Submitted by Georgiana Campbell
I attended the quarterly meeting of the Northfield city government with the surrounding township boards held on Dept. 19 in Waterford. (The meeting places are rotated.) Transportation was the topic of the evening. The Rice County Highway Dept. head was present besides many township board members and the Northfield mayor and several Council members.Much information was exchanged about traffic plans and problems in all the areas. Lack of adequate funding in the face of increased road and highway use was everyone's concern. However, the focus on traffic eventually led the rural representatives to voice their disappointment over what they perceived as Northfield leaving them out of the information and consultation loop. Recent changes in Jefferson Parkway were a especially upsetting. Leif Knecht, Bridgewater, suggested having 2 representatives from the surrounding townships as voting members of the Northfield Planning Commission. Northfield representatives acknowledged the need to improve communication but also encouraged rural areas to be pro-active about informing the city of their traffic concerns.
The next inter-government meeting will be in January.
Georgiana Campbell, LWV observer
