On Dec. 2, 2025 before the city council, Hastings Police Chief Dave Wilske swore in the two newest officers of the Hastings Police Department: Terry Kuhn and Brandon Kucharski. Chief Wilske also introduced the new Community Service Officer Mitchell Giles before the council. The additional officers bring the Hastings Police Department up to its full staffing levels.

The Dec. 2 meeting of the city council was the truth-in-taxation hearing for the 2025 city budget where the council opened the forum for residents to have their say in the budget. Finance Manager Chris Eitemiller presented on the budgeting process and what exactly is included within the 2025 budget.

The city budgeting process begins in work sessions starting in June. During that time city staff prepare drafts of budgets to address the council’s goals and operational needs. A preliminary budget is adopted in September and during that time the county sends notices of estimated tax impacts. Finally, the city holds a truth-in-taxation hearing in December and if there are no further concerns, adopts the budget officially.

Hastings’ 2025 budget is $42,274,045 with a levy of $20,049,930. The 2025 levy represents a $1.4 million increase or 7.5% which translates into a $106 increase for the median home in Hastings. It is a tax rate increase of 3.34% from 55.308% to 58.649%.

Much of the 2025 budget discussion has been dominated by the construction of the first water treatment plant (WTP) to filter PFAS from Hastings water. Construction for what is known as the central WTP, which is expected to be located at 1290 North Frontage Road, will begin next year and extend into 2026. The total cost of the central WTP is $26.7 million, although with the inclusion of Well 5 into the 3M settlement fund, not all of that price tag will come from Hastings residents.

Other key expenses include the hiring of two new firefighters/EMTs and a second SRO and capital equipment plans which allocate $912,000 for the replacement of 14 aging fleet vehicles including three police squad cars.

Hastings Economic Development and Redevelopment Authority’s (HEDRA) budget was approved for 2025 for $1,331,853.

No Hastings residents spoke before the city council at the hearing.

Finally, City Administrator Dan Wietecha provided a PFAS update. Wietecha spoke to the city’s efforts in securing state funding via a state bonding bill coming out of the legislature. The city council approved a resolution of support that underscores the city’s first priority as clean and safe drinking water.

Hastings WTPs were submitted to the state’s project priority list, a loan that could pay for WTPs. Wietecha called this “not our preferred source of funding because it is a loan,” but emphasized that the city is looking for sources of funding wherever they might come from.

In addition, the same application for the state’s project priority list can be used for Minnesota’s Emergent Contaminant Grant, a grant of up to $3 million per the east and central WTPs. According to Wietecha, the drafted list for this grant ranked the eastern plant as number 2, and the central plant as tied for number 13. “We’ve not received an official word, but it certainly looks positive that we could be getting $6 million in grants towards those in the next couple of weeks as the state finalizes its listing,” said Wietecha.

The city applied for the first funds from the 3M settlement fund in order to purchase 1290 N. Frontage Road where the central WTP is expected to located as well as to move the businesses currently there. The city is contracting with SRF Consulting to assist with the business relocation in order to ensure they can “continue to be successful here in Hastings,” said Wietecha.

The city council also approved an application for the state bonding bill for the eastern water treatment plant. Through this application, Hastings is asking the state for $19.6 million, the estimated unfunded cost of the eastern WTP.

In previous conversations with state representatives, “We certainly heard in talking with legislators last session loud and clear that asking for $70 million is too much. We need to break this into phases and apply a phase at a time.”

In order to comply with legislators, the city is breaking up its requests into two phases: the first concerning the eastern WTP, and the second for the western WTP.

“The difficulty is the timing of the legislative sessions and our anticipated construction schedule don’t match up,” said Wietecha, explaining why the city couldn’t apply for state funds for the central WTP.

For more information about the 2025 budget and to watch the full city council meeting, visit Hastings Community TV’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@HastingsCommunityTV