Hills-Beaver Creek Dist. 671Minutes10-26-05The Hills-Beaver Creek School Board met for its semimonthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the library in Hills. Board members present were Boeve, Leuthold, DeBoer, Harnack, Esselink, Baker and Crawford. Superintendent Deragisch and Principal Holthaus were also in attendance.The meeting was called to order by Chairman Harnack. Visitors to the meeting were recognized by the chairman. The only visitor was Lexi Moore of The Crescent. Motion by DeBoer, second by Esselink, and carried to approve the agenda with the addition of item 6.4 Snow Removal. Patriot Pride: FCA – thank you to the communities for donating to the Katrina victims.Jessica Penning and Rebecca Crawford for their participation in the South Dakota Youth Symphony.Elementary report was given by Mr. Holthaus.High School report was presented by Superintendent Deragisch.The minutes of the last meeting were approved as sent out. Motion by Esselink, second by Crawford, and carried to approve the Seniority List. Motion by Crawford, second by DeBoer, and carried to accept with regrets the resignation of school psychologist Jolene Keckler effective November 11, 2005. The Board extends their thanks for her years of service to the district. Motion by Leuthold, second by Baker, and carried to advertise for snow removal bids. Dates to Remember: November 8 School Board Election 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Canvas of Votes 8:15 p.m. November 21 School Board meetingAgenda items for next meeting: First reading of policy #506, #514, & #515Opening of snow removal bidsMeeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m.Ann Boeve, Clerk(11-17)

10 years ago (1995)"Doug Bos has the distinction of being a member of a select group of individuals to receive Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) status in Minnesota. Currently there are only 260 individuals in Minnesota who have completed the CCA program which began in 1993."25 years ago (1980)"Mrs. Lois Nelson is teaching a seventh-grade and ninth-grade science class a the high school this year. She has been teaching for 18 years, 17 of those in Hills."50 years ago (1955)"At the regular monthly meeting of the Village Council, members chose to ask for a raise in wages. Presently, councilmen get the sum of $35 per year, while the mayor gets $60. The new wage would be $75 per year for councilmen and $125 for the mayor." 75 years ago (1930)"Orlando Skattum and Curtis Hoyme tried out the new golf course in Beaver Creek last Saturday evening." 100 years ago (1905)"Lars Hovland informed a Crescent reporter that they have recently finished a cattle barn, corn crib and chicken house for A.O. Skattum."

By Lexi MooreResidents living in Independent School District No. 671, Hills-Beaver Creek, voted Tuesday night to keep incumbents Tim Baker and Lois Leuthold on the School Board. Candidates Harley Fransman and Chris Harnack were also elected.Tuesday’s election in Hills, Beaver Creek and Steen brought out 18 percent of possible voters, with 224 votes cast.The School Board election was the only item on the ballot.Voters were asked to choose up to four names from five candidates appearing on the ballot.Chris Harnack, son of current Board Chairman Alan Harnack, received the highest vote tally at 190. Fransman, Baker and Lois Leuthold received 183, 181 and 162 votes. Stuart Leuthold received the fewest votes at 116. There were 11 write-in votes.Chris Harnack and Fransman will join the board beginning in January 2006 and remain for a term of four years.Although they cannot be sworn into office until January, the board has invited them to be visitors at the remaining meetings this year.Board members Roland Crawford and Alan Harnack, whose terms will end in December, elected not to file for re-election.Current board members and Superintendent David Deragisch said they were happy with the turnout on Tuesday night and congratulated all of the candidates for their participation in the election.

