Thief River Falls, Pennington County (trfnews.i234.me) — City leaders addressed long-running rumors on Tuesday.
The discussion happened at the Committee of the Whole meeting on January 20, 2026.
Leaders focused on a pool fund and a population rumor tied to Falls Liquor.
Agendas and minutes are posted on the city website.
View Thief River Falls minutes and agendas.
Pool fund balances.
City Administrator Angie Philipp said the swimming pool fund held $302,657.38 on December 31, 2025.
Philipp said a separate splash park fund held $10,795.16 on the same date.
Officials said the city has not spent the pool fund money.
The city shares its fund history and past spending online.
View the city’s Swimming Pool Fund information.
Mayor Mike Lorenson said some metro cities are closing pools.
He said pools can be costly and are used less by kids.
Council member Jason Aarestad said that comparison can miss local demand.
He pointed to an interest in the City of Warren pool.
Lorenson said Warren’s pool can lose $40,000 to $50,000 per year.
Economic and community director Richard Baker said pools cost a lot to build.
He also said some cities struggle to hire lifeguards.
Council member Kelly Langness noted Crookston nearly closed its pool.
Lorenson said the council needs a clear plan for future pool options.
Housing growth and tax tools.
Several council members raised concerns about slow population growth.
They said slower growth can add pressure on property taxes.
Council member Steve Narverud said many towns face similar issues.
He said talks with developers have picked up in recent years.
Narverud said the council has approved some Tax Increment Financing districts.
Aarestad said some residents misunderstand how TIF works.
He said TIF is a tax deferral tied to new value in a district.
The state auditor offers a plain guide to what TIF means.
Read the Minnesota State Auditor’s TIF explainer.
Lorenson said a 65-unit market-rate apartment project remains on track.
He said the site is near Sanford Medical Center.
He also said a group discussed housing for residents age 55 and older.
Lorenson said that the talk included possible future annexation.
Population rumors and Falls Liquor.
For years, some residents shared a rumor about keeping the city under 10,000.
Narverud said city leaders do not control Census counts.
He said the city does not count people for the Census.
Some of the talk focused on the city-owned liquor store, Falls Liquor.
Falls Liquor is listed as the city’s municipal liquor operation.
See the city’s Falls Liquor page.
Leaders said Minnesota law sets rules for municipal liquor stores.
Readers can review the state law language online.
Read Minnesota Statute 340A.601.
More guidance is also available from the League of Minnesota Cities.
Read the League’s guide on municipal liquor stores.
Retail outlook.
Baker said the city could add about 40,000 square feet of retail space.
He said the former ProBuild building is about 22,000 square feet.
He said a national chain is working through a site design process.
He said another out-of-state developer is trying to buy land for a store.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
So….if the funds have always been there why wasn’t it verified long ago?