The Cannon Falls City Council unanimously approved a management agreement with the Cannon Falls Area Historical Society and a related resolution that sets parameters for donated funds used to purchase the nearby administrative property known locally as the "White House."

Amy Dombek, president of the Cannon Falls Area Historical Society, presented the organization's strategic plan and described preservation and building needs for the society's 1888 Fire Hall museum. Dombek credited City Administrator John Rademacher for early engagement: "I wanna thank John and my board ... John was really pivotal in that," she said.

Council and staff described the management agreement as similar to a lease: the nonprofit will operate and maintain city-owned museum space while using the White House property for administrative offices and storage. Staff said the city received $160,000 in donations toward the White House purchase; the total purchase price was $186,000, and some pledge payments remain outstanding from the 2018 agreement.

The council voted to approve the management agreement (motion by Jepsen; second by Chad Johnson) and then approved the companion resolution (motion by Chad Johnson; second by Jepsen). Staff said the resolution is intended to honor donor intent by returning up to the $160,000 in donations to museum uses if the property were ever sold, and to clarify how proceeds above that amount could be handled.

Dombek told the council the society is working on building maintenance (furnace replacement, roof and window work) and strategic planning for grants, outreach and artifact preservation. The society also asked for city guidance on the scope of their administrative space and on any future improvements to the historic Fire Hall, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The votes formalize a long-standing relationship between the city and the nonprofit and create clearer expectations for maintenance responsibilities and for the eventual use of donated funds if the White House is no longer needed by the historical society.