Last night during a special meeting, the Northfield City Council began the long process of determining the budget for 2023, beginning with a
budget presentation from Northfield Area Fire and Rescue Service Interim Chief Tom Nelson. As he has been in other conversations when discussing the needs of his department, Nelson was candid and forthright in his presentation, saying the NAFRS budget is growing.
The budget Nelson presented to the council, at just over $1 million was about $200,000 more than the 2022 budget. Should the department decide to hire a full time chief, that amount could reportedly climb to as much as $1.25 million.
He told the council that he is using his time as interim chief to make a lot of changes right away. He has restructured the command team, assigning more duties to several members of the department.
“The payroll has grown,” he said. “Each member of the command team has more responsibility, and they are receiving a stipend for the work they do.”
Another expense is in the amount of training and education that the members of the department are receiving. Much of the training is mandated by law that the firefighters have not been able to receive over the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Still another reason for the budget growth is in fire code compliance. Nelson is putting a renewed emphasis on fire prevention, or what he called the Community Risk Reduction program, which he stressed is a necessity.
Other added expenses to the budget, he said, include new firefighter recruits, higher utility costs, higher fuel costs, and legal expenses incurred as the department looks at establishing a taxing district, and dissolving the joint powers agreement between Northfield, Dundas and the Rural Fire District.
He said the department has applied for grants that might offset some of the new expenses.
Nelson also took the time to remind the council of the 150th anniversary celebration of the Northfeld Fire Department that will take place on Saturday.
Baier finding his place in the Northfield High School educational experience
Shane Baier, the new principal at Northfield High Schol, said, after not-quite-three-weeks on the job, he is still evaluating the challenges in
front of him. As a lifelong educator, he can see the value the community puts on education, and he is excited to explore those challenges further.
Baier grew up in DeSmet, South Dakota, and took his first teaching job in neighboring Miller, South Dakota. Eventually, he said, he decided he wanted more than a typical small-town life, so he got a master’s degree in school administration and took a job first as an assistant principal and then principal at the middle school in Mountain Home, Idaho. Eventually, he said, as his family grew, it became important to be closer to home, so he returned to Mankato where he was principal at a high school, a middle school and an elementary school within the Mankato District.
Alongside his administerial experience, Baier has also taught physical education and social studies at various levels, and has coached football, wrestling and track. He said he also understands the value of arts and music after watching his children sing in school choirs as well.
Baier acknowledged the recent conversation about the high school facility and the decisions that are facing the school board on how to upgrade the building. He said it is indeed a “unique layout,” but he also said the district has been able to accomplish quite a bit with the building. As he has spoken to people, he said he’s heard two things over and over again, neither of which have anything to do with the building itself.
“Most importantly it’s what’s inside that school. The number one thing [I heard about] was people. And right behind that was the programming. So, you put programming and people together and you have what’s called an experience. That’s what I’m trying to learn about, so I can see what my role is as the new leader in helping to continue that legacy of outstanding education in Northfield.”
As he moves forward, Baier said the thing he needs to do in the short term is learn more about the school, the staff and the teachers, and he has scheduled listening sessions with several groups to that end.
Baier said that he believes high school education will continue to diversify and change. Between the recent budget cuts, ever-changing demands on schools, and the Covid-19 pandemic, Northfield High School, like most schools, is looking at a “new paradigm.” but he said, the goal as an administrator and an educator remains the same.
“I’m a lifelong educator,” he said. “People helped me to grow and learn and now it’s important to prepare that next generation to do the same thing. We have to get them ready to handle tomorrow and even beyond that, because it will be here before you know it.”
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Northfield High School Principal Shane Baier can be heard here
Northfield Shares expanding the time for their grant application process
And the Northfield Shares grant application process is open for 2023.
Northfield Shares is a local foundation that looks to support local programs and non-profit organizations by encouraging philanthropism, volunteering, and promoting collaborative leadership.
Grants through Northfield Shares are judged on specific criteria. A project will be evaluated based on need in the community, feasibility, and the ability of the organization to achieve the project’s goal. Organizations are evaluated on the assistance they offer to sustain a “thriving, equitable community for all residents,” and their ability to create the broadest possible range of help. The foundation tends to favor projects and organizations that involve volunteers, and collaborative projects from multiple organizations.
Grant applicants should have a goal and ability to maintain and enhance the overall well-being of the Northfield community and have the ability to manage the funds granted and deliver on the proposal.
Some grants will come through Northfield Shares’ dedicated funds.
Those dedicated funds that Northfield Shares manages aid Northfield youth and young adults and help with the beautification of Northfield.
Northfield Shares Executive Director Carrie Caroll said one of the changes the organization has made to the process this year is in the timing. Typically, Northfield Shares has opened the process in the fall, but Carroll said that has changed as they have come to realize some organizations need more time to organize their application.
“We understand that fall is busy for many organizations as school get back in session and just as some of the life-cycles of some of our work starts really kicking off in the fall. We want to make sure that organizations have an opportunity to spend time [on their application,] revise their application, and then submit them.”
Once an application is received, it will be reviewed by the Grants Committee which will then make its recommendations to the Board of Directors for final approval. Grant recipients are announced in November and the funds will be distributed at the Northfield Shares Annual Meeting in December.
The deadline to turn in a completed application is October 3rd.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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