News

The Litchfield City Council held a public hearing on Monday evening to give property owners involved in the state historic building grant process a chance to address the Council with any of their concerns. After the hearing, the Council approved of a list of the buildings and the allocation amounts for each which is being based on the façade square footage.

Mayor Ron Dingmann says the Council approved of BCI Construction of Sauk Rapids to be the construction manager as the historic building façade improvements take place. He says the Council also hired Jamie McCarney to be the Office Lead, but referred the City Planner position back to the Personnel Committee to look further into the job description as they had very few applicants for that position.

Mayor Dingmann says the Council approved of a $10 per month rate per individual for the walking track at the Litchfield Area Recreation Center, and approved of allowing the senior card players to continue using the LARC free of charge as they were grandfathered in from the old Civic Arena meeting room. He says the Council also approved of 2026 rates for the Golf Course which increased about 6% in most categories and the Golf Course is operating at a deficit, but he sees it similar to other non-essential services like the city parks and other amenities that operate at a deficit.

Mayor Dingmann says Fire Chief Kurt Beckstrand and Rescue Chief Blake Tangen presented their annual reports to the Litchfield City Council on Monday evening. He says they had met earlier with the surrounding townships, and the Council approved of the contracts for fire and rescue services.

Meeker County Sheriff Brian Cruze has announced that he will run for reelection in November. He says serving this community has been a great privilege, and the trust that residents have placed in him is a responsibility he holds in the highest regard.

Sheriff Cruze says every day, he puts on the badge with a deep sense of gratitude and a commitment to serve. He says his guiding principle has always been clear: Leadership with Integrity, and he firmly believes law enforcement must be held to a higher standard and that starts with the leader of the agency.

Under his leadership, Cruze says the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office will continue to operate with professionalism and transparency this county both deserves and expects. He says the public trust is our foundation, and we strengthen that bond through open communication, meaningful community engagement and a shared commitment to keeping Meeker County safe, and when we work together, we build a safer and stronger community.

Sheriff Cruze says he’s incredibly proud of the men and women of the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office – their dedication and commitment to protecting the lives and property of everyone reflects the very best of Meeker County.  He says it is truly a privilege to serve alongside and lead such an outstanding team.

The Meeker County Board of Commissioners had a visit from Great River Energy Project Manager Mark Strohfus regarding a115-kV transmission line project. A 70-mile transmission line is proposed to go from Willmar to Litchfield and Hutchinson.

Great River Energy, Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, the City of Litchfield and Hutchinson Municipal Utilities are hoping to build the line. A certificate of need and route permit will be required from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission before the line can be built – a process that is expected to last a year – with approval expected by the end of 2027. The engineering process – including landowner coordination and easements – would last from 2027-to-2029, with construction expected from 2029-to-2031.

Existing lines were built in the late 1940s and early 1950s and need to be replaced. About 50 miles of the project will replace existing line and about 20 miles will be new line and will require new rights-of-way. The above-ground line will go from south of Willmar near Highway 71 then east through Winfield, Fahlun and Lake Elizabeth Townships in Kandiyohi County, then through Danielson Township and part of Greenleaf Township in Meeker County. The line will then split – with lines heading down to Hutchinson, and lines heading north to Litchfield and then up to Forest City Township. The line would be supported with steel poles – 70-to-90 feet high, embedded in concrete piers, with spans of 350-to-500 feet.