A City without Salt
Public Works Director/ City Engineer Joe Stapf says Northfield won’t be getting any more salt for the roads. Their supplier can’t even deliver on the full contract of 850 tons. The City had received 750 tons and ordered 200 more in anticipation of last week’s blizzard. The supplier was able to give them 75. Streets Supervisor, TJ Heinricy, learned another supplier had 100 tons of salt and was willing to sell for $100 per ton, a third more than normal. Stapf says even so it doesn’t appear that the City will have enough material to treat the streets as they normally do for the remainder of the winter. Northfield’s not the only City without salt. The City of Red Wing heard that TJ got 75 tons and asked if they could have some. Stapf says they’ve started using a blend of salt and sand to stretch the material as far as possible. The City tries not to use sand because it requires considerable cleanup in the spring, leaves sediment in the catch basins and storm sewers, and causes storm water runoff problems. Stapf added that with the cold temperatures there’s really no relief from the icy roads. Given the circumstances, motorists are asked to drive with caution. Especially now with blizzard conditions coming in again this afternoon and overnight.
Richardson weighs in on tweet
It was the tweet heard around the state. Reid Sagehorn, a senior at Rogers High School in the Elk River district, sent a flippant tweet about kissing a teacher. By all accounts he is an exemplary student and athlete. He apologized immediately in writing. Still the Superintendent suspended Sagehorn for 7 weeks. Northfield School Superintendent Chris Richardson comments that Administrators all over the state are wondering what’s the appropriate level of punishment. He says the flipside is the teacher involved has also gone through a tough time not only from the allegation but from the “sentence” handed out to Sagehorn. She’s being blamed for something Adminstration did. Richardson added off air that no one has mentioned the other kids who were goading Sagehorn to begin with. He says overall, “It’s a tough one”.
Council will hire Recruiting firm for City Admin position
Northfield council met last night for a work session. They discussed the process of finding a new City Administrator. They heard ideas from the former Eagan City Administrator, Tom Hedges and the current Waconia Administrator, Susan Arntz. They both recommended hiring a recruiting firm. Mayor Graham and all the councilors, except for Nakasian, who was absent, agreed. Graham said a group made up of himself, Mayor Pro Tem Erica Zweifel and the City’s HR Director Michelle Mahowald will look at 4 companies and choose one. That company will then come in and talk with the full council about their process. There are 4 companies they’ll be looking at, one is Gary Weiers the former Rice County Administrator. Arntz was asked what would be the most important thing she learned in the hiring process. She said “don’t be seduced into change”. She’s seen other entities swing entirely the other way and regret it later. She said make sure you identify the one thing about current Administrator Madigan that you want to find in the next candidate. Madigan stated that he would not be involved in the process. His official retirement date is September 1st but he’s offered to help with the transition if necessary.
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The post Today’s news update – A City without Salt; Richardson weighs in on tweet; Council will hire Recruiting firm for City Admin position appeared first on KYMN Radio - Northfield, MN.