Month: October 2021

The Polk County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday morning inside the Polk County Government Center. The agenda included Polk County Resident Robert Herkenoff for comments regarding the construction completed on Polk County Road 11, a resolution declaring Polk County as a Second Amendment dedicated county, and City of Crookston Administrator Amy Finch to provide a City of Crookston update.

COUNTY ROAD 11 RECONSTRUCTION

Polk County resident Robert Herkenoff brought forth concerns about the completed construction on Polk County Road 11. Herkenoff explained what his concerns were. “I wanted my concerns recorded for in the future in case we have flooding issues out there,” said Herkenoff. “I feel they made some changes out there without a hydrology study and increased a culvert from 28’ inches to 60’ inches. I hope it works out, Polk County Highway Engineer Richard Sanders believes it will, but I’m just concerned with possible flooding in the spring and believe a hydrology study should be done.”

There was no action needed from the board, and Herkenoff was only presenting his thoughts on the issue. If the board chooses to go further with the concerns, the next step would be to see how much a hydrology study would cost to conduct.

POLK COUNTY SECOND AMENDMENT DEDICATED COUNTY

The Polk County Republican group representing Polk County Republicans brought forth a petition to make Polk County a Second Amendment Dedicated County. A Second Amendment Dedicated County opposes any law that would unconstitutionally restrict the rights of citizens to keep and bear arms.

Polk County Attorney Greg Widseth recommended that the board should not approve the resolution as it gives a message to other groups and organizations to bring any political matters before the board in the future. However, The Board of Commissioners approved the resolution unanimously as they felt it necessary to support the constitution.

CITY OF CROOKSTON UPDATE

City of Crookston Administrator Amy Finch provided an update to the board on the City of Crookston. Finch discussed a few different topics, including a few of the city’s new hires. “A couple of things we talked about included new staff hirings, including Jake Solberg as the Park & Rec Director and Robert Barnes as the new Community Development Director,” said Finch. “We also discussed Epitome Energy and how to balance that project with money and how that’s moving forward.”  

One other thing that was briefly discussed was the Semi-Truck accident last night in downtown Crookston and how that corner of North Broadway will be involved in MnDot’s upcoming corridor study. Finch believes it will be important for MnDOT and other working agencies to discuss how that intersection can be safer.

POLK COUNTY 2022 BUDGET UPDATE

Polk County Administrator Chuck Whiting provided a 2022 budget update for the board. Whiting says not much progress has been made as most of his time is currently being spent dealing with labor negotiations. The budget will be reviewed more in-depth moving forward as the county begins trying to reduce the 2022 Tax Levy from 4.6% to 3%.

OTHER ITEMS

Other items included Jacob Snyder of Polk County Environmental Services requesting three separate Tax Forfeited properties to be demolished. “These tax-forfeited properties usually are in rough shape by the time the county gets them,” said Snyder. “We make an initial assessment of if we can save the property and then deal with what items are still in the house at that point.”

Of the three properties discussed, one is in Trail, another in McIntosh, and the other located in Gully. They were all deemed to be total losses and will be demolished as the board approved all three requests. After the bids have been totaled, Hagen Construction out of Fosston, Minnesota, will be doing the three separate projects for a total amount of $23,900.

Polk County Public Health Director Sarah Reese asked the board to approve an agreement between Polk County Public Health and Children Dental Services. The county will provide spaces for Children Dental Services to use, and in return, Children Dental Services will provide their services for the county with all appropriate equipment. The board approved the agreement unanimously.

Polk County Sheriff’s Office Administrative Sergeant Jesse Haugen also provided the board with an update on the department’s current vehicle orders. The vehicle orders are a part of the department’s 2022 budget. The department was looking for the board to approve a contract with the Sheriff’s Office and Enterprise to order four 2022 Dodge 1500 Rams to add to their fleet in 2022. The board approved the request unanimously, and the department can begin the process of placing those orders.

The next Polk County Board of Commissioners Meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 19, at 9:30 a.m.

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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is accepting comments through Nov. 4 on an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) for proposed habitat improvements and flood risk reduction to the Nelson Slough.

The project is proposed by the Middle-Snake-Tamarac Rivers Watershed District and is located near the city of Strandquist in Marshall County.

The Nelson Slough Improvement Project proposes stabilizing several miles of Judicial Ditch 19 and improving water control structures within Nelson Slough, including replacement of the 50-year-old outlet structure and increasing the height of the embankments.

