Despite the recession of the water levels along the Cannon River over the last 24 hours, the City of Northfield and Rice County are still experiencing flood conditions and mitigation efforts are still underway. Many residences and businesses are still working on mitigation efforts. There are many residential and property-owning members of the community just beginning to plan their cleanup efforts in the aftermath of the flood.
A statement issued yesterday by the City of Northfield identified many local resources available to assist with these efforts.
Rice County, for example, has information available on its website directing county residents and business owners who have storm-related property or crop damage to email RCEM@ricecountymn.gov. The information will be used to assist in obtaining federal disaster relief, which will be made available if the total amount of flood damage statewide tops $10.5 million.
Flood contaminated materials can be disposed of at the Rice County Solid Waste Facility which will be open today from 7:30am until 3:30pm and will open for special hours tomorrow from 7:30am until 2pm.
The statement offered links to the university of Minnesota Extension website and the Minnesota Department of Health website offering advice on how best to go about the clean-up process after a flood.
The city is making flood clean up kits, which include necessary cleaning supplies, available at no cost. The kits can be found at City Hall or at the Police Department. The limit on the kits is one per household.
And finally, Rice County has issued another warning reminding residents that conditions are still not ideal after a culvert gave way yesterday on County Road 13 on the West side of Cannon Lake. County Engineer Dennis Leube indicated that several roads could remain closed after the water has completely receded to allow for thorough inspections of drainage structure and roadway integrity.
Northfield Chief of Police Mark Elliott said on Wednesday that the flood conditions across the area could persist into next week.
Candidates are beginning to separate themselves
The League of Women Voters held a candidates forum last night, inviting all the people running for Northfield mayor and those running for City Council in the 2nd Ward to participate.
In contrast to the forum on Monday night that became a loose and sometimes boisterous event, Thursday night’s event was more disciplined. Moderated by Catherine Davis of the Rochester LWV chapter, each candidate was given the opportunity to make an opening statement, give one-minute answers to questions posed by the moderator, some taken from cards handed in by audience members, and then make a closing statement as well.
With two forums now complete, voters can begin to see the personalities of each candidate, and the image they are trying to project.
- Candidate Tim Babinni has a military and business management background. Describing himself as “hard-nosed,” high property taxes seem to be the issue he is most concerned about.
- Ruth Dahl, a former member of the Northfield School Board, takes a no-nonsense, common-sense approach who wants to “curb the appetite for spending” in city government and runs on a platform that she has entitled “Leave Bridge Square Alone.”
- Adam Gebler presents himself as a candidate from the center who hopes to bring a better prioritized agenda to the city, saying Northfield must handle its basic needs first, or as he put it on Monday, “eat your vegetables before you get dessert.”
- Mayor Rhonda Pownell, obviously, is the incumbent candidate and, true to her style, has not wavered from or apologized for the decisions she has made, and is taking the opportunity to discuss the way she governs.
- City Councilor George Zuccolotto is a self-described “dreamer,” who believes we need a strong and inspirational leader, citing local historical figures like John North, Senator Paul Wellstone, and Joseph Lee Heywood.
- Candidate Erica Zweifel, who herself served on the City Council from 2008-2020 speaks as a former insider, who understands the inner workings and machinations of city government, turned outsider with a perspective as a private citizen having been off of the council for nearly four years.
While many of the candidates have several opinions in common, each has a very clear and distinct style. No two candidates are exactly alike, which will give Northfield voters much to look at as they make a decision on for whom to vote in the August 13th primary.
KYMN Daily News 6/28/24
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
