Weekly Bits from the City Newsletter 11-20-09

In this week's newsletter, the city finance director explains how laying off one employee will impact next year's budget. He also gives an overview of the changes made since the budget was presented on August 10th and the levy was adopted on September 14th. A broader explanation of the city's budget will be presented at the Truth in Taxation hearing at 7:00pm on Monday, December 7th. The community will have an opportunity to comment on the budget at the hearing. For background, last year's TNT report and additional miscellaneous financial information is available on the city website.

The newsletter also has an update on preschool skating opportunities and an adult broom ball league starting in January.

First City of Lights

It's a week away! Black Friday. Buy Nothing Day. Whatever you call it, the best part of the day after Thanksgiving is not the fabulous sales or the satisfaction of boycotting the sales or even the turkey leftovers. Its the First City of Lights parade in Bemidji.

Thousands of people converge on the downtown to watch the parade and celebrate the lighting of the downtown and trees in Paul Bunyan Park.


Like every year for many (how many years? 10? 15?) floats are under construction, costumes are being created, downtown businesses are planning specials, lights are being strung, and Santa is scheduling his arrival. There's only one problem: the fund to pay for the lights still needs help.


If you can donate a bit to help this fun community event, please drop your donation at the Chamber building or even better, go online and make a donation to the First City of Lights fund hosted by the Northwest Minnesota Foundation. Its safe, secure and easy. The Chamber website has a link to the online giving site. AND, don't forget to gather the family and get downtown for the event. The parade's at 6:00pm.

Do-it-Yourself Mapping

"Thank's for the map you sent last week. Can you get me an airphoto of another location downtown?" That's the question I got the other day at work and I was happy to make the map, but along with the new map, I sent the directions for do-it-yourself mapping available for Bemidji and Beltrami County.

Since Google Earth hit the web in 2004, people have been fascinated with zooming around the globe, looking for their house, finding great hunting locations and learning about places on the other side of the world. Teachers use Google Earth in the classroom, businesses use it for marketing; and when we need directions and a map? It's Google Earth that gets us there.

Most of us know about Google Earth, but how many people know about a local online mapping application that is user friendly and has a host of great features and information.

Beltrami County online mapping has several layers (map features like lakes, streets, parcel numbers, etc.) that you can turn on and off; a search feature for finding properties by parcel ID, address, Plat, and more; and an identify feature that gives the names of property owners, number of acres and legal description. You can do linear or area measurements, select areas (highlight them) by drawing a box or radius. And finally, you can create mailing labels and make maps. Here's a map I made in just a minute or so. Our GIS specialist and I get a lot of calls at City Hall asking for air photos and maps. Since Beltrami County put their mapping program online for free (it used to have a subscription fee), we are trying to help people "do-it-yourself." Check out the site, play around a bit and pretty soon you'll be making maps and impressing your friends and relatives.

Weekly Bits from the City Newsletter 10-30-09

This week's newsletter has updates from the City Manager, Finance Director, Waste Water Treatment Facility, and Parks Director. Meetings this week include a Council meeting on Monday, a Park & Trail Commission meeting on Tuesday, and a Joint Planning Board Meeting on Wednesday. The Tuesday Parks meeting is an opportunity for citizens to share ideas for a new city park on 30th Street.

Ever wonder what would happen if they pulled the pylons out at the Nymore boat access? That entire area is "accreted" land that was built on pylons and then filled in. A 1909 Sanborn map shows the land being used for the Crookston Lumber Company sawmill. Subsequent maps show the sawmill until about 1939. The pylons pop up every year and the parks department cuts them off or adds fill around them. This week, they pulled up a couple. See a picture in the newsletter.