The Crookston City Council held a Special Meeting on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall in the Council Chambers.
The agenda for the meeting had just one item: a resolution regarding the authorization to make repairs to the Crookston Community Swimming Pool. Recently, a new heat exchanger was purchased and installed at the pool. While making that repair, it was determined that the boiler control unit and the main circuit board for the boiler needed to be replaced. With the replacement of these items, the pool equipment budget was depleted, and the council needed to transfer funds from the pool building fund to replace the parts. All told, that left around $3,000 in the pool budget between the building and the equipment funds for 2025.
Tuesday night’s resolution was to allow Lundseth Plumbing and Heating to repair the heat exchanger piping. The estimated cost for the repair was $6,430, leaving the pool over budget for 2025. The council was informed that this repair was essential to keep the pool running.
City Administrator Jeff Shoobridge explained to the Council that there was an option available to cover this repair. “We had identified a line item within the budget that we could push back until next year, that we would not need to use and tap that amount to cover this expense without raising the overall pool budget,” says Shoobridge. “We have already expended our equipment maintenance budget; this expense would have then exceeded the equipment and building maintenance budget combined.”
The Special Meeting was called because the pool was over budget, and Council approval was required to proceed. The council heard from multiple residents who spoke in favor of continuing to fund the pool. Some believed that without the pool, residents might be more inclined to swim in the river, while others believed it could be another reason for population decline in Crookston.
Ultimately, it was up to the City Council to decide if the repairs were in the best interest of Crookston at this time. “We believed that we had the votes to get it passed,” says Shoobridge. “Unfortunately, our Charter, while the majority did vote to pass, our Charter, and I do believe I’ve mentioned this before, does require a vote of five, and we only had four votes to expend the funds. So, right now, the staff and I will be regrouping and discussing, trying to find options moving forward.”
There were six Council Members in attendance on Tuesday evening. Dylane Klatt (Ward 6) was not in attendance, and the incoming At-Large Member, Joseph Shostell, will not be sworn in until the June 2 City Council meeting, so he could not participate in the vote. Of the six members in attendance, Council Members Kristie Jerde (Ward-1), Clayton Briggs (Ward-3), Donald Cavalier (Ward-4), and Derek Brekken (Ward-5) voted in favor of pool repairs. Council Member Henry Fischer (Ward-2) voted against, and Council Member Morgan Hibma (At-Large) abstained from voting, stating a need for a plan for the pool moving forward before she could be in favor.
You can watch the meeting by clicking on the video below.
