City councils are wrapping up their year, tying up loose ends on old items and getting a jump on 2021. The Rushford Village council took their December 1 meeting to work towards finalizing a few items, but most will warrant future discussion.
While the search for a new Public Works supervisor was listed on the agenda, there was no discussion during the public portion of the meeting regarding. Previous supervisor Kyle Chiglo tendered his resignation in September after just three months on the job. He accepted a position with Fillmore County effective November 2, leaving the Village on the hunt for new personnel ahead of winter snowfalls.
The issue may have been discussed as a part of a closed meeting to discuss labor negotiations, as the city’s current lack of Public Works employee benefits was noted as a key part of Chiglo’s resignation. No summary of the closed meeting portion was made available after the meeting.
The city is also looking to tie up costs and specs related to a new “big” truck for Public Works to replace an aging 2007 unit. According to Councilor Mike Ebner, both Chiglo and previous supervisor Travis Scheck made contact with various companies about quotes, but there was no follow-up. “Everyone knows we’re looking,” he said. Ebner and fellow Councilor Roger Knutson made contact with Universal Truck last week to secure new specs and Syverson Truck is tweaking a previous set of specs from this past March. According to Ebner, the City of Spring Grove has a new truck similar to what the Village is looking for and both he and Knutson will likely trek over to view it.
“We’re also throwing our name out for any demo units,” said Ebner. “We took the specs and updated them. Nothing fancy, just something.”
“A new truck is 10 months out, to build,” added Knutson. “It’s a long time to get one. But, it’s a big purchase.” Further details are expected at the next meeting.
Roads appear to be holding steady despite hot/cold swings this fall and a few snowfalls tossed in for good measure. There have been two complaints from the public in regards to the more recent snow, but the city is addressing any issues.
Looking forward, the council mused about where to direct Community and Economic Development Associates (CEDA) specialist Rebecca Charles’ attention for 2021. Knutson noted the last time Charles had addressed the council, the goal was a review and updating of the city’s Comprehensive Plan goals. While changes are expected, the work isn’t substantial and shouldn’t keep her busy all year.
“We always talk about coming up with things. I think we could get her off the track of some things and maybe change or look at new ideas. Maybe things she sees in other communities. There must be things she sees or is working on in other communities.”
Following last year’s CEDA landowner survey, the city will be looking to convert the responses into tangible goals. “Seventy percent of people wanted more trails. Maybe that’s an avenue to look into and to talk to the DNR [Department of Natural Resources] about,” noted Councilor Bob Hart.
One area the DNR has highlighted is the possibility for off-road trails for all terrain vehicles and utility task vehicles. “There’s almost unlimited funds in that, but who wants that going across their land?” asked Knutson. “What about fat tire biking? We already have the biking community coming here. Maybe that’s something she could be working on.”
“What about walking trails from the Village to state land or safe walking to get from those areas to the sidewalk system in town?” asked Ebner.
“We’ve got to set specific goals. It’s gotta be tough for her if we’re vague.”
“I agree. It’s hard to measure what she’s doing if we don’t give her some guidance,” added Ebner. No decisions on goals were set at the meeting, but the talking points will be discussed in the future.
The council did approve one item unanimously; the financial support of marketing efforts by the Rushford Peterson Valley Chamber of Commerce. Director Jen Hengel was on hand at the meeting to request just $303 in funding from the city for 2021. The Chamber received Phase I Tourism Crisis Marketing Grant funds from the state and is expected to get Phase II funds as well. “We’re getting quite a bit more, so we’re looking at different avenues,” explained Hengel.
Three permits were issued since the last meeting by Zoning Administrator Jon Pettit. There will be a public hearing for one granted to Tyler Eide for two parcels on State Highway 16. Eide requested to demolish old buildings and to rezone the parcels from commercial to residential. The hearing will be held December 15, at 6:45 p.m., at the Village Hall.
The next regularly scheduled council meeting is Tuesday, December 15, at 7 p.m., at the Village Hall.
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