At the Houston County commission meeting on November 19, the board approved Sheriff Brian Swedberg’s request to house Hennepin County inmates in the county’s detention center.
Chairman Eric Johnson promptly called the meeting to order at 9 a.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
Commissioners Dewey Severson, Eric Johnson, Robert (Bob) Burns, Bob Schuldt, and Greg Myhre were all present.
Commissioners unanimously approved the minutes from the November 5 commission meeting and the November 12 workgroup session.
The Houston County detention center can house a maximum of 30 inmates at a rate of $100 per day per inmate, for a total of $90,000 per month. The two-year contract cannot exceed $310,000.
Sheriff Swedberg informed the commissioners that the county attorney reviewed the contract. Chairman Johnson requested that the daily rate be included in the contract.
The sheriff confirmed that staffing is adequate to handle this many inmates.
Hennepin County will be sending minimum-security inmates that have not been sentenced and are not a problem or on a large amount of medicine. Sheriff Swedberg explained, “This is because they don’t want to drive 2 ½ hours to pick up an inmate if there are any problem or issues.”
On the consent agenda, four items were brought forth by staff for approval, which were unanimously approved. Houston County Assessor Lucas Onstad was reappointed to a four-year term, effective January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2028. The council accepted the resignation of Survey crew chief, Thomas Peter and thanked him for 35 years of service to Houston County. The employment status of social worker, Savannah Kerns, was changed from probationary to regular and Dave Eisberner was hired as a full-time Home and Community Based Services social worker.
In other business, the board:
- Thanked the Brownsville VFW Auxiliary Post 6801 for the $100 donation. The donation is to be used for the needs of any veteran.
- Accepted Houston County Interim Auditor/Treasurer Polly Heberlein’s request to purchase 14 Express Vote Universal Voting System terminals instead of 15, one for each of the 13-polling sites and one for the county. The reason for the change from 14 to 15 terminals is because the county already has one which will be used as a spare. The cost of 14 terminals is $49,490 before grants.
- Approved Sheriff Swedberg’s recommendation to renew the E911 service agreement with Vesta Solutions for a total of $93,000. Swedberg explained, “We gotta have it.”
- Approved the final payment to Dunn Blacktop for paving CSAH 13 and to close out the $3,497,226.92 project.
- Approved the final payment to Zenke, Inc. for work completed on Hauge Hill Road in Sheldon Township, for a total cost of $74,512,26. This will close out the project.
- Approved PHHS Director John Pugleasa’s request to add one full-time RN/PHN and one full-time Community Health to Public Health to fulfill the county’s new responsibilities related to the Foundational Public Health Responsibility (FPHR), Response Sustainability Grant (RSG), and the state funding increases in Cannabis Education.
- Approved the preliminary plans and cost estimates for the Community Service Center renovation project which is the next step in keeping the project moving forward explained Pugleasa, plus it is best to go out for bids during the off season.
- Approved the 2025 schedule of commission meetings with the addition of a meeting at the end of December. The schedule will be available on the county website.
- Approved a request from Interim Administrator/Finance Director Carol Lapham to advertise two full-time positions in the Auditor/License office, as well as the Environmental Service tech clerk/Assessor’s Office position. Additionally, the board approved the revised job description for the Human Resources regarding the request from Freeborn County was postponed.
- Unanimously approved paying the bills totaling $685,541.12, as presented by Lapham.
The commissioners went into closed session at 10:55 a.m. to discuss labor negotiations pursuant to Minn. Stat. 13D.03, Subd. 1, (b). When the board returned, it was announced that they had accepted the tentative agreement with AFSCME Local 2166.
The board adjourned the meeting at 12:20 p.m.