Special City Council Meeting · City of Nowthen public records

Agenda spine

3 items as recorded in the packet and minutes.

1Call to Order
Call to order, Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, and attendance.
The minutes record the meeting opening and attendance, but no council action on this item.
- meeting administration
No action
p. 1
2Discussion for PT Chief Position
Discussion of whether to hire an interim or permanent part-time Fire Chief, job description changes, posting process, application timeline, hiring committee, and interview process.
Council voted to post the Interim Fire Chief position on the city website and League of Minnesota Cities website with the discussed job-description modifications.
- interim part-time fire chief
Approved
p. 1p. 2
3Adjournment
Adjournment.
The minutes show an adjournment motion line with missing mover information and state that the meeting adjourned at 9:31 p.m.
- meeting administration
Approved
p. 2p. 2

Issues addressed

What this meeting did about specific topics, organized by issue rather than by document.

Interim part-time Fire Chief position
Council discussed how to move forward after shifting away from the prior full-time Fire Chief hiring process and toward a part-time Fire Chief. The discussion focused on hiring an interim part-time Fire Chief for about six months so the department could keep operating while the city refined the permanent job description and process. The interim job description was changed during the discussion, including not adding Fire Marshal duties, keeping Emergency Manager duties, using a flexible 20-to-30-hour exempt schedule, and setting pay at $855 per week through 2024 and $1,150 per week beginning January 1, 2025. Council voted 3-1, with Council Member Fladebo absent, to post the interim position on the city website and League of Minnesota Cities website with the discussed modifications.
Agenda: 2. Motions: M1. Speakers: Mayor Pilon, Council Member Rainville, Council Member Breyen, Council Member Alders, Attorney Ruppe, Administrator Lehner, Deputy Clerk Johnson.
Meeting opening and adjournment
The special meeting opened at 8:00 p.m. after the closed meeting, with Mayor Pilon, Council Members Rainville, Breyen, and Alders present and Council Member Fladebo absent. After the Fire Chief discussion and posting vote, the meeting was adjourned at 9:31 p.m.
Agenda: 1, 3. Motions: M2. Speakers: Mayor Pilon, Administrator Lehner.

Motions and votes

2 motions on the record. Split votes are highlighted.

M1Motion by Mayor Pilon, Seconded by Council Member Breyen to post the position on city website and League of MN Cities for Interim Fire Chief with the modifications of the job description as discussed tonight.
moved by Mayor Pilon, seconded by Council Member Breyen
PassedSplit vote
- YPilon
- YBreyen
- YAlders
- NRainville
- ·Fladebo
p. 2p. 1
M2MOTION BY TO ADJOURN.
Passed
p. 21:31:08

Money discussed

Each figure links back to the document it came from. When the council voted on the amount, the motion is shown.

F1
Pay for the interim part-time Fire Chief was discussed as exempt pay of $855 per week until December 31, 2024.
salary · Interim Fire Chief compensation through 2024 · FY 2024
$855
outflow
Council voted: Motion by Mayor Pilon, Seconded by Council Member Breyen to post the position on city website and League of MN Cities for Interim Fire Chief with the modifications of the job description as discussed tonight. Passed
p. 1p. 2
F2
Pay for the interim part-time Fire Chief was discussed as exempt pay of $1,150 per week starting January 1, 2025.
salary · Interim Fire Chief compensation starting 2025 · FY 2025
$1,150
outflow
Council voted: Motion by Mayor Pilon, Seconded by Council Member Breyen to post the position on city website and League of MN Cities for Interim Fire Chief with the modifications of the job description as discussed tonight. Passed
p. 1p. 2
F3
The mayor described the $855 weekly rate as equating to $44,460 annually.
salary · Annualized Interim Fire Chief compensation through 2024 · FY 2024
$44,460
outflow
Council voted: Motion by Mayor Pilon, Seconded by Council Member Breyen to post the position on city website and League of MN Cities for Interim Fire Chief with the modifications of the job description as discussed tonight. Passed
p. 1p. 229:57
F4
The mayor described the $1,150 weekly rate as equating to $59,800 annually.
salary · Annualized Interim Fire Chief compensation starting 2025 · FY 2025
$59,800
outflow
Council voted: Motion by Mayor Pilon, Seconded by Council Member Breyen to post the position on city website and League of MN Cities for Interim Fire Chief with the modifications of the job description as discussed tonight. Passed
p. 1p. 230:40

Memory cues and prior history

When someone tried to remember earlier business, we cross-reference the corpus and write a short related-history note.

