Dassel-Cokato Community Guide 2019 | Page 43

Local News, Sports, and Entertainment ��������� ��������������������� ������������������� ������������������� ����������������� ���������� ������������� ��������������������������� ��������������������������� ������� ������������������������� ����������� ����������� ��������������� ������������������� Serving the communities of Dassel, Cokato and Darwin, Minnesota Friday, June 14, 2019 | Volume 134 | Number 52 | $1.50 www.DasselCokato.com ���������� ���������������������������� ����������������������������������������������������������� ���� ��������� ��� �� ���� ����� ������ ����� ����� ������� ������ ���� ���������� ������������������� 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 ��������������������������������������������������������������� ����������������������� �������������� ������������� 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. �������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������������������� ����������������� ������������� ���������������������������� 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. �� ������� ������ ���� ��� ���������� ��� ���� ������� �������� ������� �������� ����� ��� ��� �� ����� � �������� ��������� ��������� ���� ������ ������������ ���� �������� ��� ����� ���� ����� ������������������������������������������� ���� � ����� ������������ ��� ����������� ����� ������ ���� ��������� �������� ���� �������� ������� ���� ������������ ��� ������������� ��� �������������������� ������������� ��������������������� ������������������� ������������� ��������������������������� ��������������������������� ������� ������������������������� ����������� ����������� ��������������� ������������������� 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 ���������� ������������� 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 ����������������������������������������������������������� ���� ��������� ��� �� ���� ����� ������ ����� ����� ������� ������ ���� ���������� ������������������� 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 ��������������������������������������������������������������� ����������������������� �������������� ������������� 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. �������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������������������� ����������������� ������������� ��������������������������������������������������������������� 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- ������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������� ����������������������������������� ����������� ������������� 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: ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ ������������������������� ��������� ������������������� ����������������� ���������� ��������������������������������������������������������������� 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. �������������������������� ������� ������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������ ��� ��� �� ����� ���� ������� ��������������� ����� ���������������� ����� ����� ��� ������������ ������ �������������������������������������������������� ��������� ����������������� ��������������� ������ ���� �������� ��������� ���������� ������� �������� ����� ��� ��� ����� ����� ��� ������� �������� �������� ������ ����� ������ ����� ������������ ����������� ��� ��������� ��������������� ���� ����������������������������� �������������������� ����������������������������������� ���������������������������������������� ����������� ������������������������������������ 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. ������������� ������������������� ����������������� ���������� ��������������������� ������������������� ������������� ��������������������������� ��������������������������� ������� ������������������������� ����������� ����������� ��������������� ������������������� 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 ���������� ������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������� ����������������������������������� ����������� 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- ���������������������� 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 ����������������������������������������������������������� ���� ��������� ��� �� ���� ����� ������ ����� ����� ������� ������ ���� ���������� ������������������� 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 �������������� �������������������� ���������� 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 ��������������������������������������������������������������� ����������������������� �������������� ������������� 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. �������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������������������� ����������������� ������������� ��������������������������������������������������������������� 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- 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. ������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������� ����������������������������������� ����������� completed in the fall of 1916. tor Matt Miklasz stated, “The ������������� 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- ���������������������� 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 ������������������������� �� ������� ������ ���� ��� ���������� ��� ���� ������� �������� ������� �������� ����� ��� ��� �� ����� � �������� ��������� ��������� ���� ������ ������������ ���� �������� ��� ����� ���� ����� ������������������������������������������� ���� � ����� ������������ ��� ����������� ����� ������ ���� ��������� �������� ���� �������� ������� ���� ������������ ��� ������������� ��� �������������������� �������������������������� ������� ������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������ ��� ��� �� ����� ���� ������� ��������������� ����� ���������������� ����� ����� ��� ������������ ������ �������������������������������������������������� ��������� ����������������� ��������������� ������ ���� �������� ��������� ���������� ������� �������� ����� ��� ��� ����� ����� ��� ������� �������� �������� ������ ����� ������ ����� ������������ ����������� ��� ��������� ��������������� ���� ����������������������������� �������������������� ����������������������������������� ���������������������������������������� ����������� ������������������������������������ Whenever AND Wherever YOU want! 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