The regular meeting of the Grey Eagle City Council was called to order by Mayor Joseph Arnzen at 7:00 pm on the 13th day of January 2026 in Council Chambers. Council members present were Brad Johnson, Brian Hollenkamp, Roland Ahrendt and Chris Browen. No council members were absent. Also in attendance were Dan Berscheid, Mike Berscheit, Beth Ramacher and guests: Jeremy Freudenrich and Lance Chase.
A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to approve the amended agenda. A second was made by Roland Ahrendt and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
A motion was made by Brad Johnson to approve the minutes of the December 9, 2025 Truth in Taxation meeting. A second was made by Brian Hollenkamp and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
A motion was made by Roland Ahrendt to approve the minutes of the December 9, 2025 meeting. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
Discussion was held on the current Shed Ordinance and the property at 327 State Street West. Drawings were presented of the garage condos. The council would like to hold a work session on Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 6:30 pm in Council Chambers to discuss a development agreement.
Jeremy Freudenrich was present to discuss the initial water and wastewater report from H2O Smartec.
A motion was made by Brian Hollemkamp to approve the following fire department officers for a three-year term, beginning January 13, 2026. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried. The officers will be as follows: Chief – Dan Berscheid, Assistant Chief – Lance Chase, 1st Lieutenant – Zach Bruder, 2nd Lieutenant – Glendon Becker, Liaison – Brenda McDermond, Training – Tim Huston, Medical – Joanne Cymbaluk and Secretary – Nick Berscheit.
The Grey Eagle Fire Relief Association requested a change to the current bylaws which would increase the yearly benefits by $100. A motion was made by Brad Johnson to increase the pension by $100, to $1700 per year served. A second was made by Roland Ahrendt and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
Dan Berscheid was present to ask the council for approval to have the State of MN evaluate the current pension plan for the Grey Eagle Relief Association; the Relief Association passed this on January 8th and they need council approval. A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to approve the State of Minnesota to evaluate the current pension plan. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
The DNR has a single cab 2015 GMC which the fire department will go look; they could trade in the 2006 Chevy that is not being used.
New cutting tools have been ordered and the fire department will start ordering new turnout gear.
A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to approve the Rescue Rig and Certified First Responders to be on site at Trace Lake for the Race on Trace on February 21, 2026. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
Discussion was held on the possibility of putting an ordinance in place prohibiting more storage/shipping containers in city limits. The Council would like to have the attorney draft an ordinance.
The council was given water and wastewater reports from August – December 2025 from PeopleService.
The following fourth quarter 2025 reports were reviewed: Todd County Sheriff and Utility Transaction History. A motion was made by Brad Johnson to approve the 4th Quarter Utility Transaction History Report. A second was made by Roland Ahrendt and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
The council was given an informational letter from Minnesota Rural Water and asked for stories or examples of how they have helped the City. They rely on these for funding to continue to provide their expertise and services.
A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to approve the City does not waive the statutory tort limits for liability coverage. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to approve the 2025 Audit Engagement letter from Brian D. Koehn, CPA, PLLC. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
A motion was made by Brad Johnson to approve the 2026 Legal Services Contract with Quinlivan & Hughes, PA. A second was made by Roland Ahrendt and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to approve the quote from Team Lab to spray the rip-rap at the sewer ponds for the 2026 season. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to approve the 2026 quote from Johnson Jet-Line for jetting the sewer lines for a five-year term. A second was made by Roland Ahrendt and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
A motion was made by Brad Johnson to accept the quote from KLM Engineering and to apply for $8000 for Third Party Services from Sourcewell for the exterior cleaning and inspection of the water tower. A second was made by Roland Ahrendt and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
A motion was made by Brad Johnson to move the regular scheduled council meeting on August 11, 2026 to Wednesday, August 12, 2026 (due to Elections). A second was made by Brian Hollenkamp and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
A motion was made by Brad Johnson to approve Resolution 2026-01: Adopting 2026 Appointments & Designations. A second was made by Roland Ahrendt and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried. The resolution is as follows:
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-01: RESOLUTION ADOPTING 2026 APPOINTMENTS & DESIGNATIONS
WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council Members can only act collectively as one unit. Streets, Parks, Utilities, City Hall, Health & Welfare, Building Permits, Library and Community Builders will be the responsibility of the entire Council. The other official designations are as follows:
Acting Mayor: Brad Johnson
Revolving Loan Fund Committee: Joe Arnzen and Brian Hollenkamp
Official Auditor: Brian Koehn, CPA
Official City Attorney – Civil: Quinlivan & Hughes, Joe Krueger
Official City Attorney – Criminal: Todd County Attorney
Official Depositories: Magnifi Financial (Grey Eagle Office)
Official Newspaper: Long Prairie Leader
Adopted by the Grey Eagle City Council this 13th day of January 2026.
A motion was made by Brad Johnson to approve Resolution 2026-02: Adopting Policy to Allow Payments Before Council Authorization. A second was made by Chris Browen and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried. The resolution is as follows:
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-02: RESOLUTION ADOPTING POLICY TO ALLOW PAYMENTS BEFORE COUNCIL AUTHORIZATION
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Grey Eagle is required to review expenditures before payments are made, and
WHEREAS, business and contractor billing cycles are not always in step with the City payment schedule, and
WHEREAS, some businesses and contractors demand payment upon job completion, and
WHEREAS, some businesses and contractors include finance charges for bills not paid within 10, 15, 20 or 30 days, and
WHEREAS, it is in the City’s best interest to pay just debts in a timely manner.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Grey Eagle authorizes the City Clerk/Treasurer to make payment of regular payroll expenditures, regular cyclical payments such as, but not exclusively, and sales & use tax, payments to Minnesota Power without prior approval by the City Council.
