Summary of Fergus Falls City Council Meeting – August 18, 2025
- Ryan Tungseth
- Aug 22
- 3 min read
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 (Andrew Bremseth, Bill Sonmor, Klara Beck, Rolf Nycklemoe), guest (Dwayne Smith), public speaker (Robin Foss).
Key Items
Invocation and Pledge (0:06–0:50)
Action: Dwayne Smith (Abundant Life) led invocation, praying for wisdom and community prosperity; Pledge of Allegiance followed.
Significance: Sets a collaborative tone for the meeting.
Open Forum (1:16–3:24)
Action: Robin Foss questioned ethics of council member Leighton collecting checks for fire department fund drive, citing Minnesota League of Cities guidelines requiring direct city processing.
Discussion (2 min):
Foss noted $7,750 raised; questioned selective outreach to high-profile individuals (1:23–3:17).
Significance: Raises concerns about fundraising transparency and ethics.
Agenda Approval (3:30–4:10)
Action: Approved agenda, moving community arena rates from consent agenda to ordinances for discussion.
Discussion (1 min):
Leighton requested arena rates discussion; Job and Kremeier supported (3:49–4:04).
Outcome: Approved unanimously (3:43–4:10).
Significance: Ensures focused discussion on arena rates.
Public Hearing: Stella’s FF LLC Liquor License Revocation (4:16–6:31)
Action: Revoked liquor license for Stella’s FF LLC due to tax delinquency.
Discussion (2 min):
Bremseth explained state’s request to revoke due to unpaid taxes since February. City revocation allows reinstatement upon compliance, unlike state’s 5-year ban (4:30–5:47).
No public comments during hearing (5:53–6:01).
Outcome: Resolution approved unanimously (6:08–6:31).
Significance: Protects business’s ability to reinstate license, complies with state request.
Consent Agenda (6:31–7:17)
Action: Approved minutes (August 4 city council, August 13 Committee of the Whole), licenses, and easement relinquishment for Lashwab development.
Outcome: Approved unanimously via resolution (7:01–7:17).
Significance: Advances routine operations and development.
Community Arena Rates for 2026 (7:24–13:37)
Action: Approved revised rates: $230/hour (ISD 544), $188/hour (hockey association), $177/hour (skating club), increasing capital fund by $10,000.
Discussion (6 min):
Leighton proposed higher rates than Sonmor’s recommendation ($225, $185, $177) to boost capital fund from $40,000 to $50,000 for maintenance (7:32–9:52).
Sonmor noted user groups set rates based on lower proposed rates; no objections received (10:13–11:54).
Kilde questioned impact; Leighton estimated $2,500 (school), $4,200 (hockey), $1,600 (skating club), $1,800 (city) of $10,000 increase (12:12–13:16).
Outcome: Resolution approved unanimously (9:57–10:03).
Significance: Enhances arena’s financial sustainability while maintaining affordability.
Cannabis Ordinance First Reading (1:02:30–1:12:49)
Action: Conducted first reading of ordinances amending Chapter 121 (buffer zones to 1,000 ft schools, 500 ft daycares/treatment facilities/child-focused parks; two registrations) and Chapter 154 (removing zoning redundancies).
Discussion (10 min):
Nycklemoe confirmed two-registration requirement per Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and League of Minnesota Cities’ interpretation of statute 342.13H, despite “one per 12,500” language (1:06:25–1:09:44).
Mortenson challenged OCM’s interpretation, citing unchanged statute and other cities issuing one license (1:10:14–1:12:22).
Kilde questioned legal risks for VTDO; Nycklemoe saw no liability for changing process (1:12:29–1:12:44).
Outcome: First reading completed; second reading set for September 2.
Significance: Advances ordinance alignment with state interpretation, addresses licensing disputes.
Cannabis Registration Process (1:12:49–1:22:54)
Action: Approved application period open until September 18, review at October 1 Committee of the Whole, decision on October 6, using scoring matrix.
Discussion (10 min):
Beck proposed reverting to scoring matrix over first-come, first-serve, allowing applicants to revise submissions by September 18 (1:12:49–1:15:11).
Kilde and Fish supported flexibility for applicants; Mortenson reiterated concerns about OCM’s two-license mandate (1:15:31–1:22:16).
Resolution passed 6-2 (Leighton, Mortenson opposed) (1:16:55–1:17:07).
Significance: Ensures fair, merit-based licensing process.
Claims Approval (1:12:57–1:14:19)
Action: Approved claims totaling $889,337.62.
Discussion (1 min):
Sonmor explained two reports due to new system limitations (pre-councils, wire payments) (1:13:32–1:13:56).
Kvamme abstained due to personal commission (1:14:02).
Outcome: Approved 6-1-1 (Mortenson no, Kvamme abstain) (1:14:08–1:14:19).
Significance: Supports city operations.
Announcements (1:22:59–1:23:42)
August 26: Town hall (5:00 PM, quorum may attend).
August 27: Committee of the Whole (7:00 AM).
September 1: Holiday closure (Labor Day).
September 2: City council meeting (5:30 PM).
Significance: Informs public of events and closures.
Next Steps
Fire Department Fundraising: Investigate ethics of council member collections per League guidelines.
Stella’s License: Monitor compliance for reinstatement.
Arena Rates: Implement revised rates for 2026 season.
Cannabis Ordinance: Conduct second reading on September 2; clarify grandfathering for existing applicants.
Cannabis Registration: Accept applications until September 18, review on October 1, decide on October 6.
HRA Levy: Discuss at August 27 Committee of the Whole.
B6 Zoning: Explore expansion for future discussion.
Disclaimer: This summary was generated by an AI system without added opinions. No claims of accuracy are made, though timestamps are included for reference. For the full context, please view the meeting video on YouTube: [YouTube Video Link Here]. This content is provided by Growth Forge Studio (formerly 4t Creative), dedicated to helping businesses grow.
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