By Lexi MooreResidents in Hills who experienced low water pressure over the weekend and late last week will be happy to know that the problem was fixed on Monday.Automatic switches connected to pumps in the water tower were not kicking in on their own and fuses were blowing in the water plant building located south of the tower.Residents were experiencing low water pressure as a result of these problems.Hills maintenance worker Wayne Ward was manually turning the switches on and off throughout the weekend.The problem with low pressure caused the fire alarm and sprinklers in the high school to trigger on several occasions. The school installed a back flow preventer on their system to prevent low pressure from triggering the alarm.Monday Doug Chapman from Chapman Refrigeration and Electric found and fixed the problem in the water plant building.Recently an underground cistern had been removed from the area, and during destruction, wires that regulated the cistern were cut. The wires also played a part in regulating the automatic switches that control the amount of water released from the tower.After Chapman fixed the wires and replaced the breaker, everything at the water plant was working.Abuse of compost pile costs the city:In October the city cleaned up the compost area at the south end of Hills.There were seven yards of non-compost material in the pile that had to be hauled to Ketterling Services.The material, including an old deck, cost the city $70, in addition to more than $500 in fuel costs to haul it away from the site.The Council has discussed abuses of the pile in the past and agreed that the problem has not gotten better.Mayor Jim Jellema said, "What can you do? Without the pile things would be worse."The council instructed Ward to speak with Ted Larson about putting up additional snow fence along the south side of the area used for the city compost.Ward installed snow fence along part of the area to keep debris from blowing onto Larson’s fields. The idea is working but Larson said he feels more is needed to eliminate the problem.Open gym hours/supervisor set:Myron Sandbulte was approved at a rate of $25 per Sunday to supervise open gym activities from Nov. 27 through March 26.Last year Sandbulte was an alternate supervisor.The gym will be open from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday afternoons.

By Lexi MooreThe Hills-Beaver Creek School District was notified in early October that it would be eligible to receive nearly $20,000 from the Microsoft Corporation.The grant money would come as a result of a $50 million settlement between Microsoft and the state of Minnesota.Superintendent David Deragisch submitted the paperwork along with a request for nearly $27,000 in software and hardware for the high school and elementary school."It’s a gift," Deragisch said, "… Christmas in November from Microsoft."Included in the list of requested items were two computers to run new library software, two servers, two switches, two laser printers and Microsoft Office for Macintosh computers.The amount of money H-BC will receive will depend on the number of school districts in the state who applied for money when they received paperwork in October.The district will receive vouchers in January. Administrators will not know until then how much of the estimated $21,410.45 they will receive.OSHA safety mandates will cost school:Deragisch attended a mandatory OSHA meeting regarding safety equipment on machines in the industrial arts and agriculture shops.OSHA mandates that all machines are properly guarded and in compliance or the school will be fined.Because a representative from H-BC attended the meeting the school will receive $10,000 to put toward guarding old machines or purchasing new ones.Deragisch will arrange for a company to come for a free review of all equipment.Snow removal bids opened:School Board Chairman Alan Harnack opened three sealed snow removal bids at Tuesday’s board meeting. The bids were for snow removal during the 2005-2006 school year.Bids were placed by Arlen Leenderts, Erwin’s Towing and Mike Spath.Four separate jobs were awarded, two to Spath and the other two to Erwin’s Towing and Leenderts.Mike Spath will remove snow from the northeast lot at a rate of $45 per hour and the bus garage for a flat fee of $10.Erwin’s Towing bid for the south lot at $80 per hour was also accepted. Snow removal from the northwest lot was awarded to Arlen Leenderts at a rate of $40 per hour.Snow must be removed from the bus area by 6:30 a.m and from the parking areas by 7:30 a.m. on school days.Winter activities have started:Winter activities will be underway by the end of next week.H-BC will have one mock trial team of 14 students with six alternate students participating in practice and meets.There are 10 girls interested in basketball cheerleading. Cheerleading advisor Starla Scholten will purchase additional uniforms so that all 10 girls can be involved.The number of students participating in winter sports is high with the exception of eighth-grade boys and girls basketball.

