Residents interested in learning more about city finance, or who want to voice their opinions, are invited to a budget open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Burnsville City Hall.
City leaders and staffers will be available to answer questions during the informal event. No presentations will be given.
Residents also can get information about the budget and give feedback online at www.burnsville.org/budget.
The City Council will approve a 2012 budget and tax levy at its Dec. 6 meeting.
DAKOTA COUNTY
Entries sought for photography exhibitLocal photographers may submit their best shots for a new public art exhibit, Dakota County Outdoors.
Submissions from Dakota County photographers ages 8 and older must be entered by Jan. 2. Each photographer may submit up to two pictures reflecting the outdoors theme.
The Public Art Citizen Advisory Committee and the Dakota County Board will choose artwork to be displayed on the walls of the Western Service Center in Apple Valley, Northern Service Center in West St. Paul and the Administration Center in Hastings for six months.
Criteria for submission can be found at www. dakotacounty.us by searching "photography exhibit." Or photographers can contact Jean Erickson at 651-438-4286 or jean.erickson@co.dakota.mn.us.
HASTINGS
City Council to take 2 percent pay cutThe Hastings City Council has agreed to take a 2 percent pay cut in 2012.
A final vote on the cut, which would save $888, is set for the Dec. 5 council meeting, Mayor Paul Hicks said. He noted that city workers have taken voluntary furloughs and have received no cost-of-living increases for a few years. The council voted this fall to give union and nonunion workers a 1 percent raise in January and another 1 percent boost in July 2012.
"In the past few years we held [budget] funding flat," Hicks said. "We felt the council should respond likewise to reduce our salaries proportionally to what the furloughs have been. In difficult budget times we wanted to share in that pain."
The cuts will reduce the mayor's salary from $700 to $686 per month and council member salaries from $500 to $490. Hicks said the staff pay increase will total about $230,000 in 2012, which will be more than offset by $350,000 in savings from layoffs and reduced hours.
The total 2012 city budget is proposed to increase by almost 2 percent to about $26 million, Finance Director Char Stark said. The final budget will be passed on Dec. 19, she said.
ROSEMOUNT
Shafer seeks renewal of mining permitShafer Contracting Co., Inc. of Shafer, Minn., is seeking renewal of its mining permit with the city of Rosemount for 2012.
Shafer, a road construction company, has owned the mining pit at 1225 Rich Valley Blvd. since 2000, using it as a source of sand for road projects as well as a receptacle for clean fill taken from road projects.
Although it will remain within the city's requirement that Shafer mine no more than 19.5 acres, the company has asked to move out of order to a richer spot in the mine to be able to extract 300,000 cubic yards of sand for the reconstruction of Interstate 694 starting start next year in Arden Hills.
The city staff has recommended approval of the permit.
FARMINGTON
Breakfast benefit is set for next SundayA pancake breakfast will be held next Sunday in Farmington to assist a local family which lost its home in a fire.
The Farmington Knights of Columbus will host the fundraiser for the Mark and Kerri Davis family. The breakfast will be from 9 a.m. to noon at the Church of St. Michael, 22120 Denmark Av. in Farmington.
Pancakes, sausage links and scrambled eggs will be served, along with coffee, juice and water. Good will offerings will be accepted. All proceeds will go toward helping the Davis family, which also lost two cars in the blaze.
KATIE HUMPHREY, LAURIE BLAKE AND JIM ADAMS