City Council Highlights – January 9, 2023

Monticello, meet your City Council! Mayor Lloyd Hilgart (center), L to R - Councilmembers Charlotte Gabler, Sam Murdoff, Lee Martie, and Tracy Hinz.

The Oath of Office was administered at first City Council meeting of the year on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023.

• Mayor Lloyd Hilgart will serve another 2-year term (term expires 12/31/2024).
• Councilmember Charlotte Gabler will serve another 4-year term (term expires 12/31/2026).
• Councilmember Tracy Hinz will serve a 4-year term (term expires 12/31/2026).
• Councilmember Lee Martie was sworn in on Nov. 28, 2022 to fill the seat vacated by Councilmember Jim Davidson. He will serve the remainder of Jim Davidson’s 4-year term (term expires 12/31/2024).
• Councilmember Sam Murdoff is currently serving his 4-year term (term expires 12/31/2024).

Join us in welcoming them to the Monticello City Council!

Understanding Radon

Wright County Public Health gave an update on Radon. Radon is a colorless and odorless gas found in the soil and common throughout Minnesota. Because soil is porous, radon moves up from the soil and into the home. The gas can accumulate in the air we breathe becoming a health concern. Exposure to radon over a long period of time can lead to lung cancer. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, and two in five Minnesota homes have high radon levels. 

The MN Department of Health recommends all Minnesotans test their home for radon. You can test your home yourself. Start with a short-term test. Your local health department or government agency may offer test kits at reduced prices. You can also order a short-term radon test kit at mn.radon.com.

If the radon is high, hire a licensed radon professional to install a radon mitigation system. Licensed radon professionals are on MDH’s website at mn.gov/radonpro.

You can find more information on radon, including ordering a radon test kit and how to understand your radon test result, at mn.gov/radon.

DMV Annual Update

 Manager Carolyn Granger gave an annual update for the Monticello DMV. Some highlights included the staff’s dedication to serving customers efficiently and well. Granger noted, “DMV is a connection between the customers and the state of Minnesota, there are things we can do in a matter of minutes that would take customers significantly longer.”

Granger also wanted to remind residents that by renewing their registration locally, it puts money back into their community, whereas if you do it online, the state gets their filing fee.

The Monticello DMV offers a variety of services ranging from hunting and fishing licenses, vehicle registration renewals, special plates, and for just $3, they offer a notary service, which has been an increasingly popular service.

The Monticello DMV is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. And Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

 Hi-Way Liquors Annual Update

 Manager Randall Johnsen gave the annual update for Hi-Way Liquors. As the City’s municipal liquor store, Johnsen highlighted that they, “pour all their profits back into the community.” Just last year, they gave one million dollars to the City of Monticello for various projects and improvements throughout our community.

 Hi-Way Liquors had another successful year. According to the Minnesota Office of the State Auditor’s 2021 Report on municipal liquor sales, Monticello ranked 15^th in total sales out of all 177 municipal liquor stores in the State of Minnesota. They were also 3^rd in off-sale single location municipalities, and 33^rd out of 177 in their overall net profit.

 If you stop by Hi-Way Liquors, you may see some new faces this year. The department now has seven full-time staff members and 13 part-time. Johnsen noted they unexpectedly had to add some new staff members this year for better coverage during the store’s hours of service. Johnsen noted the addition has been immensely helpful in keeping the doors open to serve customers during regular operating hours.

 Hi-Way Liquors is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A Message from the Wright County Sheriff's Office

With change of seasons comes other changes, the Wright County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind all citizens that safe driving is a primary concern. Wright County has numerous construction zones, kids back in school, sun position changes, weather changes, and more people going back to work.

Sheriff Sean Deringer asks all drivers to:

1. Always keep 100 percent of your attention on the road – try to avoid multi-tasking.
2. Don’t use your phone or electronic devices while driving.
3. Wear your seat belt.
4. Slow down.

The Safest Mode of Transportation for Children

In Minnesota, school buses make at least 10,000 school bus trips daily. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, school buses are the safest mode of transportation for children — children are eight times safer riding in a bus to school than any other vehicles.

