2026 League Awards: Earn Swag and the Right To Swagger

Admiration from your peers, an attractive desk plaque to display at city hall, a check for $1,000, and a video that showcases your outstanding accomplishment to share far and wide! Your city can attain all of that and more, simply by submitting a description of your good work from the past year.

Nominate your city for the League’s 2026 City of Excellence Awards through April 20. Winners will be first announced publicly at the League’s 2026 Annual Conference in Rochester, June 24-26.

A City of Excellence Award is a gift that keeps on giving. Winners will be recognized throughout the year via a League-produced video to be first shown at the conference and shared on social media, a feature article in this magazine, and potential promotion through your city’s local media.

Outstanding individuals will also receive plaudits through the League’s C.C. Ludwig Award, James F. Miller Leadership Award, and Emerging Leaders Award recognitions. These awards honor outstanding work among elected and appointed officials and are the most prestigious awards for city leaders presented by the League. Winners of individual awards are first recognized publicly at the conference, as well.

Finally, cities that currently participate in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program are eligible for consideration in the 2026 Sustainable City Award competition. Nomination materials for all League awards can be found at lmc.org/awards.

Fire Departments Test New PFAS-Free Foam Made From Soybeans

Fire departments across Minnesota are testing a new firefighting foam made from soybeans as the state implements its ban on PFAS-containing foams.

The product, known as SoyFoam, is being distributed to local fire departments for testing as Minnesota continues its transition away from PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals.”

The state began phasing out PFAS in firefighting foams in 2020, and under current rules, all firefighting foams must be PFAS-free, with limited exceptions for airport hangars and oil refineries.

Departments ranging from small rural units to city departments, including Fergus Falls, are evaluating the foam. Fire officials say water remains the primary firefighting tool because of its availability and cooling ability. Foam, however, plays an important role in suppressing flammable liquid fires, preventing rekindling, and protecting nearby structures or vegetation from catching fire.

According to reporting by MPR News, more than 400 five-pound pails of the foam have been provided to departments across the state to support testing and evaluation. Some fire chiefs report the foam is thicker than traditional products but generally effective.

New Ulm Embraces Flexible Zoning To Address Housing Shortage

Facing a severe housing shortage, the City of New Ulm is taking a more flexible approach to development, approving a range of unconventional housing projects aimed at increasing supply.

Over the past year, the City Council has approved tiny homes, shed houses, and zoning changes that allow residential development in areas not traditionally used for housing. The city’s overall vacancy rate remains below 1%, and local employers report difficulty attracting workers who cannot find places to live.

Among the approved projects are a 15-unit tiny home development designed for temporary workers and a planned cluster of “barndominiums,” metal-sided structures that combine storage and living space. Several projects required Planned Unit Developments, a zoning tool that allows cities to tailor rules to specific sites.

City leaders say they are trying to remain open to new housing ideas while carefully weighing how growth affects existing neighborhoods. Officials acknowledge the need to balance the urgency of expanding housing options with resident concerns about land use, infrastructure, and long-term planning.

According to reporting by the Star Tribune, New Ulm is one of many Greater Minnesota cities loosening zoning rules as traditional single-family housing becomes increasingly difficult to build affordably.

Elmore Builds Activity Park Designed for Teens and Adults

The City of Elmore has opened a new activity park designed to fill a gap in recreation options for teenagers and adults, according to the Faribault County Register.

(CAPTION)The Elmore Wildcats Activity Park sits on what was once a mostly vacant lot with a single basketball court. Today, the park includes basketball and pickleball courts, sand volleyball, bean bag toss, benches, shelters, and a small disc golf course. The design complements, rather than replaces, the city’s existing park, which focuses on playground equipment for younger children.

City Administrator Mandy Emmers said the goal was to create a space that appeals to older youth and adults who were not being served by traditional park amenities. Construction began in 2024 and wrapped up this past summer, and the park saw steady use before the school year began.

Two grants helped fund the project: a Small Communities and Rural Placemaking Grant from the Blandin Foundation and a Taylor Rural Improvement Grant administered by the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. The city expects heavier use this spring and summer once warmer weather returns.

Elmore’s project reflects a growing trend among small cities to rethink park design and provide low-cost, flexible spaces that encourage activity across age groups.