last week the city council majority decided that or moved to uh proceed with a posting for a part-time fire chief
What this is about
A prior council decision to move toward posting a part-time Fire Chief position the week before this special meeting.
0:10
Related history
The records I searched do not contain a prior council decision matching the recollection that, “last week,” a council majority moved to proceed with posting a part-time Fire Chief position. The closest fire-related records are routine Fire Chief updates at the February 10, 2026 and April 14, 2026 meetings, both presented by Fire Chief Rob Miller, and they do not show a vote or direction to post a part-time Fire Chief job. The April 14, 2026 packet does note that the department was “seeing a leadership void” in surrounding departments, with several chief positions vacant, but that appears to be informational only. The May 12, 2026 packet includes a resolution to hire Zachary Wyttenhove to the Fire Department, not a Fire Chief posting.
- Feb 10, 2026  This is required by State, You are asking if you would be able to complete
- Apr 14, 2026WRIGHT HENNEPIN SECURITY <table> <tr> <th>MEMORIAL PARK PAVILION AND 2 BATHROOMS</th> <th></th> </tr> <tr> <td>Feature</
- Feb 10, 2026  <figure> CITY OF NOWTHEN </figure> # Fire Chief Council Update 2.10.2026 Mon
- Feb 10, 2026  ## 5. FIRE DEPARTMENT ### a) Monthly Report Fire Chief Rob Miller presented t
- May 12, 2026<figure> CITY OF NOWTHEN </figure> # REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION <table> <tr> <th>Agenda Item:</th> <th>Department:</th>
like we had when Frank came in uh could could step in quickly and handle these things
What this is about
A prior interim administrator arrangement used as an example for hiring an interim official.
0:20
Related history
The records show a strong match: at the January 14, 2025 City Council meeting, the agenda packet included a resolution approving a contract with Frank Boyles as an “Interim City Administrator Assistant / Consultant.” The resolution says Administrator Scott Lehner had resigned, Deputy Clerk Johnson had been named Interim City Administrator “for the time being,” and Frank Boyles agreed to return to help beginning January 15, 2025 through April 30, 2025, as long as needed. The resolution authorized Mayor Hybben and Interim City Administrator Johnson to execute the contract, and notes the city attorney had reviewed and approved it. The search result appears to be the agenda packet version of the resolution, with the motion/second and vote lines left blank, so the records provided here do not show the final vote outcome.
- Jan 23, 2025  <table> <tr> <th>DATE</th> <th>ACTIVITY</th> <th>CATEGORY</th> <th>RESPONSIB
- Jan 23, 2025  <table> <tr> <th>DATE</th> <th>ACTIVITY</th> <th>CATEGORY</th> <th>RESPONSIB
- Jan 23, 2025  <table> <tr> <th>DATE</th> <th>ACTIVITY</th> <th>CATEGORY</th> <th>RESPONSIB
- May 5, 2025  hiring and those rules will be further explained, and enforcement discussed
- Apr 29, 2025  hiring and those rules will be further explained, and enforcement discussed
we do have documents in fact almost a year to the date from this came out uh September 13th last year where it was um one of the options was part-time Chief part-time something else
What this is about
A September 13, 2023 communication from Chief Schmidt about possible Fire Chief staffing options.
12:20
Related history
The records I searched do not contain the September 13, 2023 communication from Chief Schmidt or a prior decision matching the recollection about Fire Chief staffing options such as “part-time Chief” and another part-time role. The search results did return later Fire Department materials from 2026, including Chief Miller’s monthly reports and fire-related facility/equipment items, but those do not address the 2023 staffing-options discussion or show a formal council action on that question.
- Feb 10, 2026  This is required by State, You are asking if you would be able to complete
- Apr 14, 2026WRIGHT HENNEPIN SECURITY <table> <tr> <th>MEMORIAL PARK PAVILION AND 2 BATHROOMS</th> <th></th> </tr> <tr> <td>Feature</
- Feb 10, 2026  <figure> CITY OF NOWTHEN </figure> # Fire Chief Council Update 2.10.2026 Mon
- Mar 23, 2026  # Standard Measures for Cities <table> <tr> <th>Category</th> <th>#</th> <th>
- Feb 10, 2026  ## 5. FIRE DEPARTMENT ### a) Monthly Report Fire Chief Rob Miller presented t
it's been a full-time discussion since day one and not till the 11th Hour have we decided to do a part-time
— Council Member Rainville
What this is about
Council Member Rainville’s recollection that the Fire Chief position had been discussed as full-time until late in the process.
16:06
Related history
The records I searched do not contain a prior discussion or decision matching Council Member Rainville’s recollection that the Fire Chief position had been treated as full-time until late in the process, then changed to part-time. The April 14, 2026 minutes and May 12, 2026 packet mention Fire Chief Miller and include routine fire department items, but they do not show a recorded discussion, motion, or vote about making the Fire Chief position full-time or part-time.
- Apr 14, 2026 MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE, TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA
