NEWS
Spring 2024
By Sarah Belden Accountant, Mower County Public Works
makes them look appealing and safer with reduced wildlife cover. A great example of this tree-and-brush work can be seen along County State Aid Highways (CSAH) 19 (two miles north of CSAH 46) in Red Rock Township and along CSAH 25 by the Cedar River bridge in
Udolpho Township (northwest corner).
notice will mean that the inspector having jurisdiction may either hire the work done or seek a misdemeanor charge against the person(s) who failed to comply. If the work done is hired by the inspector, the cost can be placed as a tax upon the land and collected as other real estate taxes are collected.
Control or eradication may be accomplished by any lawful method but the method(s) applied may need to be repeated to prevent the spread of viable noxious seeds and other propagation parts to other lands. Failure to comply with the general notice may mean that an individual notice will be issued. An individual notice may be appealed within two working days of a receipt to the appeals committee in the county where the land is located.
Failure to comply with the individual
Local weed inspectors are township supervisors, city mayors, or their appointed assistants. For more information regarding the statelisted noxious weeds, the appeals committee or the Minnesota Noxious Weed laws, please visit the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s website at:
www.mda.state.mn.us/weedcontrol
For other questions, please contact Danielle Anderson at Mower County Environmental Services via email at daniellea@co.mower.mn.us or by phone at 507-279-7149.
IMPORTANT PASSPORT INFO
Effective June 1, 2023, the Mower County Recorder’s Office went to APPOINTMENT ONLY for passport-application acceptance from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at the Mower County Government Center in downtown Austin. Appointments can be scheduled online now at: www.co.mower.mn.us/161/Passport-Information
You also visit the webpage by using a smartphone to scan the following QR code:
Can I renew my passport or do I have to apply for a new passport?
Children ages birth to 15 years old: You must apply new in our office.
Ages 16 and older: You have five years after the date of your passport’s expiration to renew, and that is done on your own. Once beyond those five years, you must apply new at the county recorder’s office.
Children ages 16-17: They must have one parent on their birth certificate present.
What do I need to bring with me?
* Application DS-11 completed in BLACK ink and unsigned. No whiteout.
* Valid identity document(s), such as a your driver's license.
* Certified U.S Citizenship document.
* Check or money order that you can write out. (Note: we cannot mail cash or debit/credit cards).
Do I need a new photo?
Yes, a photo from within the last six months. The photo must meet certain requirements. The county recorder’s office offers to take photos for $15 during the hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. No appointment is needed for just a photo.
If you are applying for a new passport, the recorder’s office can take your photo at the same time.
Additional resources
A great online resource is travel.state.gov/ content/travel/en/passports.html where you can find all the forms available online at no charge.
Questions?
If you have questions, contact the Mower County Recorder’s Office at 507-437-9446 during the office hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
As we look to the end of another school year, we also think of summer meals for our students.
lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at these sites:
Austin High School
301 Third St. N.W.
June 3 through Aug. 8 Mondays to Thursdays
1800 Fourth Ave. S.E.
June 3through Aug. 8 Mondays to Thursdays
Program guidelines require children to eat on site, and meals cannot be taken out of the cafeterias. This can be a fun time for kids to socialize with their friends while having a nutritional meal. Young children should be accompanied by an adult. Meals also can be purchased for those older than age 18.
This summer, the district will offer to all children ages 1-18 free breakfast from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and free
301 17th St. S.W.
June 3 through Aug. 9 Mondays to Fridays
NOTE: No meals will be served June 19 and July 4.
NEWS
By Taylor Flugge Program Coordinator, Austin Assurance
With the incoming senior Class of 2023, The Hormel Foundation Austin Assurance Scholarship program will celebrate its five-year anniversary.
In addition to academic eligibility, the scholarship also includes a volunteer-service requirement for students to help in the community with local non organizations before they graduate from high school.
“The volunteer service component of the scholarship has provided students with opportunities to provide support to the community and organizations in many ways,” Ettinger said. “Since the scholarship began, students at Austin High School and Pacelli High School have logged almost 40,000 volunteer hours. This is an incredible impact for these youth to be having on the
Class of 2019 graduates. To date, more than 600 students have used the scholarship. For more information, visit The Hormel Foundation Austin Assurance Scholarship website at:
NEWS
Applications can be saved and reopened later if more information is needed. You also can print or save your
Before starting an online application, it is helpful to gather the following information: Household info: Address and phone numbers
• Student info: Demographic, birth certificate and health/medication information
• Emergency contact(s): Names and phone numbers for one to four people in the event that parents are unavailable in an emergency.
With “Online Registration,” you can be add, update and enter information related to demographic, health, primary and secondary households, phone numbers and emergency contacts. Once we receive an update, enrollment staff are alerted and either can approve, hold
Existing district families will receive more information in June 2024 when the online registration application becomes available.
New to Austin?
By Karem Salas Ramirez United Way of Mower County
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016 (the most-recent year available), about 35 percent of Minnesotans volunteer. Volunteering is a way for young people to network, give back to their community, gain a deeper understanding of themselves and acquire additional skills and traits.
must complete 50 hours of approved volunteer service.
To help students find and track volunteer opportunities, United Way of Mower County has invested in the online platform Get Connected. This online resource is not only for high school students. It’s a fantastic tool for anyone
For these reasons, The Hormel Foundation Austin Assurance Scholarship has asked s youth to complete volunteer hours in the community as one of the scholarship requirements. In the course of four years in high school, qualified applicants
those in need of volunteers. To find volunteer needs, individuals first must create an account with their name, contact information and interests. Once registered, volunteers can search Get Connected for opportunities and sign up for email alerts once new opportunities are posted by their favorite groups. Organizations in need of volunteers also must create an account to post a need. As a
dividual volunteer as well as for each participating organization. Included in the transcript are the number of volunteer hours completed, the skills used to complete the tasks and the estimated value to the organization. This tool is very helpful to individuals and groups. To learn more, go online at: www.uwmower.org/ getconnected
NEWS
Protect yourself when trying to complete a project by doing research before hiring a contractor and making sure to not
Here are points to consider and tips for planning a project: Does the contractor have a Minnesota state license?
Has the contractor been involved in lawsuits or crimi-
Decide exactly what you want from your project, inCompare bids from more than one contractor.
Get a detailed, written contract outlining the scope of work, payment schedule and timeline for completion. The same applies for storm damage (i.e. roof repair). Lead and Lead Safe Certified renovators.
You have financial protection only if you hire a licensed
Licensed residential building contractors are covered by the Contractor Recovery Fund that reimburses consumers who have suffered financial losses due to a licensed contractor’s misconduct.
Northwest 2nd Avenue Northwest (14th Street to 19th Street)
16th Street Northwest
17th Street Northwest
Southwest 9th Street Southwest (17th Avenue to 22nd Avenue)
12th Street Southwest (17th Avenue to 21st Avenue)
Northeast
4th Avenue Northeast (17th Street to 19th Street)
1st Avenue Northeast (8th Street to 10th Street)
For more information, call the City of Austin’s Building Department at 507-437-9950.
File for Office
Candidate filings will open from May 21 through June 4, 2024, at the City Clerk’s Office in Austin City Hall, 500 Fourth Ave. N.E. There is a $25 filing fee to file for one of these positions: Mayor – Four-year term
(3 seats): Four-year terms
ELECTION DATES FOR 2024
Primary election date: Aug. 13, 2024
General election date: Nov. 5, 2024
