Meetings

2Public Hearing for Budget and Levy

Public Hearing for Budget and Levy

Removed from the agenda as an administrative error; minutes state the public hearing was scheduled for December 9, 2025.

2026 budget and levy
public hearing scheduling

No action

3New/Old Business

New/Old Business

Header item; individual subitems were handled separately.

new and old business

Discussion only

3aDiscussion on Proposed 2026 Budget

Discussion on Proposed 2026 Budget.

Financial Consultant Lori Yager reviewed changes to the proposed 2026 budget, including a 4% COLA instead of 5%, reduced building permit and interest assumptions, a transfer from capital for code enforcement, a retained weather siren allocation, added code enforcement, public works staffing, and training amounts, and projected tax impacts. Council did not adopt the final budget at this meeting and planned to finalize it on December 9.

The proposed 2026 budget was reviewed and adjusted in discussion; the Council agreed to finalize it at the December 9 meeting.

2026 budget
2026 levy
tax impact

Discussion only

p. 1p. 1p. 2

3bSeasonal public works employee and seasonal plow driver

Approval of Resolution 2025-XX Authorizing Philip Olmon to Work as a Seasonal Public Works Employee, and Dana Henjum as an As-Needed Seasonal Plow Driver.

The Council approved Resolution 2025-120 authorizing Philip Olmon to work as a seasonal public works employee and authorizing Dana Henjum as an as-needed seasonal plow driver for snow removal needs.

Resolution 2025-120 was approved.

seasonal public works staffing
snow plowing

Approved

3cPublic Works salary range / job posting

Approval of Recommendation for Public Works Step Salary Range, to be presented at the meeting.

The Council approved posting a public works employee position with a pay range of $28.00 to $36.50 per hour. Members discussed avoiding language that would imply the city had adopted a step chart, and the motion approved the posting and pay range only.

The Council approved a public works job posting with a $28.00 to $36.50 per hour pay range, after discussion about removing step-chart language from the action.

public works hiring
salary range

Approved

3dCOLA/Step Increase

Discussion on COLA/Step Increase. City Council received via email. Copies upon request.

Handled during the budget discussion; the minutes state the Council confirmed the 4% COLA included in the 2026 budget.

COLA
step increase
2026 budget

Discussion only

3ePTO/Holiday Overtime

Discussion on PTO/Holiday Overtime City Council received via email. Copies upon request.

After discussing staff concerns and comparisons to other cities, the Council voted 3-2 to count PTO and holiday hours as hours worked for overtime purposes for all staff, with time and a half paid for hours over 40.

The Council changed the policy so PTO and holiday hours count as hours worked for overtime calculation for all staff.

overtime policy
PTO
holiday pay
employee compensation

Approved

3fUpdating City Street Signs

Discussion and Decision for Updating the City of Nowthen Street Signs.

The Council discussed replacing non-compliant street signs under Minnesota MUTCD standards. Rather than replace all city-responsible signs at an estimated $81,918, the Council approved the no-logo EFA quote for $578.10 and directed staff to continue replacing signs as needed on a quarterly basis, with later reevaluation of the policy.

The Council approved the no-logo EFA quote for $578.10 and directed staff to continue quarterly sign replacement as needed.

street signs
MUTCD compliance
public works

Approved

4Adjourn

Adjourn

The meeting was adjourned at 8:42 p.m.

adjournment

Approved

p. 1p. 4

Motions and votes

6 motions on the record. Split votes are highlighted.

M1_approve_agenda_as_amendedMOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE TO APPROVE THE BUDGET AS AMENDED BY REMOVING AGENDA ITEM 2. 5 AYES. MOTION CARRIED.

Exact transcript text

MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE TO APPROVE THE BUDGET AS AMENDED BY REMOVING AGENDA ITEM 2. 5 AYES. MOTION CARRIED.

moved by Breyen, seconded by Rainville

Passed

YHybben
YBreyen
YGlaser
YSwenson
YRainville

M2_resolution_2025_120_seasonal_public_worksMOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SWENSON TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2025-120 AUTHORIZING PHILIP OLMON TO WORK AS A SEASONAL PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEE AND DANA HENJUM AS AN AS-NEEDED SEASONAL PLOW DRIVER. 5 AYES. MOTION CARRIED.

Exact transcript text

MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SWENSON TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2025-120 AUTHORIZING PHILIP OLMON TO WORK AS A SEASONAL PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEE AND DANA HENJUM AS AN AS-NEEDED SEASONAL PLOW DRIVER. 5 AYES. MOTION CARRIED.

moved by Breyen, seconded by Swenson

Passed

YHybben
YBreyen
YGlaser
YSwenson
YRainville

M3_public_works_posting_pay_rangeMOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SWENSON TO APPROVE THE POSTING FOR A PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEE WITH A PAY RANGE FROM $28.00 TO $36.50 PER HOUR. 5 AYES. MOTION CARRIED.

Exact transcript text

MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SWENSON TO APPROVE THE POSTING FOR A PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEE WITH A PAY RANGE FROM $28.00 TO $36.50 PER HOUR. 5 AYES. MOTION CARRIED.

moved by Breyen, seconded by Swenson

Passed

YHybben
YBreyen
YGlaser
YSwenson
YRainville

M5_pto_holiday_overtime_policyMOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER SWENSON, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE THAT PTO AND HOLIDAY COUNT AS HOURS WORKED FOR THE PURPOSE OF OVERTIME CALCULATION, PAID TIME AND A HALF ANYTHING OVER 40 HOURS, AND APPLIES TO ALL STAFF. 3 AYES- COUNCIL MEMBER SWENSON, COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE, MAYOR HYBBEN. 2 NAYS- COUNCIL MEMBER GLASER AND COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN. MOTION CARRIED.

Exact transcript text

MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER SWENSON, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE THAT PTO AND HOLIDAY COUNT AS HOURS WORKED FOR THE PURPOSE OF OVERTIME CALCULATION, PAID TIME AND A HALF ANYTHING OVER 40 HOURS, AND APPLIES TO ALL STAFF. 3 AYES- COUNCIL MEMBER SWENSON, COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE, MAYOR HYBBEN. 2 NAYS- COUNCIL MEMBER GLASER AND COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN. MOTION CARRIED.

moved by Swenson, seconded by Rainville

PassedSplit vote

YSwenson
YRainville
YHybben
NGlaser
NBreyen

p. 3

M6_street_sign_no_logo_quoteMOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER GLASER TO APPROVE THE QUOTE TO REPLACE THE STREET SIGNS BASED ON THE EFA QUOTE FOR THE NO LOGO OPTION AT A TOTAL OF $578.10, AND CONTINUE TO REPLACE SIGNS AS NEEDED QUARTERLY AND REEVALUATE THE POLICY IF NEEDED ONCE THE CITY COMPLETES THE OTHER FOUR QUARTERS. 5 AYES. MOTION CARRIED.

Exact transcript text

MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER GLASER TO APPROVE THE QUOTE TO REPLACE THE STREET SIGNS BASED ON THE EFA QUOTE FOR THE NO LOGO OPTION AT A TOTAL OF $578.10, AND CONTINUE TO REPLACE SIGNS AS NEEDED QUARTERLY AND REEVALUATE THE POLICY IF NEEDED ONCE THE CITY COMPLETES THE OTHER FOUR QUARTERS. 5 AYES. MOTION CARRIED.

moved by Breyen, seconded by Glaser

Passed

YHybben
YBreyen
YGlaser
YSwenson
YRainville