In response to the historic flooding issues from late June, the month of July was a busy one from a recovery perspective. County officials were busy managing and staffing a debris collection site in the City of Waterville which saw over 2,000 site visits with many tons of debris collected and disposed of properly. Additionally, our Assessor’s Office has been conducting site visits to determine the level of property damage which might lead to property tax relief for certain properties.
Additionally, we have been working with state and federal officials on potential future assistance. Currently, the only financial assistance that is officially available is for reimbursement of public costs for cities, townships and the County. We anticipate a decision in the coming weeks from state and federal officials that may authorize assistance for homeowners and businesses. If this authorization is made, a disaster recovery center would likely be established in the County where citizens will need to meet with state and federal officials to determine potential assistance.
In other County news, the Board of Commissioners adopted updated ordinances for solid waste and flood plains. The solid waste ordinance had not been updated since 1993. The most significant change to the ordinance was authorizing the County to assess monetary penalties to individuals with blighted properties or who violate the ordinance. The flood plain ordinance needed to be updated to be in full compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program which is required for flood insurance and certain types of disaster assistance.
The Board also held a work session to review the five-year capital improvement plan, which is a planning tool for the County to manage any large capital expenditure. Included in the plan are road projects, equipment purchases, and major building maintenance projects.
Planned road projects for 2025 include County Road 30 from County Road 26 to 28, County Road 13 from State Highway 60 to County Road 16, County Road 6 from State Highway 60 to County Road 14, County Road 21 roundabout at State Highway 22, County Road 22 in City of Le Sueur, County Road 131 from County 6 to City of Waterville, and a bridge replacement on County Road 46.
In related road news, the Board heard the Minnesota State Department of Transportation present their plans for future road projects in the County. Major short-term projects include State Highway 22 through 2024-2026, a roundabout at State Highways 99 and 13 in 2026. Plans for work on State Highways 19 and 13 are scheduled in the 2029-2034 timeframe.
The Board also heard an update from our Veterans Service Office who reported on their work along with benefits received by veterans in our County. The office recently received a new transport van to provide rides to veterans for medical appointments. In addition to the traditional transport service provided to the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis, the County is also offering transport to the Mankato VA Clinic.
In County ditch news, the Board, acting as the drainage authority, authorized working with the Minnesota DNR and Ducks Unlimited to build a water control structure on Diamond Lake near Kilkenny and started the redetermination of benefits process on the entire County ditch 15 system in Kilkenny Township.