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Mayor's Message
Steve Downer, Mayor
Phone: 612-961-9638
Email Steve Downer
The City of Buffalo is the county seat and located in the middle of Wright County, one of the fastest-growing counties in the state of Minnesota. As such, it is poised for significant development in the very near future.
Much time and effort goes into planning to channel this growth in a way that is beneficial and pleasing to the people that already live here, while preserving existing neighborhoods and enhancing our various natural jewels—especially our lakes.
While we generally look forward, it is good to pause briefly and review past progress.
While reviewing this list, please keep in mind the successful efforts of many people in meeting these goals. These efforts include those of citizens, developers, local officials and most notably our dedicated city staff who keep things humming on a daily basis.
Sincerely from Your Mayor,
Steve Downer
Mission & Vision
Our Mission is to create and foster a community where excellence and opportunity come together.
Our Vision is where the City of Buffalo strives to provide superior services and a safe environment to live, work and play. The City and its stakeholders will meet the changing needs of the community through innovation and collaboration.
City Council Core Strategies:
- Foster welcoming culture of engaged & active citizens
- Maintain & Improve Public Infrastructure
- Maintain Fiscal Responsibility
- Provide a Safe, Secure & Healthy Community
- Provide Planned & Sustainable Growth
- Provide a Supportive & Balanced Business Environment
- Continue to be a Collaborative, Inclusive & High Functioning Team
- Continue Evolving the Quality of Life for the City of Buffalo’s Diverse Needs
City Happenings:
- Phase 1 commercial build out of the City’s Buffalo Fiber utility was completed in 2024 and we are considering a Phase 2 large residential buildout in 2025. Stay posted for more details soon.
- The City of Buffalo purchased the former “PenRad” building for use as the new Community Center. An architect and construction manager are on board to redesign and remodel the inside of the building as well as the grounds to meet our community needs. We are hoping to open in late-2025 or early-2026.
- A buyer for the former Wright County Government Center site and their developer presented the initial concept at a January council meeting. Details on the project and future opportunities for public input can be found on the project communication StoryMap.
- The City of Buffalo is developing a city-wide Transportation Safety Action Plan that evaluates safety issues for people driving, walking, biking, using Trailblazer Transit, or using a wheelchair.
- The City Council has just recently updated its strategic plan. The current plan was adopted in 2025 and can be downloaded by clicking here (PDF).
Community Planning & Economic Development Update:
Buffalo Community Plan
The City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan (PDF)continues to guide development, City goals and priorities for the next few decades. It includes future Land Use plans, areas targeted for additional open space, and key projects for the city to explore.
Citizenserve - Online Permitting System
Our online permitting system continues to streamline our permitting process to better serve our residents and businesses.
Residential Highlights
- Settlers Brook – 2nd Addition is in progress with 21 single-family homes
- South Shores on Lake Pulaski – This project is in the Concept Plan stage and currently calls for 303 single-family homes and 608 attached housing units (townhomes, apartments, etc.)
- McAlpine Property – This project is in Concept Plan stage and currently calls for 182 lots, consisting of 134 single-family homes and 48 townhomes
Commercial Highlights
- Chipotle / Starbucks – Completed and Opened in the Spring of 2024
- SouthPoint Credit Union – Completed and Opened in the Fall of 2024
- Larson Builders Expansion – This expansion included a new 4,500 square foot commercial / retail building in Buffalo’s downtown along with a renovation of their existing offices and opened in the Fall of 2024
- Healthsource Chiropractic – Construction is underway on a new 2-tenant commercial building for the vacant lot just north of Lil Explorers daycare on Highway 55
Redevelopment of former Wright County Government Center
The Wright County Economic Development Authority (EDA) has agreed to a Purchase Agreement with Buchholz Properties LLC for the ~7.25 acre-site. Developers have presented a concept plan that includes a mix of uses that include multi-family residential, neighborhood-scale residential, and commercial development. This redevelopment will include an Environmental Assessment Worksheet and staff expect the developers to seek final approvals in fall of 2025. Visit the project communication StoryMap for details and updates.
Buffalo Business & Commerce Park
City staff has begun to plan for the buildout of the new Buffalo Business and Commerce Park for the 96-acre parcel purchased by the City of Buffalo Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA). The development of the park will likely be in 2 phases, with the City seeking various State funding sources to build out this park. The City has also approached a local commercial real estate agent to assist in identifying future tenants for this park.
Streets & Maintenance Department
2024 was a good year for the Street Department!
- Our department saved money with the mild winter and less snowfall in the 2023-24 winter season.
