By Rich Larson, News Director
The Northfield City Council met on Tuesday night and approved the 2021 tax levy and city budget, passed two ordinances establishing franchise fees on utilities, approved a resolution on the Riverfront Enhancement Plan, passed the first reading on a rezoning request made by St. Olaf College, and offered the city some guidance in appropriating the remaining funds received from the federal CARES Act.
The franchise fee ordinances were originally set to be approved in the council’s consent agenda, but after some public outcry they were removed and put on the regular agenda. Councilor David Delong, who has been a vocal critic of the ordinances, took the opportunity to voice his opposition one more time.
“I don’t think this is the right time to do this. We seem to be doing this because we cannot make an adjustment to special assessments. There’s a lot to figure out on this yet, and I don’t think it’s ready for prime time.”
In the end, however, Delong was the lone voice of dissent, and both ordinances passed 6-1.
Budget and tax levy pass
Delong was also the sole opposition to the 3.7% increase on the tax levy. After setting the preliminary levy at 5.7% in September, that number was reduced by the council in October. At 3.7% the levy increase is just over $10.6 million dollars and would necessitate the use of just under $350,000 from the city’s reserves. Councilor Delong’s objections to the increase were mostly in the interest of austerity saying that in the year 2020, a lot of folks have learned to do with less, and he felt the city’s budget should reflect the times.
The 3.7% increase and the 2021 city budget were both approved by a vote of 6-1.
Resolution on Riverfront Enhancement plan passes
The resolution approving the Riverfront Enhancement Action Plan garnered quite a bit of debate, despite the fact that members of the Defeat of Jesse James Days planning committee were consulted, and an article was added to the resolution asserting that stakeholders like DJJD and the Northfield Garden club be made a part of any development conversation.
Those organizations have objected strongly to the plan saying it would render the areas unusable for their purposes and leave them with nowhere else to go.
Councilor Jessica Peterson White, while voicing her support for the plan, was conciliatory to the objections, and reminded everyone that this plan is merely the beginning of a very long process.
“To be totally blunt, I wish some of those concept plans were not there, because they are concept plans. And some of them indicate the removal, or a dramatic change, to some things that I think we all agree are huge community assets. And there are some assets that would be affected by those concept plans were they to be enacted that I would not want to see affected in those ways. But I understand that they are concept plans, and there is a long road ahead to implement the tactical pieces of this.”
Councilor Brad Ness was strongly opposed to the resolution as introduced and was very supportive of an amendment proposed by Councilor Delong, essentially requiring that the DJJD Planning Committee sign off on any changes to the riverfront parks before implementation. Ness went so far as to say that without that amendment he feared that the enhancement plan would be, as he put it, the first nail in the coffin for the Defeat of Jesse James Days.
However, the majority of the council was reluctant to give so much power in the matter to the planning committee. Mayor Rhonda Pownell said that she understood and respected the concerns voiced by DJJD, but Delong’s amendment was “one step too far.”
View the City’s Riverfront Enhancement Action Plan HERE.
Little, others, honored
Amid all the business being handled by the Council during the meeting, there was also a sense of sentimental gratitude for departing council
members and retiring City staff. Councilor Delong and Councilor Erica Zweifel, who were both participating in their final regular council meeting, were honored by their city council colleagues and thanked for their years of service. Teresa Jensen, the city’s director of Library and IT services, was mentioned several times during the meeting, despite her request that no fanfare or attention be brought as she prepares to retire at the end of the year.
And City Clerk Deb Little, whose retirement is imminent, was recognized during the meeting. The mayor read a statement listing Little’s accomplishments and contributions to the City of Northfield over thirty-four years, and each member of the council took a moment to personally thank her for her service. In his comments, Councilor Delong quipped that “even Rudy Giuliani knows not to mess with an election run by Deb Little.”
