put Mr. Kern at the bottom because he's smart. First thing you do is you get rid of the chief. >> There you go. >> I think so. for you know Emily that you should throw something. >> Let me see. No, I'm not. I don't have my
stuff up yet. >> Wrap it up. We got to get >> Yeah, we do. as soon as I get my computer up. >> You ready? >> No, I'm not. >> Then we'll wait. Okay, there I'm finally ready. Where's the next? >> Okay. Good morning. Welcome to the
Crowing County Board meeting. Would you please stand and join me for the pledge of allegiance and a moment of silence >> to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. First thing on the agenda is open forum. Kathy Dyoff, you have three minutes. Please state your name and and address for the record.
and Dyke off. Morning, commissioners. My name is Caitlyn Dyoff and I spoke a couple months ago in regards to the 287G agreement and the story of my immigrant grandmother. There has been much discourse since I last spoke in front of you all. And as a staunch proponent of informed decision-making, I thought I
might add to this dialogue with facts related to ICE and immigration. I will again state that I'm speaking solely on my own behalf. The following information has been gathered from various peer-reviewed studies completed in the 21st century along with data collected from DHS and ICE via data requests under
the Freedom Freedom of Information Act. And I'm happy to share the exact sources after this meeting. The common messaging from the Department of Homeland Security and ICE is that they are only removing criminals, that they are detaining the worst of the worst, and they are making our country a
safer place. However, according to their own data, this is simply not true. As of April of this year, over 70% of ICE detainees have no criminal record. Of the increase in ICE bookings since the beginning of the current administration, 80% of that increase comes from individuals without criminal
convictions. This is a 1,500% increase in arrests of individuals without criminal records under the current administration. Now you might ask, since there are individuals with criminal criminal records being detained, surely this has had an impact
on our country's crime rate. While data is still collected from the past year, I will share data from the past few decades to give you an idea of the trends we are likely to see. The following statistics and data are from you're okay. The following statistics and data are from 19 peer-reviewed
studies from 2017 to 2024 that analyze statistics through 2020. And these studies found that there is no significant relationship between ICE apprehensions and the rate of violent crime including murder or property crime. In fact, these studies found that sanctuary polies policies have been
associated with lower rates of violent and property crimes. Additionally, these studies came to one of two conclusions. One, that the pro proportion of immigrants in an area appear to have no effect on either violent or property crime, or that increased shares of
immigrants in an area are associated with lower violent or property crimes. And this is supported by available data from 1980 to 2022 that shows significant decrease in violent and property crimes in areas with growing immigrant populations. For example, from 2017 to
2022, the immigrant population increased by 1.7 million people. And during that same time frame, national crime decreased 15.3% and with a 3.6 decrease in violent crime. So, commissioners, the data is
clear. Our immigrant neighbors are not the threats threats some have made them out to be. They are our neighbors, business owners, community members, local school kids, and they don't deserve to be treated like criminals or to fear leaving their homes. They make our communities better, stronger, and
safer. And I urge you to place the 287g and IGS amendments on the agenda. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Marcia Ferris. >> Good morning. My name is Marcia Ferris. I live in Northeast Brainer. Legal citizens and immigrants who are
not white are now carrying their passports and they are still being detained. Most are not criminals, murderers, and rapists. Like any group, you will find a few. Those are the ones that we were told would be deported.
Like us, I'd like us to stop terrorizing essential workers. There are help wanted signs everywhere. We have a lower birth rate which means fewer workers. In our history, immigrants have always done the work that others declined and then have
worked their way up. That's what our country was founded on. Let's work together to create a sane immigration policy instead of sending armed troops into our towns and cities to create chaos. >> Thank you.
