During their meeting last week, the Northfield City Council had an initial, if overdue, conversation about the traffic flow in the Greenvale Elementary School/Lincoln Parkway corridor.
The city has had concerns about the area since the new Greenvale Elementary School opened in the fall of 2020, but those concerns were tabled during the Covid-19 pandemic. Interest was renewed in the corridor last year during the discussions about the construction and placement of the Kraewood development. The city is now in the initial stages of evaluating the area and the traffic flow at different times during the day to identify both existing and future problem areas, and identifying what can be done to make the area as safe as possible.
During the meeting, Public Works Director and City Engineer Dave Bennett showed video of the corridor during the drop-off and pick-up times at the school. The videos showed that traffic flow in the area can be chaotic, with drivers quite often either not sure of or simply disregarding the regulations for traffic safety. A traffic study will be done this fall that will more closely identify the issues, and the city and school district will work together to make drop-off and pick-up times safer.
With the Safe Routes to School plan as a guide, the city will also be looking at better ways for students to get to Greenvale Elementary, which will most likely include construction of bike lanes in the area.
City Administrator Ben Martig said there is really no bicycle infrastructure in the area at the moment, and Mayor Rhonda Pownell said, with the confusion that can be seen in the area during those peak traffic times, there are measures that should be taken.
“You ought to be able to get to school safely, and we ought to be able to design these roadways in a way that ensures that that happens. It makes sense not only for our schools and our kids that want to be able to get back and forth, but for other times outside of the regular school hours. When you design the roadways well, they will serve the whole community.”
Martig said the City will host an Open House where they will detail the issues and introduce some concept plans. He hopes the Council will be able to vote on safety plans that can be incorporated into the Capital Improvement Plan by the end of the year.
New YMCA CEO brings legal and non-profit experience
The Northfield Area Family YMCA announced on Friday that Tyler Powell has been named the new Chief Executive Officer.
A statement released by the Y said that Powell brings with him a mix of both legal and non-profit experience.
Powell grew up in Janesville, Wisconsin and graduated from Luther College in 2013 before attending law school at the William Mitchell College of Law. The statement said he practiced law for three years, and while his time as an attorney was fulfilling and successful, he ultimately felt a calling for nonprofit service work with the Y. He has worked with the Door County YMCA in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin over the years as Executive Branch Director, Program & Innovation Executive, and Mission Advancement Executive.
In the Statement, Dan Neuger, the chair of the search committee and vice-chair of the Northfield YMCA Board said the search for candidates covered the entire country, and Powell was chosen from a distinguished field of candidates.
“His energy and vision for the Northfield Area Y is exactly what we were looking for in a leader. With Tyler’s experience and his passion for both children’s and adult programing, we are convinced that the Northfield Family Y will have fantastic leadership for years to come.”
Powell will succeed Krista Danner who stepped down in February 2023.
Patrick O’Neill, the Chairman of the Northfield YMCA board expressed gratitude in the statement for Mike Melstad who served as interim CEO after Danner stepped down.
“This is the second time Mike has carried us through a transition period,” he said, “and we greatly appreciate all he has done for us.”
For his part, Powell said he is “thrilled and honored” to lead the Northfield Y.
“I am ready,” he said, “to join the forward-thinking and hardworking staff, work with our strong Board of Directors, and alongside community leaders and partners. With this established team and support, I am confident the Y will continue to be an asset to the Northfield community.”
Powell will officially take the role as CEO on July 1st.
School Board will discuss adding full-time nurse at CEC
The Northfield School Board will meet tonight in the Northfield School District Office Boardroom, at the District Office building.
Among the items the board will discuss tonight are a proposal to add a full-time nurse to the staff at the Community Education Center, Director of Finance Val Mertesdorf will present the Audit Engagement Letter proposal from accounting firm CliftonLarsonAllen for the audit of the 2022-2023 school year, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann will present the year-end enrollment report.
The School Board will always invite public comment from those who live in the Northfield School District. Public comments for the regular school board meetings may be made in person at the beginning of the meeting. Those wishing to speak must sign up in person prior to the beginning of the meeting. The boardroom opens at 5:30 p.m.
Tonight’s meeting will begin at 6:00
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
