by April Scheinoha
Editor
The Thief River Falls City Council approved various organizational matters Tuesday, Jan. 6 at its first meeting of 2026.
City Council approved council committee assignments for 2026:
• Utilities Committee – Mayor Mike Lorenson, and council members Kelly Langness, Michele McCraw and J. Scott Pream. McCraw chairs the committee, which meets the second Monday of each month at 7 a.m.
• Public Safety/Liquor Committee – Council members Jason Aarestad, Megan Arlt, Julie Bolduc and Steve Narverud. Aarestad chairs the committee, which meets the second Monday of each month at 4:30 p.m.
• Public Works Committee – Bolduc, McCraw, Narverud and Pream. Narverud chairs the committee, which meets the second Wednesday of each month at 4:30 p.m.
• Administrative Services Committee – Aarestad, Arlt, Langness and Lorenson. Lorenson chairs the committee, which meets the second Tuesday of each month at 4:30 p.m.
• Budget/Finance Committee (ad hoc) – Lorenson, Narverud and McCraw
• Personnel/Labor Committee (ad hoc) – Aarestad, Lorenson and Narverud
• Long Range Planning/Annexation (ad hoc) – Lorenson, McCraw and Narverud
• Strategic Planning Work Group – Lorenson, McCraw, Narverud and City Administrator Angie Philipp
• Building Work Group – Aarestad, Lorenson and Narverud
The council appointed Narverud as acting mayor in the absence of Lorenson for calendar year 2026.
City Council adopted the Northern Minnesota (Duluth) meal reimbursement schedule and 2026 federal mileage rate. Per the schedule, meal reimbursement for travel outside the county would be reimbursed at $22 for breakfast, $23 for lunch and $36 for dinner. Alcohol and tips won’t be reimbursed. The city will also follow the federal mileage reimbursement rate of 72.5 cents per mile.
The council reappointed Chad Broadwell to a three-year term on the Community Development Advisory Board. Broadwell’s term was set to expire Jan. 31.