County Board approves new clerk, discusses projects

County Administrator Vince Netherland reminded the board before their approval that they had given the Executive Committee the authority to interview candidates and make a recommendation to the full county board in December.

Netherland said a total of seven candidates were interviewed before they arrived on the recommendation of Lundeen.

“We narrowed it down to four, which the committee interviewed, and the committee makes a recommendation tonight on who they would put forward … for the full board’s approval.”

Asked if Lundeen would be able to meet the residency requirement for the position, Lundeen told the board that her family had been renting until they could purchase a new home, something that would be happening shortly. 

2023 projects being completed across the county include

The Recycling Center improvements are in the design stages as county staff are in the process of applying for addition grants to cover the cost of equipment. 

The Government Center Project continues and the county board was told that starting in January, all board meetings will be held in the new board room. Staff is currently working through tests on the audio/video system, and that for some items they are still wading through long lead times because of supply chain issues.

Projects at the museum and fair are also under way with updates to the museum rest rooms and door replacements. In 2023, plans call for improvements to the “coal room” at the museum, as well as window replacements. At the fair, a new public address system is being installed, as well as a new large cooler.

Work at the Justice Center is continuing with the installation of new lighting and new sidewalks. In addition, bids for the replacement of the Justice Center roof will be opened Jan. 21.

In 2023, the Government Center’s outer envelope will be re-caulked, and LED lights.

Highway projects that have been completed and others being planned for completion in the coming year are:

Repaving Highway F from Amery to Highway PP.

Mill and overlay project on Highway PP from Little Falls to Deronda. 

Chip-sealing was completed on highways O, A, and C. All these projects came in 3% under budget.

The bridge deck on Kirsch Road was milled and overlayed.

The county has completed improvements along several trails.

This year, there will be chip-sealing on Highway JJ, Highway W, and Highway G, as well as Highway N in downtown Cushing.

Pavement replacement on Highway P from Highway A to Highway 63 – the county secured an extra $300,000 from the state for that project. 

Highway workers will be laying the first 3.9 miles of Highway P north of Highway 8.

Overlay work will be completed around Clayton and bridges on Highway K east of Highway 65 will be replaced this year.

The board was told that a new addition to the county website is a button that will indicate which trails are open and which are closed.

In addition, board members were told about the replacement of some docks, the new concrete boat ramp at Magnor and new play equipment at DD Kennedy. 

The Clam Falls Dam replacement included the report on borings around the site that showed sediment at much deeper levels than anticipated.

Work on updated the county mobile command center was also discussed, as work continues on that project. 

The county is also now hooked up to a new communications tower placed in Taylors Falls.