Time: 5:30 PM Attendees: Mayor Anthony Hicks, council members (Al Kremeier, Mike Mortenson, Scott Rachels, Laurel Kilde, Jim Fish, Laura Job, Scott Kvamme, Mark Leighton), city staff (Klara Beck, Kyle Meyer), guests (Pastor Kate Bruns, Wayne Cookman, Natasha Evans, Jen Thonus). This concise summary is generated by AI, it is used only for reference purposes. Use the timestamps to view the section of the meeting on YouTube to verify actual meeting information. Key Items Open Fo

Time: 5:30 p.m. Attendees: Mayor Anthony Hicks, council members (Mark Leighton, Al Kremeier, Mike Mortenson, Scott Rachels, Laurel Kilde, Jim Fish, Scott Kvamme, Laura Job), city staff (Andrew Bremseth, Klara Beck, Bill Sonmor, Rolf Nicklemoe, Greta Nelson), guests (Lisa Workman, Lori Mullen, Trevor Oliver, Islam Al Nai, Justin Kaune). "This concise summary is generated by AI, it is used only for reference purposes. Use the timestamps to view the section of the meeting on You

Summary of Fergus Falls Committee of the Whole Meeting – December 10, 2025 Time: 7:00 AM Attendees: Mayor Anthony Hicks, council members (Mark Leighton, Al Kremeier, Mike Mortenson, Scott Rachels, Laurel Kilde, Jim Fish, Scott Kvamme), city staff (Andrew Bremseth, Klara Beck, Bill Sonmor), guests (Terry Hess, Tarm Carlson, Trudy Denmore, Steve). "This concise summary is generated by AI, it is used only for reference purposes. Use the timestamps to view the section of the mee

A practical guide to setting a Main Street ad budget using simple CAC/LTV math. Picture this. You run a local coffee shop. You're finally testing Meta Ads—just $500 to see what happens. The results come in: 20 new customers. Not bad. But now you’re staring at dozens of online “experts” telling you to scale to $5,000 next month or you’re “leaving money on the table.” Meanwhile, Coca-Cola quietly drops four billion dollars  a year on advertising without blinking. Here’s the rea

Time:  5:30 PM – ~9:20 PM, City Council Chambers Attendees:  Mayor Anthony Hicks, council members (Mark Leighton, Al Kremeier, Mike Mortenson, Scott Rachels, Laurel Kilde, Jim Fish, Scott Kvamme, Laura Job), city staff (Andrew Bremseth, Bill Sonmor, Klara Beck, Len Taylor, Guy Kollman, Kyle Meyer, Chief Justin Kaune, Ralph Sommerfeld), guests (Bill S. invocation, Lisa Workman, ~30 residents, QuickTrip rep Dean George). Key Items Invocation & Pledge of Allegiance  (0:00–0:54)

How TIF actually works, how to get it approved, and why it’s often the difference between a stalled deal and a closed one. If you’re a developer who’s ever stared at a beat-up warehouse, a half-vacant strip mall, or a tired downtown block and thought, “This could be incredible… if only the gap financing didn’t murder me,” then congratulations — you’ve already met TIF in your dreams. Tax Increment Financing isn’t sexy on paper, but it’s one of the most powerful (and most misun

How Clear Goals and Strategies Save You Time and Money If your marketing sometimes feels like throwing spaghetti at the wall, you are not alone. Every week I talk with business owners who say things like: “I am posting on Facebook. I am boosting a few things. I am trying different ideas, but I am not sure any of it is actually working.” You are not doing anything wrong. Most owners simply skip the two steps that matter most: Setting a specific goal Choosing the right strategy

Time:  5:30 PM, City Hall Attendees:  Mayor Anthony Hicks, council members (Mark Leighton, Al Kremeier, Mike Mortenson, Scott Rachels, Laurel Kilde, Jim Fish, Scott Kvamme, Laura Job), city staff (Bill Sonmor, Klara Beck). Key Items Invocation and Pledge (0:08–1:44) Action:  David Boss (Bethel Church) led invocation; Pledge of Allegiance followed. Significance:  Sets tone. Open Forum (2:02–2:20) Action:  No speakers. Agenda Approval (2:20–3:02) Action:  Removed item 7 (closed

Turning chaos into clarity with one simple workflow The Problem: Too Many Projects, Not Enough Brain Space I used to think I was organized.Then I’d hit that moment every business owner knows—the client call asking, “Hey, what’s the status of Project X?” And my mind would go blank. Who’s on it?When’s it due?Why isn’t it showing up in our system? We had meeting notes in notebooks, to-dos in Notion, random updates in Slack threads. Everyone meant well, but things still got lost.

