News

Deana Wheeler took over as the new Executive Director of the Chamber Serving the Meeker County Area last month. She had been the Chamber’s administrative assistant for about a year prior to that.

Wheeler says she is not a native Minnesotan, but went to Mankato State and when she and her husband, Todd, got married 30 years ago, they lived in several other states while raising 4 children and then decided to move back to Minnesota as Todd is able to work remotely, and they found a unique home that had been converted from a former dairy barn – south of Litchfield.

Wheeler says she has a degree in leisure planning and management and has worked in event planning and community engagement for various secular and faith-based organizations over the years. She says her experience has prepared her well for her role at the Chamber.

Wheeler says she’s hoping that the Chamber can become even more supportive of local businesses and she feels that supporting families is also important for community growth and she’s gotten herself involved in other organizations including LAMP/Kinship, FFA Alumni, the Litchfield Christian Church, Kiwanis and the Peanut Butter & Milk Festival Committee. She says she and Todd have hosted PB&M events at their home and also hosted the adults who attended last February’s festival from Alabama.

Wheeler says they’re hoping to hire an administrative assistant for the Chamber and they are also looking for volunteers to help with Chamber events. She says she’s looking forward to meeting more people and getting to know them in her new role as Chamber Executive Director.

The Litchfield City Council heard a report last evening from Lisa Graphenteen regarding the Minnesota Main Street Economic Revitalization program. The project has been a joint effort of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, the Southwest Initiative Foundation and Meeker County EDA.

Graphenteen, from the Meeker County EDA, says 20 applications were received in the program – with 17 applications awarded and 15 applicants proceeding. A total of $750,000 was awarded, with $741,219 worth of grant agreements, and $511,709 worth of projects completed. She says the difference in the amount of grants compared to the amount actually awarded is due to some property owners dropping out or over-estimating their costs, and the extra grant money just goes back to the state and is distributed elsewhere.

Graphenteen says total investment in downtown Litchfield from the project is $1,850,201 – with private investment of $1,338,492. The tax assessed value of these properties is $1,121,200 and 7 housing units were created, 12 existing housing units were rehabbed, 14 existing businesses were retained, 30 existing jobs were retained, 5 new businesses were created and 16 new jobs were created. She says the program was created by the Legislature in 2021, with reimbursement up to 30% of the project cost for property owners and the grant money from DEED went to SWIF and then to each business owner.

Council member Darlene Kotelnicki says Litchfield was one of just 3 Minnesota cities in this program, which was specifically for downtown, 2nd story buildings – along with Worthington and Montevideo.

Also last night, the Litchfield City Council approved of a certificate of appropriateness for Charles Burdick for the replacement of second story windows at 231 North Sibley Avenue.