City Meetings This Week

The public is invited to attend the following City meetings this week. Agendas, meeting minutes and City Council packets are available in the Agenda Center on the City’s website: https://owatonna.gov/agendacenter.

April 10: Economic Development Authority at 4 p.m. in the Meeting Room in the Charles S. Crandall Center, 540 West Hills Circle.

April 11: Airport Commission at 5 p.m. at the Degner Regional Airport, 3400 West Frontage Road.

April 15: Charter Commission at 4 p.m. in the Meeting Room, Charles S. Crandall Center at City Hall, 540 West Hills Circle.

April 16: City Council Study Session at 5:30 p.m. in Chambers of the Charles S. Crandall Center to include an update and the Annual Report from the Owatonna Human Rights Commission and, if time permits, updates on various boards and commissions. The Local Board of Appeal and Equalization Meeting will begin at 6 p.m. and City Council Meeting at 7 p.m.

Serve Owatonna on a City Board or Commission

Apply Online!

Each year, the terms of those who serve on City Boards and Commissions expire and members are reappointed or replaced. This year, there are opportunities to serve on the Owatonna Human Rights Commission, Airport Commission and the Shade Tree Commission. Apply online for consideration to serve on one of these boards. For additional information about these opportunities or how to apply, please call 507.774.7341 or visit owatonna.gov.

2024 Local Board of Appeal and Equalization Meeting

April 16 at 6 p.m. City Council Chambers in the Crandall Center

The purpose of this meeting is to determine whether property within the City of Owatonna has been properly valued and classified by the assessor. If you believe that the value or classification of your property is incorrect, please contact the Steele County Assessor’s Office to discuss your concerns. If you disagree with the valuation of classification after discussing it with the Assessor’s Office, you may appear before the City of Owatonna’s local Board of Appeal and Equalization. The board will review your property valuation and may make corrections. Generally, you must appeal to the local board before appealing to the County Board of Appeal and Equalization which meets in June.

Lacey’s at Brooktree

Open for Dinner Beginning April 12

Lacey's at Brooktree is entering its second season at Owatonna's prominent, City-owned golf course, Brooktree Golf Course. The restaurant boasts an indoor dining area as well as a spacious outdoor patio overlooking the golf course.

Their menu features classic dishes including burgers, sandwiches, salads and entrees such as walleye and jambalaya. New this season, Lacey's at Brooktree will offer weekly and daily food specials including a popular prime rib special and a delicious Sunday brunch. In addition to traditional fare, the restaurant also offers new food options specifically designed for golfers including grab-and-go items like burgers, wraps, snacks and beverages. The full dinner menu will be available beginning at 5 p.m. April 12.

One highlight for the 2024 golf season will be on-course delivery service. Golfers can place orders on the course and have their food and drinks delivered right to them, ensuring a seamless dining experience without interrupting their game.

The owner, Steve Lacey, has more than 30 years of experience in the industry working at various establishments in Minneapolis and beyond. His passion for creating unique and flavorful dishes is evident on every plate that comes out of the kitchen. In addition to his culinary expertise, he also has a strong background in business operations and management and has successfully overseen day-to-day operations of multiple venues including staff management, budgeting and inventory control. His experience in catering and event planning has helped him develop a keen sense of organization and efficiency to ensure every event and dish is executed flawlessly. Lacey’s business partner and restaurant co-owner, Holly Waggoner, also has an extensive background in the hospitality industry as Food and Beverage Director and Director of Catering and Restaurant Operations with a focus on high-end corporate and private events.

Tornado Drill Day is April 11, 2024

As part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, Tornado Drill Day is April 11. During the drills, local sirens and all National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radios will sound with a simulated tornado warning. These drills provide an opportunity to review emergency plans and procedures and practice emergency drills at work or at home.

The first drill occurs April 11 at 1:45 pm and the second drill at 6:45 pm. The outdoor warning sirens will sound and NOAA weather radios will activate with the weekly test code. If real severe weather is a significant threat on or before drill day, the National Weather Service's offices may postpone the simulated watch and warning to Friday.

