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Ramsey County approves Fox Lake water removal permit, $300 membership and tables Churches Ferry sale
Summary
Commissioners authorized a temporary U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit for Fox Lake water removal, approved a $300 annual membership to a conservation board, instructed staff to reissue corrected tax statements for Devil's Lake school mills, and tabled consideration of a Churches Ferry property sale pending legal review.
Ramsey County commissioners approved several administrative and permitting actions during the meeting, including authorization for Fox Lake water removal and routine membership and tax corrections.
The board authorized the chairman to sign a temporary wetland easement and permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that will allow water removal from Fox Lake through October. Commissioners discussed whether to ask Fish and Wildlife for a specific lowered-elevation target before pumping and directed staff to work with Fish and Wildlife to document any agreed elevation or special conditions. "We need to know an actual elevation height of water that that can be lowered to," a commissioner said; staff replied they will get the elevation in writing and coordinate with Fish and Wildlife.
The board approved a $300 annual membership fee for Northern Plains Resource Conservation and Development to support local-food and conservation work, with commissioners agreeing to reassess the membership next year. The motion carried.
Staff informed the commission of a technical error in tax-statement processing associated with Tyler Technologies that omitted school mills on some Devil's Lake district statements. The county plans to reissue corrected statements (target date June 1) for affected taxpayers, recover the school bond amounts, and coordinate notices to the public to avoid penalties.
Separately, a resident requested the right to purchase three county parcels formerly held by the dissolved city of Churches Ferry (approximately 20–28 acres) to control access and recreation on the land. County staff said property value must be determined and disposition must follow statutory procedures; the commission voted to table the Churches Ferry property request pending legal review and valuation.
Before adjourning into an executive session to discuss potential litigation under North Dakota law, the commission handled routine proxy and meeting business, including a vote to allow the auditor to submit a proxy for the Ender annual meeting.
The commission then moved into executive session under the cited state statute to consider potential legal action.