- May 12, 2026##### A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE HIRING OF ZACHARY WYTTENHOVE TO THE NOWTHEN FIRE DEPARTMENT. WHEREAS, The City of Now
- May 12, 2026## 1. Call To Order Mayor Hybben called the session to order at 6:00 p.m. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all in
- Apr 14, 2026WRIGHT HENNEPIN SECURITY <table> <tr> <th>MEMORIAL PARK PAVILION AND 2 BATHROOMS</th> <th></th> </tr> <tr> <td>Feature</
- Apr 14, 2026Roll call by City Clerk Johnson. Present: Mayor Hybben, Council Member Breyen, Council Member Glaser, Council Member Swe
since the council has already decided twice we want to go ahead with the part-time fire chief that we can continue to move forward in that direction
— Council Member Breyen
What this is about
Council Member Breyen’s statement that the council had already decided twice to proceed with a part-time Fire Chief.
18:06
Related history
The records I searched do not contain a prior decision matching Council Member Breyen’s recollection that the council had “already decided twice” to proceed with a part-time Fire Chief. The April 14, 2026 minutes and May 12, 2026 packet include fire-related items, including Fire Chief Miller’s attendance, a proposed resolution to hire a firefighter, and fire department security equipment, but they do not show a recorded council vote or decision on creating or moving forward with a part-time Fire Chief position. So, based on these search results, there is no documented prior vote or formal action confirming that the council twice approved proceeding with a part-time Fire Chief.
- Apr 14, 2026 MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE, TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA
- May 12, 2026##### A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE HIRING OF ZACHARY WYTTENHOVE TO THE NOWTHEN FIRE DEPARTMENT. WHEREAS, The City of Now
- May 12, 2026## 1. Call To Order Mayor Hybben called the session to order at 6:00 p.m. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all in
- Apr 14, 2026WRIGHT HENNEPIN SECURITY <table> <tr> <th>MEMORIAL PARK PAVILION AND 2 BATHROOMS</th> <th></th> </tr> <tr> <td>Feature</
- Apr 14, 2026Roll call by City Clerk Johnson. Present: Mayor Hybben, Council Member Breyen, Council Member Glaser, Council Member Swe
our last motion was to um post the position part-time for a week and then um work with the attorney to understand can we move the two candidates
— Council Member Alders
What this is about
Council Member Alders’s recollection of the prior motion about posting the part-time position for a week and handling the two existing candidates.
18:31
Related history
The records I searched do not contain a prior motion matching Council Member Alders’s recollection about posting a part-time position for one week or working with the attorney on whether two existing candidates could be moved forward. The search results include unrelated 2026 items, such as a Planning and Zoning Commission appointment at the April 14, 2026 meeting, but nothing about a part-time job posting or handling two candidates for that position.
- Feb 10, 2026  <figure> CITY OF NOWTHEN </figure> ## REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION <table> <t
- May 12, 2026MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SWENSON, TO APPOINT MICHAEL HOIUM TO THE PLANNING AND ZON
- Apr 14, 2026MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SWENSON, TO APPOINT MICHAEL HOIUM TO THE PLANNING AND ZON
- Feb 10, 2026Council Member Mary Rainville informed the Council that due to a medical situation, she might need to excuse herself fro
- May 12, 2026  ## City of Nowthen Elected Officials and Administration December 31, 2025 <t
the two final candidates that were from the full-time vetting process would automatically be considered considered for the part-time position
— Attorney Ruppe
What this is about
A prior full-time Fire Chief posting and the two final candidates from that process.
19:19
Related history
The records searched do not contain a prior decision or discussion matching the recollection that two final candidates from a full-time Fire Chief hiring process would automatically be considered for a part-time Fire Chief position. The closest related records are routine Fire Department updates from Fire Chief Rob Miller, including at the February 10, 2026 meeting packet, where he thanked the council for support during his first year as Fire Chief. The search results also include firefighter hiring items, but they do not document a full-time Fire Chief posting, the names or status of two finalists, or any council action carrying those finalists forward to a part-time position.
- Feb 10, 2026  This is required by State, You are asking if you would be able to complete
- Apr 14, 2026WRIGHT HENNEPIN SECURITY <table> <tr> <th>MEMORIAL PARK PAVILION AND 2 BATHROOMS</th> <th></th> </tr> <tr> <td>Feature</
- Feb 10, 2026  <figure> CITY OF NOWTHEN </figure> # Fire Chief Council Update 2.10.2026 Mon
- Feb 10, 2026  ## 5. FIRE DEPARTMENT ### a) Monthly Report Fire Chief Rob Miller presented t
- May 12, 2026<figure> CITY OF NOWTHEN </figure> # REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION <table> <tr> <th>Agenda Item:</th> <th>Department:</th>
we agreed last time that we would leave the requirements as is
— Council Member Rainville
What this is about
Council Member Rainville’s recollection that the council previously agreed to leave the requirements unchanged.
