PELICAN RAPIDS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES August 26, 2025

Call to Order
Mayor Frazier called the regular City Council meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, in Council Chambers, City Hall.

Roll Call of Members

Clerk-Treasurer Danielle Harthun conducted a roll call verifying the presence of Council Members Steve Strand, Shelley Gummeringer, Curt Markgraf, Don Perrin and Mayor Brent E. Frazier.

Staff present: Administrator Lance Roisum, Clerk-Treasurer Danielle Harthun, Police Chief Todd Quaintance
General Attendance: John Waller III, Shad Hanson and Kim Peterson from the Pelican Press.
Welcoming Remarks
Mayor Frazier welcomed everyone present and those joining via Zoom. He noted the meeting would be broadcast on the Pelican Rapids YouTube channel and on channel 14 on Wednesday evening.
Announcements
Mayor Frazier announced upcoming events and meetings.
Citizen's Comments
There were no citizen comments.
Additions / Deletions to Agenda
There were no changes to the agenda.
Strand moved to approve the agenda, Markgraf seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously.
Approval of Consent Agenda
Mayor Frazier read the items on the consent agenda:
 • Approval of Council Minutes – August 12, 2025
 • Approval of Accounts Payable Listings
 • The following staff reports were included: Utility, Police and Liquor
 • Notices of Intent to Certify Taxes
 • 206 SE 3rd Avenue, Parcel No.: 76000990294000, $5,709 Clogged Infrastructure
Markgraf moved to approve the consent agenda. Strand seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
Berry Variance
Chairman of the Planning Commission John Waller III discussed Nathan Berry's variance request to build a shed before constructing a house, against city ordinances. Berry plans to use the 36' x 48' shed for storage as he builds the house. The Planning Commission allowed 24 months for house completion instead of 18, to give Berry ample time. If the house is not built in 2 years, Berry has 30 days to remove the shed before the city does at his expense. Council member Strand noted there were no concerns and no neighbors had objections. It was confirmed Berry would not live in the shed, as he owns another home nearby.
RESOLUTION 2025-20 ADOPTING FINDINGS OF FACT AND REASONS FOR APPROVAL FOR VARIANCE APPLICATION OF NATHAN BERRY FOR PARCEL #76000280083003 made by Markgraf, seconded by Strand. (A complete text of this resolution is part of permanent public record in the City Clerk’s office.) Motion passed and resolution declared duly adopted.
Markgraf moved to accept the agreement between Nathan Berry and the City of Pelican Rapids. Gummeringer seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously.
2026 Fire Department Budget
Fire Chief Shad Hanson and Clerk-Treasurer Danielle Harthun presented the 2026 Fire Department budget. Harthun highlighted refinements in expense coding, reduced communication costs from a shared phone system, stable insurance costs, lowered public utilities, and a slight increase in repair and maintenance. A change was a new lease for Rescue 1 next year but it will be offset by the sale of the old Rescue 1. Harthun explained how the city fronts fire department expenses and then bills townships based on fire call history, property, and land values in September and February.
Perrin moved to approve the 2026 Fire Department budget. Gummeringer seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously.
Bill Discussion
Clerk-Treasurer Danielle Harthun explained that she regularly encounters issues with certain bills that arrive after council packets are sent out, resulting in late charges and finance fees before the next council meeting. She requested permission to pay these recurring bills before the next council meeting to avoid such charges, while still listing them on the bill listing for council review. Council members discussed whether automatic ACH payments might be a better solution for some of these utilities. Council member Perrin suggested that automatic payments could help with regular bills, while Council member Strand expressed concerns about the security of ACH payments, noting that companies would have access to the city's banking information. Harthun indicated she would investigate which accounts could be set up for automatic payment.
Perrin moved to approve Danielle Harthun's request to pay certain bills in the interim before council meetings to avoid late fees, with those payments to be listed on the bill listing, and for her to research ACH payment options. Gummeringer seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously.
Rental Housing Ordinance
Lance Roisum explained that the Ordinance Committee had been reviewing the rental ordinance. He presented a revised checklist of items that the inspector will examine during rental property inspections.
