Local News, Sports,
and Entertainment
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Serving the communities of Dassel, Cokato and Darwin, Minnesota
Friday, June 14, 2019 | Volume 134 | Number 52 | $1.50
www.DasselCokato.com
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the old one. The truck goes $909, since the wasted water
out of use at Edina in January did not go into the sewer. The
2020, at which point Cokato council agreed 2-1 to reduce
his sewer bill to the average
would receive it.
amount for that property, with
����������������
council members Kevin Wil-
The council heard two re-
son and Jarod Sebring in favor,
quests for utility relief.
and Council Member Forrest
Jose Larios informed the
“Butch” Amundson opposed.
council that over the winter,
The second request was from
a tenant moved out of a prop-
Dave Denesha, representing
erty he owns and called the
the East Mobile Home Park in
gas company to turn off the
Cokato. The park had several
gas, without his knowledge. As
pipes break during the winter.
it was winter, the pipes froze
Because the water meter was
and burst, leading to 115,000
underwater and unreachable
gallons of water usage, com-
throughout the winter, they
pared to the property’s aver-
did not realize the extent of
age usage of 3,100 gallons.
the wasted water until spring.
Larios stated that he is taking
An excess of 1,393,000 gallons
responsibility for the water bill,
was shown when the water me-
which has already been paid in
ter was fi nally able to be read.
full, but he requested that the
council waive his sewer bill of
��������������
From rivals to teammates;
DC and Litchfi eld look to
pair in wrestling
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COKATO – If you were to
ask any DC wrestler, former
wrestler, or fan the following
question: who is the team’s
fi ercest rival?, the answer
would likely be unanimous:
Litchfi eld.
Ask any Litchfi eld fan or
wrestler the same question,
and they would likely re-
spond in kind: DC.
Yet if all goes according
to plan, next season that ri- �����������������������������������������������������������
valry would be a thing of the �����������������������������������������������������������
�����������������������������������������������������������
past.
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On a 3-2 vote, with commis-
sioners Charlie Borrell and Mark
Daleiden opposed, the Wright
County Board decided to move
forward with funding for a new
government center Tuesday after
rejecting a petition aimed at forc-
ing a vote on the project.
The county will be utilizing
certifi cate of participation fi nanc-
ing to fund both the government
center and a tactical training cen-
ter. While the government center
decision was not unanimous, the
tactical training vote was.
Before the board could move
forward with funding, it fi rst
needed to rescind the capital im-
provement plan it had adopted
April 30, and declare that there
will not be a referendum regard-
ing funding for either project, de-
spite a petition with about 4,600
signatures calling for one. It did
so unanimously.
Representatives from Rupp,
Anderson, Squires, and Walds-
purger, PA, reviewed the petition
on behalf of the county and de-
termined it did not meet the re-
quirements set out by Minnesota
statute. Specifi cally, the counsel
stated the 739-page document
had improper form and a lack of
a summary.
“Had the legal requirements
been met, I would not be pre-
pared to move forward with
other things at this time,” Com-
missioner Christine Husom
said. “The majority of people
who contacted me are in favor
of moving forward with the new
government center.
“It just seems like the most fi s-
cally responsible thing to do, in-
stead of doing more shifting and
shifting, having a centralized
campus not only for citizens but
all our staff who work together
on all these different things,” she
continued later.
Commissioner Charlie Borrell
disagreed.
“It seems like we’re circum-
venting the will of the petition-
ers,” Borrell said. “ . . . I think
it might be better for continuity
of everybody to just put this off
for a year.”
Daleiden also voiced support
for putting off the project for a
couple years.
“It’s a very diffi cult decision
and there have been many sleep-
less nights trying to fi gure it out,”
Daleiden said.
Chair Darek Vetsch said he
had “spent an enormous amount
of time over the last year-plus
putting out educational materi-
als and going out to numerous
venues.”
While Husom said building
the government center is the
most fi scally responsible thing
to do, Vetsch said, “I know this
is the most fi scally prudent. I’ve
put together numerous fi nancial
models. I can’t fi nd a scenario
that lends to us staying in this
building as a fi scally responsible
route.”
