NR City Council
By JESSICA LUTGENS
Contributing Writer
The New Richland City Council held its first meeting of the month on Monday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m. All members were present. The agenda was reviewed and approved, and slight changes to the consent agenda – errors in the minutes from both meetings in February, and an additional invoice in the fire department’s pay requests – were made before approval.
The first order of business, parking/snow ordinances concerns of a citizen, was skipped due to said citizen’s absence.
The police department report was presented by Chief of Police Scott Eads. The report stated the NRPD responded to 95 calls for service in February, and all calls requiring follow-up have been completed. A recommendation for part-time employment of Alan Anderson, Albert Lea, was given, pending psychiatric and medical evaluations. Anderson is a transport deputy with the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Department and has a full-time POST license, and it is believed he will be an excellent addition to the department. The employment was approved by the council, followed by the police report.Up next was the final report of the 2013 Audit of the City of New Richland.
A representative was present to explain the report and answer any questions. The full audit report can be found at the city’s website. The report was approved with brief discussion.
Resolution 14-06, the current plans and specifications for improvement of County Road 12, was then reviewed. An MnDOT representative was in attendance to present the official plans. Construction is set to begin June, 2014, and will include 4110 total feet of reconstruction in the New Richland city limits. Specifically, improvements will include water main and water service construction, sanitary sewer and service construction, a new storm sewer system, street and sidewalk construction, turf establishment, and other utility improvements. The complete plans and specifications can be found at the city’s website. After some discussion of possible money-saving options, Resolution 14-06 was approved.
The fire department report was last, and it was quickly approved.
Other items were then discussed. The possibility of a new key system for all of City Hall (including the Fire Hall, Ambulance and Police Department) was debated. If it were to be implemented, keys would no longer be used, and doors will be unlocked with a proximity card and/or a keypad code. This would provide improved security and convenience, as everything would be computer-controlled; most of the council was in agreement on the topic, and no official motions were made.
The last item was a request to apply for a $500 grant for new Christmas lights, and after discussion, it was approved. The meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.