Adopted by the Grey Eagle City Council this 13th day of January 2026.
A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to approve Resolution 2026-03: Resolution Allowing Wire/Automated Bank Payments. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried. The resolution is as follows:
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-03: RESOLUTION ALLOWING WIRE/AUTOMATED BANK PAYMENTS
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Grey Eagle, County of Todd, State of Minnesota, acknowledges the need for wire and automated bank payments for such things as: payroll withholdings, sales tax, Rural Development Bond payments and other required payments.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council shall allow the Clerk/Treasurer to make such payments by wire/automation instead of paper checks. These payments will be approved at the appropriate council meeting.
Adopted by the Grey Eagle City Council this 13th day of January 2026.
A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to approve Resolution 2026-04: Resolution Accepting $5000 Donation for Grey Eagle Fire Relief Association. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried. The resolution is as follows:
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-04: A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING $5,000 DONATION FROM GREY EAGLE FIRE RELIEF ASSOCIATION FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT EQUIPMENT
WHEREAS, money has been donated by the Grey Eagle Fire Relief Association; and
WHEREAS, the City Council feels that the donation will benefit citizens of the area;
1. That the City Council of the City of Grey Eagle formally accepts the donation from the Grey Eagle Fire Relief Association for Fire Department Equipment.
2. That the City Clerk is authorized and directed to make the appropriate revenue and expenditure budget adjustments as needed to reflect this donation and its intended use.
Adopted by the Grey Eagle City Council this 13th day of January 2026.
A motion was made by Brad Johnson to approve Resolution 2026-05: Resolution Accepting $2000 from Sourcewell for Boost (City) Funds. A second was made by Brian Hollenkamp and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried. The resolution is as follows:
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-05: A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING $2000.00 FROM SOURCEWELL FOR BOOST (CITY) FUNDS REIMBURSEMENT FY 2025-2026
WHEREAS, money has been received from Sourcewell; and
WHEREAS, the City Council feels that the donation will benefit citizens of the area;
1. That the City Council of the City of Grey Eagle formally accepts the funds from Sourcewell for Boost Funds (City) for the fiscal year 2025-2026.
2. That the City Clerk is authorized and directed to make the appropriate revenue and expenditure budget adjustments as needed to reflect this funding and its intended use.
Adopted by the Grey Eagle City Council this 13th day of January 2026.
A motion was made by Roland Ahrendt to approve Resolution 2026-06: Resolution Accepting $7000 from Sourcewell for Third Party Services. A second was made by Brian Hollenkamp and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried. The resolution is as follows:
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-06: A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING $7000.00 FROM SOURCEWELL FOR THIRD PARTY SERVICES REIMBURSEMENT FY 2025-2026
WHEREAS, money has been received from Sourcewell; and
WHEREAS, the City Council feels that the donation will benefit citizens of the area;
1. That the City Council of the City of Grey Eagle formally accepts the funds from Sourcewell for Third Party Services Reimbursement for the fiscal year 2025-2026.
2. That the City Clerk is authorized and directed to make the appropriate revenue and expenditure budget adjustments as needed to reflect this funding and its intended use.
Adopted by the Grey Eagle City Council this 13th day of January 2026.
A motion was made by Chris Browen to approve Resolution 2026-07: Resolution Governing Write-In Vote Counting. A second was made by Brian Hollenkamp and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried. The resolution is as follows:
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-07: A RESOLUTION GOVERNING WRITE-IN VOTE COUNTING
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statute § 204B.09, subd. 3 authorizes a city to adopt a resolution governing the counting of write-in votes;
WHEREAS, a city that adopts a resolution must do so before the first day of filing for office;
WHEREAS, city election officials spend considerable time and resources to count and individually record write-in votes cast, many of which are frivolous; and
WHEREAS, in order to save city time and resources, it is in the best interest of the City of Grey Eagle, to enforce restrictions on the counting of write-in votes consistent with the provisions of Minnesota Statute § 204B.09, subd. 3.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GREY EAGLE, MINNESOTA THAT:
Any candidate wishing to have their write-in votes individually recorded must file a written request with the City Clerk no later than the seventh day before any municipal election.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that pursuant to Minnesota Statute § 204B.09, subd. 3, this resolution shall remain in effect until a subsequent resolution on the same subject is adopted by the City of Grey Eagle.
Adopted by the Grey Eagle City Council this 13th day of January 2026.
A motion was made by Brad Johnson to approve the Gambling Permit for Patriot Assistance Dogs to sell raffle tickets at the Car Show on September 6, 2026. A second was made by Roland Ahrendt and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
An update was given on the 2030 Local Partnership Program with MNDOT. There is nothing the City needs to do at this time.
The Council reviewed an email from Melrose Implement about the trade-in value of the current mower if they were to move ahead with purchasing the Woods RD990X. They have decided to table this until the February meeting.
An update was given to the Council on all road and alley vacations that have been done in the past for Callahan’s Addition.
A motion was made by Brad Johnson to approve payment of Claims #3658-3679, totaling $65,182.85 and include additional payments of the following: DK’s Tree & Landscaping $7000.00, MN Power $2218.15, Rainbow Midwest $25,000.00, Todd County Auditor $1980.00, Nelson Sanitation $60.00 and Gopher One State $2.70. A second was made by Chris Browen and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to adjourn the meeting at 8:13 pm. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
The next regular meeting of the Grey Eagle City Council will be held at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 in Council Chambers.
Beth Ramacher, Clerk/Treasurer
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