Three of the five Blue Earth Council members who were sworn in on Tuesday are shown above. Left to right are Stephanie Walter, Dan Ristau and Ann Hanna. Walter is a new member; Ristau and Hanna were re-elected.

A new year brought many new faces to the Blue Earth City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 3. In fact, a majority of the elected council members needed to be sworn in once mayor Rick Scholtes opened the meeting to the public.

Council members taking an Oath of Office on Jan. 3 included Ann Hanna, Dan Ristau, Jacque Drew, Mike McNerney and Stephanie Walter. Hanna, Ristau and Drew were elected to full terms last November, while McNerney and Walter were elected to two-year terms. They are joining veteran council member John Huisman as representatives of the city of Blue Earth.

For the first time, a Blue Earth Area High School student – BEA senior Cass Davis – was appointed as an honorary City Council member on Jan 3. Davis will not have an official vote, but he will observe City Council meetings and join council discussions.

Once all members of the City Council were sworn in, the council reviewed correspondence from the county regarding an upcoming 2023 Local Board of Appeals and Equalization meeting. The meeting’s purpose is to determine whether property in the jurisdiction has been properly valued and classified by the Faribault County assessor.

The correspondence encouraged residents to contact the assessor’s office with concerns about the value or classification of their property. If residents disagree with the valuation or classification of their property after discussing it with the assessor, they may appear before the Local Board of Appeal and Equalization to request that their property assessment be reviewed.

The council set the Local Board of Appeal and Equalization’s meeting for April 10, at 3 p.m., at Blue Earth City Hall.

“The council does attend the meeting, too,” Scholtes noted.

The council also received an update from Bolton & Menk engineer Wes Brown, who informed the council Bolton & Menk is currently working on the final design specifications for the 2023 Street Improvement Project. Brown expects this phase of the project will be concluded by March.

Under old business, the council approved a City of Blue Earth Personnel Policy update which adds Christmas Eve Day as a holiday for employees. The change was made to reflect similar vacation day policies set by local unions.

The council spent the rest of the meeting attending to annual beginning-of-the-year business.

They approved the 2023 City Council meeting schedule, which sets Blue Earth City Council meetings on the first and third Monday of each month. Exceptions include meetings scheduled on Tuesday, Jan. 17, Tuesday, Feb. 21, Tuesday, June 20 and Tuesday, Sept. 5, to avoid national holidays.

Additionally, Scholtes appointed members of the council to area boards, commissions, committees and standing committees. He also appointed Ristau as vice mayor.

Scholtes himself will represent the City Council on the Housing and Redevelopment Authority board, the Planning Commission, the Charter Commission and the Personnel Committee.

Ristau will represent the council on the Economic Development Authority board, the Parks and Recreation Subcommittee and the School/City Facility Joint Powers board. As vice mayor, he will also serve on the Board of Building Appeals. Meanwhile, Hanna will serve on the Airport Advisory Commission, the Parks and Recreation Subcommittee and the School/City Facility Joint Powers board.

Walter will serve on the Faribault County Fitness Center board, the Senior Center board and the Board of Public Works, while McNerney will serve on the Personnel Committee, the Charter Commission and the Street Improvement Committee. Drew will serve on the Airport Advisory Commission and the Library Board.

Huisman will represent the council on the Rural Entrepreneurial Venture board, the Joint Fire Service Advisory board, the Street Improvement Committee, the Board of Public Works and the School/City Facility Joint Powers board.

Additionally, the council agreed to establish three year term limits for members of the Street Committee and Parks and Recreation Subcommittee.

Finally, the City Council appointed the Faribault County Register as the city’s official newspaper for publications, First Bank Blue Earth as the city’s official depository and Carlson SV as the city’s auditor.

The council will meet next on Tuesday, Jan. 17. The regular meeting, which begins at 5 p.m., will be preceded by a 3:30 p.m. worksession during which council members will undergo investigation training with Faribault County Chief Deputy Scott Adams.