On Tuesday night, the Northfield City Council approved changes to the Rules of Business for the way the Council, and City Boards & Commissions conduct their meetings. The most pronounced change was the removal of the Open Public Comment section of City Council meetings, and the creation of a twenty-minute “listening session” that will run prior to each regular meeting.
The Open Public Comment section was established to offer the public time to address the council on any topic they saw fit for no more than two minutes, and it was positioned near the beginning of the meetings for the public’s convenience. However, from time-to-time, the lack of regulation on what can be discussed, as well as the number of people who are allowed to address the Council, has threatened to derail the meetings. By city ordinance, council meetings must end at 9pm, unless a vote is taken among the council members to extend the meeting. If a public comment session goes on for an hour, that takes up a full third of the allowed meeting time before a single item on the regular agenda can be addressed.
The new listening sessions will be scheduled to last for twenty minutes in the Council Chambers, with the members of the council seated away from the dais. Members of the public will still be allowed to address the council on any topic they would like, unless that topic is on the meeting agenda for that evening. That particular rule brought some opposition from members of the public on Monday night; however, it does seem that there was some misunderstanding of the rule. Mayor Rhonda Pownell said if a topic is on the meeting agenda, there will be time for public comment on that specific topic when the agenda item comes up during the Council meeting. The rule is not in place to restrict the conversation, she said, but to allow for appropriate topics at an appropriate time.
“As long as it’s not on the agenda. That is one additional change. We just ask if the topic is on the Council’s agenda that evening, then they should wait to address it until the agenda item comes up during the meeting. So, we’re not removing the ability to talk about something on the agenda. We’re just asking people to comment on those agenda items during the actual meeting.”
Another cause for public opposition is the lack of plans to broadcast, livestream or record the Listening Sessions. Several people raised objections to the idea that a meeting that should be considered public discourse would not be made open to the public. City administrator Ben Martig noted that the meeting itself is open, and anyone is allowed to attend, even if just to listen and observe. But, he said, there are technical problems with livestreaming the Listening Sessions.
“Part of the reason for not live streaming the listening session is because we have production concerns. The regular meeting will follow immediately after the listening session, and our production team has sometimes had issues with getting the streaming to work properly. So, to start and stop once, and then start it again for the regular meeting was a concern. I think we will continue to explore the possibilities of doing some kind of audio recording, or something for documentation. But for now, the Listening Sessions will not have that feature.”
The new Rules of Business were passed unanimously by the Council. The first Listening Session is scheduled prior to the Council’s first regular meeting of June, on June 4th.
Spring cleaning for both Northfield and Dundas on Saturday
This Saturday, Northfield residents will be able to get rid of household junk when the City of Northfield holds its second and final Cleanup Day of the year at the city’s Maintenance Facility which is located at 1710 Riverview Drive.
Northfielders will be able to dispose of household waste and bulky items that have collected in their house, garage and storage sheds. Appliances and electronics will be accepted for a fee. Hazardous materials such as batteries and fertilizers will not be accepted. A list of accepted and unaccepted items is available on the city’s website at Northfieldmn.gov
A statement issued by the city reminds everyone that these events are for Northfield residents only and proof of residence such as a City ID, driver’s license, or utility bill may be asked to be seen.
The Cleanup Days are part of the City of Northfield’s strategic goal to reduce climate change impact and to make the community more resilient and sustainable.
Dropoff hours are 7am to 11am.
Meanwhile, the City of Dundas will hold its annual Cleanup Day hosted by Dick’s Sanitation this Saturday as well, in the parking lot area of the Mill Towns Trailhead at 215 Railway Street.
Items accepted for free are household garbage and construction waste. Items that require a fee include mattresses, tires, appliances and electronics. Paint and paint thinners, fertilizer, pesticides, batteries and yard waste will not be accepted,
No cash will be accepted for items with a fee, as Dick’s will only accept a check or a credit/debit card. As with Northfield Cleanup Day, proof of residence is required.
The City of Dundas would refer all questions to Dick’s Sanitation at 952-469-2239. Or visit the City of Dundas website at cityofdundas.org.
County offers several ways to make tax payments
Rice County is reminding all of the tax paying property owners in the county that first half property taxes for real/personal property are due next Wednesday, May 15.
Payments can be made in person via cash, check or money order at the Property Tax & Elections Office in the Rice County Government Services Building or mailed to the Rice County Property Tax & Elections Office.
Payments can also be made online on the “Pay Property Taxes” page on the Rice County website at ricecountymn.gov, or by phone at 877-690-3729 and using 3321 for the jurisdiction code.
Paying from a checking or savings account carries no additional fee. Credit card payments carry a third-party convenience fee of 2.4% of the tax amount with a minimum $2 charge. Visa debit card payments carry a flat fee of $4.00.
KYMN Daily News 5/9/24
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
