Aeration replacements approved, interchange discussed

During their meeting the evening of Tuesday, Jan. 20, Waseca city council members approved a bid of nearly $650,000 from APG Neuros to replace the current aeration blowers. The equipment currently in place has been in use since 2009 at the city wastewater treatment plant, and are no longer functioning for the necessary 24 hours a day; the blowers provide constant aeration to waste products, encouraging faster decomposition. The two qualified bids were received from APG Neuros and from GNE/Lone Star. There is currently no completion date for this project.  

 

Joe Palen of Stantec Consulting Services was present to discuss the west interchange for Waseca. His report revisited a plan to extend city utilities to the intersection of Old Highway 14 and County Road 2 near the west edge of the city. In 2021, Stantec’s progress with plans was at the 60% completion mark along with preliminary estimates for construction costs. The project has been on pause, and the council would like it to resume.

 

Waseca Engineer Nathan Willey spoke about terminating an aeration agreement with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and ceasing winter aeration operations on Loon Lake. Brandon Eder of the DNR said the majority of the fish in the lake are bullheads. Thus, continued aeration isn’t needed. Instead, a die-off might help the lake to reset, allowing game fish to be restocked in the spring. Eder states the DNR prefers to stock Loon Lake with northern pike and yellow perch; both tend to thrive in shallow lakes.

Loon Lake has been aerated in Waseca since the 1960s.

 

Councilman Arndt asked about reinstating the two-mile radius of the city’s subdivision regulation authority. This would give Waseca the ability to control how land surrounding the town is developed to a distance of two miles outside the city limits. This issue has been taken under  advisement.

 

Christopher Weber was reappointed to the Waseca planning commission for another three-year term.

 

An off-site gambling permit was granted to the Waseca County Trail Association.

Councilwoman Stacy Schroeder added this reflection, “We do indeed live in a good community, a small slice of a larger society where we still have something precious, the ability to choose how we treat each other. Here in Waseca we can choose to see each other not as opposing sides, but as neighbors. As vital threads in the fabric that makes our city strong. Whatever is happening within or without our city limits, whatever political storms swirl around us we still live here together. We share these streets, this weather and this community and that matters more than we sometimes remember. The energy of the world right now is focused on what’s wrong and believe me there’s no shortage of things to point out. But what if we choose differently, what if we looked around and saw all the things that are going right, right here in Waseca. What if we made better choices right where we’re at with our neighbors at hand. Our neighbors are our business owners, our friendly workers and our students. They are the people we see at the store, at Friday night games and at community events. I encourage each of you, my fellow council members and everyone here tonight and those listening to see your neighbors as an extension of yourself. Regardless of where they stand on any issue. Check in with them and offer to be a light in their lives, this time of year is cold and dreary for many. When the world feels chaotic and divided it’s easy to retreat inward and isolate ourselves or draw battle lines.

The truth is we need each other, that connection, that willingness to show up for each other, even when we disagree. That’s what makes our community truly resilient and prosperous, not our political alignments, but our commitment to being pillars of support for each other.”