40:53
Related history
The records I searched do not contain a prior decision matching Council Member Rainville’s recollection that the council “agreed last time” to leave requirements unchanged. The results returned unrelated items, including a Planning and Zoning Commission appointment at the April 14, 2026 meeting and a prior discussion about flying the Minnesota State flag referenced in a February 10, 2026 packet. Based on these results, I did not find a recorded motion, vote, or clear council consensus on leaving the requirements “as is.”
- Feb 10, 2026  <figure> CITY OF NOWTHEN </figure> ## REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION <table> <t
- May 12, 2026MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SWENSON, TO APPOINT MICHAEL HOIUM TO THE PLANNING AND ZON
- Apr 14, 2026MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SWENSON, TO APPOINT MICHAEL HOIUM TO THE PLANNING AND ZON
- Feb 10, 2026Council Member Mary Rainville informed the Council that due to a medical situation, she might need to excuse herself fro
- May 12, 2026## 1. Call To Order Mayor Hybben called the session to order at 6:00 p.m. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all in
you essentially have had an interm Chief in the form of Dave Schmidt for three and a half years and he has advised the council that he thinks a full-time position is necessary
— Mr. Schultz
What this is about
A speaker’s comparison to Chief Schmidt having served in an interim-like role and having recommended a full-time position.
57:34
Related history
The records show a partial match. At the December 14, 2023 work session, the packet included an agreement for Nowthen to purchase Fire Department Management services from the City of St. Francis. The agreement says St. Francis Fire Officials would perform the duties of Nowthen Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator, in addition to their St. Francis duties, and that the cities had determined it was in both cities’ interests to continue that shared-service arrangement. The records provided also show that at the November 14, 2023 council meeting, Chief Schmidt supported hiring Isaac full-time in public works, saying he had “no problem” with Isaac working full-time there and that it would be an asset to the city because of his work ethic and ability to respond to daytime calls. However, the records I searched do not contain a direct statement that Chief Schmidt described himself as an interim chief for three and a half years or formally recommended creating a full-time Fire Chief position.
- Nov 14, 2023 Chief Schmidt stated that the city has a unique opportunity to be able to hire Isaac. The chief has n
- Nov 14, 2023# Nowthen City Council November 14, 2023 Regular City Council Meeting Minutes ## CALL TO ORDER Mayor Pilon called the me
- Nov 14, 2023MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE, SECONDED BY BREYEN TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS AMENDED MOVING "E" TO 9D1. 4 AYES
- Nov 14, 2023 The NFD participated in Fire Prevention Education at St. John's School in Nowthen. Winter Recruitment
- Dec 14, 2023 # AGREEMENT FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES BETWEEN THE CITY OF NOWTHEN, MINNESOTA AND THE CI
had we stayed on our path of full-time as we have discussed from day one we wouldn't be here
— Council Member Rainville
What this is about
Council Member Rainville’s recollection that the city had discussed a full-time Fire Chief path from the beginning.
59:24
Related history
The records I searched do not contain a prior discussion or decision matching Council Member Rainville’s recollection that the city had been on a “full-time Fire Chief” path from the beginning. The closest items in the search results are general Fire Department references: Fire Chief Miller was listed as present at the April 14, 2026 meeting, the April 14, 2026 packet included Fire Department security/access-control cost information, and the May 12, 2026 packet included a proposed resolution authorizing the hiring of Zachary Wyttenhove to the Nowthen Fire Department. None of those records show a council discussion, motion, or vote establishing or reaffirming a full-time Fire Chief plan.
- Apr 14, 2026 MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BREYEN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE, TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA
- May 12, 2026## 1. Call To Order Mayor Hybben called the session to order at 6:00 p.m. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all in
- May 12, 2026##### A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE HIRING OF ZACHARY WYTTENHOVE TO THE NOWTHEN FIRE DEPARTMENT. WHEREAS, The City of Now
- Apr 14, 2026WRIGHT HENNEPIN SECURITY <table> <tr> <th>MEMORIAL PARK PAVILION AND 2 BATHROOMS</th> <th></th> </tr> <tr> <td>Feature</
- Apr 14, 2026Roll call by City Clerk Johnson. Present: Mayor Hybben, Council Member Breyen, Council Member Glaser, Council Member Swe

Where this came up before

Sources

Every document and recording archived for this meeting.

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Meetings

Agenda spine

Issues addressed

Motions and votes

Money discussed

Memory cues and prior history

Related history

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Where this came up before

Sources