The Rice County Board of Commissioners today passed a resolution concerning the Emergency Election Plan for 2021.  Property Tax and Elections Director Denise Anderson highlighted the plan for the commissioners.

Anderson says, 'A couple polling places changed.  The two polling places in the city of Northfield went back to where they were before the pandemic hit.  We are hoping to stay there because those work better for the city.  If the pandemic is still going when we have the elections this year we will switch back and do the emergency but we would like to officially move them back to their original places."

Voting in Warsaw will be different also Anderson says,  "After that little incident  that night with the car running through.  So Warsaw is now switching to, until they get their construction done, Morristown Community Center."

Commissioners also unanimously approved several requests for funds to assist townships through the Minnesota Local Roadway Improvement Program.

Assistant Rice County Highway Engineer Jim Kollar explained the state has appropriated 75 million dollars to assist, townships, counties and cities with road improvements.

"Funding or application requirements, those townships required the county to be a sponsor.  If they should be awarded money then the county would be a fiscal agent.  The dollars would just flow from the state through us to the contractor.  Also as part of the application program a resolution from the county board supporting the township's applications and even on our own. "

Kollar added, "Deadline for these applications is March 3rd.  Announcements for awards should be made in May.  Maximum request for any single application either by the county, city or township is $1.25 million."

Requests from townships were for:

  • Webster $200,000
  • Wells     $540,000
  • Bridgewater  $1.25 million
  • Wheatland   $135,000

County projects included:

  • County Road 76  $1.25 million
  • County Road 48 $1,075,215 M

Kollar commented the county highway department was also requesting $800,000 to go toward the county road portions of the proposed six legged roundabout at I-35 and Highway 19, "We've received $900,000 in local partnership money, $400,000 in federal highway safety improvement program money and $1.1 million dollars in highway freight program money for that project already."

Kollar continued, "Which is $2.4 million so if we were lucky enough to get this $800,000 we would be $3.2 million towards the  $4 million dollar overall project."

Warsaw Town Hall Closer View of Damage. Photo by Gordy Kosfeld
Warsaw Town Hall Closer View of Damage. Photo by Gordy Kosfeld
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