BLUE EARTH– The Blue Earth City Council decided to follow the direction of the Senior Center Board, setting updated prices for lunch at the Senior Center at their meeting on Monday.

City Administrator Dawn Collins presented the council with an update from the Senior Center Board regarding the discussion held at the previous city council meeting, concerning the current prices of a lunch at the Senior Center for punch card holders.

“The Senior Center has reviewed the suggestion we made at the last meeting to adjust the price of all meals at the Senior Center to $5,” Collins shared. “They have rejected this suggestion, and decided instead to keep the current meal cost at $4 for those eating in, while also extending that $4 price to those with a prepaid punch card who wish to take their meals to-go.”

Several council members voiced their disapproval with this decision, citing that the original discount for eat-in meals was set as an incentive to get people to eat at the Senior Center and engage with the community, rather than taking all of their meals to go.

“As I recall, the additional cost for a to-go meal was to incentivise people to come and eat at the Senior Center, as well as a way to help cover the cost of the take-out boxes,” council member Jaque Drew remarked. “The actual cost of a meal at the Senior Center is $6.50. The current lunch price of an eat-in meal is $4, which reflects that discount.”

A member of the Senior Center Board, who was present at the meeting, shared that there are currently only two people who utilize a punch card for to-go meals. They further explained that their intent behind keeping the lunch fee at a flat $4 was intended for punch card holders only, with non-punch card holders needing to pay the full price of $6.50 to take a meal to-go.

Hearing this explanation, a motion was made and seconded to accept the Senior Center Board’s recommendation of setting lunch prices at $4 for those eating in or with a prepaid punch card for to-go meals, and at $6.50 for those without a punch card taking a meal to-go. The motion passed unanimously.

Other business discussed at the city council meeting included:

— Blue Earth Light & Water director Tim Stoner, Blue Earth Fire Chief Corey Survis, Blue Earth Community Library director Heidi Schutt, and EDA development specialists Amy Schaefer and Macey Becker all presented their 2025 Year In Review reports to the council during the work session prior to the meeting.

— Food truck permits for Kris Tacos, Inspire Health & Wellness, 2 Sisters Eatery, and Angela’s Egg Rolls were all unanimously approved.

— The first reading for Ordinance 26-03 to amend Subsection 250.11 regarding the Fitness Center Board was held. Hearing no discussion on the issue, a motion to set a public hearing date and second reading of the ordinance for March 16 was unanimously approved.

— A series of revisions to the personnel policy, previously discussed at the last City Council meeting on Feb. 17, were unanimously approved. The amended policies included an updated description of an employee’s lunch period, defining what constitutes overtime for Office Specialists, and an addition to define and explain the new rules set forth by the Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave Program.

— The resignation of Tucker Bottin from the Blue Earth Fire Department, effective immediately, was unanimously approved.

— A motion to adjust the hours of the brush site to 3 – 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Saturdays was unanimously approved.