Updated September 6, 2005
Garfield Centennial Celebration a Huge Success!
How to purchase Centennial History Books, CDs and Buttons
Archived News
Garfield
Centennial Celebration a Huge Success! Thanks to the hard work of many
volunteers, the celebration of Garfield's history and vision of the city's
future on August 13th and 14th was a great success! The Community Club
members, History Book Committee, Entertainment Committee, Vendor Committee, Beautification
Committee, Sales and Marketing and Finance Committees all deserve a huge pat on
the back. In addition, there were many other groups and individuals that
donated their time and energy (and not to mention money!) to ensure that this
would be a celebration to remember for a long time. A special thank you to
the Garfield Fire Department for all of the donations for various events, including
a tremendous fireworks display and the kids games. The city hopes that if you
were able to attend part or all of the celebration, that you enjoyed it.
How to
purchase Centennial History Books, CDs and Buttons
There are two wonderful keepsakes available for purchase. One is a
history book of the first 100 years of Garfield. A CD version of the book
may also be purchased. Hard copies of the book can be purchased for $15. The CD may be purchased for
$15. Both
can be purchased as a package for $30.
The other souvenir are centennial souvenir buttons, which may be
purchased for $3.00 each.
To purchase your History Book, CD or souvenir button, stop by the Garfield
City Hall or call 320-834-2238..
Beautification of Garfield The
City of Garfield purchased six decorative banners that have been hung
on light poles throughout the city. The banners have the American flag on
them and say "Garfield est. 1905." They will be permanent
and are a great addition to the city. The Garfield Centennial Beautification
Committee is planning to install three permanent flower beds in the city this
spring. As part of the design, the city plans to use flowering trees and
evergreen trees along with smaller shrubs, perennials and annual flowers.
These beds will be maintained each year by the local 4H clubs. In addition,
the City purchased one large 6' by 8' sign that will say "Garfield Welcomes
You" and be placed near the intersection of County Road 82 and 40.
The Garfield Community Club will also purchase two smaller 4' by 6' signs with
the same design and plans are to install them at each end of town along County
Road 82.
Planning
for Garfield's 100th Centennial Celebration in 2005
The Garfield Community Club, along with various community members, continue planning for the city's biggest celebration, it's 100th year
Centennial Celebration, which will take place on Saturday and Sunday, August 13
and 14, 2005. There are many events being planned and they can't all be
packed into a single day, hence the addition of Sunday. This year's celebration
is sure to eclipse all others in attendance and quality and quantify of events!
For a list of activities and events the whole family can enjoy, click here Garfield Community Events
Times of the events should be posted soon.
The Centennial Committee (made up of the Community Club and
others participating) formalized its structure at the November 18, 2004 meeting.
Gaye Mounsdon is President and Treasurer. Mike Schreiner is Vice
Chairperson and Carla Nienaber is Secretary. There were several
committees formed to do much of the event planning, including
history, sales/advertising, entertainment, etc. so the entire committee does not get
bogged down trying to plan the event. The committees have authority
to make decisions and bring recommendations to the full committee for a final
vote.
Garfield Trail and Shelter
update
The new Garfield trailhead is now complete. It was dedicated during the
annual Garfield Summer Celebration on Saturday, August 14. Mayor Gaye
Mounsdon was present and described the process to complete the project and all
of the people involved. Pastor David Gran from St. Luke's Lutheran Church
dedicated the trailhead facility. A huge thank you goes out to all of the
businesses and organizations that donated money or talent, including Gardonville
Telephone, Otter Tail Power, Jo Jo's Cafe, Douglas County, ALP's Operation
Roundup, Cenex, and the Chippewan's 4H for planting all the shrubs and dressing
up the area.
In addition, Douglas County has now paved the trail from County Road 12 west
to Brandon and all the way to the Douglas County line near Ashby. With the
trailhead and trail paving complete, there will be increased usage of both,
which will enhance the recreational opportunities of Garfield and the
surrounding area.
We hope you can come out and make use of the trail and shelter. See you
in Garfield!
