Watch the meeting
What happened
- Resolution 2025-23 adopted setting the 2026 preliminary budget and a maximum levy of 9.93%, reduced from the 27.06% draft reviewed August 26
- Pay Application No. 1 to Fitzgerald Excavating approved for $34,711.57 (work August 25-29 on 2025 Street & Utility Improvements)
- Original contract price for the 2025 Street & Utility Improvements is $2,294,629.25; work completed to date $36,538.50 with 5% retainage of $1,826.93
- Consent agenda approved: financials, checks 77410-77489 and 5999E-6194E, and minutes of August 12 and August 26
- Liquor store expansion estimates approved: L&M Construction $96,581.72 remodel, Stan Morgan and Associates $111,524.87 equipment, against $215,000 budgeted
- Police Department gun range approved at the city shop area off Gates Avenue, using free fill from the Dollar General site; costs limited to Public Works time, fuel and grass seed
- Gun range to be solely for Police Department use; public use not allowed
- Mayor Kirchmann raised noise concerns and asked how neighbors would be notified before a shoot
- Fitzgerald Excavating has begun pavement and tree removal on both 5th and 8th Streets
- Upcoming meetings: KMU September 16 at 3 p.m., EDA September 30 at 8 a.m., City Council October 14 at 7 p.m.; Fall Fest planned for October 11
- All motions carried 4-0-0; meeting adjourned at 7:56 p.m.
What was asked 13 raised · 5 settled
Every question, assignment, pending figure and unsourced claim from this meeting, quoted from the record, each checked against the county, census, listing, bid and budget data we hold.
The preliminary maximum levy certification resolution must be submitted to Goodhue County by the end of September.
Adoption of Resolution 2025-23 setting the 2026 preliminary budget and levy at a maximum of 9.93%.
At the meetingCouncil adopted Resolution 2025-23 setting the preliminary levy at a maximum of 9.93%.
Resolution 2025-23 was adopted on a motion by Bailey seconded by Kirchmann, carried 4-0-0, setting the 2026 preliminary levy at a maximum of 9.93 percent. The certification held, and the levy came down before final adoption, finishing at 9.18 percent, or $1,528,541 certified for pay 2026.
10.14.25 Council Packet and taxes/levy.html · taken up again 2025-12-09
The final levy must be adopted by the end of December. The levy can be lowered between now and the end of the year, but it cannot be increased. 10 Resolution 2025-23: Adopting the 2026 Preliminary Budget & Levy Motion by Bailey seconded by Kirchmann to adopt Resolution 2025-23 adopting the 2026 preliminary budget and levy, which is a maximum of 9.93%.
Explanation of the preliminary versus final levy process for the 2026 budget.
The final 2026 levy was adopted at 9.18 percent, down from the 9.93 percent preliminary ceiling, as Abdo reported to the council on December 9 2025. In dollars that is $1,528,541 certified, which produced a city tax rate of 84.6822 percent of net tax capacity against 79.3028 percent the year before.
12.9.25 Council Agenda and Packet and taxes/levy.html · taken up again 2025-12-09
PRESENTATIONS/PUBLIC HEARINGS/RECOGNITIONS/PROLAMATIONS ADMINISTRATOR UPDATE ENGINEERING 2025 Street and Utility Improvements Administrator Lehner stated that Fitzgerald Excavating has started removing pavement and trees. They have begun work on both 5th and 8th streets.
Status update on the 2025 Street and Utility Improvements project.
Work on 5th and 8th Streets progressed through the following year. Utility and grading work was nearly complete on both by November 12 2025, paving and patching on 5th and 8th plus 2nd and Forest Street was underway by December 9 2025, and by July 14 2026 the engineer reported 8th Street would be paved in late October 2026 after the street had settled. The contract is Fitzgerald Excavating at $2,294,629.25, awarded July 8 2025.
