By Rich Larson, News Director
In a letter to parents and families of Northfield public school students, Northfield School Superintendent Dr. Matt Hillmann announced today that the school district will be shifting all students to distance learning in the next two weeks.
Northfield High School will go to distance learning on November 19, with students’ last day on campus being Monday the 16th.
Early childhood, elementary, and middle school students will go to distance learning on November 30. The last day on campus for these students will be November 20.
The letter said that the district made the decision based on three criteria: the increase in “lab-positive” Covid-19 cases at Northfield High School, the increase in positive cases in both Rice County and the State, and the projected continued increase based on the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
The goal, Hillmann said, is to shift away from distance learning as soon as possible after winter break.
“We will prioritize the health and safety of from our students and staff, and we just ask for grace and patience as we move through these pieces. We’ve really seen the graph just go straight up in the last 7-10 days. We’ve been watching it every day along with Rice County public health. All schools in this part of the state are talking though ‘What are the next steps?’because we are seeing a very big increase in cases.”
The state has been experiencing a dramatic increase in Covid-19 cases in recent days, with nearly 20,000 new cases reported since Friday.
Governor Walz will speak today at 2 PM to announce new, targeted Covid-19 related restrictions across the state. KYMN Radio will carry the governor’s announcement live.
Read Dr. Hillmann’s letter HERE.
Winter storm warning until 9PM tonight
Northfield is under a winter storm warning until 9PM tonight. KYMN weather specialist Bob Matheson said that is mostly due to an increased forecast of freezing rain this afternoon.
Matheson said to expect freezing rain and sleet possibly mixed with snow before 3PM, and freezing rain between 3 and 5PM, just in time for the afternoon commute. We’ll see freezing rain possibly mixed with snow after 5PM today with daytime accumulations of two-tenths of an inch of ice and an inch of snow. Overnight we can expect an additional 1-3” of snow.
Public hearing regarding franchise fees tonight
The Northfield City Council will meet tonight, and the chief item on the agenda will be the public hearing on the 
implementation of franchise fees to supplant the city’s current assessment program.
The city would essentially attach a monthly payment to every Xcel Energy bill in the City of Northfield as a means to fund road construction and redevelopment and the city’s Climate Action Plan.
Currently property owners who directly benefit from a street project are assessed 25-50% of the project cost. Those assessments run about $6800 on average but can be substantially higher.
The monthly fees attached to the utility bill would run as little as $5.50 for residential bills and as much as $2,879.00 on large industrial customers.
The point of the public hearing is to gather input from the general public. As the council is still meeting in a virtual environment and not in person, the city has made several options available in order to receive that input.
- The eComment button on the City Council page in the City’s website is available to make comments. To reach that button click HERE.
- Emails may be sent to City Finance Director Brenda Angelsted and City Clerk Deb Little. They must be received no later than 4PM.
- Letters may be sent to City Clerk Deb Little at City Hall. They must be received no later than 4PM.
- The public may also attend in person via electronic means by either calling in or by logging in from a computer, a tablet or a smartphone. Those wishing to make comments directly to the council during the meeting are asked to email Angelsted and copy Little no later than 4PM so participation arrangements can be made.
To visit the City’s page regarding franchise fees, click HERE.
The City Council meeting begins at 6PM tonight.
