Consider calling Bluff Country home. Preston offers exceptional outdoor recreational opportunities including fishing, hunting, biking, hiking, and snowmobiling. This position offers an exciting career opportunity to help lead Preston through the assessment, design and construction of a new wastewater treatment facility over the next few years.

Preston Public Utilities is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator. The candidate’s primary responsibility is for the daily operation and maintenance of the City’s wastewater treatment plant facility and all related equipment. The position also assists with the maintenance of the City’s wastewater collection system, with other public works tasks as directed, including but not limited to, water main repairs, water sampling, snow plowing, and would be required to be on call. Qualified applicants must possess a Class B wastewater license or be able to obtain, a Type IV sludge application certificate or ability to obtain, a valid Class B commercial driver’s license or the ability to obtain within six months, and a satisfactory driving record. Preston Public Utilities offers a competitive salary and benefits package.

click here for the application and job descriptions or stop in at Preston City Hall, 210 Fillmore St W, Preston, MN. First consideration will be given to applications received by October 4, 2019.

At the regular Public Utility Commission meeting on December 11, 2018, the commission voted to raise the electric base and kWh charges by 3% and residential and commercial sewer base and use charges by 10%. This increase will be effective February 1, 2019. The average residential customer will see an increase in their monthly utility bill of $1.93 for electric and $2.62 for sewer. The reasons for the rate increases are proposed capital improvements to the electric and sewer systems. For more information, please contact the PPU office at 507-765-2491.

Average PPU residential customer is billed for 536kWh of electricity and 3,021 gallons of water/sewer usage per month based on billing statistics for the twelve months ending November 30, 2018.

Electric – 3% rate revenue increase
Residential customer base charges and use (kWh) charges will increase 3%
Commercial customer base charges and use (kWh) charges will increase 3%
Industrial use customer demand charges and use (kWh) charges will increase 3%

Water – no increase

Sewer – 10% rate revenue increase
Residential and Commercial customer base charges and usage will increase 10%

Utility Rate Comparisons

Download and print this NOTICE OF UTILITY RATE INCREASE

On Thursday, December 6, the Preston Veterans Home Committee, the State of Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Home Design Firms, Wold and Perkins-Eastman, will be presenting the Preston Veterans Home concept plans to the community. The community meeting will be held at the Preston Servicemen’s Club and will begin at 10:30am and last until 12:30pm.

The Committee would like to extend this invitation to the any donors, Veterans and residents in Southeast Minnesota. This will be a great time for community members to see what the development of the Veterans Home will look like at the conceptual phase of design.

The Preston Veterans Home will be a 54-bed skilled nursing care facility. The Veterans Home will serve 15 counties in Southeastern Minnesota. The Preston project is projected to cost just over $30 million. A federal application for the remaining construction costs will be sent in April of 2019. Ground breaking is expected to take place in late Fall of 2019.

For more information on the Preston Veterans Home Project please go to the veterans home page.

Contact
Joe Hoffman
Preston City Administrator
507-765-2153

How you can contribute to the building of the Preston veterans home!

The Preston Veterans Home will be a skilled nursing care facility with up to 72-beds and will be the first and only in Southeastern Minnesota. The cost of the facility will be $30+ million. The design firm, Wold, is working with local residents from the Veterans Home Committee to design the Veterans Home.

The independent demand study shows if built today, 224 Veterans would reside in the Veterans Home. In 2040 that need will continue and the projected need is for 111 Veteran’s beds. 42,323 Veterans live within the 15 county catchment area of the Veterans Home. Our Veterans earned the right, through service to our County, to be cared for at the future Veterans Home.

The State contribution of $10.2M, the local donations of $1,065,000 that were donated by September 28, 2018, along with a Federal match of $22,530,000, dictate the size and amenities of the new facility.

The current fundraising drive is above the local City and County commitment. In order to receive a 2 to 1 federal match and build to the needs of the catchment area we continue to raise additional funds. Donations pledged and received after September 30, 2018 will still receive the Federal 2:1 match if received by February 28, 2019. Donations continue to be accepted, but will not be considered for the overall size of the Home. In-kind donation will also be considered by the MDVA.

Please see the donation card below if you would like to donate and if you have any further questions you can reach out to Joe Hoffman, Preston City Administrator, at 507-765-2153.

Most veterans left their communities behind to serve their country.
Having veteran homes in Greater Minnesota ensures our veterans don’t again need to leave their communities to get the care they deserve.

Stay up to date on the progress of the veterans home:
www.minnesotaveteran.org/FutureHomes

Download and print the Pledge Card to send in your donation.

Download and print the Pledge Card

Preston, Minn. — 9/6/18 — The State of Minnesota has extended the deadline for local contributions for the future State Veterans Home that is to be built in Preston. The City of Preston is now asking for donations to be submitted by September 25th, 2018. All donated funds will be matched 2:1 by the Federal Government. To date, more than $180,000 in local contributions have been raised for the project. These funds will be used to set the project budget and will guide the facility design process. Funds collected after this deadline will still be matched by the Federal Government until February but they will not be factored in to the design plans of the facility. While the hope is to build a 72-bed home, the local donations made now will dictate the size and amenities of the facility.

The Preston Veterans Home Committee would like to thank everyone who has supported this regional project for our Veterans. Veterans from 15 counties in the region will have the benefit of having a facility in Southeast Minnesota. The proposed Veterans Home will have 72 beds and will be the first and only Veterans Home in Southeastern Minnesota.

If you are interested in donating to the Preston Veterans Home you can visit www.prestonmn.org/veterans-home to download a donation card or they are available at F&M Community Bank in Preston and Preston City Hall. All donations can be sent to the Preston Area Community Foundation, PO Box 467, Preston, MN 55965 or they may be dropped off at F&M Community Bank in Preston.

For more information:
Joe Hoffman, Preston City Administrator
507-765-2153
jhoffman@prestonmn.org