A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of International Falls, Minnesota was held in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building on the 16th day of June 2025 at the hour of 5:30 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Dill and Councilors Buller, Holden, Kalar and Wegner.
MEMBERS ABSENT: None.
| APPROVED agenda as presented with an addition | MOTION by Councilor Kalar to approve the agenda as presented with the following addition:
Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED the following meeting minutes, as presented
|
MOTION by Councilor Wegner to approve the following meeting minutes:
· Monday, June 2, 2025, special City Council meeting · Monday, June 2, 2025, regular City Council meeting · Monday, June 9, 2025, Committee-of-the-Whole meeting Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 42-2025 approving transfers, payment of claims, and accounts payable | MOTION by Councilor Holden to adopt Resolution No. 42-2025 approving transfers, payment of claims, and accounts payable. Motion seconded by Councilor Wegner and carried unanimously. |
CLAIMS
| A Plus Pest Management LLC | Pest Control | 823.22 | 81251 |
| Acme Tools-Grand Forks | Tools-VNP, Mowers | 960.98 | 81252 |
| Aladtec Inc | Online Scheduling Software | 4,373.00 | 81253 |
| Amazon Capital Services | Office Supplies-Police | 164.18 | 81254 |
| Andrew Holler | Lawn Cleanup | 5,657.00 | 81255 |
| Aqua-Pure Inc | AF 4650 T | 4,375.00 | 81256 |
| Baycom Inc | Equipment-Squad Cars | 7,975.00 | 81257 |
| Beacon Athletics | Baseball Field Supplies | 3,123.00 | 81258 |
| Bolton & Menk Inc | Engineering Services | 130,938.50 | 81259 |
| Border Boxes | Shipping-Grnds/Gar/Wtr Plnt | 133.25 | 81260 |
| Bound Tree Medical LLC | Ambulance Supplies | 864.31 | 81261 |
| Bremer Cardmember Services | T&T-CAT/Pol/Amb/Wtr, Thermal Cam | 10,986.39 | 81262 |
| Brian Jespersen | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 81263 |
| Brian Youso | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 81264 |
| Capitol Hill Associates Inc | Representation MN State Legislative | 2,000.00 | 81265 |
| Cenex Voyageur Fleet | Gas-Pol/Amb/St/Wtr/Hzmt/Fire/P&R | 4,798.60 | 81266 |
| CherryRoad Media Inc | Council Mtg Dates, Minutes, Bids | 2,308.09 | 81267 |
| Citizens for Backus/AB | Lease Agreement-Suite 305 | 6,446.33 | 81268 |
| City of Intl Falls-Fund 401 | Water/Sewer Admin Expenses | 66,666.66 | 81269 |
| City of Intl Falls-Fund 403 | Water/Sewer Funds Transfer | 29,166.67 | 81270 |
| City of Ranier | Water-City Beach | 52.81 | 81271 |
| Core & Main | Hydrants | 4,950.00 | 81272 |
| Crandall’s Septic Pumping | Portable Johns-City Parks | 1,100.00 | 81273 |
| Dane Olson | Travel Expense | 54.00 | 81274 |
| Drake Dill | Meetings at the Capitol | 674.49 | 81275 |
| Driveline Specialists, Inc | Maint Repair-Amb | 332.47 | 81276 |
| Enterprise FM Trust | Vehicle Leases | 27,043.72 | 81277 |
| ESRI | ARC GIS 09/2025-09/2026 | 1,937.15 | 81278 |
| Falls Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram | Towing Fee | 959.70 | 81279 |
| Falls License Bureau | Vactor License Fee | 10,635.01 | 81280 |
| Flex Financial | ALS360 Annual Payment | 186,403.70 | 81281 |
| Flow Measurement Group LLC | Flow Meter | 2,102.00 | 81282 |
| Forestland Sales & Service | Maint & Repair Equip-Grounds | 138.44 | 81283 |
| Friend’s Garbage | Monthly Garbage Service | 2,029.12 | 81284 |
| Frontier | Monthly Telephone Service | 480.00 | 81285 |
| Gall’s | Clothing-Wahl/Hulst/Offerdahl | 185.30 | 81286 |
| Graybar | Tools-St Light, Power Supply | 421.55 | 81287 |
| Hach Company | Materials-Wtr Plnt | 302.08 | 81288 |
| Hawkins Inc | Cylinder Chgs, Chemicals | 20,294.19 | 81289 |
| Hometown Billing LLC | Ambulance Billing | 2,072.00 | 81290 |
| Industrial Health Sv Ntwk Inc | DOT Drg Scrn & MRO Services | 308.90 | 81291 |
