Council sets preliminary tax levy at 15%

During their meeting on Sept. 14, members of the Waldorf city council set the city’s preliminary property tax levy increase at 15 percent; a final levy will be determined in December. Under Minnesota law, the final levy can be lower than the preliminary one, but cannot be higher. 

 

The Waldorf Fire Department’s Burger Feed served upwards of 450 people. There is a Waseca County Roadway Safety Plan workshop available from 11:30 a.m. till 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at the Waseca County East Annex, 302 North State Street. Lunch will be provided. The council passed an ordinance establishing a meeting stipend of $150 for the mayor and $125 for council members to be paid for attendance at either a regular or a special meeting. The stipend for work sessions will be $75. Stipends will be paid out monthly. On behalf of the Park Board, the council accepted donations toward the new playground equipment in the city park from Barbara Fischer, Cynthia and John Beckwith, The Backyard Bar and Grill, Martin Tesch, and IDC Food Truck totaling $3,435.

 

Ron Fischer of Waldorf Maintenance repaired the potholes on Railroad Street and painted the guard rails at the park. Second Street and Railroad Street, however, still need repairs; there are also other locations around town that require attention. Council members discussed the possibility of applying for grant money to help with the cost.  Mayor Rob Wilkening asked council members for a resolution alerting the city engineer to apply for them. The council expressed concern that paying for the engineer’s time to complete the grants would be costly; Wilkening responded that such costs are sometimes covered by the grant. The council approved. Wilkening suggested that in order to improve sound quality of recorded meetings, there should be a better microphone than the one currently in use. The meetings are recorded using the pre-installed microphone on the city clerk's computer. The council took this under advisement. The council clarified the stipend/reimbursement for using private phones. Council member Missy Sorbo stated that accepting such payment affects the phone’s status under data practice laws. Currently there are no council members seeking this reimbursement. 

 

The October council meeting will be Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. There will be a Park Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wed, Sept. 23 to discuss future fundraising ideas; the public is invited to attend. Doug Christopherson will be giving a presentation about the new jail that will be built in Waseca County at the next city council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 13.