Official Proceedings

Pope County 

Board of Commissioners 

Regular Board Meeting

Tuesday, December 7, 2023

The Pope County Board of Commissioners Regular Board Meeting duly noticed for Thursday, December 7, 2023 at the Pope County Courthouse, 3rd Floor Board Room, 130 E Minnesota Avenue, Glenwood, MN 56334 was called to order at 9:00 AM by the Chair, Gordy Wagner, with the following Board Members also present: Paul Gerde, Paul Gremmels, Larry Lindor, and Paul Wildman.  Kersten Kappmeyer, County Administrator was also present. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Approval of Agenda; Approval of Official Proceedings for November 21, 2023; Approval of Official Proceedings for November 30, 2023 Truth in Taxation Meeting; Consider Resolution 202329 Recognizing the Service of Robert Tirevold as Deputy Sheriff for Pope County; and Consider Recommendation for Acceptance of Quote for Deputy Owen Memorial at the County Courthouse were presented by Chair Wagner. Motion to approve the agenda, with the addition of item #5, Consider Recommendation for Acceptance of Quote for Deputy Owen Memorial at the County Courthouse, made by Gerde and seconded by Gremmels, Carried Unanimously. Motion to approve the Official Proceedings for November 21, 2023 as presented, made by Wildman and seconded by Lindor, Carried Unanimously. Motion to approve the Official Proceedings for the November 30, 2023 Truth in Taxation Meeting as presented, made by Gremmels and seconded by Wildman, Carried Unanimously. Motion to adopt Resolution 202329 recognizing the service of Robert Tirevold as Deputy Sheriff for Pope County at his retirement and thanking him for over fourteen years of service to the Pope County Sheriff’s Office and to the community, made by Lindor and seconded by Gremmels, Carried Unanimously. Motion to authorize the County’s acceptance of the low quote of $6,200.00 from Rausch Granite Monuments of Ortonville for the purchase and placement of a six-foot black granite bench memorial to the late Deputy Josh Owen, to be placed on the Courthouse grounds as a tribute to Deputy Owens sacrifice and service to the County, made by Wildman and seconded by Gerde, Carried Unanimously. 

Consider Contracting with Prairie Lakes Youth Program for Juvenile Detention Services was presented by Terry Jaworski, Probation Director. Motion to approve entering into a contract with Prairie Lakes Youth Program for juvenile detention services at $376 per day per bed for the 2024 calendar year, made by Gerde and seconded by Wildman, Carried Unanimously.

Consider Resolution 202330 to Adopt and Implement the Sauk River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan 2024-2025 Work Plan and 2024 Pope County AIS Action Plan were presented by Ralph Hanson, Land Use Specialist. Motion to adopt Resolution 202330 to Adopt and Implement the Sauk River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan 2024-2025 Biennial Work Plan, made by Gerde and seconded by Lindor, Carried Unanimously. Motion to approve the request to adopt the 2024 Pope County AIS Action Plan as presented, made by Wildman and seconded by Gerde, Carried Unanimously.

Conditional Use Permit # 23326: Personal Storage Structure (Hasselbring, Leven Township); Consider Resolution 202331 Extending the Term of Appointment for an Agricultural Inspector for Pope County; Annual License Approvals: Solid Waste Haulers and Facilities; and Consider Resolution 202332 on Administration of the Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act were presented by David Green, Land & Resource Management Director. Motion to approve of the conditional use permit and request of Hasselbring for a personal storage structure in Leven Township as recommended by the Planning Advisory Commission, including conditions 2-13 in the staff prepared report, made by Gerde and seconded by Lindor, Failed by the following vote: Ayes: Gerde, Lindor; Nays: Gremmels, Wagner, Wildman. After further discussion, a motion was made by Gerde, seconded by Lindor, to approve of the conditional use permit and request of Hasselbring for a personal storage structure in Leven Township as contained in the Land and Resource Management staff report, including conditions 1-13 in the staff prepared report, specifying a 14 foot sidewall limit, and Carried by the following vote: Ayes: Gerde, Gremmels, Lindor, Wagner; Nays: Wildman. Motion to adopt Resolution 202331 extending the term of appointment for Barry Bouwman as Pope County Agricultural Inspector through October 31, 2024, and authorizing Pope County’s execution of an additional Independent Contractor Agreement with Mr. Bouwman for agricultural inspector duties consistent with this action, made by Wildman and seconded by Lindor, Carried Unanimously. Motion to approve the issuance of solid waste hauler and facilities licenses to the individual applicants as presented, made by Gerde and seconded by Wildman, Carried Unanimously. Motion to adopt Resolution 202332 on Administration of the Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act, rescinding delegation of the Pope Soil and Water Conservation District and designating Pope County as the Local Governmental Unit responsible for the Act’s administration in Pope County, made by Lindor and seconded by Gerde, Carried Unanimously.

