July 19, 2023

August City Council Meetings

The City Council’s regular meeting dates are the first and third Tuesdays of every month. Their August 1 meeting has been rescheduled for August 2 at 7 p.m. so City Council Members, the Mayor, City Administrator and staff can participate in Night to Unite activities on August 1. The second Council meeting of the month will be held August 15.

Imagine Owatonna

Envisioning the future through the Comprehensive Planning process

By Greg Kruschke, Community Development Manager

What is your wish for Owatonna in the next 20-30 years? Do you want to see more jobs and businesses? What do you think of the business environment in Owatonna – what would you change, add, get rid of? Are you interested in more ways to get around town by walking, biking, or using mass transit? Are there enough housing options in the places where you want to live? What about parks, public art and community-building events?

Now that we have your attention, you may be wondering how the City of Owatonna will use your answers and what a Comprehensive Plan is. The Comprehensive Plan will provide a guiding framework to help City leaders, developers, business owners and citizens make decisions about how Owatonna will grow over the next 20-plus years. Community engagement and input throughout the process is essential to determine the vision of the community. The Imagine Owatonna Comprehensive Plan will establish important guidelines including land use, housing, downtown, business and jobs, parks and public spaces, transportation, utilities, environment and natural resources as well as market and demographic information.

The City Council approved an agreement in May with Stantec to facilitate the development of its Comprehensive Plan. $125,000 in ARPA funds were set aside to help fund the project. Stantec has completed dozens of Comprehensive Plans across the state and numerous plans throughout the country. Their team, consisting of Phil Carlson, Lauren Walburg and Jay Demma, will be visible in Owatonna over the next 12 to 18 months leading the community engagement opportunities that will guide development of the plan.

Input from community members is an essential element of this process and will include in-person and online opportunities. Stantec has begun holding focus groups which will continue throughout the process. The first community-wide event will be held August 3 when Stantec will host a tent at the August 3 Downtown Thursday. There, they will gather input through activities and conversations. Please stop by their tent that will be located at the Vine Street and Cedar Avenue intersection to participate.

We look forward to hearing from everyone to influence the direction of Imagine Owatonna and help shape Owatonna’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan. We are just at the beginning; therefore, providing input now will directly impact the vision for your city!

For additional information about the Comprehensive Plan, please visit Owatonna.gov/ImagineOwatonna often for updates and interactive ways to provide input.

Sign up to Engage Online on City Topics

The City of Owatonna’s Comprehensive Communication Plan, adopted by the City Council in 2022, included an action item to consider and implement new two-way communication mechanisms. This is to ensure members of the general public wishing to interact with the City have opportunities to do so. Earlier this year, the City of Owatonna decided to leverage Engage Owatonna, a digital, moderated platform, to enhance its two-way communication options.

Get registered on the Engage Owatonna platform to participate in projects and topics at engageowatonna/register. It only takes a few minutes and will ensure you receive future messages when new topics are published for community interest and input.

The Engage Owatonna online community engagement platform was launched by a grassroots group in 2021. The group had identified an opportunity to enhance public participation in problem-solving and decision-making. Their mission for the platform is “To provide Owatonna citizens a platform to listen, share and connect our community.” The group contracted with Bang the Table Engagement HQ which is a platform commonly used by municipalities across the country for community engagement.

City staff has begun utilizing this online platform to facilitate public consultation regarding projects and topics being considered. The qualitative and quantitative data generated will be used to help inform decision making. While this consultative process is expected to provide decision makers with a broader spectrum of perspectives, decisions will continue to be made based on what is determined to be feasible and best for the community and may not always directly reflect the most vocal input received through the platform.

Night to Unite August 1

The national Night to Unite event always falls on the first Tuesday in August. The Owatonna Police Department encourages everyone to participate in this great celebration of community, crime prevention and strong police community partnership. “Celebrating Minnesota Night to Unite with the Owatonna Police Department and your neighbors is a positive way to build and nurture our community,” said Police Chief Jeff Mundale.

Night to Unite is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support and participation in local anticrime efforts and, most importantly, it is a time to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community partnerships. Mundale continued, “A strong community makes for a safe community.” Join the celebration August 1 by visiting Owatonna.gov/police or calling Pam Roberts at 507-774-7200 to register a party you would like to help host.