Regarding the tactical train-
ing center, which will be built in
partnership with the Federal Bu-
reau of Investigation, Daleiden
said, “I am concerned about not
doing this and never getting op-
portunities with federal people
again.”
Husom and fellow Commis-
sioner Mike Potter both spoke
regarding the other aspects of the
center: a backup dispatch center,
a backup data center, and an
emergency management center.
It was noted that, had the
county been able to proceed with
bonding for the projects, it would
have saved about $700,000 over
the life of the bonds, but Vetsch
believes that number will be clos-
er to $200,000 after refi nancing
the certifi cates in 10 years.
Husom also noted the county
will be able to prepay on the cer-
tifi cate, unlike with bonds.
����������
Wright County Health and
Human Services Public Health
Director Sarah Grosshuesch
shared a presentation about a
Tobacco 21, or T21, ordinance to
raise the age for purchasing to-
bacco in the county to 21.
She said that 95 percent of
current adult smokers started be-
fore the age of 21.
There has also been a signifi -
cant increase in youth tobacco
use after years of declines due to
the rise in popularity of e-ciga-
rettes, she said.
The number of civil tobacco
tickets has risen from 90 in 2016-
17, to 110 in 2017-18, and to 246
this past school year, she said.
Much of her presentation fo-
cused on health concerns con-
nected to tobacco use. “One of
the reasons we’re concerned
about e-cigs is a number of un-
tested harmful ingredients in
them,” Grosshuesch said.
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Serving the communities of Dassel, Cokato and Darwin, Minnesota
Friday, June 14, 2019 | Volume 134 | Number 52 | $1.50
www.DasselCokato.com
Cokato approves purchase
of fi re truck from Edina
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Cokato Fire Chief Hutch
Erickson, during Monday’s
city council meeting, presented
a proposal to the council to
purchase a used fi re truck for
$95,000 from the Edina Fire
Department. Erickson noted
that Edina is replacing three
engines for around $1.1 million
each, something that would
never be possible for Cokato.
This engine is relatively in-
expensive in comparison to
others of its model and miles,
as a truck like this normally
costs between $195,000 and
$340,000. A typical purchase
of a fi re truck involves send-
ing the truck to Alabama fi rst,
which adds expense. This truck
will be purchased directly from
Edina, eliminating the middle-
man.
While the department got a
new truck only three years ago,
this one would be a vast im-
provement, with a ladder reach-
ing 100 feet, instead of 50 feet
like the current one.
In order to have a high ISO
(Insurance Service Offi ce) rat-
ing, the city needs a ladder that
either reaches the top of all of
the buildings in the town, or is
100 feet. While Cokato does
not have very tall buildings, a
100-foot ladder allows for bet-
ter grain bin and silo rescues.
The money would come out
of the fi re department’s capi-
tal fund, which is currently at
around $320,000. The council
voted unanimously to purchase
the new truck, and then to sell
�����������������������������������������������������������
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the old one. The truck goes $909, since the wasted water
out of use at Edina in January did not go into the sewer. The
2020, at which point Cokato council agreed 2-1 to reduce
his sewer bill to the average
would receive it.
amount for that property, with
����������������
council members Kevin Wil-
son and Jarod Sebring in favor,
and Council Member Forrest
“Butch” Amundson opposed.
The second request was from
Dave Denesha, representing
the East Mobile Home Park in
Cokato. The park had several
pipes break during the winter.
Because the water meter was
underwater and unreachable
throughout the winter, they
did not realize the extent of
the wasted water until spring.
An excess of 1,393,000 gallons
was shown when the water me-
ter was fi nally able to be read.
The council heard two re-
quests for utility relief.
Jose Larios informed the
council that over the winter,
a tenant moved out of a prop-
erty he owns and called the
gas company to turn off the
gas, without his knowledge. As
it was winter, the pipes froze
and burst, leading to 115,000
gallons of water usage, com-
pared to the property’s aver-
age usage of 3,100 gallons.
Larios stated that he is taking
responsibility for the water bill,
which has already been paid in
full, but he requested that the
council waive his sewer bill of
��������������
��������������������
����������
Hospital.