>> Next, Cynthia Grim. Hi, my name is Cynthia Grimman. I live in Brainard, Minnesota. Um, I went to high school in Baiji, Minnesota. And um a week and a half ago or so, Ice was
very um they were descending on Bumiji and my friend was having her um roof repaired from the stor big storm that was in Baiji. And there were several roofing crews there fixing all the roofs
all around Baiji. After her crew had been working all day long, masked ICE agents came to her house and they started rounding up the roofing
crew. The crew specifically was saying, "We have papers." They didn't check. They rounded them up and took them away. And this could happen anywhere because obviously it is. And I I really think with all of the
information that you have heard from everyone that now you have the opportunity to do the right thing and not cooperate with ICE because we're not required to. It's actually against the law. Thank you,
Jane Hobick. Good morning, members of the board and my neighbors. My name is Jane Hullrich. I'm here today uh Fairf Fairfield County uh township by the way, sorry. And I'm here to share a commitment to truth to
building unity in our community. Yet the sharp increase in ICE informant from Baiji to Brainard and in between, it's altering the fabric of our region. We're here today to reiterate
unequivivalently. We stand solid in our values of transparency, accountability, compassion, equity, and justice. Our ask today is direct and it's very actionable. We ask that the board
formally place both the intergovernment support agreement and 287 on the table for discussion in an upcoming scheduled board meeting so that dialogue and evaluation can take place. When these
agreements were pursued, Sheriff Clang stated in an interview on June 19th, 2025 at Lakeland PBS that the jail, and I quote, works best when it's full. It keeps everyone busy, keeps everyone focused on what our mission is over
there." Crowing decided on filling a jail facility that was sitting at 25% occupancy. We here today, my neighbors and I say clearly human detention should never be
used as a business model to plug a county budget deficit. Taxpayers have a right to transparency. So exactly how much money has been spent on ICE related activities. What is the real cost to county taxpayers in staff
hours, liability insurance, and keeping deputies away from their sworn duties to uphold state and local laws and preserve public speak. The decision to partner with ICE has fundamentally fractured our communities through our hospitals, our
clinics, our schools, and our churches. What we can do is say, "We're putting out a hand today to you. Let's work collaboratively to find some c creative solutions that can begin to repair the
broken trust all residents are being affected by because we know when residents become feeling unsafe, people will fear local off law enforcement and the crimes will go
unreported and we are all less safe. I thank you. Let's begin the work of healing this community now. >> Mary lad. My name is Mary Papislad and I live in Brainer. I'm going to start by reading
some definitions to you. The human race, the entire collective population of people on earth. Humanity. Humanity encompasses all human beings collectively forming the human race. It
also refers to the compassionate, altruistic and sympathetic qualities that define our nature through empathy, connection, and social intelligence. Crime against humanity. a severe offense
violating the basic rights of a large group of people. Day-to-day life at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, is dire. Risk of sexual and physical assaults have become increasingly prevalent because of blind spots and camera
placement. This camp is not equipped to handle detainees with disabilities, so they are kept in a small medical room where they are not given the help that they need. No skin tests have been done for tuberculosis even though there were
several active cases of TB. Deaths by affixia have been reported and homicides but the evidence is missing or has been destroyed. Food is reported to contain bugs and worms. These are some of the flagrant abuses of human rights that the
American Civil Liberties Union have filed against Camp East Montana and other places where undocumented human beings are being held. We have heard of over 50 deaths and we know that these deaths are under reportported and
efforts are being made not to have to report them at all. These conditions go on at all of the sites where undocumented human beings are being detained. We have heard of over 50-year-old blind man who was left off
at a by ice at a closed restaurant at night in January and was found frozen to death the next day. A 24year-old Haitian vulnerable adult with an ankle bracelet was dropped off in Pennsylvania, 20 miles from her home in February with
spring clothing on and was found dead of exposure at a bus enclosure 4 days later. Is this humanity? Every single one of you knows the difference between right and wrong. And our treatment of undocumented people
using the guides of the 287G agreement is morally morally and ethically wrong. It's inhumane. You make us all culpable. You make us complicit when you use subreuge to enter into agreements that
the people in Crowing County do not want. You cannot use human beings to balance a budget. This is wrong and we are responsible what happens to these people down the line when we have held them in our jail and taken part in this.
>> Your three minutes are up. Thank you. >> Juliet Liil Growth. Good >> morning esteemed members of the council. Sheriff
and the wonderful citizenry who have joined together for for today's meeting. I know that our immigration laws
are not working for our country. Nobody disagrees with that. Republicans, Democrats, independents, we all know things need to be done to make them more
clear, more fair, and more appropo of today's world. In light of that, all the activities around immigrants
are in flux and indeed need to be changed. There should not be inhumane treatment of anyone, not immigrants, not citizens,
not law enforcement, and not ICE. We as a country are embarrassing ourselves by acting out like uncontrolled idiots.