Installing rock drop structures and flattening channel side slopes in strategic locations would improve slope stability and alleviate severe channel erosion that has occurred immediately upstream and downstream of the project site.

Upon completion, the proposed project would reduce potential flood damage to adjacent agricultural lands and public transportation infrastructure. The project would also provide more control over impoundment water levels, improving wildlife habitat at Nelson Slough.

Copies of the EAW are available on the project page. Additional copies may be requested by calling 651-259-5723.

Hard copies of the EAW are available for public review at:

• Crookston Public Library, 110 North Ash St., Crookston, MN 56716
• Karlstad Library, 104 1st St. S, Karlstad, MN 56732
• Greenbush Public Library, 224 Main St. N, Greenbush, MN 56726

The EAW was published in the Oct. 5 EQB Monitor. Written comments on the EAW must be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4 to the attention of Sara Mielke, DNR Ecological and Water Resources Division, 500 Lafayette Road, Box 25,
St. Paul, MN 55155-4025.

Electronic or email comments may be sent to environmentalrev.dnr@state.mn.us with “Nelson Slough” in the subject line. People who submit comments will receive a copy of the decision document, which includes responses to comments.

Because all comments and related information are part of the public record for this environmental review, commenters’ names and email or postal addresses will also be published and publicly available as they appear in the materials they submit. 

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The Minnesota Department of Health released the COVID-19 numbers for today and the state reported 7,133 cases with 12 deaths. 0 deaths were reported in northwest Minnesota. Polk County reported 47 new cases with twenty probable, Roseau County had 45 with two probable, Marshall County had 29 with four probable, Pennington County had 17 with six probable, Norman County had 10 with four probable, Mahnomen County had 8 with two probable, and Red Lake County had 4 with five probable.

All the information is below –

Data is for cases that were tested and returned positive. All data is preliminary and may change as cases are investigated. Many data points are collected during case interviews. Data presented below is for all cases, regardless of interview status. Data for cases pending interview may be listed as “unknown/missing.”

Positive PCR test results are considered confirmed cases. Positive antigen test results are considered probable cases.

All probable cases get the same public health follow up and recommendations as cases confirmed by PCR tests.

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As Minnesota’s agricultural industry continues to face severe drought conditions across the state, Governor Tim Walz has signed Executive Order 21-32, declaring an emergency and waiving trucking regulations to support Minnesota livestock producers in the safe and efficient transport of livestock, water supplies, and commodities related to livestock feed.

The extreme and prolonged drought in Minnesota has led to significant stress on rangeland, pastures, and other crops. Without reliable access to good-quality hay or forage, famers and livestock producers have had to adjust their feeding operations to include other commodities such as corn silage, distiller’s grain, and beet pulp. Farmers also report that the hay and forage reserved for winter use has already been consumed, and replenishing supplies is critical to maintaining healthy livestock. The continued movement of these commodities is vital to the economic security and viability of many farming and livestock operations in Minnesota.

“This summer I travelled the state, from Polk County to Redwood County, to hear directly from our farmers and see firsthand the impacts of a drought that caused early harvests, wildfires, and dry fields and pastures,” said Governor Walz. “As someone who grew up on a family farm, I know the work our farmers do is tough under the very best conditions. We will continue to work with Minnesota’s agricultural industry to provide relief for the farmers who have continued feeding our state and nation, despite a once in a generation drought.”

On July 28, 2021, Governor Walz issued Executive Order 21-26, waiving hours of service trucking regulations to support Minnesota livestock producers facing significant decreases in the availability of hay and other forage. On August 27, livestock food supplies were still scarce, so Governor Walz issued Executive Order 21-30, which extended the relief for 30 days and expanded it to include the transportation of livestock, water supplies, and commodities used for or in livestock feed. The need for relief from hours of service requirements related to these essential items continues.

Over the past few months, Governor Walz has met with agricultural leaders from across the state to hear how the drought has impacted them. Last month, Governor Walz announced a $10 million drought relief package to support Minnesota farmers and livestock producers impacted by severe drought conditions during the 2021 growing season. The Governor’s proposal includes $5 million in rapid response grants to provide drought relief for livestock producers and specialty crop producers. It also includes $5 million for the Rural Finance Authority’s Disaster Recovery Loan Program.

Executive Order 21-32 is effective immediately and remains in effect for 30 days.

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