BELLE PLAINE HERALD, BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA
PAGE SIX
Cologne Weighing City Water Rate Hike to Repay Loan Loan Would Pay for New Treatment Plant, Well
As Cologne moves toward approval of a water treatment plant and groundwater well, paying for the facilities and their operating costs could well be the final hurdle before issuing the final go-ahead. The city council is considering increasing the cost of municipal water to help repay a loan of up to $7.4 million from the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority (PFA) for the plant and new well. Monday (July 11), the city received a study on city water rates. The study provides the council with information on the revenue that would be generated by varying levels of rate hikes. But with Mayor Scott Williams and Councilor Jeff McInnis absent, the council tabled until the July 18 meeting discussion on the study and any proposed increases. Cologne city councilors have until the first week of August to approve the existing bids on the plant and well. Those bids came in around $6.2 million. “I think this will take a little more time than just saying yeah or nay,” said Councilor Kyle Evenski. PFA pushed the city to complete the rate study to assure Cologne had the revenue to repay the loan, said Cologne City
Administrator Jesse Dickson said. Cologne last raised its municipal water rates in 2015. The study performed by Springsted Inc. includes proposed rate hikes of 24 percent in 2017, 2018 and 2019, followed by a 10 percent increase in 2020, a 5 percent increase in 2021 and a 3 percent bump in 2022 to repay the loan. The study also assumes no increases from 2023 through 2036. It includes the possibility of volume fees to generate additional revenue from high-use customers. The proposed increases would bump the water bill for a house using up to 20,000 gallons annually by $36.37 per month or $436.43 annually. The city’s other option to fund repayment of the loan is through property taxes. The study assumes 15 to 30 new connections annually between 2017 and 2036. In other action at the July 11 meeting, the Cologne City Council: • Paid bills totaling $226,688.04. • Granted the Church of St. Bernard a temporary liquor license for Oct. 1. • Passed a resolution identifying the need for funding for the completion of the city’s 2040 comprehensive plan and authorizing a grant application for assistance funds. • Directed the city administrator to seek quotes on lighting and a memorial plaque for a tree recently planted outside city hall.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2016
Union Hill
St. Thomas by: Loni Graham Father James Burns will celebrate Mass at St Thomas on Sunday July 31 at 11 a.m. Father Andrew Stueve celebrates Masses at St. Anne’s in Le Sueur on Saturdays at 5:15 p.m., Sundays at 8 and 10:30 a.m. Many attended the Pioneer Power Tractor Pull Sunday at the Showgrounds. James Oak was one of the pullers, his family was there to cheer him on. Doc, TC and many others enjoyed the day. Declan O’Connell enjoyed dining out with his dad Dan and grandma Sharon Saturday
evening at the Road Haus in Henderson. His mom and sisters were on vacation. Many enjoyed the St. Thomas Ladies Lunch Tuesday, and more on that next week. Our families, the Pat Baumgards, Kevin Landwers, and Corey Vlasaks gathered at the Graham family farm home this weekend. Some camped out overnight as they celebrated, Grandma’s birthday and gifted her with their power and presence, man power, woman power and kid presence. They enjoyed Sunday brunch at the Road Haus in Henderson. It was wonderful.
by: Edna Weiers St. John’s Catholic Church St. Scholastica Church Father Dave and Deacon Bob Saturday Mass at 8:15 p.m. at St. Scholastica Servers: Joseph Huebl and Leo Pexa Sunday Mass at 8 a.m. at St. Scholastica Servers: Mathew Schoenecker and Sarah Colwell Sunday Mass, 10 a.m. at St. John’s Servers: Gloria Owen, Sylvia Lemke and Abby Knutson Wednesday Mass at St. John’s 5 p.m., word and communion Lincoln Stuber celebrated his 6th birthday Saturday. His parents Tanya and Ben hosted a party at their home on Cedar Lake Saturday afternoon.
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Grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts and uncles helped Lincoln celebrate. Humor Corner: A man, troubled by his conscience, went into confessional of a Catholic church and confessed to the priest that for many years he had been stealing building supplies from the lumberyard where he worked. The priest asked, “What did you take?” “Took enough lumber to build my own house, my mother’s house, my son’s house, and my daughter’s house,” the man replied. “This is a very serious sin,” the priest said. “I will have to consider an appropriate penance. Have you ever done a retreat?” “No, Father,” the man replied. “But if you can get the plans. I can get the lumber.”.
