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The Chisago City Council held its 2026 organizational meeting Tuesday, Jan. 13, The annual appointments held no surprises and were approved swiftly:

City Attorney - Flaherty & Hood P.A.; City engineer - Bolton & Menk, Inc, ISG Inc.; City auditor - Abdo; City Financial consultant - Ehlers Associates; City insurance agent - Northwood Partners; City fire chief - Zach Reed; 

Official depositories: MidwestOne Bank, 4M Fund, and Moreton Capital Markets; Official newspaper - Chisago County Press; Posting of meetings - city hall and the post office

Monthly city council meetings - 6:30 p.m. on fourth Tuesday of each month and on the second Tuesday if needed; 

Acting mayor (in the mayor’s absence) - Council Member Craig Meyer, alternate Council Member Marie Rivers; 

Planning commission liaison - Meyer, alternate Council Member Mark Anderson; 

Park commission liaison - Anderson, alternate Council Member Nikki Battles; 

Cable Commission - Battles; 

EDA members - Mayor Jeremy Dresel and Rivers; 

Police Commission - Dresel and Anderson, alternate Rivers; 

Weed inspector - Dresel and Battles, alternate Rivers; 

Personnel committee - Battles and Rivers, alternate Dresel; 

Finance committee (budget) - Dresel and Meyer;

Highway 8 Taskforce - Meyer; 

Library - Battles, alternate Anderson; 

Municipal Trustees for Volunteer Fire Relief Association - Mayor Dresel, City Administrator John Pechman and Fire Chief Reed; Council liaison to Fire Department - Meyer, Alternate Anderson; 

Green Lake Assn. - Battles; South Lindstrom Lake Assn. - Rivers; 

Tourism Bureau - Pechman. alternate Rivers; 

Public Works Committee - Dresel and Meyer.

In other business, 

the council: 

- following the mandatory public hearing, approved an ordinance setting the 2026 fee schedule for use of city facilities and services. No public comment was received at the hearing.

Under the new ordinance, sewer and water rates increased 30 to 50 cents per every 5,000 gallons. The base fees increased by $2 to $19.56 for water and $5.50 additional to $97.06 per every 30,000 gallons for sewer. 

Fee increases also were approved for commercial zoning permits, use of facilities at Ojiketa Regional Park, licenses and permits for cannabis and massage businesses, and food trucks. Food trucks are now licensed for a maximum of 21 days at one location at a rate of $325 per location. After 21 days the truck must move to another location. 

The fee to rent all of the facilities at Ojiketa Regional Park for a weekend is now $6,900. Fees for weekend use of Strom Hall and Zonta Lodge are $3,300 and $1,400 respectively. The complete 2026 fee schedule is available for viewing at city hall and online.

- granted High Pointe Group a one-year extension of final plat approval for the Lake Martha Overlook Project on the condition the developer’s agreement is completed within one year. The project’s plat for a development of 25 homes off Karmel Ave. on the west side of Lake Martha was originally approved in January 2024 but has not moved forward.

- voted to approve a policy which provides paid time off to eligible employees who qualify for Minnesota Paid Leave benefits. Chisago City has purchased insurance to cover family and medical leave. Details of the paid leave policy can be viewed at city hall.

- transferred $1,376 from the Capital Parks Fund to the General Fund to cover a budget shortfall that resulted when the city opened the skating rink at Chuckie Lundquist Park earlier than usual in December 2025. 

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