Government issues keep this paper busy
For two consecutive weeks, we've printed front page articles concerning government fines or pending lawsuits. It's not good news, but it's worth printing.
The city of Luverne is fighting its fines totaling $56,000 because of an electrical accident. Beyond what OSHA fined the city in that case, Luverne has to be concerned about civil action from the unfortunate young man who lost part of an arm and his dominant hand.
The county's lawsuit stemming from feedlot and building permits also has a dollar sign attached. The final judgement is a long time away but the plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages with open-ended dollar amounts.
We don't report on every lawsuit or fine that occurs in the county, but we certainly try to keep taxpayers informed of what their government bodies are accused of, and what those accusations mean in a financial sense.
Cleanliness next to Godliness?
After countless meetings covering the Rock County Pool and Fitness Center's financial troubles, membership lags and future dilemmas, I've heard one constant praise of the facility: it's clean.
No one says the Pool and Fitness Center isn't well kept, but it seems like other aspects of it should be of more interest to members, employees and governing boards. Actual services, training for new members, special classes and cost of membership should be of more concern than a buffed countertop.
I've been in other fitness centers that were as clean or cleaner and it wasn't an advertising point for them. Cleanliness should be a given, not a special treat in any fitness facility, publicly or privately owned.
And no matter what the management or ownership, our members will demand a high standard.
Armory/daycare/senior meals
I've also been covering the future of the armory in Luverne. The federal government, local guardsmen and state representatives all agree that the present armory is defunct.
If a new facility is built for the local guard unit, the school, county, and city have to chip in for 12 1/2 percent of the costs. That sounds reasonable enough. But I wonder if it's the best use of local dollars to pair community functions with military needs.
A new senior center would take seniors from their well-located site. A county busing headquarters seems like an odd couple to an armory.
And if the city, school and county don't want to pay the $100,000 for a daycare in the basement of the City Centre Apartments, why would anyone support spending just as much to stick the same toddlers in a guard unit?
I'm sure safety would be handled more than appropriately. But a better use of local dollars might be to spend them on individual projects rather than hang on the coattails of the armory project.
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