Sheriff John DeGeorge pointed out the benefits of subscribing to a CodeRed Emergency Public Notification System at the county board’s October 8 meeting. He acknowledged that the county had first subscribed to a CodeRed system when Daryl Jensen was sheriff. At some point the sheriff’s office stopped using it and the subscription was not renewed in 2018. DeGeorge said paying … [Read more...]
Preston receives $2,500 donation for veterans home project
Stevie Ersland from Kasson raffled off a quilt she had made to raise funds for a future veterans home in Preston. She attended the October 7 meeting of the Preston City Council to donate the proceeds in the amount of $2,500 to the city. Former Dairy and Farm site City Administrator Joe Hoffman explained Scheevel and Sons have nearly completed their work at the former … [Read more...]
Utility-scale solar project in Fillmore County
Savion, headquartered in Lenexa, Kans., is proposing the development of a utility-scale solar project in Beaver Township, Section 14. Fillmore County Solar Project, LLC is expected to be a 45 MW solar energy facility. Local residents were invited to a meeting held at the United Methodist Church in Spring Valley on October 9 to learn more about the project and to get their … [Read more...]
Veterans home design tweaked due to budget limits
Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Larry Herke outlined some veterans home design changes that will need to be made to stay within the current budget during a meeting at Preston City Hall on October 9. He updated local officials and Veterans Home Committee members on the proposed veterans home in Preston. Herke has served in this position since January 2019. The … [Read more...]
Fraud investigator annual report
Nathan Barker, Fraud Prevention Investigator for a five county region, updated the Fillmore County Board on dollars saved due to fraud prevention efforts, regarding public assistance programs. Commissioner Randy Dahl was absent. Barker is the fraud investigator for Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Wabasha, and Winona Counties. He noted 10 cases were referred to him from Fillmore … [Read more...]
Chatfield adopts preliminary 2020 levy and budget
After a long discussion detailing the many demands on the budget that have to be addressed, the Chatfield City Council unanimously approved an 8.47% increase in the levy, an actual increase of $172,152. A letter was sent to the council, signed by 26 residents insisting that any increase over 2.5% was unacceptable. Mayor Russ Smith said he understood the sentiment behind the … [Read more...]
County sets preliminary levy
At the September 24 meeting of the Fillmore County Board, County Coordinator Bobbie Vickerman reviewed 2020 budget and levy numbers. The county recorder and the auditor/treasurer had included in their budgets funding for one full-time position in each department. The final levy numbers did not include funding for either of these full-time positions. It did, however, include … [Read more...]
No crop equivalency rating requirement for dwellings
At the September 19 meeting of the Fillmore County Planning Commission a public hearing was held on a zoning ordinance amendment to Section 604.05, Performance Standards in the Ag District. Zoning Administrator Cristal Adkins stated the current requirement, that new dwellings can not be constructed on land with a Crop Equivalency Rating (CER) of greater than 65, has been … [Read more...]
A tribute to POWs and MIAs and support for those who made it home
A crowd gathered in the parking lot outside the Fillmore County Courthouse to celebrate the creation and implementation of Minnesota’s Third Judicial District Veterans Treatment Court on Friday, September 20. This day was also National POW/MIA Recognition Day. Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea spoke later in the ceremony, quoting JFK, “A nation reveals itself … [Read more...]
Preston certifies preliminary levy
The preliminary 2020 budget and levy was adopted unanimously at the Preston City Council’s September 18 meeting. Councilman Charles Sparks was absent. The total preliminary levy for 2020 is $985,130. This will require a 4.57% property tax levy increase over 2019, or a difference of $43,084. These numbers can be reduced when the final levy is approved in December, but can not … [Read more...]