CITY OF WANAMINGO
City Council Regular Meeting
Monday, October 20, 2025, 7:00 P.M.
Wanamingo City Council Chambers – 401 Main Street
Wanamingo, MN
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Holmes.
PRESENT: Council: Eric Dierks, Rebecca Haugen, Ryan Holmes, Jeremiah Flotterud, and Stuart Ohr
City Administrator: Michael Boulton
Deputy Clerk: Laurie Musselman
ABSENT: None
ALSO PRESENT: Brad Kennedy, Goodhue County Deputy Tom Blue, Terry Campbell – Wanamingo Messenger, and Beth Haas – Zumbrota News Record.
ADOPT AGENDA: Ohr motioned to adopt the agenda, seconded by Dierks. Passed 5-0-0.
CONSENT AGENDA: Dierks motioned, seconded by Flotterud. Passed 5-0-0.
Wanamingo was awarded a Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development – 2025 Minnesota Small Cities Program Grant (SCDP) for $345,000. This will go toward rehabbing roughly twelve low-income homes.
PRESENTERS:
A) Brad Kennedy reported on:
1) Cleaned out Cenex 4th Addition stormwater infiltration basin. Cleared out roughly a foot of sediment for 300’. The storm sewer lines were also plugged with sediment in this area.
2) New Bobcat compact wheel loader delivered, while John Deere Compact track skid loader returned.
3) New wellhouse lot graded and hydroseeded by Zumbro Valley Landscaping
4) Clay sanitary sewer lines jetted with cutting head.
5) Work was completed on Centennial Street including the replacement of the sewer line and installation of water service line by Schumacher Excavating. The concrete curb/gutter was replaced by Noah Gove. Zumbro Valley Landscaping planted four new evergreens and hydroseeded the disturbed area. Rochester Sand & Gravel is scheduled to patch the asphalt hole on Centennial Street before the plant closes for winter.
6) The largest leak repaired at swimming pool. A four-inch PVC flex house line had snapped off under the hatch opening of the deck. The repair should drastically reduce the amount of water utilized at the pool.
7) Leaf vacuum and street sweeper have been out getting leaves sucked off the streets.
8) Cleared down trees off nature trail. This will continue as more of the Emerald Ash Borer trees die and fall. We may investigate pricing to clear the Northeast corner of the nature trail that is primarily ash trees.
9) Plan to haul out and land apply biosolids from the WWTP.
10) Completed flushing all the hydrants throughout town
11) Mowed and trimmed along MN TH 60 & MN TH 57 ditch and utility poles. Mowed at the WWTP, community garden, undeveloped lot boulevards, and other various areas around town.
12) Plan to haul out and land apply biosolids from the WWTP.
13) Completed flushing all the hydrants throughout town
14) Mowed and trimmed along MN TH 60 & MN TH 57 ditch and utility poles. Mowed at the WWTP, community garden, undeveloped lot boulevards, and other various areas around town.
15) The Council should discuss snow removal policy. Since the school closure, is it necessary to push the snow to the center of the road and then have it removed?
16) Compost & Brush Site – proposed new sign. Installing the camera system at the site has helped with less dumping of items not wanted. We need a sign that specifically tells people what is allowed and not allowed. There are a couple of signs at the site but one sign with all the details would be helpful. We accept leaves, grass clippings (no bags), garden waste, shrubs (no roots), tree limbs/brush, sod, and Christmas trees (no bags). We do not want stumps, roots, rocks, landscape timbers, construction debris, plastic plant containers, lumber, string, cardboard, appliance, garbage, tires, furniture, or compost bags. With the new camera system, we have been able to track down people who have dumped such items and had them come back to take them away. If the items that we do not want show up at the dump it costs the city time and money to dispose of them. Holmes stated that it would be good to have a sign that specifically laid out all the rules. Dierks asked why not take tree roots. Kennedy stated that tree roots do not burn, break down, and must be taken to Schumacher’s pit. Flotterud stated that tree roots are wet and usually are full of dirt. Flotterud asked if contractors were allowed at the site. Kennedy stated that contractors doing work within town are allowed to bring accepted materials. Kennedy stated that out-of-town materials are not allowed. Dierks moved to approve the purchase of sign option number one four-foot by eight-foot compost and brush site sign, seconded by Ohr. Flotterud asked what the estimated price of the sign. Boulton stated that the estimate was $650. Passed 5-0-0.
B) Terry Campbell – Wanamingo Messenger reported on:
1) Wanamingo Messenger officially became a legal newspaper in June 2025.
2) The paper is printed twice per month with 100% coverage of Wanamingo households.
3) The price would be $8 per inch for legal notices
4) The Messenger consists of fifteen cities with seven newspapers and is based out of Dennison
5) Asked that Wanamingo consider the Wanamingo Messenger as official newspaper with January appointments.
Boulton recommended that if the Council desires to look at a change of official legal newspaper the City Council should go through a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) process. The Council should discuss and set multiple criteria, including cost. Boulton stated that informal process can be messy with back-and-forth cost reduction, promises, and insinuations among competitors.
