OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS OF THE COUNTY BOARD LAKE COUNTY, MINNESOTA

Tuesday, August 12, 2025. Lake County Board of Commissioners’ regularly sched­uled meeting was called to order at 2:00 p.m. by Lake County Board Chairperson Rich Sve. Chair Sve led the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. Unless otherwise stated, all actions have been approved by unanimous yea vote. Lake County Board members present in the Lake County Service Center, Split Rock River Room, 616 Third Avenue, Two Harbors, Minnesota: District 1 Commissioner Joe Baltich, District 2 Commissioner Derrick “Rick” L. Goutermont, District 3 Com­missioner Richard “Rick” C. Hogenson, District 4 Commissioner Jeremy M. Hurd, and District 5 Commissioner Rich Sve. Board member Absent: None. Also pres­ent: County Administrator Matthew Hud­dleston, County Sheriff Nathan Stadler, Interim County Attorney Lara Nygaard, Interim Auditor/Treasurer Ronni Radle, Land Commissioner Nate Eide, Environ­mental Services Director Christine McCa­rthy, Facilities Maintenance Director Curt Backen, and Clerk of the Board Laurel D. Buchanan.

MOTION GOUTERMONT, SECOND BALTICH: 01 – Approval of the agenda. Absent: None

Lake County Board Chairperson Rich Sve opened the floor for public comments. No public comments were made. County Administrator Matthew Huddleston provid­ed an update on several items of county business. County Sheriff Nathan Stadler, Interim County Attorney Lara Nygaard, In­terim Auditor/Treasurer Ronni Radle, Land Commissioner Nate Eide, Environmental Services Director Christine McCarthy, and Facilities Maintenance Director Curt Back­en each spoke about their department’s respective requests for board action and/ or current or upcoming projects. Sheriff Stadler clarified that we use Do-Bid.com for online auctions. Bidding is done online.

MOTION HOGENSON, SECOND HURD: 02 – Approve Consent Agenda as pre­sented:

1. Approve County Board of Commis­sioners’ regular meeting minutes of July 22, 2025.

2. Approve Health and Human Ser­vices claims payments in the fol­lowing amounts:

1. Administrative Payments $ 37,620.82
2. ABHI Region 3 Payments $ 1,125,508.44

3. Authorize the Environmental Ser­vices Department to sell by auction the following surplus equipment:

• Vertical Baler – Recycling Center
• 1979 Stoughton Freight Van Trailer (7872025)
• 1979 Stoughton Freight Van Trailer (7872040)
• 1990 Stoughton Freight Van Trailer
• 1980 TMO 40’ Van Trailer (V93805)

4. Authorize the Lake County Sheriff’s Office to sell by highest bid auc­tion the following surplus Rescue Squad equipment.

• 2005 Johnson 30hp long shaft outboard motor serial #05102613
• 1982 Johnson 15hp long shaft outboard motor serial #E5625252
• 1991 Johnson 4hp outboard motor serial #B08837178
• 1995 Arctic Cat Bearcat snowmobile serial #9638925
• 2009 Polaris Ranger 6×6 side by side serial #4XAR­F68A494731968
• 2000 Polaris Sportsman 500 ATV serial #4XACH50A­6YA313790
• 1996 Ski-Doo Skandic WT snowmobile serial #113500039
• ROKON Trail-Break­er motor bike serial #1YJAT60154R700102
• Homemade rescue sled
• 2001 North Country 5’x6’ utility trailer serial #488LP06151G608383

5. Accept proposal 24-H-0049-1 (dated 7/17/2025); authorize pay­ment to The Jamar Company in the amount of $28,900.00 for the demo and disposal of existing Roof Top Unit (RTU), installation of new RTU, gas line, duct work, electrical and all other material needed to complete installation and startup of new unit. The contractor for the proposed project (The Jamar Com­pany) will be utilizing Sourcewell Agreement MN-R2-GC-040622- JMR under the detailed ezIQC pro­posal covered in work order. This agreement fulfils all requirements under state and local statutes.

6. Accept proposal # 2519 (dated 7/9/2025); authorize payment to Innovative Stone Work, INC (low bidder) in the amount of $2,700.00 for supplying and installing the granite tops for new wooden council tables for the Lake County Courtroom Council Table Replace­ments project. Accept proposal from Eric Lindberg (low bidder); authorize payment to Eric Lind­berg in the amount $10,576.95 for the materials and labor needed to build the 2 proposed council tables. The difference of proposal from Eric Lindberg ($9,276.95) and the amount requested for approval ($10,576.95) is for the labor / mate­rials needed for finishing / staining the two (2) wooden tables at a cost of $1,300.00.

