TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2026
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, October 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
Roll call indicated Mayor Tom Quackenbush and Council Members Matt Smith, Denise Kerkhoff, Jim Sandgren, Larry Arentson, and Shannon Guetter were present, constituting a quorum.
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.
A motion was made by Council Member Sandgren and seconded by Council Member Kerkhoff to approve the agenda. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Smith and seconded by Council Member Arentson to approve the September 15, 2026, minutes as presented. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Guetter and seconded by Council Member Kerkhoff to approve the following items on the Consent Agenda:
1. City Assistance with Celebrate Redwood Falls – Haunted Hotel/Monsters on Main
2. Authorize Purchase of 2027 Police Squad Car
Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Mayor Quackenbush opened a public hearing at 5:02 p.m. to discuss delinquent utility accounts and unpaid surcharges.
Finance Director Klages introduced Resolution No. 52 of 2026 – Resolution Adopting Assessments for Delinquent Accounts, Resolution No. 53 of 2026 – Resolution Adopting Assessments for Unpaid Maintenance Costs, and Resolution No. 54 of 2026 – Resolution Adopting Assessments for Unpaid Surcharges.
Ms. Klages stated the proposed Resolutions are to adopt assessments for delinquent utility accounts, maintenance cost charges, and surcharges that are more than 30 days past due. Similar resolutions are brought to the City Council on a quarterly basis in order to improve the time between the delinquent billing and the ability to disclose the information to new property owners. The delinquent account resolutions will be presented each year at the first meeting in January, April, July, and October.
Ms. Klages further explained the delinquent process. Delinquent letters are first mailed to the utility account holders. Delinquent letters are then mailed to the property owners if not collected from the account holders. Electricity consumed by a tenant is not assessable to the property. Any unpaid balance is then brought to Council to be approved by resolution. Any pending assessments passed by resolution and still outstanding as of November 1st will be charged a $50.00 fee and are then transferred to Redwood County to be assessed on the tax rolls.
No one was present to provide comments during the hearing.
Mayor Quackenbush closed the public hearing at 5:04 p.m.
A motion was made by Council Member Kerkhoff and seconded by Council Member Smith to waive the reading of Resolution No. 52 of 2026 – Resolution Adopting Assessments for Delinquent Accounts. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Guetter and seconded by Council Member Arentson to approve Resolution No. 52 of 2026 – Resolution Adopting Assessments for Delinquent Accounts. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Arentson and seconded by Council Member Guetter to waive the reading of Resolution No. 53 of 2026 – Resolution Adopting Assessments for Unpaid Maintenance Costs. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Guetter and seconded by Council Member Kerkhoff to approve Resolution No. 53 of 2026 – Resolution Adopting Assessments for Unpaid Maintenance Costs. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Sandgren and seconded by Council Member Smith to waive the reading of Resolution No. 54 of 2026 – Resolution Adopting Assessments for Unpaid Surcharges. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Arentson and seconded by Council Member Kerkhoff to approve Resolution No. 54 of 2026 – Resolution Adopting Assessments for Unpaid Surcharges. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Human Resources Coordinator Sheila Stage was present to introduce Resolution No. 55 of 2026 – A Resolution Setting and Adopting the 2027 Contract for MN Paid Family Leave Coverage and the Employee’s Share of Premium for PFML Coverage.
Ms. Stage stated City Staff worked with the City’s Insurance Broker, Jenny Van Deinse, to obtain private PFML proposals for 2027 while also evaluating the State of Minnesota PFML program. The State plan rate for 2027 remains 0.88%, with the premium cost shared equally between employees and the employer (0.44% each). Ms. Van Deinse negotiated a renewal with the City's current PFML provider, Ochs/NIS. The Ochs/NIS rate was 0.78% in 2026 and will increase to 0.83% in 2027, representing a 6.41% premium increase. As with the State plan, the premium cost will be shared equally between employees and the employer, resulting in a contribution rate of 0.415% for each. Increases are due to utilization of the entire Minnesota paid leave group, not just the City of Redwood Falls and are largely driven by bonding claims incurred during 2025.
Ms. Stage stated the Ochs/NIS proposal results in a $1,626.00 premium savings over the State plan, or 5.7%. The employees would also be saving the same amount. Ochs continues to offer a fully insured private plan option administered through Alera Group that complies with all State of Minnesota PFML requirements. Staff and employees were highly satisfied with the administration of PFML claims during 2026 and reported mostly positive experiences working with Ochs and the Alera Group. The renewal provides continued high-quality administration and service, maintains existing coverage levels, and offers lower overall costs than participation in the State plan. Staff recommend accepting the Ochs/NIS renewal for the MN PFML Plan for 2027
A motion was made by Council Member Arentson and seconded by Council Member Kerkhoff to waive the reading of Resolution No. 55 of 2026 – A Resolution Setting and Adopting the 2027 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 Guetter to approve Resolution No. 55 of 2026 – A Resolution Setting and Adopting the 2027 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 Resolution No. 56 of 2026 – A Resolution Accepting A Donation To The City.
