City Council Meeting Date: November 10, 2026
To: Mayor and Members of Council
City Administrator
From: Ben Martig, City Administrator
James McDermott, Water Quality Technician
David Bennett, City Engineer/Public Works Director
Title
Discuss Ownership Transfer Agreement with Post Holdings Inc. for Ames Mill Dam and its Removal Timeline and next Steps.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council Discusses Ownership Transfer Agreement with Post Holdings Inc. for Ames Mill Dam and its Removal Timeline and next Steps.
Summary Report:
The City Council will discuss a proposed agreement with Post Consumer Brands, the dam’s owner, on November 10. That meeting is for discussion only. Consideration of action on the agreement and initial engineering work is scheduled for November 17.
The proposed agreement would establish an option for future City ownership. Approving it would not transfer the dam to Northfield. Instead, it would establish terms for investigation, cost sharing and a possible later acquisition.
Removing and replacing the Ames Mill Dam is an adopted Council strategic priority. This planned next phase would provide the information needed to evaluate environmental risks, costs and ownership responsibilities before proceeding.
Post Consumer Brands owns the Ames Mill Dam. The aging structure no longer serves its original milling purpose. The first dam dates to 1855, the year Northfield was founded. The existing concrete dam was constructed in 1919. According to the accompanying project presentation, a 1997 inspection recommended studying potential removal. Malt-O-Meal explored a replacement option in 2007, but cost and limited funding for privately owned dams prevented the project from advancing.
On November 21, 2023, the City Council adopted the Ames Mill Dam Feasibility Study Recommendation Option 3 – Long Rock Rapids (Attachment 1), and authorized staff to explore phase 2 – ownership transfer from Post Holding Inc. to the City of Northfie...
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