Inside this issue:

The Bridge 

 

December  2008

City of Rockford

   Mayor’s Message

     Michael A. Beyer

Winter is coming upon us quickly and the Holiday Season is fast approaching.  As you know this year was an election year and staff reported that the city had 2249 voters and registered 608 new voter’s, which was a record number! I want to thank you for my re-election as your Mayor and I want to welcome our two new Council Members,  Rick Martinson and Renee Hafften.  I look forward to working with both of them.  I also want to thank both Greg Altringer and Scott Seymour for the great job they did for our city during their time on the Council.

 

As the new year approaches we will have a new and exciting project to deal with.  As some of you may already know the city has been approached by a company who is interested in constructing a biomass facility west of town.  This facility will burn wood scrap to produce electricity.  At first I was skeptical and had many questions. The company, Kandiyohi, presented to Council their proposal for this new facility and answered many of our concerns. Concerns such as smoke coming from the stack to the visual affect of the landscape were discussed. 

 

 

 

Council was informed that the stack is only four feet across, ninety feet tall, and can be painted to a color of our choice.  To put this into perspective, our new water tower is 110 feet tall and nearly sixty feet across and as you know is white.

 

We are not committed at this time into accepting this new business to our town but are interested enough in pursuing more information.  The Council plans on touring a biomass facility located in Minnesota like the one proposed to get a real feel for what we may get into.  If you did not see the meeting on Channel 12 you can go to the city web site and check out Current Issues and then click file and see the same information presented to us at the meeting. I assure you that your Council is not taking this subject lightly, because the end result will affect all of us.  We are not going to assume anything until we have all the information.

 

As the year comes to an end also comes two of the most celebrated family get together’s.  I hope your Thanksgiving was enjoyable this year and that your up and coming Christmas season is a safe and fulfilling one.  I know I am thankful that I have called Rockford home with all the great neighbors and friends.  I also look forward to celebrating Christmas 2008 in the town that I call home.  Thank you for calling Rockford your home and I'll see you around town.

 

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy and prosperous New Year.
                                              Mike
                                                      

Snow Season Parking

With the snow season coming upon us staff would like to remind residents of city ordinance 801.08 which “prohibits the parking of a vehicle on or within six feet of the roadway in the areas zoned for nonresidential between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. and the parking of a vehicle on or within six feet of the roadway in the areas zoned residential between the hours of midnight and 8:00 a.m., during the period from

November 1, 2008 to

April 15, 2009”.

 

Vehicle’s parked in violation of this ordinance will be towed and stored at the owner’s expense.

Sidewalk Snow Removal    

In the interest of public safety, the City of Rockford reminds you of the importance of keeping your walkways cleared of snow and ice. 

 

City Ordinance 901.04 states that all snow and ice must be removed from public sidewalks 24 hours after the snow or other precipitation causing the condition.

 

The throwing or placing of snow or other material in the streets, sidewalks and other public ways is a public

nuisance.