CITY OF CLAREMONT
CITY COUNCIL
MEETING
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2026
7:00 P.M.
Mayor Jared Sultze called the regular City Council meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Roll call was taken with the following council members present: Krystal Sultze, Debbie Ellis, Donna Gregory, and Ethan Johnson.
City staff and others present: City Administrator Elizabeth Sorg, Maintenance Worker Richard Klindworth, City Attorney Mark Rahrick, Bret Nordstrom, Greg Himler, Nicholas Sultze, and Denice Baier.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
AGENDA
Motion by Johnson to approve the agenda, second by Ellis. Motion carried unanimously.
PUBLIC INPUT
Council Member Gregory addressed comments that had been made about her attendance at a conference, specifically regarding criticism about "bouncing from session to session." She explained that various factors could affect attendance patterns, including medical challenges such as cancer medication, traumatic brain injury, migraines, sensitivity to fluorescent lighting, etc. She questioned whether monitoring another attendee's behavior was appropriate and noted that different people have different learning processes. Gregory concluded by saying her mother was wise in teaching to "stay still and consider the source."
Denice Baier raised several concerns, asking why there was no discussion on new business items and stating that everything appeared to be settled beforehand. She stated the curfew siren has been going off at the wrong time. Baier expressed frustration that citizens were afraid to speak due to perceived retaliation from the council, referencing anonymous letters. She concluded by suggesting the city's checkbook should be "closed and locked away." City Administrator Sorg noted that she has contacted someone about fixing the siren.
Bret Nordstrom brought up the baseball field rental fees, noting that while casual use was first-come-first-serve, organized tournaments sometimes required payment for field preparation. He saw that the fee schedule didn't include specifics about official field reservations and wondered about the process and costs for youth organizations wanting to reserve the field.
APPROVE THE
CONSENT AGENDA
The consent agenda included approval of the minutes of the March 3, 2026 Regular and Special City Council Meetings, Resolution No. 26-06, 26-07, and 26-08: Resolutions Expressing Acceptance and Appreciation of Donations, and a CD renewal. Motion by Ellis to approve the Consent Agenda, second by K. Sultze. Motion carried unanimously.
2025 AUDIT
Kelsey Groskreutz with Abdo presented the 2025 audit. The city received an adverse opinion under GAAP and a qualified opinion under the regulatory basis of accounting due to the city being on a cash basis, which is acceptable under Minnesota state requirements. There were no instances of noncompliance this year, removing a previous finding related to contracting requirements. The audit identified three internal control findings common for cities of Claremont's size: preparation of financial statements, segregation of duties, and material audit adjustments. Groskreutz noted these are typical and often not cost-effective to address through additional staffing. Key recommendations included reviewing water and sewer rates, as enterprise operations are not sufficient to cover current debt payments, though the tax levy covers shortfalls. The auditor recommended considering a rate study analysis to ensure rates are sufficient for future years without relying on tax levies. The general fund showed a significant increase due to a prior period adjustment for accrued interest from a TIF fund advance. However, she cautioned that this increase does not represent fully collectible funds for spending purposes. Tax rates have decreased over the past three years and are becoming more comparable to other cities of similar size and cities in Dodge County. The auditor noted this as positive progress.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Finance Committee
Motion by Johnson to approve the financial reports and payment of bills, second by K. Sultze. Motion carried unanimously.
Parks Committee
The Henning Park workshop is scheduled for April 20th. Gregory asked about the 3 playground items that were bought last year. Mayor Sultze explained they are waiting for decisions about installation locations at Henning Park. Council members noted the importance of having a comprehensive plan before installation to avoid future relocations.
Personnel Committee
Nothing at this time.
Planning and Zoning Committee
Nothing at this time.
Public Health & Safety Committee
Nothing at this time.
EDA
Nothing at this time.
City Engineer
Nothing at this time.
City Administrator
Sorg reported on several items: Skjeveland Enterprises donated $518.75 for garbage pickup from the fire department breakfast.
Corey's Outdoor Services gave a 7% discount if the bill was paid in full saving $213.59. It was in the list of bills to be paid this month.
Also included in the bills was payment for her attendance at the League of MN Cities Conference in June.
Reminders about the Board of Appeals and Equalization on April 20th at 2:30 p.m. and the Parks Workshop that evening at 7:00 p.m.
The 2016 Ford truck sold for $6,275 minus a 6% auction site fee of $367.50.
She will be having surgery on April 21st, trying to return by Monday, April 27, depending on recovery.
City Attorney Mark Rahrick
The attorney indicated he would address items coming up on the agenda.
OLD BUSINESS
Media in the Water Filter System
Administrator Sorg reported that the media test results will not be available until Thursday.
