Local News Headlines – Tuesday, May 18

May 17, 2021 kdomadmin Local News 0

THE COTTONWOOD COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WILL MEET AT 9:00 TTHIS MORNING AT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER IN WINDOM.    A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD ON AN APPLICATION FOR A COMMERCIAL TAX ABATEMENT FOR A PROPOSED NEW CAR WASH IN WINDOM.  THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR WILL HAVE UPDATES ON SEVERAL TOPICS, INCLUDING A PROPOSAL TO CREATE A NEW ‘ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY’ PROGRAM.   THE BOARD WILL CONSIDER THE RENEWAL OF A JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT FOR THE REDWOOD-COTTONWOOD RIVERS CONTROL AREA.  THE BOARD WILL HANDLE A NUMBER OF PERSONNEL ITEMS, INCLUDING THE HIRING OF TWO SOLID WASTE TECHNICIANS AND FOUR PART-TIME JAILER-DISPATCHERS.   
 
A MEETING OF THE JACKSON COUNTY BOARD WILL TAKE PLACE AT 9:00 THIS MORNING.  THE BOARD WILL VOTE TO ACCEPT NEW FEDERAL COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDING ESTIMATED AT JUST OVER $1.9-MILLION.  THE BOARD WILL RE-CLASSIFY TWO POSITIONS IN THE COUNTY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE.  AN OPENING WILL BE POSTED FOR A LEGAL ASSISTANT.  THERE WILL BE AN UPDATE ON THE EMPLOYEE AGREEMENT WITH THE NEW COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.  THE BOARD WILL DISCUSS THE ‘SECTION 8’ HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM.  THE BUILDING COMMITTEE AND AN ARCHITECT WILL DISCUSS A POSSIBLE ADDITION AND REMODELING PROJECT FOR THE GOVERNMENT CENTER WEST BUILDING.  COVID-19 GUIDELINES WILL BE REVISED.      
 
THE MURRAY COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETS AT 8:30 THIS MORNING AT THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT BUILDING IN SLAYTON.  THE BOARD WILL CONSIDER APPROVING THE REGISTRATION OF A NEW DOMAIN NAME FOR murraycountymn.gov.  2021 AMBULANCE AGREEMENTS WILL BE PRESENTED FOR APPROVAL.  BIDS WILL BE OPENED FOR UPCOMING HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.  A DETOUR AGREEMENT WILL BE PRESENTED FOR A PROJECT ON HIGHWAY 59.  THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WILL REVIEW AN AGREEMENT FOR A FIREWORKS DISPLAY AT 7-MILE PARK.  FURTHER DISCUSSION WILL BE HELD ON QUOTES FOR A PROJECT AT THE DINEHART-HOLT HOUSE.  LAW-ENFORCEMENT CONTRACTS WILL BE REVIEWED WITH AREA CITIES.   
 
A REGULAR MEETING OF THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL WILL BE HELD AT 6:30 THIS EVENING AT THE CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.  BIDS WILL BE REVIEWED FOR THE PURCHASE OF A NEW AMBULANCE.  THE ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE AGREEMENTS FOR THE PURCHASE OF WIND ENERGY, AND AGREEMENTS TO ALLOW ELECTRIC LINES TO BE RUN UNDERNEATH RAILROAD TRACKS.  THE COUNCIL MAY VOTE TO ACCEPT A STATE REDEVELOPMENT GRANT AGREEMENT.  FURTHER DISCUSSION WILL BE HELD ON RATES CHARGED FOR FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES.  THE COUNCIL WILL HEAR AN UPDATE ON THE ‘PIRATE SHIP’ AT ISLAND PARK. ACTION WILL BE TAKEN TO ACCEPT A GRANT AGREEMENT FOR WORK AT THE WINDOM AIRPORT.   
 
THE HERON LAKE-OKABENA SCHOOL BOARD MEETS AT 7:00 TONIGHT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY IN OKABENA.  A CONTRACT WITH GREATER MINNESOTA FACILITY SERVICES WILL BE PRESENTED FOR APPROVAL.  THE BUDGET FOR THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR WILL BE REVISED.  THE BOARD WILL APPROVE THE HIRING OF A HIGH SCHOOL MATH TEACHER AND A 6TH-GRADE TEACHER. A NEW CONTRACT WILL BE APPROVED WITH THE TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR.  THE BOARD WILL ACCEPT A RESIGNATION FROM A 3RD-GRADE TEACHER.  THE PRINCIPAL WILL HAVE UPDATES ON GRADUATION AND SUMMER SCHOOL.  THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL HAVE A REPORT ON STUDENT ENROLLMENT.  THERE WILL BE A REPORT ON TEACHER CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. 
 
THE CITY OF WINDOM RECENTLY HELD ITS ANNUAL BOARD OF APPEAL AND EQUALIZATION.  COUNTY ASSESSOR GAIL BONDHUS GAVE A PRESENTATION ON HOW ASSESSED VALUATIONS ARE DETERMINED.  DURING THE LAST YEAR, THERE WERE 99 SALES OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY.  THE MEDIAN SALES RATIO WAS AT 99.2% OF ASSESSED MARKET VALUE, SO NO ADJUSTMENTS WERE NEEDED.   A DISCUSSION WAS HELD ON THE VALUATION FOR THE FAST AG PROPERTIES IN THE NORTH WINDOM INDUSTRIAL PARK.  THE OWNERS WERE REQUESTING THAT THE ASSESSED VALUE BE REDUCED.  THE BOARD DID NOT APPROVE ANY CHANGES, BUT THE OWNERS WERE ENCOURAGED TO MEET WITH THE COUNTY ASSESSOR AND CONSIDER TAKING THE MATTER TO THE COUNTY BOARD OF APPEAL IN JUNE.   
 
THE CITY OF MT LAKE HAS DECLARED THIS FRIDAY AS “PETERSON PHARMACY AND GIFTS APPRECIATION DAY.”  A PROCLAMATION WAS ADOPTED BY THE MT LAKE CITY COUNCIL.  THE BUSINESS IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR ITS EFFORTS TO PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY WITH THE COVID-19 VACCINE.  PETERSON PHARMACY HAS PROVIDED MORE THAN 2-THOUSAND DOSES OF VACCINE TO LOCAL RESIDENTS.  PETERSON PHARMACY AND GIFTS OPENED MORE THAN 37 YEARS AGO UNDER ORIGINAL OWNERS VERN AND CHERYL PETERSON.  THEIR DAUGHTER, ERICA SCHROEDER, IS THE NEW OWNER OF THE BUSINESS.  PETERSON PHARMACY IS A LONG-TIME MEMBER OF THE MT LAKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND HAS SUPPORTED COMMUNITY EVENTS INCLUDING POW-WOW.   THERE WILL BE A PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE THIS FRIDAY FROM 9:00 TO 1:00.