On Tuesday night, the Northfield City Council approved a recommended option for the preliminary 2022 budget and tax levy that will be
presented at a public hearing on December 7th. The recommendation would increase the tax levy by 11.6%, add five full time positions to city staff and make two of the part-time positions full-time.
Before the council voted on a recommendation, many of the councilors asked questions about the flexibility of such a recommendation. City administrator Ben Martig said with property tax statements going out at the end of the month it is important to have some sort of foundation to give to the public, but the recommendation is non-binding. Once presented to the public, he said, the council will have more opportunity to shape the budget as it sees fit.
Mayor Rhonda Pownell said the addition of so much new staff reflects the needs of the city as it stands today, and the needs of the town’s future to produce desired growth. Based on new census data and economic reports, Mayor Pownell said the city has stagnated, and more emphasis must be put into certain areas.
The commercial and industrial business sectors are of keen interest to the mayor, the city administrator and many members of the council.
“The current rate of property tax increases is not sustainable,” said Mayor Pownell. “We have to find ways to grow the commercial industrial base to offset more individual property taxes.”
Martig agreed with her, and said, in fact that some of the added staffing that is necessitating the increase is an investment into finding ways to attract more business to Northfield.
“It’s really about that commercial and industrial area in particular to help keep the rate of taxes down. We haven’t seen a lot of growth in that area, so that’s also where adding a couple of community development positions looking and really focusing on how do we move that forward [would help.] And the council knows that part of that equation is you have to have the staff time to be able to do some of that work.”
The Council will hold a public hearing on the budget and tax levy at their regular meeting on December 7th. After the hearing, they will vote on the final numbers for next year.
Deer hunting season begins on Saturday
Minnesota’s firearm deer hunting season will begin at 6:59 am on Saturday morning, one hour prior to sunrise.
Barb Keller the Minnesota DNR’s Big Game Program Lead said that this year there are more stringent regulations in the Southeast part of the state, an area that includes most of both Rice and Dakota Counties.
During this opening weekend, all deer harvested in the area are required to be brought to a testing station and sampled for Chronic Wasting Disease. CWD has been a concern for many years. Keller said with only about 1% of the population contracting it, CWD remains a rare condition. However, she said the DNR has tracked its geographic progress, and she said it is slowly spreading across Southeast Minnesota. The sampling requirements are in place to help the DNR contain that spread.
Another concern, albeit one that is much less worrying, is the average age of the people hunting for deer in the state. Currently, Minnesota has about half-a-million deer hunters, and Keller said the majority of those hunters are Baby Boomers. Fewer young people are learning to hunt and taking part in the deer harvest, which is troubling to the DNR. With a goal of harvesting 200,000 deer each year, she said it is important that more of Minnesota’s youth take up deer hunting, if for no other reason than to help control an exploding deer population.
“It’s really important that we get our youth out and engaged and interested in hunting, so that we can replace those hunters that we lost. This is the primary tool that we use to manage deer populations, and you know, there are some issues that can come along with overabundant deer populations. I’m sure anyone that has had an unfortunate run in with a deer and their vehicle this fall can attest to that.”
The weather forecast for this weekend is calling for above average temperatures. Keller said that could slightly affect deer movement, but not a great deal. She reminded non-hunters to be aware of their surroundings this weekend should they decide to spend some time in the woods. Wearing blaze orange or bright colors is a good idea she said, and if possible, try to make some noise as you walk.
She also reminded people that Daylight Savings Time will end on Sunday, and to be aware of the time change.
Cannon Valley indoor farmers market set for Saturday
And just because the cold weather months are moving our way does not mean that locals will have to stop buying produce, meat and craft goods directly from the source. The Cannon Valley Farmers Market, which bills itself as the fastest growing indoor farm
ers market in Southern Minnesota, will start up on Saturday. The market, which will run from Noon-3pm, is located in the in the north hallway of the Faribo West Mall in Faribault.
Organizers said there are currently 25 vendors registered to attend, offering a variety of items that will include coffee beans, wool yarn, granola, baked goods, pork and beef, apples, honey, cheese and canned goods.
In a statement, organizers said the market is focused on locally grown and produced foods and farm-derived products. The statement said there is space for more vendors, and they are encouraging people from traditionally minoritized communities to apply. There is also space for younger vendors, ages 5-19, with a discounted rate that will be available in January. Additionally, Community organizations can apply for one of two booths available at each market.
The Cannon Valley Farmers Market will run Saturdays from November through May. Organizers say the indoor market will move outside beginning in April. For more information visit cannonvalleygrown.org.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
