Townships association president visits county
Published 12:00 am Friday, March 28, 2003
ELKTON -- Loren Ingebretsen, president of the Minnesota Townships' Association, was a special guest at the Mower County Townships' Association meeting.
Ingebretsen visited the local association's biannual meeting held last Thursday at the Elkton Community Center.
A crowd of nearly 100 township officials and staff and county officials and staff and others attended.
Ingebretsen extended the state association's greetings to the county association and gave a tribute to the American flag.
In other action, the county association approved a program to pay for the 2003 township well-testing program.
The program will cost each township $100, but will provide valuable information on ground water.
Richard Epley, president, and Keith Vorhees, vice president, devised the solution after attending the water management committee's meeting Thursday morning in Austin.
Also Thursday, members of the township association told of their visit to St. Paul and meeting with legislators to discuss the state budget deficit and how it could impact on townships. Delegates from Dodge and Mower Counties attended the "Day of the Hill" event.
Doug Malchow and Chris Ingebretsen (son of the state association's president) of the Minnesota Extension Service described prospects for a waste water management program this summer.
Lowell Franzen, Mower County feed lot enforcement officer and agricultural services director, discussed how noxious weeds will be targeted again this summer.
Don Peterson, Blooming Prairie, the Region I MTA director, addressed the Mower County townships' representatives on issues of mutual concern.
Also discussed last Thursday was the need for more cooperation in the county's hazard mitigation program with FEMA.
Also the association's members voted unanimously to hold the second annual Mower County Township Night at the County fair in August.
Due to the popularity of the inaugural event last August, it was decided to hold another special event saluting the historic contributions of township government.
Water management
The Mower County water management committee meeting was held last Thursday morning.
Committee members met at the ruby Rupner Auditorium at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center.
Reports were given from the county's solid waste department, recycling program, agricultural services, environmental health department, Natural Resource and Conservation Service, Soil and Water Conservation district and planning department.
The committee meets quarterly to discuss the county's water plan's implementation and other interests involving environmental concerns.
Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com