����������������������������
Scadden’s passenger, Heidi Scadden, 39, of
A crash on Highway 12 in Cokato June 7 re- Monticello, was not injured, nor was Hoppe’s
sulted in injuries for two individuals.
passenger, Barbara Hoppe, 79, of Howard
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a Lake.
2014 Ford Fusion driven by Aaron Scadden, 41,
The State Patrol reported that the Hoppes
of Monticello, was eastbound on Third Street and Aaron Scadden were wearing seat belts at
at the Highway 12 intersection and stopped at a the time of the crash, but said it was unknown
stop sign around 4 p.m.
if Heidi Scadden was wearing a seat belt.
It then pulled out in front of an eastbound
Road conditions were dry and alcohol was
2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by Edward not a factor in the crash, according to the State
Hoppe, 85, of Howard Lake, causing the two Patrol.
vehicles to collide.
Cokato Ambulance and the Wright County
Both Scadden and Hoppe suffered noncriti- Sheriff’s Offi ce assisted the State Patrol.
cal injuries and were transported to Buffalo
From rivals to teammates;
DC and Litchfi eld look to
pair in wrestling
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��������������
�������������
COKATO – If you were to
ask any DC wrestler, former
wrestler, or fan the following
question: who is the team’s
fi ercest rival?, the answer
would likely be unanimous:
Litchfi eld.
Ask any Litchfi eld fan or
wrestler the same question,
and they would likely re-
spond in kind: DC.
Yet if all goes according
to plan, next season that ri- �����������������������������������������������������������
valry would be a thing of the �����������������������������������������������������������
�����������������������������������������������������������
past.
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Board rejects petition, proceeds
with government center
����������
����������������������������
On a 3-2 vote, with commis-
sioners Charlie Borrell and Mark
Daleiden opposed, the Wright
County Board decided to move
forward with funding for a new
government center Tuesday after
rejecting a petition aimed at forc-
ing a vote on the project.
The county will be utilizing
certifi cate of participation fi nanc-
ing to fund both the government
center and a tactical training cen-
ter. While the government center
decision was not unanimous, the
tactical training vote was.
Before the board could move
forward with funding, it fi rst
needed to rescind the capital im-
provement plan it had adopted
April 30, and declare that there
will not be a referendum regard-
ing funding for either project, de-
spite a petition with about 4,600
signatures calling for one. It did
so unanimously.
Representatives from Rupp,
Anderson, Squires, and Walds-
purger, PA, reviewed the petition
on behalf of the county and de-
termined it did not meet the re-
quirements set out by Minnesota
statute. Specifi cally, the counsel
stated the 739-page document
had improper form and a lack of
a summary.
“Had the legal requirements
been met, I would not be pre-
pared to move forward with
other things at this time,” Com-
missioner Christine Husom
said. “The majority of people
who contacted me are in favor
of moving forward with the new
government center.
“It just seems like the most fi s-
�������������������������������������������������������������������
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Elim Mission Church in
Cokato broke ground for a new
20,000-square-foot
facility
Sunday. The new church will
be located on the east side of
Cokato, just south of the Trail-
stone Housing addition. Con-
struction is projected to take
nine months, with services
moving to the new facility in
spring 2020.
�������
1n 1908, the Evangeli-
cal Covenant group and the
Evangelical Free group came
together at a business meet-
ing and proposed asking each
member to contribute 50 cents
per month to the church. The
congregation met in homes
and rental buildings until 1915,
when they began construction
on a new building that was
completed in the fall of 1916.
Business meeting minutes
from that year noted: “This
church is a great heritage which
the older members, through
much sacrifi cial giving, pres-
ent to the future generations.”
Donations of liberty bonds and
support from members and
friends of the church helped the
church pay off the entire debt
of $1,600.
�����������������
The new $3.4 million facil-
ity will consist of four primary
areas: foyer, administration/of-
fi ces, worship center, and multi-
purpose space/educational.
The new facility will be
ADA-compliant,
allowing
people of all ages and physical
abilities access to the worship
center, fellowship hall, and ed-
ucation classes. In Elim’s Sep-
tember 2018 newsletter, Pas-
tor Matt Miklasz stated, “The
elderly and handicapped are
left out with our current facil-
ity. Many of our senior saints
are unable to fellowship with
the rest of the body in various
opportunities due to the fact
we do not have handicapped
accessibility to more than the
main level.”
