According to Board Chair Rich Sve, May 12th was National Limerick Day, the birthday of Florence Nightingale and skateboarder Tony Hawk, and in 1958 Dicky Doo and the Don’ts hit the charts with their song “Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu”.
The latter part of the meeting was a closed session to discuss the fate of land parcels, but the open portion began with a presentation by Liz Anderson from Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) on the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Program, especially local AIS Prevention Aid (AISPA). She covered a broad view of the results of the program in the County over the past 12 years and what was in store for the future of AIS. Program spending for AIS since 2014 is divvied up over several categories, with the largest being watercraft inspections, with about $500 thousand spent total, followed by public outreach and education at around $366 thousand. The remainder of the budget has been spent on program coordination, monitoring, and invasive aquatic plant management. Aside from funding from the state, AIS has received aid from grants, match contribution programs, and the help of volunteers who have together spent almost 2,000 hours to support the program over the years.
The Watercraft Inspection Program was started in 2017 as an additional way to ensure invasive species were not hitching a ride via boats, and since then, almost 23 thousand vehicles have undergone inspection. Community outreach, meanwhile, has included 130 events held over the past 12 years to raise awareness of aquatic invasive species and how to protect against them. Monitoring includes aquatic plant surveys and early detection surveys, which have recently detected two invasive species: spiny waterflea and Chinese mystery snails. At this time, of the roughly 800 lakes in Lake County, only 44 have any aquatic invasive species, and only eight of those are on the more severe DNR’s Infested Waters List. A study from the University of Minnesota showed that new infestations in the state have slowed since local AIS programs were implemented. One example given was starry stonewort, which has invaded 30 lakes in Minnesota in the past decade. This is in stark contrast to states like Michigan, which lack the equivalent programs and where the invasive species has infested nearly every inland lake in the lower peninsula within the same timeframe.
Anderson also noted that evidence shows the public has concerns about invasive species and sees funding AIS as one of those preventative measures: local AIS programs were under threat from state budget cuts last year, but public feedback pushed back enough to allow for continued funding. Countyled AIS programs make up 90% of the state’s AIS prevention efforts, making their funding critical for providing aid on both a local and a state level. In addition, taking preventative measures to combat invasive species is far more efficient and cost-effective than containing, let alone attempting to eradicate, an ongoing infestation. “Every one dollar of prevention spent, you save 100 dollars in management costs, on average,” Anderson stated. Although Lake County’s AISPA will have a fairly average budget in 2026, the program is projected to receive a 50% funding cut from the state starting in 2028, and then, at a later date, possibly have funding completely cut. Although AIS at a state level is still receiving funds from items such as boat registration fees, that money will be going towards other programs and not local, countyled AIS aid. Because of this, AISPA will either need alternate funding sources looking forward or will be forced to reduce its budget. Contracts with the County are renewed on a two-year basis, meaning that the approval or rejection of AISPA for 2028 would occur at the end of 2026.
Commissioner Goutermont expressed some frustration with the upcoming AISPA funding cuts from the state, commenting that from the state’s perspective, if Lake County doesn’t “continually fund [AISPA] and everything explodes, the County’s allowed it to happen, not the state.” Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District will put together a proposal for the local AISPA and present it to the Board before the end of this year.
In reports, Interim Auditor/Treasurer Ronelle Radle noted the Election Emergency Policy will be updated and formalized on paper for the upcoming elections. Highway Engineer Jason DiPiazza recapped upcoming Silver Bay and Two Harbors construction projects before noting the County’s roadwork: resurfacing Highway 2 between Reeves Road and Highway 14, with a contract for the job approved this session; the Cramer Road Bridge Project due to begin in July; resurfacing projects in Two Harbors at 15th Street and 8th Street, as well as the Odegard trail.
Commissioner Hurd started off the Commissioners’ Correspondence by speaking on negotiations the previous day, stating:
“The negotiating committee came in, with binders both sturdy and thin. The deputies smiled, the meeting stayed mild and talks resumed once again,”
providing a well-taken contribution to National Limerick Day. Board Chair Sve attended this year’s Western Interstate Region (WIR) Conference, where the main topic at hand was disaster response. He complimented the conference and speakers, stating he would give a larger report at a later date.
Approved consent agenda items included the approval of Hoover Construction Company for the Aggregate Stockpile Production contract and Hawkinson Construction Co. Inc. for the above-mentioned Highway 2 Resurfacing Project. Approved resolution items included several temporary appointments and the 2026-2028 Labor Agreement between Lake County and Teamsters Local 320 covering courthouse employees.
