City Council holds first meeting of the new year
Krista Pietruszewski
Kbpiet@gmail.com
Just a few topics on the agenda for the first City Council meeting of 2025. Widseth was present to give an estimated cost for the street improvements, 5th member of the planning and zoning commission was chosen, and a deposit fee will be implemented in this new year for community center rent. Also, newest council member Markelle Kuznia was present for her very first meeting. Dustin Fanfulik, PE, VP of Widseth was present to give an overview of the costs of the plans and specifications for the street improvements on Harding St., Lofgren Ave., and Lincoln Ave. in Karlstad. $33,000.00 is what was listed for Labor and expenses. The council then asked if that had drainage plans/surveys within the specifications and Fanfulik said that it was not. The council discussed the need for water drainage and different tactics that could be used but said ultimately that drainage needed to be included in the plans. Fanfulik said that would be roughly $4,000.00 more bringing the total up to $37,000.00 and shouldn’t be a problem to add in. The Planning and Zoning commission has a new member. Brian Wikstrom will be joining as the 5th member of the board. Jenny Olson made a motion to approve and was seconded by Rob Mickelson. Avis Sele was a guest at the meeting. She wanted to talk to the council about cleaning and rent at the community center in Karlstad. She is the main caretaker of the building and says that she cleans twice as much after renters have used the space. And brand-new paint has been taken off by tape and other “hanging” clips (within the rental agreement it states not to use such products on the walls). She proposed upping the rent or having a cleaning deposit put into place to help offset the amount of time she spends cleaning. The current rate to rent the community center is $35.00, which the council discussed, and they want to keep it at that amount. They discussed the cleaning deposit and thought, “why not.” They will be implementing a $50.00 cleaning deposit for renting the space. An additional item was brought up to the council by Mayor Nelson. He would like to open conversations with Kittson Memorial Hospital about rent prices, projects coming up, and ensuring the lines of communication are open now and into the future. Also, the council is waiting on more test results from Hawkins Water Tech. Some community members still have unsavory water situations within Karlstad, once they get results back there should be resolutions. The meeting ended at 7:00 P.M. The Next Regular Karlstad City Council meeting will be February 3, 2025 at 5:30 P.M.
Greenbush-Middle River
Elementary Students celebrate Global Festivities
Samantha Alme
Students at Greenbush-Middle River Elementary are joyfully immersing themselves in the vibrant holiday celebrations celebrated across the globe! Through their explorations, students have discovered the rich traditions of celebrations from countries such as India, Sweden, Germany, Russia, Italy, France, and England, among others. This delightful learning experience allows students to connect with diverse cultures and recognize the shared joys of the season. The students have enjoyed engaging guest speakers, listening to enchanting traditional stories and music, crafting festive art projects, and tasting delicious foods and beverages from the countries they are studying. This has truly been a one-of-a-kind enrichment activity, sparking excitement and curiosity about the wonderful world we live in!