By Mani Souphom – R & J Broadcasting | October 14, 2025 

BAUDETTE, Minn. – On Monday, Oct. 13, the Baudette City Council held its regular monthly meeting. Mayor Dylan Hancharyk presided over council members Cole Nelson and Liz Weigel, with City Clerk and Treasurer Tina Rennemo also present. The council approved a VMC Management contract for a Verizon tower project before hearing from the public forum and receiving departmental updates on ongoing projects and necessary expenditures.

Mike Hirst of the Water Conservation District provided an update on Watershed funding, which is received every two years in the amount of $525,000. He outlined ongoing projects focused on stormwater management, shoreline erosion control, and invasive species removal, including buckthorn mitigation within the city. Half of the current funding cycle is dedicated to shoreline restoration and buckthorn management. Hirst also discussed best practices for reducing chloride use, potential transitions to liquid alternatives, and collaboration with landowners and public entities on larger conservation projects. City Clerk Rennemo noted that funds are also available for Emerald Ash Borer mitigation to diversify local tree populations, but the deadline was approaching soon.

Mayor Hancharyk thanked Hirst for these updates, and Hirst stated that it would be possible to visit and provide the city with more frequency in the future.

Tessa Strohl of the Fireworks Committee continued in the public forum, reporting plans to send $20,000 to Pyrotechnics by the end of November, with an additional $5,000 donated by the Lake of the Woods Drifters. She requested the city contribute to the 2026 fireworks fund, noting that $12,000 was spent to automate the show’s firing system, which previously required manual ignition from boats. Last year, the city donated $7,500, while the county and Drifters each contributed $5,000. Mayor Dylan Hancharyk introduced a motion for the city to donate $5,000 toward the 2026 display, which was approved by the council.

Following Strohl, Lake of the Woods Public School’s new superintendent, Scott Fitzsimonds, introduced himself to the council, noting his 26 years of experience in education and administration. He discussed the school’s aging facilities and a proposed $5 million bond set for a Nov. 4 vote to fund building repairs, bus replacements, and technology upgrades. Fitzsimonds also addressed traffic safety improvements, including a roundabout for preschool drop-offs, permanent barriers to separate parking and activity areas, and potential rerouting of bus pick-ups to enhance flow and safety. He expressed interest in strengthening collaboration between the school and the city.

The final item of the public forum was the Rex Hotel, which has been offered to the city by its current owner in exchange for forgiveness of $19,000 in back property taxes. Council members noted the building has water damage, broken windows and doors, and a significant amount of debris, though some remodeling has begun. Ed Sharpington expressed interest in restoring the property to a motel, and council members agreed further discussion and review are needed before any decisions are made.

Transitioning to departmental updates, Kelli Pelland, library director, reported 5,500 visitors in the past nine months and highlighted upcoming programs, including an international folk music event on Oct. 16 and a timber history presentation on Oct. 29. She noted the library received an ALS grant to add a cottage and has costumes on display, while two library board terms are ending in 2025. 

Zoning Administrator Tom Eaton provided zoning updates, including billboard inquiries and complaints about feral cats and noise. He said the city is working to contact billboard owners to determine future plans for the signage. Eaton also stated the Humane Society is working on a potential trap-neuter-release program, which involves notifying residents one to two days ahead of trapping, holding animals for one to two days until a vet can neuter them, ear-clipping and tagging before release, and complying with state laws requiring a five to ten day holding period for animals that have bitten someone. The city also considered plans to have an animal control officer, and a Humane Society representative can attend the next work session to discuss handling and holding concerns.

Erica Anderson provided liquor store updates, including weekly reports, upcoming evaluations, and ongoing POS system paperwork.

Much of the budget discussion focused on Parks and Recreation updates and their impact on the city. Utility Superintendent Greg Johnson reported that sewer and water work has begun at the splash pad, with adjustments needed to bathroom size, stall numbers, and the surrounding cement slab for handicap accessibility. The council also reviewed equipment needs, including replacing the city’s 1997 grader, which is critical for snow removal, and several overdue pickups, with options to lease, buy, or explore used equipment. A new grader would cost the city $415,000; if a trade was accepted, the cost would be reduced to $361,000, but the city has only until the end of the month to make a decision on this equipment purchase or lease at the current price.

Major street and pond repairs were addressed, including multiple water breaks on 4th Ave NW and 1st St NW, with costs estimated at $1.02 million, and pond valve and pump replacements around $100,000. Council members approved moving forward with the sewer work, including the pond valve replacements, while emphasizing careful budget planning given the city’s financial constraints.

City Councilman Cole Nelson spoke on how the city is addressing some of the expenses the city and its residents would face in the coming year:

A contentious discussion took place regarding potential cuts to service from the Lake of the Woods County Sheriff’s Department. The department took over the city’s law enforcement contract after the Baudette Police Department was dissolved in December 2018, but due to coverage and budget concerns, the council is considering changes. Sheriff Gary Fish defended the current contract, saying, “From 2023 to the present, or a week or so ago, 6,048 calls for service… almost 47% of calls from the city. You cannot tell me you aren’t getting police coverage in the city.” Mayor Dylan Hancharyk disagreed, citing a case where no public notice was issued for almost six hours while an escaped criminal was on the loose, and criticized gaps in ordinance enforcement.

Council members raised concerns about traffic enforcement and miscellaneous complaints. Hancharyk noted, “Speed trackers, signage people are ignoring… I know you guys don’t have an easy job,” while Tom Eaton added, “A lot of calls I get… what you might consider miscellaneous or minor; proactive presence would be helpful. I hear about them all but don’t see anyone writing tickets.”

Fish responded that deputies patrol nightly and that enforcement decisions are not dictated by the council, stating, “Police presence IS proactive. Everyone wants me to work traffic until it affects them… I could write traffic tickets in the city all day long but I’m not going to.”

The council discussed the possibility of reducing the city’s law enforcement budget by roughly 50% due to financial constraints. Hancharyk acknowledged the tough decision, saying, “We are in a budget crisis… bottom line is, we’re looking at what we can get for about half the cost.” Fish emphasized the need to coordinate with the county on any changes, adding, “If a citizen has a complaint, then bring it to me.” Councilman Cole Nelson made a statement regarding the proposed cuts to the law enforcement contract in the city:

For residents concerned about safety if there were a lower law enforcement presence in the city, Nelson had this to say:

Councilman Nelson also noted that while the city had experienced an unprecedented 18 years of little to no tax increases, the last seven years have seen record rises due to inflation. He cautioned that, although the city is working to keep taxes low for residents, cutting taxes while balancing the budget may not be realistic. The council is actively reviewing spending, prioritizing critical projects, and considering reductions in certain services to manage the city’s finances. “I think that there will be much more information coming out in the coming month in regards to the topics we discussed last night. We already had a bit of a flurry of action this morning. Therefore, I think we will have a good opportunity to update listeners the next time around,” he said. The council also approved two donations to the local fire department during the meeting, accepting $500 under Resolution 2025-15 and $250 under Resolution 2025-16.

The councilman had these final comments on the budget and city priorities:

KQ92 and KRWB will continue to follow the council’s discussions and provide updates as more information becomes available.