Merry Christmas

December 25, 2016

In November we remembered our veterans with an observance of veterans day and in December we will celebrate Christmas. Our veterans made sacrifices for our freedom and our nation and Jesus made a sacrifice for our salvation. This is the true meaning of Christmas, giving of one’s self for the benefit of others. Last week I mentioned giving blood as a way to give to others. Some of us ring bells, others cook for a neighbor while others make an extra contribution to their favorite charity. No matter what you choose to do to “serve others” remember to keep Christmas in your heart. Rejoice in what we have been given by others and remember our freedom and salvation are precious gifts that are not free but have already been paid for by others.

This past week we once again saw the agents of evil utilize a single actor to perpetrate an act of violence against the peaceful people of faith. The army of radical Islam aims to destroy any culture that does not embrace their beliefs. There are those that say we need to remove celebrations that embrace Judea-Christian values such as Christmas celebrations so as not to offend others. They would have us secularize the Christmas season. They say we should call the Christmas season “Winter Break”, that a Christmas tree is not a Christmas tree and we should all wish each other a “Happy Holidays”. The proponents of this approach hide behind the first amendment. The idea behind the first amendment is not to remove our values from public view, the first amendment actually provides protection for us to celebrate our values. The way we win against the agents of evil who seek to destroy Christmas is not to “go along” with them but to rather embrace our values and culture. Celebrate our faith and to always remember Christmas.

My neighbor next door when I was growing up, Renate, had a numeric tattoo on the inside of her left arm. This tattoo was from was from her time in a Nazi concentration camp. If anyone had the right to be sensitive to the religious nuances in our society it was her. We always wished her a Merry Christmas and she would respond back with Happy Chanukah, neither of us choose to be offended by this exchange and in fact the warmth that we shared in this exchange was very much appreciated by both sides.

With the spirit of the season and only warmth in my heart let me wish all of our residents a  Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and have a safe and happy new year!

Merry Christmas Mantorville, Merry Christmas!

Yours in service,

Chuck Bradford,
Mayor - City of Mantorville
MantorvilleMayor@Gmail.Com
MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com

Vampires aren’t just for Halloween

December 13, 2016

A True Gift:
This time of year we are all thinking of the errands we have to run, the food we need to prepare and the gifts we want to buy for that special someone. The Christmas season has always been about giving to others, so it is only natural that we first think of our own loved ones, those that are near and dear to our hearts. There are others in our area that find themselves needing of a gift from us suddenly and often unexpectedly. This time of year with the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season and the ice and snow on the roadways, we see an increase in the number of trauma cases needing blood or blood products. One of the best anonymous gifts you can give this season is the gift of one unit of  blood or going to see the vampires as my son Spencer, would say. A single unit of blood can save a person’s life and it is so easy to donate. In this season of giving consider giving a truly anonymous gift that could change a life, you never know who might benefit, it maybe someone very close to you that benefits from this loving gift.

Last Meeting of the year:
The City Council held its last meeting on December 12 and held the annual truth in taxation meeting where we set our tax levy rate at 68% down from 70% last year. We have a new council member joining the council next year and we say good bye to Council member Roth. Ryan Christianson is filling the seat vacated when Sherry Roth chose not to run for reelection. I wanted to thank Councilmember Roth for her service and dedication and welcome our new council member Ryan Christianson.

Park Board Vacancy:
The park board has had some members retire, and this has opened up a couple of opportunities to serve our community. If you have an interest in identifying policy’s for our parks, keeping the plantings healthy or just an interest in helping shape the future of our parks, I encourage you to fill out an application in City Hall to be considered to serve on this important committee.

A Great Loss:
This past week America lost the last original member of the Mercury and Apollo era. John Glenn was an Engineer, Marine, Test Pilot, Executive, Senator and Astronaut. Glenn’s contribution to the war effort as a fighter pilot would have been enough to earn him a place in history, however, he went on to serve in a pivotal role in America’s new Space Exploration program and years later return to space on the shuttle. While Glenn was so much more than just an astronaut, it is his participation in the Space Program that he will always be remembered for. God Speed John Glenn, God’s speed.

Yearly Wrap up:
Take time and reflect on the past year. Remember the true meaning of Christmas is not about “things” but about people and Gods love. Share your love with those around you and make a real gift and give the gift of life to a stranger, hopefully this will bring a new meaning for the season and eventually become a holiday tradition. Merry Christmas Mantorville.

