Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a regular meeting of the Redwood Falls City Council was called to order in the Municipal Chambers on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.
Roll call indicated Council Members Denise Kerkhoff, Jim Sandgren, Larry Arentson, and Shannon Guetter were present, constituting a quorum. Mayor Tom Quackenbush and Council Member Matt Smith were absent.
Also present were City Administrator Keith Muetzel, Finance Director Kari Klages, City Attorney Trenton Dammann, Public Works Project Coordinator Jim Doering, and Deputy City Clerk Caitlin Kodet.
Council Member Sandgren presided over the meeting.
A motion was made by Council Member Kerkhoff and seconded by Council Member Arentson to approve the agenda. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Guetter and seconded by Council Member Arentson to approve the October 21, 2025, minutes as presented. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Kerkhoff and seconded by Council Member Arentson to approve the following item on the Consent Agenda:
1. Redwood Area Chamber Parade Permit
Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Police Chief Jason Cotner was present to introduce the Walmart Grant Application Request.
Chief Cotner stated during Christmas for the last several years RFPD has been the lead agency of the Shop With A Cop event at the Redwood Falls Walmart. The event provides an opportunity for children in need to have a positive interaction with law enforcement staff who take the kids on a shopping trip through Walmart at Christmas. All of the children’s purchases are funded completely through donations and no City funds are expended by the children to make purchases.
Chief Cotner stated on October 27, 2025 management of the Redwood Falls Walmart contacted him and requested that he submit a grant application through the Walmart Corporate office. The grant would be for funds to be used during the Shop With A Cop event. Chief Cotner advised Walmart management of the City’s procedures for grant applications as well as the timelines involved. Walmart management understood and encouraged him to begin the process to submit the grant application.
A motion was made by Council Member Guetter and seconded by Council Member Sandgren to approve the Walmart Grant Application Request. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Parks & Recreation Director Ross Nachreiner introduced Resolution No. 74 of 2025 – A Resolution Accepting A Donation To The City.
Mr. Nachreiner stated Resolution No. 74 of 2025 is to accept a financial donation in the amount of $42,700.00 from the Redwood Falls Rotary Club. Earlier this year, City Staff met with members of the Redwood Falls Rotary to explore the idea of bringing rental kayaks & paddle boards to Redwood Falls. The Ipaddle Port was the best option for the City of Redwood Falls. Total cost for the rental station is $37,335.50, this includes four single kayaks, two tandem kayaks, eight paddles, two inflatable stand up paddle boards, and ten life jackets.
Mr. Nachreiner stated the City will own the Ipaddle station and the equipment inside. It will be the City’s responsibility to replace equipment as needed. Users will rent the equipment for a specified amount of time for the amount set by City Park and Recreation Staff. System Services will monitor these payments and will in turn pay all sales tax and assessed credit card fees. They will in turn charge a minimum of $6/rental (minimum) or 30% of each rental. For each paddle board or kayak rental, a life jacket & paddle are included. For example; if we charge $30.00 for a 2-hour rental, the City will retain $21.00 and System Services will get $9.00.
Mr. Nachreiner stated through strong fundraising efforts, the City received a check from the Redwood Falls Rotary in the amount of $42,750.00. The total cost of the station is $37,335.50 and the remaining funds after expenses paid will be used to purchase replacement equipment & to make the fishing pier accessible for all. The following donors and amounts are included in the total donation from the Redwood Falls Rotary Club:
Redwood Falls Rotary $15,000.00 Centra Care $2,500.00
Redwood Falls VFW $5,000.00 Hometown Bank $1,000.00
Redwood Area Chamber & Tourism $5,000.00 Anne/Charles Gilfillan Estate $750.00
4-H (Federation & Valley Blazers) $5,000.00 Mark & Sue Parker $500.00
Redwood Falls Lions $2,500.00 Schult Homes $250.00
Redwood Falls Girl Scouts $2,500.00 Daktronics $200.00
Redwood Falls American Legion $2,500.00
Mr. Nachreiner stated City staff would like to thank members of the Redwood Falls Rotary Club as well as the other donors for the generous financial donation for the purchase of the Ipaddle Port. The Ipaddle Port will be commissioned in the spring of 2026. Staff request approval to accept the financial donation from the Redwood Falls Rotary Club.
A motion was made by Council Member Guetter and seconded by Council Member Kerkhoff to waive the reading of Resolution No. 74 of 2025 – A Resolution Accepting A Donation To The City. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Arentson and seconded by Council Member Sandgren to approve Resolution No. 74 of 2025 – A Resolution Accepting A Donation To The City. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Parks & Recreation Director Ross Nachreiner introduced Resolution No. 75 of 2025 – A Resolution Accepting A Donation To The City.
Mr. Nachreiner stated Resolution No. 75 of 2025 is to accept a financial donation in the amount of $3,250.75 from the Redwood Valley Baseball Association. City Staff would like to thank the Redwood Valley Baseball Association for the generous financial donation to assist in the payment of the aeration, top dressing, and overseeding of the baseball field at Memorial Park. The work has been completed and the total cost for improvements was $11,501.51. The joint City/Baseball Association account will contribute $5,000.00 towards the project while the City’s portion will be $3,250.76. Staff request approval to accept the financial donation from the Redwood Valley Baseball Association.
A motion was made by Council Member Kerkhoff and seconded by Council Member Arentson to waive the reading of Resolution No. 75 of 2025 – A Resolution Accepting A Donation To The City. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Guetter and seconded by Council Member Sandgren to approve Resolution No. 75 of 2025 – A Resolution Accepting A Donation To The City. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
City Administrator Muetzel introduced Resolution No. 76 of 2025 – A Resolution Setting and Adopting the 2026 Contract for MN Paid Family Leave Coverage and the Employee’s Share of Premium for PFML Coverage.