C) Tom Blue, Goodhue County Deputy Reported on:
1) Nothing specifically to report. Wanamingo has been relatively quiet lately.
2) Boulton passed along a thanks from Jake’s Hometown Liquor that the concerns shared a couple of months ago have been addressed in changes which have been positive. Boulton also passed along thanks from Pat Flom, the custodian, that the Riverside Park Bathroom has been locked every night since it was open this spring.
NEW BUSINESS:
RESOLUTION:
25-070 = Certifying Delinquent Utility Bills and Other Services to the Goodhue County Auditor-Treasurer for the Collection with Real Estate Taxes in 2026: Ohr moved to approve, Seconded by Haugen. Boulton stated that four properties are being considered for utilities certification, including two bank forfeitures. Mayor Holmes asked if there were any challenges to the certifications. No challenges were made. Passed 5-0-0.
25-071 = Certifying Mowing Service Charges to the Goodhue County Auditor-Treasurer for the Collection with Real Estate Taxes in 2026: Haugen moved to approve, Seconded by Flotterud. Boulton stated that eight properties are being considered for mowing certifications, including the same two bank forfeitures are utilities. Boulton stated that five other properties had paid the mowing charges after the notifications were sent. Mayor Holmes asked if there were any challenges to the certifications. No challenges were made. Passed 5-0-0.
25-072 = Authorizing and Approving a 2025-2026 Lobbyist Contract for the Proposed North Zumbro Sanitary Sewer District State Capital Request: Dierks moved to approve, Seconded by Haugen. Boulton stated that a reduced price (from previous three-year) contract had been negotiated. Passed 5-0-0.
25-073 = Approving Lot Split Request for Goodhue County Parcel ID 70.380.0700: Haugen moved to approve, Seconded by Dierks. Boulton stated that when the original Torkelson farm had been sold and land was plated that two of the remaining pieces of land were placed in the same parcel. The first, within the Emerald Valley II Addition area and the second, on the north side of the North Zumbro River. The legal definition of the parcel describes the Emerald Valley II Addition area only. Boulton stated that Torkelson intends to sell the Emerald Valley II parcel and keep the piece north of the river. Rapp Surveying has created a legal definition for the piece north of the river. Passed 5-0-0.
25-074 = Authorizing Water Tower Clean-Out and Inspection Service Agreement with Midco Diving & Marine Services: Haugen moved to approve, Seconded by Flotterud. Kennedy stated that the new tower will need to be cleaned out and inspected because it will be four years since it was constructed and put into service. It is recommended for this work every three to five years. Kennedy stated that the new common practice is for towers to be cleaned by a diver rather than drained due to more stringent MN Department of Health sanitization process. Kennedy stated that the City would have a base set of maintenance records from the cleaning and inspection for the future. Holmes asked how the tower is cleaned. Kennedy stated that a vacuum sucks out all the sediment material into a tank at the base of the tower. Passed 5-0-0.
25-075 = Approving a Service and Rental Agreement with Quadient Leasing USA, Inc. for an IX3-P5 Postage Meter: Ohr moved to approve, Seconded by Haugen. Boulton stated that the lease is up on the postage meter. The proposed meter is large and can run faster. The proposed meter is more money per month for the lease, but significantly cheaper on ink cost. The overall cost is estimated to be $50 cheaper per year based upon past use. Passed 5-0-0.
25-076 = Approving an Encroachment Easement Agreement with John and Mary Held: Dierks moved to approve, Seconded by Haugen. Boulton stated that Held’s are selling the bus garage. The building is located eight feet onto City property. The encroachment easement is needed to ensure a clear title for the eventual sale. Passed 5-0-0.
OLD BUSINESS:
Public Hearing – Mayor Homes opened ORDINANCE #212 = Establishing a Mixed-Use Zoning District in the City at 7:45PM. Administrator Boulton stated that the ordinance change is in response to the request at the former Kenyon-Wanamingo school building and its intended uses. Boulton stated that the property is unique and does not fit well into any of the current Wanamingo zoning districts. The draft Ordinance creates a new mixed-use zoning district that will fit most commercial uses that the former school building buyers have requested. Boulton stated that the residential use (short-term apartments) request by the buyer is not included. Kennedy & Graven attorneys stated that commercial and residential uses are non-conforming on the same level of a building that is on the same parcel. McKaia Dykema of Kennedy and Graven put together the proposed language. David Jacobsen is in the loop on the proposed changes but has deferred any requested zoning changes to Kennedy and Graven. No Additional Public Comments Offered. Mayor Holmes closed the public hearing at 7:54PM.
ORDINANCE #212 - Establishing a Mixed-Use Zoning District in the City – 2nd Reading - Dierks moved to approve, seconded by Flotterud. Passed 5-0-0.
*Next City Council meeting on 11/17/2025
Adjourn: At 7:55PM a motion to adjourn was made by Ohr and seconded by Dierks. Passed 5-0-0.
Signed: Attest:
_____________________ ____________________________________
Ryan Holmes, Mayor Michael Boulton, City Administrator
