Houston County board awards official newspaper bid, adopts routine resolutions, approves appropriations and committee assignments
January 07, 2024 | Houston County, Minnesota
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At its meeting, the Houston County Board opened two sealed bids for the county’s official newspaper and awarded the 2025 contract to the Caledonia Argus after staff read the line-item rates. County staff reported Argus’s rates in the packet at about $3 per inch for a range of notices; the competing Fillmore County Journal bid listed line-item charges at $7 per inch.
The board then considered and approved several routine resolutions: account powers for Merchants Bank (packet reference '02/2002'), account powers for ESB banking (resolution reference '2503' in the packet), and a resolution authorizing use of an alternative method to disseminate bids and requests for highway projects. Staff explained Minnesota statutes allow use of the county website and Quest CDN to reach statewide contractors and that the practice has been used for roughly a decade.
The board approved issuing county credit cards to Cindy Wright and Kurt Zender after receiving signed employee acknowledgments. Commissioners approved a three-year Wildcat Park management contract (see separate coverage) and adopted the 2025 annual appropriations resolution; staff highlighted a $3,000 addition to the Bluff Country Minnesota Multicounty Housing and Redevelopment Authority and noted SELCO funding of about $197,000 (contract negotiation due next year) plus earlier ARPA payments.
Commissioners also approved auditor warrant payments processed on Dec. 31 to close 2024 items and January warrants; the list included an election systems purchase (about $49,000) and a billing from the Minnesota Department of Corrections. The board then reviewed and approved a broad slate of commissioner committee assignments and external representative roles across local and regional boards. The meeting closed after housekeeping announcements including a GSA mileage-rate update to 71¢ per mile.
Votes on these routine items were taken by voice and recorded as approved.
The board then considered and approved several routine resolutions: account powers for Merchants Bank (packet reference '02/2002'), account powers for ESB banking (resolution reference '2503' in the packet), and a resolution authorizing use of an alternative method to disseminate bids and requests for highway projects. Staff explained Minnesota statutes allow use of the county website and Quest CDN to reach statewide contractors and that the practice has been used for roughly a decade.
The board approved issuing county credit cards to Cindy Wright and Kurt Zender after receiving signed employee acknowledgments. Commissioners approved a three-year Wildcat Park management contract (see separate coverage) and adopted the 2025 annual appropriations resolution; staff highlighted a $3,000 addition to the Bluff Country Minnesota Multicounty Housing and Redevelopment Authority and noted SELCO funding of about $197,000 (contract negotiation due next year) plus earlier ARPA payments.
Commissioners also approved auditor warrant payments processed on Dec. 31 to close 2024 items and January warrants; the list included an election systems purchase (about $49,000) and a billing from the Minnesota Department of Corrections. The board then reviewed and approved a broad slate of commissioner committee assignments and external representative roles across local and regional boards. The meeting closed after housekeeping announcements including a GSA mileage-rate update to 71¢ per mile.
Votes on these routine items were taken by voice and recorded as approved.
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