Property owners will pay for new road

By Lexi MooreHills City Council members will assess property owners the cost of paving Sixth Street in the southeast part of town.Mike Kerkhove and Wilmer Elbers, Sixth Street property owners, attended Tuesday night’s city council meeting to voice their opinions on the matter.The bid from Asco to blacktop the road with 2 1/2 inches of asphalt totaled $6,075 plus the cost of gravel. Council members decided to make each of the four property owners equally responsible for paying the costs of improving the city streets."It’s a selling point on that end of town. It is so beautiful over there, we should do the right thing with the streets," said Mayor Jim Jellema.Of the four lots, there’s only one house. The others are vacant lots.HFD purchases new water tank truckHills Fire Chief Jeff Bass informed the council that the department had ordered a new water tank truck from Midwest Fire in Luverne.Bass had spoken with both the council and members of Martin Township about possibly purchasing a new truck this summer, if a good deal could be found.The department purchased a 2005 chassis that will be customized to the fire department’s specifications.The truck will be delivered to the Hills Fire Department in June. The new tanker will hold 1900 gallons of water.The department’s current water tank was purchased in the mid-seventies and holds 1500 gallons of water.The City of Hills will pay $31,212 up front for the chassis. The council decided to pull $26,578 from the council’s truck fund. This CD was started by the council and township members last year to cover the costs of purchasing a new truck.The additional funds needed at the time of purchase will be pulled from the Hills general checking account.Hills will bill Martin Township for its portion of the purchase. The township had agreed to pay for half the cost of the truck.The total cost of purchasing the truck will not be known until the customization process is complete.Bass assured the council that the department would cover any amount that exceeds the $90,000 the township and council had budgeted.In other city news:
The council discussed concerns over the weed creeping charlie, which produces small purple flowers. Conditions this spring are giving this weed a chance to grow in many yards within the city limits.Although the council cannot require residents to spray their lawns for weeds, they encourage citizens to be proactive. If residents are unsure what is a weed and what isn’t, they can call the city office to get assistance.
The city received a warning from Rock County Waste Management about the mess surrounding the county’s recycling drop site in Hills. The county came and cleaned up the mess, but if the problem persists, the county will have to consider halting the program.
The following motion was made by Dana Dahlquist and seconded by Linus Sandbulte: "Because of hazards and dangers, the mailboxes on State Highway 270 and County Road 6 need to be removed by Aug. 1." The council voted to approve the motion with the exception of mailboxes that were grandfathered in.
Several building permits were presented to the council during the meeting.A permit to build a new home was granted to Alan and Bonnie Leenderts. Ross Metzger’s request for a permit to place a cement slab behind his house was approved.Ron Arp’s permit to build a new garage was denied. Plans for the garage required removal of the sidewalk and possibly could extend onto city property.The council said Arp has other options for where to build a garage and will consider another permit request.oKym Christiansen, a Planning Generalist from Southwest Regional Development in Slayton, gave the council a presentation on the services the SWRD offers to Rock County.SWRD has programs for the aging population of the county, development programs and transportation programs.The Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging offers a Senior LinkAge Line at 1-800-333-2433. This number is an information and assistance service that makes it easy for older adults and their families to find community-based services. In 2004 the LinkAge Line received 279 callers from Rock County.SWRD also offers a variety of assistance to businesses by way of grants and loans. These services encourage growth in rural Minnesota."We are in Slayton to help you. Please call us with your needs. We can serve your community in a number of ways," said Christiansen.