Kimball raises utility rates

At its Dec. 1 meeting, the Kimball City Council decided to raise water and sewer rates slightly for 2016. (See table on page 13.) The base rate for each will increase $1.50/month, and the usage rate will increase $2.25/thousand gallons for each. 

Two members of the ?ÄúVote Yes?Äù committee (in favor of renovations and building at the Kimball schools) spoke to the council. Their aim was to get an endorsement of a re-vote Feb. 5, but neither the city nor the council as a whole can endorse that; they can only support it individually and personally.

Marsha Mahlum and Leslie Arnold said their committee polled 135 households, all families with kids in the Kimball schools. Only 59 percent of these 135 voted in the Nov. 3 election; the other 61 percent either got too busy, forgot, or figured that it would pass anyway. Of those who voted, 81 percent voted in favor of question 2 (renovating the science rooms and labs, restoring the industrial arts area, and building a new weight room/fitness center), and 61 percent voted for question 3 (building a new 499-seat auditorium).

They explained that the questions on the ballot had to be changed a certain percent in order to bring it up for a re-vote sooner than six months after the first vote. By removing question 3 (the auditorium), that criterion is met.

They believe that there is sufficient suport for question 2 to pass, if people actually come out to vote. There needs to be more education about the question. (For instance, the school will lose the weight training area when the industrial arts rooms are restored to their full space, so a new area must be built to replace it. The three primary areas on this question can?Äôt be separated, they?Äôre like dominoes with one affecting the next.

They also explained that it is critical for Kimball schools to maintain at least 700 enrollment to be viable as an independent school district; current enrollment is 711. The best way to retain, and to grow, student numbers is to provide up-to-date facilities and programs. (Remember, there is no single other district that Kimball can ?Äújoin;?Äù Kimball most likely would be split between six districts if it has to be disbanded and incorporated into other districts.)

A few other points of information that didn?Äôt come to light at the first vote (the information hasn?Äôt changed, it?Äôs just that no one pointed it out):

?Ä¢ With a new (and up-to-code) ventilation hood in the science area, there can be four work stations utilizing it instead of one. More students can study sciences, and more science courses can be offered.

?Ä¢ Industrial arts are limited by their current space. Not only are students welding in the same room as woods class (and sawdust), but students are being turned away for lack of space. Returning to the original space, industrial arts can offer more courses to more students, and could eventually hire a full-time industrial arts instructor; there is a need for more industrial arts. And the school is already looking at partnering with local and regional manufacturers for training opportunities.

?Ä¢ The fitness center is patterned after the one in Paynesville which nets about $100,000 a year in revenues.

?Ä¢ The current building bond from 2003 will be paid off in another seven years, dropping the levy at that time. So an added levy now would in essence be for six years (until the 2003 bond is paid) and not for 20. After six years, the total levy would drop to about what it is now.

The committee urged council members to attend the Dec. 16 school board meeting and to support the re-vote Feb. 5.

[What the committee did not know that night (Dec. 1) was that a ?ÄúVote No?Äù group had appeared opposing a Feb. 5 re-vote on either question 2 or 3. The school board called for the Feb. 5 special vote at a special meeting Nov. 20. Another special meeting has been called for Wednesday, Dec. 9, for representatives from both committees to speak to the board before it decides whether to keep the scheduled Feb. 5 vote, or to cancel the vote. The Minnesota Secretary of State has granted a special waiver of the 74-day requirement to call or cancel a vote, but Dec. 9 is the absolute deadline to cancel. Without a cancelation, the Feb 5. vote will go on as scheduled. The Dec. 9 meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. in the KAHS cafetorium; tours of the areas in question 2 will start at 5 p.m. and continue until the meeting.]

Other business

Fire Chief Mike Schneider reported that there have been 158 fire and rescue calls already this year, while there were 128 in all of 2014.

No-parking signs for various city streets were discussed. A new ordinance about no-parking areas of city streets will be drafted for council review at their next meeting. Without such an ordinance, even current no-parking signs are not enforceable. It is necessary for there to be no parking on certain streets so that emergency vehicles can safely get through. These include the south side of Linden Avenue, the east side of Elm Street, and the south side of Hazel Avenue near the high school ballfields.

With the new employee benefits package from the current provider, long- and short-term disability will not be offered. The city will look into its options to either get coverage elsewhere, or to stop providing it.

Preparations are under way for the Holiday Train?Äôs arrival Dec. 12, with Willow Creek Park and with road detours being established (from Hwy. 15 to 24 to 17 to 55).

A separate rental policy and form will be created for Lions Club members to rent the Willow Creek Park shelter to help avoid discrepancies and abuse. 

City council meeting dates were set for 2016: Jan. 5, Feb. 2, March 8, April 5, May 3, June 7, July 12, Aug. 1 & 16, Sept. 6 & 20, Oct. 4 & 18, Nov. 1 & 15, and Dec. 6 & 20.