| Innovative Office Solutions LLC | City Beach Envelopes | 174.21 | 81292 |
| Koerter’s Amoco | Gas-St/Pol/San Sew/Wtr/St Lght | 4,500.19 | 81293 |
| Lakes Gas | Gas-Grounds | 18.38 | 81294 |
| Lawson Products Inc | Sup-Garage/Street Lighting | 1,555.87 | 81295 |
| Linde Gas & Equipment Inc | Oxygen-Ambulance | 1,340.75 | 81296 |
| LMC Insurance Trust-Liab | Annual Liability and Auto Insurance | 294.75 | 81297 |
| Locators & Supplies | Sup-Street | 505.70 | 81298 |
| MacQueen Equipment Inc | Maint & Repair-Sweeper | 718.72 | 81299 |
| Madden Galanter Hansen LLP | Labor Relations Services | 3,709.95 | 81300 |
| Mannco Trucking Inc | Parts-Unit 254/Unit 151 | 234.42 | 81301 |
| Marco | Antivirus/Microsoft Exchange | 535.25 | 81302 |
| Mark Rock Products | 3/4 Minus” | 1,522.50 | 81303 |
| MCFOA | Membership Fees-Rud | 50.00 | 81304 |
| Menards International Falls | Sup-P&R/Gar/Wtr/Gar/St/Strm Sew | 721.18 | 81305 |
| Mesabi Bituminous Inc | Cold Mix | 1,845.00 | 81306 |
| Metropolitan Compounds Inc | D-Tox Wipes | 457.04 | 81307 |
| Michael Musich | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 81308 |
| Midco | Cable-Fire Hall/Amb, Internet-Wtr Plnt | 513.71 | 81309 |
| Minnesota Energy Resources | Utilities | 2,697.10 | 81310 |
| Minnesota Industries | Sup-St/VNP/Storm | 491.97 | 81311 |
| MN Power | Utilities | 18,090.11 | 81312 |
| MTI Distributing Inc | M&R-Grnds/VNP/P&R, Sup-VNP | 965.68 | 81313 |
| N Koochiching Area Sanitary Dist | Effluent/Backwash/Surcharge | 136,923.80 | 81314 |
| NAPA Falls Supply | M&R Equip-Amb/Grnds/VNP/Fire/St | 1,424.99 | 81315 |
| Nartec Inc | Nik Tests | 189.63 | 81316 |
| Northern Lumber & Hardware | Sup-P&R/Wtr/St/Gar, M&R-St/P&R | 1,487.70 | 81317 |
| O’Reilly Automotive Inc | M&R-Amb/P&R/St, Sup-St/Gar | 956.79 | 81318 |
| Pelland Welding, Inc | Sup-St Garage | 28.95 | 81319 |
| Pitney Bowes Reserve Acct | Qtrly Lease-Inserting & Mailing | 1,500.00 | 81320 |
| Railroad Mgmt Co III, Inc | License Fees | 417.05 | 81321 |
| Rainy Lake Houseboats Inc | Fuel For Fireboat | 174.95 | 81322 |
| Rainy Lake Medical Center | Medical Supplies | 50.14 | 81323 |
| Rainy Lake Oil | Fuel-St/Str Lght/P&R | 224.68 | 81324 |
| Range Paper Corp | Cleaning Sup-St/VNP, Sup-Fire/Amb | 1,549.18 | 81325 |
| Schlenner Wenner & Co | 2024 Audit | 23,000.00 | 81326 |
| Shannon’s Inc | Supplies-Water Plant | 42.72 | 81327 |
| Sjoblom Landscape & Nursery | Flowers-Mens Garden | 70.02 | 81328 |
| Soundnorth | Computer, Office Sup-Fire | 678.99 | 81329 |
| Steve Boyum Construction | Demo-2210 3rd Ave | 3,249.00 | 81330 |
| Taylor’s Plumbing & Heating LLC | Maint-Garage | 243.04 | 81331 |
| Terry Christie | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 81332 |
| Tom Lynch | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 81333 |
| Transwest Trucks Superior | Unit 141 | 2,428.70 | 81334 |
| Travis Thompson | House Demo-801 7th Street | 798.00 | 81335 |
| UHL Company Inc | Bldg Maint-St Garage | 518.00 | 81336 |
| United States Treasury | PCORI 2025 | 218.61 | 81337 |
| US Bank Operations Center | Go Bond Interest | 29,737.50 | 81338 |
| Vestis | Cleaning Services | 1,813.10 | 81339 |
| Wagner Construction Inc | PSI Concrete | 185.00 | 81340 |
| William Lahmayer | Holster | 37.92 | 81341 |
| WMG Lyfjaberg LLC | Medical Director | 300.00 | 81342 |
| The following checks were issued under blanket authorization: | |||
| AFLAC | Supplemental Insurance | 182.08 | 102715 |
| American Heritage Life Ins Co | Supplemental Insurance | 9.64 | 102716 |
| Bay Bridge Administrators LLC | Supplemental Insurance | 354.51 | 102717 |
| Bremer Bank NA | Federal Withholding | 44,973.27 | 102718 |
| Central Pension Fund Source A | Retirement | 5,083.80 | 102719 |
| City of Int’l Falls | HRA-Police/Fire | 81.64 | 102720 |
| IAMAW District W3 | Union Dues | 860.00 | 102721 |
| IF Fire Dept Relief | Firemen Dues | 406.00 | 102722 |
