OTC expresses interest in keeping the festival going

By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

Phelps Mill Treasurer David Iverson and Jerome Holicky provided a report to county commissioners on the annual Phelps Mill Festival. 

Iverson noted expenses and income and highlighted the drop in attendance from 2021 to 2022. The 2022 festival was down by 25.5 percent, with greater attendance on Saturday than Sunday. 

All five county commissioners note that the summer festival is an important tradition within Otter Tail County and continues to be supported strongly by the county board of commissioners. Planning is underway for the 2023 festival with a focus on improving attendance and promoting Sunday participation.

County highway update

County Engineer Charles Grotte provided the County Board with a Highway Department update. Among the highlights Grotte noted were the following:

• Highway Operations Study: SRF Consulting Group is preparing a draft report of their study on snowplow routes.

• County Highway 8 in Perham is near completion for this year.

• Resurfacing from Perham to Highway 53 has been moved to 2023. Highway 92 reconstruction near Wadena is complete

• The Highway 41 bridge near Star Lake is complete.

• The Battle Lake garage completion will be delayed by one to two weeks. The Pelican Rapids garage was scheduled to be complete by Nov. 15.

• Work on Highways 5 (near Clitherall) and 47 (southwest of Battle Lake) will move forward. 

• County work crews are well prepared for snow and ice removal.