At the board’s September 14 meeting, the Jail Needs Assessment Report was discussed. The nearly 100 page report was presented to the county board over a month ago. The Jail Needs Assessment committee spent 18 months developing the report that looked at four options for the future of the county jail. Options included closing the jail and totally outsourcing, a 72-hour book … [Read more...]
Preston looks to refinance 2014 bonds
At the September 8 meeting of the Preston City Council Mike Bubany, David Drown Associates, reviewed two options available to the city to go forward with the refinancing of two 2014 bonds, which are callable in February 2022. The 2014 bonds were for the street project and the north industrial park. The bonds will become eligible for refinancing in November. Lower interest … [Read more...]
Fillmore County 2022 health plan
Justin Kroegar, Gallagher/insurance, risk management, and consulting, presented two options for employee health insurance to the Fillmore County board at their September 7 meeting. The county buys insurance through the Minnesota Healthcare Consortium. Kroegar recommended sticking with the Southeast Service Corporation and changing from Blue Cross to Medica. A 2.5% increase … [Read more...]
Fillmore County discusses campground and SSTS ordinance amendments
At the August 26 Fillmore County Planning Commission meeting, public hearings were held on two proposed zoning ordinance amendments. The proposed Fillmore County definition of a campground says, in part, that any area privately or publicly owned to accommodate two or more tents or recreational camping vehicles for compensation is considered a campground. A privately owned … [Read more...]
Fillmore County works through proposed 2022 departmental budgets
Most of the county board’s August 24 meeting was dedicated to the 2022 budget process. Laura Christianson, SWCD administrator, requested the county increase its annual appropriation by $5,000 to $220,000. She said there were 49 projects in 2020. For every $1 dollar Fillmore County invested last year, a total of $5.20 was generated combining local, state, and federal revenue. … [Read more...]
Chatfield approves incentive program for commercial development on Enterprise Drive
Chris Giesen, EDA, outlined the proposal for the Enterprise Drive Development and Incentive Program at the city council’s August 23 meeting. Program details resulted from discussions between the EDA and the Public Works committee. The program will provide an incentive to purchase a lot and to build a new commercial building by providing a rebate to the owner when construction … [Read more...]
Dave Frank takes oath of office
At the August 9 Chatfield City Council meeting city clerk Joel Young administered the oath of office to Dave Frank, who was appointed to fill a vacancy on the city council. Mayor Russ Smith read the Athenian Oath, which is basically a promise to make things better and to do no harm. Frank was welcomed back to the council. He served two terms on the council some years back. … [Read more...]
Fillmore County approves property tax abatement for housing project
A public hearing was held at the August 10 county board meeting regarding a developer’s (G-Cubed Development, Inc.) request for a property tax abatement related to a housing project in Lanesboro. The developer is proposing a single family subdivision within the city of Lanesboro. The developer has requested that the city of Lanesboro and the county provide abatement assistance … [Read more...]
Veterans home groundbreaking celebration
A large crowd gathered on August 9 for the groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the future state veterans home in Preston. This was the first of three groundbreaking ceremonies for the new veterans homes to be built in Minnesota. Ceremonies will be held in Montevideo and Bemidji later this month. Deputy Commissioner of Veterans Homes Healthcare Douglas Hughes said the … [Read more...]
Jail study committee recommends constructing a 365-day Class III facility
After 18 months of study, the Jail Committee announced their conclusions and recommendations at the Fillmore County Board’s August 3 meeting. Sheriff John DeGeorge and committee member John Zanmiller, Bristol Township, reported on the committee’s findings. The more than 50-year-old jail has not been able to meet Department of Corrections (DOC) requirements for some time. It … [Read more...]