11-12-25, 12.9.25 and 7.14.26 Council Packets, KENYON_BIDS.md · taken up again 2026-07-14
Pay application No. 1 includes work from August 25 to August 29 in the amount of $34,711.57. 2025 Street and Utility Improvements – Pay Application No. 1 Motion by Sjolander seconded by Helgeson to approve pay application #1 to Fitzgerald Excavating in the amount of $34,711.57.
Approval of the first pay request for the 2025 Street and Utility Improvements project.
At the meetingCouncil approved the pay application 4-0-0.
Pay application 1 for $34,711.57 covering August 25 to August 29 was approved on a motion by Sjolander seconded by Helgeson, carried 4-0-0. Payments then ran through pay application 2 at $293,639.67 for August 30 to October 3, pay application 3 at $494,533.51 for October 4 to October 31, pay application 6 through May 29 2026 and pay application 9 through September 2 2026, against a contract of $2,294,629.25.
10.14.25, 11-12-25, 12.9.25 and 9-8-26 Council Packets · taken up again 2026-09-08
Council member Bailey thanked everyone for shaving their budgets. Council member Helgeson stated that Park and Rec has started planning for Fall Fest on October 11.
General council comments on upcoming community events.
Fall Festival was held. On November 12 2025 Council Member Helgeson congratulated city hall and the library on winning grand prize in the Fall Festival decorating contest and thanked everyone who attended, then looked ahead to Christmas in Kenyon. No event budget or attendance figure appears in our record.
11-12-25 Council Packet · taken up again 2025-11-12
Public use would not be allowed. Mayor Kirchmann had concerns about the noise level and how neighbors would be informed before a shoot.
Discussion of the proposed police department gun range in the city shop area off Gates Avenue.
At the meetingLehner said if the department lets city hall know, it could be posted on social media and incoming inquiries addressed.
We hold no noise assessment for the Gates Avenue site and no written neighbor notification procedure, so the loudness question is unanswered. What the record does show is that the city codified the range in its firearms ordinance, section 925.15, which permits discharge only at an officially designated and permitted shooting range approved by the City Council and states that no such range shall be established without prior council approval and review. That language appears in the November 12 2025 packet and again in the December 9 2025 packet.
11-12-25 Council Packet and 12.9.25 Council Agenda and Packet · taken up again 2025-12-09
Liquor Store - 641 2nd Street NAPA Building Estimates Liquor Store Manager Bartel reviewed the estimates for the former NAPA building. L&M Construction estimated $96,581.72 to remodel the building.
Review of estimates for the municipal liquor store expansion into the former NAPA building.
At the meetingCouncil approved the preliminary estimates for the expansion.
The written L&M Construction estimate is not in our archive. The $96,581.72 remodel sits in the $5,000 to $174,999 band of Administrative Policy No. 34, which requires council approval plus two quotes, and our bid record carries no competing remodel quote.
Policy No. 34 was put before the council in August 2024 and sets a two-quote requirement at this amount, though our archive does not confirm the adoption vote, yet L&M Construction is the only remodel vendor named.
KENYON_BIDS.md
L&M Construction estimated $96,581.72 to remodel the building. Stan Morgan and Associates quoted $111,524.87 for equipment in the building.
Review of equipment costs for the liquor store expansion.
At the meetingCouncil approved the preliminary estimates.
The written Stan Morgan and Associates quote is not in our archive, and no competing equipment quote appears in our bid record. The $111,524.87 equipment package sits in the band requiring council approval plus two quotes.
Stan Morgan was the only equipment vendor named, and the remodel and equipment together come to $208,106.59, above the $175,000 sealed-bid threshold in Administrative Policy No. 34.
KENYON_BIDS.md
Stan Morgan and Associates quoted $111,524.87 for equipment in the building. There was already $215,000 in the budget for this project.
Comparing the combined remodel and equipment estimates against budgeted funds.
At the meetingCouncil approved the preliminary estimates on that basis.
The two estimates total $208,106.59, which leaves $6,893.41 of the stated $215,000, a margin of 3.2 percent before any change order. We hold no liquor fund budget page showing the $215,000 appropriation, so the budget line itself is what is missing. For scale on the store's other costs, card processing ran $18,515 in 2024 and $22,956 in 2025.