Solicitation of Official Newspaper for 2024; Consider Resolution 202333 Adopting 2024 Non-Union Wages and Salaries; Consider Resolution 202334 Setting the Salary of the Pope County Attorney for 2024; Consider Resolution 202335 Setting the Salary of the Pope County Auditor/Treasurer for 2024; Consider Resolution 202336 Setting the Salary of the Pope County Recorder for 2024; Consider Resolution 202337 Setting the Salary of the Pope County Sheriff for 2024; Consider Resolution 202338 Setting Pope County Commissioner 2024 Compensation were presented by Kersten Kappmeyer, Administrator. Motion to direct the County Administrator to solicit bids or quotes for publication of the County’s official proceedings or summaries thereof and for publication of other legal notices for the year 2024, to be awarded and thereby designated as the official newspaper for Pope County for 2024 at the Board’s first regular meeting in January, made by Gerde and seconded by Lindor, Carried Unanimously. Motion to adopt Resolution 202333 adopting 2024 non-union wages and salaries as presented, including a 2.5% general wage adjustment, made by Lindor and seconded by Gerde, Carried Unanimously. Motion to adopt Resolution 202334 setting the 2024 salary of the County Attorney at $125,250 for 0.92 FTE as presented, made by Lindor and seconded by Gremmels, Carried Unanimously. Motion to adopt Resolution 202335 setting the 2024 salary of the County Auditor/Treasurer at $104,572, made by Lindor and seconded by Gremmels, Carried Unanimously. Motion to adopt Resolution 202336 setting the 2024 salary of the County Recorder at $89,004, made by Gerde and seconded by Wildman, Carried Unanimously. After the gavel was passed to Vice Chair Gerde for consideration of this item, a motion was made by Wagner, seconded by Gremmels, to adopt Resolution 202337 setting the 2024 salary of the County Sheriff at $150,000, with $5,000 of that salary as compensation for emergency management duties, and Carried Unanimously. Motion to adopt Resolution 202338 setting the 2024 County Commissioner compensation as follows: $24,265 salary, $100 per diem, and cafeteria plan benefit consistent with the benefit grant to other County employees, made by Wildman and seconded by Gerde, Carried Unanimously.

Consider Agreements for New Card Payment Vendor – AllPaid; Request by Western Prairie Human Services to Receive Local Homeless Prevention Aid; Value Abatement – Parcel 02-0191-000 – Taxes Payable 2024; Value Abatement – Parcel 21-1039-600 – Taxes Payable 2024; and Pay Bills, Supplemental Bills, Per Diems and Employee Reimbursements were presented by Stephanie Rust, Auditor/Treasurer. Motion to enter into both the Merchant Agreement and Participation Agreement with AllPaid, and authorize the Auditor/Treasurer to sign these agreements, made by Gremmels and seconded by Wildman, Carried Unanimously. Motion to issue allocations received by Pope County from the State of Minnesota for Local Homeless Prevention Aid to Western Prairie Human Services for the duration of the program, starting in 2023 and ending in 2028, to be used consistent with the purposes allowed by the State for such aid, made by Wildman and seconded by Lindor, Carried Unanimously. Motion to approve the value abatement of $300,000 for taxes payable for 2024 for Michael K. and Amy M. Dehler on Parcel 02-0191-000, made by Gerde and seconded by Wildman, Carried Unanimously. Motion to approve the value abatement of $74,300 for taxes payable 2024 for Gary and Deneall Blok on Parcel #21-1039-600, made by Wildman and seconded by Gerde, Carried Unanimously. Motion to approve payment of bills of $127,783.27 plus supplemental bills of $4,847.21 plus employee reimbursements of $4,287.75, totaling $136,918.23, made by Lindor and seconded by Gremmels, Carried Unanimously, as were paid as follows: Visa 4718.45; Chamberlain Oil 4930.09; Election Systems & Software, Inc. 8395; Fleet Charge 2694.73; Joe Riley Construction Inc 94199.18; Visa 2613.94; Ziegler, Inc. 2786.66; 25 Payments less than 2000 12292.43. Motion to enter the Per Diem Expense Reports into the record, made by Wildman and seconded by Gerde, Carried Unanimously.

The meeting was recessed by the Chair at 10:51 AM, and reconvened at 11:01 AM. Motion to close meeting pursuant to Minn. Stat. 13D.05, Subd. 3(a), for a personnel performance evaluation of the County Administrator, made by Lindor and seconded by Gremmels, Carried Unanimously, entering closed session at 11:02 AM. Motion to end the closed session and reconvene in open session and afterward summarizing conclusions, made by Wildman and seconded by Lindor, Carried Unanimously, entering open session at 12:03 PM. 

Informational updates were given by the County Administrator and Commissioners.

There being no other business before the Board, the meeting was adjourned by the Chair at 12:23 PM.

Kersten Kappmeyer, 

County Administrator

Gordy Wagner, 

Chair of the Board

Dec. 25