The Houston City Council decided to pay the training expenses of individuals willing to become trained EMTs at their regular council meeting December 13, 2021. People who train to become EMTs are asked to invest almost 200 hours of their own time for the training. They meet in person once a week during the course and complete the remainder online at their convenience. The … [Read more...]
Martin Herrick hired as Houston County Environmental Services director
The Houston County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, December 14, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the historic county courthouse, downtown Caledonia. Commissioners present Chairman Bob Burns, Dewey Severson, Eric Johnson, Teresa Walter, and Greg Myhre. Chairman Burns led the commissioners and audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. The meeting agenda was … [Read more...]
Harmony council denies petition to vacate portion of Center Street
A public hearing was held at the December 14 Harmony City Council meeting to discuss a request from three property owners to vacate Center Street past 3rd Ave. W. City Administrator Devin Swanberg noted that in terms of future planning for a city, it’s generally a bad idea to vacate a street as it could cause issues later. If the city were to decide to develop the land behind … [Read more...]
Caledonia City Council finalizes 6.5% tax levy
On December 13 the Caledonia City Council held its regularly scheduled meeting. At 6 p.m. Mayor Schroeder called the meeting to order and led the council and audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Council members attending included Mayor DeWayne “Tank” Schroeder, Amanda Ninneman, Brad Rykhus, and Robert “Bob” Klug. Absent, Councilman David Fitzpatrick. Also in attendance were … [Read more...]
Rushford moves closer to deciding levy
In September, the Rushford City Council set the maximum levy at $1,017,000, representing a 0% increase over the 2021 levy. At the December 13 meeting, more discussion on the topic was held with City Clerk Kathy Zacher presenting comparative and historical data, as well as updates on capital projects. “In keeping it level this year, we’re decreasing some of our funds and we’re … [Read more...]
Wykoff mulls eliminating zoning commitee
A regular meeting of the Wykoff City Council was held December 13. Council members in attendance included Lyle Morey, Ryan Breckenridge, and Kaleb Himli. City Clerk Becky Schmidt and Deputy Clerk Luan Hare also attended. Due to the absence of Mayor Al Williams, Ryan Brechenridge (Mayor pro tem) led the meeting. As mentioned in the city’s December newsletter, Wykoff has … [Read more...]
Fillmore County to advertise for proposals for county jail
At the December 14 Fillmore County Board meeting, commissioners approved Request for Proposals advertisement for Architectural Services for design and build for a new or remodeled county jail. Publication of the RFP in the official newspaper will appear in the December 27 and January 3 issues. A committee will review proposals submitted and three firms will be selected to … [Read more...]
Lanesboro Council considers requested changes to emergency services building plans
At the December 6 Lanesboro City Council meeting, the council reviewed a pay request for a second bathroom for the emergency services building project. To bring the building plans up to code, a half bath with a toilet and sink needs to be added at an additional cost of $3,000. Council member Mindy Albrecht-Benson, who joined the meeting via Zoom, asked why the original plans … [Read more...]
Mabel sets budget and levy for 2022
Mabel’s City Council met on December 8. The agenda included the city’s annual Truth in Taxation public hearing, but no citizens attended. The council discussed the proposed final levy, collectible in 2022. The proposed total includes $403,973 for the General Fund, $6,600 for the Ambulance Reserve, and $15,000 for Debt Service. This represents a 2.74% increase from the … [Read more...]
Peterson contributes additional funding for marketing efforts
Rushford Peterson Valley Chamber of Commerce Director Jen Hengel was present at Peterson’s December 8 council meeting to highlight the 2022 marketing plan for the valley. The city has contributed lodging tax revenues to the chamber for this purpose for some time. Hengel indicated marketing tactics will remain largely the same, including digital, print, and radio … [Read more...]