[4:01] Now, good morning, everyone. It is June 30th at 9 a.m. We'll call the Wright County Board of Commissioners to order. We'll begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

[4:28] It is great that this upcoming weekend will be celebrating 250 years as a country that is quite phenomenal, wonderful.

[4:38] I hope everyone has great plans to celebrate this weekend.

[4:42] First item on the agenda here would be the minutes to approve from the board meeting on June 16th.

[4:49] I'll say I'm for emotional corrections at this time.

[4:52] So moved.

[4:53] Second motion by Commissioner Dietrich, second by Commissioner Holland, any further comments?

[5:00] No?

[5:01] All in favor say aye.

[5:02] Aye.

[5:02] All right.

[5:03] All right.

[5:03] Those same sign.

[5:04] All right.

[5:05] Minutes are approved unanimous.

[5:06] Now we have a handful of committee minutes from June 11th, June 9th, and June 16th.

[5:12] We can approve them individually or collectively.

[5:14] I'll stand for motions or corrections.

[5:16] I'll make motion.

[5:17] We approve all three.

[5:20] All right.

[5:20] We have a motion by Commissioner Holland.

[5:22] Second.

[5:22] Second by Commissioner Shane.

[5:23] Any discussion?

[5:25] Hearing none.

[5:26] All in favor say aye.

[5:27] Aye.

[5:28] All the same sign.

[5:29] All right.

[5:30] Motion approved unanimously.

[5:33] Mr. Chair,

[5:37] I do have one addition. I'd like to make it for scheduling a board meeting or to discuss scheduling a board meeting on August 25th, 2026.

[5:45] So under item for consideration, possibly C. Is

[5:54] there any other items?

[5:56] Yeah, Mr. Chair, I'd like to add an update from Assistant Administrator Mattis about where

[6:05] we at with the RFPs for our land use and comprehensive plan. I'm getting some questions

[6:11] from townships and timeline. All right, very good. So with that, I'll stand to our

[6:20] For a motion to approve the agenda with the additions of items of consideration, C and D, August 25th edition board meeting in the update on the land use plan RFP process.

[6:31] Second. Motion by Commissioner Shane, second by Commissioner Moina, any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say aye.

[6:39] Aye.

[6:39] Opposed, same sign. And agenda's approved unanimous. Today's consent agenda, would anyone like to remove anything from today's consent agenda for further discussion?

[6:47] If not, I'll stand for a motion to approve today's consent agenda.

[6:53] I'll go ahead and make that motion, Mr. Chair.

[6:55] I'll second that.

[6:56] Motion by Commissioner Shane, second by Commissioner Holland, any further discussion?

[7:01] Hearing none.

[7:02] All in favor say aye.

[7:03] Aye.

[7:04] Post same sign.

[7:05] All right.

[7:06] Consent agenda approved unanimous.

[7:08] Now, we first item on the time to agenda is Lindsay Meyer, Finance Director, good morning.

[7:14] Good morning, Mr. Chair and board members.

[7:16] years, before you is a resolution to accept our 2025 Performance Management Statistical

[7:26] Information.

[7:27] And this is a grant which was set up by legislation in 2011.

[7:35] We have been participating since the beginning.

[7:37] The requirements with this grant is that we publish 10 measurements that are identified as

[7:45] standard by the Office of the State Auditor and it is actually statistical data that we create

[7:53] throughout the county on an ongoing basis at any ways. So by publishing these and accepting

[8:00] the publication of these, we receive approximately $21,000.

[8:06] Oh,

[8:10] we're doing the work anyways. So with that being said, I would encourage board members for

[8:16] for a motion to approve resolution 2645.

[8:19] So moved.

[8:20] I'll second.

[8:21] Motion by Commissioner Shane,

[8:22] second by Commissioner Holland, any further discussion.

[8:25] Hearing none, resolution vote, Commissioner Moina.

[8:28] Aye.

[8:29] Aye.

[8:31] Resolution passes unanimous.

[8:32] Thank you.

[8:32] Thank you, Lindsay.

[8:33] It's nice to state's giving us so much money.

[8:37] They give us thousands and shift us millions and expensive.

[8:40] That's right.

[8:41] We should be happy for that time of 1000.

[8:44] good morning Chad. Good morning chair commissioners. We have a white one item today. We opened bids yesterday for the truck every 24 XAS 7 reconstruction project and clear water. Land work construction and corporate out of St. Claude was a little biter.

