July 8th, 2026

CITY OF RANDALL
City Council Meeting
July 8th, 2026
6:00 PM
RANDALL CITY HALL

Call to Order: City Council Meeting called to order by Mayor Wright at 6:00 pm.

Council Members Present:

Mayor Jeffrey Wright
Deputy Mayor Mary Venkse
Clerk Carrie Turner
City Council Member James Chyba
City Council Member Jeff Maciej

Council Members Absent:

Staff Members Present: City Manager Matt Pantzke, Administrative Assistant Kimberly Moffitt

Motioned by Maciej and seconded by Turner to accept the minutes of the June 10th City Council meeting and the June 29th Special Meeting. Motion carried.

Payment of the Bills as presented was motioned by Venske and seconded by Turner. Motion carried.

Guests Present: Dave Reese, Widseth

Donation Requested/Accepted: None

Old Business:
Construction updates - Dave Reese/Matt Pantzke: Sewer and Water line installation has been completed on River Road and East Minnesota Avenue north of CR 104 – still need to place fabric down and get it up to gravel. Minnesota Avenue will be shut down for 6 hours on Friday, July 10th between 4th Street and Brummer. The south side of Minnesota Avenue has been challenging due to wet soil conditions – may need to place rock down prior to completion and bringing it up to gravel. Buried transit pipe continues to be an issue due to the cost of disposal, and plans were modified to avoid some of its removal. Vonco Waste Disposal in Becker has been contacted as a potential disposal site.

Crews are behind schedule due to weather delays, and River Road was more problematic than anticipated. C&L may be pulling one crew for a month due to another project they are working on in Detroit Lakes. Concerns were raised about construction being substantially completed by the end of October. Pantzke is concerned that pulling a crew out would significantly delay progress on Parkview and Little Elk – will be discussed at construction meeting tomorrow. Reese expressed concern regarding asphalt placement, noting that the soil and gravel need time to dry and settle prior to paving. A brief discussion followed regarding the pros and cons of waiting until spring for the second lift of asphalt.

Turner asked about Valley Drive and the lack of progress this week. Reese explained that there is little the city can do, as the work must remain on the contractor’s schedule; otherwise, the city could be held liable for any issues that arise if the contractor’s schedule is changed or rushed.

Despite challenges, Pantzke and Reese are confident the end result will be positive and that workmanship is not the issue; Reese reiterated that the pipe crews are great and doing what they need to do. Reese explained that retainage is a bargaining tool and can be held until the city is satisfied with the end product.

Assessment rolls were discussed with a few changes noted. There will be public hearing on August 5th for people to discuss concerns and be informed about the assessment process.

Waterplant: Kurita was on site and did pilot testing. Iron has reduced, but manganese now needs some tweaking – more filter runs and adjustments are planned. Very promising to see that iron came down. A time will be set to start the second trial run.

New Business:
Motioned by Maciej and seconded by Venske to approve Pay App 3 from C&L Excavating. Motion carried.
Motioned by Venske and seconded by Turner to approve Widseth invoice for the Water/Sewer/Streets project. Motion carried.
Motioned by Maciej and seconded by Turner to approve election judges for the primary and general election. Motion carried.
Motioned by Maciej and seconded by Turner to approve repairs to lift station pumps. Motion carried.
Motioned by Turner and seconded by Chyba to approve assessment resolutions 07082026 and 07082026-2. Motion carried.
Motioned by Venske and seconded by Chyba to approve Malt beverage permit for Randall Cushing Area Lions for the St. James Parish Festival. Motion carried.

Council discussed various options regarding the Water/Wastewater Operator position and gap in licensing. According to MDH we have 90 days to find a licensed operator. Pantzke in discussions with PeopleService as well as 2 local operators that are currently licensed and willing to help out. Venske stressed the importance of finding someone that is currently working in the field with current knowledge of water and wastewater operations. Council will have a working session on July 16th to discuss. All agreed it is important to get the job posted in as many forums as possible – Rural Water, League of Minnesota Cities, Indeed, etc.

Motioned by Turner and seconded by Chyba to approve job posting opening for Water/Wastewater Operator. Motion carried.

Planning and Zoning: Motioned by Maciej and seconded by Turner to approve a building permit for David Witucki at 22950 Dove Road for a house and shed, and Ed Heile at 108 Valley Drive for a garage addition. Motion carried.

Delinquent Accounts: Council members reviewed delinquent accounts.

Committee Reports: Staff has been very busy – even more so now that we are short staffed. Everyone has been willing to do whatever they can to get through this project. Will be happy when the project is done with a good finished product. At some point probably need to review comp and PTO payout for Pantzke and Kalis – both putting in a lot of extra hours. Pantzke reminded council members of the upcoming election – Venske, Chyba and Wright are up for re-election.

Mayor Jeff Wright:

Clerk Member Carrie Turner: Commented that she is already seeing improvement in drinking water. Randall Fire Department discussed at the Fire Board Meeting that they will be in need of a new tanker truck within the next 10 years.
Council Member Jim Chyba:
Council Member Jeff Maciej:
Council Member Mary Venske:
Next Regular Council Meeting: August 12th, 2026 at 6:00 PM.

Meeting Adjourned: 7:32