Yours in service,

Chuck Bradford,
Mayor - City of Mantorville
MantorvilleMayor@Gmail.Com
MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com

Fahoo Fores

December 8, 2016

Celebrate Winter:

After nine long months of only liquid precipitation, Mantorville was once again graced with promise of winter. As I watched the snow fall this past week, Spencer and I simultaneously started singing the “Welcome Christmas” song by Dr. Seuss. I have always loved this song because of it simple but clear message of Christmas summed up in the closing part of the song. “Welcome Christmas while we stand, Heart to Heart and Hand in Hand“. The beauty of fresh falling snow always reminds me of this message and also assures me that the ski season will soon start. While there are alternative ways of looking at the white gift we are given every year, I encourage everyone to find their own way to “Celebrate Winter”!

Waste Water Treatment:

The City was able to break ground on the long awaited Waste Water Treatment Plant this fall. With an unseasonably warm November the construction crew was able to make additional progress with installing some of the pipe-work and was able to deliver most of the materials needed for the project. The work will wrap up this week with the securing of materials for storage over the winter and progress will resume once the frost is out of the ground. The City is still waiting to hear about any progress with a legislative special session and the completion / adoption of this cycles biennium bonding bill.

Park Board Vacancy:

The park board has had some members retire, and this has opened up a couple of opportunities to serve our community. If you have an interest in identifying policy’s for our parks, keeping the plantings healthy or just an interest in helping shape the future of our parks, I encourage you to fill out an application in City Hall to be considered to serve on this important committee.

Yearly Wrap up:

The City Council is planning on having the last meeting of the year on Monday December 12, this is also the meeting we will set our final tax levy and hold our “Truth in Taxation” meeting. I encourage anyone that has questions or concerns about the tax rate for 2017 to come to our last meeting and ask questions. Until next time, remember to keep oil in your sled, wax on your skis and to celebrate the gift that is winter. “Fahoo Fores” everyone, “Fahoo Fores”!

Yours in service,

Chuck Bradford,

Mayor - City of Mantorville

MantorvilleMayor@Gmail.Com

MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com

Happy Thanksgiving

November 24, 2016

Every year around the Thanksgiving table we would tell the story of the first Thanksgiving. The cold winter of the East Coast stated to set in on the Pilgrims and they found themselves ill-prepared for the needs of the winter in the “new world”. In their moment of most need, salvation came from a most unlikely place. The Native Americans shared the bounty of that year’s harvest with their “new neighbors”. There are many variations of this story but the over-all sentiment is the same. When I think of this story I look for what lessons we can take from it. One,  if you have plenty don’t be afraid to share. This does not and should not be a government mandate, rather a genuine gesture of generosity towards your neighbor. Two, even though things look the darkest, don’t give up. If the Pilgrims had given up we would not be living in the greatest county the world has ever seen today. Three, don’t be too proud to ask for help if you truly need help. This is especially true for any of us that are dealing with issues that just seem overwhelmingly hard. There are answers, just let someone know you need help we will be there for you! Finally, look for new reasons to celebrate even during tying times. What back then seemed like a winter of starvation, turned into a celebration of life.

While we sit down around the table this holiday, let us remember those in our lives and community that has made this day possible. Let’s remember to celebrate our Armed Services personnel, our Law Enforcement personnel and our Firefighters. Remember it is the soldier not the politician that gave us the right to vote. It is the soldier not the preacher that gives u the right to celebrate God as we see fit and it is the soldier not the press that gives us the freedom of speech. Thank you to all of our service personnel, we truly do appreciate all that you do and honor your sacrifices.

From everyone at the City that is keeping our City great, let me extend a warm and heart-felt Happy Thanksgiving.

Thank You Mantorville

November 14, 2016

Safe Routes to School:
There was a meeting on Monday November 14 to start the discussions and plans for the next phase of safe routes to schools. The City of Kasson, The City of Mantorville, the School Board and community members were invited to take part in the discussions to determine what the areas needs were for safe routes to schools, what each government sector could do to promote this effort and how all of the stakeholders could work together to benefit our students. The design firm is to take the input from our meeting this week and work on a plan to be presented early next year. Each community will then determine what the best course of action will be to work towards the goals.

Fifth Street Update:
The work on Fifth Street for this year has been completed. The road is open to the east now for normal traffic. The contractor will need to come back in the spring and complete some driveway access issues and complete the landscaping; however, most of the work on the road surface has been completed and is ready for normal traffic to resume. Just as a reminder, even though the road surface has been greatly improved the speed limit once inside the City Limits is still just 30MPH, please slow down as you approach the neighborhoods along fifth street.

Waste Water Treatment:
The City of Mantorville’s plan to connect to the Kasson WWTP has been approved by the MPCA as well as the EPA and the requited permits have been granted. The work has started for the much awaited new wastewater treatment project this week. The construction crews have delivered new pipe, the fuser is on site and the drill will be here shortly. The plan is to start near Kasson and work towards Mantorville. The project will drill under the river and route along highway 57 turning onto golf course road. Both cities are working concurrently on their respective projects and final connection and flow commencement will be conditional on the finalization of both projects.

