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Record of Proceedings

Northfield City Council Special Meeting Summary – November 18, 2025

City Council & Commissions — Tuesday, November 18, 2025
BodyNorthfield, Minnesota
SessionCity Council & Commissions
DateTuesday, November 18, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 59:32

Transcript — Verbatim
0:48

Okay.

0:53

Here we go.

0:56

Welcome everyone.

0:58

This is the Northfield City Council meeting.

1:00

This is a special meeting for Tuesday, November 18th, 2025.

1:04

It's 6 p.m.

1:05

and I'm calling this meeting to order and requesting a roll call.

1:10

Mayor's Weifall.

1:11

Here.

1:12

Council, Counselor Peterson White.

1:14

Here.

1:14

Counselor Soakup?

1:15

Here.

1:15

Counselor Beamer.

1:16

Here.

1:16

Counselor Dalin.

1:17

Here.

1:18

Counselor Holmes.

1:18

Here.

1:19

Counselor Ness.

1:20

Here.

1:21

Thank you.

1:21

Our next item is approval of the agenda.

1:23

And I'm looking for a motion recognizing the supplemental memo and also amending the agenda to add an open public comment period immediately prior to the consent agenda.

1:36

Councilor Peterson White.

1:38

So moved.

1:38

Thank you.

1:39

Counselor Ness.

1:40

Second.

1:41

Any discussion.

1:43

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

1:46

Aye.

1:46

Aye.

1:47

Those opposed.

1:48

Motion carried.

1:49

That takes us to open public comment.

1:51

And I do have one card from David Delong.

2:00

Yes.

2:01

David Delong.

2:03

My comment is on agenda item four.

2:06

I tried submitting this e-comment, but e-comments were only available for a select few items.

2:14

Okay, I said I'll register to speak at open microphone.

2:17

But guess what?

2:18

That wasn't working either.

2:21

Now a more cynical person might think that the council didn't want to hear from me.

2:26

All I wanted to do is bring to the council's attention that the minor subdivision for Poplar Street, as shown in exhibit B.

2:36

Chapman Platt is blank.

2:41

Except for the type line where Mayor Ronda Pownell and City Clerk Peterson were to sign.

2:51

Now I suppose a mayor can sign their name on a blank piece of paper.

2:56

That's their prerogative.

2:57

And I suppose the council can authorize a mayor to sign a blank document.

3:03

It's something I have never seen on a plant in all my years on the council.

3:08

Perhaps staff will substitute a properly filled out one later, outside of the transparency of a public meeting.

3:24

Apparently, someone did read that and said, and so I was greeted tonight with a thing that said no open public comment.

3:44

Thank you.

3:45

Yes, thank you.

3:46

Uh Mr.

3:47

DeLong.

3:48

We yes, we recognize we had issues tonight with the agenda and the way it was um put together as a special meeting.

3:55

So we will rectify that and uh apologies for you not being able to comment on the item you wish to comment on.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████████21%
Procedural██████████████14%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████████14%
Fiscal Sustainability██████████████14%
Technology and Innovation██████████10%
Economic Development███████7%
Community Engagement██████6%
Public Engagement█████5%
Water And Wastewater Management█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Northfield City Council Special Meeting Summary – November 18, 2025

The Northfield City Council held a special meeting on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 6:58 PM in the Council Chambers at City Hall. All seven council members were present (Beumer, Dahlen, Holmes, Ness, Peterson White, Sokup, Mayor Zweifel). The meeting included a public hearing on delinquent bills, discussion of a proposed police drone program, review of the five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and Capital Equipment Plan (CEP), and follow-up on the annual strategic plan report.

Consent Calendar

  • Meeting Minutes: Approved minutes from the November 4, 2025 regular council meeting and work session.
  • Third Quarter 2025 Financial & Investment Updates: Accepted the quarterly financial and investment reports.
  • Minor Subdivision Resolution (Res. 2025-114): Approved a minor subdivision for 1011 Poplar St. S.
  • State Capital Investment Bonds for NCRC (Res. 2025-115): Approved an amended resolution requesting state bonds for the Northfield Community Resource Center.
  • Passenger Rail Support Resolution (Res. 2025-117): Approved a resolution supporting the Big Sky North Coast Corridor passenger rail route.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • David DeLong (no address given) spoke during open public comment, expressing concern that Exhibit B of the minor subdivision plat for 1011 Poplar St. S. appeared blank except for signature lines. He questioned the transparency of authorizing a signature on a blank document. The Mayor acknowledged the meeting’s agenda issues and apologized for the inconvenience.

