make it. We start our meetings with a public comment period and so the public is invited to come to the podium, tell us your name and address and uh you have two minutes. We hope that you can keep your comments to two minutes um to share
any of your thoughts with us. Is there anyone in the audience that would like to participate in public comment? Good morning, commissioners. My name is Katrina Hurley and I live at 415 East Howard Street in Winona. And I also am here on behalf of St. the city of St. Charles where I work in community and economic development. First, I want to
thank the commissioners who have listened to the concerns raised by residents over the past few weeks. The fact that this discussion is continuing for the library funding shows that public participation matters. We've heard comments suggesting that the response to the proposed library funding reductions may be an overreaction
because no final decision has been made. Respectfully, I believe that this is the exact right time for these conversations to be had. The purpose of public engagement is not to wait until after the decision has been made. It's to provide information, perspectives, and community input while decisions are still being shaped. We would much rather bring our concerns directly to our
county commissioners now than wait till after the vote is done and complain online. This is how the local government should work. Public response to this campaign has been overwhelmingly positive and residents across the county understand that the public libraries are not simply a place to check out books. They're part of our social infrastructure.
Libraries provide internet access to residents who cannot afford it at home. They loan Wi-Fi hotspots, especially at St. Charles, to people who search for jobs, complete school work, and access essential services. Librarians help to create the resumes and submit applications, navigate the online
systems, and connect them to resources in the community. These services do not create dependencies. They help build independence. After this meeting, the city of St. Charles will be emailing you all a packet of numbers to show how our St. Charles librarian, Jill, has been able to stretch every single public dollar to make the most out of the
contributions as well as donations, but we cannot rely on those to be able to make our libraries run. Reducing the funding does not reduce demand. It does not reduce the number of residents who need internet access, job search assistance, programming, materials, or a safe public place to learn and connect.
It only reduces the resources available to serve them. County residents continue to use the St. Charles Winona and Lac Crescent public libraries. And if these regional these are regional services, then regional funding should continue to support them. We are here early because we want to help shape the responsible decision before it's made. Thank you for
listening. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Is there anyone else in the audience that would like to participate in public comment? >> Good morning. My name is Mary Frell. I live at 665 West 5th Street in Winona. I am a board member of the Friends of the
Winona Public Library. I serve as their secretary. I too just wanted to respond to the article that was in the Winona Post that this was an overreaction by uh the library and the and the advocacy group, the friends. But um I really
thought it was a proactive move that we were informed about this proposed cut. So, we thought we should do something about that rather than sit back and and not um work towards trying to um to uh to speak to all of you and let you know
that we do um want to continue funding and not to have those cuts. But, um I understand completely that budgets are difficult and that you have a lot in front of you and some changes are you know on the federal level and such. So I
I you know I don't envy you. Um I do see that you have on the on the after the I think the board adjourns um a discussion possible discussion with Selco freezing and um the library would be very much in
favor of of freezing the the current amount that you have given to the the library. So, I would just like to as an advocate for the library um that I am in favor of those discussions and in favor of those freezes. Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Is there anyone else that would like to share their thoughts with us? Please come forward. >> Good morning. My name is Judy Casper with the C. 1651 Valley View Drive, Winona, Minnesota.
