The Harmony City Council reviewed four letters of interest for the open council seat at their regular August 12 meeting. Mayor Steve Donney made a motion to appoint Keith McIntosh and the motion was approved unanimously. McIntosh was sworn in and took his seat on the council.
The consent agenda was approved and included the minutes of the July 15 meeting, the claims and July checks, the investment report, cash balances, and the year-to-date budget.
The final pay request from Stantec for the 2024 street and utility improvements project was approved in the amount of $30,962.01.
A parcel in Harmony has been forfeited to the state due to non-payment of property taxes. The council approved a motion to allow Fillmore County to sell the property at a public auction.
A petition was received from Jeff and Barb Soma to have approximately 60 acres of their farmland be annexed into the city. City staff was able to address the petition with Harmony Township and they agreed to the annexation with a one-time payment to make up for lost tax revenue. The annexed land would be zoned industrial as MiEnergy is currently working with Dairyland Power on a potential data center in that location. A public hearing was scheduled for the October meeting, and the council approved a motion to pay $6,000 to Harmony Township contingent on the annexation being approved after the public hearing.
The Personnel Committee recently conducted a review for Alissa Stelpflug’s first year as City Administrator/City Clerk. Based on her excellent job performance, the committee recommended adjusting Stelpflug’s pay. The council approved the recommendation.
Kingsley Mercantile received a small cities block grant in 2024 with the stipulation that the grant would need to be paid back if the business was sold within five years. Currently, the owners are considering selling it to Andrew Kingsley and have requested that the business be allowed to transfer owners without having to repay the grant. The council approved a motion to allow the grant to transfer to Kingsley as long as he owns the building for the next five years.
An application for a revolving loan fund was received from Becky Jones and Amanda Heibel, owners of Farm Charm. They would like to rent the old pharmacy building across the street from their boutique to open an expansion called Charming Farmer which would focus on clothing. The EDA noted that Farm Charm currently has a revolving loan fund open and have and excellent payment history. The council approved the loan application.
A request from Fillmore Central to use the community center to hold a special referendum election was approved.
The bike trail expansion is expected to be completed by the end of this fall. The EDA will hold a ribbon cutting in the spring of 2026.
Erica Thilges reported that the Harmony Chamber’s Ladies’ Night Bingo has been going well and has raised some extra funds which are being used to promote Harmony. Planning for Fall for Harmony is underway, and the Chamber was able to set up a table at the Fillmore County Fair last month. Four new members have joined the Chamber this month. Chamber Assistant Eva Hemenway was thanked for all of her hard work over the summer as she returns to college. Becky Meyers has been working on social media and marketing this summer and it has paid off with great results. Applications are being accepted for the Chamber membership and event coordinator.
The Harmony Library will be displaying some of Robbie Brokken’s art at the library thanks to a grant the Brokken received. The library will be requesting a 5% increase in its budget this year due to increased events, additional children’s programming, and inflation. The council will review the preliminary budget at the September meeting and will consider the request at that time. Jessica Powell was appointed to fill the remaining term of a library board member who has resigned.
Leave a Reply