| Int’l Falls Ambulance Service | EMT Dues | 140.00 | 102723 |
| Int’l Union of Oper Engineers | Union Dues | 910.00 | 102724 |
| Kane Kostiuk, Sec/Treas | Cop Dues | 140.00 | 102725 |
| Law Enforcement Labor Services Inc | Union Dues | 876.00 | 102726 |
| MN Child Support Pmt Ctr | Wage Assignment-Child Support | 177.19 | 102727 |
| MN Department of Revenue | State Withholding SWT | 8,652.03 | 102728 |
| MSRS-Empower Retirement | Empower Retirement | 8,873.00 | 102729 |
| NCPERS Minnesota | PERA Life Insurance | 128.00 | 102730 |
| North Kooch Area Sanitary Dist | Health Insurance Premiums | 420.00 | 102731 |
| PERA | Public Employees Retirement | 40,077.17 | 102732 |
| United Way of NE Minnesota Inc | United Way | 42.00 | 102733 |
| AUDIENCE: | None. |
| PUBLIC HEARING: | None. |
| OPENING BIDS (AND/OR QUOTES) | None. |
| OLD BUSINESS: | None. |
| CONSENT AGENDA:
APPROVED as presented |
MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve necessary expenses for Human Resources/Safety Director to attend MPELRA Summer Conference, August 5-8, 2025, in Duluth, MN. Motion seconded by Councilor Wegner and carried unanimously. |
| NEW BUSINESS:
APPROVED election judges and absentee ballot board for the August 12, 2025, special city election |
City Administrator, Bergstrom advised the election judges and absentee board is for the special city election being held on August 12, 2025. The city will be responsible for processing of absentee ballots since no other elections are being held in Koochiching County.
MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve election judges and absentee ballot board for the August 12, 2025, special city election. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 43-2025 establishing procedures relating to compliance with reimbursement bond regulations under the internal revenue code
|
George Eilertson of Northland Securities attended via Zoom. Eilertson stated that reimbursement resolutions are common with issuance of debt as it gives the city the opportunity to use cash reserves in the short term and then reimburse themselves with the proceeds of tax-exempt bonds.
MOTION by Councilor Kalar to adopt Resolution No. 43-2025 establishing procedures relating to compliance with reimbursement bond regulations under the internal revenue code. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 44-2025 authorizing execution of MnDOT, State Airport Fund-Equipment Grant Agreement | MOTION by Councilor Buller to adopt Resolution No. 44-2025 authorizing execution of MnDOT, State Airport Fund-Equipment Grant Agreement. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden. Motion passed 4-0-1 with Councilors Buller, Holden, Kalar and Wegner voting “yay” and Mayor Dill abstaining. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 45-2025, FY2026 Air Service Marketing Grant Agreement No. 1060235, for State Project No. A3601-SM023 | MOTION by Councilor Buller to adopt Resolution No. 45-2025, FY2026 Air Service Marketing Grant Agreement No. 1060235, for State Project No. A3601-SM023. Motion seconded by Councilor Kalar. Motion passed 4-0-1 with Councilors Buller, Holden, Kalar and Wegner voting “yay” and Mayor Dill abstaining. |
| Budget and Finance Committee recommendation(s):
a. APPROVED meeting weekly beginning August 5, 2025, for the 2026 budget process |
MOTION by Councilor Wegner to approve meeting weekly beginning August 5, 2025, for the 2026 budget process. Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| Committee-of-the-Whole recommendation(s):
a. APPROVED date and time for an Open House to take public comment on a proposed ordinance to prohibit feeding of deer |
Mayor Dill stated he and the council has spent a considerable amount of time taking input from the community regarding the feeding of deer. Dill stated the proposed ordinance is not a “one size fits all”.
