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With the scheduled removal of the Minnesota Falls Dam less than a year away, any individuals interested in manifesting an alternative other than the structure’s demolition had better move quick.
During a council meeting Tuesday evening, Granite Falls City Manager Bill Lavin relayed to council members that this was the reality that framed a Minnesota Falls Dam meeting last week.
The question that permeated the gathering, he said, was “Do you want to do anything?”
Lavin went on to say that the concensus of those present was in the affirmative. And that in order to formalize intentions, the City of Granite Falls along with Yellow Medicine and Chippewa Counties were asked to each pass a resolution that would enter the municipal bodies into a Joint Powers Board.
At this point, Lavin said there was no risk involved, and that the agreements would only indicate that the joint board was willing to look into the deeper questions such as site options, potential costs and possible ownership structures.
“All it does is formalize our continued working relationship,” he said.
Adding momentum and intrigue to the initiative before the council and commissioners would call that question, was the mix of public and private representatives at the discussion.
Engineers from Fagen, Inc. had attended an occasional meeting in the past, but having kept a low profile, the revelation that the company had and continues to perform engineering studies at the site caught many off guard, according to city and county officials.
But so, too, did the presence of Minnesota Valley Rural Electric Co-op representatives, until one questions whether the utility might be able to aid itself and one of its largest customers through some sort of hydro-electric production scenario.
Of course, such things are speculation at this point. However, the players, allude to the Minnesota Falls Dam’s broader public support while hinting at those possibilities.
On Tuesday, both county boards and the Granite Falls City Council convened for one of their bi-monthly meetings.
Both Yellow Medicine County and Granite Falls officials unanimously approved the Joint Powers Board agreement. According to the Montevideo American News, the Chippewa County board will address the question at their next meeting.
In other news:
•The Granite Falls council performed a number of housekeeping measures including the 2012 reappointments of:
-City Engineer, Dave Berryman
-City Airport Engineer,
Bolton and Menk, Inc.
-City Electrical Engineer,
HDR Engineering
-City Attorney Greg Holmstrom and Asst. Attorney Spencer Kvam
•Council members approved prices associated with tax forfeited properties presently under ownership of the Yellow Medicine County.
With the scheduled removal of the Minnesota Falls Dam less than a year away, any individuals interested in manifesting an alternative other than the structure’s demolition had better move quick.
During a council meeting Tuesday evening, Granite Falls City Manager Bill Lavin relayed to council members that this was the reality that framed a Minnesota Falls Dam meeting last week.
The question that permeated the gathering, he said, was “Do you want to do anything?”
Lavin went on to say that the concensus of those present was in the affirmative. And that in order to formalize intentions, the City of Granite Falls along with Yellow Medicine and Chippewa Counties were asked to each pass a resolution that would enter the municipal bodies into a Joint Powers Board.
At this point, Lavin said there was no risk involved, and that the agreements would only indicate that the joint board was willing to look into the deeper questions such as site options, potential costs and possible ownership structures.
“All it does is formalize our continued working relationship,” he said.
Adding momentum and intrigue to the initiative before the council and commissioners would call that question, was the mix of public and private representatives at the discussion.
Engineers from Fagen, Inc. had attended an occasional meeting in the past, but having kept a low profile, the revelation that the company had and continues to perform engineering studies at the site caught many off guard, according to city and county officials.
But so, too, did the presence of Minnesota Valley Rural Electric Co-op representatives, until one questions whether the utility might be able to aid itself and one of its largest customers through some sort of hydro-electric production scenario.
Of course, such things are speculation at this point. However, the players, allude to the Minnesota Falls Dam’s broader public support while hinting at those possibilities.
On Tuesday, both county boards and the Granite Falls City Council convened for one of their bi-monthly meetings.
Both Yellow Medicine County and Granite Falls officials unanimously approved the Joint Powers Board agreement. According to the Montevideo American News, the Chippewa County board will address the question at their next meeting.
In other news:
•The Granite Falls council performed a number of housekeeping measures including the 2012 reappointments of:
-City Engineer, Dave Berryman
-City Airport Engineer,
Bolton and Menk, Inc.
-City Electrical Engineer,
HDR Engineering
-City Attorney Greg Holmstrom and Asst. Attorney Spencer Kvam
•Council members approved prices associated with tax forfeited properties presently under ownership of the Yellow Medicine County.
