It was a major milestone to get here. This week, Northfield Council unanimously agreed on every significant resolution left to begin construction on the renovation and expansion of the NAFRS fire facility. The total bonding for the project is $4.2 million. Administrator Martig said Council approved the contract with Joseph Company, the issuance of general obligation bonds, a lease agreement with NAFRS updated for Dundas and Rural to pay their share and a joint powers amendment. The repayment for the City is 20 years with an
interest rate estimated at 3.2{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9}. The lease with NAFRS is $20,000 a year for 20 years with a possible 5 year renewal option. He said they’re gearing up for the contracts and preparing when the contractor will have all their insurance “and things” together. The Ames Park Gateway improvement resolution, which was also attached to the NAFRS project, failed. The plan would be to place a monument digital sign on the corner across from the fire facility on 5th street and add landscaping. The vote was 4 to 3 to spend an additional $175,000 for the improvements, the monument sign costing $111,000 alone. That resolution needed 5 votes to pass.
A flag up means mailboxes are temptation
Someone’s been tampering with the mail. Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn reported this morning they had reports from Lonsdale, Montgomery, Shieldsville and Webster Township reported someone going through mailboxes and opening mail likely looking for checks and/or credit cards. He’s asking folks to call law enforcement if you see someone other than your neighbor or the mail carrier digging inside mailboxes. He said get a plate number and get a description. They don’t want you to confront the person(s). If you still pay your bills through the mail, drop them off in the big blue post office boxes. Putting the flag up on your mailbox is an invitation for thieves.
In a match, “farm equipment wins”
He also warns about farm equipment as the weather’s warmed up. That goes for drivers and also farmers. Dunn said they ask farmers to be cautious and cleanup any mud that they may bring onto the roadways after a rain because, “if you hit a big piece of mud or dirt on the roadway it can cause you to lose control”. They’re required to have slow moving signs and flashers on, but they don’t have left turn signals. Dunn said a lot of crashes that happen are when a vehicle is trying to pass and the tractor is about to turn left. Dunn added, “if you tangle with farm equipment, usually the farm equipment wins. They’re a lot bigger than our cars, motorcycles and bikes”. It’s also road construction season. Dunn warns, “if it says road closed, local traffic only, doesn’t mean you can try to cut through”. They get people that damage things. You can be cited for going through a closed road.
Book Fair blasts past $64k
The Northfield Auxiliary sold $64,670 worth of books, CD’s, DVD’s and vinyl during their annual Book Fair last weekend! In this, their 57th year, the bookfair hit the $1 million mark in sales! Those dollars have been used to fund a number of hospital projects including, recently, the breast care center and infusion center. The committee reports that, this year, they’re making the second $30,000 payment on the wheelchair-accessible van that was bought last year for the Long Term Care Center. They’re also giving out nine $1,000 scholarships this year to Northfield High School Seniors who have been accepted into a technical college program, college or university for study in a health-related field.
