Planning and Zoning director Sara Hauskins asks the County Board to pass a resolution to request the Planning and Zoning Commission to create a new ordinance dealing with splitting or combining land.

The Faribault County Board of Commissioners had an unusual request during their meeting on Tuesday morning, Jan. 16.

Sara Hauskins, the Planning and Zoning administrator, was at the meeting to ask the commissioners to pass a resolution directing the Planning and Zoning Commission to come up with an amendment to a county ordinance.

The ordinance in question is the Faribault County Subdivision Ordinance.

The amended ordinance would require county review of a deed or other instrument conveying a parcel for transference or division.

“This would have the splitting or combining of land parcels conform to the county’s land use regulations,” Hauskins said.

The County Board discussed the matter at length, and in the end they did vote to direct the Planning and Zoning Commission to create an amended ordinance.

“This would also involve a public hearing by the commission, before the matter is brought back to the County Board for your final approval,” Hauskins clarified.

She added that this amended ordinance would also include requiring a fee of $150 for the first parcel involved, and $50 each for additional parcels. There is no fee at this time.

Three other county employees were present at the commissioners meeting to explain why they felt this ordinance change was necessary. They were Amy Sathoff, Brady Rauenhorst and Sherry Asmus.

They stated that it takes up a lot of staff time to these types of land transfers and, splitting of property or combining of properties.

When asked about the benefits to the landowners, Hauskins said it would help prevent land-lock issues, and help follow set back rules, as well as any other issues in the future.

County Board members agreed that these kinds of changes have been necessary for some time. They also noted that area counties have already put this same sort of procedure in place.

Hauskins said she hopes to have a new ordinance at the March commissioners meeting for them to approve or not approve.

In other business, the County Board:

• Agreed to a request from county assessor Brady Rauenhorst to hire contracted assistance in his office.

Rauenhorst said his office was short-staffed and he wanted to have former employee Steve Robbins come back on a part time, contracted basis.

• Approved a request from Nate Carr of the Faribault County Soil and Water District which dealt with approving a Fiscal Agent Sub-Agreement with the Le Sueur River Watershed Collaboration.

It has to do with grant money reimbursement to the various agencies involved in the joint powers group.

• Approved a resolution submitted by Veterans Service Officer Jenna Schmidtke which had to do with accepting a list of donations to her office during the 2023 year.

The amounts varied from $10 to $2,000 and came from various groups and organizations.

• Approved a SSTS grant in the amount of $3,000 and a loan of $15,701 for the installation of a septic system in Prescott Township.

• Approved a cell phone stipend of $50 per month for Amy Wachlin of the License Bureau.

• Approved a long list of employee requests to attend classes and conferences. One request, a trip out of state to a conference, had to be approved seperately, as the board takes a closer look at out-of-state trips.