Chris Skalen from the Harmony Fire Department was present at the December 11 Harmony City Council meeting to ask the council to approve a down payment on a 70” bronze statue of a firefighter from Brodin Studios, Inc. in Kimball, Minn. The statue will be placed beside the fire station with benches and landscaping to complete the memorial. So far, approximately $52,000 has been raised along with an additional $6,000 promised which will cover the total $40,000 cost of the statue itself. The labor and materials needed to install the statue and update the surrounding area is estimated to be another $40,000. The firefighters will donate their labor for installation and they are hoping that some of the materials will be donated as well.
“We did look at a couple different companies (to make the statue). This one comes highly referenced,” Skalen noted, adding that the attention to detail and references is what led to the selection of Brodin Studios, Inc. The statue will take six to eight months to complete, and the fire department is hoping to have it done by July fourth so they can hold a dedication during Harmony’s annual celebration. The council approved the commission agreement with Brodin Studios, Inc with the $10,000 down payment.
Umbelina Cremer from the Harmony Area Community Foundation asked the council to consider allowing the HACF to hold their annual Swing into Spring event at the community center on April 6, 2019, and to serve alcohol at the event, something that is not allowed at the center.
“This (the event) would be a good place to feature the community center and what you guys have done here,” Cremer said, adding that the HACF has helped with some of the improvements to the center and would like to use the event to showcase it. The parking would be ideal, and the space would allow the HACF to set up the silent auction items. Cremer noted that having a stage area would also be beneficial for the presentations.
Cremer said that the HACF has always served alcohol at the event, and she didn’t feel that it would be as successful if that were eliminated. Mayor Steve Donney voiced concerns that allowing the HACF to serve alcohol would set a precedent for other organizations and individuals who rent the community center for their events to assume that they could also do the same. Cremer pointed out that the HACF is a non-profit organization that raises money for the benefit of Harmony. “This is an event where we can work hard so we can turn around and give back to the community,” she said.
The council was amenable to the idea of allowing the HACF to rent the community center and serve alcohol. City Administrator Jerome Illg will look into the logistics and legalities of allowing alcohol to be served.
City Maintenance Director Chris Johnson informed the council that a sewer main had broken on Niagara Court. The cost of installing a new pipe would come to $13,900. The bubbler system at the wastewater treatment plant has stopped working correctly and also needs to be replaced at a cost of approximately $12,050 for the equipment and $1,000 for labor. The council approved both projects.
The council is continuing to research options for renovating the bathrooms at the community center to be handicapped accessible. A motion was approved to proceed with the project in the women’s bathroom.
The Harmony Economic Development Association or EDA is working with Dairyland Power Cooperative to develop an industrial park in Harmony. An agreement was drawn up between the City of Harmony and Dairyland Power Cooperative which states that the city will pay the engineering and design service fees up front and then be able to assess those costs back to the properties with the stipulation that if Dairyland does not go forward with the project by 2020, the costs will be reimbursed. The council approved the agreement with Kyle Morem abstaining.
The Park Board has raised $21,000 for the instrument park and will now be able to purchase six instruments instead of the originally planned four. They also received a $10,000 grant through SMIF and an $11,348 grant from HACF. The equipment needs to be ordered by the end of 2018 though or the price will go up. The cement work for installing the instruments will be more expensive and a bigger undertaking that originally anticipated as the board recently found out that each piece will need to be in-ground mounted with pillars, rods, and a concrete pad. The council approved the purchase of the equipment.
The concrete in the basketball court has been ripped out, and the money has been raised for the new basketball hoops, lighting, etc. Locals are excited about the new basketball courts. “There’s been a lot of really positive feedback about what’s happening there” council member Lynn Mensink said.
Fillmore Central approached the Park Board about installing restroom facilities on the edge of the fenced-in football field that the school is currently working on building. The building would have two sets of doors, one on the inside of the fence so that attendees could use it, and the other on the outside to allow entry to anyone which would be locked during games so that no one would have access to the game without paying the admission fee. The council was in favor of the idea and will draft a maintenance agreement with Fillmore Central before proceeding.
The Fillmore Central High School Choir has been asked to sing the National Anthem at an upcoming Minnesota Wilds game, but will have to pay $40 apiece for tickets. The choir approached the Arts Board to ask for help with the funds. The board is still discussing the options.
On January 5, 6, and 7, the Arts Board will be hosting showings of Decoding the Driftless at the JEM Theatre. On January 5, writer and producer George Howe will be present to answer questions.
The council reviewed Resolution 18-11 regarding the 2019 levy and approved it with no changes.
The next Harmony City Council meeting will be held on January 8 at 7 p.m.
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