Mr. Muetzel stated Resolution No. 56 of 2026 is accepting a financial donation in the amount of $4,000.00 from the Redwood Valley Baseball Association. City staff would like to thank the Redwood Valley Baseball Association for their generous financial donation to assist in the payment of maintenance work done to the mound and area around home plate of the baseball field at Memorial Park. Staff is requesting approval to accept the financial donation from the Redwood Valley Baseball Association.
A motion was made by Council Member Smith and seconded by Council Member Guetter to waive the reading of Resolution No. 56 of 2026 – 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. 56 of 2026 – A Resolution Accepting A Donation To The City. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Public Works Project Coordinator Jim Doering introduced Library Addition and Renovation Project – Change Order #5.
Mr. Doering stated Staff recommend approval of Change Order (CO) #5 for the addition of added framing and blocking for trusses, drain tile installation adjustments, vented roof deck to match existing, matching existing soffit to new soffit on the meeting room addition, and additional room signage. Approval will allow the City Administrator to execute the CO. Change orders will draw from the 5% contingency allocated in the project budget. The current balance of remaining contingency less CO’s 1-5 is estimated at $119,728.07.
A motion was made by Council Member Smith and seconded by Council Member Kerkhoff to approve the Library Addition and Renovation Project – Change Order #5. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Public Works Project Coordinator Jim Doering introduced the Trails and Turn Lanes Project – Change Order #1
Mr. Doering stated Change Order (CO) #1 is being presented as a modification to accommodate weather-related delays and allow for completion of the remaining contract work. The Contractor has requested a two-week extension to the Milestone 1 completion date revised from 10/02/2026 to 10/16/2026. The Contractor intends to complete all remaining turn lane improvements, including paving, signage, striping, and restoration, as soon as weather conditions permit. Work on the trail portion of the project will continue as site conditions improve. The Engineer has reviewed the request and recommends approval of a two-week contract time extension due to documented weather-related impacts beyond the Contractor's control. Staff is recommending approval of Change Order No. 1. Approval will allow the City Administrator and/or City Engineer to execute the CO.
A motion was made by Council Member Guetter and seconded by Council Member Sandgren to approve the Trails and Turn Lanes Project – Change Order #1. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
City Administrator Muetzel introduced the Police Chief Position.
Mr. Muetzel stated the hiring committee has completed the selection process for the police chief position and recommends approval of the employment offer to Steve Schroeder. Steve was hired as a patrol officer in 2005 and promoted to assistant police chief in 2018. Steve has completed several leadership training programs while serving as the assistant chief and is well prepared to transition into the role of police chief. The employment offer includes a starting salary at pay grade 12, step 10 of the 2026 step structure and is contingent on an outside agency background check and satisfactory report from psychological testing.
A motion was made by Council Member Kerkhoff and seconded by Council Member Sandgren to approve the Police Chief Position to Steve Schroeder. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Public Works Project Coordinator Jim Doering introduced 2026 Street Seal Coat Project – Final Pay Application.
Mr. Doering stated Staff is recommending for approval the Final Pay Reimbursement No. 1 to Allied Blacktop Company of Maple Grove, MN, for the 2026 Seal Coat Improvement with the final contract amount of $215,814.20. The original bid amount was $219,228.70 but a block of Halvorson Street was removed from seal coat area due to its use as the main construction entrance for the library. This equates to a total savings of $3,414.50 from the original bid. This action will also set the 2-year maintenance period and final acceptance date of October 6, 2028.
A motion was made by Council Member Guetter and seconded by Council Member Arentson to approve the 2026 Street Seal Coat Project – Final Pay Application in the amount of $215,814.20. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Public Works Project Coordinator Jim Doering introduced 80’ x 80’ Airport Hangar Project – Final Pay Application.
Mr. Doering stated Staff recommend approval of Final Pay Application No. 4 (80’ x 80’ Airport Hangar Project) in the amount of $41,852.12. Contractor Affidavit, MN IC134s, and prevailing wage certified reports have been received. The final contract price totals $837,042.32. The work has been completed in substantial conformance with the Contract Documents. The engineer and staff recommend the semi-final acceptance of the work and payment of the Final Estimate. Council acceptance initiates the warranty period which expires one year from the date of final payment. Any deficiencies observed during the maintenance period must be brought to the attention of the Contractor, in writing, before the final acceptance date.
A motion was made by Council Member Smith and seconded by Council Member Kerkhoff to approve the 80’ x 80’ Airport Hangar Project – Final Pay Application in the amount of $41,852.12. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Mayor Quackenbush stated he was unable to attend the City Council Work Session on September 29 due to a medical issue. Thank you to the CentraCare staff for the excellent care received.
City Administrator Muetzel stated the construction projects are winding down, including Great Plains Natural Gas, which will be moving to the restoration phase of the project. Staff in every department are also preparing for winter. The park bathrooms and campground will continue to be open for a couple weeks until the end of October.
City Administrator Muetzel stated the annual Fall Cleanup is scheduled for November 2-6, 2026.
City Administrator Muetzel stated there is no tentative start date scheduled for the pool repairs. Staff is starting to winterize the pool, and the contractor is comfortable working up until the end of November on the repairs. The contractor intends to complete most of the pool repairs this fall.
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 Kerkhoff and seconded by Council Member Guetter to adjourn the meeting at 5:25 p.m. Motion passed by unanimous vote.