Buildings continue to be a topic of discussion for the Faribault County Board. And that doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.

At their meeting held on Tuesday, Oct. 20, the commissioners received news that another building needs to be cleaned up in Faribault County and help from the county is being sought.

“Cargill would like to meet to discuss the possibility of cost sharing of the Cargill site in Elmore,”?said county auditor/treasurer/coordinator John Thompson.

He suggested the commissioners set up a committee to meet with Cargill to discuss this request.

The County Board recommended commissioners John Roper and Tom Loveall to serve on the committee.

“We will work to set up a time that works with everyone,” Thompson added.

Commissioner Greg Young also volunteered to serve, but it was ultimately decided to have Loveall serve, considering Young has been on committees for previous demolition projects in the county.

The commissioners also suggested they continue moving forward with forming a building demolition policy for the county.

However, the discussion on buildings did not end with the Cargill site.

Vickie Savick also attended the meeting to discuss an empty house in Bricelyn. However, this one didn’t need to be demolished and she was interested in finding a way to preserve the home.

“My son is interested in the house in Bricelyn,”?Savick explained. “I went to the courthouse to research the property and found out that the taxes had not been paid for two years.”

However, the owners of the home did not feel the proceeds of selling the house would be enough to cover the cost of the lien that remained on it.

The previous owner of the house had passed away, leaving it to her son.

The home had two small city loans against it, totaling $19,688. If the owner stayed in the home for 10 years, the loan would be forgiven. However, the owner died before the 10 years had passed.

“It is not without precedence, we have done this before a time or two,”?explained Thompson.

The commissioners were also willing to look into ways of helping Savick out with the purchase of this house.

“I’ve been there and looked at this home a couple of times. It is a good house, but if we let it go any longer it won’t be,”?commissioner Tom Warmka said. “I make a motion we take care of the liens.”

Commissioner Loveall agreed, saying that if someone had stayed in the home for 10 years they would not have gotten the money back anyway.

After a vote, the commissioners agreed to forgive the liens.

In other business:

The County Board heard from Faribault County Sherriff Mike Gormley about a couple of grants from the Department of Natural Resources.

“The first grant we have received is a $1,000 supplemental grant to purchase a depth finder for one of the boats,”?Gormley explained. “This would be used for our search and rescue flat bottom boat.”

The commissioners approved the acceptance of this grant.

Gormley added that they will also receive a $9,822 ATV grant.

“With that, we would like to get rid of one of our four wheelers and purchase another side-by-side ATV,”?he said.

They would like to have an additional side-by-side due to the fact there is more room for what they would need the ATV?for.

The commissioners approved the purchase.

County Recorder Sherry Asmus attended the meeting to discuss her department’s budget.

“Mileage continues to be an issue,”?she said.

Asmus explained they have been missing out on some training opportunities in order to scale back on their mileage expenses.

But, the commissioners felt training opportunities were important and said they would work to make it possible for them to continue to all the training they see necessary.

LuAnn Hiniker of the University of Minnesota Extension office introduced the new Faribault County Extension Secretary, Cassie Lewis, to the commissioners.

The next regular County Board meeting will be held on Tuesday,?Nov. 3, at 9 a.m.