We’ll Save a Seat for You!

City of Owatonna Weekly Meeting Schedule

Agendas, meeting minutes and City Council packets are available in the Agenda Center on the City’s website: https://owatonna.gov/agendacenter.

• July 5 at 5:30 p.m. – City Council (Study Session), Gainey Room at the Library
• July 5 at 7 p.m. – City Council, Gainey Room at the Library
• July 10 at 4:30 p.m. – Park & Recreation Board, West Hills Social Commons
• July 11 at 5:30 p.m. – Human Rights Commission, Second Floor Conference Room at City Hall    
• July 11 at 5:30 p.m. – Planning Commission, Gainey Room at the Library
• July 12 at 5 p.m. – Airport Board, Degner Regional Airport

Movies at OPL

Movies are shown in the Gainey Room on the fourth Thursday of every month beginning at 2 p.m. See the website at owatonna.gov/library for details.

Construction Underway on New Kamp Automation Building

City staff attended a recent groundbreaking event marking the beginning of construction for KAMP Automation. KAMP will be relocating to its new 50,000 square foot building in Owatonna’s industrial park, just north of Gopher Sport on the corner of 24th Avenue SW and Lemond Street SW. KAMP purchased the property from the City of Owatonna in February. KAMP Automation is relocating from Waseca to Owatonna and plans to add 25 new jobs to their current 23 jobs that will be relocated here. The City Council will be asked to consider a minor amendment to the development agreement July 5 to support the project.

Fireworks Safety

Don’t become a statistic – stay safe!

Fireworks are often used to mark special events and holidays such as July 4th. Unfortunately, fireworks cause thousands of injuries each year. The only safe way to view fireworks is to attend a professional show. If this isn’t an option, here are a few safety tips to keep in mind: 

• Only use Minnesota-legal fireworks like sparklers, fountains, ground spinners and snappers.
• Point fireworks away from people and animals.
• Use fireworks in an open area away from trees and houses.
• Extinguish and dispose of spent fireworks in a bucket of water. Do not try to relight a dud.

Fireworks Facts

• More than 19,500 reported fires are started by fireworks annually.
• Burns account for 44 percent of the 9,100 injuries treated in emergency rooms seen in the month around July 4th.
• Half of the fireworks injuries seen at emergency rooms were extremities: hands, fingers, or legs. One-third were to the eye or other parts of the head.
• Children ages 10 through 14 had the highest rate of fireworks injury with more than one-third of the victims of fireworks injuries under age 15.
• Sparklers account for roughly one-quarter of emergency room fireworks injuries.

Reproduced from NFPA’s website, www.nfpa.org/publiceducation. © NFPA

Road Closed – June 29

Cedar Avenue South

Cedar Avenue South will be closed from 200’ north of Coolidge Street SW to Park Street East beginning Thursday, June 29 for utility work. Please follow the posted detour. The closure is expected to last approximately one week.

The traffic control plan is available at owatonna.gov. Please remember to slow down and remain attentive when approaching work zones. Thank you for your patience while this project is completed!

Curfew Reminder for Youth in Owatonna

The City of Owatonna has a curfew ordinance for the following reasons:

• To protect the public from illegal acts of minors committed during curfew hours
• To protect minors from improper influences that prevail during curfew hours including involvement with gangs
• To protect minors from criminal activity that occurs during curfew hours
• To help parents control their minor children

The curfew is enforced based on the following hours:

• No minor under the age of 16 years shall be in or upon the public streets, alleys, parks, playgrounds or other public grounds, public places, public buildings; nor in or upon places of amusement, entertainment to refreshment; nor in or upon any vacant lot, between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. the following day, official city time.
• No minor of the ages of 16 or 17 years shall be in or upon the public streets, alleys, parks, playgrounds or other public grounds, public places, public buildings; nor in or upon places of amusement, entertainment, or refreshment; nor in or upon any vacant lot, between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. the following day, official city time.

Exceptions

The provisions of this section shall not apply in the following situations:

• To a minor accompanied by his or her parent or guardian or other adult person having the primary care and custody of the minor.
• To a minor who is upon an emergency errand at the direction of his or her parent, guardian or other adult person having the primary care and custody of the minor.
• To a minor who is in any of the places described in this section if in connection with or as required by an employer engaged in a lawful business, trade, profession or occupation or to a minor traveling directly to or from the location of the business, trade, profession or occupation and the minor's residence. Minors who fall within the scope of this exception shall carry written proof of employment and proof of the hours the employer requires the minor's presence at work.
• To a minor who is participating in or traveling directly to or from an event which has been officially designated as a school activity by public or parochial school authorities; or who is participating in or traveling directly to or from an official activity supervised by adults and sponsored by the City, a civic organization, school, religious institution or similar entity that takes responsibility for the minor and with the permission of the minor's parent, guardian or other adult person having the primary care and custody of the minor.
• To a minor who is passing through Owatonna in the course of interstate travel during the hours of curfew.
• To a minor who is attending or traveling directly to or from an activity involving the exercise of First Amendment rights of free speech, freedom of assembly or freedom of religion.
• To minors on the sidewalk abutting his or her residence or abutting the residence of a next-door neighbor if the neighbor does not complain to the Police Department about the minor's presence.
• To a minor who is married or has been married or is otherwise legally emancipated.