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Obstruction Permits[AMN1]

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Spring has arrived and it may be time for some Spring Cleaning! If you intend to have a dumpster placed on the street in front of your home, an Obstruction Permit is required. The fee for a two-week permit is $50. Please allow two business days for permit processing.

[AMN1]@Deanna L. Sheely 4/10 please. Have had a lot of requests for these this week.

Parking Reminders

The City of Owatonna Public Works and Police Departments would like to remind citizens that even though odd-even parking has ended for the season, year-round parking restrictions remain in effect. Please take note of the following parking restrictions to avoid being issued a citation or having your vehicle towed. Clearing streets of vehicles allows crews to sweep and complete other maintenance as needed. Remaining mindful of the parking ordinance helps keep motorists and pedestrians safe! Refer to City Ordinance 72.06 for additional information.

Ordinance 72.03 PARKING LIMITED

No vehicle shall be parked or left unattended on any street, public parking lot or alley within the corporate limits of the city for 48 hours or more unless otherwise posted.

Ordinance 72.06 PROHIBITIONS ON STOPPING AND PARKING

Please remember that parking is not permitted in the following circumstances:

On a sidewalk or within a boulevard area
In front of a public or private driveway
Within an intersection
Within ten feet of a fire hydrant
On a crosswalk
Within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection
Within 30 feet upon the approach to any flashing beacon, stop sign or traffic-control signal
Between a safety zone and the adjacent curb or within 30 feet of points on a curb immediately opposite the ends of a safety zone unless otherwise indicated
Within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing
Within 20 feet of the driveway entrance to any fire station and on the side of a street opposite the entrance to any fire station within 75 feet of said entrance when properly sign-posted
In a yellow zone
Alongside or opposite any street excavation or obstruction when such stopping, standing or parking would obstruct traffic
On any bridge or other elevated structure
At any place where official signs prohibit stopping
On the roadway side of any vehicle stopped or parked at the edge or curb of a street

OPED 2023 Annual Report

The results from Owatonna’s 2023 economic development work were reported at the April 2 City Council Study Session by members of the Owatonna Partners for Economic Development (OPED) team. Sean Williams, Director of the Owatonna Area Business Development Center (OABDC) and Brad Meier, President of the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, presented an annual report document highlighting results in five key areas:

Attracting and retaining talent
New housing
New industrial/commercial
Major project development
Capital investments

Highlights of the report included $69 million in major project investments during 2023 and total capital investments of $208.4 million for the year. All statistics are countywide. 75,211 square feet of new industrial building space and 27, 546 of new commercial building space was added.

Williams shared his insights about the OPED efforts, “This partnership is the strongest I’ve seen in a community. It’s exciting to see all the leadership working together here.” The report is available at OPED-Annual-Report-2022-PDF (owatonna.gov).

Minnesota Authors Jess Lourey and Sarah Stonich

April 19 at 4 p.m.

As part of the 2024 Minnesota Author Tour series, Owatonna Public Library will host authors Jess Lourey and Sarah Stonich for a special program on April 19 at 4 pm.

Brought to you by SELCO (Southeastern Library Cooperating) and the Legacy Amendment, this tour brings Minnesota authors to Southeast Minnesota to inspire readers and writers of all ages. This event is free and open to the public.

Jess Lourey is an Edgar-nominated, Amazon Charts bestselling, International Thriller Award, Anthony Award and Minnesota Book Award-winning author of crime fiction, nonfiction, children's books, YA adventure and magical realism. She has surpassed over a million readers. Visit her website at https://www.jessicalourey.com/.

Sarah Stonich is the author of internationally acclaimed and award-winning novels including "Vacationland" and "Laurentian Divide." Her earlier novels, "These Granite Islands" and "The Ice Chorus", left their marks on readers around the world, having been translated into 11 languages. Visit her website at http://www.sarahstonich.com/.

This program is made possible by the people of Minnesota through Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Library Legacy fund, in cooperation with our regional library system, SELCO.

Storytime through April

Preschool Storytime will continue at 9:30 & 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays through the end of April at the Owatonna Public Library. Stay tuned for the summer start date after the Summer Reading Kickoff in June.

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