>> CATHY: DANGER BOAT PRODUCTIONS AND THE MINNESOTA HUMANITIES CENTER HAVE WRAPPED UP THEIR SKETCHES OF MINNESOTA TOUR.

OUR FIELD CREW STOPPED BY THE LAST SHOW, WHERE IMPROV COMEDY SPARKED CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DEMOCRACY.

IT'S PART OF OUR "VOICES RISING: STORIES FOR AMERICA'S 250TH INITIATIVE."

IN THIS EDITION, WE VISIT A COMMUNITY CONSIDERING IF IT SHOULD CHANGE ITS OWN CONSTITUTION.

>> LUVERNE, MINNESOTA, HAS AN UNOFFICIAL SLOGAN, MORE NUT CRACKERS THAN PEOPLE.

AND THIS SUMMER, THE TOWN GOT A NEW RESIDENT.

>> VERN, THE PATRIOT, IS A 65-FOOT 7 1/2-INCH TALL WOOD CRACKER WITH A WORKING JAW, HE'S THE WORLD'S TALLEST NUTCRACKER.

>> JUST FOR NUTS UNVEILED VERN AS PART OF THE 250th CELEBRATION.

HE FITS RIGHT INTO THE TOWN, MORE THAN 7,800 NUT CRACKERS, WHICH BROUGHT TOURISTS TO TOWN.

>> IT'S JUST ODD ENOUGH TO BRING PEOPLE IN YEAR ROUND.

BETTY, SHE SEES FORWARD AND SHE COULD SEE THAT THAT WOULD BRING PEOPLE IN AND SHE WAS RIGHT.

>> WELL, IT WAS A CRAZY IDEA.

BUT IT HAS CERTAINLY DONE WHAT I WAS HOPING IT WOULD DO.

IT HAS DRAWN PEOPLE INTO LUVERNE DAILY.

>> I LIKE THE WESTERN ONES.

>> YEAH.

>> IN JULY, WE HAD OVER 1,000 PEOPLE WHO SIGNED OUR REGISTER HERE AT THE MUSEUM, AND WE'RE DOWNTOWN, WE'RE AWAY FROM THE BIG NUTCRACKER.

>> I AM FROM GOLDEN VALLEY, MINNESOTA, BUT I GREW UP HERE IN LUVERNE.

IT IS UNBELIEVABLE.

HOW THEY PUT THIS TOGETHER AND THE GROUP THAT SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE WANT TO MAKE LUVERNE DIFFERENT, UNIQUE, WHETHER PEOPLE LIKE IT OR NOT, IT IS TOTALLY BRINGING PEOPLE HERE.

>> AT THE RECENT SKETCHES OF LUVERNE IMPROV COMEDY SHOW RESIDENTS VOICED THEIR STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT ALL KINDS OF OTHER CONTROVERSIAL POP TOPICS.

AND PUBLIC UTILITIES WERE ONE OF THOSE HUT-BUTTON ISSUES.

>> WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME SCENES ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT LUVERNE IS FACING, YOU FOE, WHAT BETTER WAY TO DO THAT IN A COMEDY SHOW THAN TO TALK ABOUT THE UTILITIES SITUATION.

[ Laughter ] >> SO THE CITY CURRENTLY RUNS THE UTILITIES, RIGHT, BE ELECTRICITY.

>> ELECTRICITY, WATER, AND SEWER.

>> OKAY.

>> SOME PEOPLE FEEL THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE OVERSIGHT IN THE WAY THE UTILITIES COMMISSION IS RUN.

AND, SO, WITH SOME MISINFORMATION HEY GOT PETITIONS SIGNED TO PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT.

>> AND THE IMPROV OKES FOLLOWED.

>> YOU KNOW WHAT?

I THINK LUVERNE IS MORE THAN ONLY NUT CRACKERS.

WE CAN HAVE NUT CRACKERS, BUT NOT JUST NUT CRACKERS.

>> YEAH, WE CAN HAVE GOVERNMENT CONTROL OVER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES.

>> YES, WE CAN.

[ Laughter ] >> OKAY.

>> THE CITY OF LUVERNE CURRENTLY OWNS AND OPERATES ELECTRIC WATER AND SEWER.

