The Northfield City Council will meet tonight for what is planned to be the final council meeting of the year in the Council Chambers at 
City Hall.
While there are several items on the agenda, including a review of the 2023 mill & overlay plan and the approval of a pair of service agreements with the Bolton & Menk engineering firm to do studies of Trunk Highway 246 and Lincoln Parkway, the agenda item that will garner the most interest will be the approval of the 2023 Budget.
The budget recommended by the City Council will include an 18.5% increase in the property tax levy, for which the city has given several reasons. Costs have increased across the board due to an inflation rate that has hovered around 8.5% for most of the year. The median home values have increased dramatically, 14.2% in Rice County and 11% in Dakota County. There have been substantial increases to the Northfield Area Fire and Rescue Service and the Northfield Police Department budgets. The 2023 NAFRS budget will include a newly created full-time fire chief position, while the police department has had to increase its overtime budget, and address staffing concerns in the face of five planned retirements in 2024. The Parks Department, the Northfield Public Library, and the Public Works budgets are all receiving increases to address staffing and maintenance issues.
As required by state statute, a public hearing will be held prior to the discussion and votes. The public is invited to address the council regarding budget issues. As always, there will be a public comment time during the meeting, as well, to hear from Northfielders on matters that do not concern the budget.
Those who wish to share support or a grievance with the council, but do not want to do so publicly are encouraged to email their councilor directly or use the eComment function located in the agendas section of the Northfield City Website.
Tonight’s meeting will begin at 6pm.
Christmas in Northfield kicks off Thursday with Winter Walk
The 24th edition of Northfield’s Winter Walk will be Thursday night in Downtown Northfield. The event, put together by the Northfield Area
Chamber of Commerce, has become a tradition for Northfielders to celebrate the holiday season together.
Downtown Northfeld will be decorated for the holidays from 2nd Street to 7th Street, while most shops along the way will be open for the celebration with special games, presentations, and/or refreshments. The city decorations will be hung and lit, and luminaries will line Division Street as well.
Things begin in Bridge Square, which is the hub of the activities. The Christmas Tree will be lit at 5pm. Northfield Mayor Rhonda Pownell will lead a countdown to the lighting with the Middle School Choir, who will also perform. Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus himself will be in attendance for the lighting, before Santa takes his place in his Bridge Square house. Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce President Jane Bartho said Bridge Square will also be home to a new Candyland area for kids this year, set behind a giant inflatable gingerbread house.
The horse drawn wagons, a Winter Walk tradition, will transport people from one end of Division Street to the other. The horses will be fitted and hitched to the wagons around 4:30 in the Family Fare south parking lot. The Grinch will be shaking hands, taking pictures, and planning to steal Christmas at Community Resource Bank. A special edition of the Saturday Winter Market will be held in the former Northfield News building from 5-9pm. Northfield’s guitar historian and classical virtuoso, Randy Ferguson, will perform for an hour at The Rare Pair. Aldrich Technology will host the Defeat of Jesse James Days’ James Younger Gang re-enactors. And Director of Library Services, Natalie Draper, said the Northfield Public Library, alongside the model railroad display that it hosts every year, will have an excellent lineup of activities and music.
“So, in addition to a few trains – I think we have four trains – we have craft making for all ages in the children’s area. There are refreshments provided by the Friends of the Library and we have for live music, the Northfield Handbell Ensemble followed by the Cannon Valley Regional Orchestra chamber groups, followed by the Limestones.”
Northfield’s 24th Winter Walk will run from 5-9pm on Thursday night. Bartho said a full schedule of events has been published in the latest edition of the Northfield Entertainment Guide.
Feast of St. Lucia returns to St. John’s
And after a two-year disruption by Covid-19, the 47th annual Lucia Fest will return to St. John’s Lutheran Church on Friday evening. 
Area residents of Swedish descent, or those interested in Swedish customs, are invited to join the festivities. The celebration includes a potluck supper, a Lucia processional and pageant, live fiddle music, the singing of Swedish carols, and folk dancing.
Lucy Graham, as Lucia, will lead the traditional procession. Dressed in white with a red sash at her waist and wearing a crown of candles on her head, Lucia will lead a procession of attendants and star boys, singing the traditional St. Lucia song. Afterward, Lucia and her attendants will serve cookies and coffee to everyone. The event concludes with songs and dancing around the Christmas tree.
The Lucia Festival, sponsored by the Northfield Swedish Club, is open to everyone. Attendees are asked to bring their own tableware, two dishes to pass, and one dozen cookies, or at least, what they can offer. Beverages will be provided.
The event will begin at 6pm. There is no charge to attend, but donations are encouraged to cover expenses.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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