Date: May 2, 2023 9:00 a.m.
Place: Commissioners Room, Courthouse, Caledonia, MN
Members Present: Dewey Severson, Eric Johnson, Robert Burns, Bob Schuldt, and Greg Myhre
Presiding: Chairperson Severson
Call to order.
Pledge of Allegiance.
Wagner said there was one addition to the consent agenda: Approve assignment and assumption of ground lease form. (A new owner would be taking over the current contract for an airport lease.) Motion was made by Commissioner Myhre, seconded by Commissioner Burns, motion unanimously carried to approve the agenda with the change.
Motion was made by Commissioner Johnson, seconded by Commissioner Schuldt, motion unanimously carried to approve the meeting minutes from April 25, 2023.
CONSENT AGENDA
Motion by Commissioner Burns, seconded by Commissioner Myhre, motion unanimously carried to approve the consent agenda.
1)Approve applying for 2023 Boat Safety Supplemental Patrol Grant in the amount of 6,500.
2)Approve assignment and assumption of ground lease form. (A new owner would be taking over the current contract for an airport lease.)
ACTION ITEMS
File No. 1 – Commissioner Myhre moved, Commissioner Johnson seconded, motion unanimously carried to approve the 2022 Feedlot Program Annual Report and Financial Report.
File No. 2 – Commissioner Myhre moved, Commissioner Burns seconded, motion unanimously carried to award paving bid from Dunn Blacktop for CSAH 16, SP 028-616-006/SP 028-070-010.
File No. 3 – Commissioner Burns moved, Commissioner Severson seconded, motion unanimously carried to award the bid for the Airport taxilane project to Nadeau Companies LLC for $283,601.00 contingent upon issuance of a Federal or State grant.
File No. 4 – Commissioners discussed with Engineer Pogodzinski a price increase for the Bobcat Excavator. The purchase had originally been approved on February 8th, 2022. The price had increased from $177,161.20 to $186,248.02. This was a $9,086.82 price increase. The 2022 quote also included a trade-in of $45,000. The trade value had been reduced down to $37,500. Commissioners discussed options including keeping the current excavator and not purchasing a new one, or trying to sell the trade-in themselves. It was the general consensus of the board that they were frustrated by the price changes. After much discussion, Commissioner Burns moved, Commissioner Schuldt seconded, motion unanimously carried to approve the price increase and reduction in the trade-in. Actual purchase price would go from $132,161.20 to $148,748.02.
File No. 5 – Commissioner Burns moved, Commissioner Johnson seconded, motion unanimously carried to approve using ARPA funds as a $20,000 one time match for a $200,000 Minnesota Housing Program called Community Homeowner Impact Fund pending the funds were awarded. Semcac would apply for the funding, disburse it, and update the HRA board if funds were awarded.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
Commissioners discussed recent meetings they had attended. These included a Hiawatha Valley Mental Health, and Zoning meetings.
Commissioner Johnson said he had received some calls from concerned farmers regarding a possible housing development in the Pine Creek Area. Commissioner Schuldt said he had heard from some farmers, also. Commissioner Schuldt said he had attended a meeting with the developer, County Staff, and others to discuss the possible project.
Commissioner Johnson asked if the board had been able to review Attorney Jandt’s letter regarding the board adopting a second amendment resolution. Commissioners Severson and Burns said they were not in favor of a resolution stating that there could be future rules the County refused to follow. Commissioner Burns said he had guns and was a hunter, but that he was in favor of some of the new proposed restrictions on guns like stricter background checks. Commissioner Burns said with all the recent shootings he thought more could be done.
Commissioner Burns said he had talked to St. Mary’s School and Church regarding using their parking lot during the County parking lot construction project in the summer of 2023. He asked that the item be put on the agenda for consideration the following week.
Commissioner Severson said he had received a letter from the La Crescent Food Shelf addressed to the County Commissioners thanking them for the $1,000 in ARPA funds for the food shelf. The letter said the La Crescent Food Shelf was averaging 200 household visits, and distributing over 10,000 pounds of food each month.
There being no further business at 10:18 a.m., a motion was made by Commissioner Myhre, seconded by Commissioner Schuldt motion unanimously carried to adjourn the meeting.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HOUSTON COUNTY, MINNESOTA
By: Dewey Severson, Chairperson Attest: Donna Trehus, Auditor/Treasurer
THE ABOVE PROCEEDINGS OF THE HOUSTON COUNTY BOARD OF COMISSIONERS IS ONLY A SUMMARY. THE FULL TEXT IS AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC INSPECTON AT THE HISTORIC HOUSTON COUNTY BUILDING AS WELL AS AT THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESS: https://www.co.houston.mn.us/.
Publish 15