Little Canada Council appoints Nick Schwalbach, receives clean audit and adopts new brand guide

At its May 27 meeting the Little Canada City Council appointed Nick Schwalbach to fill a council vacancy, accepted the City’s 2025 financial audit, and approved a new brand style guide.

Council adopted Resolution No. 2026-5-65 to appoint Nick Schwalbach after the City Administrator recapped the applicant review process; the City Clerk administered the Oath of Office and Schwalbach took his seat at the dais. The motion was introduced by Malone and seconded by Kwapick; the resolution record shows Ayes (4), Nays (0).

Auditor John Stachel of Abdo presented the 2025 Financial Statement Audit and reported an unmodified (clean) opinion with no instances of noncompliance. He noted one internal control finding related to limited segregation of duties, which he said is common for cities of this size; Stachel reviewed the general fund and other funds and thanked staff for their cooperation.

Assistant City Administrator Laura Linehan presented the updated city logo and brand style guide created with consultant Neuger, incorporating Council suggestions. The Council adopted Resolution No. 2026-5-76 to approve the guide and marked the strategic plan item as completed.

Why it matters: the appointment fills a governing-body vacancy; the clean audit affirms the City’s financial reporting, while the internal control recommendation is a routine governance note for small municipalities. The new brand guide standardizes city communications going forward.

Next steps: Schwalbach serves the remainder of the term; staff will implement the brand guide under direction of the Assistant City Administrator and City Administrator.