Electricity, gas, water, sewer

Litchfield Public Utilities provides light and power to the city of Litchfield. New customers should contact the business office to find out the requirements of establishing a new account. A deposit is required of new residents. Budget payment plans and automatic payment plans are offered for convenience. A payment drop box is outside of City Hall, 126 Marshall Ave. N. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Utilities office also handles water and sewer billing for the city. Telephone number is 693-3277.

Meeker Cooperative Light & Power also provides light and power to areas in the outskirts of the city. For information, call its Litchfield office at 693-3231.

While residents may choose from different providers, CenterPoint Energy Minnegasco is the main supplier of natural gas to the area. CenterPoint Energy's telephone number is (800) 245-2377.

Telephone, cable, Internet

Three companies provide telephone, cable TV and Internet services in Litchfield — Hutchinson Telecommunications Inc., Mediacom and Qwest. Hutchinson Telecommunications serves residential and business customers. Residents can apply for services by stopping by the office, 421 County State Aid Highway 34 S. in Litchfield. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Phone numbers are (800) 303-7039 or 593-2323. Mediacom's telephone number is (800) 332-0245. Qwest's customer phone number is (800) 244-1111. The area code for Litchfield and Meeker County is 320.

Post office

The Litchfield post office is at 35 Second St. E. The phone number is 693-6252. The window is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday. Residents can access their postal boxes from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

Law enforcement

The Meeker County Sheriff's Department is headed by Sheriff Mike Hirman. The Litchfield Police Department is headed by Police Chief Pat Fank. The two departments are at 326 Ramsey Ave. N. The non-emergency telephone number for the Police Department is 693-5425; the non-emergency telephone number for the Sheriff's Department is 693-5400.

Garbage pick-up
Waste Management-Twin Cities West of Winsted, Minn., provides residential garbage pick-up in Litchfield. Garbage and recyclables are collected once a week. Items that can be recycled include newspaper, glass and plastic bottles, steel and aluminum cans. Payment drop boxes for garbage bills are located on
5 Second St. E. The telephone number for Waste Management is (800) 450-9378, fax is (320) 485-3736. Business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The mailing address is 128 Sixth St. N., Winsted, MN 55395.

West Central Sanitation of Willmar, Minn., provides commercial garbage and recyclable pickup in Litchfield. For information, contact West Central Sanitation at (320) 235-7630.

Public transportation

The purpose of Meeker County Public Transit is to offer affordable transportation to the citizens of Meeker County. The bus transports people of all ages and abilities — from young children going to preschool, to senior citizens going to a doctor's appointment. Riders can purchase a one-way ticket, roundtrip ticket or a bus pass. The buses are handicap accessible. Each bus is equipped with a wheelchair lift. The buses are air-conditioned and have seat belts for passengers. Meeker County Public Transit has three buses. One bus stays within the limits of Litchfield; a second bus travels throughout Meeker County; and the third bus travels from Litchfield to Hutchinson.

The bus is available from 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. In August 2007, weekend service was added on a six-month trial basis. Buses began running from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. On Sundays, rides are offered from 7:45 a.m. to noon, strictly for church attendees. Riders must contact Meeker County Public Transit by 5 p.m. Friday to reserve weekend rides. To make an appointment for a ride call 693-7794 or (800) 513-7433.

Compost site

The municipal compost site is at 23968 615th Ave., Litchfield, just past the Lake Ripley campground, on the left. The site is open seasonally from about 4 to 8 p.m. Items that can be brought to the compost site include leaves, garden debris, tree branches and other types of natural vegetation that have not been treated. The site is closed during the winter, except for a few weeks in January when people can drop off their Christmas trees. For more information, call 693-7201.