North Mankato pays to broadcast meetings of rival county board

Amid an ongoing feud between the city of North Mankato and surrounding Nicollet County, city officials are tapping taxpayer funds to tape and televise County Board meetings for the first time.

"North Mankato residents are paying as much to Nicollet County as they do to the city," said Mayor Gary Zellmer, who came up with the idea. "And most people I talk to have no idea what the county is up to or doing."

In recent months, city and county officials have clashed on several important issues of mutual interest, with city officials complaining they don't have a voice in county decisions. Zellmer said that seeing county meetings on TV might be the only way for city officials to follow county business.

Commissioner Judy Hanson said city officials have declined to use several established methods of voicing their concerns to the county.

Still, county officials said they aren't opposed to televised meetings. While common practice in many Minnesota counties, Nicollet County officials said they viewed it as too expensive to subsidize since many rural county residents don't have cable TV, anyway.

Even Zellmer admitted it might not be the most thrilling TV option.

"I haven't watched one from beginning to end yet," he said.