- Spring cleanup, street sweeping, and pot holing started much earlier due to the mild winter as well.
- Trimmed the ROW trees on the south side of town. This helped with branches not hitting city & utility vehicles and helping sight lines being more visible.
- With the increase in the Road Improvement budget, all of Dague Avenue was seal-coated, and we reclaimed 5 sections of roads and also milled-overlayed a good number of sections as well. We have happy citizens in town now driving on these repaired roads!
- In the Fall, street sweeping went later than normal with the beautiful weather we had. The leaves did not drop until later in the season.
General Parks and Rec 2024 Highlights
- Our online registration continues to provide residents with the ability to make reservations & online payments for convenience and ease.
- Obtained the PenRad facility and will renovate for the new Community Center Facility.
- Completed the new Minnesota DNR Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Prevention Program to help protect our Lakes.
- Pickleball 101 Class was started at our new Pickleball courts.
- Completed the Settler’s Brooke Park Plan.
- Created and Updated our Master Trail Plan.
- Developed Mobile Stage Rental Program.
- Revised Park Dedication Ordinance to include the Commercial and Industrial Requirements.
- Increased Community Engagement Opportunities and asked for input on our Trail Plan Update, Playground Replacement, and future projects.
- Concerts in the Park is the place to be this summer on Thursday evenings to enjoy our beautiful park and lakeview.
Community Center Highlights
- The Community Center welcomed many new people to the facility and special events this past year. Our variety of hobby groups have all seen an increase in participation including card, coffee, health and wellness, youth, and other different groups that utilize our space.
- The community is excited about the future facility, and we have received a lot of positive feedback about the plans put in place for this project. Community Center staff will continue to offer regular public meetings to share updates and take questions about the project.
- To help residents reach our current and future facilities, we received grant funds for a new ride share program to enhance transportation options.
Volunteerism at the Community Center
Volunteer help is nothing short of EXCEPTIONAL!
- Volunteers from the Buffalo Community Toy Shop donated nearly 4,000 hours of service to make 14,000 wooden toys in 2024.
- Bison Fishing Forever volunteers donated more than 700 hours of their time to take hundreds of people out on pontoon rides during the summer.
- The weavers collect plastic bags to crochet into bedrolls for the homeless. In 2024, they completed 52 bedrolls that kept 26,000 plastic bags out of the landfill and they volunteered more than 2,050 hours.
- Our lunch program, special events and volunteer led programs were supported by another 20+ people who contributed more than 650 hours of time.
- The grand total for 2024: 115 volunteers donated more than 7,400 hours of time to serve our community.
Civic Center 2024 Highlights
- The Civic Center hosted the inaugural Fall Outdoor Concert on September 14th, 2024. There were 600 people in attendance enjoying music from the Mitch Gordon Band & the Fabulous Armadillos. Planning is already underway for September 13th, 2025’s concert.
- A RECORD in 2024 for the number of dry floor events held. Twenty out of 28 weekends from mid-March through September were BOOKED for events.
- A New Zamboni was purchased. We have not had a new Zamboni since the Purple Rink was built in 2001!
- The Rubber flooring throughout the entire Civic Center facility was replaced.
- We hosted the 2024 Junior Gold B State Tournament for Minnesota Hockey.
- We welcomed two new full-time employees to our staff to keep up with our events.
Parks Maintenance Highlights
- The Parks Department hosted the 4th Annual Arbor Day Tree Planting at Pine Meadows Park on May 4. Volunteers and Staff helped the Parks Advisory Board plant 12 trees in the park. The 2025 event will be held at Prairie View Park on May 3rd.
- The Protecting Community Forests Grant from the MN DNR is ending. Staff has recently planted 30 new trees. The new trees replaced the Ash trees that had to be removed and help repopulate our urban forest. We will continue efforts to proactively manage the Emerald Ash Borer moving forward.
- We replaced the playgrounds at Shonhaugen and Mills-Sturges Parks starting our playground replacement program, which includes new safety surfacing.
- We replaced aging lighting with smart LED lighting at Bentfield Mills Park’s main baseball field.
Free Concerts at Sturges Park Bandshell Thursday Evenings June through August:
Concerts in the Park are designed to be fun family events to bring the community together and enjoy summer evenings on Buffalo Lake. The concerts run from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Bring your chairs or blankets for an evening in the park. We rely solely on generous donations from the public and sponsors to book the finest talent. Donations (PDF) are welcomed year round.
Flora of Buffalo Beautification Program:
Flora of Buffalo is run by city employees and community volunteers. This program could not be possible without the generous donations from residents and businesses in our community.