The Election:
Thank you Mantorville for your continued support and confidence in my leadership for our community. I continue to enjoy serving as your Mayor and I am looking forward to continuing our journey to improve our City. Thank you.

I also wanted to Thank Sherry Roth for her service on the council and welcome Ryan Christianson to the council. I am looking forward to working with our new council and continuing the work we have in progress as well as planning the next stages of future projects.

Veterans Day:
This last Friday was Veterans Day. The day we set aside to recognize the dedication, service, sacrifice and professionalism of our armed forces. The reason we even have free elections is the result of the vigilance of our veterans and soldiers. If you did not have an opportunity to say a special Thank You to a current or former soldier, please take time this week to let them know how much you appreciate their dedication and sacrifice. When we do take time to thank our veterans for their service, too often we over look the hardships and sacrifices that their loved one make as well. It is the veterans family as well we need to make sure we honor when we celebrate the accomplishments of our armed service. To all of our men and women in the armed service, to their families and to anyone who has ever served, THANK YOU and God Bless!

Yours in service,

Chuck Bradford,
Mayor - City of Mantorville
MantorvilleMayor@Gmail.Com
MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com

November is here

October 31, 2016

 Law Enforcement Celebration:

The celebration for Dodge County Law Enforcement personnel last week was a big success. The event was attended by many of our local area officers from Kasson, West Concord and the Sheriff department and we enjoyed the comedy of Mark Poolos. I would like to thank all of our Sponsors for this event, with out who support this event would not be possible.

v  Mantorville City Council member, Will Lambert

v  Mantorville Mayor, Chuck Bradford

v  The City of Mantorville

v  The Dodge County Republicans

v  Mark Hanson

v  Senator Dave Senjem

Thank you so much to each of our sponsors and more importantly thank you to all of our officers, clerks, bailiff, posse members and staff! The Citizens of Dodge County do appreciate all that you do for us!

Fifth Street Update:

The work on Fifth Street continues. The crew is installing new drainage under the road and is working the gravel down to be a firm base. Fifth Street between Bergmann Drive and Highway 57 is open and passable, however, the portion of Fifth Street past Bergmann Drive is still blocked. Once all the drainage is installed, the road surfaced leveled the new surface will be paved. Anticipate some road closures as the pavement is being laid down later this month.

The Election:

Next week we go to the voting booths. With political fireworks still going off at this late hour, this election season has been an interesting one to watch and participate in! I want everyone to remember that voting is one of the honors we have that separate us from the rest of the world, we all should take this responsibility seriously and vote for those candidates that will make our Nation, State and City stronger for our children and their children. While I am running UN-opposed, I would still ask for your support and vote next Tuesday. It has been my honor to serve my neighbors and I hope I will continue to earn your support for the next two years as well.

Yours in service,

Chuck Bradford,

Mayor - City of Mantorville

MantorvilleMayor@Gmail.Com

MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com

Prepared Remarks for LEO Party

When I was growing up I remember an officer that was killed in the line of duty. There was a county wide man-hunt to apprehend the perpetrator. Unfortunately he was apprehended alive. Later he was found guilty and sentenced. Just a few years ago they released him and the story was covered all over again. I remember thinking to myself “Why are you releasing him?” I remember this story because it was so unusual to hear about an officer that was killed in the line of duty, what I didn’t understand then was that there is a difference between “hearing about” and the real life events that take place within our community.

The National press has been brutal on the Law Enforcements Community lately. This adverse public exposure has had a detrimental effect on our officers and their families. This exposure has resulted in an even larger risk exposure for our officers in the area of embolden attacks and also on officer behavior. In Chicago last week we heard of a female officer refusing to fight back because she was worried about how the press would cover it, luckily she survived the attack, others have not been so luck. Does anybody here think, Enough is Enough already? Really?

The proud sponsors of this event wanted to take an opportunity to thank our officers in a meaningful and real way, and we wanted to change the narrative from “look what they messed up again” to “Look how lucky we are to have them”. This is the narrative we are starting tonight.

Just this week we heard of another officer involved shooting. The suspect is still on the run and the FBI is helping in the search for this individual.

So what type of person wants to be an officer?

Well lets look at one of the officers shot this week. He was shot in the foot, fell to the ground (because I’m sure getting shot in the foot stings just a little) regained his composure, stood up again and re-joined the firefight. That is the type of person who signs up to be an officer.

According to officer down memorial page

Gunfire related deaths are up an alarming 53% this year

Here in MN we have seen a member of the community take his own life partially due to job related stress.