The building will feature a
family crying room and an area
for nursing mothers adjacent to
the worship center. An open
foyer, designed with a 12 square
foot skylight, will connect the
building areas together.
The administration area has
offi ces for the staff, restrooms
(including a family restroom)
, and kitchen. The kitchen will
be centrally located, connect-
ed to the Fellowship Hall and
lobby.
����������������������
INSIDE THE ED: ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
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Board rejects petition, proceeds
with government center
����������
Hospital.
Scadden’s passenger, Heidi Scadden, 39, of
Monticello, was not injured, nor was Hoppe’s
passenger, Barbara Hoppe, 79, of Howard
Lake.
The State Patrol reported that the Hoppes
and Aaron Scadden were wearing seat belts at
the time of the crash, but said it was unknown
if Heidi Scadden was wearing a seat belt.
Road conditions were dry and alcohol was
not a factor in the crash, according to the State
Patrol.
Cokato Ambulance and the Wright County
Sheriff’s Offi ce assisted the State Patrol.
��������������������������
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cally responsible thing to do, in-
stead of doing more shifting and
shifting, having a centralized
campus not only for citizens but
all our staff who work together
on all these different things,” she
continued later.
Commissioner Charlie Borrell
disagreed.
“It seems like we’re circum-
venting the will of the petition-
ers,” Borrell said. “ . . . I think
it might be better for continuity
of everybody to just put this off
for a year.”
Daleiden also voiced support
for putting off the project for a
couple years.
“It’s a very diffi cult decision
and there have been many sleep-
less nights trying to fi gure it out,”
Daleiden said.
Chair Darek Vetsch said he
had “spent an enormous amount
of time over the last year-plus
putting out educational materi-
als and going out to numerous
venues.”
While Husom said building
the government center is the
most fi scally responsible thing
to do, Vetsch said, “I know this
is the most fi scally prudent. I’ve
put together numerous fi nancial
models. I can’t fi nd a scenario
that lends to us staying in this
building as a fi scally responsible
route.”
Regarding the tactical train-
ing center, which will be built in
partnership with the Federal Bu-
reau of Investigation, Daleiden
said, “I am concerned about not
doing this and never getting op-
portunities with federal people
again.”
Husom and fellow Commis-
sioner Mike Potter both spoke
regarding the other aspects of the
center: a backup dispatch center,
a backup data center, and an
emergency management center.
It was noted that, had the
county been able to proceed with
bonding for the projects, it would
have saved about $700,000 over
the life of the bonds, but Vetsch
believes that number will be clos-
er to $200,000 after refi nancing
the certifi cates in 10 years.
Husom also noted the county
will be able to prepay on the cer-
tifi cate, unlike with bonds.
����������
Wright County Health and
Human Services Public Health
Director Sarah Grosshuesch
shared a presentation about a
Tobacco 21, or T21, ordinance to
raise the age for purchasing to-
bacco in the county to 21.
She said that 95 percent of
current adult smokers started be-
fore the age of 21.
There has also been a signifi -
cant increase in youth tobacco
use after years of declines due to
the rise in popularity of e-ciga-
rettes, she said.
The number of civil tobacco
tickets has risen from 90 in 2016-
17, to 110 in 2017-18, and to 246
this past school year, she said.
Much of her presentation fo-
cused on health concerns con-
nected to tobacco use. “One of
the reasons we’re concerned
about e-cigs is a number of un-
tested harmful ingredients in
them,” Grosshuesch said.
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Serving the communities of Dassel, Cokato and Darwin, Minnesota
Friday, June 14, 2019 | Volume 134 | Number 52 | $1.50
www.DasselCokato.com
Cokato approves purchase
of fi re truck from Edina
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tor Matt Miklasz stated, “The
completed in the fall of 1916.
