Annual Organizational MeetingEvery year, during the first City Council Meeting of the year, an Organizational Meeting is held. On January 6, Council Members will decide which Boards, Commissions and Committees they will each represent during 2026. Other items they will designate for 2026 will be Depositories and Signatories, Responsible Authority for Data Practices, newspaper for official city business, and Weed Inspector. The 2026 calendar will be reviewed and dates of City Council Meetings changed for the precinct caucus, elections and National Night Out. |
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Saving You a Seat!The public is invited to attend the following City meetings this coming week. Unless otherwise specified, these meetings are held at City Hall, 540 West Hills Circle. Meeting materials are available at owatonna.gov. January 5:- Park Board Meeting at 4:30 p.m.
January 6:- City Council Study Session at 5:30 p.m.
- City Council & Annual Organizational Meeting at 7 p.m.
January 7:- 911 Call Center Joint Powers Board Meeting at 4 p.m. in the Commissioner’s Room, Rice County Government Building in Faribault
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Ice Rink ConditionsLet’s go skating!As of December 30, five of the six local ice rinks supported by the Owatonna Parks & Recreation Department are up and running: Morehouse Park, 350 School Street- Morehouse rink open, Morehouse south pond open, Morehouse Straight River closed
- Skating hours: daily 6 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Warming house hours (supervised): weekdays 3-9:30 p.m., Saturdays, holidays & school vacation days 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Sundays 12-9:30 p.m.
- Amenities offered: skate rentals, warming house, restrooms, hockey rinks, concessions, outdoor lighting
Brooktree Golf Course, 1369 Cherry Street- Open daily 6 a.m.-10 p.m.
Buecksler Park, 1755 Smith Avenue- Open daily 6 a.m.-10 p.m.
Countryview Park, 855 Countryview Lane NE- Open daily 6 a.m.-10 p.m.
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 Public parking lot at Vine Street and Oak Avenue. |
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Vine Street Parking Lot ClosuresThe parking lot at the intersection of Vine Street and Oak Avenue offers downtown residents and visitors a convenient off-street parking option. The lot has designated four-hour and 24-hour parking spaces as indicated by signage. On January 7, 2025 the City Council passed Resolution 3-25: Authorizing As-Needed Vine Street Parking Lot Closures. These closures are necessary to facilitate maintenance such as snow removal. Lot closures are announced eight hours in advance using Notify Me and posted on the City of Owatonna - Public Works Facebook Page. Closures will most commonly occur during off-peak parking times (early morning) to avoid impacts to downtown businesses. However, closures may occur anytime throughout the day. Signs are posted at the main entry and exit points of the Vine Street parking lot informing motorists of lot closures with a QR code to scan for a list of current closures. Parking violators may be ticketed or towed. Motorists who frequent the lot are encouraged to sign up for the notifications using this link: Public Works – Vine Street Parking Lot Notify Me List. City staff is available to assist with signin g up if needed. City Staff appreciates cooperation from those using the lot to ensure efficient and effective maintenance. For additional information regarding this policy, please contact the Public Works Department at 507.444.4350 or publicworks@owatonna.gov.
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Compost Site Winter HoursThe compost site will be open to dispose of winter greens, brush and lawn waste during limited hours this winter. Please be sure to remove any lights and ornaments from the winter greens. The site will be closed and the primary phone will not be monitored outside of the hours listed below. For additional information, please call 507.444.4350. - January 2 & January 3: 2-5:30 p.m.
- January 9 & January 10: 2-5:30 p.m.
- February 14: 2-5:30 p.m.
- March 14: 2-5:30 p.m.
- April 11: 2-5:30 p.m.
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Winter Parking Restrictions in EffectTwo consecutive odd days this week!The City of Owatonna would like to thank residents and their visitors for their attention to the Winter Parking restrictions which are enforced through March 31 regardless of the weather. Compliance with this ordinance allows for significantly more effective and efficient street maintenance operations. Utilizing the Winter Parking Map web app is the quickest way to double check where parking is permitted on any given day. Please keep in mind in the coming days that there are two odd days in a row, December 31 and January 1.
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The City is pleased to announce that all winter maintenance crew members are Smart Salting certified! The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency provides Smart Salting training and certification to improve operator effectiveness and reduce chloride pollution. Participating organizations have been able to reduce their salt use by up to 70 percent. Learn more about Smart Salting Certification and best practices by visiting stormwater.pca.state.mn.us. |
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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.
Feel free to forward this message to other Owatonna community members. Visit the Notify Me Sign-up page to update your email address, unsubscribe, or sign up for additional City alerts. Be sure to add listserv@civicplus.com to your safe sender/address book to ensure messages are delivered to your inbox. |
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