What happened
- Special meeting called to order at 6:09 p.m.; adjourned 8:06 p.m.
- Mary Bailey was the only council member absent; nine township representatives attended
- 2024 township fire contracts based on a 51% city / 49% township split of the fire operating budget
- Each township's share allocated by the number of sections covered by the Fire Department
- Assistant Fire Chief Ehrich explained the increase in the 2024 fire budget and took questions
- Truth in Taxation hearing held on the proposed 2024 budget and levy; maximum levy approved in September was 8%
- No citizens attended the budget and levy discussion
- Police Chief Sjoblom said officer wages must increase to stay competitive with neighboring communities and the County
- Five Mankato State University graduate students presented a Depot Park improvement design emphasizing ADA compliance
- Students noted most park grants require ADA compliance and offered a possible five-year improvement plan
What was asked 13 raised · 2 settled
Every question, assignment, pending figure and unsourced claim from this meeting, quoted from the record, each checked against the county, census, listing, bid and budget data we hold.
John, Duwain England, Larry Madsen, Keith Allen, Steve Johnson, Alan Meyer, and Jeff Traxler Mayor Henke called the special meeting to order at 6:09 pm. 2024 Fire Contract Meeting with Townships Administrator Vahlsing explained that the purpose of meeting was to review the proposed 2024 contracts for fire protection with the six townships in the Kenyon Fire Department service area. The contracts were based on a breakdown of 51% city and 49% township of the operating budget.
Explanation of how the township fire contract amounts were calculated.
The 51% city and 49% township split is confirmed and has held for at least three contract years. The identical formula appears in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 township fire contract meetings, applied to the fire department operating budget. We do not hold the allocation worksheet itself.
12.12.23 Council Packet and Agenda; 12.10.24 Council Packet and Agenda Updated; 12.9.25 Council Agenda and Packet Updated
There are many grants available for park improvements, but most require the park to be ADA compliant before a grant will be rewarded. A possible five-year plan was offered for the improvements.
Presentation of a cost-effective park improvement plan for Depot Park.
At the meetingNo council action on the plan was recorded.
The plan was received but never adopted as a plan. By February 2024 the city described it as a redevelopment plan with a potential five-year phasing that might include a walking trail, a paved sports court and ADA improvements, and by March 2024 the parks board was still prioritizing improvements with a funding plan to follow, alongside a newly formed trail committee. The work that did proceed was piecemeal: shelters funded by a $10,000 SMIF grant, a $7,345 transfer into the Depot Park fund approved February 2024, and a concrete apron and ramp awarded to Lexvold Construction at $9,980 on September 8 2026.
2.13.24 Council Packet and Agenda; 3.12.24 Council Packet Agenda; factbook KENYON_DEPOT_PARK.md and KENYON_BIDS.md · taken up again 2024-03-12
John, Duwain England, Larry Madsen, Keith Allen, Steve Johnson, Alan Meyer, and Jeff Traxler Mayor Henke called the special meeting to order at 6:09 pm. 2024 Fire Contract Meeting with Townships Administrator Vahlsing explained that the purpose of meeting was to review the proposed 2024 contracts for fire protection with the six townships in the Kenyon Fire Department service area.
Special meeting held with township representatives to review 2024 fire contracts.
At the meetingNo approval or signature action was recorded; the contracts were only reviewed and discussed.
No signed 2024 township fire contract and no council action approving them appears in our record. The pattern repeats without an approval step in the minutes we hold, with the same review-only meeting held for the 2025 contracts in December 2024 and the 2026 contracts in December 2025. The executed contracts from the six township boards would settle it.
12.12.23 Council Packet and Agenda; 12.10.24 Council Packet and Agenda Updated; 12.9.25 Council Agenda and Packet Updated
Each township's portion of the budget was split based on the number of sections covered by the Fire Department.
Method for dividing the township 49% share among the six townships.
The method is confirmed across three contract years, with each township's share of the 49% set by the number of sections the fire department covers, but we hold no section counts and no per-township dollar amounts. The township fire contract spreadsheet and billing summary would settle who pays what.
12.12.23 Council Packet and Agenda; 12.10.24 Council Packet and Agenda Updated; 12.9.25 Council Agenda and Packet Updated
Assistant Fire Chief Ehrich summarized what made up the increase to the 2024 budget and answered questions from the Township board members.
Ehrich explained the drivers of the 2024 fire budget increase and took questions from township representatives.
At the meetingEhrich summarized the increase and answered township questions, but no figures were recorded.
No dollar figure for the 2024 fire budget increase appears in our record. The comparable disclosure two years later was specific: the 2026 fire budget rose $1,658.17 over 2025, driven mainly by replacing pagers and radios and by higher property insurance. The 2024 fire department expenditure budget alongside 2023 would settle the earlier increase.
12.9.25 Council Agenda and Packet Updated
Police Chief Sjoblom stated that officer wages needed to be increased to stay competitive with neighboring communities and the County.
Truth in Taxation discussion of the proposed 2024 budget and levy.
At the meetingNo council decision was recorded; there was no further discussion.
