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Clearwater County commissioners approve hires, contracts, budgets and major equipment purchases
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Summary
At their April 14 meeting the Clearwater County Board of Commissioners approved hiring a part‑time assessor clerk, accepted landfill monitoring and engineering contracts, authorized equipment purchases including a motor grader, approved budgets and invoice payments, and set election logistics for 2026.
Clearwater County Board of Commissioners members met April 14, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in the Clearwater County Courthouse and approved a series of routine administrative, procurement and budget items.
The board approved hiring Kathryn Lien as a part‑time Assessor Clerk for up to 1,040 hours per year at Range 10 Step 1, effective the week of May 4, 2026. The motion to hire Lien was moved by Commissioner Larson and seconded by Chairman Mark Titera; it carried.
On environmental services, the board accepted a January 7, 2026 proposal from Baun Intertec of Bloomington, Minnesota, for groundwater monitoring at the county’s demolition landfill at $6,790 per year for 2026 and 2027. It also accepted a March 19, 2026 proposal from Widseth of Crookston, Minnesota, for general engineering and annual reporting services for the demolition landfill at about $11,000 per year for 2026 and 2027. Both contracts will be paid from landfill account #392‑6261.
The Land & Forestry Department received authorization to purchase a 2026 Ford F‑350 pickup from Midway Ford for $49,685 plus tax and licensing, to be paid from the County Park Fund. The board also approved payment of submitted invoices totaling $380,307.83 from the County Revenue Fund and $41,026.19 from the Public Health Fund.
On finance and budget items the board approved Forfeited Tax Sale Fund budgets noted in the minutes for both fiscal year 2025 (a corrective approval for a motion missed by the Land Department in 2024) and fiscal year 2026 (a motion the minutes say was missed by the Land Department in 2025). The minutes list account‑level revenue and expenditure figures for Forfeited Tax Sales, Timber Development, In Lieu and County Forest Roads accounts.
For election administration the board designated the County Auditor‑Treasurer’s Office in the Clearwater County Courthouse as the polling place for the South Clearwater 143‑36 and Red Lake Reservation precincts for the 2026 election cycle. The board also directed the County Auditor‑Treasurer to establish an Absentee, Mail and UOCAVA Ballot Board composed of Auditor‑Treasurer Office staff and election judges for the 2026 Primary and General Elections.
Engineering and highway matters included approval to pay Clearwater County Highway Department bills and acceptance of the Engineer’s Certificate of Performance for SAP 015‑642‑003 and SAP 015‑657‑001; the board concurred with the City of Clearbrook to authorize final payment to Reierson Construction for completed work.
The board authorized purchase of a new John Deere 670P motor grader with plow equipment, trade‑in of Unit 2, from McCoy Construction and Forestry of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, at a purchase price of $325,000 through the Sourcewell cooperative contract.
By general consent the board waived a three‑day notice requirement for a subsequent motion, and later authorized spending approximately $1,286.94 from the County Attorney forfeiture fund to buy chairs and chair mats. The meeting adjourned at 10:35 a.m.
The meeting record shows each motion was moved, seconded and “carried,” but the transcript does not include roll‑call vote tallies or a board discussion record for most items.