I would like to propose that indeed the council review the decision of Sheriff Clay
to turn or hold immigrants for ICE in jails in Crowing County. I don't know that that's the um that his decision
is even uh subject to council approval, but I certainly know that it is subject to citizenry disapproval if we know our system is broken. And if
we know that putting people into ICE detention is disgusting, harmful, unhealthy, inhumane, and ungodly.
Why are we doing this? When I walked in this morning, I noticed the Ten Commandments posted right on the front of this building. Do unto others as you would have them do
unto you. Most of the people detained by immigration and put into detention. Your five your three minutes are up. Thank you very much. >> Thank you Gary Payne.
>> Morning commissioners. Gary Payne, 3947 Riveridge Drive. This Crowing County, been here for decades. Um, I come to this with a law enforcement point of view. Um, it was not my idea to become ship's
police, but that's what I was assigned to and during the Vietnam War. And that allowed me to get a job as a probation officer later. And then I worked out here at the state hospital building five with uh in lock up with uh judal
delinquents. And since then I've done 30 years as an instructor at Central Lakes College teaching criminology to uh law enforcement students. Um we're very proud of our our uh students. Um, and I think really the
nation in general has been getting better uh over the decades in law enforcement. Law enforcement works best when it's respected and and I think has become more respected uh, you know, in my lifetime
and that's a good thing. And I I don't want my students, my former students to be associated with what I've seen going on with ICE. There's probably some good people in ICE, but they have failed repeatedly in so many ways in the basic
um uh use of of of of due process. If if you can't get due process right, you can't get anything right in law enforcement and they just keep violating it. Uh uh you know, in this country and
in this state. Uh, and so I I really think we don't want to associate ourselves with ICE. Normally, it would be a good thing for law enforcement agencies to work together. It makes sense, but these are not normal times. There's
something going on here and I think we have all seen it. I don't care what your politics are. It's obvious that we've got a problem and uh and I think the county is better off u separating themselves. They do not by law have to
cooperate. They can't interfere, but you don't have to cooperate. And there's a reason for that separation. Um, so please uh please give it some thought. Thanks for the uh having the hearing. Doug Kern. Doug Kern.
Well, this is Freedom on Display. I'm Doug Curran, uh, from Crowing Township. Uh, one of the things that I grew up hearing was a song that had the words in it, "America, my home sweet home." I can guarantee you everybody sitting behind
me has a home or a place to live. And in that home, they have locks. The locks are to keep people in or keeping people out to keep people safe. When you have somebody who goes through a window or a door or whatever and they enter into
your house, that's called an illegal entry. Now, when you have an illegal entry, well, that's when law enforcement gets called. When you see people that are here that are illegal, there's a right way and a wrong way to do it. I know hundreds, hundreds of people that did it the right way. And they came
through, they went through the process, they did what they were supposed to do. One gal that married a good friend of mine took nine years to get here. And that was because part of that was because of CO. You know, there was almost no people coming in except for over the border. So when you look at
that, you know, the people behind me, they may say they're Christian. Well, there's gates in heaven. There's actually laws in heaven. Not everybody's going to get to heaven doing what they want to do. There are actually rules and
regulations there. You know, you read the scriptures, it's very defined. So, you know, I want to thank you guys for supporting our law enforcement and the agreement that they have with ICE. That was never an issue until 6 months ago.
And that's because it wasn't being enforced. The law was has been there for decades, but it has never been enforced. When you see all these people coming across the border, and you know, some of them are really, really good people. Not saying that they're all evil, but they needed to do it the right way. That's
why we have laws. And illegal, you know, words mean something. And in this society, I think that we kind of forget that words actually do have definitions and they do have meanings. and undocumented sounds really pretty, but
it's actually illegal. Thank you. >> Thank you. Right, that's all. Next on the agenda is um review and approve the minutes of the June 9th meeting.
>> Motion to approve. >> There a second. >> I'll second it. Motion by Commissioner Carring, second by Commissioner Lee. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion carries. Um approval of
the board of appeal and equalization minutes from uh the 15th and 16th of June. >> Madam Chair, I'd make the motion to approve the minutes from the county board of appeal and equalization. >> Second. Motion by Commissioner Barrows,
second by Commissioner Coring. Any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion carries. Review and approve the agenda. >> Madam Chair, I have no changes. >> Madam Chair, I'll make a motion to approve the agenda.
