Local News Headlines – Friday, August 21st

A REGULAR MEETING OF THE MT LAKE CITY COUNCIL WAS HELD THIS WEEK.    THE COUNCIL DISCUSSED THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE 2021 CITY BUDGET.  INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED BY THE VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS.  THE COUNCIL REVIEWED INFORMATION ON THE TAX LEVY, INCLUDING LEVIES IN CITIES OF SIMILAR SIZE.  A DISCUSSION WAS HELD ON 4TH AVENUE.  THE COUNCIL INDICATED SUPPORT FOR A PROPOSAL TO MAKE 4TH AVENUE A PERMANENT ONE-WAY STREET NEXT TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING.  THEY REVIEWED A PROPOSAL FROM AN ARCHITECTURAL FIRM.  THE CITY IS CONSIDERING OPTIONS FOR RENOVATING THE CITY HALL BUILDING TO MAKE BETTER USE OF THE AVAILABLE SPACE. 

 

THE RED ROCK CENTRAL SCHOOL BOARD MET THIS WEEK.   THE BOARD PASSED A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN NOVEMBER.  THERE WILL BE TWO BALLOT QUESTIONS.  ONE QUESTION CALLS FOR THE OPERATING LEVY TO BE RENEWED AT $700 PER STUDENT, WHICH WOULD BE A REDUCTION FROM THE CURRENT LEVY.  THE SECOND QUESTION CALLS FOR THE DISTRICT TO ISSUE UP TO $42.1-MILLION IN BONDS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW SCHOOL BUILDING.  IN OTHER BUSINESS, THE BOARD ADOPTED A POLICY ON FACE COVERINGS.   RED ROCK CENTRAL WILL BEGIN ITS NEW SCHOOL YEAR ON SEPTEMBER 8TH.  THE PLAN CALLS FOR ALL STUDENTS TO ATTEND SCHOOL IN PERSON. 

 

A MEETING OF THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL WAS HELD THIS WEEK.   PLANS WERE REVIEWED FOR THE CITY-WIDE CLEANUP PROGRAM, WHICH WILL BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 19TH.  THE CITY WILL PROVIDE A SUBSIDY FOR PEOPLE WHO RECYCLE MATTRESSES OR T-V SETS.  THE COUNCIL VOTED TO ACCEPT FEDERAL FUNDING UNDER THE “CARES” ACT.   THE COUNCIL APPROVED A GRANT AGREEMENT FOR THE AIRPORT LIGHTING IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.  THE COUNCIL DISCUSSED THE POSITION OF FINANCE DIRECTOR AND CONTROLLER.  CHELSEA CARLSON IS PLANNING TO MOVE TO A PART-TIME POSITION.  THE CITY WILL POST AN OPENING FOR A FULL-TIME FINANCE DIRECTOR.   

 

THE WINDOM SCHOOL BOARD MET THIS WEEK.   THE BACK-TO-SCHOOL PLAN WAS REVIEWED.  ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR FACE COVERINGS UNLESS THERE IS A MEDICAL EXEMPTION.  THE SCHOOL NURSE WILL NEED TO VERIFY ANY MEDICAL ISSUES.  ANY STUDENT WHO REFUSES TO WEAR A FACE COVERING WILL HAVE TO GO ON DISTANCE LEARNING.  FOOT TRAFFIC IN THE HALLWAYS WILL BE MONITORED.  STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO WEAR BACKPACKS SO THEY DO NOT HAVE TO STOP AT THEIR LOCKERS BETWEEN CLASSES.  THE DISTRICT HAS HAD TO HIRE ADDITIONAL STAFF; THE NET COST TO THE DISTRICT WILL BE ROUGHLY $200 TO $250-THOUSAND.   

 

A REGULAR MEETING OF THE WESTBROOK-WALNUT SCHOOL BOARD WAS HELD THIS WEEK.   THE BOARD APPROVED THE RE-OPENING LEARNING MODEL.  THE DISTRICT WILL BEGIN THE NEW YEAR IN A ‘HYBRID’ MODEL WITH ALL STUDENTS ATTENDING SCHOOL IN PERSON.  CLASSROOMS WILL OPERATE AT 50% CAPACITY WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING.  A POLICY ON FACE COVERINGS WSA APPROVED.  THE BOARD APPROVED A CONTRACT WITH GREATER MINNESOTA FAMILY SERVICES TO PROVIDE TWO FULL-TIME POSITIONS.  A MOTION WAS APPROVED TO ADD ANOTHER SECTION OF KINDERGARTEN- PROVIDING THAT A QUALITY TEACHER CAN BE HIRED.  THE BOARD APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF ADDITIONAL CHROMEBOOK COMPUTERS.   

    

THE WINDOM LIONS CLUB IS HOLDING AN EVENT THIS SATURDAY AT COTTONWOOD LAKE.  THERE WILL BE A SAND VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT AND A BEAN-BAG TOURNAMENT.  FOOD TRUCKS AND VENDORS WILL BE OPEN FROM 11:00 TO 7:00.   THERE WILL BE AN OPEN BEER GARDEN WITH MUSIC BY A D-J DURING THE DAY.  AN OUTDOOR CONCERT WILL BE HELD FROM 8:00PM TO MIDNIGHT WITH THE BAND “FARM ROCK.”  THIS IS OPEN TO ALL AGES WITH A $10 ADMISSION FEE.   THE WINDOM LIONS CLUB WILL BE FOLLOWING ALL PROPER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING RULES.    

 

THE HERON LAKE-OKABENA SCHOOL BOARD MET THIS WEEK.   THE BOARD ADOPTED THE DISTRICT’S BASELINE LEARNING PLAN.  ALL STUDENTS WILL BE ATTENDING CLASS IN PERSON UNDER THE ‘HYBRID’ PLAN WITH 50% ROOM CAPACITY AND SOCIAL DISTANCING.  A FEW STUDENTS HAVE REQUESTED DISTANCE LEARNING.  THE BOARD APPROVED THE POLICY ON FACE COVERINGS.  THE BOARD ACCEPTED THE RESIGNATION OF SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER TERRI STENZEL.  STENZEL WAS THEN HIRED AS A PART-TIME SPANISH TEACHER.  JOHN STENZEL WAS APPOINTED TO FILL THE OPENING ON THE SCHOOL BOARD UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR.  THE BOARD APPROVED A NUMBER OF APPOINTMENTS FOR COACHING POSITIONS AND ACTIVITY ADVISORS. 

 

THE WINDOM CITY PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION MET THIS WEEK.   THERE WAS AN UPDATE ON THE INSTALLATION OF THE NEW DOG PARK.  THERE WAS A REPORT ON THE ISLAND PARK BATHROOMS.  THE CITY IS WORKING WITH THE WINDOM BASEBALL ASSOCATION.  INFORMATION WAS PRESENTED ON THE ‘PIRATE SHIP’ THAT WAS PUT UP AT THE BASEBALL FIELD.  THE SHIP MAY NOT MEET CITY CODE.  A DISCUSSION WAS HELD ON POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE ISLAND PARK CAMPGROUND.   THERE WAS AN UPDATE ON THE WINDOM CITY ARENA.  THE COMMISSION HEARD REPORTS ON THE SWIMMING POOL AND A RECAP OF THE SUMMER RECREATION PROGRAM.  AN UPDATE WAS PROVIDED ON THE ISLAND PARK SHELTER HOUSE.