Lake of the Woods County Board of Commissioners Proceedings

                                                               December 30, 2025

CALL TO ORDER Chair Jon Waibel called the meeting to order at 9:00a.m. and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited with the following members present: Commissioners: Jon Waibel, Ed Arnesen, Cody Hasbargen, Joe Grund, and Buck Nordlof. Also present was Auditor-Treasurer Lorene Hanson. 

APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion was made by Commissioner Ed Arnesen, seconded by Commissioner Joe Grund and carried unanimously to approve the agenda with the following changes: Add: PT Deputy Sheriff/Dispatch Position, Permission to Bid, Set Closed Session-Williams Creek, CHS Board Discussion.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion was made by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the official minutes of December 16,2025.

SOCIAL SERVICES Claims Motion was made by Commissioner Buck Nordlof  , seconded by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen  and carried unanimously to approve the following claims: Commissioners Warrants $577.34; Commissioners Warrants $10,088.31; Commissioners Warrants $20,061.92.

Auditor/Treasurer Claims Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Commissioner Ed Arnesen and carried unanimously to approve the claims against the County as follows: Revenue $71,881.53; Road & Bridge $11,775.23; County Development $1000.00; Natural Resources Enhancement $712.50; Joint Ditch $27,715.00; Solid Waste $15,190.53.

Motion  was made by Commissioner Joe Grund to adopt the following County Commissioners salaries schedule and County Board Chair salary schedule for the year 2026; and to adopt a committee meeting per diem of $135.00 for the year 2026.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen and the same being put to a vote, was unanimously carried.

Motion was made by Commissioner Buck Nordlof to adopt a Technology Fee of $50.00 per month for County Commissioners for the year 2026. (Technology fee reimbursement for county related phone, internet, computer and copy expenses.)  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Ed Arnesen and the same being put to a vote, was unanimously carried.

Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Commissioner Ed Arnesen and unanimously carried to approve the 2026 Salary Grade Table, with an increase of 4% to the 2025 Salary Grade Table. This table is to be used by all employees excluding employees under the Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc Unions - Licensed and Non-Licensed.

Motion was made by Commissioner Buck Nordlof, seconded by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen and unanimously carried to approve the 2026 Salary Grade Table, with an increase of 3% to the 2025 Salary Grade Table. This table is to be used by all employees under the Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc Unions - Licensed and Non-Licensed.

Motion was made by Commissioner Ed Arnesen, seconded by Commissioner Joe Grund and unanimously carried to adopt the following Elected Officials salary schedule for the year 2026.  

Motion was made by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen to adopt the following Non-Elected Department Heads salary schedule for the year 2026.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Ed Arnesen and the same being put to a vote, was unanimously carried.  

Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Grund to adopt the following Non-Elected Department Heads salary schedule for the year 2026.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and the same being put to a vote, was unanimously carried.  

Salary Adjustment, as agreed upon per Union Contract Motion- Solid Waste Union

Salary Adjustment, as agreed upon per Union Contract Motion- Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc Union

All County Employees (Full time/Permanent Part Time/Part Time/Seasonal Employees) Salary Adjustment (Excluding Elected and Non-Elected Department Heads, International Union of Operating Engineers Union Employees and Licensed and Non-Licensed Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc Union Employees)  Motion- Non-Union was made by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen to adjust all non-union employees: full time, permanent part time, part time and seasonal (excluding elected and non-elected department heads) salaries by a 4% general adjustment and by 1 merit step, if applicable (not maxed), effective January 1, 2026.  Motion was seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and the same being put to a vote, was unanimously carried.Health Insurance/Health Care Savings Plan Motion (motion made 10/14/2025)

Motion to Pay Year End Bills Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the payment of year end bills on the Auditors list on December 31, 2025.

IRS Mileage Rate Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously by roll call to approve the 2026 Standard IRS Mileage rate for business miles at 72.5 cents per mile and 82.5 cents per mile for volunteer drivers for veterans.

