PRSRT STD ECR WSS US. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 70 MADELIA, MN 56062
POSTAL PATRON
“Where Fillmore County News Comes First” Weekly Edition
Veterans Day Section November 11, 2017 Inside this issue
NASA’s next mission page
5
Monday, November 6, 2017
LFC’s Arndt Qualifies for State page
10
Volume 33 Issue 7
Give thanks by donating blood this holiday page
12
What is a fair farm rental agreement? page
18
Canton • Chatfield • Fountain • Harmony • Houston • Lanesboro • Mabel • Ostrander • Peterson • Preston • Rushford • Rushford Village • Spring Valley • Whalan • Wykoff
WIT Boyz expands business in Chatfield By H annah Wingert hannah@fillmorecountyjournal.com
Chris Musty and Luke Thieke opened WIT Boyz in 2010, a heavy equipment and semi service/sales company. Their business has flourished over the last seven years as they’ve served the local farming and trucking community. In addition to servicing semis, farm equipment, trailers, etc, WIT Boyz, a fully staffed, full-service mechanic shop, also offers DOT inspections and has accounts with several large companies such as FedEx. Recently, WIT Boyz has expanded to include new and used car and pickup sales and service as well, reaching a new market of customers. Thieke’s brother-in-law, Dan Johnson joined Musty and Thieke in July 2017 to open WIT Boyz Auto. Johnson recently moved to Lanesboro with his family from the Twin Cities where he owned and operated a utility
construction company along with several car dealerships over the years. After moving to Lanesboro, where his wife is originally from and currently works as a teacher, he began looking at opening his own dealership in the area. When Thieke heard, he offered him a place at WIT Boyz. WIT Boyz is a name that Musty and Thieke came up with when they first opened their business, which stands for Whatever It Takes. The acronym describes their service and commitment to their customers. Johnson knew that he would fit right into the company and was excited to join them. Johnson set up agreements with several different auction and finance companies and by mid-July, he was ready to roll. On August 1, WIT Boyz Auto was officially open for business. Johnson is quickly making a name for himself with his car sales and service. “The location is great,” John-
Buffer enforcement ordinance discussed By K aren R eisner karen@fillmorecountyjournal.com
See BUFFER Page 9
Dan Johnson, left, joins Chris Musty and Luke Thieke at WIT Boyz. Photo by Hannah Wingert
Fountain reviews options for rate increase By K irsten Zoellner kirsten@fillmorecountyjournal.com
The Fountain City Council considered the results of a utility rate analysis at the Wednesday, November 1 meeting and it could have some substantial changes for the city. An analysis by Minnesota Rural Water Association provided the city with four options. Currently, properties are charged a base rate of $30 per 3,000 gallons for sewer service and an additional $20 base rate for water. Total annual city expenses for 2016 were
$182,384. According to Clerk Rhonda Flattum, using the figure gives the clearest picture for usage, since the city has spent the last year working to regain state compliance at the wastewater treatment plant. The city of Fountain has 177 connections. Water usage for the year was 8,550,584 gallons, with water usage per connection of 48,308 gallons or an average of 132 gallons per day. “At a cost per thousand gallons, that’s $21.33 and you’re charging just $30 for 3,000 gallons. I think you can see where we’re headed,” said Tim Hage-
Your community banks
for generations!
meier, representative of MN Rural Water. According to the analysis, the utility has a deficit of roughly $118,664, which was also noted at the last city audit. All options included lowering the minimum usage from 3,000 to 1,000 gallons per month, with an additional $.04 per gallon over that limit. “You’d be charging more people for usage, but still losing money,” noted Hagemeier. Options also included continuing the annual $30 base rate or increasing the base rate to $50 or $75, nearly or See FOUNTAIN Page 2
Since 1856
Since 1901
The Fillmore County Planning Commission met on October 26. A public hearing was held on the proposed county buffer enforcement ordinance. Duane Bakke explained the county changed its shoreland ordinance last year to match the state’s buffer law language. The ordinance being discussed this day details the county’s authority to enforce the buffer ordinance.
The language in the ordinance is from a model ordinance drafted by the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR). Bakke said we basically filled in the blanks with a few minor changes after review by the county attorney and then BWSR. The deadline for landowners to come into compliance or have a plan in place to come into compliance is November 1, 2017. Bakke added that there will be
son pointed out. WIT Boyz is situated right on Main Street on Highway 52 in Chatfield next to the downtown area. It’s also a prime spot because the company has plenty of space for growth inside the building and out. Despite the difference in size, Johnson hasn’t noticed a lot of differences between running a dealership in the Twin Cities and running one in a town the size of Chatfield. “It’s more personal and friendly here though,” he noted. He likes getting to know his customers and seeing them around town. The partnership between the original owners at WIT Boyz and Johnson has gone well in the three months since the business expanded to include a car dealership. “None of us are new at this, and we all know our responsibilities,” Johnson said. You can find more information on WIT Boyz and the services they offer at (507) 8672957 or by visiting www.witboyzinc.com.