Council votes to take any further discussion off the table
By JIM LUTGENS
Publisher
Mayor Mike Shurson doesn’t want us to look anywhere for law enforcement other than the New Richland Police Dept.
“I feel our police department does a fantastic job,” said Shurson. “I think if there’s any savings, it doesn’t offset the benefits. I would like to see this taken out of the budget discussion.”
Shurson’s comments came during the Monday, Aug. 26 city council meeting.
Councilperson Sarah Sundve agreed.
“That’s my opinion,” said Sundve. “Keep the police force here.”
Councilman Chad Neitzel followed with a motion to not include the police department in any further discussions about the 2020 budget. It passed 5-0.
Presumably, the comments were in response to a question brought by councilman Jason Casey at a special budget meeting the previous week.
Casey broached the subject of contracting with the Waseca County Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement. It became an issue because of the ever-rising budget. Costs for the police department have risen from $253,031 in 2018 to a proposed $306,883 for 2020. There was no discussion about how this about could possibly be reduced. The NRPD has two full-time and at least five-time officers. Two of the biggest cases in town — juvenile drinking during Farm & City Days and vandalism at All Saints Catholic Church — have yet to be resolved.
The proposed budget can be decreased but not increased before it is finalized in December, and Casey was hoping to lower it for taxpayers after a 12.01-percent increase the previous year. This year’s tax levy increase is currently at 6.79 percent, though the first time the council looked at the budget was at its special meeting Aug. 19.
All council members were at the Aug. 26 meeting, as were Peoples Service Manager Brad Field, city maintenance man Ryan Nissen, and visitors Pam and Larry Goehring.
Field reported smoke testing in sewers, originally scheduled for Monday, would be held Tuesday because of an emergency. The council accepted his report.
Nissen gave details on the city’s No. 2 booster pump and requested $3,788.25 for repairs, $3,600 of which will be reimbursed by Xcel Energy. It was approved.
Casey asked if there was anything that could be done to increase water pressure at his home.
“I can’t think of anything that would cause that,” said Nissen.
Shurson asked Nissen about tree planting at Legion Field. He was told it should be done this fall.
Shurson also asked about weeds and trees growing in Boot Creek, which a resident had asked about at the end of the budget meeting.
“In my opinion, the county is just ignoring this part down here,” said Nissen. “It’s been a long time since they’ve been down here.”
It was agreed that a call to the county is in order. Nissen’s report was approved.
New Richland Care Center Administrator Chuck Ness gave his report, starting with the good news.
“We have a new director of nursing” he said. “She started Aug. 12.”
The bad news? The census at NRCC is down to 35. Since July 1, the facility has had 15 admissions and 23 discharges.
“It’s part of the game,” said Ness, who has some plans to increase NRCC’s census, adding a smoking area and private rooms, with hopes of eventually adding assisted living care.
“The trend is people really want single rooms,” he said, adding he’d like to see some money put back into the facility for repairs and upkeep.
Billing said the NRCC’s budget was ready for approval, if the council wished to do so. Shurson said he’d like to take another look at it first.
The council voted to eliminate cell phones for both the ambulance and fire dept. at a cost of $600. Both were reportedly never used.
The council had a lengthy discussion about raising the pay for Nissen’s part-time assistant. They agreed he deserves a raise, but wondered how it might affect his Social Security. Nissen was told to get more information.
The council approved the outlay of $3,800 to replace four street lights, though Billing said the cost may be covered by a rebate.
The meeting adjourned at 7:30.