Resolution for Year End Commitments  Resolution 

                                                            RESOLUTION 

     YEAR END COMMITMENT OF FUNDS 

                                                      RESOLUTION NO. 25-12-04 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Lake of the Woods County hereby commits the following reserves with the amounts to be determined at a later date: Building; Community Health; Elections; Health/Medical; Housing Rehabilitation; Land & Building Acquisitions; Sheriff’s Posse; Sheriff’s Vending Commission; Technology; Transit; Drainage Maintenance; Economic Development; Prepaid Fiber; SANE; Snowmobile Trails; Future Equipment, and Future Budget Expenditures; Borderland DUI Drug Court; Wetland Banks; Opioid Funds; USDA Funds; Day Care-Deed; Sewer; Blue Blades; Voter. 

Whereas Lake of the Woods County Board, pursuant to MN Statute §469.093, Subd.1 has provided a public notice and conducted a public hearing on September 14, 2010 to consider the creation of an Economic Development Authority and adopted the Enabling Resolution creating the same; and Whereas the County Board of Commissioners of the County of Lake of the Woods adopted the following:

Board Member                      Term Expires             Representing

Whereas the City of Baudette member is to be replaced;     

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the County Board of Commissioners of the County of Lake of the Woods hereby rappoints the following board members for a 6-year term;

Wheelers Sanitation Board Member Appointment                                    

Motion was made by Joe Grund, seconded by Cody Hasbargen and carried unanimously by roll call to appoint Brian Ney and Paul Johnson to the Wheeler’s Point Sanitary District Board for a three year term beginning January 2, 2026 thru January 2, 2029. 

Memorandum of Understanding Borderland Treatment Court Motion was made by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the memorandum of understanding between Borderland Treatment Court and Lake of the Woods County as presented.

CHS Board Member Discussion County Auditor-Treasurer Lorene Hanson informed the board that Tom Mio would no longer be a member of the CHS board. There was discussion around possible replacements.

Human Resources Set Work Session Motion was made by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to set a work session for the Sheriff’s Office for January 6, 2026 following the regular board meeting.

Public Works County Surveyor Contract Motion was made by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the three year contract with Bolton & Menk, Inc with a five percent increase annually effective January 1, 2026.

Permission to Advertise for Bid SAP 039-599-009 Motion was made by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen, seconded by Commissioner Joe Grund and carried unanimously to approve the request to advertise for bids for SAP 039-599-009. 

WHEREAS, a Public Hearing was held at the Lake of the Woods County Commissioners Room at the Lake of the Woods Government Center on August 12, 2025, to determine whether the building known as the “Tobin Fish House” located in the right-of-way of CSAH #8 constitutes a nuisance and/or hazardous building.  Further the hearing was held to determine whether actions taken by the Tobin Fish House owners violated provisions of various Lake of the Woods County Ordinances;

WHEREAS, said notice of the public hearing was properly noticed and served upon the owners;

WHEREAS, Lake of the Woods County Highway Engineer, AJ Pirkl and Lake of the Woods County Land and Water Planning Director Josh Stromlund presented the County Board with the following documents and provided verbal statements regarding the alleged nuisance and alleged ordinance violations:

WHEREAS, Attorney Alan Fish, was present and represented Jon and James Meikle (“Owners”). Alan Fish on behalf of the Owners presented arguments in support of modifications made to the Tobin Fish House;

WHEREAS, the Board tabled the decision following the Public Hearing and took action on December 16, 2025. Following review, the Board adopted the evidence presented by AJ Pirkl and Josh Stromlund as its findings in this matter;

WHEREAS, the Board finds the owners are in violation of Section 1.24 of the Lake of the Woods County Right-of-Way Ordinance, Subdivision 3: Nuisance, as the Tobin Fish House has never been registered with Lake of the Woods County;

WHEREAS, the Board further finds that the owners are in violation of Section 1.20 of the Lake of the Woods County Right-of-Way Ordinance – Work Done Without a Permit by making modifications to the existing structure without a permit and which modifications created a danger to public safety by placing large concrete blocks on said structure which is located in the right-of-way of CSAH #8;

WHEREAS, the Board further finds that Section 602-1 of the Lake of the Woods County Zoning Ordinance – Nonconforming Buildings or Structures. The Board finds that the original structure was “nonconforming” as it does not meet setback requirements. The zoning ordinance states in part that nonconforming structures cannot be expanded or enlarged without first obtaining a variance. The Board finds that the placement of concrete blocks and crushed rock beyond the existing building walls constitutes an unauthorized expansion. The Board further finds that no variance has been issued to the owners for this expansion;

WHEREAS, the Board further finds that the Tobin Fish House constitutes a nuisance and further, pursuant to Minn. Stat. §§ 463.15 and 463.261, said structure, with the modifications made, further constitutes a hazardous building for the following reasons:

WHEREAS, the conditions listed above are more fully documented in the documents submitted by AJ Pirkl. (Copies of which are attached to this Resolution as Exhibit A.)

