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Douglas County board approves donations, plats, grants, contracts, bills and an IT equipment purchase
Summary
In a single session Nov. 18, Douglas County commissioners approved two donations totaling $10,200, multiple plat approvals and developer agreements, state grant acceptances, grant amendments, contracts for family-services and gambling permits, payment of $2.74 million in bills, an audit engagement, a personnel conversion and an IT switch purchase.
Douglas County commissioners on Nov. 18 approved a slate of routine but consequential items, including donations, plat recordings, grant acceptances and several contracts and purchases.
Key approvals included acceptance of two sheriff’s office donations — a $200 anonymous gift for the jail fitness room (Res. 25-92) and a $10,000 gift from Bob and Katie Winter split between the dive team and fitness equipment (Res. 25-93). The board also approved final payments for County Ditch 3 Branch 5 and Branch 6 repairs and accepted the final plat for ELC Acres along with a developer agreement to install a sanitary sewer stub.
On finance and administration, the board approved payment of bills totaling $2,744,999.25 and authorized engagement with CliftonLarsonAllen for the 2025 audit cycle. The board approved converting a temporary part-time centralized accounting technician position back to full time.
Staff accepted several state grant actions: the biennial natural resources block grant (Res. 25-94), a children’s mental health screening grant for $26,975 (Res. 25-95), and a behavioral health grant amendment extending the timeline and adding $71,374 (Res. 25-96). The board also renewed a contract with Someplace Safe to provide supervised parenting-time services.
Other items included approval of two gambling permit resolutions (Res. 25-97 and Res. 25-98) to allow raffles at Arrowwood Resort in February 2026, a purchase of an end-of-life network switch to restore vendor security updates and planned IT upgrades, and the appointment of Kevin Lee to the Library Board, District 3, for a three-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
Votes at a glance (as recorded in meeting): - Res. 25-92 (accept $200 donation): approved (motion carries). - Res. 25-93 (accept $10,000 donation): approved (motion carries). - Final payment: County Ditch 3 Branch 5: approved (motion carries). - Final payment(s): County Ditch 3 Branch 6: approved (motion carries). - Final plat and sewer stub developer agreement, ELC Acres: approved (motion carries). - Preliminary plat at Lake Carlos (3 to 2 lots): approved (motion carries). - Res. 25-94 (natural resources block grant): approved (motion carries). - Res. 25-95 (children's mental health screening grant, $26,975): approved (motion carries). - Res. 25-96 (behavioral health grant amendment, +$71,374): approved (motion carries). - Someplace Safe parenting-time contract renewal: approved (motion carries). - Res. 25-97 and Res. 25-98 (gambling permits): approved (motion carries). - Payment of bills ($2,744,999.25): approved (motion carries). - Engagement of CliftonLarsonAllen for 2025 audit: approved (motion carries). - Conversion of accounting position to full time: approved (motion carries). - Adoption of Minnesota paid family leave policy: approved (motion carries; separate article covers debate). - Purchase of network switch (IT): approved (motion carries). - Appointment of Kevin Lee to Library Board, District 3: approved.
Why it matters: Routine financial and land-use actions affect county infrastructure, public works funding, and local service delivery. The grants and contracts support child and behavioral health services and shoreland/septic enforcement, while the IT purchase addresses security vulnerability in county systems.
What’s next: Staff will implement the approved developer agreement and finalize plat recording; finance will process bill payments and execute the audit engagement; human services will accept grant funds and execute contracts as authorized.