[9:01] Bids range from 5.1 million to 6.9 million roughly, and as you're asking about 5.9, so good

[9:09] range of bids.

[9:11] So we're recommending award of contract 2609 to land, but because there's some federal

[9:19] state grants, we have some pre-award approvals from MINDAT, so asking that to award 2609 to

[9:27] instruction in the amount of 5 million 137,000 843,000 21 cents contingent on

[9:33] min. approval's clearances such as office of civil rights workforce development

[9:38] plan and funding distribution, et cetera. So I will make that motion.

[9:43] That's second. All right. We motion by Commissioner Hall second by Commissioner

[9:47] Dietrich to award contract 20609 to land we're construct land we're

[9:53] construction and the amount of 5,137,843,021 send contingent on mined out approvals. Any discussion?

[10:04] Yeah, I just I have a question. Do we have any timelines factored into this contract on as

[10:11] far as when they need to complete the project by just so that it's not left open and then a giant

[10:18] and mess over the winter time?

[10:21] Yes, traffic on 24 has to be maintained at all times,

[10:24] and then work on Casas 7 has to be finished, I think,

[10:28] by October 15th, or open the traffic.

[10:30] It doesn't mean all the work will be done,

[10:31] but everything needs to be opened the traffic by the 15th.

[10:34] And it's going to clarify that we do have,

[10:36] if you look at our agenda item, if you do the math,

[10:39] we have 6.2 million in grant funds,

[10:42] and the project is 5.1.

[10:44] So that the remainder of most of it is eligible for construction and engineering reimbursement costs.

[10:51] So that's part of what takes some time with the fiscal distributors to figure out what's

[10:57] eligible for engineering and then so it's a good thing.

[11:00] So our local share will only be state, municipal, construction, and local dollars.

[11:06] So this would be a good project, so any questions?

[11:10] I use Mr. Chair, members of the board.

[11:12] I'd just like to mention for the record here

[11:14] that this project was made possible by,

[11:17] with Emma and by Senator Klobuchar on this matter.

[11:20] This had $3.7 million in Congressional designate

[11:23] extending without them, this project won't be occurring.

[11:27] So crossing out the thanks.

[11:28] Thank you.

[11:29] And Mr. Chair, if I could, I just wanna say thank you again

[11:33] for the road tour yesterday to see the projects

[11:35] that were in process right now

[11:38] and the ones to come in the future.

[11:41] It was very interesting to see the hot area over there

[11:44] in Otcego with the Costco,

[11:46] because that's all we've been hearing about in our area,

[11:49] to see how well,

[11:50] because I know there was a lot of groups involved with that,

[11:53] a lot of the cities, the county,

[11:55] the Min Dot, all of the above.

[11:58] So it was great to see that collaboration

[12:00] all coming together and we see that tour.

[12:03] And again, the parks were fabulous as well, but yeah.

[12:07] Thanks.

[12:07] Thanks. Thank you. That was a good day. Thank you. Thank you.

[12:12] Matt, wait, never so patiently.

[12:14] Oh, Mr. Chair, we need a vote. Oh, yeah.

[12:15] That's a good discussion. We have a contract. We had a motion by Commissioner Holland,

[12:20] second by Commissioner Dietrich to approve contract 20609, the other discussion.

[12:25] All in favor say aye.

[12:27] Aye.

[12:27] Both same sign. All right. Motion passed as unanimous. All right.

[12:32] Matt, good morning.

[12:33] we are going to take a first step ever here potentially. So the first item on

[12:41] there would be adopting resolution 2646 related to the findings and orders

[12:45] granting a petition for abandonment of Wright County ditch one judicial

[12:51] ditch one which is to my knowledge the only dish that we've abandoned in my

[12:58] seniority and even 10 years prior to that that I know of so I don't know maybe

[13:01] ever. That's fifth try that we've done in Wright County. I know one that happened 20 years ago in

[13:07] another county. Other than that, that's the only ones I know across the state. So, it's exciting.

[13:13] So, I think after a great review and a good discussion by individuals that lived on that system,

[13:22] coming to the conclusion that there is no benefit to that system is the right findings.

[13:28] things, but I'm going to stand for members here if they want to make any comments.

[13:34] Motion to resolution 2646.

[13:37] I'll second.

[13:38] All right.

[13:38] Motion by Commissioner Moyna.

[13:40] Second by Commissioner Holland to adopt a resolution 2646 with the full abandonment of

[13:46] right county judicial ditch one.

[13:52] No other discussion?

[13:54] Roll call vote.

[13:55] Commissioner Shane.

