Northfield City Council member David Ludescher proposed a resolution to consider garnering a legal opinion questions regarding the $6.28 million in lease-purchase for a new police facility.
Northfield Patch is kicking off a new video series with City Administrator Tim Madigan, who will talk about ongoing projects and city council action throughout the year.
Northfield Patch is kicking off a new video series with City Administrator Tim Madigan, who will talk about ongoing projects and city council action throughout the year. In this first video, Madigan talks about big issues facing the city in 2013, including reviewing final plans for the police facility before going to bid, the fire service study with surrounding units of government, the budget, capital improvement plans and reviewing the land development code. IF YOU GO WHAT: Northfield City Council meeting WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday WHERE: Northfield City Hall WHO: Open to the public Follow Northfield Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our free newsletter
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Amid criticism, the council moved ahead Tuesday night.
Traffic patterns in downtown Northfield should return to normal for Tuesday business hours.
Traffic patterns in downtown Northfield are expected to return to normal Tuesday morning with completion of a flood proofing project at Malt-O-Meal’s Ames Mill. The Fourth Street Bridge, which links Bridge Square to businesses on the west bank of the Cannon River, was closed during business hours last week so work by Met Con Construction of Faribault could progress. The bridge closure was extended to today, as the project, which involves bricking in a number of Ames Mill windows, has taken longer than expected to complete. During work hours, a crane truck parked on the bridge has lowered a steel basket to the stone foundation wall of Ames Mill. From that basket, workers have filled in windows with stone and brick. Crews are confident that…
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Discussion will continue at the July 5 council meeting.
Residents fighting to preserve Northfield's historic train depot by moving it to the middle of town and turning it into a transit hub received good news at Tuesday's city council work session: an analysis by city staff says moving the depot to vacant land near the Quarterback Club restaurant is feasible. "There appeared to be a lot of support for a project like this" in the city's comprehensive plan, said community development director Jody Gunderson. In a report prepared for councilors Gunderson wrote also that the ease of driving in and out of the "Q-Block" area made the project "not unreasonable" as a potential project. Councilors expressed support for the plan, and will vote at its July 5 meeting to approve a formal policy direction …
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An outside report recommended several reforms to the Northfield Fire Department after it was found in violation of occupational standards in February.
After a February visit by a state occupational safety consultant found it in "serious violation" of several workplace hazard rules—and after it failed to fix the ordered repairs several weeks later—Northfield's fire department could see several reforms to its outfit if reforms recommended by a consultant hired after the inspection are adopted. A report submitted for Tuesday's work session of the city council by consultant Michelle Soldo confirmed the unspecified violations by Minnesota's Occupational Health and Safety Administration. Among the report's chief recommendations is to update to the department's bylaws, which do not comply with relevant state law; to abolish or restructure hiring rules that gave say over personnel to …
Northfield's city administrator has proposed keeping the EDA while spreading out authority for economic planning.
After last week's meeting between Northfield's City Council and its Economic Development Authority fizzled, City Administrator Tim Madigan released a memo for councilors ahead of Tuesday night's meeting that could provide the basis for a final solution to the town's economic planning issues. Outlining it as "an attempt to identify and construct a consensus," Madigan proposes strategic priorities for economic development not dissimilar to those floated in discussions among councilors as they worked with local nonprofit consultant Tom Clough, brought in to help councilors decide whether disbanding or restructuring the EDA would boost economic planning. It calls for retaining and growing existing businesses, recruiting new ones, maintaining …
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Residents of 3/4-mile stretch of Jefferson Road opposed the amount the city wants to charge them for repairing their street.
Because they benefit most from the repairs, residents are often charged extra when their street is upgraded. But that should not be the case when the street is a major thoroughfare, heavily trafficked by businesses and residents throughout town, said several property owners that live on badly worn Jefferson Road at Tuesday's City Council meeting, where members voted to move forward heavy repair of a 3/4-mile portion of the street while holding off on a funding formula. "Being assessed for everyone else's usage of the road just doesn't seem right," said one resident who moved into a home on the collector street in 1981. She added that she didn't oppose residents of the street being assessed some of the $300,000 project. But she said with so…
Further discussion on the plans for the EDA has been postponed until a later date after talks Tuesday went long.
After three months, several interviews, planning sessions by each group, and mediation by a nonprofit consultant, a would-be meeting of resolution between the Northfield City Council and Northfield's Economic Development Authority went in circular discussion for about an hour at Tuesday's council meeting and was then postponed to a later date. The meeting was intended to give members of the beleaguered EDA a chance to present accomplishments to councilors before they voted whether to disband the group. President Jenelle Teppen and Community Development Director Jody Gunderson, who serves as city staff for the EDA, portrayed the EDA's activities with the city council's economic goals. "We have a pretty aggressive work plan," Teppen said. "…
Residents on a 3/4-mile stretch of Jefferson Road could pay $480 a year for 10 years for road reconstruction.
After 24 years of residential and commercial traffic, a 3/4-mile stretch of Jefferson Road has been ground to the point that only heavy repair can reclaim it. That work, if approved by Northfield City Councilors at its meeting Tuesday night, could cost residents of the thoroughfare between Jefferson Parkway and Hidden Valley Road an average of $4,800 in tax assessments over 10 years. The city would pay the remaining $120,000 of the $300,000 project from other funds. The three-part vote would set public hearings for the project (in late June) and the assessment itself (in early July). At a May 26 neighborhood meeting, some residents opposed the upgrade's removal of parking spaces for a new bike route and complained about paying extra for …
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2:57 pm on Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Thanks for the further explanation, Councilor Buckheit. I've changed the headline from "will" to "could." That was a miscue on my end. more ›
John Owens
2:32 pm on Thursday, June 9, 2011
I'd bet that only 20% of the traffic on Jefferson Rd. is from those who reside there. Everyone who lives between Cty. 1 and the Allina Clinic uses that road, plus all the business traffic for servicing lawns, tradesmen, and others that come with heavier vehicles. If this were a cul de sac, it'd be a different matter, but I don't think property owners can fairly be singled out to pay for road … more ›