At last Tuesday’s Faribault County Board of Commissioners meeting, discussion for next summer’s road construction projects continued from last month’s meeting.

Except this time a representative from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) attended the board meeting held to hash out some items.

The details discussed revolved around the continuation of road work along Highway 109, from Easton to Wells.

Scott Morgan of MnDOT was present with a petition to make changes on a few ditches belonging to the county.

“There are some county ditches and tiles that are in poor condition and we would like to upgrade them,”?Morgan says.

He explains that since they are working on the road anyway, they may as well make the needed improvements along the way.

“We don’t want a pipe left under the road that’s failing,” he adds.

Morgan presented diagrams of the ditches that would be updated along Highway 109.

The board of commissioners approved the proposed changes to the county ditches.

“So we are looking at starting the project back up next spring,” Morgan says.

County Engineer John McDonald was also present at the board meeting. He brought up a concern with farming in the road right of ways.

“We don’t have a policy in place for that,” he explains.

People have called in complaints on this issue which caused McDonald to look into the policy. “I am working with county attorney Troy Timmerman on this and should have something drafted up before the next meeting,”?McDonald explains.

The commissioners said that in other counties, a letter is sent out and if it’s not corrected, the county will mow down anything in the road right of way.

“That’s probably similar to what we’ll have to do here as well,” McDonald says.

He and Timmerman will work together to create a proposal and bring it to next month’s County Board meeting.

In other business;

Michele Stindtman came to the county board on behalf of the Planning and Zoning commission to recommend a conditional use permit for approval.

Ryan O’Hara has requested a CUP?in order to build a slurry storage unit for manure. The commissioners approved the permit request.

Linsey Warmka attended the meeting and gave an update on the Faribault County Economic Development Authority.

The board showed interest in pursuing the Community Rehabilitation grant or loan program.

The commissioners approved the hiring of three new part-time jailer/dispatchers.

Those hires included Jason Schroeder, Kaleena Wiens and Shaun Olson. Twelve candidates were interviewed for those positions.