Day care in Brown to expand

On Monday, August 5, city commissioners discussed and ultimately approved an expansion of Mindy's Clubhouse, the day care currently operating out of the Brown Memorial in New Rockford.

Amanda Hegland, director of the New Rockford Area Betterment Corporation (NRABC), presented the proposal to commissioners, which allows the day care to use the building's stage.

That, of course, will limit the availability of the Brown Memorial and its gym for public use, particularly for those who rent the gym or use it for walking.

Hegland told commissioners that walking likely won't be available at the Brown Memorial moving forward.

There's still some negotiating going on that could allow for some walking time from 6:30 to 7 a.m., but that would be a significant change from the recent past when residents have utilized the Brown for walking from 7 - 10 a.m. and from noon to 1 p.m.

The NRABC is instead encouraging residents to get in touch with Rockin' Fitness about a free "silver sneakers" program, which would allow senior citizens to continue getting their daily exercise indoors.

Meanwhile, the Brown Memorial will still be available for rent, but that availability will also change significantly.

Moving forward, Hegland said the gymnasium will be available to rent Monday through Thursday evenings starting at 5:30 p.m., but without any kitchen access. However, renters would have access to a fridge in the back room.

Use of the kitchen counters/sink would be limited, with rental opportunities Friday through Sunday only.

School and sports teams, meanwhile, would have access to the gym starting at 3:30 p.m. weekdays.

When asked by commissioners why Mindy's Clubhouse – which fills a critical need for daycare in New Rockford – is requesting this change, Hegland said they're looking to expand the daycare so they can handle more kids.

Mindy Skjerva, the daycare's owner, was not at the meeting to answer questions from commissioners.

Nevertheless, commissioners agreed to the change but decided to alter the current lease agreement rather than renew the daycare for another year with this change.

The daycare's current lease expires in November, allowing them to make this change for a few months and use it as something of a "trial run."

Commissioners unanimously carried a motion to approve giving Mindy's Clubhouse the stage until their current lease expires in November, along with increasing their rent by $200 per month. Commissioners also suggested somehow erecting a portable or temporary wall on the stage to prevent any children from falling off, though there was no motion carried to require it.

Also at their meeting on Monday, commissioners discussed renovations to city hall and carried a motion to solicit bids for the project.

The renovations discussed Monday were largely for the building's exterior, including new siding, windows and doors, as well as new steel roof paneling.

A cost estimate for the materials necessary from Cash and Carry Lumber came in at just over $72,000, not including an additional $20,000 for materials and labor to install new windows and doors to the Glass Shop.

Commissioners carried a motion to begin the bidding process for labor costs.

Meanwhile, a building on 1st Avenue North in New Rockford has been inspected by the N.D. Health Department and deemed a public health nuisance.

The building is across from Rockin' Fitness and connected to the Vorland Land Company's offices. Commissioners said the building does not receive any services, and Dean Vorland, who was in attendance at Monday's meeting, said his offices and that building do not share a common wall.

A letter will be sent to the property owner, and depending on their response the building could be demolished or at the very least brought back in compliance with regulations. However, Vorland also told commissioners that the building's roof is in very poor condition, which could complicate potential efforts to rehabilitate the structure.

Before adjourning, commissioners also carried a motion approving their preliminary budget, and scheduled a public budget hearing for Tuesday, September 3 at 9:10 a.m.

They also carried a second reading of an ordinance to change the city commission's official meeting time to 9 a.m. on the first Monday of every month.

The New Rockford city commission's next meeting will be held on Monday, Sept. 3 at 9 a.m. in City Hall.