The May 16 Rushford Village meeting was brisk; just 14 minutes. In that time though, the Village made it known that they want to wrap up their 2016 utility and road improvement project, with or without the contractor. The frustrations felt by the Village have been stated on numerous occasions by Mayor Gordon Johnson, members of the council, and Public Works Supervisor Travis … [Read more...]
Preston hearing for 2017 sidewalk improvements set
At the May 15 Preston City Council meeting, the proposed sidewalk improvements for 2017 were discussed. Councilman David Collett was absent. Public Works Director Jim Bakken completed the annual sidewalk inspection in April. Any deviations over one inch were marked. Five locations were selected based on condition, volume and traffic, and funds available. His feasibility … [Read more...]
Mabel School Board continues enrollment issues with Iowa
The Mabel School Board continued its discussion at their May 16 meeting about the controversial open enrollment agreements between Decorah and Mabel-Canton (M-C) Schools. At last month’s meeting, Tina Michels, Hesper resident and parent of two M-C open enrollment students, discovered that her children will not be able to attend M-C because of a legality between Iowa and … [Read more...]
Whalan council discusses beekeeping
The Whalan City Council met on May 8, 2017, with Mayor Tuftin and Councilmembers Lewis, Johnson, W. Berekvam and K. Berekvam present. City Clerk Melander was absent. As many area residents take up hobbies such as beekeeping, the council has been approached by the renter of a residence to have a colony of bees in their backyard. The council will do research on the subject … [Read more...]
Whalan City Council completes city tour
A special Whalan council meeting took place on April 3, 2017, which was held for the purpose of the city tour and review of completed road work. Present at the meeting were Councilmembers K. Berekvam, W. Berekvam, Johnson, Lewis and Mayor Tuftin. Guests were Robert Culbertson from zoning and John Smith. Tuftin recorded minutes at the meeting. Contractor J.C. Nerstad … [Read more...]
Crowd speaks at Wykoff special meeting
By Rich Wicks A special meeting of the Wykoff City Council was held on May 16 at 7 p.m., with all members in attendance: Mary Tjepkes, Rocky Vreeman, Mayor Al Williams, Clerk Becky Schmidt, Mary Sackett, and Brody Mensink. A large crowd of citizens was also in attendance, with people standing at the back of the room due to not enough chairs to seat everyone who showed … [Read more...]
Spring Valley Council mulls animal limits
The Spring Valley City Council met in regular session May 8, with all members present (Tony Archer, Todd Jones, Mayor Jim Struzyk, Jessy Betts, Mike Hadland, and City Administrator Deb Zimmer). A main issue in the meeting was the ongoing discussion about animals being kept within the city. Zimmer shared a draft of Section 10.05 “Animals and Fowl,” which now states “other … [Read more...]
County PTO policy and staffing structure
Much of the May 9 County Board meeting was dominated by long discussions concerning PTO policy and staffing structure for Community Services. Commissioner Mitch Lentz was absent. The county is in the process of updating its policies. The proposed update of the PTO policy has resulted in a lot of comments from employees. Proposed new language: “Employees initially hired … [Read more...]
Rushford plans for upcoming projects
Preliminary cost estimates for capital improvement projects are in and the city of Rushford is in the early steps of planning for them. A cost summary was provided to the council at the brisk, Monday, May 8 meeting. The summary was drafted last September and contains more than 40 recommended improvement projects. While the listing may look daunting, the recommendations are a … [Read more...]
Resource Recycling Center changes
A discussion carried over from the Solid Waste committee dominated much of the May 2 county board meeting. County Coordinator Bobbie Vickerman said the committee wants to keep moving forward. A ramp option or conveyor to feed refuse into the compactor had been discussed in committee. The committee recommended a stationary conveyor due to efficiency, cleanliness, and safety … [Read more...]