September 20, 2024, Special Meeting Minutes

Posted: November 1, 2024

City of LeRoy MN – Council Meeting Minutes, September 20, 2024

 

A special meeting of the LeRoy City Council was called to order by Mayor Ed Koppen on Friday, September 20, 2024, at 5:00 PM at the LeRoy Community Center with the following members present:  Mayor Ed Koppen, Council Members Ashley Huntley (arrived at 5:03 PM), Harold Shipman, Brian Thiel, and City Clerk Patty White.  Council Member Gerald Payne was absent.
Also attending: Wendy Vikre, Ryan Royston, Kallie McKenzie, Terry Free, and Josh Lewis.

Koppen read the due call for this special meeting, “The purpose of this special meeting is to discuss a real estate transaction,” and opened the meeting at 5:00 PM.

Real Estate Transaction:

  • Koppen noted the real estate transaction is for the former Mayo Clinic Health Systems building located here in LeRoy. Koppen reported Mayo had approved removing Exhibit B, the deed use restriction, from the purchase agreement following a letter sent by the city pertaining to the ‘medical desert’ that Mayo left LeRoy in when they closed the facility.
  • Wendy Vikre questioned what the council is thinking about for the building. Koppen noted it is the intent of the city council to try to bring a full-service medical clinic and pharmacy to LeRoy.  Preliminary contact has been made with Regional Health Services of Howard County (RHSHC) and Mitchell County Regional Health Center (MCRHC).  Thiel noted many different medical practices could be entertained for this building including a physician, pharmacy, physical therapy, dentist, etc.  The council could be open to any type of healthcare to locate here.  Vikre questioned if any type of lease is in place; she questioned if the building would be leased for the entire building or by the room.  Koppen noted his understanding with his conversation with RHSHC.  Koppen noted that at this point in time, the council is open to any providers to provide healthcare services.  He noted the council has not been able to do much recruitment due to not owning the building yet.  Koppen noted he would push to have long-term staffing included in any lease or other type of proposal.
  • Motion by Shipman to pass Resolution 2024-05, a resolution authorizing this purchase agreement in the amount of $150,000. Second by Thiel.  On a roll call of votes, all council members voted aye.  The motion carried 4-0.
  • Kallie McKenzie reported that H & M Underground has also expressed interest in purchasing the building. She noted that H & M Underground would consider leasing the building back to the city, if they were to purchase it.
  • Vikre also questioned about property taxes and the possible loss of that tax revenue. Thiel noted the possible loss of that property tax revenue could more than be off-set with a full-service medical clinic here in town.

Being no further business to come before this special meeting, the meeting was adjourned on a motion by Shipman, second by Huntley at 5:15 PM.

 

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