By Carrie Moritz,

 Garretson Gazette

A new business will be built in the industrial development, speed limits on Dows Street are changing, and natural gas prices are high. These are only a few of the several topics that were addressed at the most recent meeting of the Garretson City Council.

The short-but-packed meeting opened with City Finance Officer Paetyn Dreckman announcing that natural gas prices were at $1.33, a high number compared to what they were prior to 2021's 3-day "Price Vortex".  What used to be a cost-saving measure for residents isn't likely to reappear.

Unfortunately, the companies that supply natural gas never truly dropped their pricing back down after the polar vortex in 2021. That 3-day event saw families in Garretson reel from unexpected bills three times as high as normal, when it jumped from $0.95 to $4.16 per ccf. 

The explanation from Bill Lindley of Clayton Energy, Garretson's natural gas commodities manager, was that the weather event came on the heels of natural gas suppliers exporting the commodity overseas, causing speculator prices to balloon astronomically. 

Now, rather than saving on costs, winter surge pricing dents the pocketbooks of those who use natural gas to heat their homes nearly as much as electricity.

Record calls, new business

During committee reports, Kurtis Nelson from the Garretson Ambulance reported that they ended the year with 287 calls, a substantial increase from 2023's record 266 calls.

"That's about 8% higher than last year," Nelson explained. "Last year we set a record at 266 and we blew right through that this year. So, it was a busy year for us, and we're up to four calls already this year. It's only the sixth of January, so we're keeping busy."

This means keeping a deep roster of volunteer first responders is important. Nelson pointed out that four Garretson volunteers were registered for an EMT class in Brandon.

In Economic Development, Economic Development Coordinator Chris Fields announced that one of the two lots remaining in the industrial development had been sold on December 20. While details about the business were scarce, he did state that the purchase was somewhat unexpected and hadn't been one of the businesses the development was courting. 

As part of that report, Fields also said the development board is working on a petition to build 453rd Avenue east of Hwy 11 into the industrial development. This would allow for another access point into the area.

Slow down on Dows, 5th St

After committee reports, the council moved to a second reading of an ordinance outlining speed limits around Garretson, which passed unanimously.

While most speeds of 20 mph will remain the same, the ordinance amended limits on Dows Street to 20 mph along the entire stretch.

Before, the limits increased on both the west and east edges, but concerns for pedestrian traffic and a lack of sidewalks along the edges of the popularly-traveled stretch encouraged the council members to reconsider.

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