10.14.25 Council Packet and KENYON_IT_SPEND.md
Motion by Sjolander seconded by Bailey to approve the preliminary estimates for the municipal liquor store expansion.
Motion approved 'the preliminary estimates' rather than final construction or equipment contracts.
At the meetingMotion carried 4-0-0.
The project moved from preliminary estimate to actual spending without a final contract appearing in our record. The 2026 budget commentaries of June 9 2026 and August 6 2026 both list expenses paid for the liquor store remodel project, so work was underway, but no signed construction or equipment contract and no final cost total is in anything we hold.
6.9.26 and 8-6-26 Council Packets · taken up again 2026-08-06
Free fill was obtained from the Dollar General site. The only costs involved with the project would be Public Work's time and fuel and for grass seed.
Explaining the cost of constructing the police gun range in the city shop area.
At the meetingCouncil voted to move forward with the range.
The Dollar General source of the fill checks out against assessment records: the parcel at 98 Gunderson Boulevard, PIN 661800150, jumps from an estimated market value of $138,700 for 2026 to $972,800 for pay 2027 as the new building hits the roll, which is a site under construction in 2025. We hold no record of the Public Works hours, fuel or grass seed charged to the range, so the claim that those were the only costs is unverified.
taxes/data/kenyon_tax.json and 10.14.25 Council Packet
LEGAL FINANCIAL OLD BUSINESS NEW BUSINESS 2026 Budget Jessi Sturtz from Abdo stated that the proposed budget and levy was reviewed at the Council work session on August 26. The budget was revised based on input from the work session.
Introduction of the 2026 preliminary budget and levy resolution.
We hold no side-by-side of the August 26 2025 work session draft against the revised budget, so what changed cannot be itemized. What the outcome shows is that the revision landed at a 9.93 percent preliminary ceiling and the final levy came in at 9.18 percent, or $1,528,541. The same pattern repeated the following year, when the 2027 draft opened at 19.50 percent on July 14 2026 and was certified at 9.26 percent.
10.14.25 Council Packet and taxes/levy.html · taken up again 2025-12-09
Administrator Lehner stated that if they let city hall know, it could be posted on social media, and any incoming inquiries could be addressed.
Addressing the Mayor's concern about informing neighbors of shooting at the new range.
At the meetingCouncil approved moving forward with the gun range.
No written notification practice appears in any document we hold, and no posted shoot notice appears in the record. A standing operating procedure from the police department, or a council policy attached to the range approval, would settle it. The firearms ordinance adopted later requires council approval of the range itself but sets no neighbor notice condition.
11-12-25 Council Packet and 12.9.25 Council Agenda and Packet · would settle it: Confirmation that a notification practice is in place
Decisions 7 motions
Who did what
| Person | At this meeting |
|---|---|
| Donald Kirchmann Mayor | Called the meeting to order, seconded the budget resolution, moved to proceed with the police gun range, and raised concerns about range noise and notifying neighbors |
| Lee Sjolander Council Member | Moved to approve the agenda, the Fitzgerald pay application and the liquor store estimates; thanked staff who helped with the Karl Haugen funeral |
| Mary Bailey Council Member | Moved adoption of Resolution 2025-23 and to adjourn; thanked everyone for shaving their budgets |
| Kim Helgeson Council Member | Moved approval of the consent agenda, seconded the pay application and gun range motions; reported Park and Rec planning for Fall Fest October 11 |
| Elana Brunner Council Member | Absent |
| Scott Lehner City Administrator | Reported on Fitzgerald Excavating's start of pavement and tree removal and suggested posting gun range notices on social media |
