Cottonwood County Sheriff’s Office reported 32 calls in the week of February 22nd to February 28th. Deputies conducted 6 Civil Processes, 1 Concern for Welfare, responded to 1 Jail Incident, 1 Juvenile Offender and 2 Driving Complaints. Deputies investigated 2 Suspicious Activities and served 3 Warrants. A full listing of all calls in the Cottonwood County Sheriff’s Office Weekly Citizens Report is available by clicking the link below.
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The Windom City Council spent significant time last night discussing the future of WindomNet, with debate centering on Ordinance No. 204, 2nd Series – Disposition of Real Estate. The ordinance would have approved the sale of WindomNet to Federated Rural Broadband following a second reading. But before the roll call vote, Councilwoman Jenny Quade raised the possibility of a mayoral veto, asking Mayor Hilary Mathis to clarify her intentions. Mayor Mathis responded directly, saying “Based on everything that I’ve heard from the community and speaking to experienced professionals in the area of local and government… I do think that it serves the best interest to veto this ordinance if it passes and to allow an open request for proposals,” Mathis went on to say. “To be transparent… yes, I would veto, and we would be back in the same spot in two weeks.” Mathis said her decision to use the veto was not made lightly, adding that while Federated has been “good to us” and brings “incredible value,” she believed the city needed to review more offers before making a final decision. Councilman Jaysun Sherman echoed that sentiment, saying approving the ordinance would end the process without exploring other potentially stronger financial offers. Sherman went onto say, “If we don’t get past the first step, then we won’t ever have a chance to see if we’re fulfilling our fiduciary duty,” and went on to note the importance of seeking the best possible deal for taxpayers. Others, including Councilman Scott Benson, said they preferred what he called the “sure thing,” citing conversations with residents and business leaders. When the roll was called on the second reading, the motion failed on a 3-2 vote with Benson and Nelson voting Yes and Quade, Esplan and Sherman voting No. Following that failure, the council approved a new motion presented by Quade to issue a Request for Proposals for the potential sale of WindomNet. The RFP will allow 45 days for submissions and will include criteria such as maintaining a local customer service presence, establishing advisory board input, and providing a 10-year service agreement for city facilities. This motion passed in a 4-1 vote. The entire council agreed that moving forward the goal will be transparency and fairness as proposals are reviewed. The city plans to notify interested parties directly, post information on its website, publish notices and advertise to ensure a broad awareness of the Request for Proposal opportunity. I would like to say, I am impressed with the flexibility and the give and take of the Council that I witnessed at the meeting last night. The WindomNet discussion has drawn one of the most in-depth conversations in the town of Windom for quite some time. The effort and research that Councilmembers put forth was amazing and showed they weren’t just making uneducated or well researched claims and decisions. It was refreshing to see council members acknowledge the weight of their decisions and its long-term impact on the Windom community.
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The Red Rock Central School District School Board meets tonight at the Red Rock Central Media Center.