Mille Lacs County held its regularly scheduled April meetings of the County Board April 2 and 16 at the Historic Courthouse in Milaca. Meetings are held at 9 a.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of every month.
In the April 2 meeting, five employees of Mille Lacs County were nominated for exceptional service to the county and were presented with Outstanding Service Awards. Krystal Kapler, Employee Relations Specialist read the nominations aloud, and the nominated staff was presented with their awards. According to the Mille Lacs County government website, “the purpose of the Outstanding Service Award program is to recognize, on a quarterly basis, those employees who provide outstanding service and contributions to the County and its citizens.”
Karly Fetters, the Director of Human Resources, was nominated for outstanding service to the county by Noelan Lange; Facility and Fleet Operations Manager. In his letter of dated on March 11, Lange said, “Karly approaches every situation with a blend of kindness, professionalism, and insight that is truly inspiring. Her ability to connect with people has inspired my own interactions as well as many others who strive for excellence in their professional roles.”
Mike Tellinghuisen recommended four Highway Maintenance workers for outstanding service: Nathan Latterell, Josh Figgins, Jon Bruce, and Ted Malocek. In a letter of recommendation dated January 25th, Tellinghuisen shared his appreciation for the four men who provided assistance during a rollover accident that occurred Jan. 25 on Alpha Road: “These guys stepped in to help as they were one of the first ones on scene, and provided assistance with the life saving measures and also provided traffic control. Good job guys on going above and beyond the expectations.”
Dangerous animals
An ordinance regarding the keeping of potentially dangerous animals as pets was approved during the April 16 meeting. According to a draft of the ordinance submitted in the agenda packet, the purpose of this ordinance is to “protect the public against the health and safety risks that prohibited animals pose to the community and to protect the welfare of individual animals that are held in private possession…By their very nature, prohibited animals are wild and potentially dangerous and, as such do not adjust well to a captive environment.”
The ordinance defines a prohibited animal as any animal that is not normally domesticated in the United States or is wild by nature. Such animals include wildlife that can be found in Minnesota: skunks, raccoons, bears, wolves, foxes, bobcat, cougars, or lynx. The list of prohibited animals also extends into species not native to Minnesota, including but not limited to: primates, venomous reptiles, piranhas, crocodiles, and alligators. The ordinance also prohibits any constricting snake greater than four feet in length or 20 pounds in weight, and any species of insect or arachnid that is considered to be life threatening to humans. The ordinance will also prohibit the transport, selling, or trading of prohibited animals, and those found to be in violation of the ordinance will be guilty of a misdemeanor, with each day they are to be found in violation counting as a separate offense.
The ordinance does not apply to wildlife rehabilitators that are licensed by a state and / or federal agency, or veterinary clinics in temporary custody of a prohibited animal for temporary treatment purposes. The list of prohibited animals does not include livestock that is kept or raised for agricultural purposes.
The next Mille Lacs County Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 8, at 9 a.m. in the upper level of the Historic Courthouse in Milaca.
Public works
Kyle Lau, Public Works Director, was present at the April 2 meeting to submit a construction contract for the Board’s consideration for a culvert removal and replacement in Mille Lacs County. The contract with Houle Excavating, LLC was approved by a roll call vote from the Board of County Commissioners. The construction project, known as Job No. SAP 048-598-014, consists of the culvert removal and replacement, approach grading, and bridge removal on County Road 105 (100th St.) and County Road 119 (160th Ave.), located one mile south of the junction 110th Street on County Road 119 and one mile west of Junction 150th Ave on County Road 105 over Estes Brook, and 3.3 miles southwest of Foreston.
The projected cost of the project is $399,405, with $366,156 in funding made available through the State Transportation Fund Grant. The construction project will begin in July 2024, and is expected to be completed by the end of October this year.
Lau was also present at the April 16 meeting in regards to the planned roundabout to be constructed at the intersection of 3rd Avenue Southwest and Minnesota Trunk Highway 23. A study performed by MnDOT regarding the TH 23 Corridor and proposed roundabout project recommends the installation of stop signs at the intersection of 3rd Ave SW, and 3rd St. SW to accommodate school bus traffic in the area. The roundabout will cause a slight change in the flow of school traffic, causing buses to come westbound on MN 23 TO 2nd AVE SW, to 3rd St. SW, to 3rd Ave SW, and into the school parking lot. A median will also be constructed to eliminate left turns in and out at the school entrance on account of queuing issues at the South Access at Milaca Schools. According to the MnDOT study, the all-way stop will result in “reduced intersection delay, have acceptable queuing, and provide a safer pedestrian crossing” and that the all-way stop “will provide acceptable opening day conditions and likely provide the future capacity that this intersection needs.”
The estimated cost per sign is $800, and total cost including parts and labor totals at $2,400.
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