Thursday, November 29, 2018
Application Deadline Approaching
The deadline for filing an application for a position on the newly Formed Safety Committee is approaching. Please get those applications into City Hall before Christmas. The Safety Committee will examine safety issues including traffic speed, research data based solutions to those problems and make recommendations back to the City Council. This is your opportunity to help shape safety concerns within our community and help out the City Council. Please consider serving on this committee and get those applications in to the City Clerk.
Staff Reviews
The Mantorville City Council has an appointed committee responsible for reviewing the performance of each of our City staff. The Committee accepts input from the public for feedback for any of our City staff positions. Please send input to myself or Henry Blair by the middle of December.
Happy Centential
The Mantorville Opera House which is maintained by the Mantorville Restoration Association turned 100 years old this year. The Opera House is home to the Mantorville Theater Company. The Mantorville Theater Company has been holding plays and melodramas in this historic building for over forty four years. Happy Birthday Opera House, and here is to another century.
Sunday, November 25, 2018
Single Vote Victory upheld
In the race for a City Council seat Sharon Davern came in ahead of Luke Nash by a single vote. Mr. Nash filed for a recount and that recount was preformed at the County Court House. The recount effort was open to the public and occurred on November 16th. After several hours of manual recounting of ballots and determining "voter intent" the vote total remained as a single vote victory. Congratulations Ms Davern, I look forward to your service to the citizens of Mantorville.
Thursday, November 22, 2018
Happy Thanksgiving
Today as we spend time with family and friends, lets remember to reflect on everything we are thankful for. I am thankful for Sandra who joined our family last year. I am also thankful to our son Spencer who brings so much joy in my life. I am so thankful for the oppertunity to live in Mantorville and have such wounderful friends and neighbors. None of these things would be possible with out the sacrifice and dedication of our brave men and women of our armed forces. I am so increadible thankful to all of our veterans! We all have so much to be thankful for. Enjoy your Thanksgiving and have a safe celebration.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Holiday Lights Last Year
Xcel Energy has informed the City of Mantorville that Holiday decorations will no longer be allowed on any of their distribution poles. Xcel said that if we wanted, we could still decorate the poles this year. Mantorville's lights were needing upgrading if they were to be put up and light. The City has chosen to decorate the poles with our existing decorations but not have them light. The City will examine other decorating options for next year. During the highway 57 upgrade project scheduled for 2021 the City is considering underground lines in the downtown area along with new architectural lights. The new lights would then allow the decorations to be put up again.
Sunday, November 11, 2018
Thank You Mantorville
November 11, 2018
I am honored and humbled that the citizens of Mantorville asked me to serve as their Mayor for an additional term. I continue to enjoy serving as your Mayor and I am looking forward to continuing our journey to improve our City. Thank you so much for your continued support. I have often found it interesting that Veterans Day is celebrated after our elections are held because it is the soldier that gave us free elections. The dedication, sacrifice and perseverance of our armed forces has given us our freedoms. We celebrate our first and second amendment rights because of the handwork and dedication of those willing to place themselves in harms way for our sake. I extend a heartfelt Thank You to all those that have served (or are serving) in our Armed Forces. We owe you a debt that can never be repaid, but know that we all are grateful for your service. I also extend a Thank You to the families of our veterans, it is with your support and commitment to our young men and women that allow them to be successful in their mission, Thank You.Fifth Street
The crew was able to get a few layers of blacktop down last week; however, the sidewalk is going to have to wait for Spring. Some of the landscaping needs to be completed and a final grade applied to both sides of the street. The crew is going to clean up as much of the rough grade as they can yet this fall and will come back in the Spring to finish the grading and landscaping. The combination of early colder weather and three weeks straight of rain last month really set the project back a great deal. We had hoped to have had the project completed this year.
Safety Council
Applications are still available at Mantorville City Hall for those individuals interested in serving on the Safety Council.The Council is going to be chaired by a City Council member and will reach out to the KM School District, MNDOT, Dodge County and the citizens of Mantorville. The mission of the Council is to report back to the City Council with recommendations for proven safety improvements that can be implemented in our community. This is your opportunity to get involved and I am looking forward to working with our newly empowered council.
