A Minute with the Mayor

A Minute with the Mayor

October 24, 2013

Hi.  It’s been a while since I last wrote to you.  Sorry about that.  I took a little vacation and that threw off getting out a September article.  Since my last article, the leaves have started changing and the temperature has started to drop.  Fall is finally in full swing and we are moving at light speed towards Thanksgiving and Christmas!  The city has been busy with several items and I need to get you caught up on them.  We’ll start with the budget and the new fiscal year.  This past year’s budget really got knocked around due to all the adjustments that had to be made due to all the grant money we took in and spent, especially the big dollar amounts associated with the building deconstruction and auditorium.  Once the city audit is complete, we’ll have better and more accurate numbers to share.  The new budget is as tight of one as I’ve seen.  Although property valuations increased this year, so have expenses.  Nothing new and nothing we can’t figure out.

The city has approved another partnership between itself, Brehmer Mfg and Northeast Economic Development so Brehmer’s can apply for another expansion community development block grant.  They are going gang busters over there and need to expand again to meet their growing business needs.  We are so fortunate to have them as a community partner.  We are moving through the process of getting Keno up and running.  Contracts and agreements are required and the Branding Iron has been working with the city to make sure all the “t”s are crossed and the”I”s dotted.  It shouldn’t be too much longer before it is all up and running.  I see the BI is already advertising it is open seven days a week keeping with their promise if Keno passed they would open every day.  The city crew replaced the concrete in front of the Happy Day’s senior center.  It had gotten very pity and difficult for some going into the center to make it safely.  Thanks to the center for bringing the issue to my attention.  The city passed an ordinance to issue a $2,000,000 general obligation bond for the new swimming pool.  Rates have started to creep back up so we wanted to lock the rate in now and not take a chance.  I don’t have the percentage rate in front of me but it was approximately four percent with the ability to refinance after five years if the rate goes down.  The council also passed several other ordinances related to vehicles, vehicle parking and storage, fence heights and setbacks and animal control within the city limits.

The pool project is moving along.  The rain set them back a little but they continue to progress.  Once the floors to the pool house and pump house are poured, we’ll see those structures move more quickly.  I know there has been some concern about the size of the pool.  The indented outline certainly makes it look no bigger than a bathtub.  Keep the faith.  Get the memory of the old pool out of your head.  I don’t know too many pools that are that big anymore.  The new pool has an occupancy rating of 240 people so you know it can’t be too small.  Plus remember it was designed for activity and not for lap swimming.  Yes it will be smaller than the old pool but I can guarantee it is bigger than a bathtub! The city auditorium project is still moving forward even though you can’t see any progress at this point.  The engineers are working on the plans and getting it ready for bids.  We are still hoping to get started around the first of the year.  I’m really excited to see this project get underway.  It is such a great space and these updates will continue to keep us competitive in this market.  We did get our reimbursement from the state for the deconstruction grant.  We received $191,280 from the state.  Combine that with the $40,000 we received when the city took over the Gerdes’ building, the city (tax payers) paid a little more than $26,000 out of pocket for the demolition.  Please thank Mike, Mary Lou, Ron and the council for all their efforts.  Otherwise the bill would have been $257,000 to tear those buildings down.  I don’t know about you but I like the $26,000 dollars better!

Last Thursday, the city held a town hall meeting regarding the results from the community survey we sent out earlier this fall.  Once again the community response rate was tremendous.  Thank you to all that sent their surveys in.  The results didn’t reveal anything surprising.  Street condition was at the top of the list as was city beautification – tearing down and fixing up houses around town, revisiting the city’s entrance off of Hwy 77 and maintain city clean-up days with extra assistance to those who can’t get their items to the dumpsters.  Also noted was the community’s desire to maintain a strong local school system and develop opportunities for economic development, housing and maintain a vibrant business community.  The city, along with community help, will continue to work on a plan to address those areas identified in the survey.

Lastly I have to give a shout out to the football team.  A 7 and 1 record for the regular season is an outstanding achievement.  My hat is off to the Coach Dan and his team for taking a physically small group of boys and turning them into a gridiron powerhouse built on speed, desire, guts and heart.  The playoffs begin on the 31^st and it should be a home game.  Load your pockets up with Halloween candy and come out to support your team.  As with any team, they feed off of the crowd’s energy.  It would be great to see the stands packed.  It would also help keep all of us warm as I know it will be cold!  Great job fellas!  Win or lose in the playoffs, know that your community is so very proud of all you have accomplished this year!  That’s it for now.  I’m sure we’ll be talking soon.  Until then, take care.

Mayor Andy Fuston