I'm here as a Winona person who grew up in the library and um you know libraries are free. It they're safe. They are so important to our communities. There is
a place for everyone and opportunities for all. as I listened about the computer access and how important that is and I'm really stressing our community and opportunities for entertainment
for you know there's movies there's book clubs there's so many things for children Winona story time and lunch in the park what can be better when I looked at the schedule of our Winona public library online the days
are packed packed with all of these wonderful events for families for everyone. Not everyone has funds to do things and it's packed with them. And growing up, our kids were in schools and they
could bring home Scholastic Bookf Fair and you could buy things. I never bought them. We were on a budget. We were a little family on a budget. And years later, they said, "Mom, you'd never buy it. We didn't even bring them home." But guess where we went every week? Winona
public library. Our county residents need St. Charles, Lac Crescent, Winona. We need these libraries to be act accessible to everyone. And like I said, when I looked at the whole agenda for people for all the things that these
staff and these libraries do on a daily basis, I thought to myself, wow, I wonder if they even get a lunch break. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Is there anyone else in the audience that would like to share their thoughts with us? Um likewise, if you are online,
I am thinking that you can unmute yourself, please do so and uh say something so that we get our attention. Otherwise, I will ask two more times. Is there anyone else here? Please come
forward and tell us your name and address and uh try to limit your comments at two minutes. Uh, good morning. Thank you. Uh, my name is Adam Gaffy. I live at 82543rd Avenue. I'm a resident of Good View and I've lived there with my family for the past
10 years. Libraries are for everyone and even as hot as it is outside. >> Yeah. >> And I know that making decisions about budgets can feel very hot, very fraught. Uh I think that this is a a vital decision that's in front of you. Uh as
as a library serves a community, it provides space not only for feeding curiosity and feeding literacy, but also for feeding thoughtfulness that grows over time. Literacy rates are going up
or down. They're going down. Polarization is going up or down. It's going up. I think decisions like this are so important for giving a community that cornerstone for providing space for
young and old people, people who live in the city, people who live in a surrounding area, people who just need that access, just need that focal point um to grow into the best people that they can be. Uh so it's no coincidence that a library is the foundation of a
society, right, going back millennia. And this feels like a really important decision right now. So our future selves are going to be looking back and asking what did we do now to help literacy rates to help young people and old people and all people in between read
and get those ideas and what did people now do to decide how we were going to live our best selves together right and and I think the library is the space for that. So, I'm here on behalf of my family who is um always engaged in the library and always bringing those values
together. Um and as part of our experience, I hope you can make that decision to keep it part of our experience in the future. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Is there anyone else here or online that would like to share their thoughts with us?
>> And for the final time, is there anyone in the audience or online that wants to participate in our public comment period? Hearing none. Public comment is closed. We will move on to our regular business. I think we have some committee minutes that we might want to approve.
>> We'll move. I'll second >> 4.1 4.2 at the same time. Commission >> 31. >> 31. Okay. >> I apologize. Yep. >> Yep. That's okay. You still second it? >> Yes. >> Okay. Mr. Elsing moves. Commissioner Vaguely seconds approval of the county
board minutes from June 23rd, 2026. Is there any further any discussion hearing? None. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. >> I. You oppose, say no. Motion carries. >> We have some additional minutes. >> I jump the gun. I'll move to approve
items 4.1 and 4.2. Second. >> Okay. Commissioner Begley moves. Commissioner Olsson seconds approval of the planning commission from April 16th of this year and the Health and Human Services Advisory Committee meeting from June 16th of this year. Is there any
discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. Anyone's opposed, please say nay. >> Motion carries. Okay. Uh, we move on to our agenda and consent. Um,
county attorney Son, do you have anything? >> I have nothing. >> Okay. Mr. Commissioner, >> a few comments at the end, please. >> Commissioner, >> comments at the end. >> Mr. Olson, >> nothing for me. >> Mr. Ward,
>> um I would like to pull uh 6.4 for a little bit uh clarity and a little bit of discussion and then I have two uh uh committee updates at the end, please. >> Okay. So, we'll make that um 7.0 and you uh right away under general
business and you have um some committee reports. >> Yes. Uh I will just make a brief comment about spongy mos adaptation because it's over. >> Okay.
So there's a slight adjustment to our agenda. Um would anyone like to move to approve it? So move second. >> Okay. So Commissioner Elsing moves. Commissioner Ward seconds approval of the agenda as it was amended. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor, please
signify by saying I. I. Anyone's opposed, saying nay. Okay. The agenda is approved. Um, administrator Holty, can you read the consent business for the record? >> Absolutely. 6.1 Approve submit for Mark Day. Henderson Family Trust and Brenda
L. Henderson Family Trust. 6.2 Approve Winona County abatement policy. 6.3 award bid for two dump box and snow foul packages to Universal Truck Equipment and Incorporated. 6.4 was pulled. 6.5
approve award and approve 2027 to 2031 recycling collection services contract to Harter's Quick Cleanup and 6.6 confirm payment of dispersements. >> Is there a motion to approve the consent? >> We'll move. Second.