MOTION by Councilor Kalar to approve July 28, 2025, at 6:00 P.M for an Open House to take public comment on a proposed ordinance to prohibit feeding of deer. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden.
City Administrator Bergstrom confirmed the council wanted a representative from the DNR to be present at the Open House. As well Bergstrom confirmed that the motion allowed for advertising costs of the Open House.
Councilor Buller advised they are trying to look at different ways to reduce the deer population in town and the least expensive way would be to stop feeding them. Mayor Dill shared that the DNR stated the city needed to start with an ordinance before they would be able to assist.
Motion carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED request for a pro-rated refund of 2025 license fees to On The Rocks, LLC | City Administrator Bergstrom stated she spoke with the owner of On The Rocks, Terry Wood. His establishment was victim to a fire recently. Wood stated his business would not be reopening before the end of the year. Wood requested a refund on his business licenses for the 7 months he would not be open. Bergstrom noted this was consistent procedure with how the city has handled other businesses in the past who have sold.
MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve request for a pro-rated refund of 2025 license fees for On The Rocks, LLC. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| ACKNOWLEDGED letter from Mayor Hallikas of Fort Frances, inviting Mayor and Council to a ceremonial signing of the proclamation of friendship between the two communities on July 2, 2025
|
Mayor Dill read the letter from Mayor Hallikas of Fort Francis inviting the mayor and council to a ceremonial signing of the proclamation of friendship between Fort Frances and International Falls. The Town of Fort Frances will raise the American flag and host a luncheon on July 2, 2025, at 11:00 AM. Mayor Dill stated he would reply to the invitation and requested the City Administrator circulate the invite to city staff. City Administrator Bergstrom advised she would post a notice of a possible quorum with no official action being taken. |
| Other Business | None. |
| Reports of the Administrator, Attorney, and Department Heads
|
City Administrator Bergstrom bi-weekly report was available for review.
The International Falls Police Department Activity Report for May 2025 was available for review.
The Fire/Rescue/EMS May 2025 activity report was available for review. |
| Reports of Mayor & Council | Mayor Dill spoke of the terrible atrocity that had taken place in the Twin Cities over the weekend regarding two MN Legislators and their families. Mayor Dill requested a moment of silence be held during the meeting.
Mayor shared that legislation has adjourned. Dill stated $16 million will be available for direct grants for local ambulance and $16 million for uncompensated care grants. Also, there will be no LGA cuts.
Mayor Dill shared he is working with the City Attorney to ensure performance reviews are being completed per City’s Charter.
Councilors Holden and Buller updated that a NKASSD meeting would be held the next day. Councilor Buller spoke to the reconfiguring of the NKASSD board. |
| AUDIENCE | Joseph Kantor, 1607 13th Avenue W spoke of the cost for advertising meeting minutes but was concerned with the Committee-of-the-Whole meetings not being televised. City Attorney Nelson stated they would not be on TV but could be put on YouTube.com. Nelson stated a motion to direct city staff to record the meetings and upload to the City of International Falls website would be needed.
MOTION by Councilor Kalar to approve recording and uploading all Committee-of-the-Whole meetings going forward. Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| Reynold Calder, 1901 6th Avenue East asked that all committee meetings dates and times be published in the paper, inviting all members of the public to attend. | |
| Mary Wilson, 1711 1st Avenue East thanked the Mayor and Council for being transparent and recording meetings. She did not feel additional information needed to go into the paper as the font was too small to read, and that YouTube would be sufficient. | |
| Lois Lundin, Backus Community Center Director reminded everyone of River Fest on July 1, 2025, at the Amphitheater. Lundin thanked city staff for different services they are providing for this event. | |
| Rhonda Benedix, 909 6th Street inquired if copies of the “Payments and Claims” could be provided to members of the public in advance to prepare questions for the meeting. Mayor Dill asked that 3 additional copies of the “public” packet be available at the meetings. Benedix also addressed her concerns with semi-trucks traveling down our main street in the business district. | |
| ADJOURNMENT | The next regular City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 7, 2025, at 5:30 P.M. Mayor Dill adjourned the meeting at 6:24 P.M. |
Drake Dill, Mayor
Attest:
Betty Bergstrom, City Administrator