Buffalo Municipal Utilities
New Social Media Pages 
Buffalo Municipal Utilities has new Facebook and Instagram pages to provide information on projects, educate on new ways for conserving resources, and any other happenings in our Utility Departments.
2nd Annual Customer Appreciation Day
BMU Departments along with our Streets Department created displays that represented the work they do for the City. The City’s engineering and consulting firm, Bolton & Menk, provided a delicious lunch for everyone. We were very pleased to have over 500 people join us to learn more about their community owned utilities. Staff and volunteers from Utility Billing, Finance, and Administrative Staff helped make the day a great success.
Pollinator Project & Utility Campus Improvement
BMU Water Department joined Buffalo School District and Wright County Soil and Water Conservation District in planting a native plant pollinator outdoor classroom around the perimeter of Northwinds Elementary and along the walking path. The outdoor classroom will not only be educational, but will provide habitat for wildlife, food for pollinators,
reduce erosion and emissions, as well as reduce maintenance costs.
Another native pollinator pocket was planted near Buffalo Lake in front of the Utilities Campus. The fine fescue grass and Minnesota native plants, require little maintenance, conserve water, improve the health of the soil, reduce costs and add native beauty to Buffalo.
Buffalo Fiber
- On the residential side, over 100 new customers were installed in new homes and existing service areas.
- Over a dozen new commercial customers were installed including Chipotle, Culvers, Buffalo Chamber of Commerce, and Southpoint Credit Union.
- The Phase 1 commercial buildout is complete, and we are adding even more commercial customers in 2025.
- Phase 2 build out will start Spring of 2025 adding residential homes to our service area.
Electric Department
- New Construction & Infrastructure: The Electric Department continued to support the City's growth by expanding infrastructure for commercial and residential developments. Overhead lines were further removed in preparation for additional roundabouts on Hwy 25, improving aesthetics and reliability. There are additional roundabouts along Hwy 25 to prepare for, and Ryan Way needs infrastructure work completed prior to road improvements. Our Electric Crew played a key role in extending Buffalo Fiber Utility, ensuring enhanced connectivity for local businesses and reinforcing the redundant loop to the City's Central Offices.
- Mutual Aid & Emergency Response: This year, we once again demonstrated our commitment to assisting communities in need. Following severe storm damage in Florida during Hurricane Milton, Electric staff provided aid in power restoration efforts. Kissimmee and Orlando municipal utilities contacted MMUA, and 15 MN municipal utilities dispatched a group of 50 linemen, mechanics, and MMUA staff members to aid in the efforts. Journeyman line workers Paul Senstad and Zach Raymond participated from Buffalo Municipal Utilities. We appreciate their dedication and service to the line worker industry.
- Workforce Development: Our staff continues to grow and excel in their field. We have added drilling operators and seasonal construction help to provide additional support and efficiency in the growth of City projects now and in the future.
- Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Implementation: Building on last year’s progress, we are planning to officially deploy electric AMI meters across the City in 2025. All electric meters are equipped with interval read capabilities, streamlining communication and operational efficiency. This advancement eliminates the need for manual meter readings while enhancing real-time data access for both staff and customers.
- Buffalo’s Second Substation: We are currently in the design, interconnection testing, and procurement phases of our second Buffalo substation. The projected timeline for construction is tentative on transformer procurement but is estimated to break ground in 2027.
GIS/Engineering Department
GIS is a central service that maintains data for the utilities, parks and streets. This data is used to help make data driven decisions for planning and maintenance purposes. GIS data is also used for locating utility infrastructure and helping with asset management.
- ArcGIS Enterprise software: Our deployment of the new software was successful and a significant upgrade in our GIS capabilities enhanced tools, increased efficiency, and improved collaboration.
- Citywide Stormwater Management Plan: We continue to make progress in implementing this plan and efforts are focused on improving stormwater infrastructure and addressing key areas identified for enhancement. Additionally, staff are actively investigating new opportunities for water quality improvement projects, with an emphasis on identifying sustainable solutions that align with our environmental and community goals.
IT Department
Team and Mission:
The IT Department continues to thrive with a dedicated team of four professionals, each bringing a wealth of expertise to support the City of Buffalo’s evolving technological needs. Our team remains committed to providing technological service for all internal departments and Buffalo Fiber customers, ensuring a secure, efficient, and resilient IT framework. In addition to maintaining robust network operations, we emphasize continuous staff education on cybersecurity awareness, fostering a proactive and informed workplace.
