City Council Meeting, January 20, 2026
Approves Charter Amendment - Section 4.02 Subdivision 4 (Planning Commission Capital Improvements Role), Unanimous (9-0)
What happened
The Willmar City Council approved the construction bid for Wilmer Connect phase one fiber broadband project at $7,627,499.63 to NC3 LLC and called for a public hearing on $9.2M in general obligation tax abatement bonds for February 17, 2026.
- Jurisdiction
- Willmar, MN
- Governing body
- Final authority
- Date
- January 20, 2026
- Decisions
- 11 zoning decisions
- Outcome
- Approved, Unanimous (9-0)
Projects in this meeting (2)
Each is its own project; some span multiple hearingsCharter
Approved 9-0Charter
Approved 9-0Free sample: decision 1 of 11
Wilmer Connect Phase One Construction Bid Award
Council accepted and awarded the bid for Wilmer Connect phase one fiber broadband construction to NC3 LLC of Clearbrook, Minnesota for $7,627,499.63. Ten bids were received ranging from $7.3M to $17.6M. The engineer's estimate was $8,034,859. The project includes 300 connections with 377 pre-signups in phase one of approximately 2,800 potential connections.
- Phase two is strongly recommended to improve project financials. Standalone phase one projects approximately $3.6M shortfall over 16 years; combined phases reduce shortfall to approximately $670,000 by 2031.
The other decisions are listed below by title. The full write-up, verbatim conditions, and the audio at each vote are in Pro.
Meeting Summary
The Willmar City Council approved the construction bid for Wilmer Connect phase one fiber broadband project at $7,627,499.63 to NC3 LLC and called for a public hearing on $9.2M in general obligation tax abatement bonds for February 17, 2026.
Key Decisions (11)
Wilmer Connect Phase One Construction Bid Award
Public Hearing Called for Wilmer Connect Bond Ordinance
Charter Amendment - Section 4.02 Subdivision 4 (Planning Commission Capital Improvements Role)
Charter Amendment - Section 4.02 Subdivision 8 (Planning Commission Real Estate Role)
Charter Amendment - Section 4.06 (Board of Zoning Appeals Consolidation)
Investment Policy Update
Charter Amendment Public Hearing - Sections 7.03c, 7.04c, 7.05c
Employee Personnel Policy Handbook Revisions
Sanitary Sewer Ordinance Amendment Public Hearing Called
Glacial Ridge Curling Club Liquor License
Joint Work Session Scheduled - Zoning Code Update
Development Activity (1)
Wilmer Connect Fiber Broadband Network
Infrastructure
Market Signals (5)
Infrastructure
Strong resident interest in municipal fiber broadband with 377 pre-signups…
Commercial Demand
An unnamed private fiber provider has expressed interest in the…
Sentiment
Significant community concern over ICE enforcement activity has caused some…
Meeting Intelligence Preview
Ask this meeting anything
Ask who voted, what conditions passed, and what staff recommended for "City Council Meeting - 2026-01-20", with every answer cited to the transcript. Included with Pro.
Learn about Meeting Q&AGet every Willmar meeting with full decisions, votes, and zoning details, within hours of each session.
7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
Just want to know when new Willmar meetings are posted? Get free email alerts below.
Follow Willmar
Get the agenda when a meeting is posted, plus decision and analysis alerts.
We'll email you an activation link — one click, no password, unsubscribe anytime.