Kandiyohi County signs amendment to MnDOT joint powers agreement, to invoice $470,274

Kandiyohi County authorized an amendment on June 2 to a long-running joint powers agreement with MnDOT tied to right-of-way purchases for the Wilmer Y project.

Public Works Director Mel Odens described the history: the county entered the original agreement in 2017 and began acquiring right-of-way in 2019. "What you have before you is an amendment to a joint powers agreement... it's my recommendation to sign amendment number one to the joint powers agreement 1037003 and authorize the public works to invoice the state of Minnesota for $470,274.28," Odens said.

Commissioners discussed the long timeline to complete the project and the county's financial exposure. Odens and other commissioners said the county used internal borrowing from the road-and-bridge reserve—about $1.734 million—to carry costs while acquisitions were completed; the anticipated state reimbursement will restore those reserve funds.

Board members praised the multi-jurisdictional collaboration and noted a string of related infrastructure improvements tied to the project, including ramps, bridge work and roundabouts. The board moved and approved the staff recommendation to sign the amendment and proceed with invoicing.

The amendment (JPA 1037003, Amendment No. 1) authorizes the county to seek reimbursement for project costs above a $500,000 exposure limit originally agreed to in 2017; staff noted remaining ministerial revisions before final execution.