The City of Rushford Village is working with Community and Economic Development Associates’ (CEDA) representative Rebecca Charles to determine if a proposed trail study would benefit the Village. The study is the work of University of La Crosse students under the tutelage of Dr. Daniel Plunkett, Assistant Professor of Recreation Management & Therapeutic Recreation.
The goal of the study is to work with local groups and the community to determine potential for recreational trails, including both general details and specific trail amenities. “They’ll be reaching out to the community and will have two to three community input sessions. They will invite people from both Rushford and Peterson,” noted Charles.
The total cost for study is $3,862 and although it’s not guaranteed, Charles believes she would be able to acquire a grant through the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF). “This wouldn’t be something we’ll be expecting to break ground soon. It’s just a first step, but it gives a really good direction. I believe there are opportunities with this.”
While the council questioned whether the study would include walking and biking trails from residential areas into the city, it was noted it is geared to recreational only. That may include trails for horseback riding, All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) and Utility Task Vehicles (UTV), “fat tire” biking, and more. Trails would likely encompass state land, but may require private land permissions as well.
“The study will determine the scope and we can look into many options with community input. You get to get all that input throughout the process, which is great,” noted Charles.
“I think it’s a good idea to move forward with it. Ten percent of our property is now in state ownership,” said Councilor Roger Knutson.
“At this time, we’re positive towards it,” added Mayor Dennis Overland.
Zoning Administrator Jon Pettit also noted Planning and Zoning would likely move it forward with a favorable recommendation. Charles will bring further information to the next council meeting. The council needs to make a decision on pursuing the study by August.
Charles also provided a monthly update of CEDA work on behalf of the city. It included notice that an American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Community Challenge application had been submitted for a handicapped accessible playground. It’s an extremely competitive grant and the city has applied for it in the past. Information regarding the allocation of funds related to COVID is also coming. Charles will be attending a training for a Revitalization application for this purpose and noted there will likely be less restriction on using these funds.
In other news, it’s been a year since Rushford Village closed its city parks amid the pandemic. Although use of the parks will remain at the user’s own risk, the city has officially reopened their parks. One sits just south of the Village Hall while the other is in the midst of South Rushford’s residential area. Portable restrooms, which are cleaned and sanitized by the company providing them, rather than the city, will be brought in for park patrons.
“I think we should encourage as much outside time as possible,” state Overland.
There are quite a few projects coming through Planning and Zoning. “They seem to be more coming all the time. It’s getting rather busy,” stated Pettit. He noted the board had met with Featherstone Farms operator Jack Heddin regarding his proposal, as well as Vern Bunke regarding the project he’s working on. Neither item was ready for council action, but are expected to be discussed at coming meetings.
The council did opt to determine that new iPads purchased for council members will remain the property of the Village. The old units were purchased refurbished and when they were “retired,” councilors using them were allowed to keep them, provided they were wiped clean of any pertinent city information. That will not be the case for the new units.
“I think we should hand them in,” said Knutson. “Someone could be on the council and then leave tomorrow and take it with them.”
“They’re not our personal property. They’re the Village’s property,” echoed Councilor Bob Hart.
The next regularly scheduled meeting is Tuesday, May 18, at 7 p.m., at the Village Hall. Planning & Zoning will hold their meeting prior to the council meeting. The meetings are open to the public.
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