September 22nd is notable for quite a few reasons as listed by Lake County Board Chair Rich Sve, among them: Abraham Lincoln issuing the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation; the premieres of several memorable television shows from Baywatch in 1989 to The West Wing in 1999 to Veronica Mars and Lost in 2004; the birthday of singer/songwriter Joan Jett; and last but not least, Hobbit Day, celebrating the combined birthdays of J.R.R. Tolkien’s hobbits Bilbo (The Hobbit) and Frodo (The Lord of the Rings), born respectively in 1290 and 1368 in Shire-Reckoning.
The main event of the meeting was an annual update on the status of Lake County’s Veteran Services Department, given by County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) Brad Anderson. He went over details on how the department works, recent tools added to their procedures, and the importance of partnerships on local, state, and federal levels. The department underwent a significant change in 2023 by adding an Assistant County Veterans Service Officer, leading Anderson to undertake a project to better organize and preserve the cumulative knowledge of the CVSOs and the department. Doing so would not only increase the department’s consistency in its aid to Veterans, but also allow more room for improvements over time. The presentation was summed up by his hopes to build a department with “strong standards, durable knowledge, productive relationships, and the ability to adapt regardless of who eventually occupies these positions.”
County Administrator Matthew Huddleston began his report with a call for Highway Maintenance Workers, especially those able to work in the Two Harbors area, which currently has only five out of nine positions filled. Other smaller updates included an initial public damage assessment for the Camp Fire currently being reviewed at the state level and ongoing work on reimbursements for the Stewart Fire. The County’s new website is also on the way and will possibly be live by the end of October. County staff are being trained on how to update the site; one goal with the new site is to alleviate the current problem of out-of-date and incomplete information, especially on hot topics such as recent fires. The new website’s structure will be similar to its current state but should have more accessibility options.
2027 levies were another issue at the forefront of the agenda. Preliminary 2027 Net Property Tax Levies for Unorganized Territory No. 1, Unorganized Territory No. 2, Lake County, and Lake County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (LCHRA) were adopted by the Board. Huddleston went over the levy numbers for the Board and concluded the amounts are “a little bit larger than we have historically had to do,” with a 6.2% increase over 2026 and numbers at their second-highest since 2008. He explained there were a number of reasons for the increase, giving an example of the Health and Human Services department being negatively affected by recent state and federal changes, such as SNAP having reduced federal contributions.
All preliminary levies were approved as is, with additional support for the HRA levy from Commissioner Rick Hogenson (relayed by Sve, as Hogenson was absent this session) and an exception for Unorganized Territory No. 1, which was raised up $5,000 to $30,000 total at the recommendation of Commissioner Rick Goutermont due to a long-planned building project. The Board also approved holding the 2027 Levy and Budget Public Hearing (Truth in Taxation meeting) on Tuesday, December 1st, at the Lake County Highway Department Headquarters.
The Board had a small discussion on the upcoming transfer of school trust land within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) to federal hands. This will involve 82,000 acres, 25,000 of which are in Lake County, being given to the U.S. Forest Service, with the transfer slated for completion in 2028. The Board’s central concern during this meeting was the exact timing of the exchange, which would determine the amount of revenue gained by Thye-Blatnik payments. Money gained by the exchange will go towards the permanent school fund. The document detailing the exchange states that the land “will remain open to the public for recreational activities.”
Reports from County staff began with Lake County Land Commissioner Nate Eide detailing an item on the consent agenda involving the purchase of plastic culverts for a snowmobile trail near the Rustic Inn Cafe. Eide also recounted recent meetings on fires he attended, both looking at the social impacts of fires and the condition of areas hit by fires beforehand.
CVSO Brad Anderson had an update on the Lake County Veterans Memorial project, which will soon be presenting a request for matching funds to the County pending an updated financial report. The project had raised approximately $170,000 at the time of the meeting.
Lake County Interim Auditor/Treasurer Ronelle Radle had good news regarding the start of early voting for the November 3rd election, with crowds lining up to vote right away. Residents wanting to vote early can do so via mail or in-person at the Auditor’s Office in the Lake County Courthouse through the Monday before the election.
Commissioner’s Correspondence started with Commissioner Joe Baltich’s scrutiny of the Ely Area Lodging Tax Joint Powers Board, which is currently undergoing division over changing bylaws to allow easier vote passage, with concerns from some parties that doing so may allow misuse of funds. Commissioner Goutermont covered the outcome of the latest Arrowhead Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Association Board meeting, with a pilot project grant starting for four communities with hospitals in Northeastern Minnesota. These hospitals will be using monitors to allow for less on-hand staff, which will ideally help with currently understaffed locations.
Commissioner Sve had a few topics at hand, beginning with attending the Conditional Use Permit Hearing for Silver Rapids Lodge. There was good attendance both in-person and online, and comments from the public resulted in 34 conditions being put on the property, which must be fulfilled, along with the project being fully bonded, before construction begins. The project will take an estimated four to five years to complete. Huddleston commended Lake County Environmental Services Director Bryr Ludington for her work on the project’s Environmental Assessment Worksheet, noting the project’s smooth progress was thanks to the efforts of her and other staff.
Sve also attended the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) Fall Policy Conference, where both gubernatorial candidates answered questions. Sve thought both presented well; he spoke with running mate Ben Schierer and noted both he and Amy Klobuchar have homes along the North Shore, which could give them more personal interest in the County, adding that he also found Lisa Demuth personable. Both sides mentioned working more closely with counties to navigate budget issues.
The conference held a presentation on data centers that Sve found informative, covering “what are the myths, what are the facts” on one of this year’s most passionate national topics. Notably, the presentation used Hermantown’s data center “debacle” as an example of what to avoid by ensuring the public is informed and an active party to the process from start to finish.
Consent agenda items of note included: a payment to Phil Hegfors and Son Construction for Firewise brush pile stacking; authorizing an agreement with MnDOT for state cost compensation regarding the detour for the Highway 61 project; changing the supplier for plastic culverts for a snowmobile trail due to the previous supplier’s lack of communication; and payment for firewall annual maintenance and support renewal.