The City of Garfield applied
in October, 2003 to the MN Department of Employment and Economic Development
(DEED) for the Job Opportunity Building Zone (JOBZ) program, which provides
certain tax exemptions for qualified businesses in designated parcels.
Since the city did not have land available for this program, we had discussions
with LaGrande Township on the southern edge of city limits. The city
applied to DEED to include a 74 acre parcel of land in LaGrande Township that is
privately owned. This parcel would be designated for tax incentives under
JOBZ, with the approval of the landowner and township, with the understanding
the city could "swap" acres for other parcels if existing businesses
wished to expand using JOBZ. The city received approval and has been
working in partnership with West Central Initiative, the regional zone
administrator, and the Alexandria Area Economic Development Commission (AAEDC),
the city's subzone administrator. The city was approached by GCI for a planned
expansion that would take approximately two acres out of the 74 acre
parcel. Prior to approving this, the city needed to adopt a business
subsidy policy. GCI's current facility does not qualify for tax breaks
under JOBZ, but their expansion would. The city adopted a business subsidy
policy and subsequently has approved a business subsidy agreement with GCI.
The tax exemptions under JOBZ include sales tax, property tax and income tax to
owners or investors. For more information about JOBZ, go to www.wcif.org
and click on the JOBZ logo.
City
Receives Approval for Central Lakes Trailhead Facility The City of
Garfield recently received final approval from the MN Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) for an $8,295 grant from the Federal Recreational Trail Program
to build a shelter and parking area along the Central Lakes Trail in
Garfield. The city will receive matching funds from donations made to
development of the trail through Douglas County Public Works. The
Alexandria Rotary Club will plant trees and shrubs to beautify the trailhead
area. The trailhead will be built in the Summer of 2004. City of
Garfield welcomes Odyssey Steel and Trim Odyssey Steel and Trim is a
new company in Garfield that occupies the former Schott Automation building on
County Road 40. Odyssey manufactures steel siding and roofing for
industrial and commercial buildings. The company will have two full-time
employees, Leroy Buse and Randy Vroman, the owners, as well as a part-time
secretary/administrative assistant. The company received assistance from
the Alexandria Area Economic Development Commission (AAEDC) with financing for
acquisition of new machinery and equipment. In addition, the
Alexandria-Douglas County Developers Revolving Loan Fund and the Greater
Alexandria Industrial Network (GAIN), a fund operated under West Central
Initiative, participated in the project. Odyssey plans to hire additional
employees as the company grows. They are open Monday through Friday from
8:00 am to 5:00 pm. They can be reached at 330-834-2006 or odyssey@gctel.com.
Garfield Summer
Celebration a Success! The annual Garfield Summer Celebration ended on
Saturday, August 9 with a high note. The event was a great success from
beginning to end. From the numerous garage sales to the excellent parade
and activities for all ages to enjoy. It could not have been accomplished
without the efforts of the Garfield Community Club, Garfield Fire Department and
First Responders, and all of the sponsors too many to mention. The
Community Club would like to thank all that participated in making this year's
event even greater than last. The City of Garfield and the Community Club
looks forward to begin preparations for next year's celebration, which will be
held on the 2nd Saturday in August, 2004.
Local
Government Aid (LGA) cuts for the City of Garfield
The City of Garfield will have its Local Government Aid (LGA) reduced by
$5,149 in 2003 and another $5,149 in 2004, for a total cut of $10,298.
That equals a 23.75% cut each year for 2003 and 2004 from the certified 2003
amount of $21,677. The Market Value Homestead Credit (MVHC) amount will
not be reduced either year. The city is not planning any reductions in
services since there are not any non-essential services the city could
identify. The city will need to absorb the loss from its reserves in the
general budget.
City
Receives Approval Recommendation from DNR to Build a Trailhead Along the Central Lakes Trail The
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) met with the city on April 1 to review the
Federal Recreational Trail Program (FRTP) grant application that the city
submitted at the end of February. The city successfully passed the initial
selection phase for receiving 50% of the total project cost for building a
trailhead along the trail near County Roads 82 and 12 in Garfield. A site
visit was also conducted. On April 28, the city received a letter from the
DNR recommending our project to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
In the past, the FHWA has concurred with the DNR's recommendations, so there is
a high degree of certainty the project will receive funding. The city also
applied to the Bikes
Belong Coalition for the 50% match on May 16 and should hear by early July
if the city was approved.