[13:56] Aye.

[13:57] Aye.

[13:58] Aye.

[13:59] the motion passes unanimous so this was kind of a groundbreaking circumstance here and I think

[14:09] this was the right decision and I think this is worth the efforts to look more at this in the

[14:15] future when applicable the standards are high for full abandonment but I believe that with the work

[14:22] of staff and board members in researching into this we came to the right conclusion so yeah

[14:27] I just want to say too that the land owners that showed up, you know, provided a lot of things in writing, a lot of

[14:33] phone calls back and forth with them. They were very involved with the process and that's really nice to see, especially with the process like this.

[14:39] Yeah, thank you, ma'am.

[14:42] Matt's workload dropped by a half a percent.

[14:47] Added two more things to ring out.

[14:50] Next we have a schedule public hearing on the petition of impounding and rerouting and diverting

[14:58] and range system percentage.

[15:00] Minister Statue 103, 227. Yeah, so the city of Muscle has submitted a petition for that. It's that part of Statue composes a few things. It's for empowerment and rerouting of the ditch. So the city is planning on installing a new stormwater system that could be used as the outlet for county December 33. It's a great win for the residents there. Stormwater systems are managed different and pay for differently than county ditches. So be huge cost savings for residents in the city and the township.

[15:29] if this process goes through, but it does require public hearing, so we are looking to schedule

[15:33] that public hearing. All the line owners would be noticed, would be noticed in the paper,

[15:37] and we just need to pick a day where the petitioners, the city, with WSP on the behalf of the city,

[15:43] would be presenting their petition and what they plan to do, so be very technical meeting to

[15:47] describe what their process is and what they're looking to do. But if we go through that process,

[15:52] you're hopefully soon, so they can get work started this year, you'd be awesome.

[15:56] Well, I will have to say I am very excited for this, this is a culmination of almost a

[16:05] decade's worth of work. Your entire career thus far here in Wright County has encompassed

[16:11] this project. Most of my 10 year on the board has encompassed this project to actually see it come

[16:16] to fruition potentially here. I always have to use the word potentially because I tell you, I thought

[16:20] we were close three, four years ago, and we ran into road blocks. So seeing it actually happen here,

[16:27] and maybe in subsequent meetings down the road, a banding portion of that ditch due to the

[16:33] collaboration with the City of Monticello is phenomenal. And we're saving landowners,

[16:39] millions of dollars on this and with the ability for us to get the amount of grand funding that we got

[16:45] from a variety of different locations this was. Yeah, yeah, it's better like it was a very much

[16:51] a partnership township was involved city was involved lots and lots of meetings over the past

[16:55] in years about this project. So I think a lot of people are excited and now we can actually give

[16:59] some updates to residents hopefully at this hearing. So it was quite an emotional roller coaster.

[17:04] I think the first meeting it was like pitchforks in torches to then there got some excitement got

[17:10] everybody the table degree on some things and then it kind of fell apart so like you know

[17:15] that we're back up at the top of the coast are ready to come down, right?

[17:19] That's so I'm excited to see get some results done. I'm going to get a lot of calls

[17:23] as sure you do to you when we talk a lot at night and update each other on the

[17:27] progress. So be nice to be able to give some good news hopefully here. I still

[17:31] feel really disnights too that they're working on 94 to just finish the whole deal

[17:37] and so that is going to be really nice for those landowners. I still think

[17:43] we're going to have to do a ribbon cutting on that outlet. After this much work,

[17:48] we'll be the one and only ribbon cutting that we've ever had on that. They ditched

[17:52] system. Yeah, just don't get run over by a bicep now. That's true. All right. With that,

[18:00] I will stand for a motion to set a public hearing on August 11th at 10.30 a.m. So moved.

[18:06] Second motion by Commissioner Holland. Second by Commissioner Moin at any further discussion.

[18:11] hearing none all in favor say aye aye those same sign all right motion passes

[18:16] unanimous thank you well it looks like Mr. Fombie's here to tell us some

[18:23] exciting news recently

[18:29] at a conference there were two major awards awarded one of

[18:35] which was global in nature and since I have been told I have a face for radio and

[18:41] a voice for print I will now turn the time over to Mrs. Clopkey and Hibidou

[18:46] So, if they would move quicker.

[18:59] Good morning, Mr. Chair and Board Members.

[19:04] We were very honored recently to be able to attend community life and accept an award on behalf of Wright County for Highland Innovation for customer experience changemaker.

