The Northfield City Council, as expected, settled on a new Safety Center site Tuesday. But instead of choosing a parcel to house a joint facility, it voted 5-1, with Mayor Mary Rossing abstaining, to move ahead with the purchase of a 4.2-acre site on Riverview Drive behind Perkins restaurant for a police station.
The new building would also house administrative and training facilities for the Police and Fire departments while fire trucks would continue to be located at the current building at Hwy. 3 and Fifth Street. That facility would likely be upgraded for continued use.
I’m surprised how few people know that the City of Northfield commissioned an engineering study of the Northfield Safety Center to determine what would be needed to deal with its proximity to the Cannon River.
The report, prepared by Art Kalmes, URS Corporation, is included in the packet for the Council work session on August 31, 2009 (badly formatted PDF), and identified four different options for levels of flood protection, the most costly in the $350,000 range. See pages 8-9 for the consultant’s summary of the options, paraphrased here:
Option A involves the constructing a levee and floodwall around the perimeter of the facility
Option B raises the parking lot to allow access to the building expansion which would be elevated above the 100-year flood level
Option C is similar to Option C but would abandon the lowest level of the existing building
Option D calls for wet flood proofing of the existing building
Yes, last fall’s 100-year flood threatened the Safety Center. But it survived pretty well and flooding can be mitigated for a relatively small amount of money.
Yes, we need a bigger and better fire facility and the police facility needs many improvements. But that doesn’t mean the current Safety Center (the same age as Greenvale School), should be thrown away.
There are many other reasons that the City Council should not issue a bond for a new Safety Center facility right now. This is one. Contact members of the Northfield City Council and then show up at next Tuesday’s (March 1) public hearing at City Hall.
In this economic climate, I don’t understand why the Council doesn’t want the public to weigh in on such an important decision. Getting it built a little sooner hardly seems reason enough. I’m not the only one. See this Nov. 19 Northfield News editorial:
Now that the Northfield City Council has agreed on the scope and cost of a new Safety Center, we want to reiterate our belief that the question of how to fund the facility needs to go before the voters… There’s little doubt that the police and fire departments need a new facility, one out of the flood plain that will allow their staffs to work more effectively and efficiently. But we believe those shouldering the burden need to decide if the added cost is a payment they’re willing to make.
For those of us taxpayers who object, we can gather signatures to try to reverse the council’s financing decision, forcing the Council to put it before the voters in November. The City’s website says:
A reverse referendum petition must be signed by voters equal to five percent of the votes cast in the city in the last general election and is filed with the City Clerk within 30 days after the public hearing. Should the decision be made to issue CIP bonds and should a reverse referendum petition succeed, the question would be put to the voters in the fall general election.
Today’s Nfld News article, Getting their due, features the conflict between the City of Northfield and the Northfield Rural Fire Protection District over the proposed new Safety Center:
For months, city leaders, particularly Mayor Mary Rossing, have said discussions with Rural Fire leaders over cost sharing for a new Safety Center were stalled. Rossing even went so far as to imply Rural Fire officials weren’t willing to negotiate a deal. That’s just not true, say Jerry Anderson, Ray Ozmun and Paul Liebenstein, all members of the Northfield Rural Fire Protection District Board of Directors.
… It isn’t about the vehicles, says Anderson, Ozmun and Liebenstein. It’s about the Rural Fire District being recognized for its contributions when its time to talk about paying for a new Safety Center. And, said Anderson, if it’s going to be called a partner it expects to be treated like a partner.
I found it odd that, according to the article, Public Safety Chief Mark Taylor says ‘city leaders’ find that Rural Fire’s proposed $308,000 contribution to be low. Which city leaders, and why weren’t they interviewed for this article?
Back in July of 2009, Bridgewater Township Supervisor, Kathleen Doran-Norton commented here on LoGro:
One of the comments I heard at last night’s inter-governmental meeting was that the $10 million+ safety center needed to be a beautiful building that would make the people of Northfield proud. The township supervisors at this meeting asked if Northfield’s architectural design standards were driving up the cost of this building. There’s no interest in a Taj ma(fire)hal. What’s expected and would be supported is a serviceable utility building that fits the trucks that we use to keep folks safe, and located where everyone served can be reached without delay.
The city has indicated several times over the last year that it plans to talk with the Rural Fire Association and all other entities about financial support for the fire hall. The paper has reported a proposal to raise permit and other fees to pay for it. Drive by the new fire hall in New Prague. For less than $3 million, they got more than a gray box.
