Last night Mayor Rhonda Pownell delivered her annual State of the City address before a modest but appreciative audience at the
Kracum Performance Hall in the Weitz Center for the Performing Arts on the Carleton College campus.
Thanks to Covid-19, this was the first in-person address since 2019 and it has evolved during its time in a virtual world. What was once a lunchtime affair, is now a full-on multimedia presentation with video interludes and the participation of city staff, board commissioners and many members of the City Council.
After two years of a pandemic, Mayor Pownell said the City of Northfield is an “even better, stronger, more resilient community.”
“The State of the City is strong, she said, “because Northfielders ask ‘What can we do better?’”
In keeping with tradition, members of the community were honored during the presentation. Wastewater Maintenance Planner / Scheduler Steve Noreen was honored with the city’s employee excellence award, Northfield High School Student Amira Haileab was given the Ethical Leadership Award, Matt Hillmann was recognized as the recipient of the Northfield Human Rights Award, and Joe Gasior, the outgoing chair of the Planning Commission was honored as the Board & Commission Member Excellence Award winner. The mayor and the city council also honored the six fourth-and-fifth graders who won the Mayor for a Day essay contest.
After the proceedings, the mayor said she was happy with the way things had gone and said there were several people on the city staff who had worked very hard on the program.
The presentation will soon be available to view on Northfield Public Broadcasting and the city’s YouTube channel.
Elliott hoping legislature offers help for law enforcement issues
Like every other civic and municipal leader, Northfield Police Chief Mark Elliott is keeping an eye on what is happening this
session at the state legislature, with the hope that police across the state will get more help that he says is greatly needed.
Chief Elliott has spoken often about problems with hiring and retention in law enforcement right now. Despite the fact that the Northfield Police Department is now fully staffed for the first time in years, he said there are other rural areas around that state who are having real trouble hiring police officers and sheriff’s deputies.
“We’re at a crisis level right now for hiring,” he said. “I’m hearing about some outstate areas that have an opening and get zero applicants, or they have four openings, and they get four applicants. Any business owner knows that’s not going to work.”
Elliott said he hopes the legislature will help with funding for retention of officers, and in incentivizing the hiring process. Even more than that, he said he would like to see the state offer help in education. Minnesota requires all police officers have at least a two-year degree in law enforcement, but he points out that that can be a large obstacle to overcome, particularly for people of color, when departments are trying to diversify their ranks. Programs that would help traditionally marginalized communities, and women in particular, get the education they need to become a police officer would be very helpful, he said.
One area he said he appreciates the legislature recognizing is in mental health, which he sees as an example of a greater awakening in society to understanding the need for more help in that area.
“We’re even hearing some of this within the discussions around the Minneapolis teachers strike. They realize the importance of mental health care, even in children, and how important it is to intervene early and to get people the resources they need. So, I’m glad the legislature is seeing that, and society is realizing it more so we can try to address it.”
The Chief said programs in place to embed social workers with police departments for mental health calls are what they need. He would like to see those programs now be fully funded so they have both the tools and the resources they need to do their jobs.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Northfield Chief of Police Mark Elliott can be heard here
Lippert says DFL is focused on helping ‘all’ Minnesotans
As the 20222 legislative session progresses, the positions of the Republican led Senate, the DFL led House of Representatives and
the Governor on what to do with the state record $9.9 billion budget surplus are becoming crystal clear. All three sides are becoming entrenched, and none of the three sides appear to have much agreement on what to do.
State Representative Todd Lippert said his party has been focused on the unfinished business from the 2021 legislative session of providing bonuses to frontline workers during the pandemic. A Month ago, the DFL led House passed an additional $750,000 to expand the pool of those receiving $1500 checks to 770,000 people in the state. The DFL would also like to contribute $1 Billion to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, which is deeply in debt, and has caused an increase in employment taxes in Minnesota.
The Republicans have unveiled a massive $8.5 billion tax cut that would be rolled out over the next 3 years, $3.5 billion of which would be paid for this year from the budget surplus. Additionally, the GOP Led Senate has already passed $2.7 billion to replenish and build up the unemployment fund.
Finally, last week, Governor Tim Walz presented an increase in the amount of money he feels should be returned to the taxpayers from the surplus. Calling his program Walz Checks, the governor is proposing rebates of $1000 to married couples whose income is below $273, 470, and $500 to single tax filers whose income is below $164,400.
Lippert said the rebate program is not something that either the House or the Senate is considering at the moment, as the nation’s only divided legislature is more focused on their own priorities. The two sides in the legislature do not appear to be in agreement at all. Lippert said his party wants to focus on giving aid to the MInnesotans that need it the most.
“I think the Senate is focused on permanent tax cuts, and our concern is that, with the way they are going to structure those cuts, you’ll have more money going to those who make more money. We know, in the House and in the DFL, we’re concerned about affordable housing, childcare, supporting our schools and there are significant needs we need to be addressing at the state level.”
Lippert said any discussion of Walz’s rebate plan will have to come later in the session.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Representative Todd Lippert can be heard here
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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