Mark was elected chair of the Polk County Board of Commissioners and Joan Lee was elected vice chair as the board opened its first meeting of the year, then moved to approve a package of resolutions, contracts and personnel items.

The board approved a housing incentive tax abatement for the city of East Grand Forks (resolution 25-05) following a public hearing. Commissioners also adopted resolutions naming delegates and alternates to the Association of Minnesota Counties (resolution 25-04) and approved several transportation and trail grant resolutions so the county can act as sponsor or fiscal agent for federal and state grant applications (resolutions 2025-06, 2025-07 and 2025-08).

In routine business the board adopted federal reimbursement and lodging rates and the IRS mileage rate (70¢ per mile) for 2025, amended the personnel manual to set an 18% maximum tip reimbursement benchmark for county meal reimbursements, and selected newspapers for official publication and the delinquent tax list.

Labor and personnel items approved included the county's final collective bargaining agreement presented at the meeting for Solid Waste Management employees (the last of eight bargaining units to be ratified), authorization to post and hire for open sheriff deputy and telecommunicator positions, and multiple human services staffing and contracting items. The board authorized a contract with the Minnesota Department of Human Services for children's mental health respite services (contract total $178,698; Jan. 1, 2025'June 30, 2027) and approved a contract with Tri-Valley Opportunity Council for housing outreach and purchase-of-service support in Polk County (not to exceed $167,648 for calendar 2025).

The board also approved a resolution to reallocate $176,400 of previously uncommitted American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to the sheriff's department for wages so the funds would be considered committed by year-end 2024 as required by the subrecipient agreements.

Votes at a glance (items recorded on the Jan. 7 meeting):
- Election of chair: Mark elected chair (recorded vote: 4 yes, 1 no). No formal mover/second recorded in the minutes for the final tally beyond the nomination and voice votes that produced the count.
- Election of vice chair: Joan Lee elected vice chair (voice vote; carried).
- Consent agenda: 24 items approved (voice vote; carried).
- Resolution 25-04 (designating AMC delegates and paying dues): approved (voice vote).
- Resolution 25-05 (housing incentive tax abatement: City of East Grand Forks): approved (voice vote; motion carried).
- Resolutions 2025-06 and 2025-07 (county approvals to submit ATP/federal grant applications and to operate/maintain future trail segments): approved (voice votes).
- Resolution 2025-08 (county as fiscal agent for Fosston transportation alternative funds): approved (voice vote).
- Letter of support requested by East Grand Forks for a planning grant (Merrifield Bridal, inner city connect bridge planning): approved; chair or county administrator to sign.
- Collective bargaining agreement for Solid Waste Management (Local 49 or "Local 49ers" naming in packet): approved (voice vote).
- ARPA reallocation to sheriff wages ($176,400): approved (voice vote).
- Post and hire: sheriff deputy position and telecommunicator positions: approved (motions carried).
- Human services: fill a social worker (child protection specialist) and convert an office support specialist vacancy to a case aid position; both approved (motions carried).
- DHS contract for children's respite services ($178,698): approved (motion carried).
- Contract with Tri-Valley Opportunity Council (housing outreach and purchase of services, not to exceed $167,648): approved (motion carried).
- Official newspaper and delinquent tax list bids: McIntosh Times awarded official newspaper (bid $2.50/column inch); Fertile Journal awarded delinquent tax list (bid $4.50/column inch): approved.
- 2025 IRS mileage rate (70¢/mile), federal per diem ($68/day) and lodging schedule: adopted.
- Personnel manual amendment: set maximum tip reimbursement benchmark at 18%: adopted.

Why it matters: The votes set the board's leadership and administrative rules for the year, authorized county participation as sponsor/fiscal agent for multiple grant submissions, committed ARPA dollars to public safety wages, and approved staffing and contracts that affect service delivery for law enforcement, human services and housing assistance.

Details and context: Several items required only routine motions and carried by voice vote. The housing abatement for East Grand Forks was the only item that included a public hearing; staff reported four properties in their first year of a two-year abatement cycle and said documentation from other cities had not yet arrived. The ARPA reallocation was an accounting step to move unspent subrecipient funds (including an unused scholarship balance and an inactive city project allocation) back into county-administered public safety wage expenditures so the funds met end-of-year commitment rules. The county administrator and legal staff were referenced as the points of contact for questions about legalities, grant administration and next steps.

Ending: Board members indicated they will continue to work on finance-committee details and follow up on items including trail grant submissions and floodplain issues raised during commissioner reports.