>> Okay. Commissioner Elsing moves. Commissioner Olsson seconds approval of the consent business as it was read. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. >> Anyone opposed, please say nay. >> Consent business is passed. So we move
on to what was 6.4 which is now 7.0 under general business. Approve the letter of agreement for the less 537 union dispatchers. Okay. And and I pull this um because
it's something different we're doing. Uh we've had a lot of people reach out to us about dispatch and showing concern and um maybe this is a short-term uh uh help. Uh it's a it's an additional uh lump sum retention payment um to to the
people there. Uh I am a little concerned though we're going out 26 27 and 28. Um so even if and we were indicated that we had a large pool of candidates. So will all these new anybody new hires does it also apply to the people that
are currently in those um seats in the dispatch? Um and then a lump sum payment. Can we consider it a tip so they don't have to pay taxes on it? Um because anytime you give somebody a pay raise, it's not just the pay raise, it's all the other things that get tagged on
with a pay raise. And so sometimes it's not a pay raise. Sometimes it actually puts you in a different uh income tax bracket, which is u it it shouldn't, but I mean I've heard of people having that problem. Um I understand it a retention.
Uh does it set up a meto policy? Um we're doing this for one small group. Um when union and this is a union position, will it continue? Uh that is a concern of mine. And then long-term, I know the legislation
changed the I think the classification or something for dispatch. They have a new retirement uh policy and everything. I'm not and I'm not up to speed on it, but I did read some things about it and which I I agree. I mean, dispatchers are on a different professional level than
than some other positions. Um, and they tried to get themselves more aligned with like law enforcement and fire and safety types of positions, I believe, through their union negotiations. So, Todd, you can answer all my questions. >> Well, I tried to write them all, Commissioner. Uh, Todd Sadler, uh,
director of human resources. So, for one, I've done these retention uh, incentives before, not here, but other places. Um, as far as a tax, I can't do anything. The IRS regulates that. Um, but it is a limited time. It's got an
expiration date. So once somebody passes six-month probation or they've been enter 6 months, they'll get the first 2500. They'd have to get the second 2500 by December of 2028. So that's that's the 18 months. So, we're looking at
potentially a cost of 47,500 total >> for the three years or >> for the Well, it's it's not >> you've got your first six months right after you pass and then you have the retention for being here for a period of time by December of 2028.
>> And I I hope that it's not just time served. It there is some performance evaluation that warrants getting this retention bonus. >> Well, they have to pass probation. I mean, they have to pass their probation according to the to theou. As far as the meto clause, there is no me too clause
on it. I mean, we're not having the other issues with the other unions. This we're at a a situation where we're down below our minimums to to continue up, you know, with the operations. That's why we have the rice steel. This is another um way of looking at getting the retention, keeping the people we have so
we don't lose more. Um the me too continuous. It's time time sensitive. Um, as far as the retirement, a lot of states are doing that. They're putting them in their retirement fund because they're they should be seen as their their piece of our, you know,
safety. Um, you know, like law enforcement, firefighters. >> Does that affect us monetarily? >> Will it affect us? Yeah. Well, I mean, eventually it's going to. Yeah. Because we have to put more into their Yeah. Yeah. So, this this doesn't account for that. It's not a It's not a bonus. It's
a retention incentive pay. So, as far as treating it as a tip, we can't we can't do that. I mean, I understand, you know, with the federal regulations for temps tips, you know, waitresses and and weight staff and stuff like that, they get that, but we can't we can't serve
that. >> We can try. So, that's four of the questions. Did I miss? >> That answers most. I mean, I understand the need to do this and everything. I just think that it may have implications going forward. Um so with with that
retention then when we advertise or we hire a new uh person in dispatch then that's automatically considered into the pay scale. >> It's we can't um Minnesota statute states we have to put them in. I mean as far as the pay scale this isn't part of
the pay scale. It's an incentive pay. So I mean certainly we can state that after 6 months you can you know receive this but so >> vaguely and don't go to because commissioner has >> I'll defer to commissioner you seem like
you had that was one time I'm sensitive I just wanted to be on that question originally when on that side so my thing and I can appreciate commissioner Ward's thought process hey this set a precedent everybody else going to come in here you know and >> and I get it in desperate times desperate measures and we're trying something so I commend what we're trying
to to to try to have a relatively inexpensive way to encourage people to stay and this is very common in the private sector to do this especially in the healthcare field >> because that's ultra competitive to keep people >> so um so very common policy and quite honestly it's relatively
