Celebrating OTC's 100th Year!

Mayor Jessop and several other City officials attended the 100th-year celebration of Owatonna Tool Company on September 18. Owatonna Tool Company (OTC) is a major manufacturer and supplier of vehicle electronic diagnostic equipment. In December 2012, OTC became a Bosch brand. It is located at 655 Eisenhower Drive in Owatonna. Bosch hosted this celebration of 100 years since OTC was founded with an open house and plant tour September 18.

Ordinance on Temporary Signs

Illegal Signs Being Removed

The enforcement of the City ordinance governing temporary signs in public rights-of-way is being increased. Sign owners are asked to remove their signs placed within public rights-of-way to prevent them from being removed by City staff.

 What types of signs are considered to be temporary?

There are several types of signs controlled by this ordinance. This includes for-sale signs, garage sale signs, work being done onsite signs and other signs that are temporary rather than permanent. While campaign signs during elections are also temporary, those are protected from this ordinance by election rules.

Where can temporary signs be placed legally?

Temporary signs can be placed on private property and not in public rights-of-way. Public rights-of-way vary in size. It may be difficult to know where the line between private property and public right-of-way is. Due to the variations in how public rights-of-way are established, there are no set guidelines that apply to all lot configurations consistently. Therefore, no map is available showing all of Owatonna’s rights-of-way. A helpful guide showing examples of illegal signs is available at owatonna.gov.

What happens with signs that violate the ordinance?

Signs in violation are removed by City staff. During this increased enforcement period, illegal signs are being temporarily stored at the Parks Maintenance Facility at 1140 Industrial Road. Sign owners can retrieve their signs there between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. weekdays through noon on Friday, October 17. At that time, unclaimed signs will be disposed of. The ordinance will continue to be enforced on an ongoing basis with illegal signs being disposed of immediately and not stored temporarily.

Where can additional information be found?

City Ordinance 153.08 which is the part of City Code in the Title XV: Land Usage section that restricts the placement of signage in rights-of-way and boulevards without a permit. The ordinance provides guidelines for signs within city limits to “protect and promote health, safety, general welfare and order” which helps ensure city boulevards maintain safe sightlines for drivers and pedestrians. It also helps maintain aesthetics in the community. It states, “No signs other than governmental signs shall be erected or temporarily placed within any street right-of-way or upon any public lands or easements or rights-of-way.” For additional information, visit Planning & Zoning | Owatonna, MN at Owatonna.gov.

New Housing Program 

The Owatonna Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) will add another rental assistance program to help Owatonna and Steele County residents. The Owatonna HRA will begin offering the Bring It Home rental assistance program January 1, 2026. Through the Minnesota Housing and Finance agency, this program is designed for households who have children under the age of 18 years old and a median income of 50 percent Area Median Income or lower.

Once a family is approved for the Bring It Home program, they will pay approximately 30 percent of their income towards their contracted rent amount and the Owatonna HRA will pay the balance of the contracted rent amount each month. All regulations will mirror the current Bridges, Housing & Urban Development and Owatonna HRA rules.

Police Department Honor Guard

City Increasing Awareness About Forever Chemicals

To help minimize the volume of forever chemicals disposed of through Owatonna’s waste stream, the City of Owatonna is sharing information with community members about where they are present and why they have become an environmental concern.

Forever chemicals/PFAS (perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of chemicals that do not break down in the environment. They are used in many everyday products and are known to be health hazards to humans. Wastewater treatment plants receive PFAS from dischargers to the system. There is no economical way to remove PFAS from wastewater. Reducing the use of PFAS at their sources is key to reducing PFAS in the environment. The Owatonna Wastewater Treatment Facility’s PFAS Management Plan is helping identify sources of PFAS and informing the community about the issue.

Additional information about PFAS is available at owatonna.gov.

Be A Good Neighbor – Put Stormwater In Its Place! 

Some homeowners aren’t aware of local codes strictly prohibiting discharging stormwater onto neighboring properties, into the sanitary system or directly onto streets or sidewalks. Discharging creates the potential for basement flooding and drainage problems for you and your neighbors which can be costly. Most groundwater collected by sumps and footing drains does not typically contain high levels of pollutants requiring treatment. Proper discharge locations drain water away from homes into the stormwater sewer, ultimately discharging it to the Straight River. 

Unnecessary sump pump connections to the sanitary collection system increase the volume of water for the Owatonna’s Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) to handle. This additional burden significantly increases the costs to the community, causes maintenance issues and overloads the system. The City allocates resources annually to address infiltration and inflow sources such as connected sumps/foundation drains, faulty connections and structures, leaks/intrusions and storm sewer cross connections, etc. to the WWTF. Many properties have a sump service stub near the right-of-way. Making this connection directs sump pump discharge directly into the storm sewer. Contact a plumber to have the connection established. The best practice is to direct it at least eight feet away from homes.

Please do your part and help lessen this burden by ensuring your sump pump is connected to the right location.

Think Outside the Lawn

A green lawn doesn’t have to mean green lakes and rivers 

Everyone wants green lawns and, doing it the right way ensures great water, too. Excess nutrients, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus, pollute stormwater runoff from urban areas. This pollution contributes to the third greatest cause of lake and river deterioration in the U.S. where more than 100,000 miles of rivers are impaired for nutrients.

Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) and phosphorus reduction

The City of Owatonna is required to make progress towards TMDL requirements of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency including reducing phosphorus to the Straight River. Implementing this plan is VERY costly to the community and ratepayers. More information can be found here: Owatonna Pollutant Reduction Strategy (arcgis.com).

Did you know?

• The average cost of removing one pound of phosphorus is roughly $10,000.
• Phosphorus in grass clippings from one lawn mowing can produce up to 100 pounds of unwanted algae.
• Leaf litter and yard waste account for 56 percent of the phosphorus in urban stormwater.
• One pound of fertilizer over-application of an average lawn can equate to 34 pounds of excess algae growth in streams and lakes, that’s one ton per every 60 homes.
• Poor management of stormwater pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorus directly impacts property owners’ monthly stormwater rates.

Help minimize costs

• Property owners are encouraged to explore the feasibility of installing permanent stormwater treatment systems such as filtration basins, stormwater ponds and rain gardens.
• Developers are encouraged to go above and beyond the minimum post-construction management of stormwater quality and quantity requirements. 
• Have a storm drain near your home? Volunteer to adopt it through the City’s Adopt a Catch Basin Program and receive a complimentary rake to keep it free of leaves and debris. 
• Adjust your sprinkler system based on weather, repair any leaks, and reduce runoff. 
• Sweep up grass clippings, leaves and other debris from driveways, sidewalks and the street.
• Keep gutters cleared.
• Clean up any excess fertilizer that has spread onto hard surfaces during application.
• Even as the weather turns cold, continue scooping your pet’s waste.
• Join the Adopt-A-Catch Basin Program, explore the rain garden cost share program or check out a Storm Drain Marking Kit by contacting stormwater@owatonna.gov.

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.

• Social Media: Stay connected with the City of Owatonna by following these social media sites.

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

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