September 8, 2025, Meeting Minutes

Posted: November 3, 2025

City of LeRoy MN – Council Meeting Minutes, September 8, 2025

 

A regular meeting of the LeRoy City Council was called to order by Mayor Ed Koppen on Monday, September 8, 2025, at 6:30 PM at the LeRoy Community Center with the following members present:  Mayor Ed Koppen, Council Members Harold Shipman, Ashley Huntley, Chastidy Sweeney, Paul Apenhorst, Public Works Employee Cole Wilcox, and City Clerk Patty White.
Also attending: Devin Wallace, Alice Kempe, Pat Newman, Gerald Payne, Cassidy Milks, Terry Free, Axel Gumbel, Julie Byrd, and Brian Thiel.  All stood and recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Consent Agenda:

  • Motion by Huntley, second by Apenhorst to approve the items included in the consent agenda. Motion carried 5-0.

Police Report:

  • Sergeant Katlynne Fisher reported 60 total calls for service over the past 35 days. Of these calls, 13 were medical calls and four were traffic stops.  Council thanked Sergeant Fisher for her report and for her service.

Public Input Time:

  • Gerald Payne questioned about semis parking on residential streets. There is nothing in the ordinances that addresses this topic.  Payne offered to talk to this semi driver to see if he could park his rig in another spot.  Mr. Payne also questioned about the LED marquee sign.  Wilcox noted he will continue working on it when he has time.  Mr. Payne also questioned about nuisance properties.  Apenhorst reported he made contact with the city clerks in Ostrander and Wykoff.  Apenhorst will present the rest of this information under that agenda item.

Standing Committee Reports:

  • Shipman reported Prairie Visions had met. They discussed the 2025 bike ride.  Shipman and Apenhorst reviewed the email received today about the trail resurfacing.  This project continues to move forward; the engineering work has been completed for the resurfacing.  It is hoped to do the entire ten miles as one large segment instead of three smaller segments.

LeRoy Medical Clinic Property-Pumps for Lift Station:

  • Wilcox reported there are two pumps in the lift station that is located in the basement of the clinic building. One pump had tripped the breaker; the other pump is in poor repair.  Wilcox had Pickar-Oulman work on the pumps.  These pumps are no longer made.  Wilcox questioned if one or two new pumps should be purchased.  One pump through Pickar-Oulman would cost $5,625; two pumps would cost $10,495.  Wilcox’s opinion would be to replace both pumps.  He also suggested keeping the one good pump for a backup if two new pumps were purchased.  Motion by Apenhorst, second by Shipman to approve the purchase of two pumps.  Motion carried 5-0.
  • Koppen reported he had attended the introduction of five new doctors for behavioral health for Regional Health Services of Howard County. He reported RHSHC plans to open the LeRoy Clinic in a couple of weeks.

Public Works Maintenance Worker:

  • No new applications have been received for this position.

2026 Preliminary Budget & Proposed Levy:

  • Council reviewed the preliminary budget and proposed levy for 2026. Koppen reminded council the preliminary levy can be lowered prior to final adoption in December, but the preliminary levy cannot be increased.  Motion by Huntley, second by Sweeney to pass Resolution 2025-07, a resolution setting the preliminary levy for 2026 at $650,000 and setting the Truth in Taxation hearing for Monday, December 1, 2025, at 6:30 PM.  Motion carried 5-0.  Koppen noted this proposed increase is the first increase in the levy in at least three years.

Joint Meeting Hosted by ISD #499:

  • Koppen reported School Board Chairman Dave Lunning had visited with him on a couple of different occasions. Koppen reminded Mr. Lunning the last joint meeting between the council, EDA, and school board was called by the city.  Koppen noted that if the school board would like to meet in a joint session, it would be up to the school board to extend that invitation.

Minnesota Paid Leave:

  • White explained the new Minnesota Paid Leave law that goes into effect January 1, 2026. This program will be funded with either an employee deduction with employer match or with the employer paying the full amount.  White noted if the city were to pay the full amount, this amount would affect each employee W-2.  Motion by Apenhorst, second by Sweeney to approve the employee deduction at .44% and the city match at .44%.  Motion carried 5-0.

Computer Tower & Backup Proposal:

  • Council reviewed the quote from On-Site Computers for a new computer tower purchase for the city hall computer. The current tower cannot accept Windows 11; support for Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025.  Council also reviewed the bid for a backup service using the Cloud.  Motion by Apenhorst to approve the tower purchase in the amount of $1,668 and to approve the backup service in the amount of $200 plus $67 per month.  Second by Shipman.  Motion carried 5-0.