>> non-expensive in my mind I mean this is not a whole lot of money to try to do this I've seen some pretty crazy incentive pays out there my wife's been in the healthcare field for 30 years so um and we've taken advantage of a few of those So, but at the end of the day, um
the the couple questions that I had with this is if we can we abandon the program if we preset a date. In other words, and this is the legality aspect of this. You know, we're saying this term of agreement is through December 31st, 2028. What happens if we have an influx
of people and we don't see the need for this anymore? Can we stop it prematurely and say, "Hey, we don't really need to pay this anymore. We've got an abundance of people." I'm just it's it's it's the far side to what this might be. >> Good faith, I would say no. I mean, in good faith bargaining, I mean, we've
we've agreed with leases on it. >> We're stuck once we do this regardless of whether we have 50 applicants and we don't really need them anymore. We're still >> Yeah. But we still got to keep them, right? And that's some of the turnover part of this is that retention. >> Understand? I'm just saying the hypothetical is this is permanent. We're
not going to be able to get out of it type of a situation. >> I would my advice as a labor professional, no, we wouldn't do that. But >> I'm not saying to the employee if we hire him under this pretense, we need to file it out. But let's just say we get to a point where we don't feel we need it. >> We're obligated to keep this until December 28th.
>> Yeah. Because it has a sunset that you pass until December. >> My note here is can we early sunset this? And the answer is no. So once we agree to this and and on that note, I've just, you know, that's the business side. I mean, hey, what's our cause? You know, can we get out of this? Um,
I guess I don't see the problem going away. That's the issue. So, I would agree to this just simply because I I think it's it's not just localized. This is a problem everywhere. So, I don't this is going to help, but I don't think it's going to eliminate the issue. >> I agree. And commissioner, I mean, when I when we put this together, I looked at
it historically. I've done them before. And it's not something you just throw out there. I mean, you look at our trends. We've had this trend with the dispatch for some time. And hopefully this will, you know, level it, but I'm not saying it's going to fix it. >> Mr. Oh, were you done? The only other
thing I was going to suggest is can we put a clause in there as part of this agreement that gives us an out that says hey if we no longer see the demand issue we have the right to resend this on a six-month such and such right so we're not forced
to pay out another 20 $30,000 we may not need to >> I don't I don't >> but they agreed I mean it's just simply them agreeing >> you have to I think renegotiate it and Greg Griffith is the attorney for >> the the county uses for labor negotiations. We would have to I think
involved but I mean as it's written now >> I don't reopen negotiations. >> Okay. Yeah. We don't I don't think we want to go through that. So >> Okay. >> Got it. >> That's it. >> I'll move to approve this item to get it up on the table. >> I'll second it. >> Um and I I want to indicate that I strongly support this and I want to
thank Mr. Sadler, um Miss Holty, the sheriff, the chief deputy, and Ben Klinger for working on this. If anything, not only do I strongly support it, like you've mentioned in the private sector and in other aspects of the public sector, um this is common market adjustments and this is perhaps the most
important part or one part of the most important part of the county. Literally life and death issues. If anything, I think it should be more. Um this is not going to go away. I wish it would go away um in a year or two. But this took a long time to get us to this point. It's going to take us a while. And this
is only one piece of the short-term problem. So, if anything, I would even support a larger in retention bonus, but I'll go with this for now. Um, but uh I strongly support this. Thank you, Mr. Sadler. Thank you, Miss Holy. Thank you, Sheriff. >> Yeah,
>> we can always go up. I'm sure they'll take it. Would you like to? I think we start with this. >> Mr. Ward, and I do support it because I know it's a problem and everything. I just the precedent we're setting and such. So at
$5,000 for the first what 18 months, what's that work out to be? 10 cents an hour. What did how did you come up with the 25? Where did that magical figure come from? >> Yeah. So looking at what other you know I think uh the Twin Cities they did an incentive. Um one of the counties still
county maybe one of the good hue they had an incentive. I looked at what I did in the past. This is very similar to what I did in the past looking at the statistics on is it successful? Where I came from it was successful. I know De Moines metro is different than here but
it was very successful. So that's what I what I looked at. >> So how much an hour is it? >> Uh so 5,280. >> Gosh, I could usually do math in my head. I'm getting a little older maybe. Um >> I'm doing Yeah, you got your calculator
out. I mean it's not it unfortunately it's really not a lot >> because you're on an 18 months if you take 2080 times 1.5 you're at 3120. >> Is this a leap year 2088? No it's 20080. Sorry >> it's a dollar something an hour roughly$160 something.
