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Rolla council approves Ottertail streetlight replacements, three city grants and routine business
Summary
At its April 15 meeting, the Rolla City Council approved an Ottertail Power Company agreement to replace 23 streetlights, awarded three City Sales Tax grants totaling $27,500, and passed a package of routine motions including a land-lease award, daycare parking signs, and hiring a cemetery caretaker.
Mayor Kevin Juntunen called the Rolla City Council to order on April 15, 2026, and opened the meeting by highlighting City Government Week activities at Mt Pleasant School and congratulating essay contest winners Marshal Jeannotte and Aria Parslow. “Seeing our young people engage with local government … gives me great hope for the future of our community,” Juntunen said.
The council approved the meeting agenda — with the addition of an item on Ottertail Street lighting — and the consent agenda before moving through routine business and committee reports. Auditor Tara McDougall presented a vendor and check list that the minutes report totaled $210,415.03 and noted she reinvested CD #5417 for four months at a 3.12% interest rate.
On substantive actions, the council voted to adopt the Turtle Mountain Tourism Alliance Charter after a quarterly update from JDA Director Rebekah Bryant and JDA President Dawn Fitzgerald. The council also approved a series of grant awards recommended by the City Sales Tax Committee: $7,500 to the Rolla Archery Club, $10,000 to the City of Rolla, and $10,000 to the Mt Pleasant School Playground Committee. The minutes record Councilmember Willie Fritz voting “Nay” on the Mt Pleasant School Playground grant while other members voted “Aye”; the minutes also contain a contradictory line stating the motion “carried unanimously.”
Council members accepted a single land-lease bid for 64 crop acres in SW 21-162-69 from Dillon Slaubaugh at $42.00 per acre for three years. They approved reserved parking signs with designated hours at Home Sweet Home Daycare after a request from resident Diana Juntunen, approved a one-year extension on two building permits from Booth Inc., and hired Tory Danielson as cemetery caretaker for 2026.
In infrastructure business, the council authorized up to $10,000 for curb and street painting to be spent at the discretion of Public Works Director Cliff Rush. Most prominently, on a motion by Paul Frydenlund seconded by Clarence Booth the council approved an Agreement for Purchase, Installation and Operation & maintenance of Outdoor Lighting Facilities with Ottertail Power Company to replace 23 streetlights in town; the minutes record all members voting “Aye.”
Other procedural and committee items included committee reports (administrative, police, public works, forestry), approval of a 3% salary increase for Lisa Tackett (administrative committee recommendation), and routine finance motions. The meeting adjourned at 7:44 p.m.
Votes at a glance: - Approve agenda (added Ottertail lighting): motion Frydenlund/Albert — recorded vote: Mayor Kevin Juntunen (Aye), Alex Albert (Aye), Clarence Booth (Aye), Willie Fritz (Aye), Paul Frydenlund (Aye), Damond Schemmel (Aye), Deanna Counts (Aye) — outcome: approved. - Consent agenda: motion Albert/Schemmel — recorded as all Aye — outcome: approved. - Adopt Turtle Mountain Tourism Alliance Charter: motion Frydenlund/Schemmel — recorded all Aye — outcome: approved. - Rolla Archery Club grant $7,500: motion Schemmel/Booth — recorded all Aye — outcome: approved. - City of Rolla grant $10,000: motion Frydenlund/Booth — recorded all Aye — outcome: approved. - Mt Pleasant School Playground grant $10,000: motion Frydenlund/Counts — recorded votes: Fritz (Nay), Booth (Aye), Counts (Aye), Albert (Aye), Frydenlund (Aye), Schemmel (Aye), Mayor Juntunen (Aye) — outcome: approved (minutes also state “carried unanimously,” which conflicts with the recorded Nay). - Land-lease award (64 acres) to Dillon Slaubaugh $42/acre for 3 years: motion Albert/Frydenlund — recorded all Aye — outcome: approved. - Home Sweet Home Daycare reserved parking signage: motion Frydenlund/Fritz — recorded all Aye — outcome: approved. - Building permit one-year extensions (Booth Inc., Permit #2023-2 & #2024-3): motion Albert/Frydenlund — recorded all Aye — outcome: approved. - Hire cemetery caretaker (Tory Danielson) for 2026: motion Fritz/Booth — recorded all Aye — outcome: approved. - Revitalize Rolla gaming site authorization for Mulligans on Main (7/1/2026–6/30/2027): motion Frydenlund/Albert — recorded all Aye — outcome: approved. - Authorize up to $10,000 for curb & street painting (Cliff Rush discretion): motion Schemmel/Booth — recorded all Aye — outcome: approved. - Ottertail Power streetlight replacement agreement (23 lights): motion Frydenlund/Booth — recorded all Aye — outcome: approved.
The council did not receive any public comments during the meeting. The next procedural step noted in the minutes is the routine handling of administrative follow-ups by staff and affected committees.
