The Slayton City Council met September 2 with a short agenda, with acting Mayor Blake Heronimus running the meeting in the absence of Mayor Miron Carney.
City Administrator Josh Malchow informed the council that he and Carney would be participating in a community leader meeting September 15th that was arranged by Murray County. The meeting stems from the county’s 2-day retreat, looking to align “everybody’s hopes and dreams” moving forward, Malchow said. Commissioners Loy Woelber and Dennis Welgraven, along with County Administrator Carolyn McDonald, will be attending the meeting, as will MCC Superintendent Joe Meyer and MCMC Hospital CEO Luke Schryvers, according to Malchow.
On the agenda from McDonald for the noon meeting is a brainstorming session for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independance, updates on the hospital and the MCC operating referendum, city and township participation in the county tax abatement program, shotgun zone versus rifle zone and an internship program.
The council approved a motion to remove Slayton Police Officer Johnathon Reim from probationary status and make his employment permanent. Slayton Police Chief Jeremy Steinle reported Reim has shown dedication to the Slayton community since his hiring in February and has gone out of his way to engage with the public. Reim will be officially sworn in at the September 15 council meeting.
Malchow asked the council to formally appoint himself and Heronimus to a joint powers board that includes the city of Slayton, Northwest Natural Gas and the cities of Avoca, Currie, Fulda and Dovray. Malchow believes the last time the joint powers board met was in 1994.
An email from Rachel Sorrentino, managing director of Northwest Gas, states the board was formed to regulate rates charged on the Murray County natural gas system. Northwest Gas has halted new customer connections since 2021, due to an interpretation made by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. They are now seeking to sell a portion of the system to the City of Slayton, which would allow the gas company to resume adding new customers.
The PUC must either approve the transaction or rule that the statute requiring their approval is not applicable to a municipalization. A joint filing petition to the PUC is being made, and Northwest Gas would like to in-clude a resolution from the joint powers board.
Sorrentino said they would like to call a special meeting of the joint powers board to support the transaction. Each represented city is to name two members to the board. For the record, Sorrentino stated, they do not expect the sale to necessitate a rate change.
The Slayton City Council approved the appointment of Malchow and Heronimus to the joint powers board. Councilor Chris Jacobson was appointed as an alternate. When that meeting will take place was unknown at the time of the council meeting.