•  In Minnesota in 2019, there was one fatality involving a school bus.
• There were 3,220 traffic crashes involving school buses from 2015-2019. Only 272 school age children who were riding in a school bus were hurt during that time frame. 

Stop for School Buses: It's the Law!

• State law requires all vehicles to stop for school buses when the bus driver activates the flashing lights and has the crossing arm fully extended.
• Drivers who violate the law face a $500 fine.
• Drivers can face criminal charges for passing a school bus on the right, passing when a child is outside the bus, or injuring or killing a child. 

Motorists

Motorists must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus that is displaying red flashing lights or a stop arm when approaching from the rear and from the opposite direction on undivided roads. Motorists should slow down, pay attention, and anticipate school children and buses, especially in neighborhoods and school zones. The best way to be aware of your surroundings at all times is to put the distractions away.

Students 

When getting off a bus, look to be sure no cars are passing on the shoulder. Wait for the bus driver to signal that it’s safe to cross. When crossing the street to get on the bus or to go home, make eye contact with motorists before proceeding.

WRIGHT COUNTY NEWS RELEASE

DATE:          September 14, 2021

                      For Immediate Release

CONTACT:  Seth Hansen, Wright County Emergency Management Director

                      (763) 684-2371 | seth.hansen@co.wright.mn.us 

Public Input Wanted as County Updates Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan

The Wright County Office of Emergency Management is working with U-Spatial at the University of Minnesota Duluth to update the county’s Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (MHMP). The plan assesses the natural hazards that pose risk to the county, such as tornadoes, straight line winds, ice storms, blizzards, wildfire, flooding, and extreme temperatures and identifies ways to minimize the damage of future events. As the county works to update the plan, it wants to hear from the public.

The Wright County MHMP is a multi-jurisdictional plan that covers Wright County, including the cities of Albertville, Annandale, Buffalo, Clearwater, Cokato, Delano, Hanover, Howard Lake, Maple Lake, Monticello, Montrose, Otsego, Rockford, South Haven, St. Michael, and Waverly. The Wright County MHMP also incorporates the concerns and needs of townships, school districts, and other stakeholders participating in the plan. The plan will be updated by a planning team made up of representatives from county departments, local municipalities, school districts and other key stakeholders.

“Hazard mitigation planning is a central part of our emergency management program,” said Seth Hansen, Wright County Emergency Management Director. “Understanding the natural hazards that can cause serious impact to our communities and taking action to reduce or eliminate the impact of future disasters makes us more resilient. Hazard mitigation helps us to break the cycle of damage and repair caused by things like flooding, ice storms, and severe wind events that can damage property, stress economies, and threaten life safety in our county.”

Examples of hazard mitigation include improvement of roads and culverts that experience repetitive flooding; construction of safe rooms at campgrounds, public parks, mobile home parks or schools to protect lives in the event of tornados or severe wind events; burying powerlines that may fail due to heavy snow, ice or wind storms; ensuring timely emergency communication to the public through warning sirens and mass notification systems, and conducting public awareness and education campaigns to help people to be prepared to take safe action before, during, or following a hazard event. Some mitigation activities may be eligible for future FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant funding.

Public input is an essential part of the plan update. As part of the planning process, Wright County is seeking feedback from residents and businesses from across the county to incorporate into the plan:

• What are the natural hazards you feel pose the greatest risk to your community?
• Have you experienced a previous disaster event?
• What concerns do you have, and what sorts of mitigation actions or projects do you feel would help to reduce the damages of potential future events for your personal property, your community, or the county as a whole? 

Comments, concerns, or questions regarding natural disasters and potential mitigation actions to be included into the plan update process should be submitted to Wright County Emergency Management by phone or email. Public comments may also be submitted on the Wright County Facebook page where this news release will be posted.

There will be additional opportunities for public feedback throughout the planning process. A draft of the plan will be posted on the county website for public review prior to submission of the plan to the State of Minnesota. Future news releases will be shared with the media to notify the public of these opportunities.

The Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000) requires counties to update their plan every five years to maintain eligibility for FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs.