City of Mountain Lake, MN

08/20/2026

July Utility Bills – Power Cost Adjustment

A quick reminder about the July utility bills that will be going out:

Mountain Lake Utilities has a Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) built into our electric rates. This adjustment helps account for changes in the cost of purchasing electricity on the wholesale/open market. When the cost of purchased power is higher than what is anticipated in our regular electric rates, the PCA helps recover that additional cost.

For July, we are seeing a Power Cost Adjustment of approximately 4 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). This is significantly higher than the adjustments we have experienced in the past — approximately twice the amount we have typically seen.

Because of this, customers should expect their July electric bills to be higher than normal. This increase is due to the higher cost the utility has experienced when purchasing electricity on the open market.

We wanted to communicate this in advance so residents are aware of why their July bill may be higher than they normally expect.

There are ways to help manage your electricity costs. Mountain Lake Utilities offers electric rebates for qualifying energy-efficient improvements and appliances. Before purchasing a new appliance or making an energy-efficiency upgrade, we encourage customers to check with Mountain Lake Utilities to see what rebate opportunities may be available.

Choosing energy-efficient appliances and making improvements that reduce electricity usage can help lower your monthly electric costs over time. Even small changes in how we use electricity can make a difference.

We appreciate your understanding as we continue to manage the cost of providing reliable electric service to our community and encourage customers to take advantage of available rebate and energy-efficiency opportunities.

08/13/2026

The Mountain Lake hotel is open!

Welcome to the AmericInn by Wyndham Mountain Lake. 🎉 We are so excited to be part of the community. Come say hello and check out our opening deal! We can't wait to meet you.

08/13/2026

Chip Sealing Rescheduled for Monday

Due to the weather, the roads are still too wet for chip sealing, and rain is forecasted for tomorrow. As a result, the chip sealing has been rescheduled for Monday.

Send a message to learn more

08/12/2026

PLEASE SEE THE PICTURE BELOW

The roads identified in the picture below, highlighted, will be chip sealed tomorrow. No parking signs have been posted, so please do not park on these streets until the signs have been removed.

Please also note that garbage and recycling collection is tomorrow. If you are a property owner or resident on a street that is being chip sealed, please place your garbage and recycling bins on the boulevard instead of in the street.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience while this road work is completed.

08/07/2026

08/03/2026

Active Living is asking for community input through the Mountain Lake Demonstration Project survey, and we would really like to hear from you. This is an important opportunity to share your thoughts and help shape the future of our community.

Please take a few minutes to complete our community input survey and provide your feedback on the demonstration project on 3rd Avenue & 12th Street.

Your responses will help guide future planning and ensure that community voices are included in the conversation

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

07/23/2026

Community Update from the Mountain Lake City Council

Thank you to everyone who attended the community meeting and took the time to share your questions, concerns, and perspectives regarding the proposed data center. We appreciate the respectful participation and thoughtful input from everyone who attended.

The City Council values public engagement and recognizes the importance of hearing from community members on issues that affect Mountain Lake. We appreciate everyone who took the time to participate in the discussion and share their perspectives

07/15/2026

Notice: A Regular City Council Meeting is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. on Monday, July 20, at the Community Center. This is not a public hearing. The meeting will include an opportunity for the City Council to hear public comments regarding the proposed data center as part of the regular meeting agenda.

City Council Public Forum Guidelines
Proposed Data Center

The City Council welcomes public input regarding the proposed data center. The purpose of this public forum is to provide members of the public with an opportunity to present comments and testimony to the City Council. To ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to be heard and that the meeting is conducted in an orderly, respectful, and efficient manner, the following procedures will apply.
Purpose of the Public Forum
The City Council is committed to receiving public input and encourages residents to share their comments, questions, and concerns regarding the proposed data center. Council Members will listen to all testimony presented. While Council Members may ask clarifying questions, they may not respond to every comment or engage in debate during the public comment period.
Speaker Registration
Anyone wishing to provide public testimony must complete a Speaker Registration Form upon arrival and before the public comment portion of the meeting begins.
The registration form must include:
• Full Name
• Residential Address
• Telephone Number (optional)
Only individuals who have completed and submitted a registration form before the public comment period begins will be called to speak.
Public Testimony
• Speakers will be called individually by the Acting Mayor in the order their registration forms are received.
• Each speaker will be allotted three (3) minutes to present their comments.
• When called, speakers should approach the podium, state their name and address for the record, and begin their testimony.
• Once the three-minute time limit has expired, speakers will be asked to conclude their remarks so that all registered participants have an equal opportunity to be heard.
Rules of Decorum
The City Council welcomes differing viewpoints and encourages all participants to express their opinions in a respectful and professional manner. The Council is committed to providing a forum where everyone has an opportunity to speak.
To maintain an orderly meeting, participants shall:
• Address all comments to the City Council.
• Speak in a respectful, courteous, and professional manner.
• Refrain from interrupting speakers, Council Members, City staff, or members of the audience.
• Avoid personal attacks, threatening behavior, or abusive language.
• Refrain from shouting, yelling, or engaging in conduct that disrupts the orderly transaction of City business.
• Refrain from applause, cheering, booing, or other demonstrations that interfere with the meeting or the ability of others to be heard.
The Acting Mayor is responsible for maintaining order during the meeting. Individuals who engage in disruptive conduct may be ruled out of order. If the disruptive behavior continues after a warning, the individual may be asked to leave the meeting so that City business may proceed in an orderly manner.
These rules apply equally to all participants regardless of their position on the proposed data center.

07/09/2026

Data Center Update: The public has asked about the potential benefits of the proposed data center, particularly regarding electric rates. The anticipated annual gross margin to the City's utilities from the data center is approximately $400,000, with the potential for additional revenue growth in future years.

This additional revenue would help offset future utility cost increases and has prompted discussions about the possibility of reducing electric rates. The revenue would also help fund necessary upgrades to the City's power plant, reducing the financial burden on existing ratepayers.

If the data center project does not move forward, future electric rate increases are anticipated in January 2027 to cover rising costs and needed infrastructure improvements. Public feedback has consistently indicated that electric rates are a concern, and the additional revenue generated by the data center could help stabilize rates and reduce the need for future increases.

Below is a comparison of Mountain Lake's electric rates from a study in 2023 with those of neighboring communities. The goal is to reduce the rate.

07/08/2026