AND IN THE CITY WITHOUT A SALES TAX, REVENUE FROM PUBLIC WORKS GOES BACK INTO COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS, DIRECTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.

>> WE UTILIZE THOSE FEES TO HOLD PROPERTY TAXES DOWN AND PAY FOR JUST GENERAL GOVERNMENTAL COSTS TO RUN OUR CITY, WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE PARKS AND TRAILS, LUVERNE LOOP, PURCHASING TRUCKS AT THE PUBLIC WORKS OR PROJECTS THAT OUR COUNCIL AND OUR COMMUNITY CITIZENS HAVE IDENTIFIED AS BEING A PRIORITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

>> PRIORITIES IKE THE LUVERNE AQUATICS AND FITNESS CENTER, THE THEATER, AND THE NEW DAY CARE CENTER, BUT NOT EVERYONE AGREES ON THOSE PARTICULAR PRIORITIES.

THIS YEAR, A GROUP OF CITIZENS PETITIONED THE CITY TO CHANGE ITS CHARTER AMENDMENT, PROPOSING TO MOVE REINVESTMENT DECISIONS FROM THE CONTROL OF CITY COUNCIL TO A NEW COMMISSION.

>> THE BIGGEST ISSUE THAT BROUGHT BACK THE DISCUSSION OF MUNICIPAL SERVICE COMMISSION IS CONCERNED ABOUT CONTINUED GROWTH AND CONTINUED SPENDING, AND HAVING CONCERNS THAT WE CAN'T KEEP THAT KIND OF TRAJECTORY LONG TERM, ESPECIALLY GIVEN ECONOMIC SITUATIONS CURRENTLY.

THERE JUST HAS TO BE A STOP TO THE RATES GOING UP AND, SO, HAVING A UTILITY COMMISSION KIND OF OVERSEE THINGS, SEEING WHERE THE PROFITS COME IN, SEEING WHERE THE FUNDS ARE NEEDED JUST WOULD BE BETTER OVERSIGHT.

WE HAVE LOT OF AMENITIES THAT MANY PLACES, ESPECIALLY IN A TOWN LESS THAN 5,000 DO NOT HAVE.

WE'VE DONE SO UCH GROWTH.

THERE COMES A TIME WHEN WE HAVE TO STOP, TAKE A STEP BACK, AND SAY, WHAT WE HAVE IS ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD ENOUGH.

>> RESIDENTS HAVE QUESTIONS AND STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT HOW TO MOVE FORWARD.

>> THE PREMISE FOR THIS, PEOPLE HO WANT A COMMISSION IS THAT THE CITY RATES ARE TOO HIGH.

AND THE CITY CHARGES TOO MUCH.

AND WE COULD SAVE MORE MONEY IF A DIFFERENT GROUP OF PEOPLE WERE SETTING THE RATES.

>> WE'LL JUST VOTE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

>> I HAVEN'T DUG INTO IT DEEPLY ENOUGH TO BE N INFORMED VOTER YET.

>> WE ARE AT ISK OF RUINING THE COMMUNITY THE WAY IT IS.

BECAUSE OF THIS.

>> IT'S A TIME TO FOCUS ON THE AMENITIES, MAKE SURE WE TAKE CARE OF THEM, MAYBE EVEN ADD FUNDING OF PROGRAMS, LIKE COMMUNITY EDUCATION, THE SENIOR CENTER, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT BENEFIT THE RESIDENTS RATHER THAN ADDING NEW CONSTANTLY.

IT'S NOT A GREAT TIME TO CONTINUE OUR GROWTH, IN MY OPINION.

>> THE GOAL OF SKETCHES OF LUVERNE WAS TO GET RESIDENTS TALKING AND TO RE-ENGAGE WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.

>> DEMOCRACY DEMANDS THE WISDOM OF ITS CITIZENS.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, 250 YEARS AGO, WHAT WE WERE REALLY DOING IS SAYING, I WANT THE BEST FOR YOU AND I HOPE YOU WANT THE BEST FOR ME, AND IF WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE THAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP AND THAT KIND OF D.I.M.E.

-- THAT KIND OF DYNAMIC, WE CAN CREATE SOMETHING TRULY FANTASTIC AND UNIQUE IN A DEMOCRACY.

>> LUVERNE RESIDENTS WILL VOTE ON THE PROPOSED