Pine County board refers Windermere Township pier funding request back to land advisory committee after dispute over bridge overruns

Pine County commissioners on a recorded vote on Aug. 5 referred a Windermere Township request for up to $32,000 in reimbursement for a fishing pier project back to the county's land advisory committee for further review. The board's action followed testimony from township representatives and a lengthy discussion about construction overruns and alternative funding options.

The referral followed testimony from Tony Bakhtiari, vice chair of Windermere Township, who told the board the $32,000 request was intended to add a public fishing pier and related amenities to Sturgeon Lake’s island bridge and that township members had incurred some additional landscaping and driveway costs that they said were paid by individual homeowners. “We wanted actually, you know, that county to go after the contractor,” Bakhtiari said, and he told commissioners the township did some extra work after the contractor left. County staff later described different accounts of what work was in the original contract.

Commissioners said the land advisory committee had recommended contributing up to $15,000 from the parks and recreation fund but that committee member testimony and follow-up calls with highway staff raised questions about whether some of the alleged extra costs were for private driveways or otherwise outside the contractor’s obligations. Commissioner comments described contacting the highway department and learning the township had asked for work on private driveways that was not in the bid; one commissioner said that led them to feel “completely misled.”

The board discussed whether the township should pursue Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) funding for fishing piers, a process several speakers said could take about a year. County staff advised that DNR grants were available for fishing piers but that applicants should expect a long timeline. Commissioner remarks also noted a $235,000 forfeiture receipt tied to land in Windermere Township that contributes to the county’s parks and recreation funding pool, and staff clarified that the county’s grant program is funded from forfeiture sales, timber sales and other land revenues — not solely forfeitures.

After public comment and additional discussion, Commissioner Roger (role: County commissioner) moved to refer the township request back to the land advisory committee for more information; the motion was seconded and the board approved the referral. Commissioners and staff agreed to notify Windermere Township of the committee’s next meeting and to allow the township to present additional documentation on costs, contractor claims and potential DNR funding before the land committee revisits the request.

Next steps noted by commissioners included scheduling a special meeting of the land advisory committee (no date scheduled at the meeting) and informing the township of that meeting so it could provide supporting documents and representatives. The referral leaves the $32,000 request unresolved; no county funds were approved at the meeting.