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Anthony Nordan offered our invocation as we convened for the first time at Union Pizza. Ryan Welle updated us on his efforts to order Rotary shirts for those wanting them while Zack Stach talked about volunteering at the United Way next week on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Club Treasurer Brian Tjaden noted the sign-up sheet when you come to Rotary now has a place for you to indicate if you are not eating a meal so he can bill or not bill you appropriately. Anthony then led off brags and fines, paying $5.00 for having to leave the meeting early to deal with a plumbing back-up at the Salvation Army and for efforts to keep our Club's website up to date. Steve Leitte told us he attended the wedding of a grandson in Youngstown, Ohio. Lisa McFarland contributed for missing a meeting or two and having to leave the day's meeting early. Mark Bring also paid a scooter buck for having to sign-off on the prior day's Board meeting early. Tim Hunt was happy to report he finished taking care of his garden and about a looming trip to Massachusetts to see his son play for the Scottish national rugby team. Wally Cole was at a nephew's wedding in Minneapolis the prior weekend and had some really hot Indian soup at a restaurant down there. Randy Kempfer paid in for what he described as his poor attendance recently. Finally, Ryan Welle was happy his daughter turned 16 the prior Sunday and that she and the car made it home safely. Kathy Austvold introduced Jean Bowman, who is one month into her new job position as Communications Manager for the City. With her was Angela Fiedler and they talked about the upcoming referendum on a half of one percent sales tax to finance construction of an aquatics center at Roosevelt Park and upgrades at Delagoon Park. The former has a price tag of $10.8 million while work at Delagoon Park is budgeted at $5.2 million. From what Jean described as a "macro" perspective, she said studies indicate that what a community has to offer to prospective workers is important in their decision on whether or not to move to a community and that people are saying we need things for young families to enjoy. The City's prior sales tax in the same amount ended as of September 30, 2022, and it was used to finance the library improvements. The sales tax is now 6.785% and would increase to 7.285% if the referendum passes. How long it would be in place would depend on whether one or both initiatives are approved. The earliest the new tax could take effect would be October 1, 2023, but it is more likely it would not be effective until January 1, 2024, if the voters approve one or both projects. The additional sales tax would not be 1% if both projects are approved; rather, it would just be in place longer. Jean was requested to and did provide this writer with the annual amounts the local sales tax has raised over the years after deduction of a small administrative fee (just over 1%) to the State for collecting and remitting the tax: in 2018, the net was $1,278,452.22; in 2019, $1,332,697.49; in 2020, $1,407,461.70; in 2021, $1,537,569.44, and through August of 2022, $1,071,596.09. If both projects are approved, the tax would expire no later than 2037, sooner if the funds raised retire the debt before then. As to the pool, Jean said the whole east side of Roosevelt Park will basically remain the same. it was noted that Parkers Prairie, Pelican Rapids and Breckenridge/Wahpeton have community pools. The annual operating cost of the aquatics center is projected at $127,897, and there would be fees for those using it. At Delagoon Park, the current campground is very primitive, and the Minnesota Department of Health now requires toilets and other amenities at these sites. Restrooms, lighting and a concession stand would be added to the soccer fields and there would be new lighting and restrooms for the baseball fields. No matter what you feel about these projects, the important thing is to remember to vote on or before Tuesday, November 8, 2022. |
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