In Minnesota

We have lost

Since 2000 MN has seen 22 duty related deaths and 3 K9 officer duty related deaths

Last 10 Years: 14

Last 25 years: 36

Last 50 years: 89

Last 100 years: 206

Last 200 years: 239

If you google the term “What not to say to an officer” several interesting hits come up. Most of the list say things like “Don’t say well done Barney, they don’t have a sense of humor”. Well, were going to challenge that assumption tonight. So to start us off I put a short list of to do and not to do if you’re a bad guy and are confronted by an officer.

Things not to do

1)   Do not reach for your black wallet and pull it our fast

2)   When told to get down don’t complain about your new jeans your girl friend just gave you, just get down

3)   Do not strike an officer, no mater how justified you think you are this will not end well for you

4)   Don’t blame your stupidity on the officer

5)   If you threaten an officer with a weapon, don’t blame them when you get hurt

6)   No, you not going to be on an episode of COPs, don’t even try to break a records

I would like to turn the comedy over to a professional now.  Our sponsors wanted to share our featured entertainer as a token of the communities appreciation of our law enforcement community’s service and dedication. We also wanted to extend a thank you to the families of our law enforcement community. We know that when one member of the family puts on that badge and steps into the patrol car that the whole family has their future on the line and we wanted to tank all the family members for their support for our officers. Our featured act has been on Fox Comedy as well as appearing locally at some comedy clubs in Rochester. His act has open for Louis Anderson and his home city is Minneapolis MN. We are lucky to have him for tonight’s entertainment please help me welcome Mark Poolos.

Thank You Law Enforcement

October 24, 2016

Law Enforcement Celebration:

There is going to be a celebration for all of Dodge County Law Enforcement personnel at the Event Center in Kasson October 27 at 6:00pm. With all the negative publicity around law enforcement in the National News, I thought it was time to change the narrative. I felt best way to change the narrative was by starting local. When I was at the Republican National Convention this last summer I meet an office ,Chris, who was a veteran on the Cleveland police force for over twenty five years and he told me that he has never had anyone just thank him for a job well done. I though about that for quite awhile and it just didn’t make sense to me. These are the brave men and women who are our first line of defense between lawlessness and order, how is it possible that we don’t thank them? I knew after that conversation that I wanted to do something in a meaningful way to say “Thank You” to our local law enforcement. After I mentioned the idea to some of my friends we thought the best way to say thank you was to host an event where we could get to meet these men and women and just say thank you in person. I would like to thank all of our Sponsors for this event, with out who support this event would not be possible.

• Mantorville City Council member, Will Lambert
• Mantorville Mayor, Chuck Bradford
• The City of Mantorville
• The Dodge County Republicans
• Mark Hanson
• Senator Dave Senjem
• Six Mile Grove
• The Event Center

Thank you so much to each of our sponsors and more importantly thank you to all of our officers, clerks, bailiff, posse members and staff! The Citizens of Dodge County do appreciate all that you do for us!

Dennison Park Equipment:

Many volunteers helped the park board install the reclaimed playground equipment in Dennison Park. The equipment was part of the old school and when the school property was put on the market by a private individual, the City was able to secure the old playground equipment for re-use within a City park. The Park Board has been planning the new home for the equipment since the donation was made and the committee finally determined that the corner of Dennison field would be the best location. Many volunteers made this installation a success. I wanted to say thank you to everyone that donated food, equipment or pitched in with the hard work. I know this will be a great opportunity for our younger citizens because there were several bikes circling while the installation was underway.

Fifth Street Update:

I am updating my blog with the fifth street project current status. I have updates regarding the start and expected completion, the affect of the project on the mail routes and even some pictures of the progress on my blog located at MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com. The project is well underway and the City Engineer thought we might be able to establish a one-lane path through the construction area. If we are able to do this I will update my blog with that information.

Waste Water Treatment Plant:

The city has secured temporary financing for the start of our WWTP project. The State Legislature still has not determined its final allocation for project money and therefore the City of Kasson and City of Mantorville were required to establish some gap financing so that each of our projects could move forward. The project is due to start next week with work closer to Kasson and possibly some work going under the river. Any significant updates with this project will be posted to my blog as well.

