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Hermantown City Council approves consent agenda, pays $727,401.87 to arena contractor and advances franchise ordinances
Summary
Council approved the consent agenda (including $844,293 in warrants), adopted a streets-and-roads ordinance on second reading, approved a $727,401.87 pay request for North Star Ford Arena, and introduced first readings of franchise ordinances for Mediacom and Minnesota Power; the council also approved several administrative resolutions and a grant-support resolution for Hawkline Business Park.
Hermantown City Council approved routine financial and administrative measures Tuesday night and advanced several franchise ordinances while taking no final action on a controversial proposed data center.
The council approved the consent agenda, which included approval or correction of minutes and accounts payable totaling $844,293. Councilor Geisler moved to approve and Councilor Gelli seconded; a roll call produced unanimous ‘‘Aye’’ votes.
On ordinances and franchise matters
- The council adopted on second reading Ordinance 02/2019, an amendment to the city code section on accepted and opened streets and roads, updating the list based on recently accepted new roads.
- First readings were held for three ordinances: a 10-year renewal of the Mediacom Minnesota LLC cable-franchise agreement, a franchise granting Minnesota Power the right to use public ways for electric distribution and transmission infrastructure, and a separate ordinance imposing the franchise fee on Minnesota Power. Staff said the Mediacom franchise covers cable television subscriptions (not internet) and the franchise-fee item has historically been used for streetlight and traffic-signal power.
Resolutions and financial actions
- Resolution 2025-171: Council approved pay request #17 for the North Star Ford Arena to Kraus Anderson Construction Company in the amount of $727,401.87. Staff said this payment covers work completed in October; a councilor who toured the building said it is ‘‘looking great’’ and expected first games in early January.
- Council also approved a set of administrative resolutions including repealing a specific parcel assessment related to road-improvement districts, correcting and relocating conservation-restrictive covenants that were erroneously applied to Duluth-owned land, and approving the release of a memorial associated with a parcel (staff identified a mapping typo in one staff report).
- Resolution 2025-175: The council authorized municipal support for a St. Louis County grant application to MnDOT’s Local Road Improvement Program to fund reconstruction of Uggstead Road and the Leveque Bypass as part of infrastructure work for the Hawkline Business Park.
Votes and movers
- Consent agenda: motion by Councilor Geisler; second by Councilor Gelli; unanimous roll call (Aye votes recorded from councilors and the mayor).
- Resolution 2025-171 (arena pay request): motion by Councilor Geisler; second by Councilor LeBlanc; roll call approved the payment.
No closed session or executive session was held. After the business, the council moved to recess by motion of Councilor Jelly, which passed.
