9-15-25 REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Unofficial Pembina Council Meeting Minutes for September 15, 2025
Date: Monday, September 15, 2025, 6pm
Location: Professional Building
Council Members Present: Mayor Fitzgerald, Flores (late arrived 6:03pm), Norby, Needham, Carattini, A Huttunen; Absent: Snitker
Guests: T Stoiber, City Auditor; R Fleming, City Attorney; Phil Hall; Ben Kneeshaw; Ted Symington
Public Portion called to order 6pm by Mayor Fitzgerald.
Phil Hall re-iterated 2nd Street needs to be resurfaced.
Public Portion closed at 6:02pm by Mayor Fitzgerald.
Regular Council Meeting Called to order at 6:02pm.
Changesto Agenda—motion by Needhamr, 2nd by Carattini to accept changes to agenda; all ayes; motion carries.
· Approval/Changesto July 21 and August 6, 2025, MeetingMinutes—motion by A Huttunen, 2nd by Needham to accept minutes; all ayes; motion carries.
o Valley Landfill abilities A Huttunen tabled to next month
o (Gastrak contingent approval for liquor license) 2md reading to add additional offsale license—motion by Norby to approve adding 1 additional offsale license; no 2nd; motion dies; Motion by Flores, 2nd by Norby to approve 2nd reading of one additional offsale liquor license; role call vote: ayes: Needham, Carattini, Flores, Ken; nays: A Huttunen; motion carries. Stoiber to contact Gastrak to have them fill out application for liquor license and submit fees.
o Rear wall of Professional Building has been repaired—need to put in flooring & cove base cost of $662.08 with refund from Menard’s plus will get another refund.
o Rec Board – minutes & preliminary budget attached; A Huttunen made motion, 2nd by Needham to authorize Rec Board to apply for self-help grant to help pay for playground equipment installation. All ayes, motion carries.
o Ice Rink—no meeting
o Cemetery—minutes attached—need someone to do minutes, fund raising, etc.; re-organizing
o Library—no meeting;
- Professional Building—no meeting
- Daycare Committee—no meeting
- EmployeesReport/Concerns
o Koropatnicki absent—JR Wastewater will be scoping and televising sewer lines and sending to USACE
- Fire Department—Oct 22 baked potato fundraiser 4:30pm
- Engineer report—2 page questionnaire to help fund Pre-Engineering Reports for lagoon due by 10/31/25; searching grants for lagoon project; looked at water tower, barricades are possible but not necessary as it would take a lot of speed and large vehicle to damage legs;
o 1% Special Sales Tax amount to support children’s activities/sports through Ice Rink-Golf Course-Rec Board and support ambulance & fire department ballot wording—will be reworked and brought to council in October to put on Ballot in March 2026
o Chickens in Pembina? Second readiing of proposed ordinance change tabled
o DFA Condemnation proceedings—spoke w David Taney; pushing forward to have building either taken down or upraded;
o Golf Carts/Electric Scooters on City Streets—sample ordinance given to Council to look at and bring to next meeting with comments—tabled to next meeting
o Bill from CPA Harold Rotunda—Stoiber brought to attention and provided evidence of prior payments; Rotunda trying to back charge plus interest; cannot charge interest as this is first bill received in years; Fleming to send letter stating request for proof of work done and non-payment; will decide whether or not this is legitimate
o Explained to Carattini that being on Professional Buildings and FPHS caused conflict of interest and FPHS needs to charge market value for rents (rents support fundraising efforts)
· Update&Business: Mayor Fitzgerald
o Augst 2025Bills& Financials—Motion by Needham, 2nd by Carattini to approve; ayes by Needham, Carattini, Flores, Norby; Nay by A Huttunen; motion carries
o Delinquent Accounts Update:
o Water/Sewer/Lagoon rates—losing $, people with no or minimal usage do not pay Lagoon fees; sewer is in the hole due to low revenues compared to costs (all expenses weren’t accounted for in the past when calculating what the charges should be); water is losing $ because wages weren’t allocated correctly and all expense for running water weren’t accounted for.
o People not paying for staying at campgrounds or not paying correctly—software investigation tabled
o Building Permits: 700 W Stutsman St—motion to approve by Needham, 2nd by Carattini, all ayes, motion carries; 125 S Cavalier St—motion to approve by Needham, 2nd by A Huttunen—Carattini abstained; all ayes, motion carries; 375 S 3rd St—Motion by A Huttunen, 2nd by Flores to approve; all ayes, motion carries;.172 W Stutsman motion by A Huttunen, 2nd by Flores, all ayes, motion carries; 273 Montraille St motion by A Huttunen, 2nd by Flores to approve, all ayes, motion carries.
o Gaming Permit: Rec Board/Ice Rink Committee—since they are city entities, they cannot get permit, need to get a sponsor who is 501c3 (4th of July Committee?); If they don’t charge, they don’t need to get permit; can’t do free will donations at Bingo area, needs to be free, and can give out cash prizes or whatever, so long as they don’t charge.
o Complaint from citizen at 271 N 6th St about uncut grass on vacant lot—Stoiber contacted 2 potential entities and problem has been resolved.
o Norby discussed City owned propane tanks—who is responsible for repairs—other companies who take over propane tanks take care of repairs and maintenance Motion by A Huttunen to get bids for new propane supplier, 2nd by Flores; Ayes: A Huttunen, Carattini, Flores, Norby; Nays: Needham; motion carries.
Motion to adjourn at 7:11pm by Carattini
By: Mayor Fitzgerald
Attested to Stoiber, City Auditor
The next regular City Council Meeting will be held on October 20, 2025, 6pm at the Professional Building