>> Yeah. Again um is it going to solve the problem? >> Yeah hope so. >> I think it's a bandaid on a bigger >> one part of a bandaid on a bigger issue. Yeah. >> Is there further discussion? >> Let's try it. >> Thank you. Okay, >> I think we need a vote.
>> Motion by Commissioner Vagely, seconded by Commissioner Meyer to approve the letter of agreements for LES537 dispatchers. >> Any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. >> If anyone's opposed, say nay.
>> Motion carries. >> Madam, yes. Uh I just, you know, so the public knows, you know, we're not trying to not solve a problem. I mean there was a lot of outreach about this and everything and so it is just a small step I mean uh to try and fix a problem. So we're we are trying to address it and
that's one of the reasons I pulled it too so the public understands that it is an issue and we are trying to address it. Thank you for trying we're trying. Thank you. Thanks. >> And there's more coming. This is just one piece of the puzzle. This is a retention. >> We now move on to item 7.1. received
presentation from the DNR and approved an appro proposed boundary change uh which I believe is to John Latch State Park. Do you Mr. Fox? >> I am. >> Good morning, Madam Chair. Commissioners, uh thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I'll try to be very brief. My name is
Jimmy Fox. I'm the manager for Carly John Latch and Whitewater State Parks. Um I'm here to talk about John Latch this morning with you. Uh John Latch State Park, if you're not familiar, was established in 1925
via donation of 350 acres uh by, of course, uh Mr. Latch and another land owner. And the park is located in northeast corner of the county. The statutory boundary established by the legislature for the park is around
1,500 acres. Currently, the acreage owned by the state and the public is about 450 acres. The purpose for the park is to um protect and perpetuate natural resources for the state of Minnesota and for the
use, enjoyment, and understanding of those resources without impairment for future generations. So, I'm here today because a private land owner approached DNR in January with a desire to sell their acreage to
DNR and a half an acre of that acreage is actually outside of the statutory boundary park. So, the legislature requires that DNR approach the county
and seek um support, endorsement, approval of that statutory boundary adjustment. And that's why I'm here this morning. Uh there should be a map in in a copy of my letter in your packet. Um, so the ask for you is, you know, if
you could develop a resolution or a letter or even just approve or support this statutory boundary adjustment even in your meeting minutes. That would be much appreciated. And that's all I have. >> Commissioner Begley, >> I would like to move to approve this
request. >> You go ahead. >> Second. This is in my mind a no-brainer. Um it matches uh the vision of John Latch. The land owner is willing to do it. Um it's one of our it's a beautiful state park in a unique location. Um we
actually have one of the local um experts and historians um on John Latch, Miss Frell here in the audience today. Um we should give her give her 10 minutes to talk more about John Latch. Um but no, I think this is a no-brainer and I like I think I hope that we can approve it.
