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Marshall‑Polk Rural Water asks Polk County for support on Crookston expansion; commissioners urge legal boundary agreement with West Central
Summary
Representatives of Marshall‑Polk Rural Water requested county assistance for a planned $3–4 million expansion near Crookston. Commissioners and presenters said the parties need a clearer legal agreement with the emerging West Central Regional Water District before committing county funds or formal support.
Representatives of Marshall‑Polk Rural Water presented an overview of past expansions and a proposed south‑Crookston expansion at the Polk County Board meeting on July 2 and asked for county support for a multi‑million‑dollar project.
Paul Berdrum and other Marshall‑Polk board members described a planned expansion that would use an existing well site (with reverse‑osmosis treatment planned to address arsenic) and a new reservoir east of the Crookston airport. Berdrum estimated the overall project — wells, reservoir and mainline extensions — at roughly $3 million to $4 million, with site‑specific components such as the reservoir costing roughly $1 million and treatment infrastructure costing roughly $200,000–$250,000.
Board members and staff in the public meeting urged Marshall‑Polk to finalize a legal memorandum of understanding with West Central Regional Water District organizers before the county commits funds or resources. Commissioners said the county’s prior ARPA funding for a Climax project raised questions about how interdistrict boundaries and prior investments are accounted for, and they want a clear, written agreement so future disputes do not require repeated legal processes.
“There's a problem we're having between the two right now,” Commissioner Paul said, describing attorney‑level negotiations that remain unresolved. Commissioners repeatedly described their preference for a “soft line” or cooperative agreement so that whichever water provider can serve a property quickly should do so, but said counsel must formalize that understanding to limit future legal disputes.
Marshall‑Polk representatives said they were prepared to pursue expansion where feasible and that their planned well site and reservoir could serve customers north and south of Crookston; they asked the county to consider project support and to flag state or federal funding opportunities. Commissioners asked Marshall‑Polk and West Central representatives to return with a written proposal and asked county attorneys to work with both groups to identify a practicable agreement on boundaries and collaboration.
The discussion ended without a formal vote on funding; the board reiterated that it is open to collaboration but wants lawyers for the respective groups to produce a clear, written arrangement before the county commits funding.
