On Tuesday morning, the Polk County Board of Commissioners met inside the Polk County Government Center for a regular meeting.
PLANNING AND ZONING-JACOB SNYDER
Assistant Environmental Supervising Administrator Jacob Snyder approached the board with a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) request for a Minnkota Power Cooperative Parcel. Minnkota requested a permit for the expansion, maintenance, and operation of an electrical substation in Winger Township. The expansions will involve adding new 230kV electrical equipment and towers to help provide reliable electricity to the area and will provide an electrical tie into the neighboring Otter Tail Power Company electrical substation. “Last December, we processed an application from Otter Tail Power Company to expand the substation as it required a variance to get a building pushed off a property lot line a little less than the standards in our ordinance,” said Snyder. “The electrical tie-ins to that building are located on Minnkota Power Cooperative, so today, we processed a Conditional Use Permit for Minnkota to upgrade their electrical infrastructure. It is aimed to provide and continue to provide reliable electricity to the Northwest service area of Minnesota.” The board approved the request.
Preliminary Plat – “Get Away Addition”
Snyder proposed a preliminary plat of three lots in the agricultural, shoreland, and floodplain districts in sections 6 and 7 of Crookston Township called “Get Away Addition.” The applicant wished to cut down a lot of five parcels to three by tying two different property sections together to meet the Commission’s Zoning conditions. “It’s looking at taking five existing parcels in a large area, so this plat encompasses 557 acres of property (Lot 1 is 232.23 acres in size and located in all three overlay districts, Lot 2 is 176.04 acres and located in the agricultural district, and Lot 3 is 148.86 acres and located within the agricultural district), there’s a lot of Ag-land associated with that, but some of it abutted against the Red Lake River. The applicant wanted to tie the property in two different sections together to meet the roadway standards of our Zoning Ordinance. So, to cut off a lot of our agricultural lands and keep some of the property that they have enjoyed for hunting and fishing as more of a getaway. This property is located in between Crookston and Red Lake Falls.” The applicant planned to add a hunting shed for Lot 1 but then sell Lots 2 and 3 to an adjacent farmer. There was a floodplain area on the first lot where the applicant agreed no developed areas would be within the 100-year floodplain, and Snyder recommended that the board approve the plat, which they did unanimously.
Viking Gas Transmission Conditional Use Permit
Snyder then requested another Conditional Use Permit for a pipeline storage area and contractor yard in the 100-year floodplain fringe in Tabor Township for one year so they could complete multiple projects. The permit will be to use an Angus compressor station in the parcel as a pipe storage area and contractor yard for one year to complete multiple projects in the 2023 building season. One of the proposed projects is the reconstruction of a four-mile stretch of an existing 6-inch natural gas line and lowering the line to a greater depth to protect the pipeline from chisel plowing or other farming practices and so it wouldn’t coincide with any flood events during the spring. Once they complete their projects, they would revert the area back into the ring dike it was before their projects. The board approved the permit.
John Reitmeier & Casey Hammer Conditional Use Permit
Snyder requested another Conditional Use Permit to operate a convenience store on a land parcel in the Agricultural Zoning Districts in section 13 of Lowell Township. Applicants John Reitmeier and Casey Hammer wish to operate a store on the 1.55-acre parcel, which Lowell Township has signed the zoning application for the request as they do joint permitting with the county. County Zoning Ordinances allow Convenience Stores in an Agricultural District if roads to it are provided off a paved roadway, but the road it currently uses are gravel roads, so they would have to must pave the section of the road and seek any permits from the township and MnDOT to satisfy the Planning & Zoning conditions. The applicants stated they understood the zoning requirements and aim to install two Electric Vehicle charging stations at their store. Future fuel pumps, signage, and 12 planned parking spaces would accompany the business in the future. The board approved the permit.
Preliminary Plat – “Lady Slipper Lane”
Snyder then proposed another preliminary plat of a private roadway called “Lady Slipper Lane” to provide legal access to an existing homestead in Sections 33 and 34 of Rosebud Township. The road is an existing private roadway built by the landowner but had no right-of-way specifications associated with it. The plat will provide legal access to the homestead and ensure future road maintenance. At the end of the roadway, a cul-de-sac area is indicated on the plat and must be reconstructed as it was an existing turnaround area but has been left to re-vegetate. Rosebud will only take maintenance of the roadway when it serves four homesteads and the landowner petitions to have them take over. The board approved the plat.
