City

calls for

cooperation

on sales tax

referendum

Other units of

government could help with funds, services, city says

By KREMENA TODOROVA

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM - City officials Wednesday called on Brown County and District 88 to join forces with the city in upgrading recreational and other community facilities in New Ulm.

During a meeting of city, park, county, school and Brown County Agricultural Society officials, New Ulm councilors said they are looking for ways to complement potential local sales tax funds with contributions, in money or services, from other units of government.

"In past years [Brown] County has spent some resources on various county parks and lake dredging projects. ..," Council President Dan Beranek said. "These, of course, are all very worthy projects. But I don't think it's inappropriate now to spend some money in New Ulm."

City officials are seeking to drum up support for a half percent local sales tax, to be voted this November. The tax, expected to generate some $9 million in construction funds, would pay for upgrading the community's recreational facilities.

Wednesday's meeting was the first of several intended to help the council select designs and locations for the new construction. The process is designed to help voters envision what their money would buy.

With city land in limited supply, consultants have developed three design alternatives. Two involve new construction at the Brown County Fairgrounds, requiring cooperation from county and ag society officials to take place.

City officials Wednesday also called for coordinating the development of new facilities with county and school governments, to maximize the use of funds.

"The question is, are there any partners out there?" said council member Joel Albrecht. "Do some of our plans answer any needs that you have, in the near or long-term range? ... The answer could have a significant impact on our plans."

But county and ag society officials stressed that concerns remain to be addressed, before cooperation can be taken to the next stage.

"Most importantly, the ag society needs to be given consideration," said Brown County Commissioner Dick Seeboth. "The county is not the owner of the [fairgrounds] property at this point. The ag society would be the party to give the green light to the city to develop."

"We are certainly for development," said Ag Society President Renee Retzlaff. "But we really want to have a handle on some dialog."

Retzlaff stressed that elements in the construction designs developed by city consultants may not fit in with what the ag society has in mind.

A building at the fairgrounds is "not necessarily the right place" to house senior programs (as proposed by city consultants), she said, citing additional layout concerns.

Retzlaff stressed the need to look at ownership (or lease), and at potential income sharing, if construction at the fairgrounds is to take place.

In turn, District 88 School Board Chairman Mark Wiger said that the possibility of building a new middle school at the fairgrounds site has been "embraced" by school planners as a long-range alternative.

Sharing facilities such as an auditorium, gymnasiums and kitchen space with the city is of "potential interest" to local schools, Wiger said.

But he stressed the school district "is not in a position" to look at facility expansion at this time, after the failure of a vote to increase school taxes in May.