by Rich Larson
The Northfield Area Fire and Rescue Service has decided to undergo a full operational review to be conducted by an 
independent consultant.
Last week during its quarterly meeting, the NAFRS board made the decision to hire Barbara Strandell of What Works, Inc. NAFRS board chair Brad Ness said she will look at the NAFRS operation as it is right now and compare it to other fire departments in an effort to establish best practices and show where the NAFRS operation can improve. Strandell is familiar with different areas of Northfield government having facilitated City Administrator Ben Martig’s annual review the last few years. Ness said Strandell is not inexpensive, but she certainly knows what she is doing.
“I think she has a list of 20 fire departments that she’s done some kind of work for, including Owatonna, Burnsville and Maplewood. She’ll do various things for them to try to keep them operating {at a high level.] So she’s well versed in how a fire department should operate.”
Among the things Strandell will evaluate is the position of NAFRS Chief. Currently, Chief Gerry Franek is employed on a part-time basis, and some on the board have questioned whether the position should be full-time. Strandell will be asked to give her recommendation on the topic, and to create a job description that would fit both a full-time and a part-time role. Chief Franek is expected to announce his retirement plans in the coming months, and Ness has asked the board to create a sub-committee to put together a succession plan before Franek makes his announcement. Strandell is scheduled to meet with the sub-committee in the next few weeks.
Ness said Strandell hopes to have a preliminary report done by the middle of August, but Ness feels that schedule is a bit optimistic. He said having the report sometime in September is probably more realistic.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with NAFRS Board Chair Brad Ness can be heard here
Northfield Public Library upgrades digital service
The Northfield Public Library announced last week that it is now working with Hoopla Digital, to offer more on-demand and streaming services to library card holders. Users can now access more than 950,000 titles of audiobooks, eBooks, comics, music, movies and television shows. Content can be streamed from any computer, television, mobile device or platform by downloading the hoopla digital app for iOS, Android, AppleTV, Chromecast or Roku.
The Hoopla model will allow Northfielders to borrow content immediately, removing availability constraints and maximizing the benefits of digital content and internet distribution. Technologically, Hoopla said they focus on the latest browser, phone, tablet, and TV products to deliver a better user experience to library patrons. Their collection includes popular movies, newly released albums, New York Times bestselling titles and STEAM educational content. Patrons can borrow, instantly stream and download items with a valid library card.
The independent website Diverse Tech Geek gives Hoopla a good review, saying it is well worth using.
“Hoopla is an easy-to-use service. Material is well organized under various categories and tags. There’s also the ability to bookmark favorite series, whether movies, TV shows, or comics. There’s a sizable amount of material available through Hoopla. While Hoopla doesn’t have the newest movies, it offers a decent selection of books and comics.”
As it is a service that charges libraries for its use, Northfield Director of Library Services Natalie Draper said in a statement, thanks to the generous support of the Friends of the Library, library-cardholders will be able to borrow from Hoopla three times a month.
For more information on Hoopla and its offerings, visit hoopladigital.com
City seeking new members for boards and commissions
And the City of Northfield is once again seeking and actively recruiting applicants to fill positions on the various city advisory 
boards and commissions with members who have terms that expire at the end of the year.
Board and commission members participate in advisory, regulatory, governance and oversight activities in a wide variety of fields.
A statement posted to the city website said more than 145 community members annually provide valuable leadership to the city through their participation on these groups and special study committees.
The statement also said the Mayor and the City Council and the are committed to appointing members who reflect and represent diverse segments of the community.
Completed board and commission applications may be turned in throughout the year; however, those wanting to be considered for openings at the beginning of next year should submit an application no later than August 15.
Applications and additional information may be obtained in the Administration Office at City Hall. More information, along with the online application, can be found on the boards and commissions pages on the City of Northfield website.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
