The City Council held a regular meeting on Monday, November 10, 2025.
To view the agenda, and minutes when available, visit the Agenda Center.
To watch the recorded meeting, stream it online or tune in on cable channel 12 (FiberNet), channel 997 (TDS) or channel 180 (Charter subscribers). The rebroadcast schedule is available here.
Council Highlights provide a summary of key agenda items and decisions made by the City Council. This overview may not reflect all topics discussed or actions taken during the meeting. For complete details, please refer to the meeting agenda. Official minutes are published once approved.
Public Service Announcements
Hi-Way Liquors Fall Wine Sale
Hi-Way Liquors’ Fall Wine Sale begins Friday, November 7, featuring 30% off all wine. The sale runs through Sunday, November 23.
Data Center Ordinance Public Q&A Session
An informal question & answer session on the data center ordinance is planned for November 20 from 3:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. in the Academy Room of the Monticello City Hall. Community members are welcome to stop in to ask questions and learn more about the proposed Data Center Planned Unit Development ordinance.
Monticello Industrial (Monticello Tech) Alternative Urban Areawide Review Open House
The City of Monticello will host an open house on November 20 from 6 to 8 p.m., to coincide with the open public comment period of the full Monticello Industrial (Monticello Tech) AUAR study. Residents, business owners, and other community members are invited to attend.
A short presentation on the AUAR will be given at 6 p.m. City staff and environmental review consultants will be present to answer questions about the AUAR study.
Department Updates
Construction Update
- Golf Course Road Trail Project: Crews are paving the roadway this week and completing minor landscaping. The trail portion of the project will be paved in 2026.
IT Department Update
The City’s IT Department provided its annual update to the City Council. The update included an overview of its 2025 accomplishments, security awareness training progress, and upcoming projects.
In 2025, the City saw upgrades to its document services and computer operating systems. The department continues replacing hardware according to the City’s internal hardware replacement program. The IT department also led the domain transition for the City website to MonticelloMN.gov in January 2025, to meet state requirements by 2026.
In 2026, the department plans to continue phishing training, decommission old servers, replace the City hall main printer/copier, and move specific services internal for additional cost-savings.
City Council Decisions
Donations
The City Council accepted the following donations.
- $358 donation from the Riverfest Committee to be used by MontiArts for programming.
Thank you for your donation!
Fire Department Officers Appointed for 2026
The Monticello Fire Department has six officers that provide leadership within the department: the Fire Chief, Assistant Fire Chief, and four Captains. Terms are structured so that applications are accepted for three positions every year: 2 captains and either the chief or assistant chief.
For 2026, two captains and an assistant chief were considered. The hiring and promotion process for the Fire Department aligns with the City’s internal process. Firefighters apply for an officer position using the City employment site, the department holds anonymous peer reviews of the candidates, and finalists are interviewed by a hiring committee.
City Council approved the appointment of the new officers, who will assume their roles starting January 1.
Bertram Shared Maintenance Facility MOU with Wright County
The Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park Master Plan calls for a dedicated storage and maintenance facility to support the park’s growing use and future improvements.
As part of the 2025 Capital Improvement Plan, the City of Monticello and Wright County approved joint funding for design and engineering, reflecting their respective responsibilities to the park. The City manages the Athletic Park, requiring more equipment storage, while the County oversees passive recreation areas. Wright County will lead the design proposal process, collaborating with the City on facility design and funding its respective components.
The city’s contribution of $80,000 toward design and engineering services is included in the approved 2025 BCOL Sales Tax Fund Budget. $950,000 is included in the 2026 draft budget for completion of design and engineering and for facility construction. The City Council approved the memorandum of understanding for the design and engineering of the shared maintenance facility.
Snowplowing and Ice Removal Policy 2025-2026
Every fall, Public Works staff review snowplow routes and update the Snowplowing & Ice Removal Policy. This allows the City to account for new construction and other changes in the city. The policy is the framework for snowplowing and removal operations throughout the city. Changes this year include new sidewalk and pathways along new developments on 7th Street West and Fallon Avenue NE.