Major Initiatives & Accomplishments
- Hardware & Infrastructure: We upgraded core infrastructure to enhance system reliability and performance while continuing to streamline network systems to improve efficiency and scalability.
- Cybersecurity & Education: We have strengthened cybersecurity measures with enhanced monitoring and proactive threat mitigation and also expanded cybersecurity awareness training for City staff, increasing participation and engagement using KnowBe4 Security Awareness training and tracking.
- Software & System Optimization: We have further integration of software solutions to enhance real-time network monitoring and management. Our improved system automation to reduces manual processes and increases operational efficiency. We also added new system platforms in our camera security within the community, offering face and license plate recognition as well as door access security to all our facilities starting in 2024 and continuing into 2025.
Future Focus:
Looking ahead, the IT Department aims to implement next-generation security protocols, enhance fiber network redundancy, and continue modernizing City-wide IT infrastructure. Our mission remains strong to deliver reliable, secure, and innovative technology solutions that empower City staff and serve the Buffalo community effectively.
Airport
The Buffalo Municipal Airport is home to approximately 70 aircraft, 3 City-owned T-hangars, and 29 private hangars.
2025 Projects
- Replacement of the existing PAPI's (Precision Approach Path Indicators) and REIL's (Runway End Indicator Lights) that have reached the end of their useful life. The majority of funding for this project are from Federal/State grant dollars: Federal (90%) - State (5%) - Local (5%).
Water Department
The City of Buffalo’s municipal wells
pumped over 516 million gallons in 2024.
- Water Treatment: Production Well #5 was not producing at its normal capacity during pumping. The crew found the spool pipe between the well and discharge line needed replacing due to wear and pitting of the line. The well is now up and running to normal production.
- Actuator Valves: The capital improvement actuator valve project was completed at the Water Treatment Plant. The valves that were replaced were original to the facility and surpassed their useful life expectancy. Actuator valves are vital to open and close other valves during the water treatment process. The new valves are durable and are expected to last 30 years or more.
- Water Distribution System: We completed Phase 1 of the water service line inventory. We are committed to help create a community that thrives by providing safe, reliable drinking water for all its consumers. Complying with the EPA’s federal lead and copper drinking water program is one way we can succeed in providing clean, dependable, safe drinking water. As this project progresses, we will keep our Community posted on the next steps of the program as they are presented.
- AMI: Automatic Meter Reading systems are almost installed in all residential areas. The AMI (Automated Meter Infrastructure) system will be installed this year in commercial, industrial and institutional buildings.
- Conservation Projects:
Community Conservation Outreach Programs with youth groups and adults through the Buffalo Community Center and BHM summer education programs are an important way to educate our residents on the importance of taking care of our valuable resources.
- Pollinator and vegetable gardens were planted and tended by Buffalo’s Little Sprouts, area youth groups and water conservation staff. Several adult and family events were held at the Buffalo Community Center and involved learning about energy and water conservation practices.
MMPA (Minnesota Municipal Power Agency)
MMPA is the City of Buffalo’s electric power provider. MMPA believes in reinvesting in the communities they work with, through conservation education, providing opportunities for communities to save energy and focusing on the future needs of its partners.
Buffalo Municipal Utilities partners with MMPA for our Conservation efforts. Together we were able to provide and continue to provide the Buffalo community with electric and water conservation kits, energy star air purifiers and rebates for both residential and commercial customers. Rebates include household appliances, air conditioners, and commercial lighting.
Water Reclamation Department
Collections
- Staff jetted and cleaned approximately 26.7 miles of sanitary sewer in 2024.
- Lift 24, Lift 1 and Lift 2 had programmable logic controllers (PLC) replacements.
- We continue to reduce Inflow and Infiltration (I & I) in our sanitary sewer system. We reduce I & I through full reconstruction, manhole coating, slip lining sewers and sealed manhole lids with protective barriers.
- Our primary goal is keeping our infrastructure connected and upgraded with technology to better plan, monitor, and enhance our Water Reclamation Operations. Programable Logic Controllers (PLC) replacements are an ongoing upgrade.
Wastewater Treatment
- Our Pre-Treatment project was a significant upgrade to our water operations and is now complete.
- We continue to replace PLCs at the Wastewater Plant. Recent replacements include Supervisory, Return Activated Sludge, UV Disinfection and Pre-Treatment panels. Our goal is to create efficiency and proper maintenance, as our experienced staff continue to replace obsolete components. PLC’s, monitoring devices, and other technology components help make this a reality.
Bios-solids Operations
- Throughout 2024 we dried our Bio-solids. It has allowed us to gather data and track efficiencies of the process. Continued regulations and costs will provide opportunities for us to manage operations in different ways in the future.