No council vote on the wage increase appears in our record, but the mechanism the chief proposed is documented. He sought up to $30 an hour for experienced part-time officers on a $25 to $30 range, paid for by cutting the training line to match actual spending over the prior two years so the budget would not grow, and he asked that the draft budget eliminate the police administrative position and shift that wage into full-time officer pay. The adopted 2024 police budget would show what the council funded.
12.12.23 Council Packet and Agenda
Police Chief Sjoblom stated that officer wages needed to be increased to stay competitive with neighboring communities and the County.
Justification offered for increasing the police budget in 2024.
We hold no wage comparison against neighboring cities or the Goodhue County Sheriff's Department, and our data contains no statewide dataset of police pay or police budget shares, so the competitiveness claim cannot be tested. What we hold is Kenyon's own posted scale from July 28 2026, $33.54 an hour at entry, $38.57 at three to five years and $42.61 at five to ten years, which is the top of the local wage range where other area postings cluster at $16 to $24 an hour. A neighboring-agency pay schedule comparison would settle it.
factbook data/jobs.csv and Minnesota context warning
If his budget could not be increased, he would need to find the money by cutting other items from his current budget.
Contingency stated during the budget and levy discussion.
At the meetingNo direction was given at the meeting.
The offsetting cuts the chief had in mind are on record: reduce the training line to actual spending from the prior two years and eliminate the police administrative position, shifting that wage into full-time officer pay, so that raising part-time wages would not increase the department budget. No council direction on the police budget appears in our record. The pattern recurred in September 2025, when Sjoblom again said he would review his expenses to find cuts against a draft levy that opened at 27.06%.
12.12.23 Council Packet and Agenda; 9-9-25 Council Packet
Public Budget and Levy discussion Administrator Vahlsing stated that this Truth in Taxation meeting was designed for citizens who had questions about the proposed budget and levy for 2024. The maximum levy approved by the Council in September was 8%.
Truth in Taxation hearing at which no citizens appeared and no further discussion occurred.
At the meetingNo citizens attended and no further discussion took place; final levy not adopted at this meeting.
We hold no 2024 levy resolution. The 2024 certified levy can be derived from the next year's figures: the 2025 levy of $1,400,000 was a 9.55% increase, which puts the 2024 certified levy at about $1,277,955. Against that base, an 8% maximum was the lowest announced September ceiling in the four years our record covers. The adopted 2024 budget and levy resolution would confirm the exact figure.
12.12.23 Council Packet and Agenda; factbook taxes/levy.html
Public Budget and Levy discussion Administrator Vahlsing stated that this Truth in Taxation meeting was designed for citizens who had questions about the proposed budget and levy for 2024. The maximum levy approved by the Council in September was 8%.
Stated at the Truth in Taxation portion of the meeting.
We hold no September 2023 preliminary levy resolution, so the 8% cannot be verified directly. The sequence of announced September maximums in our record runs 8% for 2024, 9.55% for 2025 and 9.93% for 2026, the last of which was worked down to a 9.18% final levy, with a further 9.26% preliminary certified for 2027. Every year since 2024 has carried a larger increase than the 8% ceiling announced here.
12.12.23 Council Packet and Agenda; 12.10.24 and 12.9.25 packets; factbook taxes/levy.html
There are many grants available for park improvements, but most require the park to be ADA compliant before a grant will be rewarded.
Recommendation in the Depot Park design presentation.
We hold no park grant program guidelines, so the claim that most awards require ADA compliance first cannot be verified. Our 88-entry set of verified city website and accessibility law covers the federal web accessibility deadline of April 26 2028 for cities under 50,000 and says nothing about park grant eligibility. The city's own February 2024 write-up treated ADA improvements as one candidate improvement among several rather than a precondition. Program rules from the specific grant sources would settle it.
The students presented ADA compliance as a precondition for most grants, while the city's own later description lists ADA improvements as one possible improvement alongside a walking trail and a paved sports court.
2.13.24 Council Packet and Agenda; factbook CITY_WEBSITE_LAWS.md
There are many grants available for park improvements, but most require the park to be ADA compliant before a grant will be rewarded.
Students said many grants exist for park improvements once ADA compliance is met.
No named list of park grant programs with amounts and deadlines appears in our record. Two concrete sources are documented elsewhere in our data: the League of Minnesota Cities Grant Navigator, which gives up to $5,000 per city on a rolling basis against a $500,000 program cap, and the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, which funded the Depot Park shelters at $10,000. The city itself said in February 2024 that a funding plan would likely combine local fundraisers, grants if available, and city funds, with no specific project yet chosen.
factbook GRANTS.md and KENYON_DEPOT_PARK.md; 2.13.24 Council Packet and Agenda
Depot Park Project Design – Mankato State Graduate Design Team Presentation Five Mankato State University graduate students presented their Depot Park project design. Their mission was to create a cost-effective park improvement plan.
The students' mission was to create a cost-effective park improvement plan with a possible five-year schedule.
