Le Sueur County to help with rural sirens

The Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners have decided to take over the rural emergency sirens in the county.

During the Tuesday, July 24 meeting the commissioners discussed results from a special meeting held July 17 among those interested in the emergency sirens.

There are nine rural sirens in the county, with one on Lake Washington, one on Lake Emily, one on Lexington, and three on German-Jefferson and three on Sakatah-Tetonka.

The Lake Washington Lakes Association did not request help with keeping their sirens operational.

A number of lakes association members from the other areas did have concerns.

The insurance on the Sakatah-Tetonka area expired July 24.

A number of the sirens in the county are not in good condition and the board felt it was time to step in and lend a hand.

On a 3-1 vote, with Commissioner John King voting against, the board approved taking over the maintenance and insurance on all of the sirens except those in the German-Jefferson area, which the lake association will continue to operate.

"This is something the county needs to do," Commissioner Lance Wetzel said.

The reason Commissioner King voted against the motion was he would like to see the county take over all the sirens within the county, not just those in the rural area.

"If we are going to do one we should do them all," King said.

He offered an amendment to the original motion which would have included all sirens within the county, but it died due to lack of a second. King's request included taking over the operation of all the county municipality's sirens.

"This is a public safety issue," Commissioner Dave Gliszinski said. "It is our duty to keep the county safe."

Lake associations will be asked to continue to pay electricity and fees on their sirens.

The county will now set aside maintenance funds to upkeep the rural sirens.

Sheriff Brett Mason did contact the state and asked if 911 dollars could be used for the sirens and was told no.

In other Le Sueur County Board of Education business:

* Joshua Mankowski was granted regular status as the county's full-time Environmental Planning and Zoning Administrator in the Planning and Zoning Department effective June 11. He has completed a six month probationary period. Mankowski was approved by a 2-1 vote, with Commissioner Gliszinski abstaining, commissioner Wetzel voting against, and Commissioners King and Steve Rohlfing voting for.

* Three requests for action were also approved, two unanimously and the third by a split vote. An after-the-fact conditional use permit was approved for Jordan Smith of Madison Lake on a 3-1 vote, with Commissioner King voting against. The permit was to construct...

To see more on this story pick up a the July 26, 2018 print edition of The New Prague Times, Montgomery Messenger or the Life/Enterprise.