The Glenwood City Commission conducted the first meeting of 2024 and moved to solicit residents to serve open positions on city boards and commissions.

There are three openings on the Glenwood Planning Commission with Michael Pattee and Heidi Winter resigning after serving their three-year terms.   

There are also three openings on the city’s Library Board, also a three-year term.  There is one opening on the Airport Board, a five-year term starting in 2024.  There is one opening on the Glenwood Development Foundation, a one-year term.  

Any city resident who wishes to serve on the planning commission, the library board or the Glenwood Development Foundation, should contact city hall.  The city will be advertising to fill the openings and is also starting a Facebook page for announcements and will be seeking residents to serve on that site, according to Mark Jones, the city’s financial officer.

The commission also made the official city commissioner appointments for 2024. Those included: Commissioner Todd Gylsen as Vice Mayor; Mayor Sherri Kazda as Finance Commissioner; Commissioner Mavis Pattee as Airport Commissioner; Commissioner Brent Cochran as Public Works Commissioner; Commissioner  Neil Haynes as Sanitary Services, Water Commissioner.   Troy Nelson was named city attorney and the city’s official newspaper will be the Pope County Tribune.  The city’s official depositories are Eagle Bank, Glenwood State Bank, Magnifi Financial and League of MN Cities 4M Fund.  

In other business, the commission:

•Accepted the resignation of Travis Beckwith from the Glenwood Fire Department.  He cited recent changes in the family business for reasons to resign.

•Approved the 2023 second half TIF expenditures in the amount of $75,326.56.

•Approved the 2024 debt service payment of  $83,593.75 for principal and interest payment for the 2018 street improvement project 

•Heard the annual report from Glenwood Library Director Sara Nestor.  Nestor said the Library was getting back to normal “with COVID in the rearview mirror.  She has been working to expand programing at the library and noted that in 2023 there were 223 new library cards issued and more than 35,000 items were check out of the library.  This was Nestor’s first full year as director.

•Approved the city’s 2024 agreement with Rainbow Rider Transportation.