Faribault County Register

USC looks for state funding

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The 2012 Legislature's first day in session was Jan. 24 and already some local residents are keeping a close eye on pending legislation.

At Tuesday's United South Central School Board meeting, resident Gary Hagen wanted an update on the district's efforts to secure a cooperative facilities grant to build a new high school.

"The House bill is ready to go, I don't know about the Senate version. I'll be contacting Sen. Rosen this week," says board member Christie Wetzel.

Acting as the district's legislative liaison, Wetzel has been working with District 24B Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Good Thunder, and Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont, on a grant that's available to consolidated districts.

Superintendent Jerry Jensen says he's had discussion with state legislators, including the chairman of the House Education Finance Committee.

"We've been promised a hearing on the House side. We're moving forward," he says.

Cornish says his bill requests $20 million be earmarked for USC.

He says the measure was written with input from Jensen and state education research officials and would be an addition to the governor's bonding bill.

"USC's school is literally falling apart. It's hard to say if the district would get the full amount, even a portion would be good," says Cornish.

Jensen was given the go-ahead to have the district's building and grounds committee study locations for the school before having to testify in St. Paul.

"If we were zeroing in on a site that would be helpful," Jensen says.

Cost to build a new high school is estimated at $28 million, while remodeling and upgrades at the current school campus would be around $20 million.

The grant would pay 75 percent of a new facility up to $20 million or up to $10 million for remodeling.

USC officials probably will not know until near the end of the session whether the district will receive a grant and, if so, for how much.

"Depending on what happens with the Legislature, we're targeting Aug. 14 for a referendum vote," says Jensen. "That's a primary election date."

In order to receive the grant, voters in the school district would have to pass a referendum.

Cornish says USC?officials should know near the end of April if funding has been approved.

"Approving a bonding referendum hits ag land really hard. Hopefully other state lawmakers see that," says Cornish. "We're just trying to even that playing field out."

In other business:

Kathy Krebsbach was re-elected as board chair; Jon Feist, vice chair; Sharon Parriott, clerk; and Kari Jacobson treasurer.

Board members approved purchase of two vans, pending state approval. Jensen says a recent accident in which a van was totaled has created transportation problems for special education students. No one was injured in the two-vehicle accident and no one was ticketed.

The district would buy two vans from a state fleet, each costing around $24,000. The funds would come out of the district transportation budget and carry-over funds.

The board is considering a request from Sarah Oldham of Minnesota Lake to change a policy of not providing transportation to students living outside the district.

Her son attends St. Casimir's School in Wells.

Oldham says there are six families from Minnesota Lake, Alden, Delavan and New Richland who have children going to St. Casimir's.

Oldham says she and her husband in the past have supported the USC?district in various ways and are willing to pay any extra fees to transport their son.

Community profile aids BEA board

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The Blue Earth Area School Board now has a good feel for what the community thinks of the school and what sort of a superintendent should be hired to lead the district.

Consultants Ed Waltman and Butch Hanson of the South Central Service Cooperative presented a superintendent community profile to the BEA board on Tuesday night.

The profile is the result of a day of interviews with various community groups on Jan. 10.

"That was a productive day," Waltman tells the board. "We interviewed 60 people representing eight different groups, including board members, students, staff and the community. They are representative of your stakeholders."

Waltman says the survey will now be used by the consultants to study the applications and trim the number to the six who will be interviewed.

"We currently have 13 applications," Waltman says. "The application deadline is Feb. 3 and I expect we will reach 20 applications by the end."

The superintendent community profile will also be used to develop questions for the six finalists, Waltman says.

He adds that the whole profile will be posted on the school's website so that any members of the community and all of the applicants will be able to study all of the results if they wish.

"The profile will also be used for a point system that the board will grade the finalists," Waltman says. "You will grade them from 1 to 3 on each of the areas."

Next up on the aggresive timeline for hiring a new BEA supertintendent is a board meeting on Monday, Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. in Frost.

At that time the consultants will announce the six candidates who will be interviewed.

"We will also go over the questions at that time and the whole interview process," Waltman says.

Just five days later, on Friday, Feb. 17, starting at 8 a.m., all six of the candidates will be interviewed both by the board and the community committee.

That evening the board will review the notes of the community committee and their own notes and narrow the six candidates down to the final three.

Just a few days later, the three finalists will be interviewed, one each day, on Feb 21, 22, 23.

The public is invited to an open forum with each candidate at 4 p.m. on each of those three days.

The interviews will be conducted later each of those three days.

