Today all I have time for is talking about the Windom City Council Meeting on Tuesday evening. A deeply divided Windom City Council voted 3–2 Tuesday to advance the first reading of Ordinance No. 204 (2nd Series), a key step toward the possible sale of WindomNet under an ordinance labeled “Disposition of Real Estate (WindomNet).” The vote keeps the proposed deal alive, but it was emphasized that the decision is not final until a second reading and final vote at the March 3rd council meeting. Tuesday’s discussion showed a community and a council with differing views on the financial certainty and local control, with multiple residents continuing to press both sides for clearer long-term planning. After introducing the ordinance Dirk Abraham, President of the Windom City Telecommunications Commission, was invited up to address council. Abraham said at their last meeting the Telecom Commission re-voted 4–0 (with one member absent) to recommend that WindomNet remain city-owned and city-operated. After a year of leaning toward the sale, he told council his view shifted, and he changed his mind while also aplogogizing for not approaching this differently. Abraham also stated that he now thinks that if the council chooses to sell, the city should open the process to all bidders, arguing the city has only seriously evaluated one deal so far. Which looking back over the past year was the recommendation of the Telecomm Committee. Abraham went onto say the system has three components: internet, video/TV, and telephone and according to him financials show the internet has been profitable, while TV and phone have not, though recent changes could reduce losses. He cited preliminary, unaudited figures suggesting WindomNet ended the year about $57,000 in the black, with a rough projection of a $250,000 surplus next year, including debt service while noting results could change with customer shifts and other variables. Councilman Jayesun Sherman framed the decision as “control vs. certainty” and argued selling now could mean the city is “selling just before the good years,” particularly ahead of the system’s debt retirement in June 2032. Sherman said he heard from many residents urging the city not to sell, and he raised concerns about loss of local control over pricing, service priorities, and community-driven expansion. Sherman also criticized the “optics” and said the city should have opened the sale process earlier if selling was on the table. On the other side, Councilwoman Jenny Quade said she had heard from a significant number of residents supporting a sale and argued many opponents of selling have not seen the full financial picture. Her central point: she said she has not seen a formal written plan showing how WindomNet would regain customers, fund upgrades, and become reliably profitable. Quade pointed to customer losses she said occurred during recent service transitions reporting 164 video customers lost during a cable-to-streaming transition period, and 140 phone customers lost over the last year arguing that in a small market, declines are hard to recover from. She also emphasized future upgrade costs, citing a figure of roughly $1.8 million in upgrades discussed during the process. Councilman Scott Benson emphasized affordability and city priorities, saying residents are concerned about taxes, streets, and other infrastructure needs including a pool, a new park and questioning whether the city can afford to wait through continued uncertainty, upgrades, and potential customer losses. Benson also expressed worry that if the city turns down the current offer, it may not see another serious bidder return. Mayor Hilary Mathis read a prepared statement explaining why she does not support the ordinance. She said the sale process was “done incorrectly,” apologized for stress on staff and growing distrust in local government, and said she has heard overwhelming feedback urging either no sale or a broader look at offers before selecting any buyer. Mathis also noted an important budget reality: she said the public may not realize that any net profit from a sale would not be available until the bonds are paid off in 2032, under current constraints. City Attorney Ron Schramel summarized the council’s choices as:
- Approve the sale to Federated,
- Reject the sale, or
- Solicit other bids (public bidding/RFP) if the city intends to sell.
The council ultimately approved the first reading on a 3–2 roll call vote:
- Yes: Benson, Quade, Nelson
- No: Esplan, Sherman
It was clarified prior to the council vote that if the council passes the first reading, the ordinance proceeds to a second reading on March 3rd. A “no” at the second reading would still stop the ordinance. IF you are wondering why all this matters… WindomNet has been a major local infrastructure investment for decades, and Tuesday’s debate centered on a core question: Should Windom keep control of a system that may be nearing improved financial performance or accept a deal now to eliminate debt risk and shift upgrade responsibilities to a larger operator? Supporters of moving forward say the city needs certainty, scale, and the ability to focus on other priorities while opponents argue Windom is too close to turning a corner to sell now, and that the city owes residents a more open, competitive process before making an irreversible decision. With the approval of the first reading, the final decision now heads to March 3rd, where the council will take up the second reading and a vote that could either finalize the ordinance or end it and send the city back to the drawing board. There are two weeks to contact City Council Members with your thoughts and opinions. Watching this process in action, I encourage you to talk to DIFFERENT Council Members instead of hashing your same opinion over and over with the one you feel most comfortable with. Step out of your comfort zone and have a conversation based on facts and business not emotion. City Council Members are listed on the Windom City Website and EVERY Councilperson has stated that they are open for a conversation. KDOM will have Federated on Kaleidoscope next Wednesday morning. We are encouraging questions. If you have any questions for Federated that you would like them to answer, please feel free to submit them to laura@windomradio.com or call the station at 507-831-3908.