Local News Headlines – Friday, January 8th

THE FULDA CITY COUNCIL MET THIS WEEK.   THE PAY EQUITY REPORT WAS READ AND APPROVED.  THE COUNCIL ADOPTED THE 2021 SCHEDULE OF FEES AND CHARGES FOR CITY SERVICES AND ADMINISTRATIVE FINES.  THE FEE FOR SNOW REMOVAL SERVICES WAS INCREASED.  THE COUNCIL ACCEPTED A QUOTE TO HAVE NEW KEY PADS INSTALLED FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND AMBULANCE GARAGE.  A NUMBER OF OFFICIAL DESIGNATIONS AND APPOINTMENTS WERE APPROVED.  THE COUNCIL APPROVED A CHARITABLE GAMBLING PERMIT FOR THE TOWN-AND-COUNTRY GOLF COURSE.   THE COUNCIL APPROVED A 2% COST-OF-LIVING INCREASE FOR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.  QUOTES WERE REVIEWED FOR THE POSSIBLE PURCHASE OF REMOTE EQUIPMENT FOR READING UTILITY METERS.   

 

LET’S REVIEW SOME OF THE YEARLY WEATHER STATISTICS FOR THE CITY OF WINDOM IN 2020.  TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR CAME TO JUST UNDER 25” WITH MEASUREABLE PRECIPITATION ON 92 DAYS.  THAT IS ROUGHLY 18” LESS THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.  JULY WAS THE WETTEST MONTH; DECEMBER WAS THE DRIEST MONTH.  THE HEAVIEST SINGLE-DAY SNOWFALL WAS 6.2” ON FEBRUARY 9TH.  THE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE YEAR WAS 98-DEGREES ON JUNE 8TH.  THERE WERE 18 DAYS IN THE 90’s DURING THE YEAR.  JULY WAS THE WARMEST MONTH.  THE LOW TEMP FOR THE YEAR WAS 15-BELOW ZERO ON FEBRUARY 13TH AND 14TH.  THERE WERE 17 DAYS WITH BELOW-ZERO READINGS.  FEBRUARY HAD THE COLDEST AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE.     

 

A REGULAR MEETING OF THE WESTBROOK CITY COUNCIL WAS HELD THIS WEEK.    NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE.  THE COUNCIL SET THE 2021 SCHEDULE OF FEES AND CHARGES FOR CITY SERVICES AND ADMINISTRATIVE FINES. PART-TIME EMPLOYEES RECEIVED AN INCREASE OF 25-CENTS AN HOUR.  FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES RECEIVED A COST-OF-LIVING INCREASE OF 3%.  THE COUNCIL APPROVED A NUMBER OF OFFICIAL APPOINTMENTS AND DESIGNATIONS, INCLUDING APPOINTMENT OF THE ACTING MAYOR, OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER, CITY ASSESSOR, OFFICIAL DEPOSITORY, AND CITY ATTORNEY.  COUNCIL COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS WERE APPROVED.   

 

THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL MET THIS WEEK.  NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE.  A NUMBER OF OFFICIAL APPOINTMENTS AND DESIGNATIONS WERE APPROVED.  THE COUNCIL ACCEPTED A NOTICE OF RESIGNATION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER JOANN RAY.  A RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION WAS ADOPTED, THANKING RAY FOR HER YEARS OF SERVICE.  RAY HAD TWO YEARS LEFT ON HER TERM.  THE COUNCIL WILL FILL THE VACANCY THROUGH APPOINTMENT; APPLICATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.  THE COUNCIL CALLED FOR BIDS ON A PROJECT TO REPLACE THE ROOF AT THE CITY ARENA.  THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE PROJECT IS BETWEEN $400- AND $500-THOUSAND.  INSURANCE WILL COVER 75% OF THE TOTAL COST OF THE PROJECT.   

                                                                         

THE MT LAKE CITY COUNCIL MET EARLIER THIS WEEK.  NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE.  THE COUNCIL HANDLED A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONAL ITEMS.  A JOB DESCRIPTION WAS APPROVED FOR AN ASSISTANT UTILITIES OFFICE MANAGER.  THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE 2021 UTILITIES BUDGET.  THERE WAS AN UPDATE FROM THE CITY ENGINEERS ON THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PONDS PROJECT.  THE COUNCIL APPROVED PAYMENT OF A CONTRACTOR’S BILL FOR WORK ON THE PROJECT.  THE CITY ATTORNEY HAD UPDATES ON TWO PUBLIC NUISANCE VIOLATIONS.  THE COUNCIL APPROVED SOME CHANGES TO A FINANCIAL AGREEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY ASSET FOUNDATION.   

 

THE WINDOM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY HAS ADOPTED NEW GOALS FOR 2021.   SHORT-TERM GOALS INCLUDING WORKING TO DEVELOP A NEW RESIDENTIAL HOUSING SUB-DIVISION, AND FINDING A BUSINESS TO OCCUPY THE FORMER SHOPKO BUILDING.  OTHER SHORT-TERM GOALS INCLUDE WORKING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EAST HIGHWAY 60 CORRIDOR; AND DEVELOPING UNUSED LOTS IN WINDOM.  LONG-TERM GOALS INCLUDE BRINGING ANOTHER GROCERY STORE TO WINDOM AND DEVELOPING MORE OPTIONS FOR CHILD-CARE SERVICES.  OTHER LONG-TERM GOALS INCLUDE CONTINUED EFFORTS TO BRING A DATA CENTER TO WINDOM, AND ATTRACTING NEW INDUSTRIES IN THE FIELD OF PLASTICS, HEMP PRODUCTS OR BIO-DEGRADABLES. 

 

A REGULAR MEETING OF THE WESTBROOK CITY COUNCIL WAS HELD THIS WEEK.    NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE.  THE COUNCIL SET THE 2021 SCHEDULE OF FEES AND CHARGES FOR CITY SERVICES AND ADMINISTRATIVE FINES. PART-TIME EMPLOYEES RECEIVED AN INCREASE OF 25-CENTS AN HOUR.  FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES RECEIVED A COST-OF-LIVING INCREASE OF 3%.  THE COUNCIL APPROVED A NUMBER OF OFFICIAL APPOINTMENTS AND DESIGNATIONS, INCLUDING APPOINTMENT OF THE ACTING MAYOR, OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER, CITY ASSESSOR, OFFICIAL DEPOSITORY, AND CITY ATTORNEY.  COUNCIL COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS WERE APPROVED.