Volleyball Tigers Stay on Roll
Belle Plaine Men Visit Prisons for Good Cause Page 6
B.P. Student an Off-Road Warrior Page 16
Page 15
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOURTH YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015
75¢ SINGLE COPY
NUMBER 38
B.P. School Board Eyes Slight Reduction of 2016 Tax Levy Aiming to keep the property tax levy free of radical shifts and rebounds, the Belle Plaine School Board is planning a slight reduction of its proposed levy for the coming year. Meeting in a workshop Monday evening (Sept. 14), new Superintendent Ryan Laager and Chuck Keller, the district’s business manager, explained plans to set the preliminary levy 1.77 percent lower than a year ago. Laager and Keller told the board they avoided making dramatic cuts to the levy to avoid a rebound affect that might trigger an increase the following year. Their concern, Laager said, is that taxpayers might not recall the year of reduction when faced with an increase. The district will formally set its levy at its Sept. 28 meeting in the District Center. “We don’t like it to go up too much and we don’t like it to go down too much,” he told the school board. The proposed 1.8 percent reduction in the property tax levy Belle Plaine’s Annabelle Hanson (lower left) took a little extra time to check the bottom of means the owner of a house ducks for prizes in the duck pond at Our Lady of the Prairie’s Fall Festival Sunday (Sept. 13). valued for taxation purposes at The festival included dinner, raffles, bingo, a country store games and more. It was a benefit $100,000 should see a $17 drop in the Belle Plaine School Disfor Our Lady of the Prairie Catholic Church. trict’s share of property taxes. Much of the levy is controlled by formula based on student enrollments set as of Oct. 1. The rest of it is a matter of local decisions directors approve. The district is able to reduce its levy in part thanks to $120,000 are received and the construc- subgrade improvements were tion contract is executed. necessary to maintain stability City Administrator Holly and achieve adequate pavement Kreft reported that Mn/DOT section strength, thus increashas committed $902,000 in ing the cost of the project. funds for the project. Meanwhile, the council also unanimously approved change City Engineer Joe Duncan by Dan Ruud order No. 1 to the city’s 2015 said the final plans for the projThe Belle Plaine City Counpavement maintenance project were approved and signed cil last Tuesday night unaniect. The amount of the change by Mn/DOT on Aug. 19. mously approved an executive order is $19,666, thus increasThe letting of bids for con- ing the cost of the project from cooperative agreement with the Minnesota Department of struction of the project is sched- $74,488.12 to $94,154.12. The Transportation (Mn/DOT) as uled for today (Wednesday) contractor is Pearson Brothers. one of the final steps to the start with results to be presented to The change order consists of construction of the Highway the council on Sept. 21. Com- of crosswalk striping to be in169 overpass and Enterprise pletion of the project is sched- stalled at the east end of Enuled for fall of 2016, with an Drive extension project. intermediate completion of the terprise Drive, and additional Highlights of the agreement approach embankments, etc. streets within the O’Brien Subinclude: division were added for contithis fall. – The city will be responsible In other business last Tues- nuity. for the construction, ownership day night, the council unani- *Unanimously approved the and maintenance of the over- mously approved change order hiring of Cynthia Smith-Strack pass. No. 1 for this year’s street and as community development di– The state will maintain the utility improvement project, rector at step 3 of the city’s pay right to access and inspect the which increases the overall cost scale, which is approximately improvements within the high- of the project by $18,764 (from $72,222 annually. Smith-Strack way right-of-way. $954,749.60 to $973,513.60). is co-owner (with Joanne – The bids will be submitted Forest Street made up the bulk Foust) of Municipal Developto the state for review prior to of this year’s work, the contrac- ment Group in New Prague, tor for which is Chard Tiling where she has worked since issuance. 