By Sara QuamThe Luverne City Council dealt with new energy conservation measures at its Tuesday meeting.The city is starting a new program to give rebates to large energy users as an incentive for higher efficiency.Gold’n Plump, for example, reduced its number of compressors because of increased efficiency in the chicken processing plant and is saving 70 kilowatts per month.The city is actually required by the state to spend 1.5 percent of utility revenues on customers who make conservation improvements.That amounts to about $65,000 a year.City Administrator John Call said, "The main focus is conservation and in the long-run the environment."The city has already had programs available for residential customers, such as load management, rebates for energy efficient appliances and the Marathon water heater program.The City Council also passed a resolution for an efficient lighting program for Luverne churches.The program will allow staff to work with churches to improve electrical efficiency through lighting upgrades.Borrow $1.5 millionThe city went through the preliminary process of issuing bonds of up to $1.5 million to go toward the addition and renovation of the Luverne Fire Hall and improvements to the former hospital building for Minnesota West Community and Technical College to start a campus there.It is estimated the fire hall will cost about $1 million.The final amount borrowed through bonds depends on the cost of the projects, which is unknown at this time.The council had a public hearing on issuing bonds and received no comment.In other city business, the council:oAmended the city’s personnel policy to allow job-sharing. This has become more common in the private sector for a few years. Job-sharing allows more than one employee to work in one position and receive some benefits. It won’t cost the city more than one person doing the same job.This was brought about after Economic Development Director Jill Wolf expressed an interest.Administrator Call said it can be a positive change to reduce turnover and absenteeism and in general make the EDA office more flexible.oApproved a conditional use permit for Glen’s Food and Gas to have 24-hour pumps, operable by credit card after store hours.oDeclared some city property surplus, to be sold on the open market. Among the items are a 1957 Red Seagrave ladder truck, 34 sets of self-contained breathing apparatuses, EZ Linere walk behind paint sprayer, Westinghouse steam turbine, 300 Westinghouse generator, Kewanee boiler, bench grinder, press drill, lathe, states table, meter test bench, LeMax cherry picker, Hiduty reciprocating saw (non-working), 150 amp welder, two air compressors, a non-insulated 11- by-12-foot overhead door, an insulated 16-by-10-foot overhead door with rails and opener and various piping, valves, pumps, motors.