BLUE EARTH — Blue Earth’s City Council this week discussed the procedures that the federal government and Minnesota have adopted to curb the spread of COVID-19.

“The state has mandated us to shut down a lot of our local businesses and our fitness center; this will cut down on some city employees’ time,” said Mayor Rick Scholtes. “Our payroll committee will need to meet to discuss this situation. We need to be cognizant of what is going on. We will be on alert and be making sure we are following procedure. City Attorney David Frundt, city administrator Kim Moore and myself will make sure all policies and procedures go into place effectively. As things come out, Faribault County has a plan that we are a part of. We are going to all need to work together on this as the situation continues.”

In other business, the council:

o Discussed the upcoming Leland Parkway project. A public hearing has been scheduled for 5:05 p.m. April 6 at City Hall.

o Discussed the Blue Earth Fire Department township agreement. It was reported that the townships have approved the deal. The agreement states the city agrees to provide fire services in the townships of Pilot Grove, Jo Daviess, Blue Earth, Prescott and Verona. The council accepted the agreement.

o Adopted new fees for the Blue Earth Community Pool. The “babysitter pass” which can only be used by a licensed daycare provider, was decreased by $10; the admission package (10 punches) was increased by $10; and daily cost for ages 7 and older was increased from $4 to $5. Admission for children ages zero to 6 remains at $2.

o Approved a fire department truck repair at the cost of $6,068, a cost not budgeted by the council. One council member requested the fire chief come to the next meeting to discuss the matter, but it was noted that the city’s pumper truck will be down until it is fixed. Given the urgency of the unavoidable cost, the council approved the quote from Hanson Auto Repair.