Meetings

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Agenda spine

10 items as recorded in the packet and minutes.

1Call to Order / Roll Call / Approve Agenda

Call to order, roll call, and approval of the agenda.

The agenda was approved and then amended to add Public Forum.

agenda approval

Approved

p. 1p. 1p. 1

ADDED-3Public Forum

Public Forum was added during agenda approval.

Added to the agenda by amendment; a resident spoke about who runs the city and the roles of the mayor, council, and administrator.

public forum
city administrator authority

Discussion only

p. 1p. 1

2Approval of Amended Claims for June 11, 2024, Regular Meeting

Approval of amended claims for the prior regular meeting.

The amended claims were approved 4-1.

amended claims
dump truck payment

Approved

p. 1p. 2

2aPartial payment of truck to NESS Truck & Equipment

Partial payment of the truck to NESS Truck & Equipment, with tax to be paid with July claims.

Handled as part of the claims approval.

amended claims
dump truck payment

Approved

p. 1p. 1

3Clarify Authority of City Administrator and Disconnect Between Staff and Council

Clarify the authority of the City Administrator for day-to-day operations and the disconnect between staff and Council.

Council approved having the Personnel Committee coordinate with the League of Minnesota Cities, Council, and staff to work through roles and differences.

city administrator authority
staff council roles
League of Minnesota Cities

Approved

p. 1p. 2

3aRevisions to Resolution 2024-03 - Annual Appointments

Revisions to Resolution 2024-03 for annual appointments.

The revisions were approved 4-1 with additional clarifications.

annual appointments
Resolution 2024-03

Approved with conditions

p. 1p. 2p. 3

3bResolution 2024-xx 3rd Party Consultant, Contractor Access and Associated Billing

Resolution on third-party consultant and contractor access and associated billing.

Approved 5-0 with additional clarifications.

consultant access
contractor billing
city administrator authority

Approved with conditions

p. 1p. 3p. 3

3cResolution 2024-xx Updates to Resolution 2022-56 - Per Meeting Pay Policy

Updates to Resolution 2022-56, the per-meeting pay policy.

The minutes record a motion to table until a list is developed, but do not record a second or vote.

per meeting pay
stipend policy
Resolution 2022-56

Tabled

p. 1p. 4

4Repairing Basketball Court Asphalt and/or Extra Asphalt for Pickleball

Discussion and possible approval of repairing basketball court asphalt and adding extra asphalt for pickleball.

Approved 3-2, not to exceed $21,000.

basketball court
pickleball
Bertram Asphalt

Approved

p. 1p. 4p. 4

5Adjourn

Adjournment.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:32 p.m.

adjournment

No action

p. 1p. 4

Issues addressed

What this meeting did about specific topics, organized by issue rather than by document.

Agenda approval and added Public Forum

Council approved the agenda and amended it to add a Public Forum. During that forum, resident Dan Williams asked for clarity about whether the mayor, full council, or administrator runs the city and how their roles are defined.

Agenda: 1, ADDED-3. Motions: M001, M002. Speakers: Mayor Pilon, Council Member Breyen, Council Member Rainville, Council Member Fladebo, Dan Williams.

Amended claims and dump truck payment

Council approved the amended claims 4-1. The discussion included paying for the new dump truck now and paying the tax with the July claims.

Agenda: 2, 2a. Motions: M003. Speakers: Council Member Breyen, Council Member Alders, Mayor Pilon, Council Member Rainville, Council Member Fladebo.

City Administrator authority and staff-council roles

Council discussed confusion and conflict over the roles of the city administrator, staff, mayor, and council. Council voted 5-0 to have the Personnel Committee coordinate with the League of Minnesota Cities, City Council, and staff to work through differences and clarify duties.

Agenda: 3, ADDED-3. Motions: M004. Speakers: Mayor Pilon, Council Member Rainville, Council Member Fladebo, Dan Williams.

Annual appointments update

Council approved revisions to Resolution 2024-03 on annual appointments by a 4-1 vote, with additional clarifications discussed during the meeting. The changes addressed roles such as emergency management, public safety liaison, building official, planner, and limits on officials or residents directing third parties or causing costs.

Agenda: 3a. Motions: M005. Speakers: Council Member Fladebo, Council Member Rainville, Mayor Pilon, Council Member Alders, Council Member Breyen.

Third-party consultant and contractor access and billing

Council approved the third-party consultant and contractor access and billing resolution 5-0 with clarifications. The discussion focused on making clear when contacts are on behalf of the city and how consultant information should go through the administrator and be relayed to the council.

Agenda: 3b. Motions: M006. Speakers: Council Member Fladebo, Council Member Rainville.

Per-meeting pay policy update

Council discussed updates to the per-meeting pay policy, including what meetings or events should qualify for stipends and how stipend sheets should be handled through payroll and council approval. A motion was made to table the item until a list is developed, but the minutes do not record a second or vote.

Agenda: 3c. Motions: M007. Speakers: Council Member Rainville, Council Member Breyen, Administrator Lehner, Deputy Clerk.

