Hills City Council
By Nicole RonchettiJuly 08, 2026The Hills City Council received the city’s audit results from Meulebroack, Taubert & Co. during a special session held on June 30 and also adopted a resolution for data practices. Amy Mollberg, a partner with the accounting firm that conducted the audit, told the council that the audit came back healthy, despite some funds where expenses exceeded revenue. For example, the general fund was…
By Nicole RonchettiMay 15, 2026A public forum during the May 12 Hills City Council meeting drew over 60 people, the majority of whom were there to express support for the city council and city clerk amid an expected lawsuit. Hills Area Chamber of Commerce president Kris Gagnon has said he is filing the lawsuit alleging that the City of Hills and City Clerk Connie Wiertzema have failed to provide public data when requested in…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 22, 2026Three landowners with agricultural property inside of Hills city limits are requesting that their parcels — a total of approximately 91 acres — be designated as rural service districts. The designation, common in rural cities throughout the state, would allow the land to be taxed at a lower rate since it does not receive the benefits of city services. “It’s taxed at a much higher rate than…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 22, 2026Hills resident Allen Saakyan presented a demonstration of what a new city website could look like during the city council meeting on April 14. The presentation brought council members on a tour of the potential website, which Saakyan said would be simple to transfer to city ownership. “I put together a little demo of what a beautiful, modern city website can be,” Saakyan said, showing the…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 22, 2026Hills City Council members heard a recommendation to establish a fire escrow account during their April 14 meeting. The account would provide financial protection for the city in the case of a property owner abandoning a damaged structure after a fire. “How we’ve seen this play out in other areas is there’s some kind of structure fire or building explosion, and the property owner takes the…
By Nicole RonchettiMarch 18, 2026Members of the Hills City Council heard a no-cost offer to modernize the city website, adding online billing, information on city financials, and archives of council minutes and meetings. Allen Saakyan, a resident of Hills and member of the Hills Chamber of Commerce, spoke to the council during its March 10 meeting, highlighting the importance of government transparency and website…
By Mavis FodnessNovember 12, 2025Dennis Boese is the newest member to the Hills City Council. He was sworn into office Monday night, where he was both excited and nervous about his new position. “I never did something like this before,” Boese said. Boese and his wife, Mona, moved to Hills from Pipestone in 2012. They worked at Grand Falls Casino until their recent retirement. “We wanted to move away to a warmer climate, but…- By Mavis FodnessOctober 22, 2025Dennis Boese will join the Hills City Council in November to fill the unexpired term of Cory Metzger who moved from the community. Boese was among three Hills residents interested in filling the remainder of Metzger’s four-year term that ends in December 2026. Metzger resigned July 11, and Boese was appointed at the council’s Oct. 14 meeting on a unanimous vote by council members Vickie…
- By Mavis FodnessApril 16, 2025Hills residents have an opportunity to comment on a zoning ordinance before it is formally adopted by city council members. The public hearing will be at 6 p.m. Monday, April 21, at the Hills American Legion hall. The 71-page proposed ordinance can be viewed at the Hills City Office. Council members began the development process in December 2023 with the assistance of the Southwest Regional…
- By Mavis FodnessApril 16, 2025Hills City Council members declined a resident’s request to own chickens within the city limits. Kylie Ganun met with council members April 8, outlining the reasons why she should be allowed to house up to six hens at her South Water Avenue residence. “As the interest in sustainable living, local food sourcing and self-sufficiency continues to grow, I believe allowing chickens within city…
- By Mavis FodnessOctober 09, 2024Three candidates are seeking election to two open seats on the Hills City Council in the Nov. 5 general elections. Both seats are four-year terms. Current council member Ross Metzger is not seeking re-election. Council member Alan Leenderts, who is filling the unexpired term of Stacen Burgers, is also not seeking election to the council. Filing for the council positions are Joseph Streeter,…
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