At the October 26 meeting of the Fillmore County board, Gabby Kinneberg, Fillmore County representative for the Southern Minnesota Tourism Association, and Jen Hengel, representing Root River Trail Towns, reported on their activities in 2021 and requested 2022 appropriations.
Kinneberg said Southern Minnesota Tourism represents 36 counties across southern Minnesota. Much of the money raised from the counties goes to marketing and the promotion of tourism. Marketing reaches into Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The visitor numbers are getting back to pre-pandemic levels. Advertisements are placed in a variety of publications. Kinneberg requested 5 cents per capita, or $1,053.35.
Hengel explained Root River Trail Towns includes 10 towns. The organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that promotes the area to bring in visitors and leverages for state grant dollars for marketing. The towns represented are along the Root River and Harmony-Preston Valley state bike trails and the Root River Water Trail. The website can be found at www.rootrivertrail.org. Website users are mostly from Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Events include Taste of the Trail and the 60 mile garage sale. The appropriation request for 2022 is $2,000.
Other business in brief
• Approval was given for the Imagery Project with Eagle View for three years as recommended by the Technology/Land/GIS committee. The company does flyovers producing the images. The total for three years is $133,841.61, or $44,613.87 per year. The cost is budgeted under GIS and also 911 and Feedlot.
• The county’s current payroll software company was bought out and the software will eventually not be supported. Three bids were obtained for a compatible software. The low bid was from UKG which is used by several area counties. The purchase of the UKG software at a cost of $26,885 was approved as recommended by Technology/Land/GIS committee.
• A zoning ordinance amendment for Campgrounds, Section 506.05 was approved as recommended by the Planning Commission after a public hearing at their August 26 meeting. The amendment changes the definition of a campground to: Any area, whether privately or publicly owned, used on a daily, nightly, or longer basis for the accommodation of two or more tents or recreational camping vehicles for compensation. Privately owned camping areas of up to four sites without compensation do not fall under the campground definition. Five or more sites, whether free of charge or for compensation are considered a campground.
Zoning Administrator Cristal Adkins said the new definition is clearer.
• Sheriff John DeGeorge noted the newer of their two jail transport vans needs a new transmission. The 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan was purchased used in 2017. The new transmission comes with a 36,000 mile or three year warranty. The purchase and installation of the new transmission was approved at a cost of $5,109.97.
• County Engineer Ron Gregg requested approval to advertise for six bridge replacements (five are box culverts). Each of the six requests to advertise were approved, including: a bridge in Jordan Township on Morgan Rd., a bridge on CSAH 26 in Beaver Township, a bridge on CSAH 30 in Harmony Township, a bridge in Newburg Township near Sportsman’s Club, a bridge in Sumner Township on township road, and a bridge in Norway Township on Chestnut Rd.
• Approval was given for a cash-in-lieu of insurance option for the 2022 year. An employee may choose a cash-in-lieu option of $240 per month not to elect the health insurance coverage through the county. Eligibility requires an employee to provide proof of coverage through another group health plan through a spouse/parent’s employer, Medicare or Tricare only.
The cash-in-lieu payment will be put directly into a paycheck and counts as wages on a W-2. The offering of this option was recommended by the Benefits Committee.
• The board continued its contract negotiations with Law Enforcement Labor Services (LELS). Most issues are decided. Still to be decided, if it will be a one or more year agreement. Also, there is not yet agreement on the cost of living increase and other wage issues.
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