WELCOME — ​​The Welcome City Council met on Tuesday evening.

The ordinance about chicken raising in Welcome was discussed for some time, and the ordinance will be brought up for the first reading and public hearing at the next meeting. It will be very similar to the Sherburn ordinance. This will enable the Welcome and Sherburn law enforcement to use similar enforcement between the two cities. Some of the rules were: on the property of the owner not less than 30 feet from nearby house (neighbor), no roosters, limit of number of chickens, keep the area clean (no more than one week of manure kept), and a fee of $20 for three years for the permit.

The memorial for Deb Hansen, Jack Newville, and other community workers for over 10 years was discussed, with no motion made. Other requests for benches in the park were denied. The memorial idea may open a “Pandora’s box”. No action was taken.

The repair of damage to the Fourplex and the corner trim on the Fire Station was approved.

Travis Winter, an engineer from Bolton and Menk, requested approval on specs and plans authorizing bids for the 2025 Road project, and the Council approved the request after discussion and questions. He mentioned bids for the excess dirt and proposed a basin by First Street for overwhelmed Storm Water only. Negotiation with the owner of the lot will be entered into soon. He also reported the investigations of lines and remarked that generally they were okay. Under the railroad tracks needs building up. He reported the project will begin soon and will take all summer to finish.

The sale of the Welcome School property was brought up since there must be a request from the owner (school district) for rezoning and a conditional use permit. The new owner also has to have a surety bond and begin work within one year from the date of purchase, and requests should also be made. The school has mentioned that demolition by the new owner would save quite a bit of money for taxpayers, as opposed to the school paying for it. Councilor Glidden asked what that savings would be used for then. The Mayor said the proposed building was “nice looking” and would be used for storage only.

In other business, two public comments were given.

The first one was from Deb Adams of Heaven’s Table Food Distribution in Welcome. She reminded the council that the previous city clerk, Deb Hansen, formerly oversaw the food box distribution in Welcome. Adams stated that over 600 households received help in the last three years. She requested that the reminder that Hansen had put on the utility bills once again be put on them if the new clerk agrees. The council and clerk approved the request. Three percent of the households are below the poverty level. The list is unavailable due to privacy, and a new one must be made. Some individuals receiving aid are not coming to the food shelf. If someone needs help, they should contact city hall directly or call (507) 728-8740. The city clerk has the income guidelines for Minn. residents. The food is donated by The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to Heaven’s Table. The names are needed before the distribution so that the people can be notified when and where to pick up boxes. If someone would accept the job of overseeing the distribution, Deb Adams can help them get started.

The second comment was about the removal of the Economic Development Authority (EDA) commissioners from Eric Anderson. The council has a copy of the State law and EDA regulations and reasons for removal of commissioners. It includes insufficiency, neglect of duty, or misconduct while on duty. He requested a hearing about the removal of Dean Weiss, Taylor Forsberg, and Wes Strausser. The council will take up that matter and inform Anderson.

The Clerk reported that the day for the Spring Clean-Up is May 10, which is Mother’s Day, because of the truck schedules. This is for Welcome residents only. Watch for further information.

The Grease Trap water build-up was mentioned, and the Public Works employee reported that Gerhardts do not put grease in the drain. The Public Works employee reported that he will clean that drain more often in the future (every other year) and requested that the residents be reminded not to put grease in the drain, even if followed by hot water. Residents are also reminded not to flush non-biodegradable items into the sewer system even if the package says they are flushable. These clean-up actions are expensive for the City.

The FREA generator program renewal was approved by the Council.

The next Welcome City Council meeting is at 6 p.m. on March 18 at City Hall.