Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Council OKs trick-or-treating hours
Trick-or-treating in Hartley will be held on Saturday, Oct. 31 from 5-7 p.m.
The Hartley Chamber of Commerce's annual trunk-or-treating event will be held on Friday, Oct. 30 from 3:30-5 p.m.
Any fears about skipping Halloween in Hartley were soothed by the city council on Monday.
Members voted to hold trick-or-treating hours on Saturday, Oct. 31 from 5-7 p.m. Mayor Rodney Ahrenstorff last month expressed concerns about Halloween festivities due to COVID-19 and the potential threat of spreading the virus with children going door to door, but was ultimately swayed the other way.
"Other towns are going to let them go, so I'm not going to restrict it," he said. "Just go to houses you know."
The council also approved the closure of various streets downtown for the Hartley Chamber of Commerce's annual trunk-or-treating event, which will be held on Friday, Oct. 30 from 3:30-5 p.m.
"I'd rather everybody just come up downtown on Friday," said Ahrenstorff.
On a somewhat related note, the mayor made special note of local COVID-19 infections during his opening remarks at the start of the meeting.
"COVID in the town of Hartley is pretty rampant," he said. "Please be careful and wear your masks. We're doing the best we can."
• Council makes fast work of light agenda
Council members breezed through the rest of Monday's relatively light agenda, which featured no big-ticket items.
The city's employee health insurance plan was renewed. In the second year of the updated package, the city is expected to save approximately $100,000.
Andrew Petty was hired as the city's new water superintendent. He will be paid $23.25 per hour and will receive a 50-cent hourly wage raise following a six-month probationary period. Petty succeeds Jeremy Niichel in the position.
Finally, the council officially approved the new design for the city's water tower. The job will be complete at a price of $9,831, which was over $3,000 more than originally hoped.
Council members weren't pleased with the higher price, but moved forward with the change nonetheless. Council Member Jerry Olson proposed a new look this summer and believed the current lettering was too difficult to read.
"I've had positive feed back in the community for changing that tower," he said.
The water tower was scheduled for cleaning and touchups this summer, but plans were put on hold so a new design could be selected.
"I don't like the one we have now," said Council Member Ron Hengeveld.
