Local News Headlines – Tuesday, September 7

THE COTTONWOOD COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WILL MEET AT 9:00 THIS MORNING AT THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN WINDOM.    THERE WILL BE AN UPDATE ON A GRANT APPLICATION SEEKING STATE FUNDING FOR A WINDOW REPLACEMENT PROJECT AT THE COURTHOUSE.  THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR WILL DISCUSS A JOINT FUNDING AGREEMENT FOR NEW RIVER MONITORING EQUIPMENT.  THE PLANNING AND ZONING TECHNICIAN WILL REVIEW AN APPLICATION FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.  THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR WILL REVIEW A PROPOSAL FOR A COUNTY “ADOPT A HIGHWAY” POLICY.  THE COUNTY RECORDER WILL PRESENT A NEW PROPOSAL TO RE-ADJUST DUTIES IN THE OFFICE.   

 

THE JACKSON COUNTY BOARD MEETS AT 9:00 THIS MORNING IN THE CAFETERIA AT THE JACKSON COUNTY RESOURCE CENTER.  THE COUNTY AUDITOR-TREASURER WILL DISCUSS AN UPCOMING BOND SALE TO FINANCE DITCH PROJECTS.  THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR WILL DISCUSS A PROPOSAL TO EVALUATE TRAFFIC SAFETY ISSUES AT THE INTERSECTION OF COUNTY HIGHWAY 29 AND COUNTY HIGHWAY 34 NEAR ALPHA.  THE INCUMBENT COUNTY RECORDER WILL GIVE NOTICE THAT THEY WILL NOT BE RUNNING FOR ANOTHER TERM.  THE BOARD WILL CONSIDER ISSUING A NOTICE OF INTENT TO MAKE THE POSITION OF COUNTY RECORDER AN APPOINTED POSITION.  THE BOARD WILL APPROVE A JOB DESCRIPTION FOR A BUILDING OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR.   

 

A REGULAR MEETING OF THE MURRAY COUNTY BOARD WILL BE HELD AT 8:30 THIS MORNING AT THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER IN SLAYTON.  THE BOARD WILL HEAR AN UPDATE FROM THE MURRAY COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER.  TWO APPLICATIONS FOR CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS WILL BE REVIEWED.  THE BOARD WILL DISCUSS THE HIRING OF A FULL-TIME DEPUTY SHERIFF.  SOME EMPLOYEE POLICIES WILL BE UPDATED.  A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE COUNTY GOLF-CART ORDINANCE WILL BE CONTINUED. THE BOARD WILL SET BID-OPENING DATES FOR A NUMBER OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.  A FIVE-YEAR PLAN FOR ROAD AND BRIDGE PROJECTS WILL BE PRESENTED FOR APPROVAL.  THE SHETEK AREA LAKES ASSOCIATION WILL MAKE A PRESENTATION.   

 

THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL MEETS AT 6:30 THIS EVENING AT THE CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.   A RESOLUTION WILL BE PRESENTED IN SUPPORT OF THE “WELCOMING WEEK” ACTIVITIES PLANNED IN WINDOM.  THE COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS A HAZARDOUS BUILDING.  A FINANCIAL REPORT WILL BE PRESENTED ON THE FIREFIGHTERS’ RELIEF ASSOCIATION.  THE COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER JOINING A PROGRAM TO REDUCE WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES.  DISCUSSION WILL BE HELD ON THE DISPOSITION OF SURPLUS ITEMS.  THE COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS THE RATES THAT ARE CHARGED FOR LIQUOR LICENSES.  THE PERSONNEL COMMITTEE WILL HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE HIRING OF SEVERAL POSITIONS. 

 

A REGULAR MEETING OF THE MT LAKE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE HELD AT 6:30 TODAY AT THE CITY HALL BUILDING.   THERE WILL BE A REPORT FROM THE STREET DEPARTMENT.  THE COUNCIL WILL SPEND MUCH OF THE MEETING IN A BUDGET DISCUSSION.  THEY WILL REVIEW A PROPOSAL FOR A PRELIMINARY 2022 PROPERTY TAX LEVY.  INFORMATION WILL BE PRESENTED ON THE PROPOSED 2022 CITY BUDGET.  THE COUNCIL WILL REVIEW THE PROPOSED 2022 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.  THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR WILL REPORT ON A REQUEST FROM COTTONWOOD COUNTY ANIMAL RESCUE.  THERE MAY BE A REPORT FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY.  THE COUNCIL WILL APPROVE THE HIRING OF A NEW CUSTODIAN FOR THE CITY HALL AND COMMUNITY CENTER.  

 

THE WESTBROOK CITY COUNCIL MEETS THIS EVENING.  THE COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS THE PROPOSED 2022 CITY BUDGET AND THE PRELIMINARY 2022 PROPERTY TAX LEVY.  A RESOLUTION WILL BE PRESENTED TO ACCEPT FEDERAL FUNDING UNDER THE ‘AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN.’  BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS WILL BE REVIEWED.  THE COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS THE OLD BIN SITE.  A LAND-LEASE AGREEMENT MAY BE REVISED.  THE WESTBROOK CITY COUNCIL MAY ALSO HEAR REPORTS FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE STREET DEPARTMENT. THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT WILL BE PRESENTED.  REGULAR BILLS WILL BE APPROVED FOR PAYMENT. 

                                                                       

THE FORMER SITE OF THE DEL MONTE VEGETABLE CANNING PLANT IN SLEEPY EYE HAS A NEW OWNER.  THE PLANT WAS CLOSED IN THE FALL OF 2019.  IT WAS RECENTLY PURCHASED BY A COMPANY THAT SELLS PET-FOOD PRODUCTS.  STEPHEN TRACHTENBERG OWNS SEVERAL BUSINESSES THAT SELL PRODUCTS UNDER VARIOUS LABELS.  HE REPORTEDLY PURCHASED THE SLEEPY EYE FACILITY FOR $2.6-MILLION.  TRACHTENBERG SAID HE PLANS TO MAKE THE SLEEPY EYE FACILITY THE HEADQUARTERS FOR HIS COMPANY’S OPERATIONS, USING THE SITE FOR PACKAGING, WAREHOUSING AND DISTRIBUTION SERVICES.  THE NEW COMPANY WILL HAVE JOBS FOR SEVERAL DOZEN EMPLOYEES.  THE DEL MONTE PLANT TYPICALLY HAD ROUGHLY 70 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND WOULD HIRE 200 TO 300 SEASONAL WORKERS DURING THE HARVEST SEASON.