• It will be soon when trucks will be banned from the city streets as the load limits go into place. The projected start of the garbage trucks being banned on the most of the city streets is April 2. Residents will need to haul their garbage to Main Street, Sixth Street, Broadway and Railroad Avenue. It is subject to change if the weather stays cold or if the weather suddenly warms up.
• The new garbage bids that were opened last week will have a higher rate than what the city is billing for the service. The new bid is $9.79. Garbage rates will increase by $1 to $10 per month.
• Remote control access to the rubble site will be available for a $25 rental fee for the year plus the cost of the remote if it is not returned or is returned damaged.
• A brown bag permit was approved for the firemen fundraiser set for April 20.
• Mason Madsen was hired as a baseball gatekeeper.
• Paul Kosel will attend a mosquito control workshop in Ft. Pierre on April 9.
• The second reading of the summer salary ordinance was approved with Chuck Padfield getting a $10 per event raise. It has been eight years since he was given a raise.
• The South Dakota Municipal League meeting is scheduled for April 4 at the Groton Legion.
• After the council meeting, the council became a board of review to review the new assessments. There was no representative from the school present. City Finance Officer Anita Lowary said that she was told that "We experienced a general increase except they did not do much with the new homes." The evaluation of many homes was increased for a few dollars up to over $10,000.
• The city's total evaluation has increased by 5.4 percent in the past year. The new evaluation is $70,468,304.
• Two residents came before the board to complete the paperwork for a review of their assessment. The paperwork will be sent to the county which will have the final say. Chuck Raap's home increased in the assessed valuation by $3,000. He said that he has done no improvements and the basement walls are cracked. He recommended that the evaluation be reduced to $76,380, down by $10,000 from the new value. Scott Thomas seen his evaluation increase by $7,255. "That's too large of an increase with no improvements," he said. He recommended that the home be valued at $27,000, up by about $3000 from last year.

• - Paul Kosel