>> Mr. board. >> Uh, it does make sense. It's only half an acre, but I will have to put a ploy in that the DNR needs to pay more payment in lie of tax property taxes because even though it's just a half an acre, you start chipping away at our property tax base that impacts everybody
out here now, they're going to have to make up that half an acre se uh property tax that that the DNR took. And I know you can't control it, but you can advocate for a reasonable uh payment in lie of taxes for any land that the state of Minnesota, the DNR and the federal
government likes to take away from us. being in a being in a a rural environment, that's probably I'm not going to say it's in the the top concern, but it's probably in the top three or four concerns that I hear a lot is, hey, as we we've got a lot of
resources that we're funding on a land base that every time the DNR takes a piece of land, you know, that actually goes against other people that are competing for the same land to make a living and and the tax base that's underneath of it that we have to pick up. So, it is a real concern. Um,
unfortunately it paints a bit of a black eye for the DNR because they almost feel like they're in competition for the same piece of land, you know. So, I gonna, you know, concur with Commissioner Ward's comment. So, I I I support it. It is small, but again, our job is to
represent what we hear and that is that is something that comes up quite frequently in my conversations in the A world. So >> is there further discussion? >> You're related to Alen Fox? >> I am not. Okay. Just curious.
>> Okay. Commissioner Vaguely has moved. Commissioner Olsen has seconded uh receiving this presentation and approving the proposed boundary change for the park. Is there any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. >> Anyone's opposed say nay.
>> Motion carries. >> Thank you. Thank you. Oh, Commissioner Olsson has a question. >> Will that be enough for your needs? >> If that's recorded in the minutes, that would be sufficient. >> Mr. Ward, do have a question, though. Um, can the public hunt on that land?
>> Not currently open to hunting. >> Okay. >> But it can be. >> It It can be open. >> It could be. >> It could be. >> We have a special deer hunt in Whitewater State Park, >> right? Yeah. But not in >> not currently. >> Okay. Is that on the table or >> could be >> Okay. Could be. All right. I don't know
if that's something that And again, will the neighborhood um adjoining land owners know now that that's DNR? You'll put up all your little signs and say keep out public land. >> I have two letters I'm about to send to adjacent land owners. >> Okay. You aren't going to put up the
keep out public land, are you? >> There is no keep out signs for public land. >> Just public land public land >> unless there's contamination or something like that. Public safety. >> Okay. And I do have a um something for the payment in l of taxes that I'll I'll share with you. >> Okay.
>> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Our next item 7.2 is to discuss and determine the 2027 SEMRA allocation and approve the preliminary levy resolution. >> Um do we have a representative from
SEMRA here? >> Oh, awesome. Thank you. >> And I see we have a letter from >> Patty Parody. >> Yes. >> Not for you. Yep. Not for me. Um, my name is Justin Sts. I'm the new CEO of SEMR. I started there in March. And
Patty is our accountant, so she handles a lot of this. So, good morning, commissioners. Um, yeah, I'm here for that preliminary levy request. Our request, as we put together, um, was $144,76,
which is largely the same request that was, um, made last year. Um, I see the approval last year was 130,000. Um, based on our request, an owner of a $350,000 home, the estimated cost would
be $10.38 for the year in tax, which is essentially unchanged to the property owner from last year. um because of the tax growing of the tax base. Um we're currently using about 16% of our
statutory levy capacity which is among the lowest in Minnesota. Um three components make up that total. Really it's the exact same as last year. Um we're um 70,206
is um a general fund request. um some general staffing. Our housing coordinator um addresses section 8 shortfalls that we have. We administer the section 8 housing choice voucher program in the county. Um the second
part 495,000 is for community and housing development. And this is probably where you see the biggest return is um we are having all our counties or requesting all our counties as we did last year commit to a
community development um a director in that department which we do have hired um reorganizations. So, we have that and a grant administrator who writes grants. And um this also covers our administration of the Winona County
Housing Trust Fund, the administration of state um statewide affordable housing aid grants. Um also 15,000 for Lewon Parkview and Green View properties. Those are properties that we operate in Mstead
County. um and a grant match to rehab. Uh 25,000 the final number um I think there was a misprint that says 25500 on this sheet but it's actually 25,000 even for the housing trust fund as a
local grant leverage. Um so the housing trust fund that we administer those funds are controlled by the county. anytime there's a expenditure from that we come to the county and ask for approval of that. Um so if those funds don't get used they
get rolled over into the next next year um for future projects. Uh over the last 10 years every levy dollar has returned about $7.80 to the region. Um, across our service area, SEMA serves an average of 412
households on rental assistance and we house over 900 people in our rental units last year. Um, including many families right here in Winona County. Um, we have roughly 4.3 million in open single family rehab grants across the
region and SMRA itself pays about 21,000 in property tax to Winona County. Um, so we're asking the board to approve that preliminary levy resolution and I'm happy to take questions. I know um,
Miss Administrator Holty, you had reached out to me about um, going over figures and I I would like to do that with our accountant to go over um, in depth if there's any um, in-depth questions. But Mr. >> Else the 21,000 though that's total
that's not our portion, correct? That's property taxes. No, we we pay more than that in other counties. So that's 21,000 paid to Winona only. >> That's not two that you pay 21,000 in taxes, but Winona County only receives a portion of that. Correct. Are you paying
Winona County's portion of it is 21,000? >> We we Sim pays 21,000 in property tax on our properties to Winona County. But I think what you're >> what I'm saying is that it's divied up amongst the state, us, the school district, everybody else. So we're not receiving.
