The City of Dundas is looking for an interested party to develop the property adjacent to the new City Hall. 
Dundas City Administrator Jenelle Teppen said the City Council had a discussion last week about the property and establishing a vision for expanding economic development downtown. The lot, which offers nearly 250 feet facing Railway Street, is an opportunity for mixed residential and commercial use. Teppen said the city’s Comprehensive Plan states that any development on that land be at least partially for commercial retail use.
“We don’t want to give up any of our commercially zoned properties. We have a bunch of residential developments and potential residential developments [coming up], so we really want to keep a tight grip on our commercial property.”
With the revival this year of the Dundas Economic Development Authority, the city has established some criteria to help subsidize business development, and the available area appears to be a prime candidate for municipal assistance. The city’s website, in fact, offers the new business subsidy policy within the post announcing that the land is for sale.
Teppen said there is interest in developing the property, and she has spoken with several interested parties, but she said it will take the right developer with the right plan for things to move forward.
For more information on the property and on Dundas’ business subsidy police, visit the City of Dundas website, or call 507-645- 2852.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Dundas City Administrator Jenelle Teppen can be heard here
School Board fine tunes new strategic plan
The Northfield School Board continues to work on the next five-year strategic plan for the school district. Northfield Superintendent of public schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said, after presenting an initial draft at the November 8th meeting, the board held a work session to further develop the plan and more clearly define the plan’s goals.
Hillman said the board looked at the district’s visions statement and added another commitment item to the plan. Now along with People, Learner Outcomes, Stewardship, Community Partnerships and Equity, the plan will show Communication as a district priority.
The main focus of the discussion was on the benchmarks the district will use to measure progress within the plan as time progresses. There are currently 14 different criteria earmarked in the plan, but Hillmann said some of those could be combined before the final plan is approved.
The benchmarks will measure student progress both in academics and in social emotional growth, the satisfaction and support felt by both district staff and the district families, the financial health of the district, and in the development of community education.
While some of these ideas might seem self-evident for the expectations of any public school district, Hillman said it is very important that the board take the time to define the district’s goals and values, put them on paper and make the process as transparent as possible.
“The strategic plan is essential, because it does inform the decision making that the board does over the next several years. We worked on getting feedback from the community over the last six months, we’re using some of the information [we received] from the surveys that we did last year as well. And of course, the board makes that final call as representatives of the community about the vision and direction of the school district.”
The school board will vote on the final plan at the next regular meeting on December13.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Northfield Schools Superintendent Dr. Matt Hillmann can be heard here
New Hispanic market ready for holiday shoppers
With the holiday season upon us, this coming weekend members of the local Latinx Community are coming forward to offer a shopping
experience that is new to Northfield, but one that is traditional to Latin and Hispanic cultures.
Beginning Friday, the Historic Northfield Depot will host Mercado Local, a market for Latinx and Hispanic jewelry, clothing, household items, arts crafts and more.
Mar Valdecantos, the Executive Director of Rice County Neighbors United, said there has long been a desire among members of the community to organize a local market like this. Last year, after her organization received a grant from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation to aid local minority owned businesses, they were able to put things in motion.
They were able to secure use of the Depot with the help of the city Economic Development Authority, which will cover the rental costs of the building. Mayor Rhonda Pownell praised the idea, saying one of the core values of the EDA is supporting minority entrepreneurship, and adding that it will be an excellent way to show off the newly restored Depot building.
Valdecantos said the market, which will run for three weekends will feature as many as a dozen vendors at any one time. This is an overdue opportunity for members of this community to step forward and offer their skills and abilities. The local immigrant community is deeply misunderstood in many circles, she said. The assumption that it is made up of what she called “peasants,” and “low-income people from Mexico,” is simply not true. In their former country, she said many were teachers, nurses, and trained professionals. This is an opportunity for the rest of Northfield to recognize and support their talents.
“They’re entrepreneurs, and when they do it, they succeed. But it’s very hard – where do you find the finances, or where do you find the storefront to do these things? So, we need to support them, and I’m with the EDA. We have to do this.”
Valdecantos said they will be taking precautions against Covid-19, and attendees will be strongly encouraged to wear a mask.
The Mercado Local will run Friday through Sunday for three weeks, beginning this weekend. It will be open from 4-7pm on Fridays, 10am-4pm on Saturdays, and Noon-4pm on Sundays
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Mar Valdecantos and Mayor Rhonda Pownell can be heard here.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