By Lori EhdeAt their Tuesday meeting the Pool Commission approved a 3-percent rate increase for memberships at the Rock County Pool and Fitness Center.The rates, which will go into effect in 2006, will allow the center to keep up with its own rising costs, Pool Commission members reasoned.They cited a 3-percent raise for employees, recently negotiated by the city, along with projected energy cost increases for heat this winter."I think 3-percent is reasonable," said Commission member Karen Radisewitz, "especially if you consider a 3-percent cost of living increase."Pool and Fitness Center Supervisor Samantha Honermann said she feared the rate hike might be a hardship for some members, who are already paying higher gas prices to drive there.On the other hand, she and Commission members agreed that smaller, more regular increases are more easily tolerated than less frequent, larger rate hikes."Back when we had the 15-percent increase, there were over 100 opt-outs (members opting not to renew their contracts)," Honermann said. "We sure don’t want that again."The Pool Commission’s rate hike decision needs to be approved by both the City Council and the County Board, since the facility is a joint effort of the two governments.If approved, the rate change would increase a family pool and fitness membership from $380.19 per year to $391.60. An individual pool and fitness membership would increase from $243.19 per year to $250.49. An individual fitness only or pool-only membership would increase from $135.03 per year to $139.08. The Commission is comprised of representatives from the City Council, County Board and concerned citizens.In other business Tuesday, Honerman updated the Commission on memberships, which are holding steady at 1,067 contracts. "But we have a ton of renewals coming due in December and January, so we’ll see where we’re at after that," Honermann said.Commission member Linda Bakken asked Lois Nelson, a Commission member from Hills, if the fitness center there is used much.She said she often sees cars parked there, but said she’d look into it.Honerman said she’d watch the Hills residents’ contracts at the Pool and Fitness Center in Luverne to see if the Hills fitness center is affecting pool memberships.She also reported that the Blue Cross Blue Shield $20 premium discount for fitness membership has been good for the facility. "It has helped us, and I think it will continue to do so," she said.Last year the facility had 215 non-Luverne resident memberships, and this year there are 164.For promotions, Honermann said staff members are considering holiday promotions. "We were thinking about something along the lines of ‘Give the gift of fitness for Christmas,’" she said.That promotion may include a free month with a yearly membership.When she asked the Commission for other promotional ideas, Commission member Kraig Rust suggested a triathlon challenge."We’ve got people who swim, and we’ve got people who run, and we have bikes," he said.He said teams and individuals challenging each other could generate interest in both fitness and in joining the Pool and Fitness Center.Honermann said she liked the idea and would talk to staff about organizing it.

By Sara QuamRock County Commissioners have more details on the planned new Law Enforcement Center.Paulsen Architects, Mankato, submitted a proposed schedule and fees for the new Law Enforcement Center that will be on Blue Mound Avenue between Human Services and the County Highway Department.That firm is handling the project from start to finish.The document phase of the project is complete and cost $41,870.The bidding will cost another $6,852 and will start in January.Construction is scheduled to start in March of 2006 and be completed in November 2006.For each month of construction, the firm will be paid $3,045.55 to supervise. Paulsen Architects broke down the monthly cost for construction, based on a budget of $1,774,520:March — $88,726April — $133,089May — $354,904June — $354,904July — $266,178August — $177,452September — $177,452October — $133,089November — $88,726The county has invested a portion of the bond that will pay for the new LEC. The investments will earn the county $43,851 in a year.In other business Tuesday, the board:
Approved the new commitment agreement to be a part of the regional Lewis and Clark Rural Water System. It is a 40-year agreement in the state of Minnesota. Rock County Rural Water will pay about 85¢ per gallon for the water, which is scheduled to reach Rock County in 2012.
Approved of hiring more part-time deputies in the Sheriff’s Department.The deputies would be licensed as full-time officers so they won’t require supervision during their shifts. Sheriff Mike Winkels said, "Some people have been interested and have actually approached the department."He said the hiring process will be the same as any other deputy, and they will have to pass the same tests. It costs about $2,500 to hire and equip a new deputy, but Winkels said the added labor will actually save the department in overtime expenses.Some full-time deputies regularly are working up to 20 hours overtime per pay period and that should be reduced by intermittent, part-time help.
Approved of an Adult Mental Health Service Plan. The plan requires annual board action in order for Family Services to receive about $62,000 in federal and state funding. Most of the adult mental health cases are handled by the Southwest Mental Health Center in

