Nfld council motions support for GARE
The Northfield Council took action on something called Government Alliance on Race & Equity Introductory Cohort. Mayor-elect Rhonda Pownell explains that GARE, “they primarily focus on municipal governments, or local governments, in terms of helping people look at structural inequities, right, and so identify policies, procedures or anything like that and viewing it through a racial equity lens to determine whether or not they actually create inequity inadvertently”. City Administrator Ben Martig said examples would be removing gender or racial biases in hiring. Also things like street lights not being replaced on a timely basis in areas of the
city with lower income. Items like that are based on complaints and often, people in those neighborhoods don’t complain. Pownell said there will be daylong trainings for city employees, “to help people to view and see through that racial equity lens. There will also be a Speaker series which I really hope that the full council, our board and commissions, particularly our Human Rights Commission, will all be attending”. She also mentions involving the broader community including The Isaiah Project. Over a dozen communities participated in the first year of this training. It’s being led by the League of MN Cities of which Pownell is currently the Board President. They are taking applications from cities at this time. Pownell said, “it’s really a year-long process and it’s going to take significant amounts of our staff time, about 66 hours or something like that, of dedicated staff time to really look at this and one of the primary outcomes of it will be a racial equity action plan”. There are 2 defined “cohorts”, an introductory and an Advanced. The cost to send between 5 and 9 participants is $8,000 for the introductory and $2500 for the advanced. It goes up from there depending on the number of participants. For more details click on the link: 1 – MN 2017 GARE Fact Sheet_FINAL (3)
Square Deal Dairy awarded “Producer of the Year”
Randolph dairy farm is awarded “Minnesota Producer of the Year”. The Star Tribune reports that of 3300 dairy farms across the state, the MN Milk Producers Association selected Square Deal Dairy in Randolph, a 5th generation dairy farm owned by Blake and Chicky Otte. The Otte’s have combined traditional values with advanced technology, embracing ways to make milking 450 cows 3 times a day easier on the cows and the family! But Otte still uses his grandfather’s tractor and lives in the 1904 farmhouse he grew up in. All three sons, Tyler, Bret and Eric, will be running the operation one day. They’ve all been involved in FFA and have gone on to higher education. Square Deal Dairy produces milk for Kemps yogurt and cottage cheese. They employ a dozen people.
Community meeting on Hwy 246 and Jefferson intersection
The City of Northfield will hold a public meeting to share findings on the Jefferson Parkway and Highway 246 Intersection Study. The meeting will be held Wednesday from 6 p.m to 8 p.m. at Northfield City Hall Council Chambers 801 Washington Street. A presentation will begin at 6 p.m. with an open house format to follow. If you cannot attend the meeting, but would like to receive input on the study call the Northfield Engineering office at (507) 645-3020.
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