Councilor Mike Ebner led the September 15 Rushford Village Council meeting due to the absence of Mayor Dennis Overland. In addition to Public Works Superintendent Darrin Dessner, City Clerk Mary Miner, Treasurer Judy Graham, Zoning Administrator Jon Pettit, City Attorney Joe O’Koren, and the remainder of the council – Bob Hart, Travis Link, and Rick Ruberg – the council welcomed Community Economic Development Associates’ Accounting and Finance Specialist Andrew Hoiness.
Hoiness provided a monthly recap for the council and provided details of a potential grant program he’d looked into for the village.
The Taylor Family Foundation Emergency Services Grant provides up to $50,000 in a 50% matching grant, depending on the project. Unfortunately, this grant requires a specific project application. Currently, the village needs a new backhoe and a new emergency generator. While both serve a public need, the backhoe is not tied to any specific public or charitable project, so the likelihood of securing the funds is low. The generator, however, is something the village considered purchasing since spring.
“I feel it qualifies perfectly and it does align with what the foundation has previously granted,” said Hoiness. “The main goal is emergency services.”
Additionally, the village could put the lump the funding in with other plans already proposed. Rushford Community Foundation has given $1,000 for this project, but thus far, the generator project has been cost-prohibitive. The due date to apply for the grant is September 30. The council approved applying for it, hoping to request the funds for mid 2027 and a start date in 2028. If awarded, the village would be given a year to provide purchasing proof for the grant funds. Ebner agreed to get updated quotes for all related project costs to submit with the application.
In other news, the village unanimously approved the preliminary budget and levy for 2027. The resolution details a maximum $700,000 levy, representing a 15.62% increase over 2026. Ebner reminded the preliminary amount can be dropped before the final levy is certified to Fillmore County in December, but the final amount can not exceed this number.
“This is just basically a starting line. We’ll still have more meetings after this. It isn’t a final by any means,” said Ebner.
“I think it gives us a lot of options still, with the different things we’ve been talking about and budget meetings on the table and different ways to get up without being stuck in an emergency situation. Then we can work towards that the next couple of months, refining it in and not being too low to start with,” added Link.
O’Koren updated the council regarding a conversation with City Engineer Derek Bolinger, who’d contacted him regarding the conditional use permit for Farmers Win Cooperative. The coop currently has a large-scale project underway just south of the Root River at their facility.
“It’s sounds like he wasn’t getting all the information he needed,” said O’Koren. “Just so the council is aware, we did go ahead and order some title work on that. We’ll make sure we review it. That’s to make sure we have the appropriate parties signing that utility easement.”
The meeting was continued, rather than adjourned, for the Rushford Fire Department mill rate meeting which is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, at 6 p.m.
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