New Germany City Council to discuss engineering items

NEW GERMANY, MN – City engineer Sheila Krohse will present an engineering agreement for the city’s water treatment facility during Wednesday’s city council meeting. Krohse will also present information regarding an update that is needed for the city’s storm water management plan and a rural development loan resolution.

Other items on the agenda include payment agreements for city utility bills, a subdivision ordinance update for the planning commission, an equipment sharing agreement, and a memo of understanding regarding a FEMA grant for a fire department paging system.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at city hall. The normal meeting day is Tuesday, but it was moved to Wednesday this week due to precinct caucuses.

Essay contest for high school students in Carver County

CARVER COUNTY, MN – The Carver Lifelines chapter of Lutherans for Life is sponsoring an essay contest for students in grades 9-12 in Carver County, Mayer Lutheran High School reported.

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SFA looking for farms to participate in Festival of Farms July 14

WRIGHT, CARVER COUNTIES, MN –The Sustainable Farming Association (SFA) of Minnesota is looking for farms to participate in the 2012 Festival of Farms Saturday, July 14.

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Woman dies in house fire in Carver County

CARVER COUNTY, MN – A woman was found dead in a home that caught fire on the 14000 block of Carver County Road 41 in Dahlgren Township Monday evening.

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VanLith resigns from New Germany City Council

NEW GERMANY, MN – Long-time City Council Member Steve VanLith resigned during tonight’s city council meeting. Controversy that has been building over several weeks came to a head today. At issue was the fact that VanLith has served for many years as both a city council member and the city’s fire chief, offices that the city attorney and others have deemed incompatible.

During its Jan. 3 meeting, the council voted not to allow a person to hold incompatible offices. The council did not approve the slate of officers presented by the fire department until tonight. The council approved all officers except the chief position. Mayor Jason Kamerud noted that the council could not approve VanLith as chief, because doing so would result in him holding incompatible offices, which is exactly what it was trying to avoid. After that vote passed, VanLith resigned from the city council, noting that the department could not run without a chief. The council then approved accepting VanLith as fire chief for 2012.

The council had previously noted that VanLith could hold any other fire department office other than chief, as other offices are not considered incompatible. VanLith showed no interest in this, and Assistant Fire Chief (this position is now called chief 2 in Carver County departments) Dan Ruschmeier said the fire department has voted on the slate of officers with VanLith as chief twice, and this is the only slate of officers the department would present to the council.

During the Dec. 3 meeting, VanLith had offered a compromise under which, if the council allowed him to continue to hold both the council seat and the fire chief office through the end of 2012, he would submit his resignation from city council effective Dec. 31, 2012. Other members of the council expressed opposition to allowing VanLith to continue to hold incompatible offices.

The council, later in tonight’s meeting, agreed to accept applications to fill the vacant council seat.

(note: effective date corrected 1-18-12)

Blizzard Blitz in Waconia rescheduled for Sunday, Feb. 19

CARVER COUNTY, MN – Starkey Hearing Foundation, which strives to change the social consciousness of hearing and hearing health care, announced that it is postponing its second annual Blizzard Blitz For Better Hearing due to ice conditions. The event was previously scheduled to take place at Lola’s Lakehouse on Lake Waconia  Jan. 16, the Waconia Patriot reported.

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