Yours in service,
Chuck Bradford
Mayor - City of Mantorville
MantorvilleMayor@Gmail.Com
MayorBradford.BlogSpot.com
2018 Election Results
The people of Mantorville have voted.
The results from Election Night 2018*
Mayors Race
City Council
Congratulations to Don and Sharon. Thank you to Jim and Luke for being willing to serve the citizens of Mantorville.
*Some results will be reviewed closer after Election Night
The results from Election Night 2018*
Mayors Race
| Chuck Bradford | 361 |
| Jim Potter | 180 |
City Council
| Don Hofstad | 388 |
| Sharon Davern | 256 |
| Luke Nash | 255 |
Congratulations to Don and Sharon. Thank you to Jim and Luke for being willing to serve the citizens of Mantorville.
*Some results will be reviewed closer after Election Night
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
AT&T Announce Cell Service in Mantorville
The Following letter was made public this week as AT&T announces their investment in Mantorville.
AT&T Brings Faster Network, Better Access to Mobile Internet for Customers in Mantorville
Dear Friends,
AT&T has added a new cell site to its 4G LTE network in Mantorville to give customers faster, more reliable wireless service.
With 4G LTE, customers will have a better network connection while doing things like streaming videos, sharing on social media, and texting family and friends.
AT&T is proud of our commitment to Minnesota. From 2015 to 2017, we invested nearly $375 million in our Minnesota wireless and wired networks. And since 2010, we have invested more than $1 billion in our networks.
In 2017 alone, AT&T made 976 network enhancements in 299 communities across Minnesota, including new cell sites, the addition of network capacity, and network upgrades. We are continuing our investments in our Minnesota networks in 2018. Expanding our network in the area has given AT&T the most wireless coverage in Minnesota.
These investments boost reliability, coverage, speed and overall performance for Minnesotans and their businesses.
Our upgrades will also benefit public safety and first responders on FirstNet, public safety’s dedicated communications platform.
FirstNet is being built with AT&T in a public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority. It’s designed to help first responders in Minnesota and across the country connect to the critical information they need – when they need it – so they can keep themselves and the communities they serve safer.
We are proud of our investment in Mantorville, and we are excited for what the future holds.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. I’m here to help.
Sincerely,
Paul Weirtz
President ‹ AT&T Minnesota
Visit us at: minnesota.att.com
AT&T Brings Faster Network, Better Access to Mobile Internet for Customers in Mantorville
Dear Friends,
AT&T has added a new cell site to its 4G LTE network in Mantorville to give customers faster, more reliable wireless service.
With 4G LTE, customers will have a better network connection while doing things like streaming videos, sharing on social media, and texting family and friends.
AT&T is proud of our commitment to Minnesota. From 2015 to 2017, we invested nearly $375 million in our Minnesota wireless and wired networks. And since 2010, we have invested more than $1 billion in our networks.
In 2017 alone, AT&T made 976 network enhancements in 299 communities across Minnesota, including new cell sites, the addition of network capacity, and network upgrades. We are continuing our investments in our Minnesota networks in 2018. Expanding our network in the area has given AT&T the most wireless coverage in Minnesota.
These investments boost reliability, coverage, speed and overall performance for Minnesotans and their businesses.
Our upgrades will also benefit public safety and first responders on FirstNet, public safety’s dedicated communications platform.
FirstNet is being built with AT&T in a public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority. It’s designed to help first responders in Minnesota and across the country connect to the critical information they need – when they need it – so they can keep themselves and the communities they serve safer.
We are proud of our investment in Mantorville, and we are excited for what the future holds.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. I’m here to help.