7. Approve Resolution for Ekstrom Ex­change Acceptance and Appraisal Authorization as follows:

WHEREAS, Lake County Forestry office has received and accepts an appli­cation from Ekstrom to exchange certain parcels in Lake County (as evidenced by Exhibit A, attached hereto); and

WHEREAS, Lake County Board of Commissioners is reclassifying said Lake County parcels of tax forfeited land non-conservation (per MS 94.344 sub.2)

WHEREAS, the Lake County Board of Commissioners authorizes the Land Commissioner to proceed with the appraisals of all lands involved in the land exchange and proceed with abstracts and title opinions.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RE­SOLVED, That the Lake County Board of Commissioners authorizes the Land Commissioner to proceed with the land exchange of lands listed as follows:

Land owned by Ekstrom: North­west ¼ of Southwest ¼ of Section 8, Township 54, Range 10

For the following described Tax Forfeited Lands: S o u t h w e s t ¼ of Northwest ¼ of Section 10, Township 53, Range 11

7. Approve an increase of the total contract cost of SAP 038-626- 008, City of Two Harbors Seal Coat Project to a cost not to ex­ceed $305,000.00, an increase of $32,703.01.

8. Authorize the Highway Department to sell by highest bid auction the following surplus equipment:

• Unit 8790: 1979 John Deere 401B Tractor
• Unit 8040: Fecon boom mount­ed brusher

10. Adopt the Resolution Approving a Grant Agreement For Towards Zero Deaths (TZD) Safe Roads Grant Funding Award.

11. Amend Consent Agenda Item #5 from the May 27, 2025 meeting as follows:

Original: Authorize Highway De­partment purchase of a Woods BB72.40 Rotary Cutter from Titan Machinery at a cost not to exceed $5,218.76 plus any additional de­livery, tax, title, or registration fees. As amended: Authorize Highway Department purchase of a Woods BB72.50 Rotary Cutter from Titan Machinery at a cost not to exceed $6,880.37 plus any additional de­livery, tax, title, or registration fees.

12. Approve a Resolution to amend the Rippberger Cartway, which mistakenly omitted a parcel of land at the time it was granted in 1994. The current owner of the subject parcel does not object and has con­firmed her understanding that the Rippberger Cartway includes the mistakenly omitted parcel at the far southeast corner of her land.

13. Accept proposal 25-H-0247 (dated 7/31/2025) and authorize pay­ment to The Jamar Company in the amount of $63,063.00 for the demo and disposal of existing units, installation of 3 new Mitsub­ishi units and all other equipment and materials needed to complete installation and start up of new units. The Contractor for proposed project (The Jamar Company) will be utilizing Sourcewell Agreement MN-R2-GC-040622-JMR under the detailed ezIQC proposal covered in work order. This agreement fulfils all requirements under state and local statutes.

14. Direct the Facilities Department to require Project Labor Agreements for the Rukavina Hockey Arena Roof replacement project in Silver Bay and for the Sonju Arena Roof replacement project in Two Harbors in accordance with Board Resolu­tion No. 09031003.

15. Accept proposal 25-A-0226-0 (dated 8/04/2025) (Silver Bay Hockey Arena EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber) Roof Replacement) and authorize payment to The Jamar Compa­ny in an amount not to exceed $290,000.00 for the removal of existing EDPM roofing, coverboard, insulation, stack venting, damaged roof decking, flashings / roof edging and all other damaged materials on roof area. The included pro­posal specifies the replacements / additions of all said materials in work order. The Contractor for proposed project (The Jamar Com­pany) will be utilizing Sourcewell Agreement MN031R-042517-JMR under the detailed full ezIQC pro­posal covered in work order. This agreement fulfils all requirements under state and local statutes. The price difference from proposal ($246,600.00) to “amount not to exceed” ($290,000.00) is due to the unknown condition of roof decking.

16. Approve the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Title III budget, initiate and obligate funds for the listed projects as authorized for use of FY 2023 (county 2024) funds. This resolu­tion corrects the consent agenda item #9 in the County Board meet­ing minutes of May 13, 2025. Ab­sent: None

MOTION HOGENSON, SECOND HURD: 03 – Approve the probationary appoint­ment of John Symons to Highway Main­tenance Worker at the Step 2 rate of $24.29 per hour effective August 18, 2025. Absent: None

MOTION GOUTERMONT, SECOND BALTICH: 04 – Approve the probationary appointment of Joshua Tarnowski to For­ester at the Step 2 rate of $33.00 per hour effective August 25, 2025. Absent: None

MOTION HURD, SECOND BALTICH: 05 – Adjourn Board meeting of the Lake County Board of Commissioners at 3:08 p.m. Absent: None

The Lake County Board of Commissioners will convene for the following meetings:

• Committee of the Whole, at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at the Knife River Recreation Build­ing, Knife River, Minnesota.
• Regular meeting at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, in the Lake County Service Center, Split Rock River Room, 616 Third Ave­nue, Two Harbors, Minnesota.

ATTEST:
Laurel D. Buchanan
Clerk of the Board
Rich Sve, Board Chairperson
Lake County Board of Commissioners