Yours in service, 

Chuck Bradford,

Mayor - City of Mantorville 

MantorvilleMayor@Gmail.Com 

MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com

5th Street Begins

The long awaited 5th street project will begin (ive been told) on Thursday Oct 20th, The E-Mail from the City Clerk to the council members is below. I will post pictures of the progress

All, Please pass this along to anyone you know that lives out along 5th Street East. The first phase of the 5th Street East construction project is expected to begin on Thursday (10/20) of this week. The first phase involves that area that is currently tore up (not the entire 5th Street). The contractor will start on that area from Bergmann Drive to the West (about middle of the first curve). That part of the road will be completely closed and ALL traffic from Bergmann Drive to the East will be rerouted to go around. Expect at least 1 week for this, weather permitting. Once they finish that first section, the area from Bergmann Drive to the East will then be completed. Anyone that lives beyond 5th Street East (City limits) can expect road closures until the project is complete – middle of November. Please watch for road signs and don’t hesitate to call City Hall. Updates will be given on the city website also.  Thank you for your patience during this time. Cami Camille C. Reber |City Clerk Treasurer City of Mantorville 21 5th Street East |PO Box 188|Mantorville, MN 55955 P (507) 635-5170 |F (507) 635-5300|www.mantorville.com

Dodge County Independant Questions

10/07/16

The Dodge County Independent had a two section questionnaire that was sent to the area candidates. Below are those questions and my answers to them

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 Part 1:

•    What party you represent :
Mayor is a non-partisan position; however, I am active in the Republican Party
•    Which office you are running for
Mayor, City of Mantorville
•    Whether you are an incumbent, and if so, how many terms served
I am currently running for my third term (2 year term) as mayor
•    Your email address where people can contact you MantorvilleMayor@GMail.com

Part 2:
1.    Why do you feel you are the best candidate for this position? I am a computer engineer by trade and I have learned how to apply critical thinking and analytical problem solving to complex situations. My experience as a project lead as well as my exposure to the political process gives me a broad experience level on which to examine new situations.

2.    Which is the main issue that you hope to change or retain during your upcoming term should you be elected? My first priority would be the completion of the WWTP. This plant is past its design life expectancy and Mantorville needs to switch over to our new system as soon as possible.

My second priority will be to continue our focus on lowering or freezing taxes. Housing values are finally starting to come back up, and our current plan is to grow revenue organically with the natural housing value increases, and not by raising rates.

3.    How are you going to get things done in a political climate of red tape and gridlock? The climate of red tape has slowed the WWTP down. The EPA and the MPCA were looking for different criteria in our connection plan. All parties are now on the same page and the permit has been grated. We break grown next summer.

4.    What do you want to accomplish in your term of office? A)    The city is still working with the Dodge County Trails Association to establish a trail through the city connection to a regional trail between Rochester and Owatonna.
B)    The City need to complete the construction of the new Waste Water Treatment project.
C)    Get finalized grant funding to help with the WWTP project.
D)    Establish a pattern of lower taxes and rate freezes.

5.    Why are you running for this particular position? I want to make my community better, position Mantorville in a strong position for survival and to leave a better world for my son Spencer than which I was raised in.

6.    Anything else you would like to add? I feel very blessed to have served as Mantorville’s Mayor for the past four years. The community has made significant progress since I was first elected to the City Council and we could not have accomplished this without the cooperation of the Citizens of Mantorville and the rest of the City Council members. I would like to thank all those individuals over the last four years that have helped the community either on the council, helped organize events like Marigold Days or served on one of our many sub-committees. Thank you all! I would also like to thank all those citizens that took time to come to a council meeting, write a letter or just picked up the phone to share a thought or concern we value your input as well. Remember the election is November 8th so please get out there and vote.

Star Herald Canidate Questions

10/07/2016

Name: Chuck Bradford
Age: 51
Occupation: Firmware Engineer

Government Experience:

Elected	National Alternate Delegate	2016
Elected	Mayor, City of Mantorville	2012,14
Elected	Mantorville Councilman	2008
Elected	Dodge County Republicans Chair	2005
Elected	Deputy Chair First Congressional District	2009
Appointed	Park Board Commissioner	2011
Appointed	Acting Mayor for the City of Mantorville	2011
Appointed	Personnel Committee	2010
Appointed	Committee on Budget and Finance	2010
Appointed	Mantorville Historic Dam Committee	2010
Appointed	City infrastructure Committee	2010
Appointed	Mantorville Planning and Zoning Commissioner	2009
Appointed	Mantorville Economic Development Commissioner	2009
Appointed	Mantorville Liaison for Fire Dept and City Council	2009

Please give a brief Bio (200 words or less)
Family: Chuck and Abby have been married for over 25 years. They have a beautiful 8 year old son named Spencer. One of Chuck's driving motivations for running for office is his desire to leave an even better State for his son Spencer than the one in which he was raised. Chuck has leveraged this passion to fight for the citizens of Mantorville.

