City Council Meeting Date: November 10, 2026
To: Mayor and Members of Council
City Administrator
From: Justin Wagner, Utilities Manager
David Bennett, P.E., Public Works Director/City Engineer
Title
Public Hearing for Wellhead Protection Plan Part 2 Update.
Body
Action Requested:
The City Council is to hold a public hearing for the Wellhead Protection Plan Part 2 Update.
Summary Report:
The City of Northfield is holding a public hearing to receive comments on the City’s Wellhead Protection Plan Part 2.
Residents, local governmental units and other interested parties are invited to review the plan and provide input. The Wellhead Protection Plan Part 2 outlines actions the City will take to protect the groundwater that supplies Northfield’s municipal drinking water wells. The plan builds upon the Wellhead Protection Plan Part 1, which identified the Drinking Water Supply Management Area and evaluated the vulnerability of the groundwater capture area.
Part 2 describes strategies to manage potential sources of contamination and protect the community’s drinking water resources over the next ten years. Public participation is an important part of the process, and all comments received will be considered before the Plan is submitted to the Minnesota Department of Health.
The City provided a 60-day Local Government Units review period that ended on October 16, 2026. The City did not receive any comments during that period.
The public hearing notice was published in the Northfield News on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
The following is the procedure of the public hearing per the City Council’s adopted Rules of Business:
Public Hearing Procedure:
A Public Hearing is used by the City Council to solicit the public's comments on various projects or City operation procedures.
A. The Mayor (Chair) will open the hearing by identifying the subject.
B. Staff Presentation - Utilities Manager - Justin Wagner will give a brief overview and recommendation at the meeting.
C. Applicant's Presentation - Seth Peterson of Bolton and Menk, Water/Wastewater Senior Project Manager and Senior Principal will provide a presentation and will be available should there be any questions by the City Council. Additionally, Katie Breth of Minnesota Rural Water Association and Scott Hanson of the Minnesota Department of Health will be at the public hearing.
D. Public Input - The public will have the opportunity to speak for or against the issue. The public may ask questions, make comments, voice support, agree or disagree with the issue.
1. The Mayor will recognize a speaker and comments/conversation will be between the Mayor and speaker; and between the Mayor and Councilors.
2. The speaker must give their name, and, if representing a business, must give the name of the business or corporation. If an Attorney or consultant is representing a client, the client must be identified for the record.
3. Speakers will be allowed to speak a maximum of two (2) minutes per item (not including interpreter’s time).
E. Questions or Clarifications from the City Council - After the public input of the public hearing is completed, the City Council may request questions or clarifications prior to closing the public hearing. This section will be used when there are questions related to the topic on which the public hearing is being held. Questions should be succinct and avoid being rhetorical or leading in nature. Subsequent actions of the City Council provide for opportunities for further questions or clarifications from the City Council.
G. Motion to Close Hearing - The Mayor will state if there is an extension of time for public input into the hearing. If not, the City Council will make a motion, second, and vote on closing the public hearing.
City Plans & Policies Relevance:
Wellhead Protection Plan Part 2
Alternative Options:
None recommended
Financial Impacts:
None
Tentative Timelines:
• November 10, 2026 Public Hearing on Wellhead Protection Plan Part 2
• November 10, 2026 City Council votes on Approving Wellhead Protection Plan Part 2
• Post Meeting Minnesota Department of Health Approves Wellhead Protection Plan Pat 2