Council Approves 2026 Budget and Property Tax Levy

On Dec. 1, following a truth-in-taxation public hearing, the Hastings City Council approved a 2026 budget of $71.1 million, which includes infrastructure projects, and set a property tax levy of $21.6 million to invest in improved water treatment; infrastructure, building and equipment preservation; and personnel.

The city also proposed phased-in water rate increases of 10% in January and additional mid-year increases to be determined later depending on construction costs and financial support for the Eastern Water Treatment Plant. The fee schedule is set for approval at the Dec. 15 City Council meeting.

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Monthly PFAS Update

City Administrator Dan Wietecha gave a monthly update on efforts to acquire funding and remove PFAS from the city's drinking water.

Read a Summary

Watch the Presentation (1:15:28 mark)

Dec. 1, 2025 Council Meeting

• Approved funds of $6,315 from the Community Investment Fund for the Hastings Hockey Boosters / Hastings Hockey Association for bleacher end covers parking lot banners and photo opportunity cards. Hastings Hockey Boosters is providing $1,000 in matching funds.
• Accepted donations of $200 from Jay Nicholls and Family and $75 from Karyl Frye for ambulance and Fire Department operations.
• Accepted donations of $6,500 from the Offutt Family Foundation and $1,000 R.D. Offutt Company for ballistic vests for the Fire Department.
• Accepted donations of $100 from Linda and Philip Wagner and $50 from Joan Clark for Police Department outreach handouts.
• Accepted $1,000 from Hastings VFW Post #1210 in support of the Shop with a Cop program.
• Appointed Anna Stopka to the Parks and Recreation Commission.
• Appointed Gino Messina to the Public Safety Advisory Commission.
• Held a second reading and adopted an ordinance amendment to Hastings' zoning code related to lower-potency hemp edibles.
• Approved a type II home occupation license for Joe Knoll to operate a taxidermy business at 714 13th St. W.

View Council Documents

'Keep the Wreath White' Awareness Campaign

Help the Hastings Fire Department keep their holiday wreath white! Every time they respond to a fire call from Thanksgiving until Jan. 1, they will change one bulb from white to red. This time of year has an increased risk of fire danger - between extra cooking, dry Christmas trees, holiday light strands, space heaters and more, the risk for sparks is all around.

Please take extra precautions, including:

• Do not place anything on or near a space heater.
• Do not plug a space heater into a power strip.
• If you have a real Christmas tree, be sure to water it daily.
• Make sure you have a fire extinguisher and check its expiration date.
• Never leave cooking unattended.
• If you choose to use candles, always extinguish before you leave the room, and keep clear of other combustibles.

Beware of Scam Emails and Phone Calls

Last week, one of our business vendors received a suspicious email asking for payment from the City of Hastings. The email was a scam. Beware of any emails that may look suspicious. If something doesn’t look right, if you have any questions, or if you want to verify an email that you received, please call City Hall at 651-480-2350.

During the holiday season, scams of all kinds become more prevalent via phone and email. When in doubt, do not provide any personal information over the phone, double-check email sender addresses to ensure they are legitimate and do not click on suspicious email links.

Scam Alert Fact Sheet

City Website Redesign Coming Next Week

The city is switching website vendors and will launch a redesigned website next week. The new site will be mobile friendly and mobile responsive and meet accessibility guidelines. The site will be completed in phases, with phase 1 launch set for Dec. 11. Additional content and ADA-compliant text, images and documents will be built out through April of 2027. Those who signed up to receive news alerts will need to re-enroll when the new site launches. The website address will remain as www.hastingsmn.gov.