Community:
Chuck continues to be involved with his local community. He has been a member of ad-hoc community organizations that are formed to better the community environment and in more formal groups. As a member of the Kasson-Mantorville Lions club, Chuck has served his community as a volunteer by raising money and working on community improvement projects. Chuck's volunteerism has served both Dodge and Olmsted counties promoting tourism, local projects and local policy issues. Chuck also volunteers on the Welch Village Ski Patrol where he helps provide emergency medical assistance to injured skiers. Chuck understands that serving, as an elected official is the highest form of community service.

Education:
Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University.
Area of Study, Electrical Engineering with a undeclared minor in Mathematics.

What office are you running for?
Mayor

What would you say your accomplishments have been during your last term in office?
We have been working on the plans for the new Waste Water Treatment Plant for several years now. We were able to find a mutual agreement with the City of Kasson for a joint effort on a combined treatment system. Both cities approached the State Legislature and were identified as recipients for grant dollars for each of our projects. The City of Mantorville has been finally granted a permit for the construction of our phase of the project and we are looking at a summer of ’17 ground breaking.

The City of Mantorville has also been able maintain a reasonable tax rate and we have even reduced the tax rate a few times over the last few years. The overall tax burden placed on the citizens is a significant item when residents consider a new community. We have increased the attractiveness of Mantorville to new residents by placing taxation as a primary focus.

We have been able to work on infrastructure needs as well and have several new street projects either planned or in process. These investments in our community will serve Mantorville well into the next several decades.

The City was able to update the City Hall and Fire Hall. We were able to replace the siding on the building, replace some weakened wood and replace some of the lighting with L.E.D. lighting.

The City is continuing to work with the Safe Routes to School program as well as the Dodge County Trails Association to identify, secure and build a new trail system connecting Rochester and Owatonna.

What issues do you anticipate facing if you are elected?
The ongoing focus will be balancing the budget and addressing project needs. The largest project for next year that is sure to present challenges is the completion of the Waste Water Treatment Plant.

What will be your top five priorities if you are elected? (Please explain why)
1,2 & 3. The Waster Water Treatment plant is finally getting close to a start date. The City of Mantorville’s current plant is well past its design life expectancy and we will need to do something to meet future needs of the city.

4. The cities taxes rate will continue to be a focus area that will be reviewed and scrutinized over the next few years. The current plan is to have city revenue grow no faster than the housing values within the community. This will place more money into the private sector, increase Mantorville’s marketability and reduce financial stress on our residents.

5. The cities Infrastructure will need to be a continued focus. Some the roads in town are in bad need of repairs/replacement and this needs to be addressed so that our citizens have viable roadways to utilize within the city.

What is the most important problem facing your city today, and how would you work to solve it?
The aging Waste Water Treatment Plant is the single largest issue for the City. Mantorville recently found out that our permit has finally cleared both the EPA and the MPCA evaluation criteria and we are able to proceed with our connection to Kasson. We are planning on breaking ground next summer.

Affordable housing is a growing issue in Dodge/Mower/Olmsted County how would you try to help combat the problem in your city?
The City is already working on addressing this need. We have been working with developers, realtors and the township focusing on new sub divisions, planning of mixed housing types and expanding the cities available housing.

Anything else that you would like to add?
Mantorville has a great potential to be a tourism destination. The city will need to develop this while continuing to meet the communities’ infrastructure needs and maintain a reasonable tax rate.
This summer we were able to celebrate the reopening of the historic courthouse. This reopening marks the continued commitment of the county to work with the community of Mantorville for the next several decades. It has been an honor and privilege to serve my neighbors as your Mayor and to work with the State Legislature on behalf of the citizens of Mantorville. With your support we will continue to grow our community together. Please vote November 8th.

MPCA Permit and Temp Finance

The Mantorville City Council last Friday was informed that the MPCA as well as the EPA have both agreed to the request for the new Waste Water Treatment Plant permit. The permit was the last open item that needed to be completed prior to beginning construction on the new pipe system to go over to Kasson. The Kasson plant is still behind schedule; however, we have been given the ok to do concurrent construction and will break ground some time next summer. The City Council also ok temporary financing for the project since the Governor did not call a special session to take care of the budget. The City already had a repayment authorization resolution in place that will allow us to pay our selves back if we are awarded a grant for part of this project.

Thank You Lunch

The MRA along with Jane and John Olive arranged a thank you lunch for all the workers that have been in town since June to restore the wall next the hwy 57 around our court house. All during this summer workers from EAI worked labeling, photographing and reassembling the historic limestone retaining wall next to the court house. The crew plans on wrapping up this week or early next and the MRA really wanted to show the communities appropriation and provided a lunch for the crew as they finished up.

Fall in Minnesota

September 27, 2016

Flooding:

The flooding event last week resulted in having the Riverside Park evacuated around midnight. The Zumbro Bend Rendezvous’ annual event was canceled due to flooding conditions in the park. It was unfortunate that we had to evacuate this event, but the safety of the participants was more important. Hopefully next year the weather will cooperate.

During the heavy rains and winds of last week there were some damage areas that the city is aware of. Please report any storm related damage you are aware of to the City Hall such as down trees or eroded streets.

I was able to examine the water level in the park at the high water mark and I have some pictures on my blog for anyone that would like to see just high the water came into the park. My blog is located at: MantorvilleMayor@Gmail.Com

Court House:

Council member Hofstad and I were able to attend the open house for the newly remodeled Dodge County Courthouse. Judge Williamson did a great job of organizing the event and arranging several dignitaries to attend including one Minnesota Supreme Court Justice. After the formal remarks there was an opportunity to tour the secure areas of the courthouse. We were able to see the new 9-1-1 dispatch area and learned about the new feature where in the near future the Dodge County Dispatch will have the ability to accept text and video over the 9-1-1 network. Dodge County will be one of the first in the state to have this capability.The new layout of the courtroom is based on a drawing found inside the old walls and is believed to be the original layout from the 1800s. The redesign also has a safer secure corridor for the transport of prisoners.

The City of Mantorville would like to congratulate the County on a successful remodel of this historic structure and a continued healthy working relationship with the City. We are looking forward to another 100 years of service from the states oldest continually working courthouse. I have placed a copy of the text for the ad the city placed in the paper last week plus some additional pictures of the our tour of the court house on my blog at : MantorvilleMayor@Gmail.Com

Accessory structures:

The City Council passed the new changes to the accessory structure ordinance last Monday night and the last remaining tabled item is the definitions of the Transitional District. The new structure size was increased from 900 to 1400 square feet.

Still looking for one more EDA Commissioner:

If your interests are more aligned with promoting tourism and our business climate here in Mantorville the EDA does still have one position open. The City Council on Monday approved the appointment of one new commissioner that was forwarded from the EDA to the City Council and with the next appointment the Economic Development Authority will be at full strength. Please consider applying for this rewarding opportunity.

Waste Water Treatment Plant:

We found out this week that we were granted our permit for our new waste water treatment plant. The City Council will hold an emergency session this Friday to award the contyract.

Yours in service,

Chuck Bradford,

Mayor - City of Mantorville

MantorvilleMayor@Gmail.Com

MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com

Flooding Hits Mantorville

Heavy rains hit Mantorville and the surrounding area this past weekend. Along with a evacuation of River Side Park the city also monitored the RV camp site. The camp site was not evacuated and remained above the flood levels all weekend. I was able to document some of the waters encroachment at close to the high water mark and I wanted to share some of the photos I took of this event.

    The Covered Bridge stayed above the water level

In the next photo we can see that the new benches that were added this summer to River Side Park were in the path of the flood waters; however, the water velocity was not great and the benches did survive the event.

                                                           The new benches added this year were in the waters path

The flood waters greatly increased the water volume and velocity as it went over the Mantorville dam. In the photo below we see how the usually well pronounced dam's incline has been smoothed out and looks more like a bump in the waters flow.

    The dam looked more like a ripple in the heavy water flow

The final picture in this series show a panoramic view from the south side of the Covered Bridge and extensive encroachment of the flood waters into the surounding areas.

    Panoramic view of the Flood waters around the Covered Bridge

An Historic Reopening

On September 16^th the Dodge County Court House was open for an open house. Council member Hofstad and I were able to attend and represent The City of Mantorville. Judge Williamson held a special court session and waived the photo restriction for this event. 

                               Photo 1: Judge Williamson Calls court to session

The new design and layout is based on the original 1800s layout and includes a rich walnut wood décor. In the next photo we can see the entire rooms layout.

                               Picture 2: New Dodge County Court Room

Judge Williamson was able to get several visiting dignitaries including one current Minnesota Supreme Court Justice. In the second picture below we can see some of the visiting judges presenting a plaque commemorating the reopening of the oldest continually working courthouse in the State of Minnesota.

                                Picture 3: Presenting the plaque

Congratulations Dodge County on the successful completion of an extensive remodel and for your focus and dedication on preserving the historical significance of this local land mark. The City of Mantorville is looking forward to working with the Dodge County Court system for another 100 years.

