The Rushford Village Council unanimously approved setting the final tax levy at $475,000 for 2021. The amount represents a 5.5% increase over the $450,000 levied for 2020.
The largest increases are for engineering needed for ongoing maintenance of public streets, particularly in South Rushford, and other Public Works needs, including road rock for the city’s extensive miles of roads. The city budget has seen a shortfall in the costs related to roads and the council has been attempting to catch up for some time.
“We have stuff coming down the road that we know of,” said Councilor Mike Ebner. “In Fillmore County, these are pretty common numbers. The timing is lousy.” Some areas are seeing increases of 15-20%, sometimes more. This type of correction in revenue needs in one year is jarring to property owners.
“It would be nice to soften the blow a little bit,” noted Councilor Bob Hart, regarding the increase.
“I agree, it’s nice to see it gradual, so there’s not a big bump,” added Councilor Roger Knutson. “It’s nice to keep that constant so we’re not upsetting people and ourselves.”
“The county’s raising rates already. It’s kind of a double whammy,” noted Councilor Rick Ruberg. City staff is still reviewing the final numbers coming on the year’s budget, but it’s expected that if the budget was exceeded it wasn’t significantly.
The council also approved review and an increase to city employee salaries. A 3% increase will be added to all full-time and hourly employees with the exception of substitute plow drivers and a hopefully soon-to-be-hired Public Works Supervisor.
The hunt for a person to fill the role of Public Works Supervisor is still on. A potential candidate has been identified, but the city is working through the option of providing benefits to the person hired. This lack of benefits has been an issue for those in the role in the past.
Mayor Dennis Overland noted the city is looking into various options. These include a Public Employee Insurance (PEI) Program small group plan or a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA).
Advantages to the PEI program included three options for providers: Blue Cross, Medica, and Health Partners, which are fairly competitive in our area. One drawback, however, is that the start date wouldn’t be until February 1 at the very earliest.
HRA programs will pay premiums (at least 50%) or any other medical expenses, but the employee would have to secure their own private insurance. It’s estimated to be slightly less costly to the city, but administrative fees can be prohibitive. At this time, it’s also unclear whether an HRA would establish a “small group” plan with just one employee drawing benefits.
“I don’t know if our budget would allow it,” said Overland. The committee will meet this week and gather more information for the council. “I think we can stay in the budgeted amount, if there’s some flexibility in wages.”
“We have to start somewhere,” added Knutson. “It needs to go into our levy and needs to be something we budget for every year.”
“I don’t think we have a choice,” responded Overland. “We can just get through this year and know how to plan better for next year. We had no idea… we really came in flying blind.”
The council has also unanimously decided to keep usage of the Village Hall and premises closed until at least March 31. Earlier this year, the council closed all use until the end of 2020. At least six rental dates for the hall are tentatively booked for 2021, in May through August.
“I’m not sure we have much choice. I hate closing things up, but not sure what we can do,” noted Overland.
“We need a date to decide by. At this point, we don’t even know if there’s going to be school or graduation or what,” added Knutson. The issue will be revisited at a future meeting and those who have booked dates will be contacted about the change.
Community Economic Development Associates representative Rebecca Charles provided the council on review of the city’s Comprehensive Plan. Several goal areas have been noted for upcoming work and a survey of both the council and Planning and Zoning members will help determine how to proceed, as well as if some goals are no longer relevant and if some should be added. “Once set, we should be able to plunge forward,” noted Charles.
Lastly, the Planning and Zoning Board met to discuss a permit application brought forth by Dave Lind. The request is for construction of a 10’ x 19’ freezer, on an existing site slab, beyond an existing building. “This is the exact same building we’ve been dealing with for some time, but he has now asked for a permit,” noted Zoning Administrator Jon Pettit. “After discussion, understanding where this building is, the recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Board is to deny the request, as the building is within the right-of-way setbacks and ordinance setback.”
Mayor Overland noted that Lind was given several options, including discussion with the state about reducing the right-of-way setback on the highway-adjacent property and application to change the site’s zoning to commercial, which would lower the setback from 30 feet to 10 feet for the Village. However, this option would still make the application in violation of the state’s setback ordinance. A request for variance can also be requested, but as there are options for addressing the situation, it removes the hardship need for a variance in the first place.
“We’re following recommendations and guidelines of Fillmore County. I don’t feel we can deviate from those guidelines,” said Ebner. “It doesn’t meet any of our criteria or that of Fillmore County. We can’t set precedence here and do what we think is right for one person. It’s gonna come back down the road and bite us.”
“When the permit was written, I said, ‘You cannot put anything here.’ He was well aware. This all happened because of bad, bad information from people that told him he could because it ‘wasn’t a building,” added Pettit. “He was told he couldn’t put it on there. When I get an application, I have to assume it’s correct and that people are going to do what they tell me. I have to assume the landowner has done their own due diligence. He thought he could do it another way. I also told him he had to get a permit and he didn’t. Tonight was the first permit application we received.”
The council denied the permit application in a 3:1 vote, with Knutson abstaining. “I hope we can make it work, I really do,” concluded Ebner.
The meeting will be continued Tuesday, December 22, at 7 p.m., at the Village Hall, for the purpose of discussing the employment of a Public Works Supervisor.
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