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With Council Member Nicole Battles attending remotely, the Chisago City Council on Dec. 9 unanimously passed resolutions setting the 2026 levy and budget unchanged from the preliminary numbers presented in September. The final tax levy $4,117,373, making the final tax rate 35.628 percent, down 2.71 percent from 2025. 

The 2026 budget projects $14,438,000 in total revenue and $13,978,000 in appropriations and reserves. No members of the public appeared at the mandated hearing held before the vote.

In other business, the council:

- announced that Santa and his Reindeer will visit Chisago City’s Moberg Park from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Sunday, December 21, just in time to make your final requests before Christmas!  Billed as “An Evening with Santa and His Reindeer,” the event will include a petting zoo, Santa, cocoa and cookies, music, a snowman building contest, and horse drawn trolley rides. (Chisago City’s Christmas lighting and Santa event, originally scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 7, was canceled due to cold.)

- approved a two-year lease agreement with the Chisago Lakes Chamber of Commerce for 607 sq. ft. of vacant space on the second floor of the Chisago City Hall for $200 a month (for garbage hauling, utilities and insurance costs.)     

City Administrator John Pechman said that the Chamber’s lease for its present site in Lindstrom is expiring and they are seeking new quarters.  

In further discussion, the council learned that a recent evolution in the Chamber has resulted in the establishment of a separate visitor’s bureau, with the Chamber becoming more business focused and working to benefit chamber members, and the visitor’s bureau being more tourist/visitor focused. He said that the Chamber and the visitor’s bureau will work jointly on this year’s Celebration of the Lakes Feb. 12 -16, with Pechman agreeing to assume the lead on the event this year.

- denied a request for the refund of the down payment for use of facilities at Ojiketa Regional Park for a wedding. Park Commissioner Doris Zacho explained that everyone renting the facility is informed before signing the contract, that the down payment (which is half the cost of the rental) is nonrefundable. A few rare exceptions to this policy have been made in the instance of a death in the family or call into military service. In this case the couple decided to change plans.

- heard a request by Phil DeMunck, of Lofton Ave., to vacate the remaining 30-foot-wide portion of 295th St., an undeveloped street leading from Lofton Ave. to Lake Martha. In 1999, the 15-foot-wide rights-of-way on both sides of the undeveloped street were vacated, but the center (30 feet) was retained for future trail use. DeMunck said that both he and a neighbor, who was preparing to sell a lot, would like to see the rest vacated as it would make their lots more saleable. 

Mayor Jeremy said, “I don’t feel that I’d be ok with vacating that at this moment.”

DeMunck suggested that developing a trail and carrying it through to the wetland area would be challenging and costly. 

The mayor said  he believes it is wise to retain the right of way in order to provide public trails in that area in the future.  “It might not happen in our lifetimes,” said Dresel, “but it should be preserved for future generations.”  

DeMunck left saying he would like to see the council develop a plan for the area “so we (the property owners) know what we’re dealing with.”

- passed a resolution granting 2026 liquor, tobacco, and cannabinoid licenses to the following businesses: Tobacco products: Mini Mart, Caseys, Lindstrom Tobacco, and Highway 8 Tobacco; Cannabinoid Products: Kwik Trip, Mini Mart, Lindstrom Tobacco, Chisago Liquors, the Stone Inn and MGM; Off-Sale Liquor and Tobacco: Chisago Liquors, MGM and Kwik Trip; On-Sale and Sunday Liquor: Scooter’s Pub, The Northern Lake Tavern and Grill, Don Julio’s, The Stone Inn, Smitty’s and WineHaven Winery; On/Off Sale and Sunday Liquor: Smitty’s and Uncommon Loon Brewery. The fee for an on-sale liquor license is $2,500 and for an on-sale wine license $500. The other licenses range from $100 to $250 paid annually.

- appointed Matt Johnson, 10765 Matthew Dr., to fill a vacancy on the city park commission. Johnson has experience in construction management, landscape and civil construction including numerous park and playground projects and is a certified playground safety inspector.  

- voted to approve expenditure of $6,000 from gas franchise fees to retrofit 17 lights around the city skating rink at Chuckie Lundquist Park with energy-efficient LED lights. Council member Mark Anderson moved to approve the purchase provided they could ensure the LED bulbs wouldn’t require repeated maintenance.

 The council met with Chris DuBose of the Chisago Lakes Area Foundation to discuss the Foundation’s plan to place identical 4x8 foot signs promoting their fund-raising campaigns in each of the Chisago Lakes area’s five cities. Potential locations for the sign in Chisago City were discussed. This led to discussion of placement of custom bike racks at key points along the Swedish Immigrant Trail as part of the Chisago Lakes Rotary’s Big Idea grant-winning project. Each community where a bike rack will be placed has the option of designing their own unique bike rack.  

The conversation ended with DuBose offering to meet with the city park board to further discuss the  items.

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