Ellendale fire fighter prevents cement disaster

Members of the Ellendale city council held their regularly scheduled meeting the evening of Thursday, Nov. 13. The council scheduled a Steele County Emergency Management table-top session for Monday, Dec. 8 at 6:30 p.m.

 

The fire department reported a potential catastrophe was avoided when one of the firefighters noticed an issue with the concrete that was going to be poured in the fire hall. Plans called for it to be four inches thick. However, in order to support the weight of the large and heavy fire trucks, the cement in the hall needs to be at least six inches deep.

Once this issue was discovered, corrections were made at no additional cost to the city.

The new fire hall should be finished around February. Radios in the trucks are to be upgraded soon. Two new fire fighters are being trained in with the fire department, and with the two new additions, there is still one open spot. Twelve fire hydrants around Ellendale still need their snowplow flags installed. Each flag is $25 at 4ft. high. The rescue truck had a small diesel leak, which has been fixed, and the new red lights for the back of the truck need to be installed as well as new air bags. The new Jaws of Life has also been received.

 

A complaint is in progress for a house in violation along Eighth Ave. East. A Notice of Violation/Warning Administrative Citation is also in progress for a residence on Sixth Ave. East and Fifth Street North.

 

The Ellendale Heritage Society will be paying for a new sign at the City Park to show the original name, Thomas E. Browns Park; Brown was a town site agent who donated the land. The sign is for historic information; “Ellendale City Park” will still be the official name. 

 

The city will need to find a new snow plow operator, since the person who formerly held the position will no longer be performing the task. Maintenance reported a payloader vehicle will be available for city use at the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDoT) garage. The city can also make use of  a sand/salt mixture stored at the location. Staff is asked to keep track of how much they use for payment. The city backhoe needs a back-up camera; this item will be installed by maintenance.

 

Thompson Sanitation now has a five-year contract for the city of Ellendale which starts at the end of December; this will include providing new containers in either March or April. 

 

There is concern that water runoff from the paved parking lot in front of the new apartment complex will flood the grassland below when it rains. This is being investigated. There is a repeated issue with the spotlight aimed at the American flag at the veteran’s memorial: The light keeps malfunctioning and needs to be replaced.