Last week, the City Council determined that there was enough interest between themselves and city staff to acquire the property currently
owned by the Minnesota Department of Transportation at the intersection of Highway 3 and Woodley Street to authorize city staff to talk with MnDot about an acquisition.
The property will be vacated by January of 2023. The council first discussed the possibility of taking possession of the land in June. At that point, Community Development Director Mitzi Baker was directed to take the idea to various commissions to gauge the level of interest and ask for ideas about what might be done there.
Baker gave a presentation to the council at their work session on Tuesday night and said there was quite a bit of excitement among many different commissions for the acquisition, but no consensus on what should be done with it. Among the ideas, she said, would be to absorb the land into Riverside/Lions Park. At 2.3 acres, the lot is bigger than Ames Park, and could accommodate events while Ames Park undergoes redevelopment as a part of the Riverfront Enhancement Action Plan. Another idea would be to create a gateway area for the city, which is something that has been discussed on-and-off by the council. Or it could be sold to a private developer, after the council determined how it should be zoned so the city has some say in what would go into the space.
The state has a variety of guidelines for transfer of land to a municipality. The cost of acquiring the lot could range from the market value, which Baker put at just under $740,00 last June, to receiving the land from MnDot as a donation, if it was to be used for public purposes. City Administrator Ben Martig said not knowing what to do with the land will make for longer discussions with MnDot.
“It might range from no cost, particularly if it’s a public use to paying the fair market value if it’s going to be used for redevelopment. Or maybe a combination if we have an interim use. We’re going to explore some ideas, but how do you deal with that? If we maybe don’t know exactly what it will be now, can we get the site and not pay anything, with maybe a future acquisition.”
The city will now give written notice of interest to the DOT and enter into negotiations. With MnDot’s long process in these matters, Martig said it could be as long as six months before it is brought back to the council.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Northfield City Administrator Ben Martig can be heard here
Rice County Salvation Army looking for a robust Red Kettle Bell Ringing Campaign
The Salvation Army will begin their annual red kettle bell ringing campaign on Friday.
With the Covid-19 pandemic still lingering, the need for donations and volunteers is as strong as ever, according to Rice County Salvation Army volunteer coordinator Jim Dale. Both he and Rice County Sheriff Jesse Thomas expressed concern over the rising need for the services the Salvation Army provides. With food and energy costs on the rise, Dale said he expects that will bring need for help, and will also lead to needs in clothing, medical care and transportation.
Sheriff Thomas singled out the transportation aspect as something of great concern. “The organization has been able to help with $40 or $50 dollars for a tank of gas,” he said, “or fixing a flat tire.” The sheriff said helping travelers who have broken down, or just helping someone get to work is an important aspect of what they do.
The concerns are based on a past fiscal year that showed rising demand every month for the things the Salvation Army does. Dale said this is not speculation. The concerns are based on a year-long trend.
“In October we start our new year, that’s the beginning of our fiscal year. When we looked at the final report, we noticed that the amount of giving that was needed had gone up on a monthly basis. And we’re anticipating that the need will probably be greater in this next year.”
With that in mind, the Rice County Salvation Army has set the goal for their bell ringing campaign at $60,000. He said the organization did reach their goal of $50,000 in 2020, but only because the county allocated a donation from funds received in the federal CARES act to the campaign. This year, with so many of the Covid relief programs having expired despite the persistence of the virus, he believes they will have to work very hard to meet their goal.
Sheriff Thomas added that in years past there have been times when the county chapter simply ran out of money and was not able to offer help in months when it is most needed. So, meeting the goal for the year is of the utmost importance.
The Salvation Army will have seven kettles in six locations around Rice County again this year at grocery stores in Faribault, Northfield and Lonsdale. The need for volunteers to staff the kettles is as strong as the need for the donations themselves, he said, and there is ample opportunity for those wishing to join the bell ringer ranks. Volunteers can sign up at registertoring.com
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Jim Dale and Sheriff Jesse Thomas can be heard here
City of Northfield overhauls mobile app
And the City of Northfield Communications Department recently released a major update and overhaul to the city’s mobile app.
City Communications Specialist Kara Trygestad said the new version of the app is much more useful than the previous version. The app offers a wealth of information right on mobile device. There is a button for the city calendar to keep people informed about city meetings and event, as well as a button for the news releases that the city puts out. A “Notify Me” button allows people to report problems around town, like a pothole or graffiti. Another button allows the user to sign up for notifications from the city for everything from a commission meeting agenda to updates from the police department. Still another button allows the user to pay a utility bill, or for a building permit, or their property taxes. One can even place an order with the municipal liquor store for curbside pickup through the new app.
Trygestad said the app is free and available to download through Google play for Android phones and the Apple App Store for iPhones.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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