Truman faces fallout

The city of Truman continues to face the repercussions of voters’ decision this year to abolish the Public Utilities Commission. City Council members and staff are finding out how much work there is to do, and how complicated it can be.

The biggest problems, it seems, are a lack of expertise and a lack of understanding of the financial situation. One idea on the table is to hire a utility manager.

Certainly, something needs to be done. It’s clear that Truman is struggling with the transition. This could affect utility costs and services for residents, in addition to causing headaches at City Hall.

Fee hikes overdue

Martin County commissioners this week approved a list of fee increases for the Planning and Zoning department. We believe commissioners did the right thing. Many of the increases do not even seem that bad considering there have been no hikes in 17 years. They break down to about a 1 percent hike annually.

The higher fees will pay for the increased cost of administration and more program requirements, putting Martin County in line with what other counties do.

Our only caveat would be we hope the fees could be updated more regularly, to avoid any sticker shock for those who pay.

Robotics event today

We extend thanks to Martin County KnowHow! for its efforts in organizing the first youth robotics competition to be held today at Fairmont Elementary School. The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon, and the public is welcome to go see what it’s all about.

Youth in grades 4-6 from around the county will participate and have fun, with the goal to encourage young people to get involved in science, technology, engineering and math. These are areas being stressed by policymakers and educators as needs for our workforce and nation.

We wish students the best of luck.

Too big to control

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz soon plans to announce a major restructuring of the troubled Minnesota Department of Human Services, the largest of the state agencies. We hope the governor’s effort is serious and does not try to gloss over the major failings that have been revealed this year.

Beyond any reforms envisioned by Walz, fundamental questions about the agency’s mission need to be asked. Just how much should the state be trying to do and how high should expenses be allowed to go before it becomes clear that it’s mission impossible?