BLUE EARTH– The Blue Earth City Council received a local project’s progress report with skepticism at a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Oct. 4.

Blue Earth’s Three Sisters Project has been underway since March of 2019. Its goal is to rehabilitate several of the town’s empty buildings so they can contribute positively to Blue Earth’s business community.

Janie Hanson, project creator of the Three Sisters Project, presented updates to the council regarding the project’s status.

“Electrical and HVAC work has started,”  Hanson shared. “The furnace supplies have arrived. The rooftop units are still out. The supply chain is not fun to deal with.”

Previously, both the Blue Earth City Council and Blue Earth Economic Development Authority (EDA) have expressed concern as to whether the project will meet its extended completion date of Sept. 30 of this year.

The deadline passed last week, and the project still does not seem near completion.

“I’m not comfortable letting it go forward,  admitted council member Ann Hanna.

Mayor Rick Scholtes added, ”Make sure when you come to the EDA meeting next week, you have a very detailed timeline of when this is going to be done.

”We’re doing the best we can,”  Hanson responded. “A key mission of the Rural Renaissance Project is to spark entrepreneurship in rural areas.”

She continued, ”In the development agreement, the main goal was creating at least three full-time positions. We’ve done more than that.”

While the council simply discussed the matter last Monday, they urged Hanson to remain in constant communication with them in the future, as they are beginning to doubt the project’s progress.

Other business discussed by the council includes:

— More debate regarding the best way to further plans to build new tennis courts at Blue Earth Area High School. An engineering services agreement must be approved between Blue Earth and Bolton and Menk to start preliminary phase services and determine the potential cost of the project.

Some board members requested Bolton and Menk provide more options for construction before further steps are taken, which city engineer Wes Brown agreed to do.

— Brown’s presentation of projected street improvement projects for 2022. Brown shared plans to improve First Street, Gorman Street, Galbraith Street, Fourth Street, and a small section of Ninth Street.

The rough cost of the improvements is an estimated $5,139,565. The council passed a resolution to receive Brown’s feasibility reports calling for a hearing for the 2022 street and utility improvements.