Time: 8:30 AM, City Hall Attendees: Mayor Anthony Hicks, council members (Mark Leighton, Al Kremeier, Mike Mortenson, Scott Rachels, Laurel Kilde, Jim Fish, Scott Kvamme, Laura Job), city staff (Bill Sonmor, Kyle Meyer, Klara Beck, Len Taylor, Guy Kollman), guests (Nancy South, Lynn Walters). Key Items PI 9774 – Otter Tail Valley Rail Crossing Change Order (0:45–4:24) Action: Recommended approving Change Order #1 (+$8,226.71) and extending substantial/final completion to spr

If you want your content to actually do something—bring in leads, build trust, or get people talking—you need all three forms of content working together: Proof, Value, and Story. Most businesses rely too heavily on just one. They post proof (before-and-after photos, results, testimonials) or they give value (tips, advice, discounts), but they skip the part that makes people care: the story. Each of these forms has a role. When you combine them, you get a content mix that bui

Time:  5:30 PM, City Hall Attendees:  Mayor Anthony Hicks, council members (Mark Leighton, Al Kremeier, Mike Mortenson, Scott Rachels, Laurel Kilde, Jim Fish, Scott Kvamme, Laura Job), city staff (Bill Sonmor, Klara Beck). Key Items Invocation and Pledge (0:08–1:44) Action:  Dale Hexom (Good Shepherd Church) led invocation for wisdom/compassion; Pledge of Allegiance followed. Significance:  Sets collaborative tone. Open Forum (2:02–5:44) Action:  Public comments on dairy trai

Stop Guessing. Start Tracking. Make Every Ad Dollar Count. Why This Matters Most small business owners don’t actually have a marketing problem — they have a measurement problem. They boost a post, run a few Google ads, maybe even try Meta… and then stop because “it didn’t work.” But what does “didn’t work”  really mean? Too expensive? Too few clicks? No calls? If you don’t know your numbers, you can’t improve your numbers. This post breaks down how to track, benchmark, and ma

Time: 8:30 AM, City Hall Attendees: Mayor Anthony Hicks, council members (Mark Leighton, Al Kremeier, Mike Mortenson, Scott Rachels, Laurel Kilde, Jim Fish, Scott Kvamme, Laura Job), city staff (Bill Sonmor, Len Taylor, Guy Kollman), guests (Kent Matson, Nick Kunde). Key Items Lake Region Healthcare Update (0:37–31:33) Action: Informational update; no formal vote. Discussion (31 min): Matson thanked city for growth/safety aiding recruitment; outlined nonprofit status, local

Time:  5:30 PM, City Hall Attendees:  Mayor Anthony Hicks, council members (Mark Leighton, Al Kremeier, Mike Mortenson, Scott Rachels, Laurel Kilde, Jim Fish, Scott Kvamme, Laura Job), city staff (Bill Sonmor, Kyle Meyer, Klara Beck), guest (Aaron Christensen). This concise summary is tailored for a busy professional, highlighting key outcomes and significant discussions with timestamps, focusing on city business priorities. Name spellings are corrected per your guidance. Key

Time:  7:00 AM, City Hall Attendees:  Mayor Anthony Hicks, council members (Mark Leighton, Al Kremeier, Mike Mortenson, Scott Rachels, Laurel Kilde, Jim Fish, Scott Kvamme, Laura Job), city staff (Andrew Bremseth, Bill Sonmor, Klara Beck, Kyle Meyer), guests (Senator Jordan Rasmussen, Brienne Kennedy, Nate Door). Key Items Agenda Shuffle (0:26–0:47) Action:  Moved dairy property to first item for Senator Rasmussen's video appearance; added Visit Fergus Falls contract terminat

Time:  5:30 PM, City Hall Attendees:  Mayor Anthony Hicks, council members (Mark Leighton, Al Kremeier, Mike Mortenson, Scott Rachels, Laurel Kilde, Jim Fish, Scott Kvamme, Laura Job), city staff (Bill Sonmor, Kyle Meyer, Klara Beck, Rolf Nycklemoe), guests (Rich Iverson, Kim Ebertson, Lisa Workman). Key Items Invocation and Pledge (0:06–2:14) Action:  Rich Iverson (Bethel Church) led invocation, praying for wisdom, unity, and gratitude for city services; Pledge of Allegiance

Time:  7:00 AM, City Hall ttendees:  Mayor Anthony Hicks, council members (Mark Leighton, Al Kremeier, Mike Mortenson, Scott Rachels, Laurel Kilde, Jim Fish, Scott Kvamme, Laura Job), city staff (Bill Sonmor, Kyle Meyer, Klara Beck, Len Taylor), guest (Lee Smaltz). Key Items Downtown Mural Grant Request (0:19–4:54) Action:  Recommended authorizing Public Arts Commission to apply for Lake Region Arts Council Legacy grant ($9,600–$12,500) for "Welcome to Fergus Falls" mural on

Time:  5:30 PM, City Hall Attendees:  Mayor Anthony Hicks, council members (Mark Leighton, Al Kremeier, Mike Mortenson, Scott Rachels,...

Time:  7:00 AM, City Hall Attendees:  Mayor Anthony Hicks, council members (Mark Leighton, Al Kremeier, Mike Mortenson, Scott Rachels,...