Challenges Ahead
- Regulation in the water reclamation industry will change some rules of operation and could potentially increase costs. Staff continue to strategize and optimize areas to help balance and reduce costs.
- Installing our Buffalo Fiber lines to all our infrastructure locations continues to be a goal for the most reliable and fast data connections and improve communications.
- Budgetary constraints and looming debt put us in a position to highly prioritize projects, drive efficiencies, and look for ways to keep operating and capital expenses down. Increased costs in chemicals, assets, labor, and parts impact us as well.
Buffalo Police Department
Our Mission
Is to provide people with focused public safety 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 a year basis. Our police officers respond to wide variety of calls for service, from traffic complaints & violations to more serious incidents and criminal complaints.
Our Department
It is an honor and privilege to serve our residents and our city.
- 19 Licensed Police Officers
- 3 Administrative/Records staff
- 1 Community Service Officer
- 10 Volunteer Reserve Officers
- 13,263 Calls for Service in 2024
We enjoy taking part in various community events and partnering with individuals, organizations, and businesses in raising security awareness. Some of the Events that we were grateful to be part of are:
- Buffalo Days Grand Parade
- Night to Unite
- BPD Open House
- CPKC Holiday Train
- Shop with a Hero
While keeping pace with the changes that affect our community, we strive to provide the best service possible, and we look forward to the opportunities to protect and serve. We want to thank our community for providing us with those opportunities!
Buffalo Wine & Spirits
It was a difficult year for the entire beverage industry. The market has been flat, and growth has been harder to achieve since the end of the pandemic. For us, revenue was slightly below 2023.
Highlights
- Julie Sanderson is our new Assistant Manager and is doing a great job.
- Both stores earned a total of $7.22M compared to $7.23M in 2023.
- The downtown store beat 2023 numbers in all categories, likely due to the reopening of highway 25 along the lake shore.
- The highway store was down about 1.5% and saw a decrease in sales in all departments—except THC products
- Sales of THC infused beverages and edibles are strong. The stores sold over $218,00 in 2024, our first full year of sales. We believe this category will continue to grow and remain a key part of our inventory. On a percentage basis, THC is more profitable than beer, liquor or wine.
- Net profits did increase in 2024, from 8.8% to 9.6%.
- We plan to replace the Highway 55 store in the next year or two.
- We completed a sales floor reset at the highway store with replacing some of our wine shelving that was inefficient and failing. New shelving was purchased to better utilize floor space. Products were reorganized in the store.
- Additionally, we have created a new logo for the stores. A new brand image will help us to show what we would like our new highway store to be.
In Memoriam
We suddenly lost Nancy Stauffer, our Assistant Manager and longtime City of Buffalo employee, to cancer in February 2024. She was a marvelous person and is greatly missed.
Buffalo Fire Department
Thank You for all the support you have shown, and we wish you a safe 2025.
Happenings in 2024
The annual Open House in June was another huge success. The tradition will continue during this year's Buffalo Days Celebration with more games for kids and a Kitchen Fire Demonstration Trailer to the activities. The trailer is a great tool for teaching kitchen fire safety.
Four new firefighters joined in 2024! Joe Anderson, Jacob Sibbet, Nick Greig, and JD Silva have been a great addition to our current roster of 35 firefighters. Our Department is fully staffed but will still accept applications for those interested. Click here (PDF)to learn more and apply to serve your community!
October is Fire Safety Month, and we “trained” over 500 elementary and preschool students in fire safety.
A new brush truck was delivered in 2024, and the fire department expects delivery of a new rescue boat in the first part of 2025.
Our dedicated Firefighters put in over 8600 hours in 2024
- Responding to calls
- Attending community events
- Providing public fire education
- Training that included
- Fire ground operations
- Hazmat operations
- Pumper training
- Leadership training
- Medical training
- Rural water shuttle training
- Aerial operations
- Structural fire training
- Water rescue
- Grain bin rescue
- Incident management and more!
Fire Calls in 2024
- The BFD had a 12 percent increase in Fire calls in 2024.
- The number of building fires remained the same as 2023. The total fire loss in the fire district was estimated to be $2,589,410. This was up from 2023.
- Kitchen fires are still the number one cause of fires. Unattended cooking was the main reason for these. Please, never leave cooking unattended and use timers when baking.
- CO alarms and Smoke alarms accounted for 47.5% of our calls. Please replace your fire alarms every 10 years and your CO alarms every 7 years. Test your detectors regularly and remember to have periodic inspections on Heating systems and gas appliances.