Discussion Items

  • Public Hearing on 2025 Delinquent Bills: Finance Director Brenda Angelstad presented the annual certification of delinquent charges (bills unpaid after 90 days as of September 30, 2025) to be added to 2026 property taxes. No public comments or council questions. The hearing was opened and closed quickly.

  • Police Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Drone) Program (Item 25-612): Police Chief Jeff Schroepfer presented a proposed drone program with an estimated $20,000 startup cost funded by the sale of a Polaris Ranger (no new tax funds). Intended uses include emergency response, search and rescue, crash reconstruction, crime scene documentation, threat assessments, and disaster response. Chief Schroepfer emphasized state statute restrictions (no general surveillance, facial recognition, weapons, or crowd control) and data retention rules (non-investigative data deleted within 7 days). Four officers already hold FAA certifications. Public comment will be accepted via email (drones@northfieldmn.gov) until the December 2 council meeting, when a vote on the program and equipment purchase will occur.

  • Review of Capital Improvement Plan (2026-2030) and Capital Equipment Plan (Item 25-613): City Administrator Ben Martig highlighted changes from the previous meeting: removal of a new downtown parklet, replaced with age-friendly furnishings for the existing parklet on Division Street; removal of the CETO Meadow new park from the five-year plan; and creation of a “pending review” appendix for projects like Bridge Square and the water treatment plant. The 2026 projects are intended for approval and appropriation at the December 2 meeting; 2027–2030 projects will continue to be refined in early 2026. Council members asked about the Northwest Area sewer project (feasibility/environmental study to be done by summer 2026), Bridge Square project fund balance ($600,000 spent, repayment options under review), and the cost of painting a water tower ($1 million for corrosion prevention). The statutory debt limit and per-capita debt (~$5,000 including students) were also discussed.

  • Council Discussion on Annual Strategic Plan Report (Item 25-614): City Administrator Martig provided follow-up updates from the October 21 presentation: the Grace Win senior co-op project (part of the Cedar Meadows subdivision) expects construction to begin spring/summer 2026 pending final plat recording; Archer House redevelopment is not moving forward, but a potential TIF extension is being explored; and the zoning code ordinance update will be brought to council for feedback in a future meeting. No further discussion ensued.

Key Outcomes

  • Approval of Agenda: Unanimous (7-0) to add open public comment and supplemental memo including the passenger rail resolution.
  • Consent Agenda (Items 1–6): Approved unanimously (7-0).
  • Public Hearing on Delinquent Bills: Closed at 6:06 PM (7-0).
  • Resolution Certifying Delinquent Charges (Res. 2025-116): Approved unanimously (7-0).
  • Adjournment: Approved at 6:58 PM (7-0).
  • Next Steps: The police drone program and the CIP/CEP will be on the December 2, 2025 regular meeting agenda for public comment and final approval. Public comment on drones is open until that date.

Meeting Transcript

Okay. Here we go. Welcome everyone. This is the Northfield City Council meeting. This is a special meeting for Tuesday, November 18th, 2025. It's 6 p.m. and I'm calling this meeting to order and requesting a roll call. Mayor's Weifall. Here. Council, Counselor Peterson White. Here. Counselor Soakup? Here. Counselor Beamer. Here. Counselor Dalin. Here. Counselor Holmes. Here. Counselor Ness. Here. Thank you. Our next item is approval of the agenda. And I'm looking for a motion recognizing the supplemental memo and also amending the agenda to add an open public comment period immediately prior to the consent agenda. Councilor Peterson White. So moved. Thank you. Counselor Ness. Second. Any discussion. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Those opposed. Motion carried. That takes us to open public comment. And I do have one card from David Delong. Yes. David Delong. My comment is on agenda item four. I tried submitting this e-comment, but e-comments were only available for a select few items. Okay, I said I'll register to speak at open microphone. But guess what? That wasn't working either. Now a more cynical person might think that the council didn't want to hear from me. All I wanted to do is bring to the council's attention that the minor subdivision for Poplar Street, as shown in exhibit B. Chapman Platt is blank. Except for the type line where Mayor Ronda Pownell and City Clerk Peterson were to sign. Now I suppose a mayor can sign their name on a blank piece of paper. That's their prerogative.

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