No phase-by-phase cost estimate for the Depot Park five-year plan appears in our record. The city acknowledged the gap in February 2024, saying it would work with Public Works over the following summer to conduct high-level needs assessments and refine cost estimates. The Depot Park dollars actually committed since are small and project-specific: a $10,000 SMIF shelter grant, a $7,345 fund transfer in February 2024, and $9,980 for a concrete apron and ramp in September 2026.
2.13.24 Council Packet and Agenda; factbook KENYON_DEPOT_PARK.md and KENYON_BIDS.md
Decisions 1 motions
| Motion | Moved / seconded | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Adjourn the meeting at 8:06 p.m | Ryan / Henke | 4-0-0 |
Who did what
| Person | At this meeting |
|---|---|
| Doug Henke Mayor | Called the special meeting to order at 6:09 p.m. and seconded the motion to adjourn |
| Lee Sjolander Council member | Present at the special meeting |
| Kim Helgeson Council member | Present at the special meeting |
| Molly Ryan Council member | Moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:06 p.m. |
| Mary Bailey Council member | Absent |
| Mark Vahlsing City Administrator | Explained the 2024 township fire contracts and the purpose of the Truth in Taxation meeting |
| Holli Gudknecht Administrative Assistant | Recorded and signed the minutes |
| Whitney Kyllo Finance Clerk | Attended the meeting |
| Lee Skillestad Fireman | Attended the meeting |
| Wayne Ehrich Fire Chief / Assistant Fire Chief | Summarized what made up the increase to the 2024 fire budget and answered township questions |
| Sjoblom Police Chief | Said officer wages needed increases to stay competitive or he would cut other budget items |
| Matt Voxland Township representative | Attended the fire contract discussion |
| Sean Bauer Township representative | Attended the fire contract discussion |
| Barb St. John Township representative | Attended the fire contract discussion |
| Duwain England Township representative | Attended the fire contract discussion |
| Larry Madsen Township representative | Attended the fire contract discussion |
| Keith Allen Township representative | Attended the fire contract discussion |
| Steve Johnson Township representative | Attended the fire contract discussion |
| Alan Meyer Township representative | Attended the fire contract discussion |
| Jeff Traxler Township representative | Attended the fire contract discussion |
Organizations named: City of Kenyon, Kenyon Fire Department, Kenyon Police Department, Mankato State University
Said at the meeting
The contracts were based on a breakdown of 51% city and 49% township of the operating budget.
City Administrator Mark Vahlsing · minutes, verbatim
Police Chief Sjoblom stated that officer wages needed to be increased to stay competitive with neighboring communities and the County.
Police Chief Sjoblom · minutes, verbatim
They emphasized that our priority should be to make the park ADA compliant.
Mankato State graduate design team · minutes, verbatim
There are many grants available for park improvements, but most require the park to be ADA compliant before a grant will be rewarded.
Minutes · minutes, verbatim
The minutes
Official minutes as adopted, from 12.12.23 Council Packet and Agenda; text extracted from the PDF.
Council meeting was duly held in the City Council chambers at 6:00 p.m. on the 5th day of December 2023.
- Present
- Mayor Doug Henke, council members, Lee Sjolander, Kim Helgeson, and Molly Ryan
- Absent
- Mary Bailey
- Also present
- City Administrator Mark Vahlsing, Administrative Assistant Holli Gudknecht, Finance Clerk Whitney Kyllo, Fireman Lee Skillestad, Fire Chief Wayne Ehrich, Police Chief Sjoblom Citizens: None Township representatives: Matt Voxland, Sean Bauer, Barb St. John, Duwain England, Larry Madsen, Keith Allen, Steve Johnson, Alan Meyer, and Jeff Traxler
Mayor Henke called the special meeting to order at 6:09 pm.
2024 Fire Contract Meeting with Townships Administrator Vahlsing explained that the purpose of meeting was to review the proposed 2024 contracts for fire protection with the six townships in the Kenyon Fire Department service area. The contracts were based on a breakdown of 51% city and 49% township of the operating budget. Each township's portion of the budget was split based on the number of sections covered by the Fire Department.
Assistant Fire Chief Ehrich summarized what made up the increase to the 2024 budget and answered questions from the Township board members.
Public Budget and Levy discussion
Administrator Vahlsing stated that this Truth in Taxation meeting was designed for citizens who had questions about the proposed budget and levy for 2024. The maximum levy approved by the Council in September was 8%.
Police Chief Sjoblom stated that officer wages needed to be increased to stay competitive with neighboring communities and the County. If his budget could not be increased, he would need to find the money by cutting other items from his current budget.
No citizens attended the meeting. There was no further discussion.
Depot Park Project Design – Mankato State Graduate Design Team Presentation
Five Mankato State University graduate students presented their Depot Park project design. Their mission was to create a cost-effective park improvement plan. They emphasized that our priority should be to make the park ADA compliant. There are many grants available for park improvements, but most require the park to be ADA compliant before a grant will be rewarded. A possible five-year plan was offered for the improvements.
Motion by Ryan second by Henke to adjourn the meeting at 8:06 p.m.
Motion carried 4-0-0Holli Gudknecht, Administrative Assistant Douglas Henke, Mayor
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a City