By Sara QuamLuverne Economic Development Authority Director Jill Wolf has requested to expand the area of Luverne eligible for building rehab grants.The Small Cities Grant has been available to Luverne businesses and residences for a year, but hasn’t been actively used.Wolf said, "Hopefully people will start taking advantage of it because it’s a great program. We’re not sure why people aren’t using it."She said a new round of advertising and an expanded land area should help.If approved, the new area would include the entire community. The current area is from the east side of Highway 75 to Blue Mound Avenue, from Fletcher to Brown Street.The grants are designed to help downtown areas.The grant program was awarded to Luverne through the Department of Employment and Economic Development.Rental housing repair loans have gotten the best response so far, and there are no more of those available.However, there are 18 commercial grants available with just six applications turned in, and 25 residential grants available with just five turned in.The city has $253,620 to provide commercial rehabilitation loans within the target area.The funding is in the form of a combination 0 percent deferred loan and low interest loan. The first 33 percent is deferred loan with a five-year term, forgiven at 20 percent per year. (Essentially, it becomes a grant after five years.) Another 33 percent is a 1 percent loan for up to a 15-year term. The remaining 34 percent is owner financed.The city has $362,700 for owner-occupied residential rehab, of which owners have to pay 20 percent on their own.There are income guidelines for the residential grants and loans.The following chart reflects the guidelines based on the number of people in the household and maximum household income:1: $29,2502: $33,4003: $37,6004: $41,7505: $45,1006: $48,4507: $51,8008: $55,100To apply for either grant program, contact Wolf at City Hall, 449-5033.JOBZ progressThe LEDA will attend a joint City Council and LEDA public hearing about the new business Luverne Welding and Machine, which is expanding from Pipestone. The hearing will allow time for public comment and for the boards to vote on the business subsidy agreement and Job Opportunity Building Zone eligibility.The public hearing is set for 6 p.m. Monday in Council Chambers.The state Department of Employment and Economic Development has approved moving a JOBZ site to the Industrial Park property on which the business will be located.

By Lori EhdeResidents in the Luverne district voted Tuesday in favor of a $700 per pupil operating referendum.The 1,194-850 decision represents 58 percent in favor of the proposal and 42 percent against. There were a total of 2,044 ballots cast, with nearly 50 percent of the district’s eligible voters participating.According to Superintendent Gary Fisher, that’s the second-highest voter turnout the district has ever drawn for a school-only election.In the first 50 minutes the polls were open, more than 200 district voters showed up to cast their ballots.At the end of the day long lines also gathered at the tables at the start of the last hour at 7 p.m.The new elementary school bond election drew the highest turnout in December 1996 with 2,243 voters participating."It’s a big relief for us, for the committee who worked on this and for the board members," Fisher said Wednesday morning. The financial relief for the district’s future is paramount, but Fisher said the high voter turnout was pleasing."Our committee did a good job of getting out and trying to reach groups of people," Fisher said."We could have had a big arena meeting, but I think it’s important to go out to the people rather than wait for the people to come to us."Committee members included Ben Vander Kooi, Jane Wildung, Katie Baustian, Doris Blom, Lona Klosterbuer, Don Bryan, Patsy Amborn, Sherri Thompson, Colleen Deutsch, board members Vicki Baartman and Bill Stegemann, District Finance officer Marlene Mann, Superintendent Gary Fisher and students Larae Kor and Lexi Peterson.The referendum will bring an additional $900,000 to the district for up to 10 years."It allows us to sit down and plan where we’re going," Fisher said. "Instead of planning with programs and personnel to cut, we can move in a more positive direction."He said an important message the School Board wants to communicate is that it will levy lower amounts in coming years if the opportunity is there."Tuesday’s vote allows us to levy the $700 per pupil, but if the need isn’t there, we won’t levy the maximum.""I’m hoping we get some change in state funding to allow us to do that."Luverne was among 82 districts in the state putting referendum questions to a vote Tuesday. An additional 26 districts were voting on bond referendums for building projects.Fisher said Luverne and other districts will continue to lobby the legislature to do its share in supporting education funding."The funding has come back to the local level, and the burden is on the local residents right now," he said.Of the $700 per pupil referendum, the state will pay $323.27 per pupil, and the local effort will be $376.39.On a $100,000 home in Rock County, the referendum would require roughly an additional $200 per year, or about $17 per month.The referendum will affect taxes on agricultural property based only on the value of the house, garage and one acre. The referendum will affect tax statements payable in 2006.