Payments for ongoing water improvements were approved during the Oct. 7 Danube City Council meeting, while an engineering amendment and a water treatment plant invoice were tabled pending a meeting with the project’s recently formed subcommittee.

Renville County commissioners approved approximately $3.6 million in annual drainage system assessments during their Oct. 13 meeting. Renville County Drainage manager Seth Sparks said the total was about $800,000 less than the previous year, although it includes costs tied to improvement projects on Judicial Ditch 15 and Judicial Ditch 11.

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A three-year human resources maintenance agreement with David Drown Associates was approved during the Oct. 5 Olivia City Council meeting.

The agreement will cost $6,500 per year and give the city ongoing assistance with employee compensation, job descriptions and position classifications.

A preliminary levy of $1,045,150.82 was approved during the Sept. 28 Renville City Council meeting. The amount represents an increase of approximately 5%, with the council adopting a resolution setting the preliminary levy for 2027.

(September 29, 2026) Olivia, MN – Interested in providing child care but don’t want to operate out of your home? An affordable opportunity is now available in the City of Renville.

A revised price for the proposed chemical room at Sacred Heart’s water treatment facility could allow construction to begin this fall, according to an update shared during the Sept. 14 Sacred Heart City Council meeting.

A discussion on whether to recommend ending Renville County’s residential building tax abatement policy concluded without a motion during the Sept. 24 Renville County HRA/EDA Board meeting. The lack of a motion means the HRA/EDA Board made no recommendation. The Renville County Board of Commissioners has the authority to decide the policy’s future.

Concerns over a remaining donation gap for upgrades to the large gymnasium floor at BOLD’s Olivia campus were raised during the Sept. 28 BOLD School Board meeting. Board member Todd Frank questioned whether fundraising was moving forward as expected after an activities report indicated that donations had covered only a portion of the added costs.

Like most kids in our area, my first ever ‘job’ was working on the farm. I started working for a family member of mine after his shop burnt down in 2020. But after a few years of working there, I wanted to try something different (though to be completely honest, I just wanted to get a job somewhere indoors and get out of the heat). So, I started working in the kitchen of Max’s the next summer in 2023.

At the Sept. 14 meeting, the Pledge of Allegiance and agenda approval were followed by Jess Johnson of Renville County Public Health discussing a program provided by the group ANSR (Association for Non-Smokers Minnesota) that would issue free signage to area parks indicating it is a smoke free environment if the city was to put an ordinance in place for it.

A resolution adopting the proposed 2027 budget and payable 2027 property tax levy was approved during the Sept. 14 Bird Island City Council meeting. The proposed levy represents a 4.96% increase over the current year. The budget includes a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for city employees and increases the hourly wage for paid-on-call personnel currently earning $13 per hour to $15.

An estimated project cost budget of $16,079,521.37 for the proposed Public Works Facility project in Olivia was approved by a 4-1 vote during the Sept. 22 Renville County Board of Commissioners meeting. The budget has been at the center of much debate over the last several months as the county prepares to establish a vision for the new complex.