October 11, 2023

City of Owatonna Weekly Meeting Schedule

October 16: Shade Tree Commission Meeting at 5 p.m. in the Second Floor Conference Room at City Hall, 540 West Hills Circle.

October 17: City Council Study Session at 5 p.m. in the Gainey Room at the Owatonna Public Library, 105 N Elm Avenue. NorthStar Place Branding will present the proposed Community-wide branding research findings, show how it guided the development of the brand and show how it will be used. At 5:30, Stantec will present the City’s draft mission, goals and Comprehensive Plan. If time permits, there will be general updates on various boards and commissions. Council Meeting at 7 p.m. with a public hearing for comments on the proposed assessments for mowing and nuisance compliance costs.

2023 Coptober for Kids

Are you looking for something fun to do over the MEA school break? Well, mark your calendars! The Owatonna Police Department's second annual COPTOBER event will be October 19 from 9 a.m. until noon at the Owatonna Public Library. The police officers are so excited for kids to come and hang out with them! Learn what it takes to become a police officer and how to keep children safe. This family event will be fun and educational with hands-on demonstrations, book readings, squad car tours, K9 visits, fingerprinting, handouts and so much more! The event is designed for fifth grade students and younger.

Aerial photo of waste water treatment plan expansion construction progress

Wastewater Treatment Plan Construction Continues

The expansion of Owatonna’s Waste Water Treatment Plant has been progressing as planned over the summer despite challenges in obtaining electrical supplies. The new Fine Screen Building is nearly completed and is expected to be operational later this month. Much of the buried site piping has been installed and all the new structures have been backfilled. The Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Building is now enclosed and ready for the installation of internal equipment and piping to continue over the winter. The precast walls and ceilings of the Solids Thickening Building will be installed in the next few weeks.

With the construction of the new structures nearing completion, the work ahead will have more of an impact on existing plant operations. The rehabilitation of existing processes is starting this month which requires partial shutdowns and careful coordination among the plant operators, construction personnel and the engineering team. The plant must continue to treat wastewater and meet all its effluent limits throughout the duration of construction. Staff is being trained by specialized suppliers as equipment becomes operational.

On July 18, the City Council approved four change orders resulting in an increase in the total cost of the project to $56,268,938. On September 19, the City Council approved a change order for $115,116 due to coating system changes. It approved a resolution authorizing City staff to submit a request to the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority to receive $11 million in General Obligation Bonding Funds and $11 million in General Funds from the State of Minnesota. This was done in response to the legislative action taken earlier this year to earmark state funds to support the project. This state funding will lessen the impact of the project cost on Owatonna users.

Check out the new video showing progress on this construction project on YouTube. For ongoing updates about the project, please visit Owatonna.gov.

Preparing Parks for Cooler Weather

As the colors turn in the parks, so does the weather. That means City crews will be turning off water, drinking fountains and other water lines, closing bathrooms and removing portable toilets. This usually happens by mid-October each year. Please plan your time in the parks accordingly. There are plenty of activities for each season in Owatonna’s parks. Check out the Parks and Recreation Finder app online!

Fun Fall Programs

Spooktacular Pumpkins

Jack-O-Lanterns are hidden throughout the park and it is your job to find them using a GPS provided for participants. This program is great for the entire family. Bring a flashlight. Registration is $5 per person. An adult must be registered and accompany children. Choose either October 27 or 28 from 7 until 9 p.m.

Pumpkin Patch Geocaching

Show off your skills by participating in fun fall activities scattered throughout the park such as eye spy, ring toss and pumpkin bowling. Using a GPS, you will hike to each site with your family and friends. Registration is $5 per person. Ages two and under are free. Choose either October 27 or 28 from 1 until 3 p.m.

For additional information or to register, please visit Owatonna.gov.

Deer Management Program Begins October 22

The City’s Deer Management Archery Program was developed to cull the herd of urban deer in Owatonna. Archers can hunt in one of 11 wooded parks. 34 permits are available in two seasons. This year’s program runs from October 22 until December 17 in Cashman Park, Hamman Park, Kaplan’s Woods, Kaplan’s Woods Parkway, Kriesel Park, Leo Rudolph Park, Manthey Park, Maple Creek Park, Mineral Springs Park, Nass Woods Park and North Straight River Parkway.

These parks remain open to the public during the program. For informational purposes, maps of hunter locations can be found at the main entrance to each park and online at Owatonna.gov. Signs posted at each park entrance alerts the public in English, Spanish and Somali.

Program participants must hold a valid hunting license, follow all Department of Natural Resources (DNR) rules and local requirements and pass a proficiency test. Park staff selects the locations for the elevated stands based on deer movement patterns and proximity to main trails and park boundaries. Participants must communicate weekly with park staff and whenever a deer is taken.

Each year, the program is approved by the DNR at a state level. The City Council approved a revision to Chapter 133 of the City Code to support the program. Local DNR officials recommend continuing the program based on robust numbers of deer in the vicinity and on population modeling from the Wildlife Research Unit suggesting deer populations in the area continue to grow and numbers are likely above goal. Managing urban deer stabilizes the population and helps keep deer from becoming too habituated to people. It is important to continue efforts to help keep numbers in a socially acceptable range to most citizens, mitigate deer grazing and browsing impacts to park vegetation, impacts to peoples’ yards and gardens and reduce deer/vehicle collisions. The DNR views such controlled archery programs “as a safe means to help manage deer numbers toward a goal of avoiding greater conflicts with deer that can arise due to deer damage to property and natural habitats or disease concerns.”

As a reminder, City Ordinance 90.47 and 90.62 state that “No person shall feed or allow the feeding of wild animals as defined in 90.61 within the City.” And, a reminder for pets and owners using parks and trails that City Ordinance 90.01 requires “any animal in a public park shall only be deemed to be under control when such animal is attached to a leash held by the owner or the owner’s agent.”

Photo aerial view of Brooktree Golf Course

2023 Leagues at Brooktree Golf Course Drew Hundreds of Golfers

Again this year, the popular summer leagues at Brooktree Golf Course were offered from May through September. Results from these leagues are as follows:

Tuesday evenings had 13 teams with 60 golfers; Jensen Agency won
Thursday evenings had 14 teams with 70 golfers; C4 Cabinets won
Wednesday and Thursday mornings had an average of 40 golfers enjoying social time with friends playing a mixture of different games

Next year, there will be a Monday league added with a scramble format. Planning for next year’s leagues will begin soon. Follow the Brooktree Golf Course Facebook page and webpage at Owatonna.gov for updates.

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