July 19 2023 photo of demolition at riverfront project site

Riverfront Development Demolition Underway

Groundbreaking event planned for August 14 at 10 a.m.

The City is collaborating with a private developer, Red Line Development, to revitalize an area in the heart of Owatonna that covers more than four acres along the Straight River. Redeveloping this important part of the community was identified as a priority in the City of Owatonna’s Strategic Plan.

The project is proceeding according to its schedule with the demolition of existing buildings underway. Temporary traffic control changes have been implemented on Oak Avenue North to facilitate the demolition of streetlights, curb and gutter and sidewalk. Traffic control changes will remain in place until the new curb and gutter has been installed and driveway access to the project has been restored. The segment of Vine Street West from Oak Avenue North to the river will have a short-term closure (three days or less) to allow for the safe demolition of an existing structure. Construction is set to begin following demolition once the necessary permits currently under review are issued.

One of the project’s goals is to increase use of the trail and riverfront area as a recreational asset. The developer has agreed to fund improvements on Vine Street near the riverfront west of Oak Avenue that will include adding a trail extension from the Straight River to downtown. The City’s Public Works Department is collaborating with a private design firm to ensure the trail and street improvements adhere to the City’s specifications. The trail extension is expected to be completed after the first phase of the project has been completed. A trail spur will also be added to create dedicated bicycle access into the downtown area. The existing trail is expected to remain usable throughout the demolition and construction phases of the project. These trail improvements will complement the City of Owatonna’s overall commitment to providing recreational assets throughout the community.

Replacing the underutilized spaces in this area with Owatonna’s first mixed-use development will bring new life to the area and accentuate Owatonna’s riverfront as a focal point for the downtown area.

Sign Up for Citizen Alerts

Anyone can receive alerts about emergencies and other important community news by signing up for the Steele County Emergency Notification System. This notification system enables Steele and Rice Counties to provide residents with critical information quickly in a variety of situations such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons, evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods and criminals that may pose an immediate threat to public safety or property. Such time sensitive messages are sent through residential and business landlines, mobile devices, text messages, emails, hearing impaired receiving devices and more.

Sign up online at https://member.everbridge.net/453003085612579/login. Individuals who need assistance can register by calling the Rice and Steele County 911 Center at (507) 363-6464. Additional information is also available on the Steele County Emergency Management website at steelecountyemergency.com.

Vandalism in the Parks

The City of Owatonna devotes extensive resources to provide parks and trails for all community members to enjoy. Recently, these amenities have been experiencing routine vandalism. Please contact the Owatonna Police Department’s non-emergency number at 507-451-8232 to report any suspicious behavior including vandalism. Such reports allow officers to hold those individuals accountable who are responsible for these damages.

Dangerous Dogs

In 2021, the Owatonna City Council adopted Ordinance 1620 relating to animals which provides for the regulation of potentially dangerous and dangerous dogs. The ordinance uses provisions set by Minnesota Statutes and establishes a registration requirement and fees for dangerous and potentially dangerous dogs. The Ordinance also continues the City’s current practice of giving dog owners the right to appeal the declaration of their dog’s designation.

In 2022, the Owatonna Police Department maintained records of four dangerous dogs and seventeen potentially dangerous dogs. During the first half of 2023, one dog has been deemed to be dangerous and ten have been determined to be potentially dangerous.

Citizens are asked to be responsible pet owners and have parameters in place so their dog isn’t tempted or caught off guard and initiates a bite. Many dogs are protective of their homes and may chase someone who approaches. This can lead to biting incidents which involve the Police Department.

Chambers naming to commemorate historic leader

At the July 18 City Council meeting, the new and renovated spaces at City Hall were officially named the Charles S. Crandall Center following a public hearing. The unanimous decision on the resolution was based on a recommendation from the West Hills Commission. Its members, Anne Peterson and Nancy Vaillancourt, provided background on the instrumental work of Charles Crandall and his influence in getting Minnesota’s new State Public School located in Owatonna in 1885. For additional information about the historic City Hall building where the Chambers are located, visit orphanagemuseum.com.

Crandalls’ contributions to the community will be commemorated in a historical display in the new Chambers that will also showcase the historical significance of the State Public School while it operated in this location and highlighting the role of the city’s efforts to preserve the historical site by keeping the campus. Kellen Henrickson is creating a three-dimensional design with four-panels to offer a glimpse into the school's history and its impact on the community.

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