Charter Commission Annual Meeting

The City of Owatonna’s Charter Commission held its annual meeting April 17. The Charter serves as the City’s Constitution. The Charter Commission’s duty is to review and update the Charter when needed. The Charter contains basic rules for operations that are necessary for the health and welfare of the community. Day-to-day City operations are defined by ordinances in the City’s Code. The City Attorney and City Administrator advised the commission that no changes are currently pending. A special meeting will be held to consider a proposed amendment to the Charter if amendments are needed at a later date. For additional information about the Charter Commission or its volunteer members, please visit owatonna.gov.

City Continues Exploring New Community Center

For decades, community members have expressed the desire for a community center in Owatonna. In response to this feedback, the City launched Our Community, Our Center, a facilities planning process to explore options for building a new community center. 

In July 2024, a Community Center Task Force was created to help guide the City through this process. The Task Force comprises voices representing different backgrounds including community members, City Council members and representatives from the Owatonna School District, Steele County Public Health and Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism.

The Task Force began its work by reviewing results from a June 2024 community survey which highlighted residents’ top priorities for a new community center — a place for wellness, learning, connection and belonging.

Since then, the Task Force has been in a planning phase. Task Force members toured eight community centers around the state where they observed a wide range of amenities, features, gathering spaces and programs. These visits offered valuable opportunities to learn from existing models, ask questions and understand how different spaces serve their communities. Based on these insights, the Task Force is working together to evaluate possible design features to ensure Owatonna’s new facility would support residents of all ages while balancing cost and long-term value for the community. 

Ongoing community input is essential to ensure this planning process reflects what community members most desire in a community center. The City will launch a survey about the community center and host community engagement opportunities later this year. These opportunities will help ensure planning for a future community center reflects what matters most to residents.

To learn more about the facilities planning process, visit OurCommunityOurCenter.org.

City Trees

The City of Owatonna’s Streets and Parks Divisions work diligently to preserve Owatonna’s natural beauty by maintaining hundreds of trees.

Tree Planting

Each Spring, City staff plant numerous trees on boulevards, in parks and in honor of the previous years’ retirees. During the 2025 planting season, the following will be planted:

• Boulevard trees – on various streets throughout town
• Park trees – 100 in various parks and at Brooktree Golf Course

Emerald Ash Borer

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has been identified in Steele County and, since 2019, all Ash trees located on city boulevards have been treated in a three-year rotation. The Park Maintenance and Streets Divisions removed approximately 125 ash trees over the last year and expect to remove more this spring as inspections take place. The removal of these trees and treatment of approximately 350 ash trees per year has helped slow the spread of the invasive insect. Slowing the spread allows for additional time for crews to handle the workload of removing and replacing diseased trees. The City does not treat EAB or perform maintenance and inspections on private property. Homeowners who suspect they have an affected Ash tree should contact a licensed arborist.

Tree Removals

The removal of trees is typically a last resort option when it comes to tree care. City crews remove public trees determined to be diseased, dying, dangerous or a public nuisance. When practical, removed trees will be replaced during the following planting season.

Tree Trimming

The Streets and Parks Divisions perform the trimming of all public trees. Tree trimming takes place for a variety of reasons:

• Remove dead limbs that could fall and cause damage or injuries.
• Remove overgrown limbs that could obstruct large vehicle traffic such as emergency vehicles, street sweepers or delivery vehicles.
• Establish good structure and maintain a tree’s shape. Storm-damaged boulevard trees are trimmed or removed depending on the severity of damage.

The City of Owatonna asks that residents do not perform tree maintenance on public trees. To request boulevard or park tree maintenance visit owatonna.gov/concern. 

Helpful Links

Stay Informed

• Events: Access calendars to view upcoming events.

• City News Releases: View news releases published by the City of Owatonna.

• Newsletters: The City of Owatonna publishes a weekly newsletter called Owatonna Update. Current and past newsletters are available here.

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• Spotlight Videos: Videos produced by the City of Owatonna.

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