Month: May 2024

The Crookston City Council held a special meeting Tuesday evening to select a new City Administrator. After interviewing the three candidates, the council selected Jeff Shoobridge. “The council decided who would best fit Crookston’s needs now and into the future,” said current Crookston City Administrator Corky Reynolds. “They determined that Jeff Shoobridge would be the candidate. Baker Tilly and I will enter into negotiations to see if we can arrive at an agreement to employ Jeff Shoobridge as the City Administrator.”

Shoobridge comes from Florida and is a University of Central Florida graduate. Before this, he was also the city administrator for Madison Lake, Minnesota. Shoobridge gave some comments before being offered the position. He spoke about what he liked about Crookston, why he felt he was a good fit for the job, and how he thinks he can help the community.

Shoobridge felt he was a good fit for the position here in Crookston due to his prior experience as the City Administrator in Madison Lake. He was also on the board of the Minnesota Association of Small Cities. Shoobridge said Madison Lake and Crookston are similar, “My experience really spoke because Crookston is my previous city on a slightly larger scale.”

He also mentions how he likes Crookston’s overall feel. “Every single person I met when I came into town yesterday, and I walked downtown, I walked into the shops just looking around, and everyone is so welcoming and friendly,” said Shoobridge. “It really kind of embodies the Minnesota nice it really does.”

Shoobridge’s biggest goal in Crookston is to build a staff succession plan. This succession plan would allow community services to run smoothly during transitionary periods.

The other two candidates for the position were Pat Oman and Mark Vahlsing. 

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The Polk County Commissioners met on Tuesday at the Polk County Government Center.

CITY OF FOSTON
The meeting began with Jim Offerdahl, Mayor of Foston, giving an update on several critical issues in the city. Early portions of his time revolved around infrastructure and city improvement projects over the last five or six years. A few of the major projects in Foston are the ongoing industrial park expansion project that will wrap up next year and the updates to the airport, which received a new runway.

The latter portion of the Mayor’s time was spent talking about the city of Foston’s dispute with the Essentia Health Corporation. “The status of that dispute is that it continues, and it is scheduled for arbitration, which will be held here at the Polk County Courthouse in July on July 8 through July 11 this summer,” said Offerdahl. “We expect the outcome of that to be a favorable decision to the city of Foston, at which time the council would have the decision to make as to whether to terminate the agreement with Essentia, and at this point, it appears as if that is the case.”

Foston plans to transition to First Care Medical Services over the next year once the agreement with Essentia is terminated. First Care Medical Services owns the hospital and holds its license.  

POLK COUNTY SOCIAL SERVICES
A representative then spoke for social services, presenting four different items. The following were talked about-

• Eligibility Worker Replacement Request
• Accounting Technician Replacement Request
• Wellness in the Woods Virtual Peer Support Network Contract Approval
• Cultural Navigation Services Agreement

All four of the items were unanimously approved by the Polk County Board.

POLK COUNTY PLANNING AND ZONING
The planning and zoning went on to speak about two items. One item is a planned unit development of a storage shed south of Union Lake. “That was given final approval today to record the planned unit development with 23 storage facilities, and open space requirements/stormwater was addressed,” said Planning and zoning administrator Jacob Snyder. “All the things in the preliminary approval process were tackled by the developer.” The board unanimously approved the development.

The next topic of discussion was the resolution regarding the expansion of an existing campsite east of Maple Lake. The campsite will be just outside the shoreline district and is roughly a quarter mile from Maple Lake. This was approved with 21 conditions that both parties agreed to.

POLK COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT
The Polk County Highway Department followed with several things to discuss-

• MnDOT agreement for the survey and design of the roundabout at Trunk Highway 75 and CSAH 21.
• There were multiple ditch maintenance requests: County Ditch 81 Branch 3 to replace a culvert, County Ditch 81 Branch 12 to clean and realign it if needed, and County Ditch 113 to replace a culvert and clean.
• Ramsey County was added to the contract with Dynamic Infrastructure, increasing the total contract from $70,000 to $90,000. With Ramsey being billed $20,000.
• Polk County Highway Department received a PLSS Grant Award from the state of Minnesota to do corner updates in Columbia Township. 

The consent agenda included the approval of minutes from the May 7 board meeting and bills/disbursements. The Polk County Commissioners will have their next meeting on Tuesday, June, at 8 a.m. at the Polk County Government Center.  

The post THE POLK COUNTY COMMISSIONERS GET CITY OF FOSTON UPDATE appeared first on KROX.

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The Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board (CAAPB) has released the Capitol Mall Design Framework for public comment. The Design Framework envisions actionable proposals to make the Capitol Mall more welcoming for more Minnesotans. This framework will act as a roadmap for phased implementation of investments in landscape, visitor facilities, accessibility, mobility infrastructure and community vitality. The CAAPB is inviting all Minnesotans to visit the project website and comment on the Design Framework before June 20, 2024.  

The Design Framework was developed with the goal of making the Capitol Mall more welcoming for more Minnesotans. To represent Minnesota’s great diversity, the design team has collaborated with thousands of community members across the state over the last five months.  After an extensive initial analysis in late 2023, the team led a 4-day design session with 75 community members, hosted two online surveys with 2,425 responses, held 13 pop-ups across the state, hosted focus groups and a state-wide virtual workshop, and attended countless meetings with community groups, state agencies and others to gather design input. The final step in this process is to present the draft Design Framework for public comment before moving into implementation of phase 1 projects.

“We are excited to share the Capitol Mall Design Framework, which is the result of many voices, and the hard work of the project team. These changes represent a shared vision for the Capitol Mall, one that prioritizes accessibility, sustainability, and inclusivity. The Capitol belongs to all Minnesotans and this effort speaks to the heart of that.” says Lt. Governor Peggy Flannagan, the chair of the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board.

For more information and to provide input, please visit the project website at https://mncapitolmall.engage.sasaki.com/

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The aviation industry is experiencing a rapid transformation with the emergence and integration of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and other advanced technologies. These innovative aircraft are reshaping the way we think about air travel, but they also exacerbate an existing challenge within the aerospace industry: a shortage of highly skilled technicians with the knowledge and skills to maintain and repair them. Northland Community & Technical College and the National Center for Autonomous Technologies (NCAT) are proud to announce their reception of a NASA grant for the initiation of the Revolutionizing Aviation Maintenance Ecosystems (Rev AME) research project. This project aims to define the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft technicians, bridging the current gap in aviation maintenance technician qualifications. AAM is envisioned to positively impact communities through uses including urban air taxi services, rural rapid medical transport, and aerial package delivery.

The long-term value of Rev AME will transform aerospace maintenance training, ensuring that the workforce is prepared to meet the evolving demands of the industry. Through Rev AME, Northland and NCAT are committed to contributing significantly to the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the aerospace industry.

Northland and NCAT are committed to research and innovation, which makes a valuable contribution to Northwest Minnesota. Through initiatives like Rev AME, Northland and NCAT bolster the region’s workforce and economic resilience. By collaborating with industry and government partners and adhering to regulatory standards, they ensure that graduates are not only well-prepared for the demands of today’s aviation industry but also equipped to navigate emerging technologies and industry trends, driving innovation and growth throughout the region.

The National Center for Autonomous Technologies is headquartered at Northland Community & Technical College and serves as a resource hub for evidence-based research, such as the Rev AME. The Collaboratory recipients of the NASA Grant include lead institution Clemson University, Southern Illinois University, Aviation Technician Education Council, and Utah Valley University.

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