Finance committee backs $5,625 donation to first responder group; council approves first reading of sexting ordinance

The Finance Committee recommended using unassigned fund balance to approve a $5,625 donation to a local first responder group for 2025, and the Common Council approved the group funding vote as recorded in committee minutes.

The committee also conducted the first reading of an ordinance addressing sexting; the council recorded the ordinance’s first reading as carried.

Nut graf: The finance committee supported a modest one-time appropriation to assist a locally organized first-responder group, and the council advanced an ordinance to its first reading stage; both items were recommended to council and carried on the council floor.

Details: Police Chief Schleeder presented the sexting ordinance during Finance Committee review (the committee record describes an updated definition included in the draft). The finance committee also heard from Jeff Hansky regarding the first responder group’s budget and donations from surrounding communities; the committee "provided positive feedback" and recommended approval of $5,625 from the unassigned fund balance for 2025, with future donations to be handled through the city’s budget process. Council motions carried with recorded tallies (committee and council votes recorded as carried and a council vote of 10-0 for the funding motion is recorded in the transcript).

Discussion versus decision: Presentation and committee recommendation were discussion items; council approval of the funding and the ordinance first reading are formal recorded actions. The ordinance is at first reading and not yet final law.

Ending: The $5,625 appropriation will come from the unassigned fund balance; staff noted that future donations would be aligned with the city’s annual budget process and that the sexting ordinance will return for subsequent readings as required by the city’s ordinance process.