Owatonna residents force bonding question for new fire, police facilities to be on ballot
Owatonna’s fire department is still using a station house built in the early 1900s, when many firefighting apparatus were still pulled by horses. The police station is housed in a former bank and is more than 60 years old.
Owatonna city officials propose building new fire and police facilities. But many residents have questions about the project and are pushing back, hard enough to force the question of whether the city should issue $65 million in bonds to pay for the police and fire stations to be put to the city’s voters later this year.
Nearly 2,500 Owatonna residents signed the petition. Many aren’t sold on the proposal, said Melissa Zimmerman, who coordinated the effort to gather signatures.
“One [concern] is the cost of the project: $65 million dollars. Two is the location: They want to put it on a national historic register property. And number three: the public needs a voice,” said Zimmerman.
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/04/16/owatonna-bonding-question-on-ballot-new-fire-police-facilities