Last night, the Northfield City Council passed the proposed and recommended budget for 2023. 
The $48 million dollar budget includes an 18.5% increase to the property tax levy, which brought a large crowd to the meeting. There were very few empty seats in the gallery as City Administrator Ben Martig and Finance Director Brenda Angelstad gave a meticulous and detailed presentation going over the way property taxes are calculated, and the exact reasons why the levy is increasing.
The gathered audience, however, was unanimous in their opposition to the levy increase. Ten people spoke to the council during the two public comment periods, and all of them spoke against the tax increase. Some of the comments made were very passionate, some were sarcastic, and at least one commenter pledged not to vote for anyone on the council again. By and large, however, the comments made to the council were firm but respectful. Most commenters had well planned statements to make to the council airing their concerns about the higher taxes.
The reasons given by commenters ranged from fears that senior citizens and lower-income residents would find it increasingly difficult to live in Northfield, to a continued lack of people in the workforce, to driving downtown stores out of business.
“If Downtown Northfield is empty,” said Joan Spaulding, owner of the Hideaway Coffee House and Wine Bar, “then it won’t matter how many trails we have to ride our bikes on.”
For their part, the council did their best to answer concerns after they were raised. Councilor Jessica Peterson White said that, while she shared the concerns about the tax increase, the budgeting process is quite transparent and open to everyone in the city. Mayor Rhonda Pownell echoed Peterson White’s comments and discussed the need to take care of city infrastructure and fund the city parks department.
Five of the six ensuing resolutions that constitute the overall city budget passed unanimously. The levy resolution passed 4-2, with Councilors George Zuccolotto and Brad Ness voting against the increased levy.
‘Personal Narrative’ stories to be told tonight
Tonight, at the Fairfield Inn, a group of student storytellers will present the work they have done in a Personal Narrative Writing class
over the course of the past semester. The presentation, An Evening of Tears and Laughter, will be a group of St. Olaf Students sharing their memories and the lessons they have learned over their lives.
The man leading the class, Professor Oren Safdie, was asked to teach a class on non-fiction writing. Safdie, who is also a playwright and a screen writer, said he always tries to encourage his students to write from their own lives and recollections, so he decided to call to call the class Personal Narrative Writing, just to be clear about what he was teaching.
The art of Storytelling is as old as community itself but has faded from the public eye over the years. Safdie said, he now sees a resurgence in the practice
“I think it’s coming back,” he said, “and I think the pandemic had something to do with it, because it translated well over the internet, unlike theater. This is a type of theater as well, however it’s not only the actor but the source of the material telling you the story. There is some performance to it.”
Safdie’s students said the class has been a good one for them. Hannah Omodt, a Junior Chemistry Major, who originally took the class to refine her writing skills, said she is known to be a “chaotic” storyteller, veering off on tangents and having a hard time coming to the point. One of the things Safdie teaches in the class is there is a formal structure to telling a story, and Omodt said she has learned to keep things much more linear and has been able to find her own voice as well.
He has also encouraged his students to look at the stories they are telling and find the story behind the story and reflect on why they want to share a particular memory
“You’re actually discovering why you have this memory. I mean, think about how many memories we have in our lives and why certain things stick out in our memory. And then we sometimes don’t know the real reason; we might think it’s something, but we dig deeper, and we find it’s actually something else. And then when you start to write, you investigate that. And as [the audience] we’re kind of experiencing the same thing that the person is investigating, we’re finding things out and surprises.”
The presentation tonight is a capstone event for the class. Safdie said he always wants his classes to connect back to the community, and this is an excellent opportunity to do just that.
An Evening of Laughter and Tears with the St. Olaf Storytellers will be tonight at 7:30 at the Fairfield Inn in Northfield.
Weekly influenza vaccination clinics available through Rice County
This week, December 5th – 9th is National Influenza Vaccination Week, and Rice County Public health is reminding everyone that there is 
still time for those 6 months and older to receive their flu vaccination in order to protect themselves and their loved ones from the flu this season.
Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness that can be serious, or even life threatening. Flu vaccination is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older every year. Vaccination is particularly important for those who are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications, including young children, those with chronic health conditions and those 65 years of age and older.
While the ideal time to be vaccinated against influenza is in October, getting vaccinated now still provides protection against circulating flu viruses. It takes about two weeks for the body to respond to the vaccine, so getting the vaccination now means a person should reach full immunity before the typical peak of the flu season, between December and February.
Rice County Public Health has flu vaccine available at weekly immunization clinics, held every Tuesday between 1 and 4 p.m. at the Rice County Government Service Building in Faribault. Both quadrivalent and high-dose flu vaccines are available. Those who are insured are asked to please bring their health insurance card. Rice County Public Health also has vaccine for those who are uninsured.
For more information, call and talk to one of the public health nurses at 507-332-5928 or 507-384-6450.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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