Dubbed the “first stop on our journey,” Rushford Area Historical Society (RAHS) and the city of Rushford will celebrate the grand reopening of the historic depot on Tuesday, June 9, from 5-9 p.m. Located at 401 S Elm Street, the depot sits on the Root River State Trail and serves as the home of the Rushford Peterson Valley Chamber of Commerce and official visitor’s center. Historical Society President Terri Benson was present at the May 11 city council meeting to invite the council to attend the festivities.
According to the society website, years of settling, exacerbated by the catastrophic 2007, created a critical need for stabilization and restoration of the 1867 site. The project was funded in part by a 2023 grant through the Minnesota Historical Society from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, an Arlin Falck Foundation grant, a donation from Rushford State Bank, a Rushford Economic Development Authority grant, and additional community support. Included in the celebration plans are depot tours, historic displays, vendors, prize drawings, grab bags, and more. Live music to be provided by Darr Family Band. Local food trucks will also be on site. Additional information about the depot project can be found at www.rushfordhistory.com.
In other news, the council unanimously approved the sale of the former Farmers Win Cooperative office building at 308 Elm Street. According to the report by City Administrator Hayden Stensgard, it was listed for sale by Darr Realty April 27 for $65,000. The city received two offers which were discussed in a closed Economic Development Authority meeting held on May 7. Both offers were for $75,000. The EDA approved acceptance of the first offer received by Cody Ellinghuysen. According to Stensgard, this offer removed the financing contingency and opted to do a cash offer.
“We opted to go that route since it was the cleanset offer and it was a good price,” noted Mayor and EDA member Leigh Volkman. “What we were trying to accomplish there is the goal that particular buyer has.”
The building will be used for mixed use, provided either he or a commercial tenant fill the space.
During reports, Stensgard also updated the council regarding concrete work that will be done outside the property this week. He’s spoken with the adjacent landowner to remind them that vehicles will need to be moved for the work.
Stensgard’s work to get the city back in standing with the Medicare and Medicaid programs is also moving right along. He’s received correspondence from the organizations and the city has provided substantial information as needed. Once in place, the city will be able to recoup outstanding bills to the Rushford Ambulance Service. Past billing went awry when the former billing agency ended its company without informing the city. A lapse in Medicare and Medicaid certification further added to issues.
“Things are moving right along as fast as they can,” he added.
Stensgard also updated the council in regards to his attendance at the annual City Managers Association Conference.
“A lot of it this year focused on leadership and organization structure. I met a lot of like minded people who all have the same passion to do this job. There was a lot of good connections made,” he said. “You realize there’s a lot of people you can reach out to for resources.”
Likewise, new City Clerk Tiffany Jacobson attended the annual Clerk’s Conference, which is held in a three-part cycle over three years, and provided a brief update to the council. Overall, she noted it was a good experience and mentioned a tool that will be helpful for the city budgeting.
“I got to meet a lot of people from different towns. Some were smaller, some were bigger, and I got to talk about some of the things I feel that maybe we could do differently,” she noted. “It was very good information.”
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