During the September 9 regularly scheduled Whalan City Council meeting a date was set for a public hearing for the Short-term Rental Ordinance as well as a discussion of an upcoming ballot item. Present at the meeting were Mayor David Hallum along with council members Owen Lewis, Thore E. Johnson, Sheila Higbe and Kim Berekvam. City Clerk/Treasurer Teresa Grossell was also … [Read more...]
Eitzen Habitat House Scheduled for Completion By End of October
Executive Director Kahya Fox, Habitat for Humanity of the Greater La Crosse Region, answered at the September 10 Eitzen City Council meeting that the Eitzen Habitat house is expected to be completed by the end of October. Mayor Jeff Adamson called the regularly scheduled meeting of the Eitzen City Council to order at 6:03 p.m. Councilors, including Mayor Adamson, Emily … [Read more...]
Round 1: Caledonia Reviews Proposed Budget and Levy
On Monday, September 9, 2024, the Caledonia City Council met in regular session to discuss the proposed 2025 budget and levy. Mayor DeWayne (Tank) Schroeder called the meeting to order at 6 p.m. followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Council members present were Bob Klug, Amanda Ninneman, Mayor Schroeder, and Ryan Stenzel. David Fitzpatrick was absent. The council unanimously … [Read more...]
Kingsland School Updates at the Forefront of Wykoff Council Meeting
By Zech Sindt The Wykoff City Council meeting came to order at 7 p.m. on September 9. Mayor Ryan Breckenridge, City Administrator Becky Schmidt, Administrative Assistant Luann Hare, and city council members Kaleb Himli, Lyle Morey, Barbara Fate and Jeffrey Hare were all present. Kingsland School Superintendent Scott Klavetter attended the meeting to discuss some … [Read more...]
Lanesboro Council Debates Governing Status of Library Board
A public hearing was held at the September 3 Lanesboro City Council meeting to discuss the proposed amendments to ordinance chapter 151 regarding land use, ordinance 30.111 regarding the city’s fee schedule, and ordinance chapter 120 regarding lodging businesses. Lanesboro resident Jon Pieper addressed the council with his concerns about the proposed zoning changes from RA to … [Read more...]
Houston County Approves Disaster Abatements
At their regularly scheduled meeting on September 3, 2024, the Houston County Board of Commissioners approved two disaster abatements. The first abatement was for La Crescent resident Gary Eddy, due to a vehicle accident that resulted in a car damaging their garage. The abatement amounting to $381 is for the last four months of 2024. Eddy will not be applying for a credit … [Read more...]
Kingsland Board Discusses Referendum
The upcoming referendum was the main topic of conversation for the Kingsland School Board during their August 19 meeting. Pat Overom, of ICS Consulting Inc., reviewed the referendum handbook saying, “The intent of this is to outline your roles as board members and district staff, the process that was gone through, challenges the district is currently facing and it really … [Read more...]
Fountain Pushes Ordinance Awareness
The city of Fountain has worked to address ordinance non-compliance in recent years and is making a push for citizens to be more aware. While the ordinances are listed on the city website (fountainmn.org), many issues are still falling by the wayside. City Clerk Mary Tjepkes notified the council at the September 4 meeting that the ordinances will put the reminder on … [Read more...]
Village Digs Into Budget
At the September 3 meeting, the Rushford Village council learned that the current budget is sitting surprisingly well. However, having unexpected expenses crop up the last few years, there’s some palpable uncertainty. City Clerk Mary Miner presented an updated 2025 budget for the council to review. It includes health insurance costs, $24,000 for the follow-up of the … [Read more...]
Preston Increases Police Officer Pay Scale
Chief Blaise Sass addressed the city council at the September 3 meeting. Sass has been working with city staff and Mayor Kurt Reicks to come up with suggestions to attract more police officer candidates and to retain officers once they are hired. Reicks explained, “We have been struggling with hiring and retaining police officers for a long time. Pay should be comparable to … [Read more...]
Ostrander Decides on Budget for a New Truck
By Zech Sindt This month’s Ostrander city council meeting took place on September 3 with all members present, including Lyn Massey-Mills, Dan Hellerud, DJ Start, Vernon Thompson, Mayor Pam Kunert and City Clerk Wendy Brincks. The meeting was short with only a few topics on the agenda. First on the list was the city maintenance department’s need for fuel for two … [Read more...]
Brownsville Council Holds Public Hearing to Vacate Second Street N.
The Brownsville City Council meeting was called to order by Mayor Meyer at 7:06 p.m. on September 4. Councilmembers Barb Hurley, Pam Walhovd, Bill Fitzpatrick, Tim Klug, and Mayor Meyer were present, constituting a quorum. City employees present included City Clerk Steve Schuldt, Dean Twite of City Maintenance, and City Treasurer Jenna Knight. Brownsville Mayor Jean Meyer … [Read more...]
Fillmore County Road/Bridge Capital Improvement Plan
At the September 3 board meeting ,a public hearing was set for September 24 at 10 a.m. for comment on the five year Capital Improvement Plan for roads and bridges (2025-2030), including the use of Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funding. When LOST dollars are to be used, a public hearing is required. Without the availability of LOST dollars, more funds would need to come from … [Read more...]
Gary and Sandy Klinski Named 2024 Outstanding Conservationists
By Jean Meiners The Root River Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is proud to announce that Gary and Sandy Klinski have been awarded the 2024 Minnesota Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts Outstanding Conservationist. The MASWCD recognizes individuals for outstanding accomplishments with implementing conservation practices and improving Minnesota’s … [Read more...]
Rushford’s New City Attorney
At their regular August 26 meeting, the Rushford City Council appointed Wieser Law Office, Al Wieser, III (Skip), as the city’s prosecutorial attorney. A new city attorney was needed to replace the former city attorney Dwight Luhmann who is now the Third Judicial District judge for Winona County’s District Court. The new contract stipulates the general prosecution fee of … [Read more...]