Use caution in fall debris burning
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources urges caution when burning vegetative debris this fall.
"In Minnesota, 98 percent of all wildfires are caused by people, and the largest contributor is burning debris like leaves, grass and brush," said Linda Gormanson, DNR wildfire prevention supervisor.
Burning permits are required to burn vegetative debris when there is less than three inches of snow on the ground. Citizens should know the burning restrictions for their county, and check the weather forecast, before lighting a fire. Permits may be restricted when weather conditions allow wildfires to easily spread.
Current information on statewide fire danger and burning restrictions is available on the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/forestry/fire. Burning permits are available online, from local fire wardens or at DNR forestry offices.
Gormanson recommends finding alternatives to burning vegetative debris, such as mulching or composting. If it is not possible to mulch or compost, people should put debris fires out by drowning the remains with plenty of water, stirring and repeating until cold. All fires should be supervised until they are out cold.
Watershed drops prepayments
The Board of Managers of the Clearwater River Watershed District gave notice last week that the option to prepay special assessments for ongoing operation and maintenance of CRWD projects will no longer be offered. Per Minn. Statute 103D.631, the CRWD is not required to offer a prepayment option. In addition, the costs exceed the benefits prepayment provides, resulting in said projects losing money over time.
As such, prepayment notices will no longer be mailed to owners of properties affected by an operation and maintenance special assessments. Instead, each special assessment roll will be certified to the counties against each affected property to be collected in the following year’s property taxes. The CRWD will not charge any interest, but there will be a small fee added by the counties to cover their processing costs.
If you have any questions on this action, contact the CRWD office at (320) 274-3935.
Paving wrapping up on CSAH 12
The final lift of paving on County State Aid Highway 12 near Buffalo began last week from Highway 55 to the new roundabout at County Road 138.
This segment was planned to open by the end of October, but it may be delayed until November, depending on when Knife River can complete remaining work. Remaining work for this segment includes pavement markings, traffic sign installation, power to street lights, final shaping of yard areas, and temporary seeding/erosion control.
The segment of Highway 12 north of County Road 138 to CSAH 37 will remain a gravel surface over the winter, with paving planned for the spring of 2016. That segment is also planned to open to traffic by the end of October, but also may be delayed based on Knife River completing remaining work.
Unemployment rate at 3.8 percent
The Minnesota unemployment rate dropped 0.2 percent in September to a seasonally-adjusted 3.8 percent, according to figures released recently by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. The U.S. unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in September. Minnesota has added 35,242 jobs in the past year, a 1.2 percent growth rate compared with a 1.9 percent U.S. rate.