Residents urge Houston County to restore half-mile mine-density setback, citing lack of notice

Dozens of residents told the Houston County Board of Commissioners they want the county to restore a half-mile mine-density setback that was removed earlier this year, saying the change had the practical effect of approving a proposed Olsen sand mine without adequate neighbor notice.

"Since the amendments were made for the Olsen mine and this would be a new policy countywide, the neighbors of the proposed Olsen mine should have received notice of the amendment hearing on 02/27/2025. They did not," said Cynthia Cresswell Hatlily, who says she owns property next to the proposed mine and urged the board to revert sections 27.3 and 27.815 to their 2014 wording.

Petitioners and other speakers described a timeline they said shows the amendments were drafted with the Olsen proposal in mind and criticized the county's use of the Caledonia Argus for legal notice. Joyce Ruffler, who said she circulated the petition, told commissioners many residents only received the paper after public-comment deadlines and were unaware of the amendments when they were adopted.

Speakers pressed environmental and economic concerns. John Haines asked what dust-abatement measures the mine would use and where water for wetting material would come from; Dwayne Teschler warned of silica-related lung disease, and Anne Yackel urged commissioners to balance economic development with protection of the county's karst region, springs and tourism. Several commenters said they collected hundreds of petition signatures and asked for a public meeting before additional conditional-use permits are approved.

At least one township official, Steve Hartwick, said he could not find evidence that some town clerks received mailed notice and cited Minnesota requirements that written notice of official-controls amendments be sent to governing bodies of affected towns and municipalities.

County commissioners did not take immediate action to reinstate the setback at the meeting. Commissioners told residents the petition would be introduced at a March 10 work session, that staff and the planning commission would review outstanding questions, and that the board will consider further action after those steps.

What happens next: The petition will be presented to the board at a workshop; commissioners asked staff to gather more information on notice procedures, the original 2014 ordinance language, and reclamation history for local mines.