New Seasons Bring Change

October 11, 2013 

 

The air is warm and the weather has been calm and sunny; however, the leaves are falling and fall is defiantly in the air. As we eagerly await the change of the new season, the holiday celebrations and fall harvest the legislature is also seeing a change in season. We are transitioning from the political season of policy and issue to bonding and investment. Every two years the State Legislature drafts a new bonding bill that will allow the state to function for the next two years. The Capital Investment committee was in Rochester on October 8^th and the City of Kasson and Mantorville presented a project of combined interest that will help both cities with our current Waste Water Treatment updates. If the project does get included in the bonding bill this year, the financial impact on the citizens of Mantorville for our treatment plant will be greatly reduced. Mayor Tjosaas and myself presented our plans and request to the committee. I am very happy and proud of our council; EVERY single member of the City Council showed up for this meeting and supported our request. Please feel free to reach out to our State Representative and State Senators and ask them to support our community and project.

Continuing on the theme of change the City, as you may remember, recently hired a new public works employee Andrew Fischer. Andrew has been doing a great job and is learning about our city. Our two public works employees are doing a great job getting ready for the new season as well making sure our snow removal equipment is ready and everyone is up to speed on the status and operation of the equipment we have.

The City also has another employee that has been really working hard for the citizens of Mantorville. Our City Clerk Cami Reber has been taking on a extra duties to cover for the loss of a part time clerk a few years back due to budget cuts. When you come into the office to pay your bills or apply for a building permit please take a second to thank her for her commitment.

This fall your council has been busy planning several new projects for next Spring. We are examining the long awaited 7^th street project, installing the new Waste Water line to Kasson and buying a “newer” refurbished rescue vehicle for the Fire Department. Even with these project s underway, the council is still hopeful of maintaining a final tax levy of -1% for 2014. This lower level of taxation will help our residents recover from the latest recession.

Two of my most recent public speeches that affect the city have been uploaded to my blog at MayorBradford@BlogSpot.com for those that would care to read them. They are my remarks at the school closing ceremony and at the Capital Investment Committee meeting.

Along with our season fall celebrations comes the anticipation of precipitation that is of solid form rather than liquid. I know my fellow skiers and snowmobilers are eagerly looking forward to our first snow fall. Remember snow is part of life in Minnesota, if you find a way to enjoy it you will spend more of your life happy. So I hope all of you will join me on the slopes or on the trails. Happy Minne-SNOW-tah everyone!

Yours in service

Chuck Bradford, Mayor - City of Mantorville
MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com

Bonding Committee WWTP Remarks

I wanted to thank the bonding committee for your time and consideration today. My Name is Chuck Bradford and I am the Mayor of Mantorville. Joining me today is Tim Tjosaas the Mayor of Kasson as well as representatives from both councils. In front of you there is a small sample of what life in Mantorville tastes like, I hope you enjoy it.

In the past there were efforts to join school systems, Kasson and Mantorville were able to identify an opportunity and combine the two communities educational offering. Today we share a very strong and successful combined school system. Now the two communities are exploring a new area of cooperation, one we feel could work in your districts as well. This new effort combining waste water treatment facilities will

• Lower environmental impact
• Leverage economies of scale
• And provide less financial impact on our citizens.

Your communities would likely be able to see similar results.

The History:

Mayor Tjosaas will go over some of the needs in Kasson, I will focus on Mantorville. Both cites have current update needs. Mantorville’s plant is currently past its design life expectancy. While the PCA has been willing to work with Mantorville on some of our current non-compliance issues, it would be a challenge to meet the new foreseeable regulations at our current location. Our current location’s border is constrained by the surrounding properties and is also in the flood fringe. We are already having issues with bio-solid storage and we have to land apply in increasing frequency.

Mantorville is expecting accelerated growth as part of the positive impact from the DMC effort in Rochester. This accelerated growth will mandate service expansions outside the rate of which we have traditionally planned for.

The communities of Kasson and Mantorville feel that since this is a pilot project for a new area of cooperation, since the two communities are anticipating an accelerated growth rate as part of DMC and due to new state and federal mandates this project is a good candidate for inclusion in this cycles bonding bill. We hope you agree and will include our proposal in the next bonding bill.

Thank you again for your time and consideration, I would like to ask Mayor Tjosaas to now say a few words