Roisum noted that many nuisance properties the chief has been addressing are rental houses, and the updated checklist will help address these issues during inspections. He explained that few changes were made to the actual ordinance beyond grammatical corrections and changing references from "city clerk" to "city administration." Danielle Harthun added that the main change relates to the timing of inspections. The current rental housing year follows the calendar year, making it difficult to inspect outdoor areas due to snow cover. The committee proposed changing the rental housing year to run from August 1st to July 31st, allowing most inspections to be conducted during summer months when yards and building exteriors are visible. Todd Quaintance noted that conversations with the inspector revealed that some items on the checklist couldn't be properly inspected in winter. He emphasized that the changes aim to address quality of life and safety issues by ensuring better management of rental properties. The transition plan would maintain the current schedule through the end of this year, then start the new cycle in April, giving plenty of time for inspections and paperwork to be submitted, with current licenses valid from January 1 until July 31.
Perrin moved to approve the rental housing ordinance as presented. Markgraf seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously.
City Attorney RFP
Lance Roisum suggested issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for attorney services due to conflicts with the local city attorney representing other clients. He noted the last RFP was in 2021 and sought council input on new RFPs for both city attorney and prosecuting attorney roles. Mayor Frazier agreed, citing no harm in seeking bids. Todd Quaintance proposed including billing process details in the RFP.
Markgraf moved to approve putting out RFPs for both city attorney and prosecuting attorney services. Gummeringer seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously.
Administrator Report
Administrator Roisum reported that since the last City Council meeting, he attended several meetings, including a Department Head meeting, an Ordinance Committee meeting, and the weekly 59/108 Construction and Public meetings. He also met with the Budget Committee to review both the Fire Department Budget and the preliminary draft of the 2026 General Budget. Alongside City Engineer Bob Schlieman and Brian, he met with MnDOT officials to discuss the Limited Use Permit for the Highway 59S Recreational Trail. Additionally, Roisum, Bob, and Danielle met with Peter Bradshaw of the Public Facilities Authority to discuss funding for the Highway 59/108 project. He attended a webinar on Minnesota's new Paid Leave Law set to come into effect on January 1st and participated in the Pinewood Estates open house. Roisum was present for a Planning Commission meeting, met with the Mayor, PeopleService, and Jennie-O to discuss the SIU Agreement, and worked on revising the SIU Agreement and changes to Chapter 4 of the City Ordinance. Finally, he attended the second negotiation meeting with LELS.
Mayor's Report
Mayor Frazier reported that since the last City Council meeting, he submitted weekly columns to the Pelican Rapids Press, visited with area businesses and non-profits, authored a letter of support on August 12 for The Youths addressed to the ‘Youth Agency in Action,’ attended the August 13 Ordinance Committee meeting at City Hall, attended the August 14 Fire Department Budget Meeting at City Hall with the Budget Committee, attended the  59/108 Construction on August 14 at City Hall, facilitated the  59/108 Construction Public Meeting of August 14 at the Library, attended the Otter Tail County Emergency Management Summit Staff Meeting at City Hall with Police Chief Quaintance on August 15, met on August 18 with Pelican Valley Senior Living Administrator Tyler Alf regarding their construction project, produced the  59/108 Construction Project videos with EDA Director Grossman on August 19 and 26, attended the August 19 Otter Tail County Housing Conveying Meeting at City Hall with Administrator Roisum, attended the Pinewood Estates Neighborhood Party & Ice Cream Social on August 19, attended the General Budget Meeting on August 20 with the Budget Committee, met on August 25 with Administrator Roisum to plan the agenda for this evening’s Council meeting, met on August 26 with Administrator Roisum, PeopleService personnel and Robert Gray of Jennie-O Turkey Store regarding their Significant Industrial User (SIU) Agreement with the City and met on August 26 with Councilman Markgraf, Administrator Roisum and Police labor representatives regarding the Pelican Rapids Police Department Labor Contract.
Adjourn
Strand moved to adjourn the meeting at 6:35 p.m. Markgraf seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

Danielle Harthun, 
Clerk-Treasurer
10-23