Mr. Muetzel stated beginning on January 1, 2026, the State of MN will require employers to provide paid employee leave through a paid family and medical leave (PFML) program. PFML is a paid leave program that offers job protection and wage replacement benefits if an employee is unable to work due to injury or illness, including pregnancy and childbirth. The Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA) also applies to family-related matters, such as caring for a seriously ill family member, bonding with a new child, addressing a family member’s military duty, or for safety concerns. Employers can participate in the state-run program (MN Paid Leave) or select an alternative private plan, as long as the alternative plan meets or exceeds the state’s regulatory requirements. The new state-run program is funded through payroll taxes with the employee and employer each paying 50% of the cost.
Mr. Muetzel stated in the interest of seeking a more cost-effective plan with an established provider, City Staff worked with the City’s Insurance Broker, Jenny Van Deinse, to conduct an RFP process. The RFP for the private PFML coverage resulted in seven (7) proposals from different carriers. Ochs submitted the lowest bid for a fully insured plan that met all the State MN PFMLA guidelines.
Mr. Muetzel stated the State of MN PFML plan rate is 0.88% for an annual premium of approximately $44,917, which would be shared 50/50 between the employer and employees of the City. The Ochs plan rate is .78% for an annual premium of approximately $39,813, which would be shared 50/50 between employer and employees of the City. The Ochs/NIS proposal results in $4,604.24 premium savings over the State plan or 10.3%. The employees would also be saving the same amount.
Mr. Muetzel further stated Ochs offers a fully insured private plan option administered through Alera Group that complies with the state’s requirements. There are several benefits in approving Ochs as the City’s Paid Family Leave carrier. Ochs has experience administering paid leave programs through Alera Group which is the eleventh largest independent employee benefits firm in the U.S. They have an established process and an experienced and dedicated service team for the group. Staff is familiar with the Ochs team and has had a great relationship with them for many years with the City’s Life Insurance benefits. Staff recommend accepting the Ochs plan for a fully insured private MN PFML Plan for 2026.
A motion was made by Council Member Guetter and seconded by Council Member Arentson to waive the reading of Resolution No. 76 of 2025 – A Resolution Setting and Adopting the 2026 Contract for MN Paid Family Leave Coverage and the Employee’s Share of Premium for PFML Coverage. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Sandgren and seconded by Council Member Arentson to approve Resolution No. 76 of 2025 – A Resolution Setting and Adopting the 2026 Contract for MN Paid Family Leave Coverage and the Employee’s Share of Premium for PFML Coverage. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
City Administrator Muetzel introduced the Library Clerk Position.
Mr. Muetzel stated the hiring committee has completed the selection process for the vacant library clerk position. The committee recommends approval of the internal transfer of Sherri Ahrens-Ness. Sherri is currently a full-time clerk at the municipal liquor store. Sherri’s prior experience includes serving as part-time library clerk at the Redwood Falls library and working as a full-time librarian at the Marshall Library. With recent staff changes at the liquor store, the proposed transfer is planned to take effect on December 1, 2025.
A motion was made by Council Member Kerkhoff and seconded by Council Member Guetter to approve the Library Clerk Position Internal Transfer of Sherri Ahrens-Ness. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Public Works Project Coordinator Jim Doering introduced Resolution No. 77 of 2025 – Authorization to Execute Minnesota Department of Transportation Grant Agreement for Airport Improvement Excluding Land Acquisition.
Mr. Doering stated Council approved the FAA grant submission for the runway 12/30 rehab and edge lighting, NAVAIDS, Beacon and Windcone replacement project at the regularly scheduled meeting held on October 1, 2024, through Resolution No. 64 of 2024. MnDOT Aeronautics has issued the state companion grant agreement 1061640 for Council approval and signature. Staff recommend the approval of Resolution No. 77 that will allow for the access of reimbursable funds through MNDOT Aeronautics. The federal committed funds for the project are 95% or $3,479,641.76. State funding and the local share split the remaining 5% to the sum of $91,569.52 each.
A motion was made by Council Member Arentson and seconded by Council Member Sandgren to waive the reading of Resolution No. 77 of 2025 – Authorization to Execute Minnesota Department of Transportation Grant Agreement for Airport Improvement Excluding Land Acquisition. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Guetter and seconded by Council Member Kerkhoff to approve Resolution No. 77 of 2025 – Authorization to Execute Minnesota Department of Transportation Grant Agreement for Airport Improvement Excluding Land Acquisition. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Finance Director Klages introduced the Firefighters Relief Association Bylaw Amendment.
Ms. Klages stated in October members of the Fire Relief Association Board of Trustees and City Staff met to discuss an increase in the annual benefit level for the lump sum pension plan. The last increase took place in 2025. Following review of the financial condition of the Fire Relief Association, a consensus was reached to propose an increase to the annual benefit amount of $150. This increase would move the current annual pension benefit for each firefighter from $3,600 to $3,750 per year of service. This change is projected to maintain a surplus of assets over liabilities and will not require a City contribution in 2026.
A motion was made by Council Member Arentson and seconded by Council Member Kerkhoff to approve the Firefighters Relief Association Bylaw Amendment. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Bills and Claims were presented to the Council for informational purposes. No questions, comments or concerns were raised.
There being no further business, a motion was made by Council Member Guetter and seconded by Council Member Arentson to adjourn the meeting at 5:27 p.m. Motion passed by unanimous vote.