�������������
Business meeting minutes elderly and handicapped are
Elim Mission Church in from that year noted: “This left out with our current facil-
Cokato broke ground for a new church is a great heritage which ity. Many of our senior saints
20,000-square-foot
facility the older members, through are unable to fellowship with
Sunday. The new church will much sacrifi cial giving, pres- the rest of the body in various
be located on the east side of ent to the future generations.” opportunities due to the fact
Cokato, just south of the Trail- Donations of liberty bonds and we do not have handicapped
stone Housing addition. Con- support from members and accessibility to more than the
struction is projected to take friends of the church helped the main level.”
nine months, with services church pay off the entire debt
The building will feature a
moving to the new facility in of $1,600.
family crying room and an area
spring 2020.
for nursing mothers adjacent to
�����������������
the worship center. An open
The new $3.4 million facil-
foyer, designed with a 12 square
1n 1908, the Evangeli- ity will consist of four primary
foot skylight, will connect the
cal Covenant group and the areas: foyer, administration/of-
building areas together.
Evangelical Free group came fi ces, worship center, and multi-
The administration area has
together at a business meet- purpose space/educational.
offi ces for the staff, restrooms
ing and proposed asking each
The new facility will be
(including a family restroom)
member to contribute 50 cents ADA-compliant,
allowing
, and kitchen. The kitchen will
per month to the church. The people of all ages and physical
be centrally located, connect-
congregation met in homes abilities access to the worship
ed to the Fellowship Hall and
and rental buildings until 1915, center, fellowship hall, and ed-
lobby.
when they began construction ucation classes. In Elim’s Sep-
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on a new building that was tember 2018 newsletter, Pas-
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INSIDE THE ED: ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
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Cokato Fire Chief Hutch
Erickson, during Monday’s
city council meeting, presented
a proposal to the council to
purchase a used fi re truck for
$95,000 from the Edina Fire
Department. Erickson noted
that Edina is replacing three
engines for around $1.1 million
each, something that would
never be possible for Cokato.
This engine is relatively in-
expensive in comparison to
others of its model and miles,
as a truck like this normally
costs between $195,000 and
$340,000. A typical purchase
of a fi re truck involves send-
ing the truck to Alabama fi rst,
which adds expense. This truck
will be purchased directly from
Edina, eliminating the middle-
man.
While the department got a
new truck only three years ago,
this one would be a vast im-
provement, with a ladder reach-
ing 100 feet, instead of 50 feet
like the current one.
In order to have a high ISO
(Insurance Service Offi ce) rat-
ing, the city needs a ladder that
either reaches the top of all of
the buildings in the town, or is
100 feet. While Cokato does
not have very tall buildings, a
100-foot ladder allows for bet-
ter grain bin and silo rescues.
The money would come out
of the fi re department’s capi-
tal fund, which is currently at
around $320,000. The council
voted unanimously to purchase
the new truck, and then to sell
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the old one. The truck goes $909, since the wasted water
out of use at Edina in January did not go into the sewer. The
2020, at which point Cokato council agreed 2-1 to reduce
his sewer bill to the average
would receive it.
amount for that property, with
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council members Kevin Wil-
The council heard two re-
son and Jarod Sebring in favor,
quests for utility relief.
and Council Member Forrest
Jose Larios informed the
“Butch” Amundson opposed.
council that over the winter,
The second request was from
a tenant moved out of a prop-
Dave Denesha, representing
erty he owns and called the
the East Mobile Home Park in
gas company to turn off the
Cokato. The park had several
gas, without his knowledge. As
pipes break during the winter.
it was winter, the pipes froze
Because the water meter was
and burst, leading to 115,000
underwater and unreachable
gallons of water usage, com-
throughout the winter, they
pared to the property’s aver-
did not realize the extent of
age usage of 3,100 gallons.
the wasted water until spring.
Larios stated that he is taking
An excess of 1,393,000 gallons
responsibility for the water bill,
was shown when the water me-
which has already been paid in
ter was fi nally able to be read.
full, but he requested that the
council waive his sewer bill of
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Hospital.
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Scadden’s passenger, Heidi Scadden, 39, of
A crash on Highway 12 in Cokato June 7 re- Monticello, was not injured, nor was Hoppe’s
sulted in injuries for two individuals.
passenger, Barbara Hoppe, 79, of Howard
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a Lake.