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES – JON STEINER
Environmental Supervising Administrator Jon Steiner approached the board with an update on their Landfill Expansions after getting Landfill Approvals from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Traditionally long-term landfill growth is planned for as Ultimate Capacity, but the MPCA only permits the construction of the landfill itself in 10-year increments. As part of the 2017 permit and a Wetland Delineation and flora and fauna study, two designations came from the study; the Rare Natural Community (Plant) and a Threatened & Endangered Species determination (T&E), which carry regulatory approvals. “Part of our Landfill Expansion requirements, we have several different wetland issues that require permits. When we did the background on that, they did a flora and fauna study and found a plant out there that wasn’t supposed to be there, but it’s a State-protected plant. They then put a distinction over the entire plant community out there that requires a fourth process for dealing with those wetlands. As it relates to the two plant concerns out there, one of them is a local unit of government, and the other is the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. So, we have been in discussion with them about how we can satisfy the requirements to get the permit. Usually, it’s a mix of a momentary fee you pay, then either credits or, in this case, an easement on the property out there. Normally, we’d go to a closed session meeting to discuss what we’re willing and can do, but for various reasons, that didn’t work, so the board authorized me to negotiate that for them on their behalf.”
Solid Waste Program Updates
Steiner updated the board on multiple updates of multiple Solid Waste Programs around Polk County. First, the board heard an update on the Polk RRF Robotics Project. They had put in a grant for a State Bonding Project last year, but the state had not done a bonding bill last year. The state did complete a bonding bill this year, but the bill did not include their grant. They heard other bonding bills were coming up in future sessions, but whether they were included was unclear. The following update was on the Polk Regional EPA SWIFR Grant. They had filed for two EPA grants, with each costing them $4,000 for Marshall and Chaos County to address changes to the MPCA Landfills requirements. The next update the board heard was the 9 County Regional C&D Infrastructure EPA SWIFR Grant 2023. The final update they heard was about the 9 County Regional C&D MPCA Capital Assistance Project (CAP) Grant for 2024. They had filed their grant on February 15 but noted that many other counties and counties from other states had filed for it as well, making it difficult for them to get it as only two to four grants would be given, but Steiner was optimistic they could get the grant. They were hoping to fill in a new request next year when the next Bonding Bill requests would be open and use it to complete the projects they wished to complete in 2022.
Resource Recovery Facility Positions
Steiner updated the board that there were openings for several positions at the Resource Recovery Facility in Fosston after three retirements in the Facility Manager and Boiler Operator positions had been filed in the last few weeks. Due to the positions requiring many skills and licenses, and other qualified members leaving Polk County for other employment opportunities with there being a lack of internal experience for these positions, the facility is looking to open advertising and hiring for the positions before they are vacated or reclassify or reorganize some of the jobs. Steiner requested that the board approve the facility to begin processes to fill open positions and any other openings resulting from subsequent movements, which it did unanimously.
HIGHWAY-RICHARD SANDERS
County Engineer Richard Sanders approached the board with a resolution to officially retire GIS Coordinator Rick Thomson at the end of the month after over 37 years of service.
2023 Equipment Rental Bids
Sanders then approached the board with an update on the equipment rental bids they had opened on Friday, February 24, to let them open bids for any work they need to complete over the year for ditch, highway, and road work. Sanders recommended that the board award all equipment bids, which the board did unanimously.
Route and Seal Contract CP
The board then approved a $127,100 contract bid to MP Asphalt & Maintenance LLC of Clear Lake for filling and sealing cracks in four county roadways.
Base One Gravel Road Stabilization Contract
The board then approved a $127,160 contract bid to Davidson Construction Inc. of Newfolden to help them complete about 15 miles of their Gravel Road Stabilization.
Sweeper Quotes
Sanders then approached the board that they had received quotes for companies to sweep the street after the winter. He received two quotes for the project but recommended the county contract with Pro Sweep of Fargo for $160 per hour for Street Sweeping Services, as they would have four sweepers available and only cost $5 more than the opposing bidder. The board approved the motion.
SHERIFF-JAMES TADMAN
Polk County Sheriff James Tadman approached the board with the Monthly Sheriff Report for January. This month, the Sheriff’s Office had made 82 services, with $3,653.15 for Paid services and $2,069.36 for No Charge services. They had also driven their vehicles for 6,123 miles for the month, which was a slight increase over their total mileage from January 2022. They had received 2,414 calls to their dispatch center, with 704 for emergencies and 1,710 for non-emergencies. Finally, they received 711 calls for service during the month with 11 Animal Complaints, 198 for Civil Process, 53 for Motorist Assist, 85 for School Patrol, 5 Thefts with 1 Gas Drive Off, 141 for Traffic Stops, and 13 for Property Damage.
CONSENT ITEMS
The only item on the board’s Consent Agenda was to approve the board minutes from their meeting on February 21, which it did unanimously.
The Polk County Commissioners will next meet on Tuesday, March 7, in the Polk County Government Center at 8:00 a.m.
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