration of tribal cannabis retailers. The State of Minnesota signed two tribal compacts, and, at the time, the Office of Cannabis Management provided insufficient information regarding how the tribal compacts would interact with local registration. The City Attorney after review of the compacts and updated OCM guidance determined that the city ordinance for registration of Cannabis Retailer Businesses was no longer accurate. Tribes operating a retail location off reservation due to a compact do not need to register with a municipality, but that tribal retail store may now count toward the number of available city registrations. As a result of this new interpretation the city’s ordinance for cannabis registration must be amended to comply with the current compacts in place. As of 11/21/2025 the State of Minnesota had signed compacts with five tribes: Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, White Earth Nation, Prairie Island Indian Community, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Motion made by Councilmember Lozinski, Seconded by Councilmember Moua-Leske to adopt Ordinance 25-016 amending Chapter 22, Article VIII, Section 225 Limits on Registrations and authorizing its summary publication. Voting Yea: Mayor Brynes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Project AP-070: SW MN Regional Airport Aviation Fuel Facility Relocation Project - 1) Authorization to request MnDOT Grant Agreement; 2) Consider TKDA Professional Services Agreement for Project Design On May 27, 2025, the City Council authorized staff to submit a grant application for a MnDOT Airport Fuel System Grant to install new 100 LL and Jet A fuel tanks at the Southwest Minnesota Regional Airport. To be eligible for this grant the airport must be owned by a municipality, must be licensed for public use, must be in the State Airport System, and the airport must be zoned or in the process of zoning. Additionally, the grant gave priority to airports based on historical fuel sales. The one-time grant opportunity for fuel systems was determined to be a good opportunity to replace aging fuel systems at the Southwest Minnesota Regional Airport. The fueling system was owned and operated by the City’s Fixed Base Operator, Midwest Aviation. The current Jet A underground fuel tank was a 15,000-gallon tank that was installed in 1985 and was recertified with a 30-year warranty in 1992. The current 100LL tank was a 12,000-gallon tank installed in 1996 with a 30-year warranty. Both tanks are either past warranty or near warranty expiration. Additionally, the tanks are near the old Arrival/Departure Building, and not in an ideal location. The Airport Commission determined that a better location would be closer to the Arrival/Departure Building. New fuel tanks are proposed to be 15,000-gallon tanks that would be “aboveground” tanks. In July, notice  City Council Meeting November 25, 2025 Minutes Page 5 of 7 was received from MnDOT that the fuel facility relocation project was selected to receive a grant offer. The project was estimated to be $1,278,000 with a cost participation of 60% State ($766,800) and 40% Local ($511,200). Staff requested that engineering design services for the project be completed by TKDA in an amount not-to-exceed $100,000. The 2026 Capital Improvement Plan included $1,300,000 for the project. Schafer shared the Airport Commission had discussed the numerous times and were in full support. Motion made by Councilmember Schafer, Seconded by Councilmember Schwartz to authorize city staff and TKDA to request a MnDOT Grant Agreement for the Fuel Facility Relocation Project in the amount of $1,278,000 and work toward obtaining bids. Voting Yea: Mayor Brynes, 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 Lozinski to authorize city staff to enter in a Professional Services Agreement with TKDA for the Fuel Facility Relocation Project in an amount not-to-exceed $100,000, contingent on MnDOT grant funding. Voting Yea: Mayor Brynes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Project AP-003: Airport Snow Removal Equipment (SRE) Building - Consider Final Pay Estimate 15 With this final payment the city will be able to work towards the closeout process with the FAA. The original contract amount was $2,913,100.00. The final contract amount with change orders was $2,906,402.00, which resulted in a net contract decrease of $6,698.00. All work had been completed according to the consultant’s plans and specifications. Mayor Byrnes commented that the building turned out to be a very good project and thanked the engineering staff, engineering consultant, and airport commission for all their work. Lozinski agreed with Mayor Byrnes and spoke about the history of the project and noted it came in under budget. Motion made by Councilmember Lozinski, Seconded by Councilmember Alcorn to authorize Final Pay Estimate 15 for Project AP-003 in the amount of $145,320.10. Voting Yea: Mayor Brynes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Redwood River One Watershed, One Plan (1W1P) – Resolution to Submit the Redwood River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan The purpose of the One Watershed, One Plan (1W1P) program was to develop a comprehensive watershed management plan that aligned multiple local water planning efforts into one watershed-wide plan which crossed county boundaries. The goal was a systematic, watershed wide, science-based approach to watershed management. The State of Minnesota was completing these 1W1P planning efforts throughout the State to transition away from county boundary-based water planning to watershed-based water planning. The Redwood River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan has been completed and was ready for submittal to the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR). Once the Redwood-Cottonwood Rivers Control Area has all local resolutions returned, the Watershed Plan may be submitted to the BWSR. There would be no fiscal impact on the city to submit the plan. Once the Redwood River Comprehensive Watershed Management plan was approved, bi-annual funding would become available for water quality projects within the watershed. It is estimated that roughly $1,120,000 could be available over the next two years (FY 26-27). Motion made by Councilmember Schroeder, Seconded by Councilmember Moua-Leske to adopt Resolution 25-082 to Submit the Redwood River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan. Voting Yea: Mayor Brynes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0.  City Council Meeting November 25, 2025 Minutes Page 6 of 7 Statement of Annual Performance Evaluation for the City Administrator A special meeting prior to the regular meeting was held to conduct the annual performance evaluation of the City Administrator. Mayor Byrnes summarized the conclusions of the evaluation and thanked Sharon Hanson for her service. Councilmembers Lozinski and Schafer added additional comments thanking Sharon for all her work. Motion made by Councilmember Schroeder, Seconded by Councilmember Lozinski to accept the performance evaluation of Administrator Hanson. Voting Yea: Mayor Brynes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Commission/Board Liaison Reports Byrnes No report. Alcorn No report. Lozinski No report. Moua-Leske CVB met but Cassi Weiss covered everything in her presentation. Moua-Leske reiterated that Cassi and Adri do an excellent job ensuring that there is always something going on in Marshall. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee met last week and spent majority of their time going over the strategic plan and looking at ways to delegate certain items. The commission also recognized Julie Walker as she was named one of seven recipients of the 2025 Virginia McKnight Binger Heart of Community Honor. The honor celebrates people who are the pulse of Minnesota’s caring and connected communities. Schafer No report. Schroeder EDA met on Wednesday and discussed potential partnership with Southwest Minnesota Housing, and it looks good. Schwartz No report. Councilmember Individual Items Councilmember Schroeder commented that every year at every home hockey tournament, they receive compliments about how nice the Red Baron Arena facility is as well as the city in general. City Administrator No report. Director of Public Works/City Engineer No report. City Attorney Provided an update on Broadmoor Valley.  City Council Meeting November 25, 2025 Minutes Page 7 of 7 Information Only There were no questions about the Information Only items. Upcoming Meetings There were no questions or comments about the Upcoming Meetings. Adjournment Motion made by Councilmember Schroeder, Seconded by Councilmember Schwartz to adjourn the meeting. Voting Yea: Mayor Brynes, Councilmember Alcorn, Councilmember Lozinski, Councilmember Moua-Leske, Councilmember Schafer, Councilmember Schroeder, Councilmember Schwartz. The motion Carried. 7-0. Attest: _________________________ _________________________ City Clerk Mayor