Memorial Park basketball court resurfacing and pickleball asphalt

Council approved the Bertram Asphalt work to replace/resurface the Memorial Park basketball court and add extra asphalt for pickleball, not to exceed $21,000. The approval covered asphalt only and did not include striping, nets, equipment, or fencing.

Agenda: 4. Motions: M008. Speakers: Council Member Breyen, Council Member Alders, Mayor Pilon, Council Member Rainville, Council Member Fladebo, Administrator Lehner.

Motions and votes

8 motions on the record. Split votes are highlighted.

M001MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN, SECONDED BY RAINVILLE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED.

moved by Council Member Breyen, seconded by Rainville

Passed

YMayor Pilon
YRainville
YBreyen
YFladebo
YAlders

p. 1p. 1

M002MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN, SECONDED BY FLADEBO TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED. AMEND MOTION TO INCLUDE PUBLIC FORUM.

moved by Council Member Breyen, seconded by Fladebo

Passed

YMayor Pilon
YRainville
YBreyen
YFladebo
YAlders

p. 1p. 1

M003MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN, SECONDED BY ALDERS TO APPROVE THE CLAIMS AS PRESENTED.

moved by Council Member Breyen, seconded by Alders

PassedSplit vote

YRAINVILLE
YFLADEBO
YALDERS
YBREYEN
NMAYOR PILON

p. 2

M004MOTION BY MAYOR PILON, SECONDED BY RAINVILLE TO HAVE THE PERSONNEL COMMITTEE, (Mayor Pilon and CM Fladebo) REACH OUT AND COORDINATE WITH THE LMC, CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF TO WORK THROUGH DIFFERENCES AND WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF EACH.

moved by Mayor Pilon, seconded by Rainville

Passed

YMayor Pilon
YRainville
YBreyen
YFladebo
YAlders

p. 2p. 1

M005MOTION BY FLADEBO, SECONDED BY RAINVILLE TO APPROVE 2024-XX WITH THE AMENDED CHANGES LISTED DISCUSSED.

moved by Fladebo, seconded by Rainville

PassedSplit vote

YPILON
YRAINVILLE
YFLADEBO
YALDERS
NCOUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN

p. 2p. 3

M006MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER FLADEBO, SECOND RAINVILLE, TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2024-XX FOR 3RD PARTY CONSULTANT/CONTRACTOR ACCESS AND ASSOCIATED BILLING.

moved by Council Member Fladebo, seconded by Rainville

Passed

YMayor Pilon
YRainville
YBreyen
YFladebo
YAlders

p. 3p. 3p. 1

M007MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN TO TABLE ITEM UNTIL THE LIST IS DEVELOPED TO ADD AND/OR REMOVE TO CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION.

moved by Council Member Breyen

Outcome unrecorded

No second or vote recorded in the minutes.

p. 4

M008MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN, SECONDED BY ALDERS TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2024- xx TO REPLACE/RESURFACE BASKETBALL COURT AT MEMORIAL PARK PER BID FROM BERTRAM ASPHALT COMPANY, NOT TO EXCEED $21,000.

moved by Council Member Breyen, seconded by Alders

PassedSplit vote

YPILON
YALDERS
YBREYEN
NRAINVILLE
NFLADEBO

p. 4p. 4

Money discussed

Each figure links back to the document it came from. When the council voted on the amount, the motion is shown.

F001

Bertram Asphalt Company bid to remove and replace paving for the Nowthen basketball court.

contract · 404-45404-510 - Parks Infrastructure · FY 2024

$15,045

outflow

Council voted: MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN, SECONDED BY ALDERS TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2024- xx TO REPLACE/RESURFACE BASKETBALL COURT AT MEMORIAL PARK PER BID FROM BERTRAM ASPHALT COMPANY, NOT TO EXCEED $21,000. Passed

p. 17p. 18p. 18

F002

Bertram Asphalt Company add-on bid to add 10 feet on the west side of the basketball court for pickleball space.

contract · 404-45404-510 - Parks Infrastructure · FY 2024

$4,895

outflow

p. 19p. 19p. 19

F003

Approved not-to-exceed amount for replacing/resurfacing the basketball court and adding ten feet to accommodate pickleball.

expenditure · 404-45404-510 - Parks Infrastructure · FY 2024

$21,000

outflow

p. 24p. 4

F004

Proposed and existing per-meeting stipend rate discussed in the per-meeting pay policy; the item was tabled at this meeting.

salary · FY 2024

$40

outflow

Council approval status: not yet on record.

p. 12p. 4

Memory cues and prior history

When someone tried to remember earlier business, we cross-reference the corpus and write a short related-history note.

after this meeting will it be clear who is running the city? The mayor, the full city council or the Administrator? Is the Administrator the Mayors right hand man or does he work for full council? What are the clear definitions of who does what for the city?

