Browerville council receives department reports; discusses paid leave, LGA cut and sewer-credit automation

At its April 9 meeting the Browerville City Council received routine department reports and discussed several administrative issues affecting city operations.

Department reports received included: Liquor Store monthly financials; Public Works reporting on MPCA sulfate limits, treatment costs and work on a variance request; Ambulance services noting a Certificate of Clinical Excellence from the Minnesota Office of Emergency Medical Services for 2024; Fire Department reporting none; and Public Safety reporting from Todd County that traffic stops were down. The council approved the department reports by motion from Joshua Goertz, second by Sue Wiersgalla, unanimous (CU).

Under discussion, council members considered a paid-leave policy scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2026, and whether a portion of leave would be charged to employees; city administrative staff will provide further details as implementation approaches. Council members also noted recently proposed legislation that would reduce Local Government Aid (LGA) by 3%, a development the minutes say was reported late last week. Finally, staff said the city's new utility-billing software cannot automate summer sewer credits; staff will manually apply credits and include them in the annual utility adjustment report.

None of the discussion items resulted in final council action at the April 9 meeting; the minutes record that staff will follow up with details on paid leave and that utility adjustments will be handled manually until an automated option is available.