At its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 1, the Houston County Board of Commissioners (BOC) thanked Cindy Augedahl, administrative legal assistant, for her exceptional 46 years of dedicated service to Houston County residents. The board formally accepted her resignation and retirement, effective May 1, 2025.
Chairman Eric Johnson called the meeting to order at 9 a.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance. All board members were present: Cindy Wright, Eric Johnson, Kurt Zehnder, Bob Schuldt and Greg Myhre. The board promptly approved the meeting agenda and the minutes of their previous meetings held on March 18 and March 25.
The board addressed several key personnel changes during the meeting. The board unanimously approved three personnel changes: Susan Felten was hired as a community health worker, Leigh Goetzinger transitioned to the position of child support enforcement aid, and County Highway Engineer Brian Pogodzinski was reappointed to a four-year term, effective May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2029. Chairman Johnson highlighted that the county engineer position is one of the few appointed by the BOC.
John Pugleasa, director of Public Health Human Services, provided an update on the Public Health on the department’s building construction project. The progress has stalled due to a funding block at the federal level. No action was taken at this time giving Pugleasa time to get more information from Wieser Brothers, the project contractor, to determine the next steps. He noted that the state confirmed it would reimburse all expenses incurred before March 24 if the invoices are turned in before Friday, April 4. No immediate action was taken as the board awaits further details.
The Houston County airport played a prominent role in the commission meeting, with the commissioners considering the Houston County T-Hangar project. A final decision was postponed until the April 15 meeting. The low bid for the project came from Olympic Builders, and the board accepted a proposal from Bolton & Menk’s proposal for oversight, inspection, plan updates, and project closeout per Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements.
In an effort to enhance the airport’s amenities, Commissioner Zehnder shared insights from his conversation with Caledonia Mayor Jeremy Leis and City Clerk/Administrator Jake Dickson regarding the potential addition of a courtesy car at the airport for pilots to use. For example, they might want to come into town to have ice cream at the Wired Rooster. The board asked Pogodzinski to assemble a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the city of Caledonia, where the county would sell a vehicle to the city for $1. The city would cover the insurance costs while the county would handle vehicle maintenance. The commissioners emphasized that this initiative would benefit both the city and county by supporting economic development through increased tourism. It was added that many pilots only land at airports that offer a courtesy car.
David Walter from the Root River Soil and Water District requested a letter of support for bill HF 2916. The bill seeks funding for a southeast regional groundwater protection and soil health initiative. The board agreed to provide a letter of support.
In other matters, the board:
- Renewed its annual service agreement with ABC/Woodland, which provides employment and training for adults with disabilities. They provide both community and center-based services. Some of the clients they work with are integrated into jobs in the community with assistance and some work within the Woodland Center located in Caledonia. Pugleasa said that this contract represents a reduction from last year’s agreement due to a reduction in census, and that there is no state reimbursement.
- Approved a service agreement with Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations, with revised pricing favorable to the county.
- Tabled a decision on hiring 0.8 FTE legal assistant and directed HR Director Brent Parker to conduct a process review to assess staffing needs. He will come back to the next board meeting with options for the board to discuss.
- Discussed initiating a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the county’s healthcare plans in 2027, exploring cost-saving options while maintaining quality coverage. It was confirmed that the county will need to solicit bids next year. Commissioner Myhre said that former mayor of Caledonia, DeWayne “Tank” Schroeder informed him that Caledonia switched to the union, 49ers, and saved over a hundred grand. Commissioner Zehnder concurred.
- Approved paying the bills.
At 10:31 a.m., the board moved into a closed session to discuss labor negotiations. Upon reconvening, Clerk Allison Wagner reported that no official action had been taken during the session. The meeting was adjourned.
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