For years Northfield City staff and officials have tried to figure out what to do with the over 500 acres of land northwest of the Northfield Hospital. There have been multiple consultants and studies and this year, Mayor Pownell formed another committee to address the area. Among their recommendations, Administrator Ben Martig said is to hire another consultant, develop a future land use map and incorporate the entire community. What’s new is they’ll also focus on a 50 acre lot
directly west of the Hospital relatively easy to extend infrastructure in that area. The City is working with a program called Site Certified, through Xcel Energy, to help market the site. Martig said it’s currently zoned agriculture. He added that part of the process is to be better prepared… finding out what does the community want, what are market needs and find the right match. This will come back to Council in a work session early next year. The EDA is hosting an event tomorrow regarding Northfield’s development. It’s being held from noon to 2pm at the Weitz Center for Creativity in the Larson Room. Urban3 will present on Northfield’s tax base composition and the effects on development. This event is open to the public! To RSVP click HERE. If you have questions, contact Nate Carlson at 507-645-3069 or nate.carlson@ci.northfield.com with any questions. 2 – Committee Process Recommendation (2) NWland use memo
The KEY looks for host families and HRA delivers dollars
One of Emily Fulton’s focuses as she takes over the leadership of the Northfield Union of Youth, is Youth Homelessness. She and Kate McDonnell, the Housing Coordinator, came in to KYMN studios to discuss The Wallflower Project. In 2017, McDonnell reports, there were 22 homeless youth in Northfield. As winter sets in, they want to make sure that doesn’t happen. They’re looking for host families. Caring adults, who have an extra bedroom, who would be willing to bring in a youth into their home (up to age 24) for a period of time, short or longer (a few months). This is not foster care, it’s not administered through a government agency. The KEY doesn’t pay host families. The idea is that they’re on more “equal ground”. Unlike the foster care system, the youth get to choose the host home in which they’ll stay. Families receive 16 hours of training and continued support as needed. You can email homes@unionofyouth.org for more information. There’s an event on Thursday, December 20th at the Library at 4pm where they will discuss the Wallflower Project, talk about host homes and at 6pm they’ll watch the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Fulton said it’s a way to show one persons impact on a variety of people and the town in general. The Northfield HRA voted at their November 27th meeting to approve $15,000 to the Wallflower Project in 2019.
“Amnesty Box” at Rice Co. Courthouse offers your last chance to ditch the contraband
Security is tighter now at the Rice county Courthouse. They received funding to add a permanent metal detector and installed it last week. Sheriff Troy Dunn said you must use the west door. It’s handicapped accessible. All bags, purses, briefcases will go through the x-ray machine and you have to walk through the metal detector. If the alarm goes off, you’ll be wanded. On the first day, they had a knife and drugs that someone tried to bring into the Courthouse. Outside the screening is an “Amnesty Box”. Dunn said, “so that’s your last chance if you’ve got something, and you think you’re going to walk in with it, you put it in the Amnesty Box. You will not get it back but you won’t be charged with anything”. When they did the temporary screening, Dunn said, ” and people would walk in that west door and see the screeners and would bolt out the back door, and run to the bathroom.. [laughter] and you’re like, hmmm, I wonder what’s going on there”… Dunn said they appreciate everyone’s patience as it will take longer. They received a grant from the Judicial Branch to get the detector. Rice County is late to the game at providing this level of security.
