At their October 9 meeting, the county board passed a resolution in support of the Small Town and Regional Vitality Investment Act of 2018. Support for this act will be left on the desk for Minnesota’s next First District Congressman.
EDA director Marty Walsh explained this bill (H.R. 6383) is intended to redirect block grant money. Federal block grant money would go directly to local government units to deal with the problems and challenges specific to their community. The responsibility to designate the use of the funding would come to the local government, empowering local leaders.
Commissioner Duane Bakke said there would be a list of things the money can be used for and the county board would determine where that money goes. Rural communities could use the funding to provide affordable child care, housing opportunities, broadband, or waste water treatment operation and maintenance, to name a few of the possibilities.
Walsh added there will be a requirement for Comprehensive Planning.
This bill if pursued would be tied to the next Farm Bill which is four to five years away. Congressman Tim Walz and his staff have met with leaders and constituents in southern Minnesota’s rural communities through town hall meetings. They have concluded that rural towns have a variety of challenges, one size doesn’t fit all.
Walz leaves this bill on the desk of the next First District Congressman. Support for the bill from a number of local government units will also be on that desk to help drive the bill forward. “Fillmore County supports an initiative for the federal government to properly invest in small communities.” With this Act the USDA Rural Development would administer revenue sharing grants to local and regional governments.
Citizens Input
Bonnie Haugen, Canton Township, and Michelle Hockersmith, Preble Township, updated the board on the Catalpa, LLC project. Haugen said 772 public comments have been sent to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) expressing concerns about the proposed 4,980 sow farrowing operation in Newburg Township.
Responsible Agriculture in Karst Country and the Land Stewardship Project sent a letter to Governor Mark Dayton requesting an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed large feedlot. He was asked to weigh in with the MPCA.
Haugen said they feel the MPCA is disregarding the process it is required to follow. She declared the standard has been met making an EIS mandatory. The project has the potential for significant environmental effects.
Haugen listed eight reasons including demand from local residents for an EIS and the fact that five local government units have stated an EIS is necessary. She thanked the board for past action on behalf of our water, air, and soil/land.
Bakke noted that the MPCA did order further investigations and did an Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) test. The test was done to map subsurface materials within the planned site to see if significant Karst features are present. It found no evidence of active sinkhole development. Bakke said the MPCA is taking time to answer all the comments.
Haugen maintained the study was not as complete as it should have been in their expert’s opinion. Hockersmith added there are many other concerns that have not been addressed. Bakke said at the next public meeting the MPCA will have to answer those concerns.
Other business in brief
• Emergency Manager Don Kullot requested approval of the 2018 Emergency Management Performance Grant agreement. The grant is applied for annually and is a 50/50 sharing grant used to help fund EM position, training, and conferences. The agreement for the grant in the amount of $21,402 was approved.
Kullot said he would like to get a generator for the Fillmore County Office Building. County Coordinator Bobbie Vickerman said funds for the generator have been included in the budget, under infrastructure. They can be used if no grant is secured.
Kullot added he wants to research the cost of a drone for next year. It would be helpful in search and rescue, during floods, and could possibly be used by other departments like soil and water and highway. He said one can see a lot from the air that can not be seen from the ground. Bakke asked about hiring someone for drone service when needed. Kullot said there will be a time delay when hiring someone from outside the area.
• Wabasha County Sheriff Rodney Bartsh and Fraud Investigator Nate Barker presented the annual Public Assistance Fraud numbers. In the region including Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Wabasha, and Winona Counties there were 207 cases. Fifty-nine of those recipients were disqualified. This represents 9.5% of the total cases (623) disqualified state wide. Eight of the total number of cases investigated were in Fillmore County. The greatest number of cases were in Goodhue and Winona Counties. Bartsh said there is a five-to-one cost benefit ratio in the region. Statewide the ratio is three-to-one.
Barker said individuals are disqualified for one year and can re enroll after one year. Barker receives referrals from case workers, making him aware of expected blatant fraud. Disqualification results from blatant fraud. Minor fraud doesn’t necessarily result in disqualification. Most cases are not prosecuted.
• Approval was given to buy a speed limit sign that measures speed as the motorist goes by. The sign cost is $5,041.
Leave a Reply