Sherburne County’s Community Health Board on Tuesday adopted a resolution finding that a Big Lake residence at 18956 Helen Way constituted a public‑health nuisance after law enforcement discovered a clandestine drug lab at the property. The board also approved steps that allow county health staff to order or perform abatement if the property owner does not act.

Community Health Services Administrator Nicole Rudolph told the board that law enforcement contacted the department on March 5 after the discovery of a clandestine lab. She said county staff consulted the county attorney and posted the property under Minnesota chapter 152 authority for clandestine labs. “The state threshold for methamphetamine residual for remediation is 1.5,” Rudolph told the board as she described follow‑up sampling.

Nut graf: Post‑seizure environmental testing found methamphetamine residue across the property in a range from 0.02 to 633.96 micrograms per square centimeter; three sampling locations — the garage, the loft and the HVAC system — exceeded the state remediation threshold of 1.5 µg/cm², prompting the board to adopt the administrator’s finding and authorize abatement procedures.

Rudolph said the county contracted screening and consulted subject‑matter experts, including Bay West (which removed chemicals) and environmental consultants, and used methamphetamine residue as a proxy measure for other chemical contamination associated with clandestine manufacture. She summarized the testing: “Those results came back in the range, was a 0.02 to 633.96 micrograms per square centimeter. And the state threshold for methamphetamine residual for remediation is 1.5. So there were 3 areas that were above the 1.5.”

The board approved resolution 90225AD‑3237 to adopt the administrator’s findings and authorize an order to abate under Minnesota Statute section 145.04; commissioners voted in favor by voice vote. County staff said they had received quotes from vendors to perform full remediation of the garage and house and would attempt to work with the homeowner and the homeowner’s power of attorney to arrange a voluntary cleanup before the county initiates abatement.

County attorney staff and administration explained that if the owner is unable to complete remediation, the county may perform the work and pursue statutory methods to recoup costs, though county officials cautioned that recoupment through property assessments or forfeiture can be a lengthy process and does not guarantee full recovery. Assistant county administrator Bruce Meselt said the county has not budgeted for such cleanups and emphasized abatement by the property owner as the preferred outcome.

Separately, the Community Health Board adopted a resolution to designate Nicole Rudolph as Community Health Services Administrator with authority to act on urgent public‑health nuisances, a procedural change administrators said was needed to expedite responses in emergent situations. The board also accepted Rudolph’s bimonthly update, which included district health data products and other readiness items.

Ending: Rudolph and county counsel said staff will continue to seek a voluntary cleanup plan with the homeowner and that the county will proceed with abatement only if owners fail to act; the board directed staff to include all relevant documents in the administrative record before any county‑led remediation.