Local News Headlines – Friday, April 23rd

A REGULAR MEETING OF THE JEFFERS CITY COUNCIL WAS HELD LAST WEEK.  THE COUNCIL HEARD THE 2020 CITY AUDIT REPORT.  THE COUNCIL VOTED TO APPROVE AN ADJUSTMENT IN THE CITY WATER RATES.  THE BASE RATE FOR WATER SERVICE WILL INCREASE FROM $15 TO $20 A MONTH.  THE USAGE RATE WILL BE INCREASED TO $3.50 PER THOUSAND GALLONS.  THE COUNCIL ALSO APPROVED A TRANSFER OF $40-THOUSAND FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO THE WATER FUND.  THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT WILL LOOK INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF RE-PAINTING THE TENNIS COURTS TO ALLOW FOR PICKLE-BALL GAMES.  A BUILDING PERMIT WAS APPROVED FOR JEFFERS MAINTSTREET LIQUOR.   

 

A REGULAR MEETING OF THE RED ROCK CENTRAL SCHOOL BOARD WAS HELD THIS WEEK.   THE BOARD APPROVED AN AGREEMENT WITH KRAUSS-ANDERSON TO SERVE AS CONSULTANTS FOR REFERENDUM PLANNING.  THE BOARD VOTED TO PAY ALL REMAINING MEMBERSHIP FEES BEING REQUESTED BY THE MINNESOTA STATE HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE.  A NUMBER OF TECHNOLOGY PURCHASES WERE APPROVED.  FUNDING WILL COME FROM FEDERAL COVID-19 RELIEF PROGRAMS.  APPROVAL WAS GIVEN TO HIRE A VOLUNTEER FROM THE AMERICORPS ‘PROMISE FELLOWS’ PROGRAM TO WORK WITH AT-RISK STUDENTS.  THE BOARD ACCEPTED RESIGNATIONS FROM A HIGH SCHOOL SECRETARY, AN ELEMENTARY TEACHER AND AN ENGLISH TEACHER.  THE BOARD APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF SOME NEW PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT.  

 

THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL MET EARLIER THIS WEEK.  THE WINDOM AMBULANCE DEPARTMENT REPORTED ON PLANS TO PURCHASE A NEW AMBULANCE THIS YEAR.  PUBLIC HEARINGS WERE HELD AND THE COUNCIL APPROVED THREE APPLICATIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL HOUSING TAX ABATEMENTS FOR NEW UNITS AT THE ‘GOVE ACRES’ HOUSING PROJECT.  GLENN LUND WAS RECOGNIZED FOR 25 YEARS AS A CITY EMPLOYEE.  OFFICIALS FROM WINDOM AREA HEALTH PRESENTED THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.   THE WATER DEPARTMENT PRESENTED THE ANNUAL REPORT ON DRINKING WATER QUALITY. ALL TEST RESULTS WERE WITHIN ACCEPTABLE LIMITS.   THE COUNCIL REVIEWED A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE RIVER BEND LIQUOR STORE WITH OPTIONS FOR REMODELING OR REPLACING THE CURRENT BUILDING. 

 

LOCAL CITIES AND TOWNSHIPS ARE HOLDING THEIR ANNUAL BOARDS OF APPEAL AND EQUALIZATION.   TODAY, BOARDS OF APPEAL WILL BE HELD FOR AMO TOWNSHIP, ANN TOWNSHIP, HIGHWATER TOWNSHIP, ROSEHILL TOWNSHIP, STORDEN TOWNSHIP AND WESTBROOK TOWNSHIP.  DUE TO ONGOING COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, ALL BOARDS OF APPEAL IN COTTONWOOD COUNTY ARE BEING HELD ON A VIRTUAL BASIS.  CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL CITY ADMINISTRATOR OR TOWNSHIP CLERK FOR THE DETAILS ON HOW YOU MAY PARTICIPATE BY TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL.   AT A BOARD OF APPEAL, PROPERTY OWNERS MAY ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ASSESSED VALUATION OF THEIR PROPERTY, OR REQUEST THAT AN ADJUSTMENT BE MADE.  

 

THE HERON LAKE-OKABENA SCHOOL BOARD MET THIS WEEK.  THE BOARD APPROVED TWO OPEN-ENROLLMENT APPLICATIONS.  THE BOARD REVIEWED AND APPROVED A PROPOSAL FOR HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE THROUGH THE SOUTHWEST-WEST CENTRAL SERVICE COOPERATIVE.  RATES WILL INCREASE BY ROUGHLY 9%.  IN PERSONNEL BUSINESS, THE BOARD APPROVED THE HIRING OF A NEW BAND DIRECTOR.  THEY APPROVED THE HIRING OF TWO ASSISTANT TRACK COACHES.  THE BOARD APPROVED A FARMLAND LEASE AGREEMENT.  AMONG ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS, THE BOARD HEARD UPDATES ON PLANNING FOR PROM, GRADUATION AND THE SENIOR CLASS TRIP.  FURTHER DISCUSSION WAS HELD ON MEMBERSHIP FEES BEING REQUESTED BY THE MINNESOTA STATE HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE. 

                                                                              

THE WINDOM ROBOTICS PROGRAM WILL HAVE A TEAM PARTICIPATING IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.  INVITATIONS HAVE BEEN EXTENDED TO THE HIGH SCHOOL TEAM OF PHILIP ACKERMAN AND KEITH SWENSON, AND TO A MIDDLE-SCHOOL TEAM MADE UP OF 6TH GRADERS.  THE 6TH-GRADE TEAM IS NOT PLANNING TO TAKE PART IN THE CHAMPIONSHIPS, BUT THE HIGH SCHOOL TEAM WILL PARTICIPATE.  THEY WILL HAVE TO TAKE PART IN TWO QUALIFYING LIVE REMOTE EVENTS BEFORE THE V-E-X ROBOTICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TAKE PLACE IN MID-MAY.   WINDOM HAD TWO HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS AND THREE MIDDLE-SCHOOL TEAMS TAKE PART IN THE STATE ROBOTICS CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT IN ST. CLOUD.