BLUE EARTH — After having postponed the final decision on the 2021 budget and levy at an earlier meeting in December, the Blue Earth City Council voted on the final numbers at their meeting this past Monday night.

The levy totals $1,723,704, which is a 3-percent increase over the current year’s amount.

The levy includes $738,314 for the General Fund and $985,390 for the Debt Service Fund.

Before the vote on the levy, the council reviewed their list of goals for 2021.

Councilman John Huisman outlined reasons why he thought the budget should include funds so the economic development specialist contract with CEDA (Community Economic Development Associates) could be increased from four days per week to five.

“Even if we don’t do it right away,” Huisman said. “But we decide three, four months down the road that we need to do it, but then we can’t do it because the funds are not there. This way the funds would be there if we want to increase the number of days.”

Other ways to fund the increase were suggested, including using future COVID stimulus money, or take funds from the liquor store surplus. Mayor Rick Scholtes indicated some extra funding is already built into the budget.

After the discussion, the council voted to accept the levy increase as originally proposed.

In other business at the meeting, the council:

— Voted to accept the annual city fees schedule, with a couple of changes.

One change was to raise the animal license fee from $5 to $10 and to work on rewriting the animal ordinance to include changing the license from being an annual fee to a three year one.

— Heard a report from city attorney David Frundt concerning the nature and operation of the Blue Earth Community Library Board.

Frundt said his research indicated the library board was a statutory governing board, and not an advisory board, which gives the board more authority over, and responsiblity for, the operation of the library.

— Voted to have CarlsonSV serve as the new city auditing firm. They were the lowest of three bids for performing the annual audit.

— Voted to accept the annual contract with Bolton and Menk to serve as the city’s engineering firm. There were no changes in the fees charged by the company.

— Approved two variances. One was for a new multi-family housing complex proposed to be built by APX Construction of Mankato. It will be located at the intersection of 14th and Moore streets.

The other was for an addition onto a garage at 1219 Highland Drive.

— Had a discussion on repair work for a damaged electronic flashing-light crosswalk sign on Highway 169, and whether it is the city’s or MnDOT’s (Minnesota Department of Transportation) responsiblity for the repair and maintenance of the sign.