Rose Creek schedules April 8 special election to fill council vacancy; council approves liquor license and waives late fees

Mayor Andrew Leisen announced that Rose Creek will hold a mail-ballot special election on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, to fill the city council seat vacated by Bobbie Greenlee, and the council approved a slate of routine administrative measures at its March 3 meeting. The mayor read a prepared statement from City Attorney Sam Ketchum describing the election and related notices.

"As Mayor of Rose Creek, I’d like to note that the City will be holding a special election on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. The special election will fill a vacancy for the city council seat previously held by Councilmember Bobbie Greenlee. The term for the council seat expires in January 2027. The election will be held by mail ballot voting and administered by the Mower County Auditor-Treasurer’s Office," Mayor Andrew Leisen read from the attorney-prepared statement.

The announcement matters because the vote will fill a council term that runs through January 2027 and will be conducted by mail under procedures from the Mower County Auditor-Treasurer’s Office; notification documents were included in the meeting packet. Approximately 13 residents attended the meeting, which opened at 6:01 p.m. and adjourned at 6:54 p.m.

The council passed several motions by voice vote, with approvals recorded by the mayor rather than a roll-call tally. Actions approved included a one-year renewal of the Creek Club’s liquor license for $75, the authorization to pay all invoices/claims/payroll, and a one-time waiver of the $50 late fee for water and wastewater delinquent accounts for the fourth quarter of 2024 after customers reported not receiving bills by mail. In addition, Clerk/Treasurer Kristine Allas was directed to research quotes for a new siren after council members reported repeated cutting of siren cabling, and the council asked Simplified Technology Solutions for an estimate on two laptops (including one for Public Works) with recording capability.

Citizen comments included a handout from resident Sheryl Taylor estimating attorney-fee expenditures since May 2021 and a statement from Wendy Nelson that someone distributed a campaign flyer using her name and Postal Service job without her permission; Nelson said she feared a Hatch Act violation could affect her Postmaster employment. The council said it had no responsibility for the flyer at that time.

Votes at a glance: the council recorded motions and approvals by voice during the meeting as follows: approval of the agenda (motion by Mark Conradt, seconded by Andrew Felten; approved), approval of minutes for Feb. 3, 2025 (motion by Mark Conradt, seconded by Andrew Felten; approved), renewal of the Creek Club liquor license for 2025 at $75 (motion by Andrew Felten, seconded by Mark Conradt; approved), authorization to seek quotes for a new siren (motion by Andrew Felten, seconded by Wendel Sprung; approved), approval to pay invoices/claims/payroll (motion by Wendel Sprung, seconded by Andrew Felten; approved), and a one-time waiver of $50 late fees for fourth-quarter 2024 water/wastewater billing (motion by Andrew Felten, seconded by Mark Conradt; approved). The meeting minutes record approvals as "approved by Mayor Andrew Leisen" rather than showing a roll-call tally.

The city clerk will follow up on the MnDOT traffic-safety options discussed during the meeting and will return findings at the April meeting; the Mower County Auditor-Treasurer’s Office will administer the special election by mail.