MN Energy Resources
Ordinance Renewal
City Attorney Rahrick presented a draft ordinance based on the League of Minnesota Cities template rather than Minnesota Energy's proposed ordinance. Key differences include requiring Minnesota Energy to pay the cost for ordinance publication, obtain permits before working in right-of-ways, restore right-of-ways after work, provide mapping information, and maintain insurance and indemnification requirements. Section 8 addresses franchise fees, which the city can implement through a separate ordinance at any time during the 25-year term. The attorney recommended having this conversation now if the city intends to pursue franchise fees, noting that Sorg is still waiting for information from Minnesota Energy. Discussion included concerns about the old utility poles throughout the city. Mayor Sultze explained that the power company will remove old poles once other utilities move their equipment to the new poles, but getting compliance from cable and phone companies has been challenging. The city has contacted Frontier and other providers, with mixed results. The council agreed to proceed with submitting the draft ordinance to Minnesota Energy for their review.
Premises Use Policy
City Attorney Rahrick presented a draft policy for renting the city hall meeting space, emphasizing it was a rough draft for council discussion. The policy included blanks for items like deposits, scheduling restrictions, and terms of use. Council discussion focused on limiting rentals to events open to the public rather than private parties like birthday parties or wedding showers. The reasoning was to encourage community engagement while reducing liability risks and potential damages. Concerns were raised about insurance coverage, maximum occupancy requirements, and the logistics of building access and security. Additional considerations included prohibiting alcohol, establishing cleanup responsibilities before and after, and investigating whether a keypad lock system could manage access. The council also discussed the insurance deductible of $500 for potential damages. The council agreed to have Sorg research maximum occupancy requirements and insurance implications before bringing the policy back for further discussion.
Greg Himler's Request for Meters in Apartment Building
Greg Himler presented his request to address water billing for his 21-unit apartment building, which currently has only two meters but is charged as if each unit had individual meters. He proposed two options: installing individual meters for each apartment (with city assistance on costs) or changing the billing structure to charge based on actual meters rather than per living unit. Himler explained his concerns about tenants having no accountability for water usage, which creates financial risk for him as the property owner. He noted that most other cities charge based on actual meters rather than occupancy. Council and staff explained that the current billing structure was established years ago to address water and sewer fund deficits. When the building was converted from a school to apartments, the developer chose to pay per-unit fees rather than install individual meters throughout the building. City staff clarified that if Himler chose to install individual meters, he would be responsible for all plumbing modifications, shutoff valves, and other associated costs. Extensive discussion covered the complexities of the current billing system, comparisons to other cities, and the financial implications for both the property owner and the city. The council agreed to investigate billing practices in comparable cities before making any decisions about changing the current structure.
NEW BUSINESS
Council Member Gregory's City Day on the
Hill Report
Council Member Gregory offered to provide either a full reading of her detailed conference report or a summary for the city newsletter. The council agreed to have her prepare a summary for the newsletter, similar to previous conference reports, with a deadline of April 27th for newsletter inclusion.
Approve Resolution No. 26-08: Resolution of 2026 Fees
City Administrator Sorg noted that administrative fines were added to the fee schedule, which had been inadvertently omitted from previous versions. Motion by K. Sultze to approve Resolution No. 26-08: Resolution of 2026 Fees, second by Ellis. Motion carried unanimously.
Enforcement of
Ordinances
City Hall received 2 letters asking why the city isn’t enforcing city ordinances regarding violations, specifically unkept yards and unlicensed vehicles. City Attorney Rahrick outlined the typical stages of ordinance enforcement for small cities: starting with letters from the city administrator or attorney, progressing to public hearings with potential fines that can be assessed against property, and ultimately court action for persistent violators. He noted that enforcement is generally a thankless job, can be time consuming, and recommended either waiting for complaints or establishing a committee to identify violations. Discussion included options for systematic enforcement, such as hiring an intern for summer code enforcement (estimated at $18-$22 per hour based on other cities' experience) or forming a committee of council members and citizens. The challenges of having city staff perform enforcement duties were noted, as this can create perceptions of discrimination or favoritism. Council members expressed interest in getting more information about intern possibilities and costs, while also considering how the upcoming city cleanup might address some current issues.
Class D Water Operator
City Administrator Sorg congratulated Richard Klindworth for passing his Class D water certification exam. She noted he can test for Class C certification in one year, which would eventually allow the city to discontinue contracting with McDermott, saving approximately $1,000 per month. Council Member K. Sultze noted that the city previously provided $1 per hour wage increases for employees who obtained higher certifications. Motion by K. Sultze to approve a $1 per hour wage increase for Richard Klindworth for obtaining his Class D water operator license, second by Johnson. Ayes: K. Sultze, Johnson, Ellis, and Mayor Sultze. Nay: Gregory. Motion carried.
FINAL WORD
Greg Himler returned to suggest that the city consider implementing a policy similar to other cities that provide one-time annual relief for customers who experience catastrophic water leaks they weren't aware of, such as averaging their typical usage to reduce unexpected high bills. Sorg explained that the city already has some leak adjustment policies, particularly for sewer charges when water doesn't enter the sewer system, and that she can monitor for unusual usage patterns through their meter reading system.
ADJOURN
Motion by Ellis to adjourn at 8:57 p.m., second by K. Sultze. Motion carried unanimously.
ATTEST:
Elizabeth Sorg, City AdministratorJared Sultze, Mayor
