Commissioner Yukovich was elected chair of the St. Louis County Board and a vice chair was chosen at the board's Jan. 7 meeting as commissioners completed a routine year-start reorganization and approved a slate of committee and external-board appointments.

The meeting, called to order with a moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance, moved quickly through nominations and voice votes before turning to business that will shape county operations in 2026: contracting decisions for roadwork, recycling services and radio equipment; a sheriff's office lease renewal in Ely; a two-year joint powers pilot with the Minnesota Department of Human Services to address Rule 20 competency evaluations; and a formal authorization to allow the county to conduct small direct timber sales for the 2026 calendar year.

Why it matters: the board's contract awards and authorizations set the county's operational priorities and spending in transportation, public safety and environmental services. The road contract in particular clusters multiple projects to maximize mobilization efficiency; the DHS pilot targets long-standing delays for people awaiting competency treatment that keep beds occupied in county jails; and the timber-sales authorization streamlines administrative handling of small, time-sensitive sales on county or tax-forfeited lands.

Board actions and key details

Votes at a glance:
- Elected Commissioner Yukovich as 2026 board chair (nomination, second; voice vote; motion carried).
- Elected a vice chair by voice vote (motion and support; motion carried).
- Adopted the 2026 county board committee-of-the-whole meeting schedule (resolution; motion carried).
- Approved multiple one-year slates appointing commissioners to regional and external boards and local committees (motion carried on successive slates).
- Authorized small direct timber sales on Minnesota tax-forfeited and county fee forest lands for Jan. 1Dec. 31, 2026, under Minnesota statute thresholds (resolution passed; administration noted annual joint reporting to the board).
- Awarded a series of roadwork contracts: a bituminous reclamation and mill project awarded to Mesabi Batumas (motion carried) and a reclaim/overlay package awarded to Northland Constructors of Duluth for about $5,700,000 across multiple projects and funding sources, including state aid and local levy (motion carried).
- Approved a 10-year lease renewal for the sheriff's office space in Ely City Hall; administration described the total lease cost over 10 years as approximately $11,000 and an initial year figure of $10,900 with a 3% annual increase in later years (motion carried).
- Approved a two-year joint powers agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Services for a Rule 20 pilot to review best practices and coordination; administration said no funds change hands and each party pays its own personnel costs (motion carried). Under Sheriff Akerson said, "any given time, we have usually between 20 and 25 of these individuals in our custody," about 15% of the jail population.
- Approved a state-contract purchase of portable radios from Motorola Solutions as part of routine equipment updates; administration corrected a line in the resolution so payment will come from fund 100 (motion carried).
- Authorized environmental-services contracts: a roughly $500,000 two-year agreement with Quad Cities Recycling for transfer-station haulage services (with optional one-year extensions) and a two-year agreement with Liberty Tire Recycling LLC, per-ton pricing with an annual cost not to exceed $260,000 (motions carried).

What speakers said: Jason Meyer, director of land and minerals, explained the timber-sales authority would permit "small direct timber sales for the calendar year of 2026," noting Minnesota statute limits (for tax-forfeited lands up to 500 cords or $15,000 value) and that most timber is still sold by public auction; the authorization aims to allow timely administrative sales for cases such as disease infestation or wildfire salvage. Under Sheriff Akerson described the county jail population impacted by Rule 20 processes and said the DHS pilot will examine ways to move people through evaluations and care more efficiently.

Next steps: Several items will require implementation steps by county departments (annual joint reports on timber sales, contract execution and funding setup for awarded road projects and recycling contracts). The board noted the next full meeting location will be in Ely next week for continued business.

The meeting adjourned after final commissioner reports and scheduling confirmations.