County Board Earmarks $725,000 of Federal Stimulus Funds for Infrastructure Improvements

In a work session after their regular meeting, the Lake of the Woods County Board of Commissioners earmarked close to half million dollars in ARPA funds for various county infrastructure improvements. The ARPA funds, amounting to about $725,000, were the county's share of the Federal Government's 1.9 trillion dollar stimulus bill to aid public health and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recipients of the funds must obligate them by December 31, 2024, and spend them by December 31, 2026. ARPA funds were originally intended to: Fight the pandemic and support families and businesses struggling with its public health and economic impacts. Maintain vital public services, even amid declines in revenue, and build a strong, resilient, and equitable recovery by making investments that support long-term growth and opportunity.

A final ruling effective April 1, 2022, states that ARPA funds may also be used for capital expenditures, expanding public sector hiring and capacity, premium pay for essential workers, and broadening eligible broadband, water, and sewer infrastructure.

According to County Auditor Lorene Hanson, "Over $70,000 of the ARPA funds have already been spent, which leaves $655,585 to be distributed."
With the above in mind the board met in a work session after their May 9th Regular Meeting and earmarked a large portion of the county's ARPA funds for the following:
• $18,000 allocated to the County Historical Society to help pay for a needed new roof.
• $27,000 is to go to the Baudette Volunteer Fire Department for a new air compressor for their pressurized breathing equipment.
• $2,500 is to go to the Northwest Angle for new signage at the Jim's Corner check-in point.
• $6,000 was earmarked for the county's part in purchasing trail mowers for the ATV Club to construct and maintain a cross-county ATV trail.
• $40,000 was pledged to Public Works for hi-visibility lighted stop signs at high-traffic county highway intersections. Specifically mentioned were intersections at County 8 and Highway 172, County 2 and 8, County 1 and 3, and County 17 and 8.
• $30,000 was earmarked for electrical infrastructure at the County Fair Grounds.
• $20,000 was pledged for sealing open wells. The topic of sealing unused water wells around the county has been discussed at length at previous board meetings.
• $5,000 was earmarked to replace a floating dock lost during the spring flooding at Clementson Wayside Park.

Also attending the work session were HRDC Development Specialist Lucas Wakefield and HRDC Community Development Specialist McKayla Carter Syverson. The Headwaters Regional Development Commission (HRDC) is a regional planning and development organization that serves local governments in the five counties area of north central Minnesota. And with Wakefield's suggestions, the Commissioners allocated $200,000 in ARPA funds for seed money towards a senior-oriented housing project and another $200,000 for a revolving loan fund to be administered by the County's Economic Development Administration. It was decided by consensus to leave the remaining $107,000 in ARPA funds to be allocated at a later date.

In other county-related business, the commissioners:

• Paid Social Services Claims as presented by Social Services Director Amy Ballard. The availability of volunteer drivers to transport Social Service's clients was discussed with Ballard saying that volunteer drivers were needed "all over the state."

• Paid the Auditor/Treasurer's Claims as presented by Auditor/Treasurer Lorene Hanson. The Board also unanimously approved a resolution to have Hanson draft a letter in support of PILT (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) payments.

• Heard a legislative update from Board Chair Ed Arnesen, who said that demolition of the Williams School is not likely to happen any time soon, telling the board, "Trying for bonding funds is the only possible solution." The school was tax-forfeited to the state, but the county is responsible for managing it. "So who's liable?" asked Commissioner Waibel.

• Heard particulars about funding for the needed roof repair from Historical Society Director Lindsay Marshall. After all the fundraising efforts, they're still short around $23,000 to cover the bid from Frenzel Roofing.

• Heard updates from Drifters Snowmobile Club representatives Randy Orton and Moriah Mollberg and Edge Riders Snow Mobile Club Representative Joe Laurin. Lauren told the board about planned trail maintenance across the Northerly Park area. Orton and Mollberg told the board about replacing bridges along their maintained trails with culverts because their new equipment is wider than most of their old bridges. "We're also planning on purchasing a new tractor and mower," Orton told the board.

• Raised the beaver bounty from $45/tail to $75/tail which is more in line with other northern counties. Local trapper Jim Luckenbill told the board that the time to go after female beavers is right now while they're pregnant, telling the board, "If you wait until fall, you've got to trap out the young also."

• Unanimously approved expenditure of about $1,000/season to provide a handicapped accessible portajohn at the Boy Scout Camp.

• Discussed with County Engineer A.J. Pirkl matching funds that the county would have to come up with to have data collected on stream flow and wave action affecting Pine and Sable Islands. Pirkl told the board that the International Joint Commission would cover $225,000 of the cost, and MPCA would survey the entire bay with the USGS doing a bathometric survey. The whole study would cost the county "around $20,000." The board allocated $21,500 from Unallocated Reserves to pay the county's part of the survey.

• Unanimously approved acceptance of the Stone Garden Grant of $50,000 earmarked for a new car for the Sheriff's Department. The commissioners also accepted a $6,277 Boat and Water Grant for the Sheriff's Department.

• Put a used oil-burning furnace up for sale with no minimum bid.

• Approved Conditional Use Permit #23-04 for Jason and Christina Draper to operate a short-term rental property pending inspection of the site and septic system. It was recommended to limit the number of rental occupants to six unless the septic drain field capacity was increased.

• Approved Conditional Use Permits #23-05 to Dan Crompton to replace rock fill along an existing road.

• Approved the preliminary plat of the Hooper Creek subdivision with the assurance that the roadway would be privately maintained similarly to Driftwood Acres. Commissioner Hasbargen abstained from this vote.

• Heard from Public Health Nurse Kay Schell about grant dollars available to combat opioid overuse and the epidemic of Fentanyl misuse. The commissioners also set up a committee to work with the Prevention Coalition to train people around the county to use available Narcan inhaler treatments for opioid overdoses.

There being no further county related business to discuss, Board Chair Arnesen recessed the meeting at 11:20 a.m., to reconvene as a work session at 12:15 p.m..