LINK Center Partnership Approved by Northfield City Council

Northfield City Councilors narrowly approved a partnership with a nonprofit-led coalition to fund an agency replacing the Welcome Center, which the Council cut earlier this year.

With a 4-3 vote, the Council approved an annual payment of $22,100 for three years to help fund a LINK Center, which would connect low-income residents—particularly Northfield's Latino community—to public services.

The idea was received with approving words by all councilors, but Mayor Mary Rossing, joined by councilors Jon Denison and Kris Vohs, dissented over philosophical and budget concerns.

Rossing argued that area nonprofits including Growing Up Healthy, which will lead the LINK Center, were the appropriate entities for funding such projects, not local government.

"I would be more inclined to write a personal check for this," she said.

Vohs questioned the financial sustainability of the arrangement, citing past projects where initial commitments increased over time.

"I would be awfully surprised if that commitment wouldn't go up," he said.

But Councilor Erica Zweifel said that the city, which paid more than $70,000 to fund the Welcome Center, was getting a relative bargain.

Mark Shaw, a Northfield resident and social services director for Rice County, highlighted the gap between resident need and the ability of the city to provide services. He contrasted food support programs that are underused in comparison with the city's overburdened food shelves.

"Demand is there," he said.

Councilors Rhonda Pownell and Jim Pokorney emphasized the grassroots component of the coalition. 

"It's not just one person providing a service anymore," Pownell said, referencing the city's former funding of the Welcome Center. "We'll be reaching out further into the community."

In other news

Councilors also approved 6-1 a resolution ordering the improvement of Linden and Plum streets, as well as one block of Second Street. They also authorized city staff to develop a fund to replace trees removed for such projects, as well as a policy to prevent future tree loss.

Project engineer Brian Hilgardner estimates the Linden-Plum project will cost approximately $2 million, including overhead expenses.