Local News Headlines – Tuesday, May 4

THE COTTONWOOD COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETS AT 9:00 THIS MORNING AT THE BARC LIBRARY IN WINDOM.   PUBLIC HEARING DATES WILL BE SET FOR PROJECTS ON TWO JUDICIAL DITCHES.  THE BOARD WILL HEAR A PRESENTATION ON A WETLAND RESTORATION PROJECT.  THE BOARD WILL REVIEW AN APPLICATION FOR A COMMERCIAL TAX ABATEMENT.   THE PLANNING AND ZONING TECHNICIAN WILL REVIEW TWO APPLICATIONS FOR CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS.  IN PERSONNEL BUSINESS, THE BOARD IS SCHEDULED TO ACCEPT NOTICES OF RETIREMENT FROM THE COUNTY ASSESSOR AND THE DEPUTY ASSESSOR.  THE BOARD WILL APPROVE AN INTERNAL PROMOTION TO FILL THE POSITION OF JAIL DISPATCH SUPERVISOR. 

 

A REGULAR MEETING OF THE JACKSON COUNTY BOARD WILL BE HELD AT 9:00 THIS MORNING.  THE BOARD WILL DISCUSS A POSSIBLE AGREEMENT FOR THE HIRING OF A NEW COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.  THE BOARD WILL MEET WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS TO CONSIDER A PROPOSAL FOR THE ‘SENTENCE TO SERVE’ PROGRAM.  THE LAND MANAGEMENT OFFICE WILL PRESENT AN APPLICATION FOR AN INTERIM USE PERMIT FOR A TEMPORARY CONCRETE PLANT.  THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WILL REQUEST PERMISSION TO HIRE A SEASONAL POSITION FOR A HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR.  APPOINTMENTS WILL BE MADE TO THE REVOLVING LOAN FUND ADVISORY BOARD. 

 

THE MURRAY COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETS AT 8:30 THIS MORNING AT THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER IN SLAYTON.   A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD ON AN APPLICATION FOR A NEW OFF-SALE LIQUOR LICENSE.  THERE WILL BE AN UPDATE FROM THE MURRAY COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER.  THE BOARD WILL REVIEW AN APPLICATION FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR A GRAVEL-MINING PROJECT.  THE BOARD WILL DISCUSS THE BIDS FOR AN IMPROVEMENT PROJECT AT THE DINEHART-HOLT HOUSE.  THE 2020 COUNTY FEEDLOT REPORT WILL BE PRESENTED.  THE BOARD MAY HIRE SEASONAL MUSEUM ASSISTANTS AND A FULL-TIME G-I-S TECHNICIAN.  PLANS WILL BE REVIEWED FOR THE NEW COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT BUILDING. 

 

THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL MEETS AT 6:30 THIS EVENING.    THE COUNCIL WILL OFFICIALLY ACCEPT THE RESIGNATION OF COUNCIL MEMBER JACQUIE SCHMIDT AND DISCUSS HOW THE VACANCY WILL BE FILLED.  THE STREET COMMITTEE WILL HAVE SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS, INCLUDING A PROPOSAL INVOLVING ACCESS TO THE NEW KWIK TRIP STORE, AND A PROPOSAL TO CREATE A NEW STREET FOR ACCESS TO BUSINESSES ON EAST HIGHWAY 60.  THERE WILL ALSO BE A PROPOSAL TO ADD MORE SIDEWALKS.  THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL REVIEW A PRPOSED COMMUNITY POLICING AGREEMENT WITH WINDOM AREA HEALTH.  THE PERSONNELL COMMITTEE WILL DISCUSS THE HIRING OF A PART-TIME OFFICE ASSISTANT. 

 

THE MONTHLY WEATHER STATISTICS HAVE BEEN REPORTED FOR THE CITY OF WINDOM IN APRIL.  TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH CAME OT 1.65” WITH MEASURABLE PRECIP ON 7 DAYS AND A TRACE ON 2 DAYS.  FOR THE YEAR TO DATE, WINDOM HAS RECEIVED 4.9” OF TOTAL PRECIPITATION – ABOUT .4” LESS THAN AT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR.  WINDOM RECEIVED ONLY A TRACE OF SNOW IN APRIL.  FOR THE 2020-21 WINTER SEASON, WINDOM RECEIVED 33.4” OF TOTAL SNOWFALL.   THE HIGH TEMPERATURE IN APRIL WAS 87-DEGREES ON APRIL 6TH.  THE AVERAGE DAILY HIGH TEMP WAS 57.2-DEGREES.  THE LOW TEMP IN APRIL WAS 16-DEGREES ON APRIL 1ST, WITH AN AVERAGE DAILY LOW TEMP OF 35.7-DEGREES – ABOUT 2 DEGREES WARMER THAN LAST YEAR. 

 

WINDOM AREA HEALTH HAS RELEASED ITS PROJECTED BUDGET FOR THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.  THE HOSPITAL BEGAN ITS NEW FISCAL YEAR ON MAY 1ST.  THE BUDGET HAS BEEN REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE GOVERNING BOARD FOR WINDOM AREA HEALTH AND THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL.   FOR THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, WINDOM AREA HEALTH WAS PROJECTED TO END THE YEAR WITH NET INCOME OF JUST OVER $2.5-MILLION.  THAT INCLUDES OVER $800-THOUSAND IN FEDERAL STIMULUS FUNDING.  FOR THE NEW FISCAL YEAR, THE BUDGET IS PROJECTING REVENUES OF $23.4-MILLION AND EXPENSES OF $22.6-MILLION.  THAT WOULD LEAVE THE FACILITY WITH NET INCOME OF JUST UNDER $1-MILLION FOR THE NEXT YEAR.  

 

A LOCAL AGENCY THAT PROVIDES SERVICES TO SENIOR CITIZENS IS CLOSING ITS OFFICE IN SLAYTON.   THE MINNESOTA RIVER AREA AGENCY ON AGING RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT THE OFFICE IN SLAYTON WILL BE CLOSED PERMANENTLY.  THE CHANGE TOOK EFFECT ON APRIL 30TH.  EMPLOYEES WHO WORKED OUT OF THE SLAYTON OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO OFFER THE SAME SERVICES, BUT THEY WILL BE OFFERED ON A REMOTE OR VIRTUAL BASIS ONLY.   DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE AGENCY ON AGING CLOSED ITS OFFICES IN MANKATO AND SLAYTON WITH ALL EMPLOYEES WORKING REMOTELY.  THE MANKATO OFFICE IS CURRENTLY CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC, BUT WITH PLANS TO RE-OPEN THAT LOCATION ONCE RESTRICTIONS ARE LIFTED.