| Holli Gudknecht Administrative Assistant / Deputy City Clerk | Prepared the agenda items and recorded the minutes |
| Jessi Sturtz-Abdo Abdo (via Zoom) | Presented the revised 2026 budget and levy, explaining certification deadlines to Goodhue County |
| Matt Bartel Liquor Store Manager | Reviewed remodel and equipment estimates for the former NAPA building |
| Jeff Sjoblom Police Chief | Presented the proposed gun range training site at the city shop area off Gates Avenue |
| Wayne Ehrich Public Works Superintendent | Reviewed gun range setup options with Chief Sjoblom |
| Derek Olinger City Engineer, Bolton & Menk | Recommended approval of Pay Application No. 1 in the packet |
Organizations named: City of Kenyon, Abdo, Fitzgerald Excavating & Trucking Inc, Bolton & Menk, L&M Construction, Stan Morgan and Associates, Goodhue County, Dollar General, Kenyon Municipal Utilities (KMU), Kenyon EDA, Kenyon Police Department, Kenyon Park and Rec
Figures
| Amount | What |
|---|---|
| $34,711.57 | Pay Application No. 1 to Fitzgerald Excavating for the 2025 Street & Utility Improvements |
| $2,294,629.25 | Original contract price, 2025 Street & Utility Improvements |
| $36,538.50 | Total work completed and materials stored to date on the street project |
| $1,826.93 | 5% retainage withheld on work completed |
| $96,581.72 | L&M Construction estimate to remodel the former NAPA building at 641 2nd Street |
| $111,524.87 | Stan Morgan and Associates quote for equipment in the liquor store building |
| $215,000 | Amount already in the budget for the liquor store expansion project |
| 9.93% | Maximum 2026 preliminary levy adopted by Resolution 2025-23 |
Said at the meeting
The levy can be lowered between now and the end of the year, but it cannot be increased.
Jessi Sturtz, Abdo · minutes, verbatim
Administrator Lehner stated that if they let city hall know, it could be posted on social media, and any incoming inquiries could be addressed.
City Administrator Scott Lehner · packet, verbatim
It would be solely for Police Department use.
Police Chief Jeff Sjoblom (record) · minutes, verbatim
Council member Bailey thanked everyone for shaving their budgets.
Council Member Mary Bailey · minutes, verbatim
Council member Sjolander thanked city staff who helped with the Karl Haugen funeral.
Council Member Lee Sjolander · minutes, verbatim
Council member Helgeson stated that Park and Rec has started planning for Fall Fest on October 11.
Council Member Kim Helgeson · minutes, verbatim
Resolutions and ordinances
- Adopting the 2026 Preliminary Budget & Levy Motion by Bailey seconded by Kirchmann to adopt Resolution 2025-23 adopting the 2026 preliminaryRes. 2025-23
Agenda
Each item links to where it appears in the packet.
- I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
- II. CITIZEN COMMENTS
- III. ADOPT AGENDA
- III.A Adopt the Agenda for September 9, 2025
- IV. CONSENT AGENDA
- IV.A Approve the Consent Agenda Items Including:
- V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES and APPOINTMENTS
- VI. PRESENTATIONS/PUBLIC HEARINGS
- VII. ENGINEERING
- VII.A Pay Request 1 - 2025 Street & Utility Improvements
- VIII. LEGAL
- IX.A Financial Reports and Checks for August
- X. OLD BUSINESS
- XI. NEW BUSINESS
- XI.B Liquor Store - 641 2nd Street NAPA Building Estimates
- XI.C Police Department Gun Range
- XII. F.Y.I. - Department Updates
- XII.A FYI for September 9, 2025
- XIII. COUNCIL AND STAFF GENERAL COMMENTS
- XIV. ADJOURNMENT
- A. City Council Meeting Minutes of August 12, 2025
- B. City Council Work Session Meeting of August 26, 2025
- VI. PRESENTATIONS/PUBLIC HEARINGS RECOGNITIONS/PROCLAMATIONS
- VII. ADMINISTRATOR UPDATE
- X. FINANCIAL
- B. Liquor Store - 641 2nd Street NAPA Building Estimates
- C. Police Department Gun Range
- XIII. OTHER BUSINESS
- A. Schedule of Upcoming Meetings
Full packet text (310k characters)
The minutes
Official minutes as adopted, from 10.14.25 Council Packet Agenda; text extracted from the PDF.
