OLMSTED COUNTY
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“Where Olmsted County News Comes First” Weekly Edition
County Board hopefuls talk issues in forum page
Pine Island School Board spurns MSBA
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Byron
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
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Chatfield
County tells you where your taxes are going page
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Dover
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Eyota
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Frontage Road plans evolving in Byron page
Oronoco
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Pine Island
The results are in, now the work begins at the Rochester Public Library. On the About You site, visinate@olmstedcountyjournal.com tors can watch videos about the After gathering extensive project, read a synopsis and get input through community raw data on the inventory’s findforums, questionnaires, and ings in areas of interest, and online surveys, Rochester’s com- parse through the data to find munity asset inventory, About responses contributed by various You, offers insights into the feelings and preferences of neighbors who live and work in Rochester, comprising a snapshot of how it feels to spend life here. “We are excited to roll out the tools for the community to learn more about themselves and leverage the assets here and also look at new opportunities that they could be a part of,” said Heidi Mestad, director of communication and community engagement at the Rochester Downtown Alliance. More than 3,000 people volunteered their opinions, far greater than the minimum that organizers had hoped for. Twenty meetings were held with cultural groups that About You wanted to make sure were counted to ensure a more representative survey. “We had the usual list of names and organizations,” said diversity committee chair Adam Ferrari. “We sought out people who are active in their communities. When we found just one person active in a group, everything clicked and it was no problem putting the forums together.” The data collected is available at www.aboutu.org and By Nate L angworthy
Win a
Volume 2 Issue 10
demographics. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, you can even download the entire 200page report. Four general themes emerged from the data as organizers reconstructed the input: •People in Rochester are busy, yet find time to reinvest in community. •Area residents enjoy using Rochester’s outdoor amenities, but feel that indoor gathering places are lacking. •Rochester is viewed as being a diverse community, but residents are unsure whether that diversity is fully embraced. •Rochester residents have many talents to offer, yet struggle to feel a sense of belonging. Adam Ferrari, chair of the project’s diversity committee commented that one of the most eye-opening insights from the project came to him in a community forum. “Someone said ‘I don’t think Rochester embraces its diversity, it merely tolerates it.’ That stuck with me. There’s a lot of data to support that statement,” he said. While About You was a large undertaking, organizers insist that it is just a starting point for community organizations to work from. “It’s going to take people and organizations to stand up and be champions for change,” said Ferrari. “We need leaders to emerge and do that.”
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Stewartville
Fire Station up to Stewartville voters By Patrick Shumaker patrick@olmstedcountyjournal.com
In recent months Stewartville City Council members have discussed the many options and opinions regarding the cities plans for updating the fire station. Concerns over the location, building costs and construction designs continue to be addressed as the council agreed to move forward with the project. The final decision in the matter has been put into the local voters hands. The voter referendum will take place in the Spring of 2013 after the blue print design plans are finished and agreed upon by all of the involved parties. Financing of the construction will be The City of Stewartville’s obligation and none of the cost is to be passed on to the Township. The Township will continue to be charged through a Contract for Services agreement with the city. In a three to one vote (with
member Judy Hanson voting against) the council approved a local real estate finders fee. The reward will go to any licensed real estate agent or broker who closes on the sale of property for commercial, industrial or private use purchased from The City of Stewartville. Only one finders fee will be permitted per sale and the fee is set at five percent. Among the restrictions that do apply to the fee: city employees, their families and those with outstanding violations in the city are currently ineligible. Hanson would have preferred the legal document to be sent back to the lawyers so the verbiage regarding the restrictions listed could be further researched. Mayor Jimmie-John King updated current events in the city, encouraging citizens to go See STEWARTVILLE Page 10 Comment on this article at www.olmstedcountyjournal.com
Wes Bussell named Eyota Citizen of the Year By Bill Lisser bill@olmstedcountyjournal.com
Mayor Wes Bussell was surprised by the Eyota City Council when he was named Citizen of the Year at the Annual Eyota Days Celebration. “I was humbled and honored,” Bussell said. According to City Councilman Tony Nelson he was given the award because of his service to the community. “All of his years of service
to the community and the fire department and the things he did for the community that were not known,” Nelson said. This is the second time Bussell has been named Citizen of the Year. The City Council added verbiage to the sanitary services request for proposals requirements to insure they contract See EYOTA Page 12
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