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Chippewa Dam Removal
Work on the removal of the Chippewa River Dam continues. Our current project timeline (per the DNR) is:
February/March 2012: Permits Completed.
March/April 2012: Bids Solicited.
April/May: 2012: Montevideo City Council Awards Project.
June 2012: A notch is cut in the dam to allow the water to lower and silt to stabilize.
August-October: The dam is demolished and rapids are constructed.
Removal of the dam is considered important because of safety reasons, environmental reasons (fish would be able to migrate up the Minnesota into the upper reaches of the Chippewa River) and recreational (allows for safer and easier passage).
Major sponsors of the project include the City of Montevideo, The U.S. Fish and Wilife Service, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Airport Financing:For the first time in a number of years the federal government appears to be on the verge of approving a long term capital improvement financing plan for airports. This is important for our airport because we currently have a $2.1 Million runway reconstruction project at the airport waiting for final approval. If the federal financing bill is passed, the FAA will pay 90% of the project, the state 5%, and the city and county will split 5%. The federal share of this project comes from fees that are collected every time you fly a commercial airline. The airport is an important piece of the local economy, contributing over $1 Million each year in direct or indirect benefits, and according to the state, activity allowed by the airport is equal to the impact of over 12 full-time jobs in Montevideo. You would be surprised by the level of business activity at the airport, with large twin engine and small jet business traffic becoming more frequent.
Steve Jones, city manager of Montevideo, has been working as a city manager for 24 years. He has a bachelors degree in Urban Affairs/Urban Planning from the University of Missouri, Kansas City and a Masters of Public Administration from Andrew Jackson University. He is an ICMA credentialed city manager and a certified floodplain manager.
During his 14 years as city manager of Montevideo, some key items Steve has worked on are upgrades to the city's infrastructure including the wastewater treatment plant and water plant, flood mitigation work including levee reconstruction and work on making Montevideo an All-American City. His favorite project was the Community Built Playground Project in Smith Park.
