Mower County representatives presented Austin City Council members with some tentative, but good news for both governing bodies at their joint meeting Wednesday.

Thursday, June 15, 2000

Mower County representatives presented Austin City Council members with some tentative, but good news for both governing bodies at their joint meeting Wednesday.

County officials have heard that the $250,000 Mighty Ducks grant from the state will come through, although they haven’t received official notification. The success of the grant means there won’t be another round of negotiations between the city and the county on further funding for the multipurpose arena, at least not in the immediate future.

The continuation of cooperation between the two is vital, at-large Councilman Dick Chaffee said, because the two governmental bodies are working and will be working on a number of joint projects.

Second Ward Councilman Roger Boughton was happy with the meeting’s results.

"I’m pleased that every time we meet, we seem to make more progress," Boughton said. "We need to work together – after all, we work for the same people."

Also discussed was the parking situation for county employees. The county lost a parking area when it sold the city the property needed to build the second phase of the Courtyard Apartments. At Wednesday’s meeting, county officials expressed concern that employees are having difficulties with parking, something that also was a problem when they had the parking lot because it was two blocks from the courthouse.

Chaffee suggested the city mark portions of nearby city parking lots for county employees only, to be used on a first-come, first-served basis. County Board members Dick Cummings and Ray Tucker liked the concept, Chaffee said; now the idea goes to the council’s public works committee for further investigation and a recommendation.

"I could see the business community downtown maybe hesitating, but they should realize this move could open up more parking on Main Street, parking that’s taken up now by county employees who run out and move their cars every two hours," Chaffee said. "This could be good for everyone."

Other discussion highlights of Wednesday’s joint meeting include:

n On a joint Law Enforcement Center for surrounding communities – Both sides agreed the idea was worth pursuing. A meeting with Albert Lea and Freeborn County officials is upcoming. In the meantime, County Coordinator Craig Oscarson and City Administrator Pat McGarvey have been charged with further investigation of the available options.

n Apex Austin – Officials from both sides agreed that a presentation from the private organization working to improve conditions in Austin for people new to town would be desirable.

"An in-depth presentation of what their Welcome Center is supposed to accomplish would be a good place to start," Chaffee said. "There tends to be some concerns about the Apex group and its actual mission – I would like an accurate answer to the question of mission."

He added that hearing the presentation together would guarantee that the city and county are getting the same message.

Boughton said, based on Wednesday’s conversation, he thought the county board might be more supportive right now of the private group organized by Mayor Bonnie Rietz.