City Council approves new Lake Benton librarian
Lake Benton School Board elects officers for 2011s
Elkton Schools adopt sportsmanship policy and processes to update informational web page
By Dan Kuss
lbnews@itctel.com
Elkton School Board Members, pictured above from left to right, are Doug Kampmann, Chuck Remund, Tim Bauer, Donna Jurrens and Tom Landsman.
Even though school was closed for the day due to inclement weather, the Elkton, S.D. School Board met on Monday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. in the Telecom room.
Due to school closing early on Friday and closing for the entire day on Monday and Tuesday due to winter storms, end of semester testing has been delayed. Students will complete the testing once school resumes and the second semester will begin once testing has been completed.
Elkton School is in the process of updating their official website with notifications and activities to keep parents and the community abreast of happenings at the school.
The site is http://www.elkton.k12.sd.us. Principal Brian Jandahl, Athletic Director Ervin Gebhart and School Secretary Karla Denison have been working hard with technology coordinator Gabe Pooler to keep the site up to date, though it is not an easy task with all of the schedule changes due to snow days.
The team is progressing nicely and processes are falling into place to keep the information displayed in a timely manner.
“The school is also working through news sources such as radio and KELO-TV for weather related happenings,” said Jandahl. “Web page announcements are another way to communicate with parents and the community.”
The board of education performed the first reading of the new school sportsmanship policy. This document is geared more toward spectators, their expectations and accountability as far as consequences.
The high school league prefers that schools deal with issues at the local level and the school can only really be responsible for problems within their jurisdiction at the home venue.
The object of the policy supports the fact that attending such activities should be a positive experience with all comments and actions being supportive rather than disruptive or derogatory.
Understanding that good sportsmanship is good citizenship, spectators, like student participants, are expected to display appropriate behavior at all events.
A local budget committee to be made up of parents, administrators, board members, faculty and staff will be formed to work through and prepare an application for state aid for next year due to forecasted state budget cuts.
The group plans to understand the many issues facing the state and apply local solutions that will help maintain the fund balance.
The South Dakota state legislative session kicked off on Tuesday, Jan 11 at the capitol and the state is looking at a five to 10 percent reduction in state aid to the schools.
Superintendent Tony Simons said the school is doing well and though revenue is down and expenditures such as insurances are up, the board wants to keep an eye on the fund balance and maintain that without relying on using reserves.
Simons has been working on next year’s budget and though some schools are looking at large cuts, he is hoping the cuts will be on the low side.
Simons attended Small School Factors meetings over the holiday break and said the big schools would like to do away with the Small School Factors.
“This would be devastating to us to the tune of $300,000 to $400,000 a year,” said Simons. “The big schools don’t want it, but the small schools are digging in. This would be the wrong time to let the Small School Factors go.”
The school won’t know the outcome until March when the final state aid comes.
The board set a date of April 12 for elections to the school board. This coincides with the City of Elkton elections for city council and other city ordinances to be voted upon.
Student registration for the 2011-2012 school year will take place in January. The new graduation requirements will be out as will availability of classes.
The board agreed to hire Ronnie Freeman as a negotiator for administration, teachers and staff. The object is to brush up on contract language and highlights and to prevent any hard feelings during the negotiation process.
The board adjourned into an executive session to discuss salary and personnel issues. The next meeting of the Elkton School Board will be held on Monday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m.
City Council discusses vacant librarian position
Lake Association meets with city council, treatment for curly leaf pondweed slated for 2011
By Dan Kuss
lbnews@itctel.com
Sam Hedge and Virgil Becker of the Lake Benton Lake Improvement Association were invited to the regular city council meeting on Monday, Nov. 15 to discuss future treatment of the lake.
The Lake Improvement Association has met with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to discuss tentative treatment of the lake for 2011. There will be no grant money to assist in the treatment so the association is relying on the district and people who use the lake to help maintain it.
Lincoln County Environmental Administrator Robert Olsen was also at the meeting to discuss the Geographical Information System (GIS) and spoke on the lake treatment topic.
There was a good meeting with the DNR and the group will submit a variance in 2011 for treatment of the west end of the lake and the Marshfield Bay area near the island.
Aquathol K will be used on select areas of the lake while Floridone will be used on other areas. due to cost limitations. The price of Aquathol K is approximately $270 per acre while Floridone costs about $50 per acre.
It would cost about $120,000 to treat the entire lake per year and the group is trying to get it done annually for $60,000, by strategically treating certain areas with each herbicide.
The group would like to see a major reduction of the curly-leaf pondweed and more growth of native aquatic plants to keep the lake healthy and reduce the need for future treatments.
There is a trend for large carp populations in lakes that have a limited amount of native plants. Curly-leaf pondweed grows in winter. There is no curly-leaf pondweed in any other Lincoln County lakes.
The City of Lake Benton has budgeted and paid $5,000 in 2006 and 2007, $7,500 in 2008, $0 in 2009, budgeted $4,000 in 2010 that is available and a line item of $5,000 for 2011.
The council approved $7,500 for 2011 with treatment to begin the first part of May to be invoiced at the end of May.
Lyle “Duff” Trautman said it is important to keep the lake clean as it promotes tourism and is good for the economy in Lake Benton.
Olsen also demonstrated the Graphical Information System (GIS) using the Lake Benton maps as an example.
The database program considerably helps the county ad the city by inputting and maintaining utilities such as street lights, sewer, water, fire hydrants, gate valves and the like.
The software program is designed in layers so by clicking on certain icons, only certain maps are visible, making them easier to read.
The city and county need a good database to keep records up to date. The project began in 2004 and all parcels in the county have been inputted and the initial system has been paid for and is up to date.
The city spent $3,357.64 in 2004 and will now have an annual fee of $1,452.50 to keep and maintain the system, which is half of what it was.
Olsen does not anticipate that the charges will increase, due to lack of participation fro other towns.
The county will place new information into each system four times a year, either by sending a compact disc, sending a person with a jump drive or by posting the information on a web page.
The city initially paid $2.50 per parcel with a total of 581 parcels, give or take a few. Changes can be brought to the county to be continually updated with the data dumps sent back to the city four times a year.
The county takes care of technical support and training at no cost to the city. The Cities of Tyler and Hendricks are on board, Ivanhoe has declined due to no staff who can work the system and the City of Arco is weighing the benefits at the present.
The union representative will meet with the police committee and Chief Guy Harding on salary negotiations in the near future.
Todd Draper requested a signature from the mayor and/or city clerk to submit an application to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) in order to file and submit reports on-line. Draper will be able to submit reports on line or by using the current paper trail system now in use.
Rosie DeZeeuw said that proof of insurance is required for Johansen’s snow removal.
The city received a letter stating that on June 1, 2011 Rural Water will increase their rate by five cents per 5,000 gallons. The city accepted this last time and did not pass the increase on to the citizens of Lake Benton.
Police Chief Guy Harding sent a letter to the County of Pipestone thanking them for giving the City of Lake Benton a push bumper and an LED light bar for the squad car. The light bar is low profile and will need to be fitted to the squad.
Some of the property that was stolen during the recent break-ins has been recovered in Pipestone. This is now being handled by Pipestone County.
Filed under Government |Lake Benton/Elkton School Boards hold joint meeting
By Dan Kuss
lbnews@itctel.com
The Lake Benton School Board met in its regular meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 20 in the school library/media center.
Principal Ryan Nielsen requested the school board might want to look into changing the school Bobcat mascot logo to a more elementary friendly face as opposed to the more fierce looking high school Bobcat logo currently on file.
Nielsen knows an artist who could produce a digital copy from start to finish that can be used for copy, t-shirts, letterhead and other items for $400. Continue reading »
Filed under Government |Lake Benton hit with string of thefts from vehicles
By Dan Kuss
lbnews@itctel.com
In the past two months Lake Benton has been hit with a series of thefts from vehicles. The majority of the vehicle intrusions have come in the dead of the night while most people are sleeping.
Police Chief Guy Harding said 98 percent of the thefts were from unsecured vehicles with valuables sitting out in plain view. Items reportedly taken are billfolds, cash, medications, a few GPS and electronic devices, CDs and a laptop, among other valuables.
“It’s one of those crimes where it takes a person two seconds to lock your vehicle and 20 seconds for someone to get in and take your things,” said Harding. “Most of the time this can be avoided if you lock your vehicle.” Continue reading »
Filed under Government |Lake Benton City Council discusses municipal liquor store
By Dan Kuss
lbnews@itctel.com
The Lake Benton City Council met for its regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 18 at the city offices/Heritage Center. In addition to approving the minutes of the Oct. 4 meeting and acting on the claims against the city and the municipal bar, the council dealt with several other items.