2014 Ford Fusion driven by Aaron Scadden, 41,
The State Patrol reported that the Hoppes
of Monticello, was eastbound on Third Street and Aaron Scadden were wearing seat belts at
at the Highway 12 intersection and stopped at a the time of the crash, but said it was unknown
stop sign around 4 p.m.
if Heidi Scadden was wearing a seat belt.
It then pulled out in front of an eastbound
Road conditions were dry and alcohol was
2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by Edward not a factor in the crash, according to the State
Hoppe, 85, of Howard Lake, causing the two Patrol.
vehicles to collide.
Cokato Ambulance and the Wright County
Both Scadden and Hoppe suffered noncriti- Sheriff’s Offi ce assisted the State Patrol.
cal injuries and were transported to Buffalo
From rivals to teammates;
DC and Litchfi eld look to
pair in wrestling
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COKATO – If you were to
ask any DC wrestler, former
wrestler, or fan the following
question: who is the team’s
fi ercest rival?, the answer
would likely be unanimous:
Litchfi eld.
Ask any Litchfi eld fan or
wrestler the same question,
and they would likely re-
spond in kind: DC.
Yet if all goes according
to plan, next season that ri- �����������������������������������������������������������
valry would be a thing of the �����������������������������������������������������������
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past.
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Board rejects petition, proceeds
with government center
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On a 3-2 vote, with commis-
sioners Charlie Borrell and Mark
Daleiden opposed, the Wright
County Board decided to move
forward with funding for a new
government center Tuesday after
rejecting a petition aimed at forc-
ing a vote on the project.
The county will be utilizing
certifi cate of participation fi nanc-
ing to fund both the government
center and a tactical training cen-
ter. While the government center
decision was not unanimous, the
tactical training vote was.
Before the board could move
forward with funding, it fi rst
needed to rescind the capital im-
provement plan it had adopted
April 30, and declare that there
will not be a referendum regard-
ing funding for either project, de-
spite a petition with about 4,600
signatures calling for one. It did
so unanimously.
Representatives from Rupp,
Anderson, Squires, and Walds-
purger, PA, reviewed the petition
on behalf of the county and de-
termined it did not meet the re-
quirements set out by Minnesota
statute. Specifi cally, the counsel
stated the 739-page document
had improper form and a lack of
a summary.
“Had the legal requirements
been met, I would not be pre-
pared to move forward with
other things at this time,” Com-
missioner Christine Husom
said. “The majority of people
who contacted me are in favor
of moving forward with the new
government center.
“It just seems like the most fi s-
cally responsible thing to do, in-
stead of doing more shifting and
shifting, having a centralized
campus not only for citizens but
all our staff who work together
on all these different things,” she
continued later.
Commissioner Charlie Borrell
disagreed.
“It seems like we’re circum-
venting the will of the petition-
ers,” Borrell said. “ . . . I think
it might be better for continuity
of everybody to just put this off
for a year.”
Daleiden also voiced support
for putting off the project for a
couple years.
“It’s a very diffi cult decision
and there have been many sleep-
less nights trying to fi gure it out,”
Daleiden said.
Chair Darek Vetsch said he
had “spent an enormous amount
of time over the last year-plus
putting out educational materi-
als and going out to numerous
venues.”
While Husom said building
the government center is the
most fi scally responsible thing
to do, Vetsch said, “I know this
is the most fi scally prudent. I’ve
put together numerous fi nancial
models. I can’t fi nd a scenario
that lends to us staying in this
building as a fi scally responsible
route.”
Regarding the tactical train-
ing center, which will be built in
partnership with the Federal Bu-
reau of Investigation, Daleiden
said, “I am concerned about not
doing this and never getting op-
portunities with federal people
again.”
Husom and fellow Commis-
sioner Mike Potter both spoke
regarding the other aspects of the
center: a backup dispatch center,
a backup data center, and an
emergency management center.
It was noted that, had the
county been able to proceed with
bonding for the projects, it would
have saved about $700,000 over
the life of the bonds, but Vetsch
believes that number will be clos-
er to $200,000 after refi nancing
the certifi cates in 10 years.
Husom also noted the county
will be able to prepay on the cer-
tifi cate, unlike with bonds.
����������
Wright County Health and
Human Services Public Health
Director Sarah Grosshuesch
shared a presentation about a
Tobacco 21, or T21, ordinance to
raise the age for purchasing to-
bacco in the county to 21.