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BAR-B-Q DAYS 2016
BEER GARDEN VOLUNTEERS SCHEDULE
FRIDAY 6:00 pm-8:30 pm Kelsey Scanlon Jim Jeurissen Francis Lambrecht Kay Otto Steve Otto Bruce Schmidt Jen Zurn Greg Zurn Beansy Zurn Sharon Blume Lee Blume
FRIDAY 8:30 pm-11:00 pm Lu Ann Buerkle Dan Buerkle Mike Carney Todd Derner Joe Effertz Robert Effertz Brian Fahey Bob Hankins Adam Johnson Albert Koepp John Luedloff Dave Prokosch Kevin Savage Judy Savage Kay Siemon Pat Skelly Ryan Stevens Melissa Stevens Bruce Ponath Stephanie Ponath Laura Bettelyoun FRIDAY 11:00 pm-1:00 am Chad Behnke Joe Behnke Paul Fogarty Tom Herrmann Chris Hiles Jim Mahoney John Mahoney Bill McCue Dave Otto Jason Stier Tim Stier Kevin Studnicka Ed Townsend Lenny Traxler Jim Trout Kevin Wolpern Doug Lemieux Renne Lemieux SATURDAY 10:00 am-2:00 pm Dave Gnan Johnny Miller Joe Huber Gary Peltz SATURDAY 12:00 pm-2:30 pm Fred Keup Orin Kruschke Nick Zwick Aaron TenEych Brandon Gaikowski
JULY 15th-17th
SATURDAY 2:00 pm-5:00 pm Steve Schroeder Marci Schroeder Molly Lawson Laura Schultz Katie Otto John Ernst Doug Nasby Brett Kruschke Matt Schultz Mike Schultz Andy Siemon Luke Stuewe Lexi Bahr Josh Terrio Andy Weldon
SATURDAY 5:00 pm-7:00 pm Jeff Bahr Scott Bergs Shannon Bergs Myron Bratsch Drew Carlson Dave Feldt Joe Ploetz Jeff Fogarty Steph Fogarty Jeff Gansen Matt Hartman Eric Johnson John Koepp Matt Lenz Pat Moriarty Jill Moriarty Matt Weldon Doug Dublois Tina Siegle SATURDAY 7:00 pm-9:00 pm Pat Anderly Lee O’Brien Maury O’Brien Tracey O’Brien Jim Solheid Matt Mellgren Ben Britz Kevin Fors Wendy Fors Jeff Foster Patrick Mulroy Tom Meger Deborah Mellgren Mike Olson Kurt Vinkemeier Katie Grengs Jeff Grengs Joan Olson
SATURDAY 9:00 pm-11:00 pm Maureen Busse Bill Kessler Bill Menke Brandon Muelners Jean Murphy Craig Otto Julie Otto Scott Renne Brad Schmidt Dale Schmidt Nathan Schultz Ashley Schultz Connie Lehman Jim Gerres Megan Gerres Jeff Vinkemeier Sheila Vinkemeier Barb Hansen SATURDAY 11:00 pm-1:00 am Dennis Aretz Jeff Bauer Mike Bell Paul Chard Jeff Chard Jeff Eppen Matt Fahey Missy Fahey Tom McCue Dave Menke Lee Schmidt Brian Schmidt Jason Schmidt Steve Gerres Brian Sieckman Dave Siegle Matt Stier Ben Stier Jim Koonst Mark Koepp Brent Koepp Tim Krentz Larry Krentz Tyler Johnson SUNDAY NOON-3:00 pm Roger Graham Tom Sellnow Bud Steen
SUNDAY 3:00 pm-5:30 pm Dan Chard Darwin Dahlke Bob Hillstrom Greg Stienessen Paul Stienessen Doug Schultz Mike Ludvik Micheal Winterfeldt Anne Rothstein Sarah Vizecky Amanda Schmidt Kayla Alves Tracy Bergland SUNDAY 5:30 pm-8:30 pm Carol Bauer Roger Bauer Emily Carney Tammy Chard Joe Fahey, Jr. Mark Hartman Mike Huber Jelene Johnson Mark Johnson Lynette Koepp Chris Moylan Jeff O’Brien Josh Selbrade Margaret Siemon Dave Watkins Chris Weldon SUNDAY 8:30 pm-12:00 am Jake Behnke Dick Effertz Stan Effertz Zach Effertz Marion Entinger Larry Entinger Matt Gregory Brady Hartman Ryan Hartman Einard Karnitz Ken Neisen George Ruhland Tom Ruhland Steve Ruhland Patrick Hartmann Jim Steffen Gary Steinhagen
If you can not make your scheduled time, please let one of the committee members know. Thank you in advance for taking time and helping us again this year.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS John Bergs 612-910-6067 • Matt Fogarty 612-270-3534 • Joe Hartman 612-759-7488 Tony Hartman 612-245-9707 • Brad Johnson 952-994-7276 • Dan Lehman 952-200-8263 Joe Murphy 952-200-9306 • Terry Siemon 612-396-0603 • Tim Bristlin 952-412-1446