"Where Fillmore County News Comes First"
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Wednesday, June 19th, 2013
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- 8:58:04, Jun 18th 2013 - cabraden1 - I salute you Colonel Overland. Your were my c.o. at Rockville Naval Air ... [Read More]
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33
Do you think the use of all fireworks should be legal in the state of Minnesota for all consumers?
Harmony City Council approves new playground equipment
Fri, Sep 14th, 2012
Posted in Harmony Government
Posted in Harmony Government
Comment(1)
Brand new playground equipment will be installed at Selvig Park in Harmony by next spring. At the regular city council meeting on September 11, 2012, the council approved the purchase of the equipment, moving along a project that has been in the works for about six years.
The playground equipment at Selvig Park has been outdated and no longer meets safety codes. The Park Board has been saving and raising money and looking into different companies that sell equipment. They are going with Midwest Playscapes, for a cost of $53,000. That does not include installation or the ground fill and framing that will need to be done.
Council member Dan Tieffenbacher said the Park Board would like the city to lend them the $23,500 they are short for the purchase price, and they will pay the city back. The council approved.
The Park Board is hoping to get people or groups to donate time and labor to install the equipment. The area will be cleared out this fall and the new equipment can be installed in the spring.
City Administrator Jerome Illg said the price of equipment comes with a supervisor from the company coming down to help with putting equipment together. They have not decided on filler yet, but pea rock is the most economical choice.
Budget and Levy
After much discussion, the preliminary budget and levy was set for 2013. The preliminary levy was set at $570,000, which is a 10.5 percent increase from 2012. Mayor Donney made it clear that even if they keep the levy at this amount, it will not increase property taxes unless the value of a house has gone up. There is a TIF district that is expiring, which will broaden the tax base a little, and a bond from 2002 that is paid off as well.
Illg had originally set the levy at $586,900, which was a 14.65 percent increase. Mayor Donney first suggested they drop it to $560,000 to prevent from spending any more than that. They eventually compromised with $570,000. Council member Jim Bakken opposed the vote, as he didn’t feel they needed to make any cuts at this time. The final levy will not be set until December. Donney didn’t feel the need to set it that high.
Parking Lots
Harmony Foods is looking to do some improvements to their parking lots, which include making changes to the Amish horse parking area. The council approved their plans.
Illg informed the council that First Southeast Bank will be doing some remodeling and adding on to their building. While construction is going on, there will be a temporary drive-through in the parking lot behind the bank. The alley will not be affected.
Building and Maintenance
City Maintenance Employee Chris Johnson explained to the council that the city will be issued another three-year permit, but will have to dechlorinate their water at some point. He said he injects a ½ pound of chlorine to the affluent each day, and t he lowest he has measure the levels is around 0.2. They need to be around 0.0385, so there is a long way to go. When asked by Mayor Donney why he doesn’t just add less chlorine, Johnson said they don’t get the disinfecting they need and the fecal counts go up with less chlorine. The city needs to have a plan in place to work on it in the next couple of years.
Johnson said he has ordered a digester pump for the Wastewater Treatment plant but it will not be in for a month. The cost was $9,500. It went out in 2010 also, so there was a break given in the installment costs.
Other business
It was approved to vacate the easements on lots owned by Rodney Koliha. He has plans to turn the three lots into two, and there are two easements. There are no problems anticipated with electric, storm sewer, or any other utilities.
The council approved the SEMCAC agreement for energy assistance, with no changes from last year.
A commercial rehab loan was approved for $1,800 as recommended by the EDA.
The playground equipment at Selvig Park has been outdated and no longer meets safety codes. The Park Board has been saving and raising money and looking into different companies that sell equipment. They are going with Midwest Playscapes, for a cost of $53,000. That does not include installation or the ground fill and framing that will need to be done.
Council member Dan Tieffenbacher said the Park Board would like the city to lend them the $23,500 they are short for the purchase price, and they will pay the city back. The council approved.
The Park Board is hoping to get people or groups to donate time and labor to install the equipment. The area will be cleared out this fall and the new equipment can be installed in the spring.
City Administrator Jerome Illg said the price of equipment comes with a supervisor from the company coming down to help with putting equipment together. They have not decided on filler yet, but pea rock is the most economical choice.
Budget and Levy
After much discussion, the preliminary budget and levy was set for 2013. The preliminary levy was set at $570,000, which is a 10.5 percent increase from 2012. Mayor Donney made it clear that even if they keep the levy at this amount, it will not increase property taxes unless the value of a house has gone up. There is a TIF district that is expiring, which will broaden the tax base a little, and a bond from 2002 that is paid off as well.
Illg had originally set the levy at $586,900, which was a 14.65 percent increase. Mayor Donney first suggested they drop it to $560,000 to prevent from spending any more than that. They eventually compromised with $570,000. Council member Jim Bakken opposed the vote, as he didn’t feel they needed to make any cuts at this time. The final levy will not be set until December. Donney didn’t feel the need to set it that high.
Parking Lots
Harmony Foods is looking to do some improvements to their parking lots, which include making changes to the Amish horse parking area. The council approved their plans.
Illg informed the council that First Southeast Bank will be doing some remodeling and adding on to their building. While construction is going on, there will be a temporary drive-through in the parking lot behind the bank. The alley will not be affected.
Building and Maintenance
City Maintenance Employee Chris Johnson explained to the council that the city will be issued another three-year permit, but will have to dechlorinate their water at some point. He said he injects a ½ pound of chlorine to the affluent each day, and t he lowest he has measure the levels is around 0.2. They need to be around 0.0385, so there is a long way to go. When asked by Mayor Donney why he doesn’t just add less chlorine, Johnson said they don’t get the disinfecting they need and the fecal counts go up with less chlorine. The city needs to have a plan in place to work on it in the next couple of years.
Johnson said he has ordered a digester pump for the Wastewater Treatment plant but it will not be in for a month. The cost was $9,500. It went out in 2010 also, so there was a break given in the installment costs.
Other business
It was approved to vacate the easements on lots owned by Rodney Koliha. He has plans to turn the three lots into two, and there are two easements. There are no problems anticipated with electric, storm sewer, or any other utilities.
The council approved the SEMCAC agreement for energy assistance, with no changes from last year.
A commercial rehab loan was approved for $1,800 as recommended by the EDA.
Comments:
1747
5:20:11, Apr 12th 2013
goldyw29@yahoo.com says:Wayne .A Goldsworthy HHS class of 1958 Eagan MN S55121