[19:18] We were able to accept this award, and I guess we were honored to do so, but this award

[19:23] is really for the entire county.

[19:25] Everybody from Lindsay and Tony's teams in the assessor's office and finance and taxpayer

[19:31] services for being willing to discuss process changes, enhancements that we could provide,

[19:37] to projects to actually leading those discovery sessions, and to other areas in IT outside of

[19:43] just our on-base realm, the Tina and I work in.

[19:47] This is Wright County's transformation.

[19:50] It's more than a technology implementation.

[19:52] It really is restoring the relationship

[19:54] between government and the constituents.

[19:57] It allows them to check the status of their applications.

[20:01] It's an ADA compliant way for them to submit documents.

[20:07] Yes, so with the abatement project

[20:10] that we received from the Assessor's Department,

[20:12] We were able to bring new technology into Reikoni,

[20:16] Jadoo Central, and it really does, as Misti was saying,

[20:20] provide more transparency,

[20:22] provide the digital, constituent experience.

[20:26] And the county's residents were facing frustrating reality

[20:29] when applying for abatements or property tax reductions,

[20:34] exemptions, but the residents faced, you know,

[20:38] filling out paper forms coming into the office

[20:41] between Monday through Friday, 8 to 4.30, wait times, lack of clarity about case progress.

[20:48] And Jody Central, as Misty said, is ADA and Section 508 compliant

[20:53] and it allows them to submit those applications when they are able to, right?

[20:59] We're meeting them where they are.

[21:01] If it's a Saturday at 2 o'clock in the afternoon,

[21:04] and that's when you have the moment to take that time to fill out that request,

[21:08] you can do so. It tracks the status of the documents they submit. It integrates

[21:15] with on-base, as these departments are doing their work, they're able to see. It

[21:20] hasn't been accepted, hasn't been approved, hasn't been denied. What is

[21:24] happening? Who do I need to call to check on the status? Maybe it's through the

[21:28] assessor's department and waiting with taxpayer services. They're no longer

[21:32] calling one counter only to be referred to another. When Misty and I looked at

[21:37] this project. We really saw it as a three-pronged project. Yes, definite customer experience change,

[21:45] right? Meeting our constituents where they are. But also we were able to provide our departments

[21:50] with a much better or not better but more customer-friendly experience to see the reality of where

[21:58] these applications were. Think about that proverbial bus, right? When we talk about paper sitting on

[22:03] someone's desk versus being able to log into on base and see who it is with. I can answer that

[22:10] customer's question in the moment rather than referring them to someone else. At the same time,

[22:16] we gave management the insight they needed to continue to drive continuous improvement

[22:22] with this particular area to strive for those policy changes. We are very proud of the work we were

[22:29] able to accomplish with all of the teams we were interfacing with, and we are very happy

[22:34] to present you with these awards.

[22:36] Thank you.

[22:45] What a lot of work you guys did, thanks so much.

[22:48] Well, we are very proud of both of you and all the staff involved in this because it doesn't

[22:53] happen without you and everyone else involved in it and making these steps forward to becoming

[22:59] coming, more accessible and more transparent is all on the benefit to the internal staff and the citizens alike.

[23:06] So thank you so much.

[23:07] Yeah, so if we get a picture, I was going to say, let's do a picture.

[23:10] Yes, we'll come on.

[23:12] You can grab the, I'll let you hold this, hold that, it's actually good and heavy.

[23:47] Here we go, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, that was good.

[24:11] that. Yes.

[24:14] All right. And now items for consideration. First one would be the cancellation

[24:22] of the July 14th County Board Workshop.

[24:27] This time, look for a motion to move forward.

[24:30] Motion by Commissioner Holland, second by Commissioner Shane, any further discussion.

[24:35] Hearing none, all in favor say aye. Aye.

[24:38] All right.

[24:38] Opposed?

[24:38] Same sign.

[24:39] All right.

[24:40] Workshop on July 14th is cancelled.

[24:42] Next would be the resolution for, sorry, dot resolution 2647 for the general expense allowance,

[24:52] which is helping us for the budgets here for this upcoming fall.

[24:57] I'll go ahead and make that motion.

[24:58] All right.

[24:59] Motion by commissioner Shane.

[25:02] Second.

[25:03] Second by commissioner Moina.

[25:04] Any discussion?

[25:05] Hearing none.

[25:07] Resolution vote.

[25:07] I'll vote aye.

[25:08] Aye.

[25:09] Hi.

[25:10] Hi.

[25:11] All right.

