Council roundup: liquor license, MnDOT grant match, budget calendar, assessments, police equipment and K‑9 retirement approved

The New Ulm City Council on April 15 approved a series of routine and programmatic items. The actions below summarize votes taken and key details as recorded in the meeting transcript.

Votes at a glance

- Liquor license: Council approved issuance of an annual on-sale intoxicating liquor license, off-sale intoxicating liquor license and Sunday license for Salon Milan Incorporated, doing business as The Franklin, at 120 6 North Franklin Street, Suites 100 and 200, including patio, for the period May 1, 2025, through June 30, 2025, subject to compliance with city and state requirements. (Agenda item 2.1 — motion carried by voice vote.)

- MnDOT IIJA discretionary match grant (Agreement No. 1058265): Council approved a resolution to accept the MnDOT grant that provides $50,000 in local match funding to fully fund a $250,000 comprehensive safety action plan; staff said the city previously received $200,000 in federal funds and the $50,000 state match completes project funding. Director Jorgensen was authorized to execute the grant agreement and any amendments. (Agenda item 4.2 — roll-call vote: unanimous.)

- 2026 budget calendar and nonprofit funding applications: Council approved the proposed 2026 budget schedule, set deadlines for applications from nonprofits (due June 27) and scheduled two budget work sessions on July 15 and August 19, 2025. (Agenda item 5.4 — motion carried.)

- Lakeside Village unpaid special assessments (reassessment and public hearing): Staff said there are outstanding special assessments tied to the Lakeside Village addition originating from 02/2005; staff read an amount into the record as $2,917.88 per parcel but also noted a typographical error in the staff report and that some partial payments had been made. A subsequent motion read into the record cited a different figure ($4,168.40 per lot for Lots 2–10, Block 6, Lakeside Village Addition Phase 1) and the council set a public hearing for Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. to consider reassessment. The transcript shows both staff’s read amount and the motion’s listed amount; the council set the hearing. (Agenda item 5.5 — motion carried.)

- One‑year drone license/service subscription: Council authorized the New Ulm Police Department to purchase a one‑year license and service subscription from Vertex Unmanned Solutions for $2,800 to provide DroneSense support for Mavic drones, to be paid from the Public Safety Aid (290) fund. The police chief said finance staff confirmed available funds. (Agenda item 5.6 — motion carried.)

- Retirement and transfer of K‑9 Dino: Council approved a resolution to retire K‑9 Dino from the New Ulm Police Department and transfer ownership to handler Eric Byro, who has accepted a position with the Brown County Sheriff’s Office. The police chief said Dino is near the end of a working career and that the department intends to replace the canine position in the future when staffing and budget permit. (Agenda item 5.7 — roll-call vote: unanimous.)

Several of these items were approved by voice vote with motions and seconds recorded in the minutes; roll-call votes were used where indicated in the transcript. For items that referenced grant funding or procurement, staff described next steps and contingency conditions in the meeting.