Ellendale Heritage Society waits for park name decision

The Ellendale Area Heritage Society is doing its job: Involving residents in the history of the town – but it’s taking a while.

 

For the third straight month, members of the Ellendale City Council have tabled a request to formally recognize one of the city’s founders with a park name.

 

In August, the heritage society asked Mayor Scott Groth to present a proposal to rename City Park.

 

The group provided Groth with newspaper clippings from the early 1900s that indicated it was once named – and known as – Brown’s Park.

 

Thomas H. Brown was the railroad agent who named the town after the wife of a railroad president. He donated land for all the town’s churches and its first hotel; the park property was also reportedly donated by Brown.

 

Groth presented the information, then suggested the idea be tabled to consider it the following month.

 

In September, Barb Mrotz, a member of the society, attended the council meeting.

 

The city park has always been named Brown or Brown’s Park, she said; “it’s just not being called by the Thomas E. Brown name.”

 

The formal recognition was raised three years ago, but apparently got no traction then, either. The EAHS revisited the name change in honor of the city’s 125th anniversary, which was marked in June.

 

The group is requesting a proclamation that the city park be known as its given name, Brown’s Park, as well as some signage added, Mrotz said in September.

 

A suggestion to leave the name City Park, “but have some recognition” of Brown received a lukewarm reaction from Mrotz.

 

“Well, I’m not the one to give approval” on behalf of the heritage society, she said, “but that would not be my choice.”

 

Eventually, it was decided that EAHS President Dan Nelson should be at the October meeting to discuss the name.

 

He was, and presented much of the same information, including a plat map from 1916 that lists the land as Brown’s Park.

 

“I guess I’d like to find out if it was ever renamed as Ellendale Park,” said Councilor Scott Swanson, who has described himself as “a bit of a history buff.”

 

“If it was originally named Brown’s Park and was never ever renamed, it’s still Brown’s Park, isn’t it? I don’t know if they have records of that or not, but I think there’s a way to satisfy what they’re asking for,” he said.

 

“I’ll do the research and find out.”

 

In other business, the council tabled a decision about the purchase of a new work truck requested by Public Works Director Josh Otto, who was not at the meeting.

 

The current truck was purchased in 2019 for about $35,000; Otto presented a quote from Owatonna Ford for a new vehicle, with a $30,000 trade-in value on the current truck.

 

Swanson, who has been working with Otto on a schedule for city equipment purchases, said the goal is to turn vehicles over every five years, “so maintenance on them is under the service contract,” he said.

 

“I just want to make sure you guys know there’s no money in the vehicle fund, so we’d have to borrow this money,” said Kim Zimprich, deputy clerk/treasurer for the city.

 

In fact, the fund is at a negative balance, said City Clerk Steve Engel, after the purchases of a side-by-side, a $6,000 V-plow for a city pickup and a $100,000 snow plow.

 

The 2019 truck is “obviously” doing the job, Swanson said, “but (Otto’s) point was the trade-in value. We’ve had it for six years … we’ve only spent $5,000 for six years’ use.”

 

“I see his point,” Zimprich said. “I’m just coming at this as a financial person.”

 

Council Member Joel Meyer said the expense is unnecessary.

 

“We don’t have the money to be doing this,” he said. “We’re spending 30 grand fixing the sewer; we had that surprise with the apartments over there … we can’t hike taxes any more than we already have.

 

“My opinion on it is that quote needs to go in the garbage can,” he said.

 

The item will be on the agenda for discussion at the Nov. 13 meeting, when Otto will be present.