Sincerely,
Paul Weirtz
President ‹ AT&T Minnesota
Visit us at: minnesota.att.com
Sunday, November 4, 2018
Vote this week
Voting is one of the great freedoms we enjoy in this country. This week we will go to the polls and choose those individuals that will serve as our voice in the various levels of government. We have a congressional race, a new Governor to select as well as our local races. Please remember to vote this week.
City of Mantorville Candidate Forum Questions
On October 25 the Mantorville Chamber of Commerce hosted a candidate forum at the Mantorville Senior Center. All City candidates were each asked the same series of questions and given 90 seconds to respond to each. Some of the questions asked and my answers to them can be found below.
First why don't each of you introduce yourself:
Thank you. I wanted to thank the Chamber for organizing this debate. I also would like to thank Larry Dobson for agreeing to be our facilitator. Thank you to the press for covering this debate and also thank you to everyone who has shown up for our debate tonight. I think an important part of any public office is the ability to listen, understand the concerns and remain emotionally neutral and most importantly not to antagonize our neighbors. I feel that public service is just that serving the public and not self service. My name is Chuck Bradford and I have been serving as Mayor for the last six years. It has been an honor to serve as your Mayor and I look forward to continuing in your service for another term. Thank you.
How would you describe your temperament?
Temperament is an important aspect of the job. It is vital to listen to our fellow neighbors with an open mind. You have to make sure you understand their point of view. People are often passionate when they present to the Council and it is important to be able to listen to their concerns and understand their point of view without getting drawn in to an emotional debate. Through active listening I have been able to facilitate open discussions within the City Council meetings.
What is the biggest Challenges facing the City?
I think there are four areas that the City will need to focus on:
A) Infrastructure
1) Street Improvements
2) Strategic side walks
3) Individual sewer connections
B) Resources vs Needs
1) Fourth Street, Fifth Street, Clay Street loop project
2) Golf Court
3) All other streets
4) Balancing tax rates with Cities needs
C) Resistance to change
D) Volunteer base
1) Few people do most of the work
2) need more young people
What, in your opinion, is the Cities best attributes?
Mantorville is rich in genuine historic assets. These assets energize the people within our community to donate their time and resources to improve the quality of life within our community. It is because of our historic assets that we have such great volunteers. I think our communities greatest assets are those historic treasures and our great volunteers.
Do you have any Conflicts of Interest that would interfere with your ability to serve?
I do not have any conflicts of interest. Matter of fact I have gone as far to donate back my salary to help balance our budget in the past. I have always looked for ways to give back to my community.
Have you served on any community boards?
I have been active with the Kasson Mantorville Lions club and I am a founding member of the KM Kiwanis club in the Kasson-Mantorville area. I have served on just about every sub committees within our community during my time on the City Council and Mayor. I have spent my Saturdays installing playground equipment, collecting corn stocks and pumpkins to decorate the community for the holidays and late night problem solving with City staff.
Was it a mistake to remove the stop signs on Ninth Street?
The change on 9th street started with a citizen's concern over speed and the lack of vehicles actually stopping at the signs. The Council reached out to the County as well as MNDOT to brainstorm. Both MNDOT and the County said a FIRST STEP was to remove the stop signs and then look at control methods that actually address speed. Since removing the signs I have been in close communication with the Sheriff's office. The Sheriff has been collecting real speed data to help the Council understand the situation. The officer on duty only made one stop over the last week and the speeds have been averaging about 26 mph. The City understands that more work needs to be done, looking at bump outs, striping, Kids at Play Signs and tree placement. The final solution could possible add back one or two of the removed signs. We have asked a Citizens Safety Council to make recommendations back to the Council for our next steps.
If elected what is your first priority?
Recently the City has been focused on completing the Waste Water Treatment Plant project and connecting with Kasson. The WWTP project has now been successfully completed and we can now double back and look at infrastructure. Ramping up our street projects will be a number one priority of mine. We will continue to utilize our annual street survey to update the top street priorities.
Is there anything else you would like to tell everyone?
