BLUE EARTH — The Blue Earth City Council is getting ready to have the city counted.

Earlier this week, council members heard about the upcoming U.S. Census from Michael Gold Bliss of the Minneapolis office of the Census Bureau.

Blue Earth has already formed a Complete Count Committee, and Bliss praised the council for it.

“You are way ahead of the game,” he said. “The actual Census starts in 60 days, on April 1. It is something that happens every 10 years and it is extremely important to count everyone.”

Bliss explained there is about $675 billion in federal funds that will be handed out according to the population in each city, county and state.

“The House of Representatives is also apportioned according to the number of people in each state,” he explained.

That means states with larger populations get more U.S. representatives than those with fewer numbers of people.

Bliss also noted that the Census only asks for names, birth dates, addresses, race and sex. It does not ask for any Social Security, credit card or bank information. It also does not ask if the respondee is a citizen of the United States.

In other business, the council:

o Learned that one of the four candidates for the position of Blue Earth city administrator has dropped out, due to taking another job. The remaining three candidates will be interviewed Tuesday. There also will be a meet and greet from 5:30-7 p.m. Monday at the Blue Earth Senior Center for the public to meet all three candidates.

o Voted to hold another “in the city limits” deer hunt during the fall deer hunting season. It will again be a bow hunt.

o Voted to approve a plan for some green space next to the Blue Earth Community Library. The green space will take up several spaces in the parking lot on the side of the library.