The council’s primary focus was the urgent situation at 1020 9th Street. The building’s foundation had collapsed following a recent heavy rain, making it unsafe for occupancy. The family living there had already been evacuated. Attorney Nelson explained the complexities of the situation, noting that the property’s owners, an LLC based in Colorado, were difficult to serve due to their registered address not being a physical location. Despite attempts to serve them by publication and certified mail, the council decided to expedite the process. They planned to file for demolition on October 4th, rather than waiting for the full 60-day correction period initially given.

Three bids for the demolition work were received and opened during the meeting. The lowest bid, $8,899 from Travis Thompson, was accepted by the council. This swift action was deemed necessary to prevent any further risk to public safety.

Following the demolition discussion, the council turned its attention to the 2025 preliminary budget and levy. The city staff, led by Emma, provided an overview of the budget process, which began in mid-July. The initial draft projected a 14.99% levy increase, but through various adjustments, including reallocations and funding cuts, the figure was reduced to 8%.

One significant adjustment was a reduction in funding for the local airport. The airport had requested an additional $129,000 over its 2024 appropriation, but the council decided to reduce this by nearly $200,000 to mitigate the levy increase. Despite this cut, the airport would still receive over $281,000 in funding under the current budget proposal.

The resolution to adopt the 8% levy increase and set the public input meeting for December 2nd passed unanimously. The council members and staff expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts that made the budget adjustments possible.