Kirsten Zoellner

At the July 2 Rushford Village meeting, the council learned the extent of the flooding from three days of flooding that began June 21. “There’s definitely been plenty of excitement there,” said Public Works Supervisor Trenten Chiglo. Issues began with the lift station where one float was non-functioning and the station saw high water over the weekend. As of the meeting, … [Read more...]

With the onslaught of seasonal work to be done and just one employee in the Rushford Village Public Works Department, the village council has unanimously approved the hiring of Cory Baker as general contractor to complete several items of work on the Public Works maintenance shed update. Underway for some time now, the council has moved forward with work in stages. While it’s … [Read more...]

At the June 13 meeting, the Peterson Council again discussed properties out of compliance with the 2022 Junk Ordinance. Citizens in attendance included Desirae Halvorson, Heidi Halvorson, Mike Halvorson, Pete Erickson, and Zoning Board member Loren Rue. Council members conducted their annual walkabout individually, identifying properties violating city ordinances. Those … [Read more...]

With Public Works Director John Hanson now completely licensed, the city of Fountain has ended its longtime contract with MMS Environmental. At the June 5 meeting, City Clerk Mary Tjepkes detailed the final bill. “It’s a mess,” she said. According to Tjepkes, Mayor Tammy Danielson sent MMS an email stating terminating the contract on May 2. On May 7, the city received a bill … [Read more...]

While a city of less than 800 people may not seem like an obvious target for a cybersecurity strike, with these types of attacks hitting entities with more frequency, League of Minnesota Cities’ Chief Information Officer, Technology Services, Melissa Reeder, urges small cities to put protective measures in place. Spurred by league warnings, the Rushford Village Council … [Read more...]

At the May 28 meeting, the Rushford council approved the official resolutions of two lot sales in the Himlie Business Park and dispensing with a review of the sale by the Planning Commission. City Clerk Kathy Zacher noted this step is typically done prior, but caused no effects having it done after council approval of the sale and she stressed the importance of it in the … [Read more...]

At the May 21 meeting, the Rushford Village Council was led by Councilor and Mayor Pro Tem Mike Ebner in the absence of Mayor Dennis Overland. Also attending were James Woxland, John Linder and Andrew Linder. According to Ebner, part-time Public Works employee Jeff Michel submitted his resignation to City Clerk Mary Miner, effective May 23. The council accepted the … [Read more...]

At the May 13 meeting, the Rushford Council received and approved the comprehensive annual financial report. Kali Lentz of Smith Schafer & Associates presented the report. There were no surprises or issues with the audit. General property tax revenue stability has continued with minimal upticks over the last few years. The 2023 levy of $1,082,255 was up about $65,000 from … [Read more...]

At the May 8 meeting, the Peterson council, led by Mayor Chris Stenzel, discussed the results of the annual walkabout. Each councilor reviewed properties within city limits to determine non-compliance with the Junk Ordinance. The ordinance was enacted in 2022 to curb the accumulation of visible junk or clutter on properties after years of dealing with no response from several … [Read more...]