To support plowing operations, Monticello’s winter parking restrictions are in effect from November 15 through April 1. During this time, there is no parking allowed on city streets from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. Parking is restricted during snow events with accumulation and during plowing operations. Snow events may be declared outside of winter parking restriction hours or dates as needed.
Snow event alerts will include the time frame for no on-street parking, and the news will be communicated in a variety of ways, including the City’s website, opt-in text or email alerts, social media, and local news outlets.
Stonebrooke Engineering Contract Amendment for Golf Course Road Project
During work on the Golf Course Road (CSAH 39) Trail Project, CenterPoint Energy replaced aging gas lines along the roadway, moving them to the south side of CSAH 39. To avoid conflicts with the new gas line, the project required additional coordination, exceeding original estimates. This is in addition to other unforeseen utility conflicts involving City water and sewer utilities that caused construction delays and extended inspection time. The amendment to the contract addresses these extra costs. To help offset these costs, City staff are assisting with project inspection to minimize budget impacts.
The project will install a 10-foot pathway along Golf Course Road (CSAH 39) between 7th Street and Elm Street, identified as a priority in the 2019 Safe Routes to School Plan. The City of Monticello received an $800,000 Transportation Alternatives grant for the project. The project also includes roadway improvements in partnership with Wright County: reclaiming the road, adding curb, gutter, storm sewer, and converting the corridor to a 3-lane section with a center turn lane for improved safety and access. Wright County will cover costs for asphalt replacement, markings, signage, erosion control, ADA ramp upgrades, and engineering reimbursement.
Distribution of Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) and Mitigation Plan for Monticello Industrial for Public Comment
The City of Monticello initiated an Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) for a proposed 550-acre technology campus by Monticello Tech LLC, located south of 85th Street and east of Highway 25 within the Monticello Orderly Annexation Area.
An AUAR is a study document that evaluates the environmental impacts of future development, and opportunities to manage and mitigate those impacts. AUARs assist cities in local planning and zoning decisions. The State of Minnesota requires preparation of an environmental review, such as an AUAR, in certain cases. The proposed technology campus meets the mandatory requirements for an environmental review, including an initial AUAR scoping document prior to the draft AUAR.
The Scoping Document included two development scenarios for evaluation in the full AUAR and a response to comments received during the comment period which ended on September 4, 2025. The AUAR Scoping Document was approved by the Monticello City Council on October 13, 2025.
On Monday, the City Council authorized the distribution of the Draft Monticello Industrial Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) and Mitigation Plan for public comment. The AUAR evaluates the two development land use scenarios, a light industrial park land use scenario as outlined in the Monticello 2040 Comprehensive Plan and a technology campus land use scenario. The AUAR is prepared by Kimley Horn and reviewed by the City’s environmental consultant, WSB, and City staff.
The AUAR evaluates the environmental impacts outlined in the Scoping Document and proposed mitigation strategies. The Environmental Quality Board has set guidelines for the information to be evaluated within the AUAR. A 30-day comment period on the Draft Monticello Industrial AUAR opens on November 18 and closes on December 18, 2025, at 4 p.m.
Comments will be incorporated into the final document which is ultimately submitted to state agencies and the Environmental Quality Board Monitor.
An open house for the draft AUAR is scheduled for Thursday, November 20, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Mississippi Room at the Monticello Community Center. A short presentation on the AUAR will be given at 6 p.m. Following the presentation, City staff and environmental review consultants will be present to answer questions.
The final AUAR is estimated to be brought forward to the City Council for adoption in late January or early February 2026. The final version will include a mitigation plan to address environmental impacts, and once adopted, commits the City to applying the mitigation strategies to limit potentially significant impacts.
More information is available on the Environmental Reviews page.