— Dan Williams

What this is about
A resident asked whether the meeting would resolve earlier or ongoing uncertainty about who runs the city and what roles the mayor, council, and administrator have.

p. 1

Related history

The records searched show a partial match. In the May 5, 2025 council packet, the city had materials addressing the administrator role and lines of authority, including a proposed contract extension for Frederick Boyles III to assist with recruiting a new city administrator and to consult with Interim City Administrator Johnson. The draft agreement language said the interim administrator assistant/consultant would be “responsible to the City Council,” would serve “under the direction of the Nowthen City Council,” and would perform duties assigned by the council, including administrative support, agenda preparation, and assisting in direction of city staff. The resolution text in the packet authorized extending Boyles’ contract until August 1, 2025, or until an administrator was hired, but the search result does not show the completed vote record. The same May 5, 2025 packet also included personnel policy language describing some role divisions: the City Council approves and interprets city policies; the City Administrator may prepare revised policies for council approval, maintains employment records, handles many employee issues, and is the usual point of contact for staff concerns; and if a concern involves the City Administrator, it may go to the City Council. Those records help explain the intended structure, but the materials provided do not show a prior council decision that fully and finally resolved the broader question of whether the mayor, full council, or administrator “runs the city.”

Feb 10, 2026   ## CITY & GOVERNM
May 5, 2025  hiring and those rules will be further explained, and enforcement discussed
May 5, 2025### RECITALS WHEREAS, the parties desire to retain the services of Contractor for an additional interim period of time f
May 5, 2025  ## SECTION 4 RECORDS AND REPORTS Section 4-1 Employment Records Section 4-2
May 5, 2025#### 12-13 OPEN DOOR POLICY: ##### 1. Commitment to Open Communication The City's Open-Door policy provides for a work e

At the regular council meeting on July 9th, the claims were never approved and need to be approved to be able to mail them.

What this is about
Council recalled that claims from a prior regular council meeting had not been approved and needed to be approved so they could be mailed.

p. 1

Related history

The records I searched do not contain a prior decision matching this recollection. The search results did not include July 9 regular council minutes or any entry showing that claims were skipped, tabled, or later approved for mailing. The closest dated materials in the results are unrelated packet pages from 2025 and 2026 dealing with planning items, development agreements, employee benefits, and other matters, not council claims approval.

May 12, 2026#### General Employees Plan Benefits General Employees Plan requires three years of service to vest. Benefits are based
May 5, 2025  <figure> BEST OUTDOOR SERVICES Lawn Care . Landscaping . Irrigation . Snow R
Apr 28, 2026   CASWELL ENGINEERING CO. ENGINEERS & LAND SURVEYORS
Mar 24, 2026  21\. The Subject Property shall be final platted in one phase. Prior to the
Jul 22, 2025   <!-- PageNumb

Mayor Pilon suggested to still have the LMC come in and explain what expenses can be paid from the approved budget, what are the duties of council and staff for a Statutory City.

— Mayor Pilon

What this is about
The mayor referred back to an earlier plan or discussion about having the League of Minnesota Cities explain statutory-city duties and budgeted expenses.

p. 2

Related history

The records searched do not contain a prior formal decision matching the recollection that Council had approved or scheduled the League of Minnesota Cities to come in and explain statutory-city duties and what expenses can be paid from the approved budget. The closest related record is in the April 14, 2026 meeting packet, which lists free League of Minnesota Cities MemberLearn training modules on “Records Management / Open Meeting Law / Financial Fundamentals” and the LMC Clerks Foundational Program. The January 13, 2026 packet also shows staff had contacted LMC on specific administrative issues, including CDL drug-testing requirements and data-practices policy changes. Those records show LMC was being used as a resource, but they do not show a recorded vote or confirmed plan for an in-person LMC presentation on statutory-city roles and budgeted expenses.

Feb 10, 2026   ## MEET THE TEAM
Apr 28, 2026   CASWELL ENGINEERING CO. ENGINEERS & LAND SURVEYORS
Apr 14, 2026  ## EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE 3\. Describe your educational background. Organ
Jan 13, 2026CITY OF NOWTHEN By: SHANE D. HYBBEN Its Mayor ATTEST By: NATALIE JOHNSON Its City Clerk  <!-- PageNumb
Apr 14, 2026### LMC Records Management / Open Meeting Law / Financial Fundamentals Provider: League of Minnesota Cities MemberLearn

(Explained clarification to avoid duplication as has happened multiple times).

What this is about
Council referred to previous repeated duplication problems in consultant or contractor contacts.

p. 3

Related history

The records I searched do not contain a prior discussion or decision matching this recollection about repeated duplication problems in consultant or contractor contacts. The search results returned unrelated items, including planning and zoning applications, road improvement hearings, and development agreements, but none document council addressing duplicate contacts with consultants or contractors.

Oct 28, 2025  Luke Braith, the applicant and owner of Operation Good Dog, addressed the Com
Mar 24, 2026Mayor Shane Hybben asked about the size and structures on the existing lot containing the house. Nash indicated it was 2
Feb 24, 2026Mayor Shane Hybben asked about the size and structures on the existing lot containing the house. Nash indicated it was 2
May 12, 2026MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SWENSON, TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2026-51 ACCEPTING DEVELOPM
Apr 14, 2026MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SWENSON, TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2026-51 ACCEPTING DEVELOPM

Meetings

City Council Work Session

Agenda spine

Issues addressed

Motions and votes

Money discussed

Memory cues and prior history

Related history

Related history

Related history

Related history

Where this came up before

Sources