At the April 20 meeting of the Preston City Council, a request to install a roll curb and gutter was approved. Mayor Kurt Reicks was absent.
City Administrator Ryan Throckmorton explained the company wants to take out a section of standard curb and install a roll curb and gutter. City Code limits driveway widths to a maximum of 25 feet on a one-way and 30 feet on a two-way. The roll curb and gutter are used commonly to extend driveway width. Semi-trailers will better be able to pickup and deliver product from the load out bay on River St.
The section of roll curb and gutter is to be installed on the south side of River St. Neither Jim Bakken or Marvin Ristau had any objections to the curb and gutter proposal.
Other Business in Brief
- Two variance requests submitted by Debbie Thompson for her home at 112 Fillmore St. East for a covered deck on the rear of her house was denied as recommended by the Planning Commission. The request was to allow a side property setback of 2.5 feet (10 feet in ordinance) and a total lot coverage of 37% (35% in ordinance). It was determined that her variance request did not comply with the rule that strict enforcement would cause “practical difficulties” for the property owner.
- Fire Chief Ramon Hernandez explained there is $5,000 in the city’s budget for an audit for the Fire Relief Association. The Relief Association balance has exceeded the state’s statutory threshold ($750,000) which requires an audit the following year. A quote was provided by CohnReznick in the amount of $10,000 to complete the audit. A motion was approved allowing the fire department to draw down reserves for the additional $5,000 needed for the audit.
- Stantec offered a credit for work necessary to prepare an amendment to the Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) and Environmental Report (ER) in the amount of $29,362. Stantec had been contracted in 2024 by Preston Public Utilities for the study and the environmental report for the future wastewater treatment facility. The plan and engineering was done on the current wastewater treatment facility site. The existing site is in a floodplain and the DNR will not allow use of that location. The amendment is required to amend the site plan and engineering at a feasible location. The council accepted the credit and the release of any future claims by the city related to the preparation of the original PER and ER.
- A request to place a bench in memory of Lois and LaVern Shaw along the River Front near Lois’s former residence at 308 Pleasant St. was approved.
- Approval was granted for the city to send out a request for proposals for the 2026-2027 audit.
- The hire of the visitor center staff for the season was approved. Mary Reisner and Becky Grabau will return in their positions. Jennifer Thompson will be a new employee and serve on an on-call basis.
- The Arbor Day Proclamation was approved. April 24 is Arbor Day. Preston has had the Tree City designation for 42 years.
Local Board of Appeal and Equalization
Fillmore County Appraisers Ryan Welscher and Andy Hillery provided a review of data compiled with the 2026 preliminary assessment and for property taxes payable in 2027. They reviewed the steps available to property owners if they think their valuation is too high. In Preston, residential estimated market values were reduced from the 2025 assessment due to sales and commercial/industrial estimated market values were up.
Welscher made it clear that this meeting is in regard to one’s valuation notice for 2027 (green sheet). This valuation will be used to determine next year’s property taxes. Sales studies are always a year behind. Real estate markets go up and down year to year.
Gary Hellickson, who owns C & G Apartments at 413 Farmers St. NW with Charles Aug, questioned the valuation of the apartments on their property. He presented information that they were taxed per unit at over twice what other apartments are in the city.
Welscher noted that today is about valuation. He said he will have the assessor look at it, inspect the property, and look at the valuation for next year’s taxes. He suggested they take their concern to the county board. The city council voted “no change.” The property owners’ concerns will be considered at Fillmore County’s Appeal and Equalization meeting.
Leave a Reply