As the City of Marshall nears the approaching final weeks of the year, the city has been busy with ensuring we carry forward and finish projects and initiatives we started this past year.

The proposed new Marshall Aquatic Center, which has the support of a voter approved sales tax referendum, is currently under a redesign process as a result of bids that were let in August of this past year being over the estimated budget. The city, to help curb costs and find a new way forward, enlisted a construction manager to help with cost estimating and hopefully engage a more hands-on approach with segments of the project so that the city can meet the budget. We anticipate re-bidding the project in mid-to late-January.

On the economic development area, we continue to work on childcare shortages in Marshall and the surrounding area. A study was initiated this past year with the help of First Children’s Finance and Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF). A work group was established with key stakeholders and exploration of childcare delivery options, site locations and availability of providers have been reviewed.

A key next step is to acquire funding to establish a fund to support future childcare projects. In addition to First Children’s Finance and SWIF, we have had the support of the business community as well as interest by Lyon County as their top priority.

The city is awaiting word on a potential affordable housing project that has applied for Minnesota Housing Finance Agency grant dollars. The proposed project includes a 60-unit affordable apartment building with units that would be available to tenants who are at or below 50% of the area’s medium income.

Two other areas which have recently started included the construction of a new 108-unit apartment complex on land along Clarice Avenue, behind the former Shopko building. The project, called Stone Meadows, would include three market-rate apartment buildings, each with 36 units.

In addition, the department store Marshalls has taken the necessary steps to begin interior remodel of the former Shopko building. The $1.4 million remodel is anticipated to be completed in late March and early April.

The currently constructed Snow Removal Equipment (SRE) Facility at the Southwest Minnesota Regional Airport has made progress in the last couple of months and this work will continue into 2025 with an anticipated completion date in September of next year. Local contractor Sussner Construction is the general contractor for this project.

Work on the Legion Field baseball field back-stop began in September and is nearly complete. The construction includes one new dugout, a new backstop netting system, and significant drainage improvements. Local contractor Bladholm Construction has been leading the project.

The city’s annual levy and budget will be adopted in early December and provides the necessary revenue to operate in 2025. The city, along with many other cities across the state, has experienced challenges with keeping the levy down. Inflation of goods and services, particularly in the area of infrastructure and competing for the hiring of staff, has impacted the budget. We will continue to work hard looking at alternatives in the year to plan for not only 2025, but 2026.

Since the on-set of new cannabis laws passed by the Minnesota Legislature, the city has been studying best ways to register and properly zone for adult use cannabis. In late October the city adopted a registration ordinance prescribing the terms and conditions for registration as well as setting the number of retail registrations available in the city. The city set the maximum number of registrations at two as a way to step into this new regulatory framework of cannabis, the minimum allowed by state law. In December, the city will take up zoning provisions for cannabis businesses which include requirements for time, place and manner. The city has proposed that cannabis businesses allowing off-sale retail sales must be located at least 500 feet away from schools as one of the zoning provisions to be considered. To be noted however, Minnesota’s first lottery for people seeking cannabis business licenses has been delayed amid lawsuits filed by applicants who said they were unfairly denied entrance.

One other key operational item that is foundation for our work in the year ahead, the city’s Strategic Plan which was adopted this past year and includes numerous goals to sustain and improve the community. City staff and leadership, through this plan, developed a shared vision of success and key strategies that will guide the work of the city over the next three to five years. City Council and staff also made significant strides in creating action steps for near-term goals. The city will continue to utilize this plan as a roadmap to guide and make adjustments to actions moving forward.

— Sharon Hanson is the city administrator for the city of Marshall