Posted: 12/6/05
Engineer will look at useability of jail
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
County commissioners decided on November 29 to hire an engineer to assess the useability of the current jail building.
The request came from jail administrator Mark Schiltz, who is coordinating the proposed criminal justice center (CJC) project.
Paulson & Clark Engineering, will be paid $1,500-$2,500 to visit the site and perform structural calculations. Schiltz tried to find a local engineering company to do the work but was unable to do so. He did this at the request of commissioner Kevin Kelleher.
An engineer will look at the jail on December 13. A week later, the jail planner and preliminary architect will update the board on the engineerís findings and answer any other questions on it and the CJC, Schiltz said.
Kelleher asked if it would be possible to offer another jail tour like the one done last summer. Schiltz replied that he would give a tour to anyone that requested one.
In a related item at the end of the meeting, commissioner Ann Thompson asked the board for a motion to approve having her and the county attorney meet with two people who want to sell their homes to the county. The homes are located on an area near the present courthouse where the CJC might be built. The board passed a motion approving Thompsonís request.
The board also spent 40 minutes discussing construction management of the CJC with two people from Bossardt Corporation of Minneapolis.
Charlene Jason and Steve Kilmer told about their company and what they could provide the county. They stressed the importance of providing independent checks and balances with the architect. They said they would work to keep costs down, and would make sure the county knows what the design will cost. They would work on a fixed fee basis and not a percentage of the cost, Jason said.
Commissioners plan to use a construction management company on the project. One will probably be hired after the first of the year, once the square footage of the CJC is decided upon, Thompson said.
Feedlot permit tabled
Zoning administrator Bob Scanlan updated the board on a conditional use hearing that was held for Scott Sanness on November 17.
Sanness has applied for a permit to operate an animal feedlot with more than 300 animal units and construct a manure storage basin. (Any feedlot over 300 animal units requires a conditional use permit, as does a manure storage basin.) It would be located in section eight of Wilmington Township.
The feedlot would be a hog operation. It could have up to 990 animals units, or 2,475 hogs. A hog counts for .4 of an animal unit.
The Houston County Planning Commission tabled making a decision until it tours the site on December 15 at 3 p.m., Scanlan said.
Sanness has two proposed sites for the feedlot and basin, both of which meet Minnesota Pollution Control Agency guidelines, Scanlan said. He wants to put it at this location because he would have access to more land on which to spread the manure, Scanlan added.
Some people have objected to the project because they are worried about the smell, Scanlan said. Sanness told Scanlan that he would be open to the possibility of putting in bio-filters on the pit fans if the permit is approved. Bio-filters eliminate much of the odor by trapping the hydrogen sulfide, Scanlan said.
Dodge County requires bio-filters on all new manure pits, Scanlan said. Houston County might want to look at requiring that too, commissioner Tom Bjerke said. Scanlan said yes to that, and added that making the setback greater than a quarter mile would help too.
Bjerke said itís terrible to have a place in the country and not be able to sit on your deck because of the smell.
Itís an ag district, commissioner Kevin Kelleher countered. ìThere has to be a balance between living in the pristine wilderness and living in an ag district,î he said.
Zoning permits approved, variance denied
The county board approved seven zoning permits that the planning commission also approved on November 17. They are listed here:
ï Dave Augedahl and MaCal Development, Inc., Caledonia Township, build house (52' x 32') garage (26' x 36') porch (30' x 8');
ï Mark Witt, Houston Township, build lean-to on pole shed (12' x 60');
ï Anne Drebin on behalf of Alltel, Sheldon Township, install prefab shelter (10' x 12');
ï Corey Baker, Yucatan Township, build house (64' x 48');
ï Joel Dagendesh, Hokah Township, build pole shed (40' x 72');
ï Peter Rosendahl, Spring Grove Township, build heifer barn (64' x 75');
ï Thomas D. Brown and Kathleen M. Olson, Union Township, build barn (36' x 48').
Scanlan also reported that the county board of adjustment had denied a variance for Roger and Carol Soland. The variance was for 30 feet to meet the required 130-foot setback to build a structure by Highway 16 near Hokah. Board members visited the site on November 28, then denied the variance at a meeting that night. It was denied in part because the board felt there was no real hardship, Scanlan said. After measurements were taken, it was found the the 54' x 72' pole shed could be built and still meet all setbacks.
Insurance dividend
In the consent items on the agenda, the board acknowledged receiving a dividend of $78,737 from the Minnesota Counties Insurance Trust, with $30,886 attributable to workersí compensation coverage and $47,851 to property/casualty coverage.
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