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Stewartville council approves pay increases, adds paid fire department chief engineer and accepts $1.1 million state grant
Summary
The Stewartville City Council voted to add a paid chief engineer to the fire department, adopt ordinance changes to elected-official pay and meeting times, accept a $1.1 million DEED grant for industrial-park infrastructure and approve several routine contracts and hires.
The Stewartville City Council approved a package of personnel, compensation and funding actions during its regular meeting. Mayor Jimmy John King said the council would amend fire department bylaws to add a compensated chief engineer role responsible for apparatus maintenance and certification of engineers and drivers; council members voted to adopt the amendment with no budget increase, only an internal reallocation of funds.
The council also approved an ordinance amending Chapter 2 of the administration code to raise the mayor’s salary from $6,000 to $8,000 and to set council members’ pay at $10,000, with the changes slated to take effect Jan. 1, 2025. The ordinance also formalizes changing the council’s meeting start time from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m., after a trial earlier in the year.
Mayor King announced the city had received formal notification and letters from the Minnesota State Department of Employment and Economic Development of a $1,100,000 award to support construction and infrastructure improvements for the Schumann Business Industrial Park (New Grove Way). King said staff will forward a packet that may include a resolution and the grant agreement for formal execution.
Councilors approved a series of consent and business items including payment of accounts payable, a personnel hire and a contract award for snow removal. Staff recommended awarding the 2024–25 snowline contract to Yagie Trucking, which submitted a bid of $105 per hour compared with Bucknell Construction’s $110 per hour; the council voted to award the contract, and one councilor voiced opposition during the vote. The council also approved hiring Jeffrey Janet at pay grade 7.3, effective as soon as possible.
Several other items were presented for review rather than action. Staff summarized an MnDOT letter of intent for the State Highway 30 in-town improvement project (tentatively slated for construction in December 2027) and asked for council input on design options and utility impacts; staff will return with final recommendations. City Engineer Jenna reported progress on the 2024 and 2025 Capital Improvement Program and noted an upcoming MnDOT MOU and future resolution request for a temporary signal system.
Votes at a glance - Fire department bylaw amendment (add compensated chief engineer): motion moved and seconded; council approved (ayes recorded). - Ordinance amending Chapter 2 (elected-official pay, meeting time): motion moved and seconded; council carried the ordinance. - Acceptance/next steps for DEED grant ($1,100,000): staff to forward resolution/agreement; council affirmed moving forward. - Snowline contract award (2024–25): Yagie Trucking recommended at $105/hr; council approved; one councilor opposed (name not recorded). - Hire: Jeffrey Janet, pay grade 7.3: motion moved, seconded and approved.
The council also discussed special assessments for unpaid current services (utilities and property maintenance) referencing Minnesota statutes and directed staff to proceed with a resolution to adopt assessments per the statutory process. The meeting proceeded to routine reports and community announcements before opening public comment; Gary Johnson was the first speaker recognized for public comment.
