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Todd County commissioners approve multiple items including warrants, contracts and permits; several items set for follow-up
Summary
At their July 15, 2025 meeting the Todd County Board of Commissioners approved a slate of warrants, hires, contracts and conditional land-use permits; the board also consolidated county attorney job descriptions and approved a new hire. A rezoning near the Long Prairie airport was tabled for further city/airport input.
Todd County Board of Commissioners on July 15, 2025 approved a set of routine and substantive items including auditor and commissioner warrants, several land-use permits, a five-year waste delivery agreement, and personnel actions. The board voted to approve payments and hires brought as consent or regular agenda items, and requested follow-up or clarification on selected expenditures and contracts.
Why it matters: The approvals carry the county's near-term budgetary and operational consequences — large warrant runs, contract commitments and land-use decisions all affect county finances and land management. Several items will require follow-up or legal review before final execution.
The board approved the following actions (motions and outcomes summarized):
- Approval of meeting minutes (7/1/2025) and six hires on consent (investigator, administrative assistant, part‑time jailers, equipment operator) — outcome: approved (voice/consent vote).
- Auditor warrants for June 2025: ACH and manual payments totaling $5,329,678.55 — outcome: approved (roll call: Commissioners Denny, Becker, Newman, Noske, Byers voted yes).
- Commissioner warrants (totaling $61,996.27) — outcome: approved after discussion and a request for clarification on a $7,876.60 line (Evans Council Inc., dispatch chairs); roll call: all commissioners yes. The board directed finance/staff to gather more detail about the $7,876.60 payment and report back before final vendor payment handling.
- Health & Human Services warrants: commissioner warrants ($144,962.11) and SSIS warrants ($75,296.47) — outcome: both approved (roll call votes recorded yes).
- Initiative Foundation annual contribution: motion to continue the previous year's contribution of $7,500 — outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Eliminate Assistant County Attorney (ACA) 1 and 3 job descriptions and consolidate to a single Assistant County Attorney classification, and approve title updates for existing employees — outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Hiring of Assistant County Attorney Christopher Matthews, start date Aug. 11, 2025 — outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Historic trim project (historic courthouse trim): award low bid to High‑tech Construction for $364,000; funding from building improvement funds — outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Corrected board action form to add wage and correct name for previously authorized hire (board action form 20250701-19, corrected to Christopher Manders/Christopher) — outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Planning and zoning actions (conditional use permits and rezonings): • Schrock CUP for temporary family housing (Parcel 090025700) — outcome: approved with the planning commission conditions (voice vote). • Cold Blends CUP to expand existing greenhouse (Parcel 260034300) — outcome: approved with conditions (voice vote). • New Heights Dairy feedlot expansion CUP (increase to 1,997.4 animal units) — outcome: approved with conditions (voice vote). • Johnson outdoor shooting range CUP (Round Prairie Township) — outcome: approved with conditions (voice vote). • Shamaya/Wiener rezoning request (parcels near the airport) — outcome: TABLED to allow coordination with city/airport stakeholders and to appear on the Aug. 19 agenda (motion to table carried).
- Waste delivery agreement renewal: authorize the Solid Waste Director to sign a five‑year waste delivery agreement with Waste Management of Minnesota (to address unauthorized out‑of‑county waste deliveries) — outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Hiring of accounting specialist Hannah Elfering (grade E/step 5 pay rate requested at step 3 because of experience) — outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Jailers/Dispatch collective bargaining tentative agreement with Law Enforcement Labor Services (LELS): items include shared Minnesota Paid Family & Medical Leave premium, new 11‑step salary schedule, COLAs for 2025–2027, and other benefits; the board adopted the tentative agreement — outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Paycom payroll/HCM contract: board approved moving forward with the Paycom purchase for Todd County at an annual price presented ($47,100 for county payroll) and implementation fee, but the motion was explicitly conditioned on legal/contractual review by the county attorney before signing — outcome: approved pending county attorney review and any contractual adjustments.
What the board asked for follow-up on: commissioners sought clarification and supporting documents for the $7,876.60 commissioner warrant line (dispatch chairs), instructed finance and appropriate department heads to review the procurement process; they also required county attorney review of the Paycom master agreement and any negotiated changes before the county coordinator signs the contract.
Less urgent items and reports: standing department reports were delivered (solid waste, county attorney staffing update, planning, health and human services, Pheasants Forever program update). Several presentations flagged future workload or budget impacts (child services changes tied to statewide legislation, HHS caseload growth).