Garfield Creamery
Apartments update
The Garfield Creamery Apartment project is complete and units are now
available for rent. The
Douglas County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) recently completed rehabilitating
and restoring the 1920 creamery, which has been vacant
since the early 1980's, into six two-bedroom apartments. This is Garfield's first multi-family housing project ever. The
HRA had a very successful and well-attended open house on Tuesday, January 28, 2003. The Creamery is located at 210 Sanstead
Street East.
Garfield Summer Celebration (Garfield Days) on August 9, 2003 The Garfield
Community Club met on Thursday, June 19 to further discuss and make decisions
for the 2003 Garfield Summer Celebration on Saturday, August 9. This
year's celebration will be another great day with many well-planned activities
for all ages. The parade will be larger than ever with many
more attractions and floats planned. New this year is an ugly truck
contest, a kids tractor pull, bed races and a firemen's demonstration. The
club is working on making final
arrangements for the busy day. The celebration will be topped off with the
band '57 Chevy from 8:30 pm to 12:30 am. The Community Club is continually
seeking donations to make this a truly terrific event. If you would like
to donate to the Garfield Summer Celebration, please send a check c/o Garfield
Community Club, P O Box 51. Stay tuned to this page for more updates as
plans are finalized. The next Community Club meeting is scheduled for
Wednesday, July 23 to make final arrangements. Click here
to find out all the details on the planned events for the celebration.
City
Applies to DNR for Grant to Build a Trailhead Along the Central Lakes Trail The
City of Garfield submitted a Federal Recreational Trail Program (FRTP) grant
application to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on February 28.
The grant request is for building a trailhead facility along the Central Lakes
Trail within the city limits of Garfield. The trailhead proposal is for a graveled
parking area for persons accessing the trail, including snowmobile riders who
need a place to unload their sleds. In addition, there would be an open
shelter for picnic tables, a portable unisex bathroom facility that would be
available during the summer, signage to let people know where they are along the
trail, and trees, shrubs and other plantings to make the facility attractive. The
proposed trailhead would be located north of County Road 82, east of County Road
12 and south of the trail. This is located on the Mn/DOT trail
right-of-way, so the city does not own the land, but would have an agreement
with Mn/DOT to use the property for the trailhead. The total project cost
is estimated at $16,590 and the city is requesting a 50% federal grant from the
FRTP. The city needs to come up with the other 50%, and is planning to
submit a grant request to the Bikes Belong Coalition for the required
match. In addition, the city has received support from The Douglas County
Public Works, the Alexandria Rotary Club (which would provide labor and
materials for planting the vegetation) and the Bike Shop. If the city receives
the grants, the project would be constructed during the summer of 2004.
City Elections The incumbent Mayor Gaye
Mounsdon was re-elected for another two-year term. Also, two
incumbent City Council members will serve another four-year term. Those
Council members are Scott Norlien and Joyce Kvilhaug.
Thanks to all those that voted on November 5! City
to Increase Base Water Rate Effective January 1, 2003
Effective January 1, 2003, the City of Garfield's base water rate will
increase from $5.00/month to $6.00/month to help pay for necessary operation and
maintenance of the city's water system.
Central Lakes Trail update
The Central Lakes Trail is now open from County Road 12 in Garfield to
Osakis. The trail is open for recreation to non-motorized traffic except
snowmobiles. Portions of the trail have also been paved this fall from the
west Douglas County line to Fergus Falls. The only portion that remains to
be paved in the future is from Garfield west towards Ashby.
2001
Population Estimate shows Garfield is growing
The Minnesota State Demographic Center, the state's agency that provides
population estimates and projections for counties, cities and townships, sent
the City of Garfield a letter with the 2001 population estimate. The
estimate for 2001 is 286, five more people than the 2000 Census.
