Clear Lake Fire Chief Ron Koren had already floated the idea of retirement to members of the council a month earlier, but during Monday’s regular City Council meeting on Dec. 15, 2025, he made it official. With all the members of the council present, using few words, Koren announced his retirement both as Fire Chief and as a member of the Clear Lake Fire Department, where he has been since November of 1977. Koren has been the Fire Chief since 1987 and will officially retire on January 2, 2026.

Interim Chief Named

Council Member Lance Gilliland opened the discussion about Koren’s temporary replacement, reporting that the Personnel Committee had nominated Assistant Fire Chief Matt Lunser. Gilliland also explained that council needs to adopt a process for hiring a new chief before a full-time replacement is named, a process that should begin in March of 2026 to conclude by April 7.

A motion was made and seconded to appoint Lunser as Interim Chief. The motion was approved, with Chad Nelson abstaining, while all other members voted in favor. Lunser will serve as Interim Chief beginning January 2, 2026, through April 6, 2026.

Misc.

Higher-than-recommended levels of manganese were detected during recent repairs in well #3, as parts of the discharge piping had shown signs of corrosion. Public Works Supervisor Even Johnson suggested that the city may have to replace some discharge piping sooner than expected and that they will need to inspect the piping in well #2 later in 2026. 

City Engineer Keith Yapp noted that the state has issued guidance on manganese levels, but does not require cities to meet those requirements.

There was a brief discussion about current city regulations regarding snow removal on city sidewalks. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to clear the sidewalk. Mayor Tim Goenner asked Johnson if the city could assist some residents, and Johnson responded, “We don’t have the proper equipment to do it.”  He continued to say it could be something they consider next year.

City Clerk Ryan McCann updated the council about current updates to the city’s website, which included a new .gov site and online payment options.

CL City Responds

The Clear Lake City Council issued the following statement a day after Koren announced his retirement: 

Clear Lake Fire Chief Ron Koren has announced his retirement from the Clear Lake fire department, effective January 2, 2026. We thank Chief Koren for his many years of dedicated service to the community and of course wish him well in his retirement.

The city council is currently in the process of modifying future policy regarding the selection and term of the fire chief position. That being said, in the interest of continuity of leadership, the City Council has nominated Assistant Chief Matt Lunser, to be the new interim Clear Lake Fire Chief.