Council Meeting was duly held in the City Council chambers at 7:00 p.m. on the 9th day of September 2025. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Donald Kirchmann.
- Present
- Mayor Donald Kirchmann, Council Members Lee Sjolander, Mary Bailey, and Kim Helgeson
- Absent
- Elana Brunner
- Via Zoom
- Jessi Sturtz-Abdo
- Also present
- City Administrator Scott Lehner, Administrative Assistant Holli Gudknecht, Wayne Ehrich, Matt Bartel, Jeff Sjoblom
The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Citizen Comment
Adopt Agenda
Motion by Sjolander seconded by Bailey to approve the agenda. Motion carried 4-0-0.
Consent Agenda
Motion by Helgeson second by Bailey to approve the Consent Agenda, which includes:
Motion carried 4-0-0Presentations / Public Hearings / Recognitions / Prolamations
Administrator Update
Engineering
2025 Street and Utility Improvements Administrator Lehner stated that Fitzgerald Excavating has started removing pavement and trees. They have begun work on both 5th and 8th streets. Pay application No. 1 includes work from August 25 to August 29 in the amount of $34,711.57. 2025 Street and Utility Improvements – Pay Application No. 1
Motion by Sjolander seconded by Helgeson to approve pay application #1 to Fitzgerald Excavating in the amount of $34,711.57. Motion carried 4-0-0.
Legal
Financial
Old Business
New Business
2026 Budget Jessi Sturtz from Abdo stated that the proposed budget and levy was reviewed at the Council work session on August 26. The budget was revised based on input from the work session. The levy was set at a maximum of 9.93%. The preliminary maximum levy certification resolution must be submitted to Goodhue County by the end of September. The final levy must be adopted by the end of December. The levy can be lowered between now and the end of the year, but it cannot be increased.
Resolution 2025-23: Adopting the 2026 Preliminary Budget & Levy
Motion by Bailey seconded by Kirchmann to adopt Resolution 2025-23 adopting the 2026 preliminary budget and levy, which is a maximum of 9.93%. Motion carried 4-0-0.
Liquor Store - 641 2nd Street NAPA Building Estimates
Liquor Store Manager Bartel reviewed the estimates for the former NAPA building. L&M Construction estimated $96,581.72 to remodel the building. Stan Morgan and Associates quoted $111,524.87 for equipment in the building. There was already $215,000 in the budget for this project.
Motion by Sjolander seconded by Bailey to approve the preliminary estimates for the municipal liquor store expansion. Motion carried 4-0-0.
Police Department Gun Range
Police Chief Sjoblom informed the council of the gun range training site he is looking at constructing in the city shop area off Gates Avenue. Public Works Superintendent Ehrich and Sjoblom looked at options for setting up the range. Free fill was obtained from the Dollar General site. The only costs involved with the project would be Public Work's time and fuel and for grass seed. It would be solely for Police Department use. Public use would not be allowed. Mayor Kirchmann had concerns about the noise level and how neighbors would be informed before a shoot. Administrator Lehner stated that if they let city hall know, it could be posted on social media, and any incoming inquiries could be addressed.
Motion by Kirchmann seconded by Helgeson to move forward with the police department gun range.
Motion carried 4-0-0Schedule for Upcoming Meetings
KMU Meeting: Tuesday, September 16th @ 3:00 p.m. EDA Meeting: Tuesday, September 30th @ 8 a.m. City Council Meeting: Tuesday, October 14th @ 7 p.m.
Council And Staff General Comments
Council member Sjolander thanked city staff who helped with the Karl Haugen funeral.
Council member Bailey thanked everyone for shaving their budgets.
Council member Helgeson stated that Park and Rec has started planning for Fall Fest on October 11.
Mayor Kirchmann was thankful for the budget cuts, everyone helping to make council meetings run smoother, and everyone for their hard work.
Motion by Bailey seconded by Kirchmann to adjourn the meeting at 7:56 p.m. Motion carried 4-0-0.
Holli Gudknecht, Deputy City Clerk Donald Kirchmann, Mayor
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a Special City