"The board will select one of the three immediately after the final one is interviewed on Feb. 23," Waltman says, "no matter how long that takes."

Waltman says the whole process is open to both the public and the press.

"We would like as many folks as possible to come to the 4 p.m. sessions on Feb. 21, 22 and 23," he says. "The candidates will tell about themselves and then take questions from the public."

Waltman says the board should have a completed superintendent contract to approve at their March 12 regular board meeting.

Area man injured in accident

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT

A Wells man is listed in critical condition after the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) snowplow he was driving collided with a Union Pacific train.

Snowplow operator Bradley Bruegger, 55, was traveling southbound on Highway 22 in Kiester at 2:14 p.m., Jan. 20 when he was struck by the eastbound train. The closest intersection to the accident is West Front Street.

The MnDOT snow plow was broadsided by the train on the passenger side. The train's locomotive was centered on the passenger side compartment of the plow and continued to push it approximately three quarters of a mile down the track after initial contact. The train was not derailed as a result of the impact.

Road conditions at the time of the crash were listed as icy according to a report by the Minnesota State Patrol. When the collision took place Bruegger was plowing. Other factors as to the cause of the crash are still under investigation.

Bruegger is a 21-year MnDOT employee. Immediately following the crash he was knocked unconscious, but regained consciousness before being airlifted by Mayo to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester. Bruegger was admitted to the intensive care unit and is conscious and talking.

At the time of the crash, the driver was wearing a lap and shoulder seat belt.

The train crossing is marked by lights and an audible signal. It does not have arms. As a result of the crash, lights at the train tracks were knocked out and MnDOT has put up temporary stop signs for replacement.

Wells Council discusses theater options

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The city of Wells is going to take a hard look at whether they should fill the position of manager of the Flame Theatre, or possibly change the way the theater is managed.

Long-time theater manager Michael Milks submitted his resignation at last Monday's Wells City Council meeting.

City Administrator Jeremy Germann says he would like some time to examine how or even if the position should be filled.

"This is an opportunity for us to look at the position's job description and see if any changes are necessary or warranted," Germann told the council, which agreed with delaying any immediate decision on filling the post.

"I think we will re-evaluate how we can manage the theater," Germann told the Register after the meeting. "Whether or not to fill the manager's position or handle it with current staff."

Germann says examining the needs before just hiring a new person makes sense.

"It would be similar to what we did with the community development position," Germann says. "Not that we will necessarily come to the same conclusion. We just took the time to study what we need."

The city administrator says he and the Flame Theatre Board will be the ones to study the issue and then will make a recommendation to the full council.

To read more of this article, see this week's Register.

BE Council votes 7-0 for Fletcher as new chief

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The Blue Earth City Council voted unanimously, 7-0, to approve Mayor Rob Hammond Jr.'s appointment of Tom Fletcher as the city's new police chief.

Hammond told the council he had interviewed all three current officers and he felt Fletcher would be the best choice.

There were two issues that had to be dealt with before the vote was taken.

First, Fletcher is a 13-year veteran of the police force and would actually have had to take a cut in pay to become the chief.

Plus, he has accumulated a significant amount of sick pay and did not want to give that up and "start over."

Mayor Hammond's recommendation was that Fletcher would be kept at the same rate of pay Step 3 and be able to keep all accumulated sick pay.

The council agreed and approved the appointment with the changes in compensation noted.

The new police chief answered several questions of the council before the roll call vote was taken.

Councilman John Gartzke asked if the department would allow 'ride-alongs' in the squad cars and Fletcher answered yes.

Gartzke also asked about hiring a patrolling officer to replace Fletcher.

City Administrator Kathy Bailey says replacing Fletcher with a new officer is already in the works.

Gartzke, however, stressed that he felt the city should hire an officer to fill the position vacated by Fletcher moving up to chief, and another position that has long been vacant as well.

"We've done nothing but cut, cut, cut this department," Gartzke says. "We need to hire an officer to replace Tom, then also hire another one and then even another one."

Mayor Hammond suggested later in the meeting that the matter of how many officers to hire be moved to the agenda of the next work session.

How many police officers to have on staff was not the only question raised at last Monday night's City Council meeting.

The council also once again debated whether to have sidewalks installed as part of street reconstruction projects.

The sidewalks in question would be for next summer's project on Gorman Street.

Councilmen Gartzke and Glenn Gaylord said they had heard from residents who did not want sidewalks where there had not been any in the past.

Councilman John Huisman said the city needs to develop an overall sidewalk plan as to where sidewalks should be installed. Others agreed that a plan needs to be developed.