At the August 1 meeting of the Preston City Council, Sheila Craig, president of the Preston Historical Society, updated the council as to the ongoing activities of the Society.
The Society had received a $10,000 Small Community Grant from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) in the fall of 2021. The funds are being used to study funding options for the Masterplan, including the completion of the historic trailhead exhibit. A committee has been focusing on reconstruction plans for the bagging shed, scale house, and drive shed. Efforts have been made working with Rep. Greg Davids to get funds included in the bonding bill. However, a bonding bill was not approved in the last legislative session. Efforts for funding are still in progress.
The reconstruction of the depot is in the Masterplan. This could be a visitor/welcoming center and a community/activity center.
The Preston Area Community Foundation has provided two grants which will help with a marketing video and the hiring of an engineering firm regarding the Masterplan for the area. A POET grant and a private donation will help with needed matching dollars. Volunteers providing their time will complete the needed match. A public meeting to discuss these plans will be held on Wednesday, September 21.
The ninth annual Bluff Country Tractor Ride is scheduled for September 17-18. Over 50 tractors are registered so far from eight states.
Craig reported that over 1,500 items, artifacts and photographs, have been donated and are being cataloged by the Historical Society. Pictures are scanned and digitized with the originals being stored in archival sleeves. New T-shirts are in stock and on sale at the visitors center and the trailhead shop.
The oldest member of the Historical Society, Ila Mae Olstad, was the Grand Marshal of the 2022 Preston Trout Days parade.
The annual funding request from the Historical Society in the amount of $3,000 was approved.
Other business in brief
• The city council held a special meeting on July 25 to consider bids for the Circle Heights Drive Improvement project. City Administrator Ryan Throckmorton reported that once all the projects are completed and paid for, there will about $96,651 remaining in the Street Department Maintenance Reserve fund.
Three bids were submitted for the Circle Heights project. The low bid from Griffin Construction Co., Inc. in the amount of $282,579.55 was accepted.
• Preston formally accepted ownership of Crown Hill Cemetery late in 2020. Documents have now been drafted combining the rules handed down from the previous cemetery board, state statutes, and rules from other community cemeteries. Rules and regulations and a fee schedule were approved as presented for the operation of the cemetery.
• The donation of two memorial benches in memory of JoAnn Miller was accepted at the July 18 council meeting to be placed on the east side of city hall. In addition, city staff was authorized to obtain quotes for replacement concrete in the area and for a quote to move the water fountain monument to a location south of its present location.
A quote from Legends Concrete, Inc. was submitted in the amount of $2,244 for the concrete work. Lewiston Monument Company will move the water fountain monument for $400 to $500. A motion was approved to replace the concrete and to have the monument moved at a cost of up to $3,000.
• The next city council meeting will be held on August 15.
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