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Red Lake Falls council reorganizes for 2026, approves personnel changes and facility fees
Summary
At its Jan. 5 meeting the Red Lake Falls City Council nominated a vice mayor, approved routine administrative appointments and depositories, increased allowable vacation carryover, set a $50 fee for private gym lessons and voted to close the arena when schools close for inclement weather.
Red Lake Falls City Council met Jan. 5, 2026, in the Council Chambers and completed its annual organizational and housekeeping actions for the year, approved a personnel-policy change raising allowable vacation carryover, set new fees for private gym lessons and voted to close the arena when area schools are closed for inclement weather.
Mayor Allen Bertilrud presided over the meeting. Councilmember John Kleven moved, and Councilmember Joyce Kalbakdalen seconded, the nomination of Councilmember Neil Knaack to serve as vice mayor for 2026; the council confirmed the nomination unanimously. The council also approved the list of 2026 signature-card designees (Kathleen Schmitz, Mayor Allen Bertilrud, Jane Thibert and Neil Knaack) and designated the Red Lake County Gazette as the city’s official newspaper for legal notices.
On financial housekeeping, the council approved its list of 2026 official depositories — Unity Bank/ICS Sweep/CDRS/LPL (Ceterais), Red Lake Co-op Federal Credit Union and Dakota Heritage Bank/ICS Sweep/CDRS/LPL (Ceterais) — and approved a slate of possible city attorneys for 2026, including Delray Sparby or Nathan Haase of Ihle, Sparby & Haase, PA; Tanner Holten of Harbott, Knutson, Larson & Holten; and Elisa Hatlevig of Jordain, Logan & O’Brien.
The council adopted several personnel and operational changes. By unanimous vote it increased the amount of vacation hours an employee may carry over from 160 to 200 hours for the coming year. Council records show a separate motion to close the arena when local schools are closed for inclement weather passed with one dissent from Councilmember John Kleven. The council also approved charging $50 per three-hour session for private lessons in the gymnasium; that motion passed with Kleven recorded as opposed.
The meeting’s consent agenda — approved unanimously — included approval of December minutes (with a spelling correction made to the name Hufnagle), bills and disbursements, the 2026 council meeting schedule (second and fourth Monday of each month unless a holiday requires moving to the following Wednesday), Resolution #01-01-2026 establishing an Identity Theft Prevention Program, and the city’s Conflict-of-Interest Policy.
Councilmember Kleven noted he will attend council meetings via interactive technology during February and March 2026. The council adjourned to a work session scheduled for 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, and the regular meeting formally adjourned at 7:09 p.m.
Votes at a glance: • Nomination of Neil Knaack as vice mayor for 2026 — moved by John Kleven; second Joyce Kalbakdalen; outcome: approved unanimously. • Signature-card designees (Kathleen Schmitz, Allen Bertilrud, Jane Thibert, Neil Knaack) — moved by Cheryl Matzke; second Kyle Thibert; outcome: approved unanimously. • Designate Red Lake County Gazette as official newspaper — moved by Joyce Kalbakdalen; second Jane Thibert; outcome: approved. • Approve 2026 official depositories — outcome: approved. • Approve slate of 2026 city attorneys — outcome: approved. • Approve 2026 council committee assignments — outcome: approved unanimously. • Increase vacation carryover from 160 to 200 hours — outcome: approved unanimously. • Close arena when school is closed for inclement weather — moved by Neil Knaack; second Cheryl Matzke; outcome: approved (Kleven opposed). • Charge $50 per three-hour session for private lessons in the gymnasium — moved by John Kleven; outcome: approved (Kleven opposed). • Resolution #01-01-2026 (Identity Theft Prevention Program) and Conflict-of-Interest Policy — approved (consent agenda).
The council’s published minutes note that the document is a summary and that the full minutes are available for public inspection at City Hall or by mail/electronic request.
