Tale of the Tiger leaps forward despite derision
Mayor Graham stated that he had been buoyed by a discussion he had yesterday morning with Council Zweifel on the proposed Tiger Trail. But when the Northfield City council meeting began, residents voiced their opinions and made accusations. Olivia Frey accused the Mayor of Tea Party sabotage. There were residents who defended the process. Noah Cashman said that filibustering or discussion is how democracy works. The compromise reached after another 2 hours of amendments, amendments to amendments and calling the question, was one that Graham and Councilor Zweifel had come up with and were hoping to get to before the meeting disintegrated. The final resolution that was moved forward includes Option 1 and looking at the feasibility of Option 2B, that’s the original St. Olaf spur. The caveat being that IF option 2B is not found workable, any further discussion would end and a vote would be taken. Councilor Peterson White was the only dissenting vote, saying that they already had a majority with Option 1. Mayor Graham’s interview this morning and the meeting is archived in 2 parts. Council also met with Legislators before the regular meeting. That is also archived online at kymnradio.net.
Process and procedure…
The accusation of whether Mayor Graham was breaking parliamentary procedure and whether the minority were filibustering was at the forefront with members from the League of Women Voters who were gathered in the Chamber. Jane McWilliams wondered where the clarity was on parliamentary procedure was. On delays, David Peterson said it was obvious that the minority were using tactics to kill the project. Other accusations included disregard of Roberts Rules of Order. Mayor Graham commented that Roberts Rules are a guideline, they have not been adopted by the Council. On filibustering he said that it is legal and proper in all levels of government. However, he doesn’t believe they were filibustering last week, he said there were legitimate questions and concerns saying that everything they talked about was pertinent to the project. He admitted that it was frustrating for everyone. Safety and cost efficiency remains Mayor Graham’s concern although they will be spending an additional $25,000 for a feasibility study of option 2B. Councilors Ludescher and DeLong were reluctant to spend the money but anxious to move forward. $278,000 has been spent so far, that money has come from the trail budget.
Outdoor movies comes to Elko
The Elko New Market City Council approved plans for a large outdoor movie theater at Elko Speedway. President and owner of the speedway, Tom Ryan, said Monday he’s hoping the theater will be open by Memorial Day. Ryan told the Star Tribune that he is planning on showing first-run, family-friendly films until early September. The movies would be shown on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in the spring and fall and every night in the summer, he said. On Saturday nights, when the racetrack operates, the films would begin after the final race. The theater will be south of the racetrack on a site large enough for 713 vehicles. That’s similar to Lake Elmo’s drive-in Vali Hi, which is the only other outdoor theater left in the metro.
A big factor in battling hunger in rural communities might just be the people who are already feeding the world. Six food banks serving Minnesota are asking farmers to participate in Feeding America’s Invest an Acre program by pledging revenue from their 2014 crop, with the goal of having 1,000 acres pledged in Minnesota this year. Farmers are asked to visit HarvestToEndHungerMN.org and pledge the revenue from an acre, bushel or any amount of their 2014 crop. One hundred percent of the donation stays in the farmer’s community with the money going directly to buy food for hungry families. The Monsanto Company will match donations, dollar for dollar, up to $675,000. Corn farmer Gary Pahl of Pahl Farms in Apple Valley said, “With everybody’s combined efforts, we can make a difference.” To learn more visit www.HarvestToEndHungerMN.org.
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