The Truth in Taxation Hearing by law must be held after Nov. 24 and no earlier than 6 p.m. The council set the hearing for Monday, Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. during the regular council meeting. A public notice will be published in the Lake Benton Valley Journal, official newspaper for the City of Lake Benton.
The council approved new Lake Benton Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) members Barb Powell and Ann Lichtsinn. Other HRA members are Al Lindemann, Ray Hurd, Dyann McCarthy, Carl Burk and Jim Veire.
Todd Draper, city maintenance supervisor, reported on the city’s public works and said that even due to the big rainstorms of last month, no sewage backed up into residences. Continue reading »
School Board adopts new health and safety document
By Dan Kuss
lbnews@itctel.com
The Lake Benton School Board adopted a new annual Health and Safety Document for the year 2011 and approved membership in the Minnesota School Boards Association at the rate of $1,877 per year. The MSBA is a good organization that offers good information.
The school board designated Kevin Rupp of Ratwick, Rozak and Maloney as district attorney, First Security Bank of Lake Benton as district depository, Lake Benton Valley Journal as district newspaper, Board meetings to be held on the Third Wednesday of the month with meetings to be held at 7 p.m. in the school library and mileage to be reimbursed at the current Government rate.
The 2011 revised budget has been prepared and the expenditures are right on target while revenues are a little less predictable. If enrollment increases, revenues will as well.
Revenues are expected to be $2,071,880 and expenditures are at $2,068,316, which is much closer to what the board anticipated after planned reductions leaving $3,564 to the good, the board said.
Superintendent Loy Woelber gave a legislative update and explained that the state is now $6 billion in the hole for the next biennium as opposed to the standard $5 billion in the hole.
There will be a 50-50 payment shift in the next few years and legislators have cut the basic formula. Schools can get a line of credit loan at low interest rates. The school will get back 27 percent now, though this year it is at 30 percent, so it appears that there is 3 percent missing. It’s goofy. The school will get it back, probably next year when that rate will also go up. Superintendent Woelber said “A lot of schools are in tough shape, but not us.”
The school board set tentative tax levy hearings with an initial meeting on Wednesday, December 8 at 6:30 p.m. a subsequent meeting, if needed, on Wednesday, December 15 at 6:30 p.m. and an Adoption Hearing scheduled for Wednesday, December 22 at 6:30 p.m. When the levy goes down these meetings aren’t necessary, but they are held for the good of the public.
The board discussed lunch deficits and suggested that people not get over $30 in debt in a month, as they have a hard time catching up. Once they get near the $30 mark, they need to catch up rather than get down even further.
At this school, students pay for breakfast, but the school is working on it. Pre-school fees went to $85 for four year olds and $50 for three year olds with $45 and $20 as reduced amounts.
The fitness center fees went up $5 for individuals and $20 per year for family memberships.
Superintendent Woelber’s District report included that summer work is going well; the wood chips have been replaced in the upper playground with the rest going around the trees to enhance décor.
The school received a grant for a new walk-in freezer, which has been ordered, but the school will wait to install it until after the next school year.
The school needs a substitute janitor who is good with kids and has excellent people skills.
Principal Nielsen reported that the school may be gaining a new student or two for enrollment purposes. Tamara
Kremin said there is a new fifth grader named Braden hanging around town with the boys his age.
School technology needs a new server as there were issues with Donnita Bennett’s e-mail. E-mail services will be farmed out for now and revisited when a new server is purchased. They are not cheap. A new server will also help with the key card access for the fitness center.
Title 1 grant information will be submitted sometime in August.
Nielsen will check the bus driver situation for the coming school year and place an ad in the Lake Benton Valley Journal.
The next meeting will take place on August 18.
Filed under Government |City Council discusses dance coming up in August
By Dan Kuss
lbnews@itctel.com
The Lake Benton City Council met with the American Legion manager Guy Pribyl in reference to blocking off a section of Center Street for an upcoming street dance in August with a live band performing. It would be the section of Center Street from the bottom of the hill, in front of the American Legion, encompassing the alley and extending to the back for security reasons.
All proceeds for the event will go to Honor Flight Southwest Minnesota to assist in sending three or four WWII veterans from Lake Benton on the next Honor Flight some time in September.
Pribyl suggested the American Legion would put up a snow fence so access could be granted in case of emergency.
