A glance at the November 17th Hastings City Council meeting. 
All city council members were present.
There was a comment from the audience. Clinton Toughill submitted a petition requesting a pause on the increase of taxes and fees for a two-year period. Making his case for the city council, Toughill said that Hastings residents need a break from the increases put upon them—whether that be cost of living by way of tax or levy increase. Toughill stated that residents need “a chance to catch up” from the existing increases.
The council thanked Toughill for his comment.
All thirteen consent agenda items were approved.
A closer look at a few consent agenda items:
There was a donation made to the Park and Recreation Department in the amount of $2,450. This donation, a collaborative effort from local businesses, was submitted with a request that it be used towards the community Halloween party.
The businesses that pitched in for this donation are Evolution Auto, Farmers Insurance—Linberg Agency, GDI, Hoffman & McNamara, Hastings Prescott Art Council, Keene Wealth Management, MN Coaches, Dakota Electric, Abra Hovgaard Edward Jones, Fluegel Law Firm, Intek Plastics, Tennis Sanitation, Tires Plus, Treasure Island, Wild Tree Wellness, and Riverbend Animal Hospital.
The $2,450 donation was accepted and used towards the community Halloween party that took place this year on October 24th. The city council is grateful for the donation and commends these supportive businesses for their civic efforts.
An additional agenda item was the pre-authorization of 2026 budget items.
As discussed in previous city council meetings, some items have an early and short window for ordering and a long wait in delivery. According to the memorandum, the following list of vehicles are part of the city’s phasing into a five-year rotation of fleet vehicles.
For the fire department, there are two fleet vehicles that require replacement: a 2019 Chevy Tahoe and a 2000 Ford F250. The order window for both vehicles is still available, and it was recommended that the City approve these budget items to receive the fleet vehicles within the 2026 calendar year. If the City waited until January of 2026 to order the replacement fleet vehicles, then delivery would be expected in 2027.
The estimated cost for replacing both fleet vehicles is $155,000. Funds are not expected in 2025 for these items. If these items do require payment in 2025, the city has cash on hand to cover the complete amount.
This 2026 pre-budget item was approved by the City.
Another consent agenda item was the ProCare Service Contract with Stryker.
Fire Chief John Townsend requested the City’s signature for the contract agreement. According to the memorandum, these presented agreements will cover all maintenance, including replacement for the three ambulance cots and the power loads for the cots. With the current equipment aging and no longer under warranty, the repairs and maintenance could range above $30,000 for a cot replacement.
This item was proposed for the 2026 budget; however, there is a current repair that could cost $8000, and this item would be included in the signed agreement. This cost is sooner than expected; in the long run, it will save the city money to initiate the repair now.
The financial impact, according to the document, is a little over $12,000, which is unbudgeted for 2025. However, $8,600 is available in the EMS repairs and vehicle maintenance budget to offset the unexpected cost.
The City approved this item.
These consent agenda items, as well as the full City Council agenda, are available to view on the City of Hastings, MN, website.