Shutdown would affect some area services

By RACHEL WEDDIG

and RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writers

NEW ULM --With a potential government shutdown looming, area agencies dependent of state funds are trying to figure out its effect on them.

If the state Legislature does not complete its work by midnight Saturday, a government shutdown takes effect.

For one local attraction, a shutdown would mean the cancellation of an annual Independence day celebration. The Harkin Store, which is located nine miles northwest of New Ulm, would close.

"We would be totally shut down until the budget is passed," said Harkin Store Manager Opal Dewanz. "It's very depressing to think about."

Dewanz is watching legislative updates closely as a lot of time was spent preparing for the store's Fourth of July celebration planned for Sunday. If a budget isn't passed, there won't be a celebration.

"A couple called me today from Duluth wondering if we were going to have the celebration on Sunday," Dewanz said. "I didn't know what to tell them and told them to call back Saturday morning before they head down here."

A lot of questions still remain for Brown County Administrator Chuck Enter.

"Everyone has been wrestling with a lot of questions the past few weeks," Enter said. "The county association is up in St. Paul right now and we haven't been given a whole lot of feedback."

One item that remains in question for Enter is the district court system.

"The Brown County District Court employees are state employees," Enter said. "If the court system is ruled essential it won't shut down, but we won't know for sure until Friday afternoon."

Department heads have been thinking about what will happen if the government shuts down, but answers aren't coming quickly.

Enter said final determinations will be made during a department head meeting Friday. If the government shutdown occurs, final measures will be implemented during a county board meeting on July 3.

Director Bob Burgess of the Brown County Historical Society said if the government shuts down, the implications won't be too harsh for the society.

"There will certainly be short-term effects -- one that we're aware is that one of our employees would not be able to report to work," Burgess said. "We'd have to call in to see if that person would be funded or not."

If that happens, Burgess said, workers and volunteers would be asked to share some of that employees duties.

Some long-term effects would be not having state funding for some of the exhibitions or projects the society would like to have. But Burgess said it would not be too drastic because a lot of the money for the society comes from the people of Brown County.

Some services would be cut from the New Ulm Minnesota Work Force. According to area manager, Karen Wagner, services provided from the state's employees would be cut, but services and programs provided from the Minnesota Valley Action Council would remain.

Wagner said people would still receive their unemployment and unemployment insurance checks. Wagner added that a toll-free number would be in place for people to call in with questions.

Wagner hopes a budget is passed and tries to remain optimistic.

"We're very hopeful on having a budge passed and were planning on that happening," Wagner said. "But we do have contingency plans if place if a shutdown would happen."

The Department of Natural Resources would be severely affected by a shutdown.

"Everyone will be gone from this office if we have a shutdown this weekend," said Cheryl Heidi, administrator of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources regional office in New Ulm.

In fact, she said there will be fewer than 150 DNR employees on duty statewide if the Legislature doesn't get all the funding bills approved and sent to the governor by midnight Saturday. Only those employees needed to maintain health and safety will be working.

All state parks including Flandrau will shut down on Saturday so Friday will be the last night for camping, she said. Only enough employees to ensure the park's maintenance and security will be working.

This regional office has two of the state's five fish hatcheries in its jurisdiction, at Waterville and New London, and those employees will remain on duty because of the critical nature of keeping the fish alive.

A greatly reduced corps of conservation officers will be on duty throughout the state.

"This will have a really serious impact on the public," Heidi said,"because not only will their recreation be impacted but so will wildlife management, maintenance of trails and other services they've come to rely upon."