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Murray County approves watershed plans, grants, road plan and routine contracts
Summary
At its meeting, the Murray County Board approved a range of routine items: a joint powers agreement for the Minnesota River Basin, ditch bill payments, adoption/forwarding of the Redwood River watershed plan to BWSR, acceptance of a BWSR block grant, a Public Utilities Commission comment letter on Lake Wilson Solar, MnDOT salt‑shed use, final payments and appointments.
The Murray County Board of Commissioners handled a series of administrative and policy items at its regular meeting following the broadband presentation.
Joint powers agreement and ditch bills: Staff presented a joint powers agreement for the Minnesota River Basin floodwater retention program and asked the board to authorize Commissioner Wolber to sign; the board approved the agreement and the annual appropriation amount reported for 2026 ($3,013.80). Commissioners also approved ditch‑related invoices and engineering bills totaling $12,419.21 for ongoing drainage work.
Redwood River watershed plan and BWSR block grant: The board voted to submit and adopt, upon approval by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR), the Redwood River comprehensive watershed management plan after staff reported that the policy committee had approved the final plan. Separately, the board approved the FY26–27 BWSR block grant agreement for a total award of $89,873 and authorized the county board chair to sign the agreement.
Lake Wilson Solar comment letter and curtailment concerns: Staff reported that Xcel Energy has withdrawn from a planned power purchase with the Lake Wilson Solar project, delaying that project. The board approved a comment letter to the Public Utilities Commission expressing concerns about curtailment and local costs borne by townships and the county.
Highway and procurement items: The board authorized MnDOT’s use of the county salt shed temporarily while MnDOT’s new facility is delayed. The board also approved a final pay request to Groma Crushing and Scrubby Excavating for $11,836.73 and adopted the highway department’s 2026 five‑year road and bridge plan.
Equipment, gifts and appointments: The board approved purchase of an i3 adapter for the county’s Vesta 911 system (transcript lists the total project at $8,850 and staff stated the item is eligible for 911 funds). The board accepted a $5,000 donation earmarked for park building upkeep and approved appointments of three candidates to the Lincoln‑Pipestone Rural Water board for terms beginning 01/01/2026.
Procurement clarification and tables: The board authorized purchase of five dining room tables for Sunrise from Slumberland and postponed action on replacement ovens/stoves to allow staff to clarify service and warranty terms with vendors. The transcript lists a purchase amount in the record that appears unusually large; staff and commissioners agreed to follow up and clarify vendor quotes before committing to appliance vendors.
Closed session: The board recessed for five minutes and then convened into a closed session pursuant to the statute cited in the meeting (recorded in the minutes as 'statute 13 d o 5').
What’s next: Several items require follow‑up: staff will finalize the broadband grant paperwork, complete vendor service clarifications for appliance procurement, and file the PUC docket comment letter for Lake Wilson Solar.
