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Houston County board approves boilers, appoints members and accepts donations; staff report cybersecurity and website updates
Summary
Meeting highlights: approval of a $23,900 quote to replace two boilers at the Woodland building, appointment of Sarah Whiskey Smith to the extension committee, acceptance of several small donations, approval of snowmobile-club resolutions for DNR grant compliance, and staff updates on cybersecurity tabletop planning and a new county website.
The Houston County Board approved several routine actions and heard coordinator updates covering cybersecurity preparedness and a website rollout.
Boilers: The board approved a Winona Controls quote to replace two boilers at the Woodland building. Staff said the units (about $23,900 for both) will replace older 80% efficiency units with 95% efficiency models; the board noted the replacement exceeds the current $20,000 budget but found the price reasonable and approved the purchase by voice vote.
Appointments and donations: The board approved appointing Sarah Whiskey Smith to complete a partial term on the extension committee through Dec. 31, 2026. The board accepted donations for farm safety day and for the veterans service office (donations of $225 and $200 were mentioned) and acknowledged donors including the Lions Club.
Trail committee and snowmobile grants: The board accepted Jason Craft’s resignation from the Root River Trail Extension citizens’ committee and approved the EDA-recommended replacement. The board also approved four annual resolutions required to secure state DNR grant aid for local snowmobile clubs for the 2026–27 season, moving A–D resolutions together in one motion.
Coordinator updates and other discussion: Staff summarized a recent department-head briefing on a neighboring county’s cyberattack and said Houston County is building a tabletop exercise to improve continuity planning. Staff also announced the county’s new website is live and staff will continue transitioning content. Commissioners discussed employee retention and remote-work flexibility; some members expressed concern about cybersecurity risks tied to remote access and asked staff to return with recommended policy changes.
Reminders: The board noted an upcoming Board of Adjustment/Planning Commission meeting on the fourth Thursday each month and adjourned the meeting by voice vote.
Next steps: Staff will proceed with the boiler replacement procurement, notify relevant committees and donors, schedule the peddler ordinance follow-up for formal action, and develop remote-work policy recommendations and continued cyber-preparedness planning.
