The Crookston City Council met on Monday night inside the City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting began with a Crookston Visitors Bureau (CVB) presentation. The presentation served as the CVB’s annual report to the City Council, and Cory Dallager gave the report. The report highlighted the main accomplishments from 2021, targeted projects, and partnerships developed. The presentation was informational, and no action was needed from the council.
There was also a presentation from the city, in which they recognized seven individuals for their Years of Service to the City of Crookston. The individuals and their years of service for the City of Crookston can be found down below –
5 Years of Service
- Andrea Prudhomme – Parks & Recreation Department
- Katie Hann- Police Department
15 Years of Service
- Shane Heldstab – Fire Department
- Shane Mendez – Police Department
20 Years of Service
- Kent Ellingson – Fire Department
25 Years of Service
- Tim Froeber – Fire Department
- Dacian Bienek – Police Department
After the presentations, there was a mayoral proclamation on behalf of Highland Elementary School for being recognized as a top Elementary School by U.S. News and World Report. Highland ranked in the top 30% of Elementary Schools in Minnesota. Highland Elementary School Principal Chris Trostad accepted the certificate from Mayor Dale Stainbrook and said it’s an honor to be recognized. “First off, thanks to the city for recognizing our school,” said Trostad. “We have a great staff that goes the extra mile to help all of our students at Highland School. Those kids get the best teachers, and I think we do a great job of giving our students the very best, and I’m proud of that.”
CONSENT AGENDA
The consent agenda included approval of the City Council meeting minutes from November 22 and City of Crookston bills and disbursements in the amount of $140,134.47. The consent agenda also included a resolution authorizing the preparation of the preliminary engineers report for 2022 street improvements. The Council approved all consent agenda items unanimously.
REGULAR AGENDA
The regular agenda began with a resolution to appoint Darin Selzler as the new Crookston Police Department Chief once current Police Chief Paul Biermaier retires. The Council approved the resolution unanimously, and they all spoke highly of Selzler. Selzer says he’s honored to take the place of Biermaier. “I’m very appreciative of this opportunity, and I’ve been blessed to work with Chief Biermaier over the years,” said Selzler. “We’ve been working closely over the years together and even closer with the transition coming up. I’m excited about the chance, and I’m looking forward to serving the City of Crookston.”
Selzler will assume the role of Police Chief on March 1, 2022, after the retirement of Paul Biermaier on February 28. We will have a full story with comments from Police Chief Paul Biermaier highlighting Selzer later this week.
The next resolution authorized a partial payment to the Polk County Highway Department for their work on the Fisher Avenue Project from over the summer. The bill was for a water main extension placed along the roadway and a few other miscellaneous items, not exceeding $175,000. The Council approved the request unanimously.
The following resolution was to approve the City of Crookston to participate in the State of Minnesota Opioid Litigation Settlements. City Attorney Corky Reynolds gave the Council a brief rundown on what the resolution would do if approved. “The resolution was passed to allow Polk County to participate,” said Reynolds. “The manufacturers and attorney generals in various states were able to reach an agreement, giving us this opioid settlement. This money will be parceled out to different communities. Crookston is under 10,000 in population, so we couldn’t participate directly. Still, by passing this resolution, we allow Polk County to participate, and that in return will benefit Crookston as we are a part of Polk County.”
The Council approved the resolution unanimously, and Polk County Public Health will benefit and offer education and resources to help deal with the significant problem.
The meeting ended with a resolution to approve a Small Cities Development Loan for the Eagles Aerie 873 for $11,425. City Administrator Amy Finch explained the resolution further. “They amended their initial application because the work that qualifies for this type of loan can not be started or completed before the application is approved and funded,” said Finch. “Our Finance Director Ryan Lindtwed has worked closely with the Eagles and taken pictures to document the need of the project. They will be working on the front of the building and some of the windows as they require replacement.”
There will be two loans given in the amount of $5,712. One loan can be forgiven if specific guidelines are met, and the other will be paid back to the city as the work is completed. The board approved the resolution unanimously.
The special closed meeting that was scheduled to take place at 5:30 p.m. before the City Council meeting was canceled due to the absence of Council Member Joe Kresl. Because of this, the last two agenda items, to approve City Administrator Amy Finch’s annual salary and a summary of the closed session, were taken off the agenda.
The next City Council meeting will take place on Monday, January 10, inside the City Hall Council Chambers.
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