So it seems that Rural Fire would rather have Northfield spend more on equipment than it has in the past and less on a new building. I can’t disagree. And although the Council has made its decision on a new $10 million Safety Center, it’s far from certain that the voters will agree, especially when A) they find out that ‘all three city-purchased [fire] vehicles are more than 23 years old;" and B) that the current Safety Center’s flooding problem could be fixed for $325,000.
The “Friday Memo,” written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski, department heads, and other City employees, summarizes the staff activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of the City Administrator’s web page.
For several months I’ve seen a section of the liquor store’s south side wall crack, buckle and come apart, leaving a hole I could fit both fists into with room to spare. I’ve wondered how long the city planned to let moisture impact a building that’s already in poor condition.
Two months later, the hole is still there (right under the display window on the sidewalk), getting bigger, letting in rain water, and prominently countering the Mayor’s promise to do better at the very time that the City ramps up its pitch to the citizens on the need for new police and fire facilities.
Earlier this month, the City of Minnetrista (western Hennepin County, pop. 4,300) opened their new police facility. See the May 3 article in the Lakeshore Weekly News titled Police settle into new building:
The department left behind the 5,000 square feet it had worked in for the last 10 years and moved into 23,000 square feet of space designed to improve the department’s readiness and safety… The space was built to meet the needs of the department for the next 20 years. With a price tag of $9.1 million, including a public works garage and interest on bonds, it’s also expected to take 20 years to pay off.
The facility was built “after eight years of study and a significant amount of controversy.”
A vocal group calling itself Save Minnetrista set up a Web site, organized a petition and posted signs throughout the city to voice its opposition. The group asked for a referendum to determine whether the city should proceed with the project. They also questioned the timing of it during tough economic times.
“Save Minnetrista” is a resident group that is concerned with the massive city spending project being pushed through City Hall – without citizen vote. During this economic crisis, now is not the right time for City Hall to raise your taxes so they can build a $7 to $10 Million dollar pet project.
It seems like there might be something to learn from what happened in Minnetrista, whether you support the current plan to construct a new police facility or would rather see the current Safety Center rehabbed as a police-only facility with a new fire facility built elsewhere.
Northfield Mayor Mary Rossing presented at an NDDC forum this morning, discussing, as noted in Ross’ NDDC blog post, “the City of Northfield’s plans for financing the Capital Improvement Plan and [the] work to address the budget shortfall in the 2010 budget and a similar challenge for the 2011 budget.”
Local connection: Those firms currently paying property tax within the City of Northfield will be given the full 5 points. Firms demonstrating some relationship to the community will be given 3 points.
I like the 5 point property tax item. But I wonder what will qualify as ‘some relationship’? for the 3-pointer? “Well, the first time I ever got drunk/stoned/laid/arrested was in Northfield so I’ve felt this special relationship to it ever since.”
The Northfield City Council tonight opted for reuse of the existing Safety Center location for new fire station; a new location for police station; and expansion of the library downtown southward to include parking. The not-to-exceed price tag targets: $8.5M for the library; $8.5M for the police station and the fire station. Timetable: police station in 2011, fire station in 2012, library expansion in 2014.
Ross and I (and a few other malcontents concerned citizens) got a tour of the Northfield Safety Center on Friday. Tonight’s Council meeting addresses it. (See Councilor Betsey Buckheit’s blog post, CIP discussion continues, but action imminent.) It’s more than a little distressing that, as far as I know, no one from the City has acknowledged that it’s been irresponsible to have not done the deferred maintenance on the building for over 20 years. (continued)
We were all pretty perky for this week’s show, handing out some kudos here and there while we discussed a bunch of local issues that I can’t quite remember as I write this.
I do remember having fun, though, so be sure to listen anyway!
Three months ago, Mayor Mary Rossing formed a Safety Center Task Force to discuss the need for a new Safety Center (police/fire station) in the City of Northfield. The seven members of the task force had equal power. They were given no budget within which to develop their plans. Based on a list of tasks given them, they were to come to a consensus and present a proposal to the City Council. Their official mission statement read: (continued) Continue reading Guest blogger Athena Currier: That pesky Safety Center minority report
Call it the post-4th funk. Ross was pumping sunshine but Tracy and I would have none of it. The highlight of the show: someone fell asleep, and, it could be argued, rightfully so.
Our guest this week was Ray Cox, member of the Northfield Safety Center Task Force (SCTF), discussing you-know-what. I’ve turned off comments on this post. Join the discussion on the April SCTF blog post where there are 40+ comments to-date.
