The Ostrander City Council met April 7 with Mayor DJ Start presiding. Council members Jimmie Dean, Lyn Massey-Mills and Dan Hellerud were present, along with City Clerk Wendy Brincks. Council member Brodi Nesler was absent.
The council approved the consent agenda without discussion.
During department reports, City Maintenance employee Jeremy Runkle provided an update on routine operations along with several recent issues tied to power disruptions. Approximately 448,000 gallons of water were processed during the reporting period. Multiple alarms were reported throughout the month, including power glitches, an outage and equipment faults at the lift station.
Runkle said a motor fault at the lift station was followed by a phase monitor failure the next day. The issue was diagnosed remotely and temporarily bypassed, allowing operations to resume within a couple of hours. Replacement parts have since been installed and the system is now functioning normally. He also reported that aging backup batteries have been replaced and cleanup work at the brush dump area has been completed.
Discussion also focused on the need for a backup generator at the wastewater treatment plant. While generators are already in place at the lift station and wellhouse, the treatment plant currently does not have one. Runkle said a generator would automatically engage during power outages and help prevent service disruptions. Council members agreed the addition is necessary and directed staff to continue seeking quotes.
The fire department reported no calls for the month, with only routine maintenance performed.
The Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office logged 33.5 patrol hours in Ostrander during March. Calls included driving complaints, permit requests, animal complaints, ambulance assists, a crash and general information reports.
Under new business, the council approved moving forward with replacing the city office computer system. The current system has reached its limit for upgrades and has begun experiencing performance issues, including difficulty saving documents. Staff said additional memory upgrades are no longer possible, making replacement the next step. The approved proposal includes a new desktop tower and setup services, with the current system to be wiped and reused for other city purposes.
Traffic concerns near the city park were also discussed following a request from residents along Robert Street. Increased activity during ball games and summer events has led to concerns about speeding and safety near the park.
The council approved installing stop signs at both ends of the park to slow traffic. Additional measures, such as warning signs or flashing signals, may be considered in the future if needed.
The council also received an update on the property at 421 Minnesota Street, where demolition is planned for this summer. Once a start date is set, nearby residents will be notified.
Citywide cleanup is scheduled for May 2 from 8-10 a.m. The event will be free for residents this year, with no additional fees for accepted items, including appliances and electronics, as long as they meet standard requirements. Cleanup staff may remain on site beyond the scheduled end time if residents are still bringing items.
The city will continue enforcing guidelines on unacceptable materials, which remain unchanged. Following cleanup, the city plans to conduct yard checks to address any remaining issues. The earlier May date was selected after past complaints about holding the event on Mother’s Day weekend.
Additional discussion included planning for upcoming community events and avoiding conflicts with neighboring towns, along with continued efforts to manage the brush dump area and prevent misuse. The council also reviewed several historical quilts recently donated to the city and discussed options for preserving and displaying them.
The meeting adjourned after approving all agenda items.
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