The Crookston City Council met Monday, May 5. at the City Hall Council Chambers.
Mayor Stainbrook made a proclamation declaring May 2025 Mental Health Awareness Month. Cindy Strom, RN, and Program Director at Riverview Health, Senior Life Solutions, attended tonight to hear the proclamation and receive a signed copy. “I came down for the Mayor to sign our proclamation to make May Crookston Mental Health Awareness Month,” says Strom. “Mental health covers a wide gamut of people. It can be adolescents, middle-aged, or older people. I am currently working with the geriatric population, 65 and older, but I really just want to raise awareness of mental health and stamp out the stigma.”
Approved within the Consent Agenda for Monday were the City Council Minutes from April 21, 2025, and the City of Crookston Bills and Disbursements of $218,987.44. The consent agenda also approved the license renewals for 2025 Cement Masons Craig Plante Construction and JD Concrete LLC, accepted a donation for the Crookston Sports Center in the amount of $15,354.46 for the Crookston Parks and Recreation Sports Center for the flooring for the walking path from Crookston Area Community Fund, a donation from Bruce Erdmann in the amount of $20 for Kids First Program in Memory of Issac Perala, and a donation from Fin and Fit in the amount of $10,000 for the Crookston Community Pool. The last two items on the consent agenda were a resolution calling for a public hearing on “Regulations of Cannabis Businesses” in the City of Crookston and a resolution declaring the Crookston Watch as the official paper for the City of Crookston.
NON-COMMERCIAL HANGAR LOT LEASE
The council approved the non-commercial hangar lot lease template for Crookston Municipal Airport. The updated template will allow a private entity to build a hangar at the Crookston Airport. “We have a private entity that is looking at building a hangar there, they will own the hangar and we are going to give them a 20-year lease,” says City Administrator Jeff Shoobridge. “What the council approved is just a template for the future, so if we have other entities that also want to build a private hangar, we already have a process and a template in place.” The private owner will build the building, they will have a 20-year lease, and at the end of the 20 years, they will have the option to renew, transition the hanger to the city, or demolish the building if it is not in good repair, which will be at the city’s discretion. The council unanimously approved the lease template.
COUNCIL VACANCY APPROVED
The council approved a resolution declaring a vacancy for the City Council Member Tim Menard, who had held one of the two at-large positions but recently resigned for health reasons. “We have a vacancy on the city council for those who are not aware. It is an at-large seat, so that means anyone who is a registered voter in the city is eligible to put in for that,” says Shoobridge. “It is open from now until noon on the 15th of May, that’s a Thursday, about a week and a half away.”
The council is anticipated to hold interviews of the applicants for the position at the meeting on May 19. “We will fill that spot that evening, and then at the following meeting, we’ll be able to swear them in and move forward with the full council again.” The council unanimously approved declaring the vacancy.
PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENTS PAID TO POLK COUNTY
The council approved a resolution regarding paying property taxes and assessments to Polk County on City-owned properties. In preparing last year’s budget, many line items in previous budgets were not filled in. When the city received this year’s tax statement, it identified several properties that were not properly budgeted for. “We just wanted to clear it up. While we have enough in the budget to cover this payment, for the first installment, the second half, we don’t have enough budgeted to cover that amount,” says Shoobridge. “We wanted the council’s permission to spend that money outside of the budget. As we move forward with the new budget, it’s a housekeeping item.”
When Shoobridge started last year, and there was a rush to get the budget together, the council knew there would be some holes or areas where the council would have to make some amendments. The total amount owed to Polk County for 2025 is $90,845.40. The city budgeted $52,410 for payments for 2025. The council unanimously approved a payment outside of the 2025 budget of $38,435.40 to cover the difference.
