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Dawson council elects leadership, OKs bank designations, personnel changes and 2026 fee schedule
Summary
At its Jan. 6 meeting the Dawson City Council unanimously approved a slate of organizational actions — electing Jeff Olson council president, adopting 2026 committee assignments, naming official depositories and municipal advisor, and approving personnel policy changes and the 2026 fee schedule.
The Dawson City Council on Jan. 6 elected Councilmember Jeff Olson as council president for 2026 and approved a package of organizational measures including committee assignments, official banking depositories and updates to personnel policy.
Councilman Dean Petersen moved to elect Jeff Olson as council president; Petersen’s motion passed with Councilmembers Vince Adelman, Dean Petersen, Jake Bothun and Jeff Olson recorded voting in favor. David Hansen was absent. The council also approved committee assignments for 2026 (Enterprise, Above Ground Construction, Funding, Employer/Volunteer, Recreation and Growth, Arts and Education) and confirmed Chief Andy Stock as the zoning official with Public Works Superintendent Kurt Collins available for emergencies.
Council approved modifications to the personnel policy that the minutes describe as: overtime eligibility for seasonal and temporary workers, a 15-minute break provision, an unpaid lunch-hour adjustment for employees working between 8 and 6 hours, addition of Minnesota Paid Leave for 2026, and an increase in the compensatory time bank from 70 to 80 hours. Councilman Randy Stafford sponsored the personnel policy motion and Councilman Dean Petersen seconded it; the recorded vote listed Adelman, Petersen, Bothun and Olson in favor and Hansen absent.
The council designated Minnwest Bank, Greater Community Credit Union and Pershing as official depositories for city funds, and approved Ehlers to manage the city’s investment accounts and serve as municipal advisor. Council also designated the Dawson Sentinel as the city’s official newspaper.
Councilman Jake Bothun moved to adopt the city’s 2026 fee schedule, which the council approved with authority to make adjustments during the year. The minutes note routine annual items, including a budgeted annual support payment to JMHS that has been in place since 2010 with annual increases of 1–2%.
The council’s minutes indicate each of the motions passed during the meeting; several motions were recorded as having Adelman, Petersen, Bothun and Olson voting in favor and Hansen absent. No substantive debate or amendments to the measures were recorded in the minutes. The next regular council meeting is scheduled for Jan. 20, 2026 at 5:30 p.m.