[25:11] Resolution passes unanimous.

[25:13] And next we have the, at the August 25th board meeting, looking for a motion to do that.

[25:22] Tell us.

[25:23] All right.

[25:23] Motion by Commissioner Shane.

[25:24] Second.

[25:25] Second by Commissioner Holland.

[25:27] Any discussion?

[25:30] Hearing none.

[25:31] All in favor say aye.

[25:32] Aye.

[25:32] Opposed.

[25:33] Same sign.

[25:33] All right.

[25:34] Board meeting approved unanimously, August 25th.

[25:37] and item D, the update on the land use plan in the RFP process, Mr. Matys.

[25:53] Good morning, Mr. Chair, members of the board.

[25:57] I think at our April workshop, we agreed to move forward with the land use plan,

[26:01] a comprehensive rate, red county comprehensive plan that will include the long range transportation plan update

[26:07] as well as an update to the red county parks and recreation comprehensive plan,

[26:11] update to our land use plan and zoning from that meeting. I believe the

[26:17] conversation probably no real action was to try to get an RFP out late summer early

[26:21] fall of this year. I'm trying to get consult and some board did interviews go on

[26:25] things like that on that proposal. That would dictate the schedule because part of

[26:30] RFP would be what schedule they have for availability and how they can roll

[26:34] that out for public input sessions, stakeholder input and all that type of stuff.

[26:38] Do you have an RFP already drawn up already or are we still in their process?

[26:41] I'm still in that process. Okay. So I'm guessing soon this be out probably September, latest

[26:50] October-ish. I'm hoping October-ish. Okay. Yep. I'm gonna try to get that out sooner. All right.

[26:59] Very, very good. And how long will that take? The RFP? No, the whole process.

[27:05] Yes.

[27:05] A whole process will be asking for each proposal to put together and implement a schedule

[27:12] so we can review what type of schedule they're looking at.

[27:15] We're probably, I mean, if you have a specific timeline you're looking for for completion

[27:20] and adoption, we can add that to the RFP.

[27:23] In my experience, a lot of it depends on the comments and the political will of it.

[27:30] I mean, some those can go about 18 months, sometimes you can get them done in nine months,

[27:35] it just depends on the people involved in it and how quickly you can come to a consensus

[27:41] on it.

[27:42] So if it's a very debated hot topic, it could go on for quite an extensive period of time.

[27:49] So I think it's hard to even pinpoint a timeline on it per se.

[27:52] So I have the consultants that will be requesting proposals from put together the timeline and

[27:58] schedules for your review as the board is probably the best way to do it, to make sure

[28:01] that they're hitting your objectives for who they're talking to, who the stakeholders

[28:06] are, those public input sessions, where they're asked throughout the county, do you want

[28:10] two public input sessions, or do you want one in each district, do you want more than that,

[28:14] those are some of the things that we have to work with whoever runs us to do.

[28:19] So do you feel like you have a good direction from the board in terms of scope, since we're

[28:23] talking about this being more of a comp plan versus just like a land use plan, at least

[28:27] that was some of the discussion before.

[28:29] So do you feel that when creating that RFP,

[28:33] you have good scoping direction from the board?

[28:35] I will do my best to write up an RFP

[28:38] with what I understand from the board.

[28:41] Have the board review at maybe

[28:42] at the workshop August, September before any publish

[28:45] to make sure we're hitting those expectations.

[28:48] As far as like I say, public input, stakeholder involvement,

[28:51] things like that.

[28:53] Is that sound good to board members?

[29:02] I appreciate the fact that we're doing all three together.

[29:07] There's a lot of positive comments about that.

[29:10] It will be good to do all three.

[29:13] The land use plan especially is 20 years old.

[29:16] We're growing really fast.

[29:18] And I think all the townships would be happy to see that

[29:22] done sooner than later so a lot of it goes with transportation if you have a land use plan that says this area the county is set to do X X and X

[29:31] and the transportation plan says we're not really improving our road system there and all of a sudden you have an influx of growth.

[29:37] Yeah.

[29:39] Creates priority shifts so to tie them together are kind of key.

[29:43] Yeah great idea so good I look forward to going through the process.

[29:48] Yes.

[29:49] Thank you.

[29:49] Thanks, Mark.

[29:50] Thank you.

[29:51] All right.

[29:52] Is there any other parting comments here from board members before we adjourn?

[29:58] Hearing none, I guess we'll.

[30:00] During the county board meeting, June 30th at 9.28.

Wright County Board Meeting

Transcript