Peterson Sets Up For New Year

At the January 10 meeting, of the Peterson Council, Mayor Chris Stenzel led a sparse room through annual meeting items. Councilors Tracy Seelbinder and Justin Simon were also present. Clerk Chris Grindland and Councilors Gail Boyum and Kristina Grindland were absent from the meeting.
First up, a quick update from Public Works noted that the department had no issues with the first snow and is ready for the coming storm. Public Works Director Tim Hallum noted pricing for upgrades to all north and south running side streets is in. The council will discuss the estimates at the February meeting.
Seelbinder next discussed City Day on the Hill, an opportunity for local government officials to meet at the capitol.
“It’s a pretty informative deal for us to be able to go up and meet with local legislators, find out what’s going on in the city, and maybe push for a little help for smaller towns,” he said.
Cities with a population of less than 2,500 get a rate of $99/attendee. Seelbinder requested the city pay the cost for those attending rather than having the city reimburse them later. Seelbinder and Boyum have expressed a desire to attend. Stenzel would like to attend if his work schedule allows it. The event is on March 7, so there is time for others on the council to register.
“I think it’s a great thing,” added Stenzel.
“If you let the legislators know, they’ll meet with you personally. We met with two of them last time and talked to them,” said Seelbinder. “There’s a lot of good information out there, plus it keeps us on the map.”
As for annual meeting items, the city kept everything as it was in 2023. Meetings will continue on the second Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. at city hall. Seelbinder will continue to serve as acting mayor in the absence of Mayor Stenzel. Boyum will serve as acting clerk. Councilors Grindland and Simons will continue on the Financial Committee.
Other committee assignments include Simons on Electrical and Streets, Boyum on Park and Museum, and Seelbinder on Water and Sewer.
The Planning Commission is Loren Rue, Jim Atkinson, Karlin Symons, Steve Paulson and Clerk Grindland. The city will also confirm with each volunteer committee member that they intend to continue.
Rates for services and utilities, as well as rates of pay for combined clerk, treasurer and public works remain unchanged. Also staying the same are the rates of $200 per month for the mayor, $1,200 per year for the council, and $18 per hour for election judges.
The next regularly scheduled meeting is at city hall on February 14 at 6 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend.