Hello June –You Wonderful Summer YOU!

May 26, 2017

Joint Ventures:
The Joint Venture Group (JVG) consisting of the City of Mantorville, The City of Kasson and the Kasson-Mantorville School District met last week. During the meeting, we spoke about projects currently underway, our budget and new future plans. I wanted to update everyone on one of the projects I have had received a few questions on. The basketball hoops that the JVG has on order will be installed shortly. The City crew in Mantorville is currently working on getting the new back boards to fit our current poles. The City of Kasson plans to install theirs in June, so in the next few weeks all the boards should be setup and ready to use, just in time for summer. Also, the City of Mantorville is adding additional drainage to the infields at Mantor Field to compliment the drainage work that the JVG is working on in the outfield.

Legislative Update:
I had the opportunity to speak with Senator Dave Senjem last week and he shared with me that they were currently working on adding back in the PFA Funds into the final budget proposal. He felt that we could still see some help from the State with the combined efforts on the Mantorville and Kasson Waste Water Treatment projects. I will continue to be in close contact with the Senator as well as our State Representative and will convey any information. I did want to remind everyone this is still fluid and could change quickly, so until we see the final product, we need to keep the pressure on the Legislature.

Waste Water Project:
The line along 615th Street has been installed and the terrane roughly restored. The installed line continues Northward on the West side of Highway 57. The line has been installed up to the south side of County Road 12. One of the last parts of the installation will be to directional drill under Highway 57 and then to drill under the river. Once all the pipe is in the ground, the line will be pressure tested with a pneumatic bleed down test in sections. When the entire line passes the leak down test, the project can transition to installation of pumps in Mantorville; the completion of the reception system in Kasson; and finally, when both cities are ready and the MPCA has cleared the projects, the City of Mantorville can start pumping to Kasson. The City of Mantorville will then have a decommissioning project to conduct at the current Waste Water Treatment Plant. The decommissioning project will be a separate project from any renovation work to re-purpose the current building.

Schools Out For Summer:
School is out and the weather is getting warmer. Our students will be looking for summer activities. While some will choose to go fishing or kayaking, some of our students will choose a more direct interaction with the Zumbro River. I want to again remind everyone that the cliffs along the South side of the river have eroded and that that eroded material is in the river very close to the surface. The current situation presents a new and very real danger that has not been present in the past. The City will be installing no trespassing signs along the top of the cliff trail and the Sheriff's office has been informed to enforce the no trespassing rule. Under no circumstance is anyone allowed to jump off or attempt to jump off the cliffs adjacent to Riverside Park.



Yours in service,

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

Happy Memorial Day

May 22, 2017

Thank an Officer:
Last week the City had the flags at City Hall flow at Half mast in honor of “National Police Week” which was originally proclaimed by President Kennedy in 1962. This years celebration was marked with memorial observations at our National Capitol as well as in St. Paul. The DCI reported last week that next year you will be able to purchase a special Minnesota license plate that pays tribute to our Law Enforcement Community. It is appropriate that we honor the men and women who are on the front lines keeping our communities safe. From everyone at the City of Mantorville to all our area's police officers, Thank You for all that you do for us!

Thank a Veteran:
Memorial day is a time of remembrance but it is also a time of celebration. We pause every year to have a day set aside to remember those that have fallen in the service of their county. We also use this time to celebrate our freedom and independence. It is important to remember that we owe our service personnel a debt that can never be repaid. The sacrifice of our brave men and women in the armed services are responsible for securing the liberty and freedom we enjoy today. I would like to personally extend a warm and heart felt thank you to all of our service members. Take time this weekend to say a personal thank you to anyone in your life that has served their county, our veterans don't ask for much but they do deserve to know that we appreciate their sacrifice and dedication.

Waste Water Update:
The pipeline project is progressing at a slightly slower than expected rate; however, we are still on schedule for an August completion date. One of the last segments will be to directional drill under the river over to the current treatment plant location. The City is currently pursuing options for the decommissioning of the current plant and we are working closely with Minnesota Pollution Control. The City's engineering staff will post a Request for Bids later this week or early next week and the Council will continue the discussion on what the next phase for the land and structure at the current plant will be. Look for more updates in my next few articles.

Happy Memorial day. Take time to celebrate our freedoms, remember to thank a veteran who we owe our freedoms to and remember that freedom is never free, but ours have already been paid for and we are still making payments for our future generations as well.

Yours in service,

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

Mantorville Needs You

May 15, 2017

One of the things that makes our community so strong is our level of volunteerism. In my last couple of articles, I have mentioned the Fire Department and the Park Board. I wanted to expand this discussion this week and give a few updates on our progress with some of the volunteer boards. I would strongly encourage everyone to reach out to one of these boards and see where your skillset might be able to help out our community needs.

EDA:
During the last EDA meeting one commissioner tendered their resignation thereby opening an opportunity with the Mantorville Economic Development Authority. The EDA's primary mission is to promote and support the economic vitality of the business community and grow new business opportunities within the community. The EDA is also leading the efforts to identify opportunities where the Rochester Sales Tax money could be applied. Along with promoting the economic health of our community the EDA also promotes tourism and was the lead of our recent Branding effort. The EDA also is charged with selecting recipients for the annual Mantorville GEM award which is presented every year during Marigold Days. Along with the regular business of the EDA, there are four main subcommittees that the EDA oversees. The four EDA subcommittees are Tourism, Branding, Trails and Stagecoach Days. Commissioners on the EDA are appointed by the City Council. Those interested in being apart of the Mantorville EDA are encouraged to submit an application to City Hall.

Park Board:
In my last article, I mentioned that the last two opportunists would go quickly. The Park Board is now up to full membership. Thank you to all those that took time to fill out an application and also a huge thank you to our new Park Board Commissioners.

Fire Department:
It has been said that you can always tell a firefighter, they are the ones running towards danger when everybody else is running from it. Mantorville's Firefighters are those kind of people, men and women that are willing to place themselves in harms way in order to help others. Do you have the right stuff to help out? The Fire Department still has one opening available for a volunteer fire fighter. The Mantorville Fire Department is both a First Responder rescue as well as a Fire Department. Being a member of our Fire Department is a great way to gain valuable first aide skills as well as being a member of a community of brothers that protect life as well as property. Interested volunteers can contact J.J. Williams or fill out an application at City Hall.

Additional Mantorville Area Volunteer Opportunities

Mantorville Theater Company:
Do you have a flare for the dramatic? Do you like making people happy? Perhaps the Mantorville
Theater Company is a good fit for you. From the Mantorville Theater Company web site their mission statement in part reads “The purpose of this corporation shall be to establish and maintain a community theatre group and provide civic entertainment in the area of theatre, i.e. melodrama, musical plays, children's plays and other related theater activities to provide facilities for meetings of members and to lease, rent or own real property and borrow money thereon by mortgage or otherwise and to sell such real estate in whole or in part.  This corporation shall not afford pecuniary gain, incidentally or otherwise to its members.“ Our theater is a great way for anyone who likes to have fun, enjoys singing or otherwise just enjoys making people laugh and have fun. This is a great opportunity and I encourage more of our citizens to get involved with our performances. Anyone interested in being a part of the MTC is encouraged to contact the board at: mantorvilletheatre@yahoo.com.

Mantorville Restoration Association:
It has been said that if we do not remember our past we are doomed to repeat it. While we can certainly learn from our past, I'm not sure we should say we are doomed to repeat it. I think there are many aspects from our past that if we only could repeat them we most likely would. A very important part of remembering the good and the bad from our past is to maintain a tangible link across generations. The Historical assets of a community can and do tell you a great deal about the people that have lived there and the values of the people that still do. Mantorville is fortunate enough to have a board who's sole focus is the retention and preservation of the towns historical assets, the Mantorville Restoration Association. Their mission statement is “The corporation investigates the history of Mantorville, Dodge County and the state of Minnesota. It provides for the collection, preservation and dissemination of this knowledge and information. The corporation provides for the collection, preservation and display of papers, books, records, relics and articles of historical interest at one or more of its preservation properties”. (as listed on Guide Star at https://www.guidestar.org/profile/41-6056629 )

Dodge County Historical Society:
Mantorville is also home to the Dodge County Historical Society as well as the MRA. Both of these organizations help keep our history alive and work to preserve and protect those tangible assets that connect us across generations. The Dodge County Historical Society's web site is at http://www.dodgecountyhistorical.org/. According to their web site the volunteer opportunities are “Are you looking for a great way to meet people, learn about history, or build your resume? We are looking for Historical Interpreters (or docents), hosts, special events volunteers, and other volunteers to assist the staff in the daily operations of the Museum. Scheduling and time commitments are flexible. Our volunteers work as little as one day a month, or as much as once a week.”

Marigold Days:
The way it all began as posted on the Marigold Days Web site is :”It all began with the humble marigold, a hearty and colorful little flower native to the Americas.  Initially begun as a flower show to promote the planting of marigolds throughout the Mantorville community, with the sponsorship of Marigold Dairies, Rochester, Minnesota, this event has grown to be on one the region’s best known and most attended annual festivals.” The summer's end event that currently draws in thousands of visitors each year. The planning for this event starts a few days after the current years event ends. This weekend itself has many areas for people to volunteer. There are music venues, organizing vendors, scheduling events, arranging the parade, the car show, quilt show far too many to name them all. Those that are able to help out should contact the committee directly. The contact info is: xmarigolddays2015@gmail.com

There are also other opportunities within our community to help out with. Some of the opportunities include the Chamber of Commerce, Mantorville Tourism, Dodge County Trails Association as well as The Kasson Mantorville Lions. There are many opportunities within our community to help make our home a better place through volunteerism. I encourage everyone to find an area that interest them and help out where you can while having fun, connecting and making a difference in the community.


Yours in service,

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

Visit by the Secretary of State

May 8th, 2017

Secretary Simon:
Last Friday, I had the opportunity to sit down with our Secretary of State, Steve Simon, and talk about our branding effort. Secretary Simon was in southern Minnesota and he suggested we meet in Mantorville. We had about an hour long conversation at the Hubble House and were able to talk about several subjects. He wanted to know a little more about the brand project and the process we followed, how long the process took, what we wanted to accomplish with the brand project as well as  how it has been received so far. I was able to share with the Secretary that the brand had a very successful roll out and so far has been very well received. The secretary wanted to know about my impressions of what we need as far as new housing options. We spoke about some of the new developments that are in progress in town as well as some planning we are doing with some developers. When IK asked about what is new in the Secretary of State office, Steve told me about one of his pet projects. His office has been working on a questionnaire and related database. When a new company registers with the Secretary of State (all companies have to register with the SOS office to be an official company in Minnesota) they are asked to fill out an optional survey. The survey has only five questions on it and includes questions about veteran status, size of the company the industry “type” that the company operates in and if the company is a full time or part time company. The information obtained from the optional questionnaire combined with some of the information from the required form are stored in a sortable database. The SOS's office has a web site that allows visitors to search for a company type, veteran  owned companies etc. The secretary ran a report for me with details about Southern Minnesota. I will be sharing the report with both the City Council as well as the Mantorville EDA. This report will help us plan for the type of businesses that are growing in our area and also identify the types of businesses we need to work harder on attracting to our area.

Quarry Walk:
This Saturday May 13th at 1:00 pm the Dodge County Historical Society is sponsoring a query walk. The quarry walk is offered so that our residents can see first hand the historic quarry that is located on the Olive property. Those individuals that are interested in this rustic walk should meet at 1:00pm at the end of the 233rd Ave (AKA: West Olive Lane). The group will depart from the end of 233rd Ave shortly after 1:00pm. Directions to the meeting place are: Head South on HWY 57 across the bridge, turn West onto 617th street, take the second right heading North on 233rd Ave and drive to the end of the road.

Cliffs of Death:
I want to make sure everyone knows that there are submerged rocks that are now in the river and that the previous activity of jumping off the cliff is no longer safe. The City has new signs on order that state no trespassing and that hidden rock exist in the river and that jumping is now longer safe. The City is going to add a warning to our utility bills and the Sheriff's office will add a mention on their Facebook page warning of the new dangers found in our river below our cliffs.

Yours in service,

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

OK, Where are the May Flowers?

May 2, 2017

April showers have been in the area long enough, I am ready for those May flowers. The skis are put away for another season, the oil and gas are ready in tanks of our boats now if we can get some warm sunny and dry weekends we can get out on the lakes and start to get all the cob webs out of our fishing gear. Stream trout season for Dodge county has been open for two weeks now and bass and other game fish open in a few weeks. While we wait for the weather to cooperate and the rest of the season to open, I wanted to update everyone on the progress the City continues to make.

Projects:
The Waste Water Treatment plant project is continuing forward despite some less-than-desirable weather conditions. The crew has been able to get some work in even during the wet working conditions of the previous weeks. I have some quick snap shots posted on my blog with the progress of the project. The blog is located at MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com.

A New Eagle Soars:
On April 22, Benjamin Trihey was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. Benjamin joins Wyatt Coy, Harrison Heppelmann, Ross Mindermann and Brayden Tjosaas as our most recent Eagle Scouts from the Kasson Mantorville area. I recently made a proclamation declaring March 31 as Eagle Scout Day. Benjamin as well as the other boys had to plan, fund and execute a project that contributed to his community in a significant way. I am proud of all our Eagle Scouts and I hope the all are able to enjoy the satisfaction that come with seeing a project and a goal to completion. Congratulations Benjamin!

City Web site:
The City is re-working it's web site (Mantorville.com). The City has recently implemented a new city wide re-branding effort and the web site needs to be updated to be consistent with the new brand. The City has a intermediate web site that is in place with all the information that was on the old web site. Bookmarks into the old site will no longer work, however the information can still be found on the current web site. Look for our newly updated and refreshed web site to be live soon.

Opportunities:
The City currently only has one position for a Fire Fighter and one park board member position available. The two remaining opportunities will go fast so secure your spot today by contacting City Hall and filling out a application form. Summer is also bringing the celebration season with Stagecoach Days and Marigold Days. I know both of these committees would love to have additional help with planning and executing this years events. Please contact City Hall if you are interested in any of these opportunities.

Reminders:
In case I haven't mentioned it before, we are aware of some continuing erosion of the cliffs opposite the Riverside park. This property is still park property and the City has ordered some new trespassing singes and the Sheriffs department is aware of the City's plans to enforce the new no trespassing rule. The Sheriff's office will site anyone that is found along the cliffs. We need to prevent cliff jumping due to unseen dangers from the eroded cliff bank that now are just below the surface.

Yours in service,

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