BE seniors upset with center plan
They express opinions during public comment time at meeting
Though the Blue Earth City Council had no business – old or new – on the agenda for Monday, Aug. 21, a deluge of public comment extended the meeting into a two-hour affair.
Many locals attended the meeting to protest a recent proposal to relocate Blue Earth’s Senior Center.
At a meeting on Aug. 7, city administrator Mary Kennedy had suggested that if the Senior Center were relocated to St. Luke’s Lutheran Care Center, the current Senior Center could be repurposed as additional space for the Blue Earth Community Library, which is housed in the same building.
However, some community members were unhappy with the idea.
“Research to move the Senior Center seems to have been done without proper input from users of the facility,” Janet Gaylord said. “We collected 147 signatures…A majority of the Senior Center board signed an informal petition against moving the Senior Center. Six former council members also signed the petition.”
Other community members argued that the Senior Center’s downtown location is more convenient than St. Luke’s location on South Ramsey Street.
Former City Council member Marty Cassem observed, “The Senior Center is a nice, centrally located place. If people come to town, they can find it right away.”
He added, “A lot of people said (St. Luke’s) is one of the last places they’d want to go to relax and have coffee.”
Additionally, community members questioned how the library would use the extra space.
“Anyone who has been in the library recently will have noticed that not only is it bereft of dinosaur fossils, but numerous reference books have been pitched, donated and sold,” said Randy Anderson. “It seems the library has ample space. I want to know what the library intends to do with this space when they can’t use the whole space right now.”
“(The Senior Center) probably needs some work, but we’re tax payers,” Mary Erichsrud concluded. “We deserve that work. We’re all for it staying where it is.”
Public comment also veered into discussion about the city’s dog park on East Second Street. Several residents reported it is in poor condition.
“I’ve detailed some possibilities for improvement,” said Marilyn Oswald. She suggested the facility’s gate should be replaced, and a cement pad should be added at the entryway as a safe space to leash and unleash dogs. She also said the park needs better drainage, more shade, and landscaping work.
Before closing the meeting to public comment, mayor Rick Scholtes said, “We will take all of these comments and we will evaluate them.”
He added that the items may be added to future meeting agendas for discussion by the council.
The council also reviewed Bolton & Menk’s preliminary engineering report for the Riverside Heights Utility Extension project.
The project will be undertaken to connect the Riverside Heights subdivision – located roughly one mile north of the Fairgrounds – to Blue Earth’s utility services. The project involves improvements to Elm Boulevard and Linden Lane, as well as a portion of County Road 6.
Construction is expected to start in the spring of 2025. The rough project cost estimate came to $7.8 million, but that number is likely to change.
Engineer Wes Brown said the project is eligible for funding from several sources, including a Minnesota Public Facilities Authority Point Source Implementation Grant (PSIG) program and Drinking Water Revolving Funds (DWRF).
The remaining portions of the project will most likely be financed through general obligation bonds issued by the city.
“These improvements will address the Riverside Heights need for wastewater collection and treatment, supply water service and fire flow capacity, improve storm runoff control, and provide a new roadway surface for many years to come,” the report concluded.
• Approved Nielsen Blacktopping & Concrete’s bid of $1.2 million for a project to construct concrete tennis courts at Putnam Park.
Bolton & Menk has yet to set a start date for construction, as it will need to coordinate construction with the Blue Earth Area girls tennis team’s fall schedule.
• Unanimously approved Ordinance 23-04 authorizing a study and imposing a moratorium on the operation of cannabis businesses within the city of Blue Earth.
• Held nuisance abatement hearings for eight properties on East 14th Street, East Fifth Street, East Sixth Street, West First Street and South Galbraith Street.
One East 14th Street property was determined in compliance with City Code, pending verification by a city official. The remaining seven properties were issued orders for abatement by Sept. 30.