Moorhead City Council
Monday, July 21, 2014
Committee of the Whole Meeting/Adjourned July 14 Meeting
The City Council requested a flood diversion update from the US Army Corps of Engineers. Aaron Snyder, Chief Project Management Branch, and Brett Coleman, Project Manager attended and provided the following information.
· The diversion was authorized by Congress as part of the federal Water Resources Reform and Development Act and signed into law.
· All viable options have been explored. The present project plan has been vetted and is deemed the best plan. Minor adjustments are possible, but it was pointed out that it is a federal project and as such, the States have only limited operational responsibilities.
· In regards to the Minnesota’s environmental review, their report is expected to mirror the federal results. Snyder stated that there is no reason to believe that the Minnesota DNR will not support the project. The plan has been vetted by numerous agencies and groups and has been deemed as the best option.
· Federal appropriation for the project could come as soon as this spring.
The City Council rescinded their previous resolution on a 5/4 vote opposing the Churches United for the Homeless north side project. Churches United in seeking a $6 million loan from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency had requested the Council’s endorsement.
There was disagreement among the council members on the meaning of the original resolution. The contention was whether the resolution was opposing the project in general or the specific location of the project. However, the concerns regarding the project will be outlined in a letter to the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. It will include the desires of the city to work with Churches United on coordination and public outreach for the project.
Extension offers Food
Safety classes in Moorhead
University of Minnesota Extension is offering two courses to help food service establishments meet the educational requirement for Certified Food Managers.
The initial certification course, called ServSafeâ, will be offered on Thursday, August 28, 2014 at the Travelodge and Suites in Moorhead. The class will run from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with the test following at 4:30 p.m. Participants must attend all day to be eligible to take the certification exam. This course includes information about safe food preparation, handling, sanitation and prevention of foodborne illnesses. Registration is required by August 14, 2014.
Certification renewal for food managers will be held on Wednesday, August 27, 2014 from 1-5 p.m. It will be held at the Travelodge and Suites. Certified Food Managers need four hours of continuing education credits within three years of becoming certified. University of Minnesota Extension educators and University specialists developed the four-hour Serve It Up Safely ™ renewal course that meets these criteria. Registration is due by August 13, 2014.
Pre-registration is required. For a registration brochure or for more information call 507-337-2819 or contact Connie Schwartau at schwa047@umn.edu.
The Food Safety Manager Certification Course and Serve It Up Safely renewal course are also available on-line. To get more information about all of these classes go to extension.umn.edu/food-safety or contact Connie Schwartau at schwa047@umn.edu at 507-337-2819.
QuickBooks Training
Offered by West Central MN
Small Business Development Center
The West Central Minnesota Small Business Development Center will be providing trainings on QuickBooks, each of varying levels of proficiency, to be held at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. this August. The training levels include Beginner, Advanced and Payroll Module.
Each training session is a hands-on, interactive experience designed specifically for the participants’ proficiency levels of the QuickBooks software. The Beginner level teaches the fundamental basics of QuickBooks including setting up and customizing QuickBooks, creating and editing reports, reconciling checking accounts and tracking credit card transactions.
For more information, contact Sheila Borgerding, program coordinator at (218) 299-3037 or sbdc@cord.edu.
The Bloch Party at the HCSCC
The Bloch Party on August 3, 2014 from 11am to 4pm is a celebration of Bloch’s journey though North Dakota for its North American Tour. At the Bloch Party there will be live entertainment featuring Poitin, Heather and Thistle, Ma’di (African Dance Group) and Margreat and Ishika. Interactive art projects throughout the day include Rangoli sand art, woodcarving, print making, Swedish Dala painting and ceramics.
The Moorhead Library will also host story time on the Bloch with readings of The Giving Tree and Johnny Appleseed. We encourage people to bring a blanket, pack a picnic (food trucks will also be available) and enjoy the day listening to great music, beautiful art in our community. For a full Schedule of Bloch Party events visit www.hcscconline.org.
Armed Robbery at Mother’s Records
On July 19, 2014, at approximately 19:51 hours, Officers were sent to Mother’s Records at 431 Main Ave for a report of an armed robbery. The victim told officers that the suspect showed a knife and demanded money. An undisclosed of money was turned over to the suspect without incident. The suspect left the area on foot. There were no injuries. A K-9 track was unsuccessful in locating the suspect.
The suspect is described as a dark skinned male, approximately 6 feet tall, 20 years old, thin build, with a black bandana over his face. He was last seen wearing a blue sweatshirt and dark pants.
The Moorhead Police Department is asking for the public’s help and would like them to contact the Dispatch Center at (701) 451-7660 if they saw anything suspicious in the area at that time.