County Board members listen to a report from Planning & Zoning director Sarah Hauskins at last Tuesday’s meeting.

Will the Faribault County Board of Commissioners be able to collect the pay raise they voted on at their meeting on Dec. 20 of last year?

That was one of the topics the County Board had to deal with at their regular meeting on Jan. 17.

The question about the pay increase has arisen due to the way in which the pay raise was voted on.

According to the State Auditor’s office, any pay increase for the board must be passed by a resolution prior to the start of the following year.

While board members did pass their pay increase by a roll call vote on Dec. 20, they did not have a written resolution to accompany the vote. They did pass a written resolution at their next meeting, but that occurred on Jan. 3, of this year.

Commissioner Greg Young said he has done some research on resolutions and thought it might be possible, since it was a roll call vote, that the raise could stand.

“I have found some varying opinions on the matter,” Young said. “I will share the information with the board and with our attorney Cameron Davis.”

The board asked Davis to research the matter and report his findings at the next board meeting.

The commissioners’ proposed wage increase was for five percent and, if allowed, would boost their annual salary for 2023 to $23,314.

Planning and Zoning administrator Sara Hauskins was at the meeting to discuss the County Feedlot Ordinance.

“We have a couple of areas where we are not as strict as the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in what we require for setbacks,” Hauskins commented. “For surface applied manure, the MPCA requires a 300 foot setback from field tile intakes and drainage ditches without buffers while our current ordinance only requires a 100 foot setback in those situations.”

Hauskins told the commissioners that producers have been made aware of the stricter requirements for manure application.

“Even though our ordinance is less strict, the producers have been required to follow the stricter requirements of MPCA,” Hauskins said.

Another area where there are some differences is in the number of Animal Units (AU) assigned to different livestock.

“There are not many differences, but there are a few,” Hauskins said.

The board directed Hauskins to bring a proposed amended ordinance back to the commissioners for their approval.

Board members also directed Hauskins to research the current ordinance which requires five acres for a rural residence to be able to make improvements and determine if the five acre requirement is still reasonable.

Board members shared the original idea was to make sure there was enough property to replace a septic system if necessary. They also acknowledged that septic systems and the way they are installed have changed.

Central Services director Pam Krill was at the meeting and brought a proposal before the board for a $600 tuition reimbursement for Ty Watson of the Sheriff’s Department.

“Ty is a dispatcher/jailer with the department,” Krill explained. “He is currently continuing his eduction in criminal justice with plans to become an officer and continue his employment with Faribault County.”

Krill reminded board members that if Watson were to separate from county employment within two years of his course completion, he would be required to reimburse the county.

The board voted to approve the request.

Al Hanson and Susie Rosenau, representing the Blue Earth Area Tennis Association, attended the board meeting to inquire if there was any funding available to help finance the proposed tennis courts which the school and the city of Blue Earth are planning to build.

“The total cost of the project could be as high as $1 million, maybe $1.2 million,” Hanson told the commissioners.

The board explained they had already cut funds to the Faribault County Historical Society and to the Faribault County Fair, so they would not be making a donation.

“I feel your pain,” commissioner Bill Groskreutz said. “United South Central School District was facing a similar problem but they were able to include their project in their referendum.”

Board members did share some agencies which the tennis group could approach for funding.

“There are a lot of different entities which have grant programs. You could approach the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture and CEDA (Community Economic Development Associates,” Groskreutz offered. “It can just be a matter of finding the right fit.”

In other business the board:

• Voted to schedule a private forfeited land sale, 2023-A, for 9 a.m. on Monday, March 6, at the county auditor’s office, pending Foster Township approval.

• Approved a motion approving six pay applications for the courthouse HVAC project in the amount of $811,196.

• Appointed John Roper to serve on the Traverse des Sioux Regional Library Systems Board.

• Approved the request of Veteran Services Officer Jenna Schmidtke to attend the Minnesota Department of Veterans Spring Conference.

• Approved the request of Vincent Do, of the Faribault County Sheriff’s Department, to attend a course on chemical irritants and another course for instructors titled Realistic De-Escalation.