WELCOME — Chris Borchardt of the Welcome Fire Department provided an update to the City Council this week.

He said the department had applied for several grants and received two.

One is a rescue grain bin tube and accessories (harnesses and ropes) as well as training for the tube. CFS and Nationwide Insurance provided the grant.

The department probably will not hear about a FEMA grant until November. It would be used for a much-needed upgrade for air packs.

The council discussed options for paying for air pack replacement, which may cost $82,000. The department has a fund for equipment but does not want to deplete it, in case other equipment is needed.

In the end, the council approved increasing the budget for 2020 to $100,000 in case the FEMA grant is not forthcoming.

Borchardt reported that fire calls are up and the department would like to increase the fire call fee from $500 to $1,000 for the “out-the-door” charge, and to $500 per hour instead of $250 for additional hours. The city clerk will write a resolution to that effect and the council is expected to vote on it at the next meeting.

Borchardt also showed the council the preliminary plans for the new fire Hall/City Hall with offices for city clerk and mayor, a room to seat 75 people, a kitchen, bathrooms that are handicap-accessible and four double deep bays for the trucks in a steel structure.

The department accepted the donation of land for the new fire hall from Valero.

Turning to other business, the council heard from Minnesota Department of Transportation representative Forrest Hasty and Bolton & Menk engineer Travis Winter regarding the Highway 263 project.

Hasty explained the turnback plan to have the road under county ownership after the improvements.

The portion of the improvements from I-90 to County Road 26 will be an overlay in which asphalt will be removed, ground up and put back on the road. Traffic will not be completely blocked during this part of the improvements through Welcome.

From County Road 26 to Ceylon, Highway 263 will be reclaimed, which means it will be dug up, with the asphalt and the road bed improved. Then the asphalt will be replaced with a combination of new and old asphalt.

Winter explained there would be no benefit for Welcome to add the water main replacement under Highway 263 to the project since it will be overlay only and not dug up.

There are plans to have community meetings at some point to explain what will happen on the road as it pertains to Welcome.