Houston County Commissioner Eric Johnson recognized and thanked David Bauer, highway maintenance specialist senior, for his 35 years of service to the county at the October 24 regularly scheduled meeting of the Houston County Commission.
Also thanked for their service to the county were Nicole Konkel and Erin Woods.
Chairman Dewey Severson call the meeting to order at 9 a.m. and lead his colleagues and the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. The board unanimously approved the meeting agenda with a request to move action item number 10 up to follow action item number five. The board also unanimously approved the minutes from the October 10 regularly scheduled commission meeting and the October 17 workgroup session.
All five commissioners were in attendance: Chairman Dewey Severson, Eric Johnson, Robert (Bob) Burns, Bob Schuldt and Greg Myhre.
Due to staffing shortages the Houston County license center located in the courthouse will temporarily have new office hours as of November 1. The center will be open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday until the State of Minnesota has completed the employee background checks on new hires. It is estimated that regular hours will resume mid-December.
Two public hearings were held during the board meeting, giving residents an opportunity to express their opinion regarding the proposed countywide cannabis ordinance and the adoption of body cameras by the Houston County Sheriff’s Office. There were no public comments. Both the ordinance regulating the use of cannabis and cannabis derived products in public places and the use of body cameras by the Houston County Sheriff’s Office were approved.
Commissioners approved the consent agenda including appointing Jennifer Slabaugh to serve on the HRA board; approved hiring Susan Wiegrefe as a half-time, deputy auditor/treasurer in the license center and hired Karson Betcher as a drop site supervisor; and authorized personnel to conduct a search to replace Konkel, Bauer and Woods, and begin a competitive search for a part-time technical clerk and a competitive internal search for a full-time highway maintenance specialist.
In other business, the commission:
•Approved the food service management contract with Cellmate Food Solutions for the Houston County Jail.
•Accepted the bridge replacement list as prioritized.
•Agreed to sponsor Caledonia’s second attempt to secure local road improvement funds for the Warrior Avenue extension project.
•Approved the conveyance of Spring Grove City Parcel #26.0201.000 to the Spring Grove, Minnesota School District via Conditional Use Deed for the Authorized Public Use of a future Public Parking Lot.
• Authorized the auditor/treasurer to conduct a public sale at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, December 6 in the courthouse board room for property located at 916 Main Street in Caledonia.
•Authorized the auditor/treasurer to conduct a public sale at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, December 6 in the courthouse board room for property located in the township of Money Creek.
•Approved the MnDOT Aeronautics companion grant for the airport taxilane project.
•Approved the banding and pay rate change of IT Director Andrew Milde.
•Approved the two-year contract with CEDA for EDA and clerking services.
•Approved the 2023-2025 Snow Removal Agreement with WS Trucking & Construction, LLC.
•The meeting was adjourned at 11:35 a.m.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Houston County Commission is Tuesday, November 7, at 9 a.m. in the County Commission Board Room 222, located on the second floor in the historic county courthouse, Caledonia, or via the county conference call line (312) 626-6700 enter ID: 994-7297-7175 and password 368422. Public attendees are requested to mute their line until addressed.
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