By Rich Larson, News Director
The high temperatures have prompted Dakota Electric to issue a maximum generation emergency event. The association is asking its members to
conserve electricity and to cut back energy use until 10 p.m. tonight. Energy-saving suggestions include:
- Postponing use of appliances such as washers, dryers and dishwashers until after 10 p.m.
- Turning off lights and appliances that are not essential to health and safety.
- Turning off computers and other electrical equipment when not in use.
- Keeping your shades pulled and doors and windows closed during the day.
- Using a microwave oven instead of a conventional electric oven or gas stove.
- Setting the thermostat on your central air conditioner to 78 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
- Supplementing air-conditioner use with ceiling fans and other fans, which they said creates a wind-chill effect that increases air-conditioning cooling efficiency.
- And taking shorter showers.
Dakota Electric officials made the conservation appeal after all other efforts to reduce electricity demand or to increase supply were implemented.
The City of Northfield presented the results of its Comprehensive Financial Report to the City Council on Tuesday night. After a year when it looked,
at times, like the city was headed for a financial crisis, the results of the report showed that Northfield is in good financial condition.
The findings were presented by Tom Hollinger of Abdo, Eick & Meyers. Hollinger said the report returned an unmodified opinion, and the results of the audit were clean.
By making adjustments during the pandemic, the city was able to reduce its budgeted expenditures by $730,000, while its revenues were $60,000 more than anticipated. That meant the city finished 2020 about 5% under budget. City Administrator Ben Martig credited the results to taking a more conservative approach last year, by holding off on certain projects and asking city staff to tighten the belt during the Covid-19 pandemic. The anticipation was that aid from the state would be cut due to an expected shortfall in the state budget, and that there would be a drop in property tax revenue as many people were struggling to pay their bills. However, the state wound up with an unexpected budget surplus, and property tax revenue was unaffected, leaving the city with approximately $800,000 left over from 2020.Those reserve funds will partially cover the operating reserve for the next budget year, and some will be made available as contingency funds for debt reduction or special projects.
He said having cash in the bank is an especially good thing when the city looks to finance major projects.
“Good liquidity has actually been a highlight of the city’s strong finances. If we need dollars – if we’re having debt issued to us and borrow money for capital projects – it helps quite a bit. [Reserve funds] is something that they look at really closely. It’s been handled really well, so that’s a positive thing.”
Martig also said the funding the city received from the CARES Act required quite a bit of additional paperwork, as well as a separate, expanded audit. The city did so well with the paperwork that they received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial reporting, something that, Hollinger said, was not awarded to many Minnesota cities.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with City Administrator Ben Martig can be heard here
New Young Sculptor’s project to be unveiled
The newest piece of Northfield public art will be unveiled tonight on the corner of 3rd and Division Streets.
A new sculpture created by the Young Sculptors Project will be unveiled at 6pm this evening. A brief ceremony hosted by the Northfield Arts and Culture Commission will honor the artists who created the piece and provide some background on the YSP grant program.
The Young Sculptors’ Project is made up of 15 Northfield high school student artists, an established Minnesota sculptor, and a college art apprentice. The artists and students meet weekly at Northfield High School from September until May, to work on a collaborative sculpture. The piece is then installed by the City of Northfield at the intersection in front of the Northfield Public Library. The artwork is generally displayed for two years, however the current piece was kept in place for an extra year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the page on the city website, the Northfield Arts & Culture Commission and the Northfield Public Schools began to collaborate on this project in 2011, with the goal of increasing visibility and value for the arts through the addition of public sculpture. The project is funded by an Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund grant through the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council (SEMAC.)
The current YSP sculpture, “Waist Deep,” will be moved to a courtyard sculpture garden at Northfield High School.
City highlights free Wi-Fi
And free public Wi-Fi is now available throughout the City of Northfield.
A statement posted to the city’s website last week said that Northfield has installed wireless access points in and around city properties to help residents, businesses, and visitors access the city’s free wireless network more reliably.
The Northfield Public Library has five wireless access points, three inside and two outside. The ice arena has several indoor and outdoor access points. City Hall, the Northfield Liquor Store, the police department, the wastewater treatment plant, the water department, and the maintenance facility all have wireless access inside the buildings.
In addition to city buildings, Bridge Square has a hotspot, which should help events held at the park like the Riverwalk Market Fair and the Defeat of Jesse James Days. The city is also looking at the feasibility of adding hotspots to large, frequently used parks.
Areas marked with signs in windows and posts outside buildings are Wi-Fi hotspots. When in these areas, users can choose “Free City Wi-Fi” from their list of available Wi-Fi networks to access the network.
The Wi-Fi hotspots have been installed as part of a larger strategic plan priority to enhance tourism throughout Northfield and provide a wider connection for residents.
