$200K in Polk County resiliency grants recommended by committee
Crookston Times
The Polk County Business Resiliency Grant Program committee for Crookston met Tuesday and approved $200,000 in grants for 39 of 41 applications from local businesses and nonprofits. Applications from DaRoos Pizza, which was previously operating in downtown Crookston, and Resource Management, which operates apartments near the Downtown Square, were denied.
They also looked over 18 grant applications from outside of Crookston and made recommendations for the $100,000 available which will be decided at a later meeting with city and county leaders.
The committee consisted of Crookston Housing & Economic Development Authority (CHEDA) board members Kurt Heldstab, Craig Buness and Leon Kremeier, City Council members Tom Vedbraaten and Wayne Melbye, plus CHEDA Executive Director Craig Hoiseth and City Administrator Amy Finch acting as liaisons.
60-acre land purchase from Herkenhoff coming into focus
Mike Christopherson
Crookston Times
It looks like CHEDA, the City of Crookston and potentially other partners are going to join in covering the estimated $375,000 cost to purchase 60 acres of land in Crookston’s northeast corner from developer Bob Herkenhoff.
Herkenhoff, as part of various continued collaborations and deals made with the City of Crookston and CHEDA, is the person behind the popular Nature’s View Estates and its market-rate home lots, man-made ponds and mix of mid-sized and larger homes. As the next phase of the development continues to head east, and with Herkenhoff looking to at least somewhat hand the reins to someone else, the last remaining, big piece is his 60 acres of land that extends to City limits.
City Council members Baird, Fee thanked, wished well
Mike Christopherson
Crookston Times
Crookston City Council members Bobby Baird and Jake Fee, each elected in 2016, participated in their final council meeting last week, and were recognized with “Certificates of Appreciation” from the City of Crookston, presented to them by Mayor Dale Stainbrook.
Baird, one of two at-large council members, was defeated in the 2020 election on Nov. 3 by Wayne Melbye. Fee, who represents Ward 1, was defeated by Kristie Jerde. Melbye and Jerde will be sworn in at a special council meeting on Monday, Jan. 4.
Both outgoing council members were praised near the conclusion of this week’s council meeting by just about everyone in the council chambers, even those whom they’d clashed with from time to time over the past four years.