In City Administrator Joel Walinski’s Friday Memo last week, he noted that the “Safety Center Task Force toured several public facilities last week.” Recommendations from the Task Force (members listed below) are expected to come before the city council in April or May 2009. Financing and location are not the only issues; size and the pros and cons for separate facilities for police and fire have to be looked at, too. So let the discussion begin. Meanwhile, allow me to grumble about the City’s use of their web site for the Safety Center Task Force. (continued)
Evidently MNDOT has hired Pro Source ConstructionProSource Technologies to check out the City of Northfield’s empty lot next to the City’s maintenance facility on Riverview Drive. I took this photo of an excavator finishing up last night after it had dug up quite a bit of the lot over the past two days. Why? To see if there’s nasty stuff that’s been dumped there over the years. I don’t know what they found but I’ll see what I can find out.
MNDOT is looking at alternatives for its sand/salt lot/facility at the corner of Woodley and Hwy 3, a site that the City might want for a new safety center.
Update 2/26, 11:30 am: I took these photos (below) this morning. Looks like they’ve unearthed old pipes, asphalt, concrete… and not too far down, the water table. (continued)
Peter Seebach (Seebs): John, someone forwarded me a thing which helps explain why I do not believe the current situation provides adequate legal protections: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =ah4ke16g1DI Watch that, and then tell me with a straight...
Peter Seebach (Seebs): California in general has very high rates of “drug use”. And frankly, there is no place in the US that can be meaningfully called “very accepting” to gays. More accepting than others, sure. Why, I...
David Henson: Peter, you have the Internet you do the research. Use San Francisco as a baseline (an accepting place) – gays there have very high rates of depression and drug use.
Peter Seebach (Seebs): Those are fascinating beliefs, but conveniently for us, the research has already been done, and they’re wrong. Legalizing gay marriage has no effect on the observed incidence of homosexuality, and the concept of...
David Henson: John, I understand sexuality to be a continuum and not a hard and discrete fact. I earnestly believe that if gay marriage is approved many more people will experiment with gay sex and some numbers will get AIDS (and depression and...
Griff Wigley: Good turnout last night for the Cannon Valley Mountain Bike Team meeting at the high school. I’ve blogged a summary with the ppt presentations.
Griff Wigley: Jordan Osterman, the new Sports Editor for the Northfield News, scooped me on Saturday. I’m glad! Northfield high school mountain bike team forming As a club sport, mountain biking would have no official affiliation with either...
Griff Wigley: Good suggestion, Curt. I’ll do that for next week’s blurb. I have been verbally emphasizing the importance of having girls on the team, especially since their points on race days count more than boys’ points. Other...
Curt Benson: Hey Griff, I wonder if you shouldn’t put a bit more emphasis on the idea that you’re recruiting both boys and girls for this team. And that the scores for both the boys and girls make up a team score. I think that in the...
Griff Wigley: It should be noted that this team does not yet exist! So this meeting is for those student-athletes (and their parents) who might be interested in joining this new team.
Griff Wigley: Suzy Rook has a sidebar to today’s Nfld News update on last night’s Council meeting. Excerpt: The city administrator and finance director say they have asked for the information on several occasions, including last month...
john george: Living where we do, it is only a few blocks walk to North Street and a grand view of the sunsets. Also, with our neighbors’ mature white pines & spruce, our covered deck affords outdoor enjoyment with a fair amount of...
Griff Wigley: Props to the newspaper and Suzy Rook for mentioning LoGro twice in the story: Fire Department officials, including Fire Chief Gerry Franek, did not respond to several requests from the News for association financial records or...
Griff Wigley: Posted to Northfield News at 1pm: Ethical questions arise over Northfield Fire Relief Association expenses Donations made to Northfield Fire Relief Association aren’t public dollars, but that hasn’t extinguished city...
Griff Wigley: Curt/Robert, There’s a summary of the Rescue Squad on Page 21 of the 2009 NFD report to the City. It doesn’t mention that there’s a Rescue Squad Association. The last paragraph states: The Northfield Rescue Squad is...
Robert Palmquist: If Hvistendahl’s motivation was to keep the financials from getting known, his submitting a memo like that just really backfired. I agree, why would these financials be such a secret??? And why did the NRSA hire a lawyer to...
Curt Benson: So Hvistendahl has found another place to wet his beak. You ask a good question, “Why is it important that the City not know the Northfield Rescue Squad Association financials?”