Serving as Mayor you need to wear many hats. You have to testify before the State Senate in order to secure $1.8M for Waste Water Treatment Plant upgrades. Sometimes you have to work with State Agencies like MNDOT on highway 57 improvements. Even working with local citizens on infrastructure concerns and zoning issues. It has been one of my great pleasures to serve our community as your Mayor and I would be honored to do so for two more years. Thank You.
First why don't each of you introduce yourself:
Thank you. I wanted to thank the Chamber for organizing this debate. I also would like to thank Larry Dobson for agreeing to be our facilitator. Thank you to the press for covering this debate and also thank you to everyone who has shown up for our debate tonight. I think an important part of any public office is the ability to listen, understand the concerns and remain emotionally neutral and most importantly not to antagonize our neighbors. I feel that public service is just that serving the public and not self service. My name is Chuck Bradford and I have been serving as Mayor for the last six years. It has been an honor to serve as your Mayor and I look forward to continuing in your service for another term. Thank you.
How would you describe your temperament?
Temperament is an important aspect of the job. It is vital to listen to our fellow neighbors with an open mind. You have to make sure you understand their point of view. People are often passionate when they present to the Council and it is important to be able to listen to their concerns and understand their point of view without getting drawn in to an emotional debate. Through active listening I have been able to facilitate open discussions within the City Council meetings.
What is the biggest Challenges facing the City?
I think there are four areas that the City will need to focus on:
A) Infrastructure
1) Street Improvements
2) Strategic side walks
3) Individual sewer connections
B) Resources vs Needs
1) Fourth Street, Fifth Street, Clay Street loop project
2) Golf Court
3) All other streets
4) Balancing tax rates with Cities needs
C) Resistance to change
D) Volunteer base
1) Few people do most of the work
2) need more young people
What, in your opinion, is the Cities best attributes?
Mantorville is rich in genuine historic assets. These assets energize the people within our community to donate their time and resources to improve the quality of life within our community. It is because of our historic assets that we have such great volunteers. I think our communities greatest assets are those historic treasures and our great volunteers.
Do you have any Conflicts of Interest that would interfere with your ability to serve?
I do not have any conflicts of interest. Matter of fact I have gone as far to donate back my salary to help balance our budget in the past. I have always looked for ways to give back to my community.
Have you served on any community boards?
I have been active with the Kasson Mantorville Lions club and I am a founding member of the KM Kiwanis club in the Kasson-Mantorville area. I have served on just about every sub committees within our community during my time on the City Council and Mayor. I have spent my Saturdays installing playground equipment, collecting corn stocks and pumpkins to decorate the community for the holidays and late night problem solving with City staff.
Was it a mistake to remove the stop signs on Ninth Street?
The change on 9th street started with a citizen's concern over speed and the lack of vehicles actually stopping at the signs. The Council reached out to the County as well as MNDOT to brainstorm. Both MNDOT and the County said a FIRST STEP was to remove the stop signs and then look at control methods that actually address speed. Since removing the signs I have been in close communication with the Sheriff's office. The Sheriff has been collecting real speed data to help the Council understand the situation. The officer on duty only made one stop over the last week and the speeds have been averaging about 26 mph. The City understands that more work needs to be done, looking at bump outs, striping, Kids at Play Signs and tree placement. The final solution could possible add back one or two of the removed signs. We have asked a Citizens Safety Council to make recommendations back to the Council for our next steps.
If elected what is your first priority?
Recently the City has been focused on completing the Waste Water Treatment Plant project and connecting with Kasson. The WWTP project has now been successfully completed and we can now double back and look at infrastructure. Ramping up our street projects will be a number one priority of mine. We will continue to utilize our annual street survey to update the top street priorities.
Is there anything else you would like to tell everyone?
Serving as Mayor you need to wear many hats. You have to testify before the State Senate in order to secure $1.8M for Waste Water Treatment Plant upgrades. Sometimes you have to work with State Agencies like MNDOT on highway 57 improvements. Even working with local citizens on infrastructure concerns and zoning issues. It has been one of my great pleasures to serve our community as your Mayor and I would be honored to do so for two more years. Thank You.
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