Faribault City Council Hoping to Aid More People with Cares Money

Faribault City Council Member Janna Viscomi told KDHL listeners this morning the Council is planning on awarding more CARES dollars to help residents.  Faribault received $1.8 million dollars in April from the Federal Cares Act and immediately used $500,000 to provide grants to businesses hurt by COVID-19.

Viscomi says, "Now we're going to assist independent business owners, non-profits and housing assistance. We're sending funds to Three Rivers for housing.  We are going to use staffing to go through applications for non-profits and individual applications."

The Joint Committee of the Council met Tuesday evening at City Hall and also talked about the topics they want to cover with the Heritage Preservation Commission in a upcoming joint meeting.

Viscomi says she is looking forward to the meeting, "We can collaborate on what their role is specifically and how that helps us in our downtown.  Of course I'm always critical of that because I am here every day.  I have been for a long time."

Viscomi is owner of Janna's Market Grill in downtown Faribault. "So obviously I wanna see things a little bit more stringent.  I love being the example but after 25 years I don't know if I'm a very good example."

I asked the veteran Faribault City Council Member if she will attend the ribbon cutting for the historic benches Thursday downtown.

The ribbon cutting will take place at the KDHL bench on the east side of Central Avenue at the 6th Street intersection.

"Possibly I'll have to see what my schedule looks like.  I've been kind of busy crafting my own projects."

The event will be 4:00 p.m.  Viscomi adds, "I'm excited that was an awesome project.  If nobody's come down to see it yet it's beautiful.  These benches are amazing and the stories they tell are really interesting."

Viscomi emphasized, "This has been a six year project.  It ended up way better than I first imagined or envisioned.  So Nort and the Chamber way to go on those.  They are beautiful.  The Main Street organization had a lot to do with that."

Main Street Coordinator Kelly Nygaard says one of the things they are most proud of is the fact these benches were nearly all made locally and are entirely a Minnesota product.

MRG Tool and Die Corporation, Mercury Minnesota and Sakatah Carvers, Signs and Creations all of Faribault did legs, bench and pictures, lettering.  The iron ends were manufactured by Alliant Castings of Winona, Minnesota.