Caledonia Argus

County passes meth ordinance

Posted: 5/11/04

By David Heiller
Argus News Editor

The Houston County Board approved an ordinance aimed at methamphetamine labs at its May 4 meeting in the courthouse in Caledonia.

The ìCleanup of Clandestine Drug Lab Sites Ordinanceî spells out who does what in the event of a methamphetamine bust, Houston County Public Health Director Linda Grupa said.

For example, some jobs are handled by the sheriffís department, and some by social services.

Attorney Rick Jackson added that it provides clear direction on who authorizes clean up and who foots the bill.

The new ordinance states that the home or land owner is responsible for cleaning up any methamphetamine waste. The county can assess up to 75 percent of the value of the property to recover costs it incurs.

Having the ordinance in place also gives the county access to some state funds for this.

Grupa said that an average cost to clean-up a methamphetamine lab is $2,500. Sixty percent of the costs are human services costs, she said.

The board also approved an agreement between the county and Hilltopper Refuse and Recycling for hauling metals deposited at the five Houston County drop-off sites to the Alter Scrap Processing in La Crosse.

ï Permits approved: Four conditional use permits and eight zoning permits also got the go-ahead by the board. They were first approved by the board of adjustment and the planning commission on April 22.

Rick Frank, county environmental services director, gave some background on the conditional use permit for Doug and Connie Haugstad for building a house on 12 acres of the former John Giblin farm now owned by Wayne Houdek in Brownsville township. Frank said the Gaustads want a three year extension of the permit, because they donít plan on building right away. The board approved it.

Board members also enthusiastically endorsed the permit for Midwest Wireless Communication to build a communications tower in an agricultural district in Houston Township. The 180-foot-high tower will go on a 90-acre parcel owned by Ken Ranzenberger. It will provide cell phone service for the city of Houston, along Highway 16 east and west, and on Highway 76 to the north. ìAlleluia!î commissioner Kevin Kelleher said.

The tower will not have any lights on it because it is under 200 feet in height.

ï Corrections agent: The board approved the hiring of Nicole Hintz as a corrections agent in the probation office, replacing Kara Fausch. Two drop-site supervisors, Dan Hanus and Alan Mechtel, were also hired to be used as needed.

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