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Residents urge council to plan for possible funding losses, note safety concerns and promote tourism events
Summary
At the Feb. 24 meeting residents and council members raised concerns about potential interruptions to federal grant funding for local museums and lead‑pipe work, reported a canceled immigrant‑community meeting over safety concerns, and highlighted upcoming tourism and cultural events.
Tom Ryno, identifying himself as with Going to Country Tourism, told the council the organization has a series of 2025 events on its calendar and offered to answer questions about those events.
During the persons‑comment portion and later in the meeting, Councilmember Cindy Johnson raised concerns about the potential loss or delay of federal funds that support local projects. Johnson said the city’s museum and possible lead‑pipe replacement funds could be at risk and asked the council to be proactive with contingency planning: "I would like to be proactive and and have discussions about what our plan B is if things like that halt," she said.
Johnson also said a meeting for the immigrant community that was scheduled for the same night was canceled at the last minute for safety reasons. She urged the council to ensure community members can meet safely and said public‑safety concerns should be addressed if community gatherings are disrupted.
Other speakers thanked city crews and emergency personnel for recent snow removal and public‑safety response. The mayor and others offered a brief recognition wishing Mark Moran well in retirement and welcoming Jennifer Smith as interim city administrator. The council moved on to other agenda items and adjourned.