>> I'll second it. >> Motion by Commissioner Lubkkey, second by Commissioner Lee. All those in favor? I >> opposed. Motion carries. consent agenda. >> Madam Chair, I'll make a motion to approve the consent agenda, but I would
like to call out 54 for just a question. >> I'll second that. >> Okay. Um motion to approve. >> You want the question? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Question on 54 is uh what was it
before? Um, it talks about security security camera video retention policy approval. Did we have a policy before and what was it? >> Does anybody here know? >> Jory or Kurt, do you have what that previously was?
>> Uh, there was no policy that was in place. Um, we do have the email retention policy, but this is a this is a new policy managing our camera systems. >> Madam Chair, Commissioner Lubkey, this was put in place, you know, as we talk about the fact that our storage
continues to grow. This was putting defined timelines around to ensure that we are managing what that storage amount would be. >> So, what were we keeping at forever then? I mean, if I if before this policy came in place, if I asked for one that was 30 days out, 40 days out, how long
before the tape reoverrun or however we do that? >> Yeah, it's my understanding it was around 30 days and then it was re overcording. So, it wasn't anything past say roughly 30 days, >> but we wanted to make sure we had a very defined policy so that we would we could explain that as 14 days. as well as as
we continue to expand our camera system. Um, we want to make sure we have the appropriate storage as well as you had cameras. >> Yeah. Okay. I didn't know if that was a how that came to being. I didn't know what the policy was before. That's why I asked the question. So, thank you. Certainly,
>> you answered it. >> All right. Any other discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I I >> opposed. Motion carries. Community Services. >> Morning, Mrs. Chair, commissioners. Taylor Lesmeister with Crowing County
Public Health. Um, a public health nuisance was identified at 17394 North Nelson Road in Iron. This is District Lee. Uh, District 5, Commissioner Lee. Um, the property was found to contain a large accumulation of
tires. We estimated approximately 300, most of which are holding water and act as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Additionally, that property contains mattresses and soft-sided items which are an unnatural habitat and breeding crowns for rodents. Finally, we identified abandoned dilapitated
structures that may need to be cleaned out or removed. I have worked with the property owner. The property is owned by a group of siblings and in communication with one of the owners um who are not local to this area anymore. They have
agreed to uh voluntarily allow Crowing County to abate the public health nuisance on their behalf with the understanding that any costs would be assessed to the property. Um so I come before you today to request the use of solid waste funds to clean and abate the
public health nuisance. I do believe there are pictures if you needed. >> I'll make the motion to approve the use of solid waste funds to abate the health public health nuisance. >> Second. >> Motion by Commissioner Lee, second by
Commissioner Barrows. Is there any discussion? >> Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion carries. >> Thank you. Um, our second property today is actually located just down the street from the first. Um, a public health
nuisance was identified on North Nelson Road in Irondale Township located at parcel 71320501. A site visit was conducted on June 9th along with representatives from Irondale Township. We identified several items of concern. However, the primary concern
was the improper storage of residential waste and garbage. As you can see here, um there's an open trailer located on the property overflowing with garbage and a nearby pit where there's evidence of burned and buried garbage. This situation is concerning as it is as both an attractant for rodents as well as a
potential source of contamination for soil and water. With both properties located in proximity to each other, we will open them both up for bids and if possible utilize the same contractor for both projects, which should improve efficiency and potentially result in
some cost savings. Again, I am requesting the use of solid waste funds to abate the public health nuisance and bring this property back into compliance with local and state regulations. >> Do we have a motion? >> Um, I'll have a question here for Taylor. Did you contact Have you
contacted the property owners? Have you been in contact with the property owners on that one? >> This one they have not been very responsive. Um I've made I've sent multiple letters and attempts to contact them. They have not been very responsive and so we're kind of taking that next step. >> Okay.