2001. Her fist day on the job in – The state will provide a lump and Excavating of Belle Plaine. Belle Plaine is expected to be Staff reported that additional sum payment in the amount of Sept. 28. $897,000 after the documents *Unanimously approved the purchase from Matt Saxe Chevrolet of a 2015 Chevrolet Emma Krumbee’s 32nd anCaprice police package squad nual Scarecrow Festival got car for the police department. underway Saturday and will It will replace a 2010 Dodge Charger with over 132,600 continue through Friday, Oct. 30. Over $6,900 in prize miles on it. money was awarded to this “Due to excellent state bid year’s top entrants. Two of The Belle Plaine Food Shelf The Belle Plaine Food Shelf pricing and further rebates and and its many volunteers will be has been open since July of incentives, the purchase price the first place entries are pichosting the fifth annual fund- 2011. Because of the donations of the vehicle ($25,104.50) tured here. At right is Josiah raising event to help support the of many people, the food shelf is $1,295 less than two years Mecredy of Cologne, whose organization that has assisted has assisted 614 new families, ago,” reported Police Chief entry “Jurassic Park” took first place in the Adult Cemany families in the area. donating 395,613 pounds of Tom Stolee. It will be held on Saturday, food (or 316,490 meals for *Unanimously approved the lebrity Scarecrow category, Nov. 14 at Borough Bowl in the those in need). installation of a two-tier con- good for $400. Pictured with party room, 235 Ash Street S. in The food shelf has donated crete retaining wall behind the Mecredy is his son James Belle Plaine. The evening will tens of thousands of pounds of home plate area of the ball field and daughter Rachel. Takfeature a buffet dinner, silent food, given out hats and mit- at Fountain Park. The estimated ing first place and winning and live auctions and raffle. tens, backpacks, calculators, cost of the project is $11,495, $400 in the Adult Traditional The food shelf is seeking and notebooks due to the genHarvest category was Heidi items to be donated for the live erosity of the Belle Plaine comCity Council Edwards of Jordan, who and silent auctions, as well as munity and other supporters (continued on page 6) is pictured above with her raffle prizes to be given out at of the Belle Plaine Food Shelf daughter Sydney. A complete the fund-raising event. Items program. The food shelf is curand financial contributions will rently giving out a ton of food list of this year’s top prize be accepted. Donors should call every week in the five hours per winners is published on page (952) 873-6142. week it is open. 5.
Checking the Ducks at OLP’s Fall Festival
City Council Further Paves Way for Overpass Project Okays Cost Increases to Street Projects
B.P. Food Shelf Seeking Donations for Annual Benefit
Emma’s Scarecrow Festival Begins
in debt-reduction aid from the state. The additional 2 percent in per-student aid lawmakers OK’d last spring does not impact the property tax levy, Keller said. The general fund is increasing by 1.58 percent to approximately $1.6 million. The district is able to reduce the growth of the general fund by trimming much of money it will allocate to retirement benefits for a shrinking pool of veteran teachers hired before 1989. Another reduction is the Belle Plaine School District’s share (about $19,100) of lease payments saved by returning programs from the SouthWest Metro Educational Cooperative to member districts. The district is also planning to eliminate its health and safety levy ($167,449.84) in favor of a long-term facilities maintenance plan that will allocate
Ryan Laager
$322,009 into maintaining buildings. Much of the plan is dedicated to maintaining roofs and other facilities. But the biggest driver of the proposed reduction in the over-
School Board
(continued on page 4)
Final Assessment Hearing for Street Project Next Monday The Belle Plaine City Council will hold the final assessment public hearing for this year’s street and utility improvement project shortly after 6:30 p.m. next Monday at Belle Plaine City Hall, 218 North Meridian Street downtown. All affected property owners are invited to attend the hearing, and if they like, comment on their assessment.
The project consisted of street reconstruction and utility improvements on Forest Street West between Grove Street and the railroad right-of-way, and Elk Street between Court and Forest streets (one block). The work is substantially complete, which means that all streets in the project area are ready for use. Other minor, punch-list type work will be completed at a later date.