PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Date: Wednesday, December 1, 2020 9:30 am
Place: Virtual Meeting Held due to Peacetime Emergency Declaration in response to
COVID-19 Pandemic.
Members Present via Computer: Eric Johnson, Teresa Walter, Jack Miller, Robert Burns,
and Greg Myhre
Call to order: 9:30 am
Presiding: Chairman Johnson
Call to order. Pledge of Allegiance.
Walter moved, Miller seconded, unanimously carried to approve the agenda.
Dist. 1: Yes Dist. 2: NA Dist. 3: Yes Dist. 4: Yes Dist. 5: Yes
Public Comment: None
During the COVID-19 update, PH&HS Director Pugleasa shared the county had experienced 3 more COVID-19 related deaths. He also shared that over half of the county’s total cases have occurred within the last month, emphasizing the continued rate of infection across the entire community. He discussed some of the preliminary planning discussions related to delivering vaccines when they become available.
Walter moved, Burns seconded, unanimously carried to approve the Consent Agenda, which consisted of the following items (after removing one item for further discussion):
1) Approve payment of the License Center and Human Services disbursements and
the following claims
County Revenue Fund $419,076.24
Road & Bridge Fund $589,917.93
Total $1,008,994.17
2) Approve the 2021 Grant Contract Agreements for Snowmobile Grant-in-Aid
Program FY 2021 Maintenance and Grooming Grants for:
i. Gopherland Trail ($48,633.60)
ii. La Crescent Trail ($17,869.50)
iii. Money Creek and TH 76 Trail ($23,301.83)
iv. Viking Ridge Spring Grove ($20,042.43)
ACTION ITEMS
Walter moved, Miller seconded, unanimously carried to accept the low bids for Bid Package #2, with the exception of 32A (Asphalt) and 9E (Concrete Polishing) which require more review from the highway building planning committee and the general contractor.
Burns moved, Myhre seconded, unanimously carried to approve the rezoning request from Cory and Jacky Baker, Yucatan Township for parcel 170051002 and 170005004 from Agricultural Protection to Residential with the condition that the rezoned area shall only contain one buildable lot unless a plat is approved under section 36 of the Houston County Zoning Ordinance.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
Administrator Babinski reminded the board that there will be a Board Meeting/Workgroup session on December 8th primarily to review the final budget changes before setting the budget and levy on December 15th. He shared some of the discussion from the Finance Committee meeting, with Burns and Myhre sharing additional information from the meeting. Burns shared he recommended the board consider reducing the Levy to a 2% increase based on budget reductions obtained, but with concern that the unsettled salary negotiations would require the board to plan on spending money from reserves again in 2021. Others expressed continued desire to get to a point of not increasing the levy.
Myhre and others shared calls from property owners who recently received their Truth in Taxation notifications. He asked if there were any way for the board to change the values set for rural preserve acres, which saw a large increase this year. Assessor Creswell reiterated her previous comments, explaining the land values based on sales studies for our county would be $2,900 per acre, but without the ‘outside influence’ of hunting land sales, similar acres are selling for $2,500, so she set the rural preserve price at $2,200. She worked closely with the Department of Revenue to set the appropriate price level for rural preserve land, which the state had been recommending the county increase the value of for several years.
Auditor/Treasurer Trehus reviewed the county’s investment accounts with the board after which the board discussed the reserve funds available for the Highway Department project. The board asked Administrator Babinski to proceed with arranging the option to bond $3 million dollars to provide funding for half the project without using all of the Road and Bridge fund reserves. Previous calculations show the debt payments could be covered by the current wheelage tax, so no levy or additional taxes would be required to finance the project.
Burns pointed out that Houston County is the only county in our region that does not charge a local option sales tax (.5%). The Department of Revenue statistics suggest this would provide over $400,000 in revenue annually. Several of the commissioners expressed desire to not add additional taxes.
Walter congratulated Burns for his selection as the Chair of the Joint Board of Health (with Fillmore County).
Johnson attended the Root River One Watershed One Plan meeting. They are approaching the end of their first funding period and have been asked to provide a review of the experience so far as one of the early ‘one watershed’ entities. He also relayed discussion with Winona Commissioners about their Jail project and expressed concerns for our jail’s status/budget when Winona stops sending their inmates to our facility. He suggested we study options for taking on a Juvenile Center, as the need remains for one within our region.
The Commissioners joined in thanking Doug Twite for 43 (44 counting a work program) years serving the residents of Houston County and wish him a happy retirement.
There being no further business and the time being 11:25 a.m., motion was made by Burns, seconded by Myhre, unanimously carried to adjourn the meeting. The next advertised meeting being a Workgroup Session on Tuesday, December 8, 2020.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
HOUSTON COUNTY, MINNESOTA
By: Eric Johnson, Chairperson
Attest: Jeffrey Babinski, County Administrator
THE ABOVE PROCEEDINGS OF THE HOUSTON COUNTY BOARD OF COM-MISSIONERS IS ONLY A SUMMARY. THE FULL TEXT IS AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION AT THE HOUSTON COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR’S OFFICE AS WELL AS ON THE HOUSTON COUNTY WEBSITE LOCATED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESS: http://www.co.houston.mn.us/
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