Garfield continues to grow!
Cafe in Garfield Re-opens
New owner Joanne Reger re-opened the cafe in Garfield on May 8. The
new name of the cafe is Jo Jo's located on 107 South State St.
They are open Monday through Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and offer
breakfast and daily lunch specials, including soup and sandwich of the
day. Joanne, her husband and others have done a terrific job of
renovating the old cafe. New paint and carpeting, refurbished seating
and updated kitchen equipment have really dressed up the cafe. More
improvements are planned for the future.
Be sure to stop in and check it out. It's a good place to eat and
having the cafe again in Garfield is wonderful. It provides residents
and those working for the many businesses in town with a convenient place to
get something to eat. And with the continuing residential and business
growth, along with the paving of the Central Lakes Trail, it is nice to have
the cafe where folks can sit down to eat and visit. The City of
Garfield welcomes Jo Jo's.
Garfield
Creamery to be restored and refurbished into apartments The Douglas
County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) came to the March 11 Council
meeting to update the city on the progress of the Garfield Creamery
Apartments. The HRA purchased the building and awarded the construction
contract to Raap Construction for a total project cost of $517,000. The
project is slated to begin on April 15, 2002 and be completed by October 15,
2002. There will be six two-bedroom apartments, one of those will be
handicapped accessible. Four of the six apartments will have a
balcony/patio. There will also be six garages built with the same style
brick as the creamery. The HRA, Bremer, US Bank, Federal Home Loan Bank
have provided funding for the project. The HRA is also applying to MN
Housing Finance Agency for grant dollars to assist with the project costs.
The remainder of the project will be paid through the sale of bonds. The
architect's plans are to restore as much of the building and keep many things in
the original style, such as window openings and restoring the freezer where
memorabilia from the creamery will be on display. There is also going to
be very attractive landscaping and period lighting outside. The apartments
will be income limited based on a voucher program. The plans are to rent
the two-bedroom units at $475/month, which will include water and garbage.
Electricity, phone etal. will be additional. The HRA will manage the
building. The City Council is very pleased with the project. It will
provide much needed rental units to Garfield as well as eliminating an eye sore
that has been vacant for more than 20 years. If you or someone you know worked
at the creamery or has memorabilia you would like to donate back to the
building, please contact Sandy at
Garfield City Hall.
Amendment
made to city ordinance regarding water and sewer billing
The Garfield City Council passed a resolution at its regular December 2001
council meeting to amend the ordinance regarding water and sewer billing.
The amendment was made as a result of several businesses and residents getting
behind in paying their water and sewer bills. The amended ordinance
follows:
If the water and sewer charges are not paid in full by the following month,
e.g., charges for January must be paid by March 25, the water will be shut
off. To have the water reconnected, the individual or business will need
to pay the charges for the services, a $10.00 reconnect fee, and a $100.00
deposit. This $100.00 deposit will be returned to the individual or
business after one (1) year of on time payments, i.e., if the bill is due on the
25th of the month the payment must be made on or before the 25th of the month.
There will be no exceptions made on this resolution.
Garfield City Council
City
of Garfield receives $150,000 from the Department of Trade and Economic
Development The City of Garfield received notice on January 10, 2002
that an application to the Minnesota Department of Trade and Economic
Development (DTED) Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF) program was approved for
$150,000. The MIF is a program whereby the city receives a grant and then
loans out the funds to local businesses in Garfield, establishing a revolving
loan fund. The city submitted the application to DTED to assist a new
company, Leader Building and Supplies, with the purchase of equipment. Leader
Building and Supplies must meet certain employment and wage guidelines set by
this program and make principle and interest payments back to the city over a
period of ten years. The city keeps the first $100,000 of principle along
with all accumulated interest. That money can then be used to assist other
businesses in the city with the repayments made.
This revolving loan fund is a new endeavor for the city. The funds that
are available may only be used for certain types of businesses. For
details of the program and for information on the types of businesses that are
eligible, please contact Sandy at city hall.
For rental information, contact the
Douglas County HRA at 320-762-3849.
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