51st Marigold Days a Success

September 12, 2016

2016 Marigold Days:

The 51^st Annual Marigold Days celebration was this last weekend and once again it was a huge success. I would like to thank everyone that worked on any of the events this past weekend. The Marigold Days Committee, the MRA, the Field of Flags committee, The Mantorville Fire Department, The VFW, The Congregational Church, The Car Show organizers, the live performers, the Fireworks, all of our many vendors and supporters and everyone else that made this weekend possible. With out your efforts this event would not happen so THANK YOU! I have uploaded a few snap shots I took during the weekend. The photos can be seen on my blog at MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com

Stage Coach Days:

The EDA is organizing a new subcommittee much like the one we have that organizes Marigold Days celebration. The kick off of the new committee will be held at the Hubble House on September 18^th at 4:00 pm. There will be some hors d’oeuvres and beverages provided by the EDA. We are planning on having a person that has had a great deal of success in organizing and motivating volunteers to speak to the group about some possible approaches to make this group successful. This article is an open invitation to anyone that would be interested in helping with next years Stage Coach Days to come see what this might involve and get more information with helping out with a city function. I am really looking forward to seeing many new faces.

Still looking for one more EDA Commissioner:

If your interest are more aligned with promoting tourism and our business climate here in Mantorville the EDA does still have one position open. The City Council on Monday approved the appointment of one new commissioner that was forwarded from the EDA to the City Council and with the next appointment the Economic Development Authority will be at full strength. Please consider applying for this rewarding opportunity.

Thank you again for participating in this years Marigold Days weather you just came down to look or if your were involved with helping out.

Yours in service,

Chuck Bradford,

Mayor - City of Mantorville

MantorvilleMayor@Gmail.Com

MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com

Quick Snaps for 2016 Marigold Days

 This Past weekend was the fiftieth anniversary of the Marigold Days Celebration. Each day from Thursday to Sunday had dozens of events each day with the busiest being Saturday. I wanted to share some snap shots I took over the weekend.

Wells Fargo loaned us a beautiful stage coach to have on display. The stage coach was on display on the old relay lot.

                                                                               Wells Fargo Stage Coach

Young, old and everyone in between had a good time at the bean bag toss competition.

    A young boy throws a bean bag.

Four young ladies stepped up to be part of the Marigold Days Royalty. Each girl has made a commitment to make our community better and Miss Laura Soland was chosen to be this years Miss Marigold Days. Congratulations Laura.

                                         The crowning of Miss Marigold Days

There were some amazing vehicles on display this at our Car Show on Sunday. One particular GTO caught my eye.

                                                                               Pontiac GTO at the car show

Both the saloon and the Fire Department held dances at this years celebration. Both Friday and Saturday nights events were well attended and many took part in the later hours of the celebration with dancing and enjoying music.

    Hitfaced plays live at the Fire hall

Hope to see everyone there next year

Happy Marigold Days

September 11, 2016

The 50th Anniversary Marigold Days:
The 51st Annual (50th Anniversary) Marigold days celebration is this weekend (Sept 10 & 11). The celebration starts on Thursday at 1:00pm with the Restoration & Log House tours and winds up with “Smash and Grab” playing live music starting at 3:00pm. Through out the weekend there will be live music, a dance and several special events to attend. The full schedule of events for this years Marigold Days celebration can be found at: http://www.marigolddays.com/?page_id=74 This years event promises something of interest for everyone. I hope to see everyone down there for a great time and don't forget the fireworks display at 8:30 Saturday night.

Remember 9-11:
This weekend also is the anniversary of the barbaric acts by Islamic Terrorist against a peaceful Nation. Most of us still clearly remember the day that a group of cowardly terrorist brought evil to the city of New York. We also remember how we came together as a single nation and answered the acts of evil with resolve and determination. This weekend while we are celebrating one of the last warms days of summer, take time to reflect, give thanks and honor those that have served or are currently serving in our Armed Services. From myself, and everyone with the city let me offer a well deserved Thank You, and for those still serving may God watch over you and bring you home safe to your loved ones.

Fifth Street Update:
After press time for last weeks article, the milling machine did show up and was able to complete a section of fifth street. There are pictures of the process on my blog located at: http://mayorbradford.blogspot.com The next step for fifth street will be at the end of the month, when the rest of the street from Mantor Drive to the city limits will be milled and the entire upper section of fifth street will be completely rebuilt. The remaining lower portion of Fifth Street will be addressed hopefully next year.

Reminders:
We have had one application for a new EDA member, but are still looking for one more commissioners. Those interested should come down to city hall to fill out an application.

The City Council will continue our discussion on Accessory structures, adding wording for B&B operations within Mantorville and changing some of the definitions within the Transitional districts. These discussions are a continuation from last City Council’s public forum.

Four of the five spots on the City Council are up for elections this year, please check your calendar to see if you will be in town on the first Tuesday of November and if not please make arrangements to vote absentee.

Remember that Marigold Days is this weekend; I hope to see everyone there.

Yours in service,

Chuck Bradford,
Mayor - City of Mantorville
MantorvilleMayor@Gmail.Com
MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com