Public Hearing-Housing Tax Abatement:

  • Koppen read the due call for this public hearing, “Notice is hereby given that the LeRoy City Council will hold a public hearing on Monday, September 8, 2025, at 7:00 PM, at the LeRoy Community Center, 204 West Main Street, LeRoy, Minnesota, to consider a tax abatement request from the following named applicant, pursuant to Minnesota Statute 469.1813 and 116J.993 through 116J.995. The request is to abate 100% of the City of LeRoy portion of real estate taxes related to the building improvements on the subject property for a period of 5 years. The subject property is legally described as Lot 4, Block 1, River’s Edge Addition, City of LeRoy, Mower County (PIN 26.070.0040).  The total estimated abatement amount is on a $514,000 of estimated property value,” and opened the hearing at 7:00 PM.  No one in attendance had any comments about the requested tax abatement for the new home construction at 117 Freund Boulevard.
  • Motion by Huntley, second by Sweeney to pass Resolution 2025-08, a resolution approving Tax Abatement for Certain Property Pursuant to Minn. Stat. 469.1813. Motion carried 5-0.  Being no further business to come before this public hearing, the hearing was closed at 7:01 PM.

Land Use Permits:

  • There were no land use permits for council review.

Communications File:

  • Council reviewed Pipeline Awareness information. Council also reviewed a letter pertaining to municipal websites that need to have a .gov domain name by June 1, 2026.  Gumbel will check into this.  Koppen also reported that both Senator Jeremy Miller and Representative Greg Davids were selected as League of Minnesota Cities Legislators of Distinction for 2025.  Council also reviewed the LeRoy Public Library board meeting minutes.

Museum Street Signs:

  • White reviewed the correspondence and quote received from MnDOT for the installation of two museum signs on existing sign posts on Hwy 56. Motion by Huntley, second by Sweeney to approve the purchase of these two signs through MnDOT in the amount of $1,024.  Motion carried 5-0.

Water Tower Update:

  • Wilcox reported Maguire Iron arrived last Wednesday. The tower has been emptied.  Work is progressing; they are working on the containment curtain.  They plan on working six days per week and possibly on Sundays except from 9:30 AM until 11:30 AM to allow for church services at LeRoy Lutheran.
  • Wilcox also reported the South Park bathrooms are currently closed due to minor vandalism pertaining to toilet paper being strewn about. Wilcox noted he will get them cleaned and reopened as his time allows.  Alice Kempe and Julie Byrd questioned if they would be opened for the Living History Day on Saturday, September 13.  Byrd questioned if a group of people could be assembled to do this cleaning.  Wilcox and the council thanked Byrd for this offer and graciously accepted it.
  • Wilcox also reported the city compost dump has been reopened. It will remain open as long as people abide by not disposing of anything other than grass, trees, and branches.

Lighting for Fire Hall, Well House, City Hall:

  • Wilcox presented bids from TNT Electric and Wheeler Electric. Both bids are for LED bulbs.  TNT bid $8,018 for 4’ bulbs and $3,517 for 8’ bulbs.  Wheeler bid $5,830 for 4’ bulbs and $5,130 for 8’ bulbs.  Both bids include retrofit of the existing fixtures from fluorescent bulbs to LED bulbs.  Neither of the bidders could guarantee 8’ bulbs in the future.  Motion by Huntley to accept the bid from Wheeler Electric for 4’ bulbs.  Second by Sweeney.  Motion carried 5-0.

North & South Park Improvements:

  • It was noted the new pavilion in North Park will be completed soon. The possible installation of a gravel driveway and parking pad on the south side of the new pavilion was discussed.  Wilcox reported he had spoken to the city engineer about the catch basin near East County Road.  Some concern was expressed about the location of the proposed parking pad and the close proximity to the residents that live near the park.  Concern was also expressed that this parking space does not turn into a loitering spot.  Huntley questioned about the SMIF grant the EDA had considered pursuing for sidewalks.  Apenhorst reported this grant application time period has passed; the EDA plans on working on another application next year and would like community involvement for what these grant dollars could be used for.  It was the consensus of the council to not pursue the gravel driveway and parking area at this time.  It was noted the items from the park that will need to be taken down prior to winter.

Service Award Recognition:

  • Koppen recognized Ashley Huntley, Brent Dohlman and Ashley Dohlman for all their work on the parks and their involvement in community events.
  • Gerald Payne recognized the LeRoy Garden Club for the beautiful flower pots; these pots have now been decorated for the fall season.

Vacant & Nuisance Properties:

  • Apenhorst reported he had contacted the city clerks from Ostrander and Wykoff to discuss the information each city is addressing with nuisance and vacant properties. Apenhorst noted council could offer to purchase the two Lucas properties and then tear them down.  Apenhorst noted this could be quite expensive.
  • The owner of record and the renters at the property located at 219 E Lowell have missed the deadline to get this property cleaned up. Motion by Apenhorst, second by Shipman to call for a public hearing on October 6, 2025, at 7:00 PM to address assessing the $500 fine to the property taxes.  Motion carried 5-0.
  • White reported the issue with too many dogs at the property located at 810 N East County Road should resolve itself when one of the parties living there (with three dogs) is able to move into her new house.

EDA & WWG Report:

  • Council reviewed the EDA reports and WWG financial information. Apenhorst noted the issue with the licensure at WWG has been resolved.  Apenhorst reported Carl White will be opening an out-patient mental health clinic here in LeRoy in the coming months.

Being no further business to come before the council, the meeting was adjourned on a motion by Huntley, second by Sweeney at 7:46 PM.

 

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