>> I'll make the motion to approve the use of solid waste funds to abate the public health nuisance. >> Second. >> Motion by Commissioner Lee. Second by Commissioner Coring. Any other discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I
>> opposed. Motion carries. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Land services. Good morning, Madam Chair and I'm here today to present the um updated um land use ordinance uh that we originally
began this discussion uh back in March uh 17th of this year. We came and had a committee the whole meeting with with the board and got the authority to start the 30-day comment period which went from March 17th to April 17th. Uh the plan commission did hold a public hearing on May 21st and made a
recommendation to approve the uh ordinance as submitted with a minor change that we talked about at the committee the whole meeting last week about the battery energy storage systems. And then we are back today for the last step in the process which is looking for um county board approval of
the um ordinance as recommended by the planning commission. I'd be happy to answer any questions. What what uh article or where is it at the um the battery ordinance? >> Yeah, it's that would be that's going to
be located in article 42.12C. That was the provision where it it it had if they wanted to be able to get closer than two miles to a municipality uh that it actually said the county board could reduce that setback and the planning commission since they are the
final decision makers for interim use permits and conditional use permits that uh that authority would rest with the planning commission. So that was the re they recommended all the other changes as submitted and then they just made that minor modification in in that article you have on airports
does the there's no battery storage out at the airport but there is solar panels out there correct >> there are storage yeah there's there's >> so they would not be able to put batteries out there according to your >> a battery energy storage system at with the way the ordinance is currently written now would be would be required
to be set back two miles from a municipality boundary unless the planning commission >> felt there was reason through the permitting process to reduce that >> but they'd be coming in for a variance then is that >> it's not they wouldn't need a variance for that because the the ordinance actually allows the planning commission that authority to make that decision
through that interim use or in the conditional use permit process. So >> that'd be a CUP then >> correct? >> Okay. Okay. Thank you >> Madam Chair. Just a question on what Commissioner Lubkkey is talking about. You're talking about the airport,
>> right? >> Yes. >> I believe they're their own planning and zoning commission. We don't we can't tell them what to do out there. Correct. >> There with what happens at the airport, we have some we have some ordinance uh
requirements for airport. Um but it's basically adjoining property around the airport. The airport itself is is uh managed. So any sort of we were just talking about the setbacks that we were mentioning with Commissioner Lubkkey would just be for for properties that are you know basically off the airport.
>> Off the airport. That's what I thought. Okay. So Madam Chair, if there's no other questions, I would re I would move the request for board action on the land use ordinance amendment. >> Is there a second?
>> Second. We have a motion by Commissioner Coring, second by Commissioner Barrows. Any more discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I opposed. Motion carries. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> County Sheriff.
Madam Chair, commissioners, uh, the sheriff did not advise me of anything to share with you today, but if you have any questions of the sheriff's office, I'd try to answer any questions you might have. Thank you. >> Thank you. County Attorney,
is she online? >> Good morning, Madam Chair, commissioners. I don't have anything for you this morning, but I'd be happy to answer any questions you have of me. >> Any questions? >> Nope. >> Thank you. Have a good day. >> You too.
>> County administrator. Madam Chair, our senior management team met yesterday and we had a couple of agenda items that we spent considerable time discussing. The first being our website accessibility. You may recall that there were some new regulations that went into play that
require websites to be ADA compliant by it was originally April of 2026. By April of 2026, they did push that deadline back to April of 2027. I I would like to note that we are about 98%
compliant on our website right now with the accessibility side of things and we've been making some good strides in that regard. There's still some opportunities for us to look at some education with our staff who are designing the materials for our website and our social media pieces to be a
little bit more compliant in regard to creating some templates. um utilizing tools that are available rather than trying to retrofit documents that are already in existence. So, we talked a little bit about some potential upcoming training that staff will be able to take
advantage of hopefully to learn how to make that those materials a little bit more compliant. Try to push that 98% up to 100% compliant here shortly. The second item that we discussed was uh as you know we're in the middle of our 2027
budget process. We're getting ready for the first presentation to all of you of that here coming up in the next few weeks. And we spent significant amount of time discussing uh potential new positions that are being proposed for 2027 and beginning that vetting process
that we always try to go through at our senior management level prior to bringing anything forward to all of you for consideration. So there was a significant conversation around that process as well. That's all I have madam chair unless any of you have questions for me.
>> Questions? You additional business? >> Madam Chair, got awful quiet in here. So I'll bring up uh two things. First of all, July 1st is National Postal Worker Day. the most
underappreciated group of people I think in our county at least. They've done a wonderful job. So when you see your postal workers, thank them for everything that they do. Second thing is July 4th is coming up. We all know that's a busy time in our county. So drive carefully, use the back roads,
stay away from the collector routes, and appreciate the holiday. With that, I will make a motion to adjurnn. >> Do we have a second? Do we want to stay here? >> I'll second it. I was waiting.
>> Having so much fun, I didn't want to play. >> Motion by Commissioner Barrow, second by Commissioner Lee. All those in favor? >> I motion carries. We're dismissed at 9:30. Thank you everyone.