The council granted the request for a license similar to the Fireman’s street dance, asked Pribyl to verify insurance and asked him to file for the license with the clerk.
Police Chief Guy Harding reported that Saddle Horse Holiday went smoothly. There were a few issues with horses being ridden downtown after the parade. Harding noted that because of safety issues, things may change after the accident during a Fourth of July parade in Iowa when a team of horses bolted through the crowd, killing one person and injuring several others.
Harding also reported that new uniforms, vests and equipment have been ordered for the new officers and asked that they be sworn in at the next meeting.
Sherry Jessen, Lake Benton Municipal Bar manager, presented the council with a check for $2,000 to go back into the general fund for costs associated with remodeling and adding an outdoor patio at the bar.
Jessen reported that the bar is coming together nicely and operating in the black. The air conditioner was working hard and froze up during Saddle Horse weekend due to the large number of people in the building, but is okay if regulated properly.
Jessen also reported that there are some fun things coming up with caricatures being drawn for patrons from 6 – 8 p.m. on July 22, a Big Brother game and picnic on the patio.
Community director Heather Ulrich-Glynn met with the council as the Economic Development Association to discuss incentives for bringing a business into the community. There are 10 acres with city water lines and necessary utilities for new businesses. This is a very preliminary proposal for new business in the city.
The EDA also discussed that the Nature Conservatory owns 1,381 acres in Lincoln County and they are trying to discourage them from purchasing any more land in town. Though they don’t pay a lot of taxes, the city won’t hold them back as they paid 100 percent of their street assessment.
The EDA will invite the county commissioners, Pheasants Forever and the Department of Natural Resources to meet and discuss options.
The council discussed the National Flood Insurance program through the DNR. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will not declare a disaster area unless communities participate. Many areas of the lake meet the criteria as flood plains as they are less than 1,763 feet above sea level. The City of Lake Benton is qualified and will proceed.
City Maintenance Supervisor Todd Draper performed a walk-through with committee members and Reinert on designated street repairs. They will drill down one-and-a-half inches and fill with asphalt adding fabric where it is wet underneath. Rural Development said it is not needed, but Banner says it would be a good idea.
They will also look at the alley behind the Community Center and American Legion as water runs down and shoots out about six feet.
There is also a lot of traffic under the viaduct now that Becker’s have added their new dining room and will look at asphalt when the street project is at the asphalting stage.
Draper suggested the Morton Street issue be dealt with as the longer the city waits, the more it is going to cost. The city can get a break on recycled asphalt, which can be used in some places but not others.
Some can be overlaid but the alley must be dug out. Draper suggested that a sewer ordinance be adopted or mingled to deal with seven or eight individual septic tanks within the city limits.
Draper mentioned that the softball players really came through on the softball fields by doing a lot of work with tiling and addressing safety issues. The DeZeeuw family donated a double first base which also helps with the safety issues.
The city and the ball teams have received many compliments on the field updates.
Mayor Carpenter asked Draper to look at some of the trash barrels in town as they are rusting out at the bottom.
Draped mentioned he will be on vacation the week of July 12–16 and again Aug. 1–7. There is a lot of mowing to be done all the time and vendors call to deliver to the bar during the day. Mayor Carpenter will cover in Drapers absence.
The city clerk got a call from the county on the GIS agreement. There are 581 parcels at 2.5 and a lot of different layer. The program is difficult at best. The city is trying to find a rebuilt old desktop computer and monitor for the program which will be on the agenda in two weeks.
Committee member Don Hughes reported that the estimate to update the Community Center comes to $8,411.64, which doesn’t include painting and the ceiling. The council will look at this issue at the next meeting. The project would be slated for early winter and would require closing down for a few days to get the work done.
The final audit is in from Kinner. Council members should review it as soon as possible and there is a copy for the general public.
Aug. 10 is the primary election. Election judge training will be on July 21 for City Clerk Rosie DeZeeuw, Bea Nordmeyer, Joyce Miller, Muriel Grooters and Barb Hurd, who have served as election judges in the past.
The council discussed the Library Project as an application for the grant is due by Friday, July 16. Banner has worked to reduce the cost from $400,000 to nearly half of that estimate. After further discussion, the council set up a special meeting for 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 13 to meet with all of the parties involved and get feedback from the community.
The next regular meeting of the Lake Benton city council will be on July 19 at the Heritage Center.