She said that 95 percent of
current adult smokers started be-
fore the age of 21.
There has also been a signifi -
cant increase in youth tobacco
use after years of declines due to
the rise in popularity of e-ciga-
rettes, she said.
The number of civil tobacco
tickets has risen from 90 in 2016-
17, to 110 in 2017-18, and to 246
this past school year, she said.
Much of her presentation fo-
cused on health concerns con-
nected to tobacco use. “One of
the reasons we’re concerned
about e-cigs is a number of un-
tested harmful ingredients in
them,” Grosshuesch said.
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completed in the fall of 1916.
tor Matt Miklasz stated, “The
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Business meeting minutes elderly and handicapped are
Elim Mission Church in from that year noted: “This left out with our current facil-
Cokato broke ground for a new church is a great heritage which ity. Many of our senior saints
20,000-square-foot
facility the older members, through are unable to fellowship with
Sunday. The new church will much sacrifi cial giving, pres- the rest of the body in various
be located on the east side of ent to the future generations.” opportunities due to the fact
Cokato, just south of the Trail- Donations of liberty bonds and we do not have handicapped
stone Housing addition. Con- support from members and accessibility to more than the
struction is projected to take friends of the church helped the main level.”
nine months, with services church pay off the entire debt
The building will feature a
moving to the new facility in of $1,600.
family crying room and an area
spring 2020.
for nursing mothers adjacent to
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the worship center. An open
�������
The new $3.4 million facil-
foyer, designed with a 12 square
1n 1908, the Evangeli- ity will consist of four primary
foot skylight, will connect the
cal Covenant group and the areas: foyer, administration/of-
building areas together.
Evangelical Free group came fi ces, worship center, and multi-
The administration area has
together at a business meet- purpose space/educational.
offi ces for the staff, restrooms
ing and proposed asking each
The new facility will be
(including a family restroom)
member to contribute 50 cents ADA-compliant,
allowing
, and kitchen. The kitchen will
per month to the church. The people of all ages and physical
be centrally located, connect-
congregation met in homes abilities access to the worship
ed to the Fellowship Hall and
and rental buildings until 1915, center, fellowship hall, and ed-
lobby.
when they began construction ucation classes. In Elim’s Sep-
����������������������
on a new building that was tember 2018 newsletter, Pas-
INSIDE THE ED: ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
�������������
Cokato Fire Chief Hutch
Erickson, during Monday’s
city council meeting, presented
a proposal to the council to
purchase a used fi re truck for
$95,000 from the Edina Fire
Department. Erickson noted
that Edina is replacing three
engines for around $1.1 million
each, something that would
never be possible for Cokato.
This engine is relatively in-
expensive in comparison to
others of its model and miles,
as a truck like this normally
costs between $195,000 and
$340,000. A typical purchase
of a fi re truck involves send-
ing the truck to Alabama fi rst,
which adds expense. This truck
will be purchased directly from
Edina, eliminating the middle-
man.
While the department got a
new truck only three years ago,
this one would be a vast im-
provement, with a ladder reach-
ing 100 feet, instead of 50 feet
like the current one.
In order to have a high ISO
(Insurance Service Offi ce) rat-
ing, the city needs a ladder that
either reaches the top of all of
the buildings in the town, or is
100 feet. While Cokato does
not have very tall buildings, a
100-foot ladder allows for bet-
ter grain bin and silo rescues.
The money would come out
of the fi re department’s capi-
tal fund, which is currently at
around $320,000. The council
voted unanimously to purchase
the new truck, and then to sell
��������������������
A crash on Highway 12 in Cokato June 7 re-
sulted in injuries for two individuals.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a
2014 Ford Fusion driven by Aaron Scadden, 41,
of Monticello, was eastbound on Third Street
at the Highway 12 intersection and stopped at a
stop sign around 4 p.m.
It then pulled out in front of an eastbound
2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by Edward
Hoppe, 85, of Howard Lake, causing the two
vehicles to collide.
Both Scadden and Hoppe suffered noncriti-
cal injuries and were transported to Buffalo
����������
Cokato approves purchase
of fi re truck from Edina
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