Jim Haas: Happens to me a lot. So much that my lovely wife had to coin a term for it: she says I have datelexia.
norman butler: Since coming to my adopted country 16 years ago I have observed, amongst other things, that not putting the day with the date is both common and peculiar to Northfield (MN? USA?).
John Thomas: Just a reminder, advance tickets for Girls Night Out 2012 can be purchased on The Grand’s website at http://www.thegrandnorthfield. com/public-events. Your tickets will then be available at a special “Will Call” at...
Liz Reppe: This is a great place to buy plants! Jeni is very knowledgeable and they are both really helpful. You get great service and plant expertise, but the prices are not higher than other places in town.
bill metz: While most of how Jake is being remembered revolves around, and rightly so, his great and wonderful talent as an artist and teacher and the works of sculpture he has left for our and the next generations enjoyment, I have had the...
Ross Currier: It was an honor for me and the NDDC to work with Jake. His pieces of sculpture in our community send a powerful visual message that Northfield is an Art Town. I still marvel at his clever and creative approach to building social and...
paul krause: The memorial service will be held at 11am. Doors to the Chapel will open at 10am for a chance to visit with family members and friends to share memories of our dear friend. Anyone who would like to view the documentary Harvest (which...
kiffi summa: Come on, Griff… you say you’re “more than a little clueless about about investments” but you “just happened to notice”… and from what you said, were reading analytically, etc etc… Once...
Griff Wigley: I’m more than a little clueless about investments but I noticed on page 14 in the April 24 Council packet that the Fire Relief Association has 85% of its pension portfolio in stocks. Isn’t that a bit risky/aggressive for...
Griff Wigley: Has there been any media reporting on the intergovernmental meeting in Bridgewater Township that was held on April 25 re: the Rural Fire Protection District and the City of Northfield?
Jim Mangan: I noticed this morning that a few of the newly planted trees along South Highway 3 have a pronounced lean. Could it be storm damage?
Ross Currier: It’s great that someone is enhancing the connection between downtown and uptown. I know they coordinated their work with MNDoT, City staff, and the Streetscape Task Force. Uh, raise your trowels in a toast to the Northfield...
Vicki Serreno: I wish I’d known – this is my neighborhood since I left Northfield in 2010. I’d have shown up to support them.
Kathie Galotti: My neighbor and sometimes babysitter Maggie Kennedy appears in this video as well! Go Maggie, and Cliff and Sophie and Parker and everyone else! Well done, guys!
Peter Seebach (Seebs): Heh, we had those when I was in college. Guess we’re making progress, they’re starting years earlier now!
Sandy Vesledahl: Thanks for blogging our garage sale Griff! We are at 2018 Jefferson Rd, Suite 1, thanks to the Jasnoch Family for allowing us to use the space. We will be there until 5:00 today and again from 8-2 on Saturday. We’ve had a...
Bright Spencer: I have an 8 year old dog that has not been neutered, has not reproduced and never been out unleashed except in our yard. It costs nothing to care for your pet properly.
Bright Spencer: To see this makes me so happy! Best of luck to you!
Peter Seebach (Seebs): For what it’s worth, I’m pretty happy with the whole process so far, although we found exciting new things out about the land development code, such as “the rules for calculating how tall a building is for...
Peter Seebach (Seebs): Not a hot tub, a swimming pool. One of those backyard pools you can get at k-mart, and the greenhouse is so we can use it a couple months earlier in spring and later in fall.
Arlen Malecha: I wish more establishments had outdoor seating & dining. Now that our offices (Coldwell Banker South Metro www.CBSouthMetro.com are downtown, I love to see people sitting and dining outside. It is fun to walk up and down...
Sean Hayford O'Leary: I would say the current configuration of Division Street makes me grateful not everyone is doing it. Sidewalk dining brings a lot of livelihood to the street — but I’ll admit that I’ve been occasionally...
Griff Wigley: Rebecca, there are several Northfield eating and drinking establishments that have outdoor dining with tables and chairs, serving alcohol, but not SIDEWALK dining. Downtown ones that come to mind: The Tavern, Chapati, The Cow, Froggy...
Rebecca Bliss: Timely post, Griff -I didn’t realize this. I was just commenting to my husband about how nice it would be to dine al fresco now that the weather is getting warmer. Guess this is another discovery for the new...
Patty Gallivan: MOST Northfield volunteers are waiting for someone who DARES boost a program with evidence of effectiveness to come forward with leadership to actually make a difference with students in our Northfield schools. Make sure to let us...
Our guest this week, 
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