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LAKE OF THE WOODS COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, LAKE OF THE WOODS COUNTY, MINNESOTA, AS FOLLOWS:      

                                                        RESOLUTION NO. 25-12-07

WHEREAS, Lake of the Woods County contains unique geographic, hydrologic, and soil conditions that present challenges for effective and efficient agricultural operations; and

WHEREAS, Lake of the Woods County contains approximately 40,000 acres of agricultural land that is vital to our local economy; and

WHEREAS, these agricultural lands are highly manipulated due to constant tillage activities which make it difficult to determine said wetland boundaries; and

WHEREAS, if wetlands are located on these agricultural lands, the functions of these wetlands have been severely degraded due to the constant manipulation; and

WHEREAS, the Lake of the Woods County Board of Commissioners value the functions that undisturbed wetlands perform; and

WHEREAS, the wetland policies, prior to the 2024 Legislative changes, provided a balanced approach to agricultural production and wetland conservation; and

WHEREAS, recent statutory changes in state wetland policies have created unintended consequences for federal farm program participants and non-federal farm program participants; and

WHEREAS, these recent statutory changes removed several drainage exemptions, and now requires an agricultural producer to obtain a valid Certified Determination from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS); and 

WHEREAS, only 3 percent of the agricultural land in Lake of the Woods County has a valid Certified Determination to satisfy these statutory requirements; and

WHEREAS, a federal farm program participant may have to wait for up to two (2) years to receive a valid Certified Determination from the NRCS due to their current staffing levels; and

WHEREAS, this time delay may cost the federal farm program participant hundreds of thousands of dollars due to decreased yield; and

WHEREAS, a non-federal farm program participant has no opportunity to obtain a Certified Determination from the NRCS; and

WHEREAS, these statutory changes directly affect an agricultural producer’s ability to improve farming operations to be more effective and efficient and may jeopardize landowners’ eligibility for United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) program benefits; and

WHEREAS, these compliance challenges cannot be fully resolved at the local level and will require targeted legislative action; and

WHEREAS, the Lake of the Woods County Board of Commissioners seek clarity, predictability, and fairness in the application of wetland and drainage requirements for all agricultural producers in order to protect agricultural viability, support landowners, and maintain essential county economic opportunities; and

WHEREAS, the Minnesota Legislature has the authority to enact county-specific or statewide statutory remedies to address these issues;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Lake of the Woods County Board of Commissioners formally requests that legislation be introduced and passed during the 2026 Minnesota Legislative Session to provide a targeted statutory fix addressing drainage exemptions and related compliance issues affecting all agricultural producers;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Lake of the Woods County Board of Commissioners authorizes the Lake of the Woods County Auditor and the Land & Water Planning Director, and any contracted government relations representatives to work directly with legislators, state agencies, and local stakeholders to advance such legislation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Lake of the Woods County Board of Commissioners urges the Minnesota Legislature to consider the County’s unique conditions, economic reliance on agriculture, and the importance of functional drainage systems for agricultural production by retaining the current Certified Determination requirement and by reinstating the language contained in Minnesota Statute 103G.2241, subdivision 2, e*, as it was prior to the 2024 Legislative Session.

Set Closed Session Motion was made by Commissioner Ed Arnesen, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to set a closed session for January 6,2026.

Emergency Management 2024 EMP Grant Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the 2024 EMP Grant in the amount of $11,425.00 as presented by Emergency Management Director Jill Hasbargen-Olson.

Review Old/New Business Motion  was made by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Commissioner Ed Arnesen and carried unanimously to remove Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council/Outdoor Heritage Fund and County Life Flight/Ambulance from the old/new business on the agendas for 2026.

Recess A brief recess took place at 9:50 a.m. and reconvened at 10:00 a.m.

Adjourn Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to adjourn the meeting at 11:30 a.m.