Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Operations Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rice County approves grants, contracts and permits, rejects one highway bid; sets preliminary levy
Summary
At its Sept. 23 meeting the Rice County Board approved multiple consent permits and contracts (including construction and flooring bids for a law enforcement remodel, an Adobe subscription renewal, a veterans grant and a SHIP grant), rejected high highway bids for a slope stabilization project and adopted a preliminary 2026 levy.
The Rice County Board of Commissioners approved a package of permits, contracts and grants on Sept. 23 and took several key fiscal actions.
Approvals and contract awards included: the demo/construction portion of the law enforcement center upper‑level remodel to Healy Construction for $94,850; floor covering for the remodel to Farbault Interiors for $35,000; security furnishings to Poppy Companies for $34,055 (funded from deferred maintenance); renewal of Adobe subscriptions (160 Acrobat and 200 Creative Cloud licenses) at a total contract price of $43,919.04 after an internal audit reduced licenses from 198 to 160; acceptance of a $12,500 Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs enhancement grant for Veterans Services; and approval of a five‑year SHIP grant agreement with the Minnesota Department of Health with Year 1 funding of $202,005.15 (Nov. 2025–Oct. 31, 2030).
The board approved purchasing a replacement rapid‑scan X‑ray machine for courthouse security from Smith Detection Company for $29,230 using public safety funds received in 2023. Highway staff were authorized to award a professional design contract to Erickson Engineering for $64,826 for replacement of Bridge L‑2752 (Northfield Township to pay $10,000 of design cost); however, the board rejected two public bids for SAP 066611018 slope stabilization work because the bids were unbalanced and too high for available state aid and directed staff to seek additional state aid disaster funds and to rebid next year.
On finance matters the board adopted Resolution 25‑034 setting the preliminary 2026 Rice County general government levy at $43,059,523 and the Rice County HRA levy at $232,467, and set a public hearing for Dec. 11 at 6:00 p.m. The board also approved Resolution 25‑035 to update county banking signatories following a staff transition.
Motions to approve these items were made, seconded and approved by voice vote unless noted otherwise in the record; several items were approved after roll call. Funding for those capital awards was identified in the meeting as deferred maintenance or existing public safety/state aid accounts.
