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“Where Fillmore County News Comes First” Weekly Edition
Free Bounce House at the Fillmore County Fair! Inside this issue
Monday, July 17, 2017
Spring Valley mulls building maintenance page
County to consider Wheelage Tax
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Volume 32 Issue 43
A business opportunity awaits
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Ostrander mayor resignation page
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Canton • Chatfield • Fountain • Harmony • Houston • Lanesboro • Mabel • Ostrander • Peterson • Preston • Rushford • Rushford Village • Spring Valley • Whalan • Wykoff
Whalan Council tackles long agenda
The Whalan Council looks at a map to identify where the city limits end and where to perform dust control. Photo by Barb Jeffers barb@fillmorecountyjournal.com
As the Whalan City Council met on Monday, July 10, 2017, the council had a list of old business and new business to attend to. All council members were present, including Mayor Marlys Tuftin, Owen Lewis, Everett Johnson, Wyatt Berekvam, Kim Berekvam along with City Clerk Lolly Melander and City Maintenance worker Lanny Landsverk. Motion was made by W. Berekvam, with second by K. Berekvam, to approve the agenda as written. Motion carried. Minutes Melander read the minutes from the June 12, 2017 regular council meeting. No additions or corrections were requested. Motion by Johnson, second by Lewis, to approve the minutes as read. Motion carried.
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Treasurer’s report and bills due Melander read the treasurer’s report and bills due. Motion by Lewis, second by W. Berekvam, to accept the treasurer’s report and bills due as read. Motion carried. Councilmember W. Berekvam donated $250 toward the softball park. The council thanked him for his generous donation. The city received its first quarter LGA in July. Visitor’s comments Landsverk brought up the fact that a large tree by the softball field needs to be taken down. The tree will be taken down and cut up by Owen Lewis and Robert Engen. A request by a resident to have a tree cut down was tabled. Old business • “The alleys look very good,” stated Mayor Tuftin, as alleys have had gravel placed. Robert Engen has done a lot of work
on the alleys which the council appreciates. • “I think things are going ok,” stated Tuftin, about the new garbage collection service, Advanced Disposal, although the call center for Advanced Disposal “was making a lot of errors in the pricing,” she said. “The prices that are quoted in the handouts are correct so whatever people were told on the phone it’s going to be corrected,” Tuftin explained, adding that there are no additional charges for taxes as people were being told. • Much of the work listed on the 2017 Work Plan has been completed but there is still quite a bit to do. The council went through the list as council members took on different responsibilities to get checked off the list. Randy Berekvam will repair the small hole in the roof of the city shed. See WHALAN Page 5
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By Barb Jeffers
Mabel continues to move forward on daycare center By A nnie Lewis annie@fillmorecountyjournal.com
A public hearing was held prior to the regular Mabel City Council meeting to discuss moving forward on building a commercial daycare center. Mike Bubany, a consultant from David Drown Associates, addressed the council and members of the Economic Development Authority (EDA). He provided a report that outlined the modifications after the City authorized the EDA to establish Tax Increment Financing (TIF) plan for the project. EDA determined it necessary to construct the commercial daycare itself and lease it to a daycare provider. This modification enlarges the authorized budget, bonded indebtedness and associated expense. Members of the
council were asked to vote on two resolutions: the first to approve a general TIF within the development district and the second was to authorize a city tax abatement. Both were approved unanimously. Members of the EDA were also required to vote on a resolution to modify the TIF and did so without opposition. “These actions don’t mean were starting to build,” said Bubany. “It still requires a lot of work and legal authority to get bonding. But by passing these resolutions, we’re keeping things moving forward.” Bubany said that the goal is to try to keep the costs to the perspective tenant as low as possible. “Right now, if we’re able to See MABEL DAYCARE Page 2
Chatfield approves Wellhead Protection Plan amendment By K aren R eisner karen@fillmorecountyjournal.com
Scott Hanson, groundwater specialist with Minnesota Rural Water Association, provided technical assistance to create the amended Wellhead Protection Plan (WHP). He briefly reviewed the amendment at the July 10 city council meeting. The Chatfield WHP plan was originally approved by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) in 2007 and has been in effect through June 2017. The original plan limited land use control outside of the Chatfield city limits. The amendment uses recent data and adds consideration of fractures in geology.
The amended Drinking Water Supply Management Area for the city wells is considerably larger than the original 2007 area and includes the contribution of surface water runoff. With this amendment CRP, set aside, and alternative crops will be encouraged in the larder area which has been included outside of the city limits. The amendment describes expected changes to the physical environment, land use, and groundwater that may occur over the next 10 years. The objectives of the plan and the measures that must be taken to meet those objectives are described. The implementa-
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See WELLHEAD Page 7