Northfield City Council Regular Meeting – February 17, 2026

The Northfield City Council met Tuesday, February 17, 2026, in the Council Chambers at Northfield City Hall. Mayor Erica Zweifel called the meeting to order at 6:48 p.m., and all seven council members were present. The council approved the agenda and consent calendar, received reports, discussed the Sustainable Building Policy, and adjourned at 7:44 p.m. The raw transcript contains no substantive content, so this summary relies on the agenda and approved meeting minutes.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public spoke during open public comment.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the February 10, 2026 City Council meeting minutes and February 10, 2026 work session minutes.
• Approved disbursements totaling $703,542.51.
• Approved the second reading of Ordinance 1091, a zoning map amendment for 304 2nd St. W., and authorized its summary publication. Note: the agenda listed the change as R1 – Low Density Residential to C1 – Downtown in the ordinance item, but as R1-B to C1-B in the summary publication item.
• Approved Contract Amendment #1 with ISG for professional services for the Mill Towns State Trail (Woodley Street to Waterford Bridge) project.
• Accepted bids and awarded the contract for the Spring Creek Road Reconstruction & Mill Towns State Trail project (STRT2026-A84) through Resolution 2026-024.
• Approved permanent and temporary easements for the Spring Creek Road Reconstruction & Mill Towns State Trail improvements project.
• Approved a contract with Bolton and Menk for a Comprehensive Sewer Plan.
• Approved Resolution 2026-025 dedicating a source of public revenue for the Local Housing Trust Fund.
• Approved mayoral board and commission appointments as presented in the supplemental agenda materials.

Reports From the Mayor and Council Members

• Council Member Ness reported on a CVB meeting.
• Council Member Beumer reported on the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Omelet Breakfast Fundraiser.
• Council Member Holmes reported on a Carleton public meeting about a proposed transit hub on campus.
• Mayor Zweifel reported on the Mayor's Youth Council all-boards meeting.
• Council Members Peterson White, Sokup, and Dahlen had no reports.

Discussion Items

• Sustainable Building Policy: City Administrator Ben Martig introduced Sustainability Coordinator Sara Pabich. Pabich reported that the current policy is not achievable for ongoing and planned development projects because of external constraints on renewable energy interconnections and policy requirements tied to on-site renewable generation. As a result, projects receiving City financial assistance are unable to comply with the policy as written. Pabich noted existing policy tensions and said both short- and long-term solutions need to be considered. Council members asked questions and provided feedback, directing staff to pursue policy changes that are manageable to implement and clearly communicable to stakeholders.

Administrator's Update

• City Administrator Ben Martig provided an update on the Local Sales Tax bill.

Key Outcomes

• The consent agenda was approved by a unanimous 7–0 vote.
• The Council directed staff to revise the Sustainable Building Policy; no formal vote was recorded on the policy itself.
• The meeting adjourned at 7:44 p.m. by a unanimous vote.