The Houston County Commission met on May 20 at 9 a.m., with Chairman Eric Johnson calling the meeting to order and leading the Pledge of Allegiance.
Before adopting the agenda, commissioners agreed to move the closed session on labor negotiations to the end of the meeting. The board then unanimously approved the minutes from the May 6 board meeting and the May 13 workgroup session.
Commissioners in attendance included Cindy Wright, Kurt Zehnder, Bob Schuldt, Greg Myhre and Chairman Eric Johnson.
One of the main topics of discussion was a proposal brought forward by Houston County Sheriff Brian Swedberg regarding a new county ordinance for Special Use Vehicles. Although no official decision was made, the proposal generated considerable discussion. A public hearing to gather community input is scheduled for June 24 at 9:30 a.m.
Sheriff Swedberg stated that he is recommending the ordinance due to the growing popularity of side-by-sides both locally and nationwide. He proposed a minimal fee with the permit valid for three years. Swedberg and Commissioner Zehnder both emphasized that the ordinance is intended to simplify things.
All seven items on the consent agenda were approved unanimously, with six involving personnel actions. These included changing Michael Boldt’s employment status from probationary to regular as a Highway Maintenance specialist; hiring Sharen Lapham and Margie Skauge as 67-day, temporary/casual jury attendant, with wages set according to the Jury Attendant Compensation Schedule; and accepted the retirement of Lori Feldmeier, lead eligibility worker, effective July 8, 2025, with appreciation for her 21 years of service to the residents of Houston County. The board also approved initiating a competitive search to fill one full-time lead eligibility worker (B25) and one full-time eligibility worker (B24) within the Public Health and Human Services Department. Additionally, the board accepted a $2,000 MDH WIC (Minnesota Department of Health) Equity in Lactation Grant award to enhance the mother’s room and support breastfeeding.
Three bids were received for the bridge replacement on Oakland Drive in Wilmington Township from Minnowa Construction Inc., ICON Constructors, LLC, and Brennan Construction. The contract was awarded to Minnowa Construction Inc., the lowest bidder, at $629,999.99.
The project will be funded with $539,044.71 from the Local Bridge Replacement Program (LBRP) using Motor Vehicle Lease Sales Tax (MVLST) funds. The remaining $90,955.28 will come from the Regular Townbridge allotment and the Local Township funds. The total cost of the project is $629,999.
In other business, the commissioners:
- Approved the purchase of a used pressure washer for the Highway Department. The total cost of $7,500 which includes a $1,000 trade-in for the county’s Hotsy unit. County Engineer Brian Pogodzinski expects that it will pay for itself in two years.
- Accepted $2,050 in donations for Tesmer Farm Safety Day. Contributions included: $1,500 from American Legion Post 249, $50 from Devoine Kruse, $250 from Septic Pros, $100 from Caledonia Vet Clinic, $50 from Noah Fenske, and $100 from Nethercut Schieber PA.
- Approved all financial payments.
At 10:05 a.m., the board entered a closed session to discuss labor negotiations.
Leave a Reply