>> Sure. That's that that >> our constituents are not Yes. Correct. So we only get a very small portion of that 21,000. >> But the point being their properties are taxable property tax. >> Yes. I'm just I'm looking at the offset of what we fund out versus what we
receive. So that's that's where I'm at with this. So >> Mr. Were you done? >> Yeah. So, um, thank you. Um, and Justin's on a steep learning curve. Uh, Buffy Bronnic had very big shoes and and they're hard to fill, but he's
absolutely diligently. Couple issues. Um, and uh, my my song is the same. Um, we did 130,000 last year. I I have concerns of taking another $25,000 into the housing trust fund because already
uh Miss Holty provided the balance on that is $89,168. So why are we keep putting money into a you know bank account for taking it from the taxpayers putting it in that for the what what if say a grant or something
comes along. I think the 89 is more than enough um for a housing trust fund that uh I know housing is going to change a lot. the federal uh legislation. I'm not sure how that changed everything, but it may. Um, and I do have to ask, uh, how
much did you request from the city of Winona for us administrating their section 8? Did you ask them for any levy dollars this year? >> I am not aware that we made any requests on that. I don't believe we have. >> Okay. See, to me that's that's very
unfortunate um because we're administrating the um section 8 and yes we get federal dollars to administer the section 8 but I'm not sure that that covers the the whole administration and um just even administering section 8 it takes um you
know a lot of people and I have heard stories in the past where the that clientele is requiring more and more for lack of term you know better uh coordination handholding to get everything lined up and everything. And actually the section 8 people are almost
acting a lot of times as social workers trying to help these people navigate more than just the the the renting and everything. So I mean it uh again if we're providing a service for another government entity, I think they should be paying um their fair share. And so
not asking them for any local levy I think is um >> misrepresenting to my constituents, the rural constituents who pay this whole whole amount. So I would move that we keep the amount at the uh previous $130,000
taking basically that 25 out of the housing trust fund and and just doing the general funds and the community and housing development. I just questioned that. But that doesn't add up to one. Are you saying 130? >> We did 130 last year. I
>> Yeah. But if you took the 25 out of there. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. It'd be less than that. >> It'd be less than. So I'm giving a little bit, but I I like to state what we did last year. >> Yeah. So roughly that'd be like about 10,000 into housing trust fund because you're reducing it by 15. >> Yeah. At least my quick math is
>> total reducing it by 14. I'm just trying to understand it. So I guess but I have a comment >> what we did last year. >> Yeah, this is u we're going to have a lot of these tough decisions because we're facing a third year of kind of some
unprecedented tax hikes. And so in my mind I look at things and say, you know, do I look at the housing trust fund as a slush fund? Not necessarily. But it is a fund that sits there that is somewhat dormant until
needed. Right? So to ask a taxpayer to continue to put something in when we faced historic tax increases, double digit tax increases and the push back that we're getting from a lot of constituents in my area anyway is we can't keep we're absorbing all these what is the county doing? Why does the
county have all this money sitting in all these little pockets, right? So the idea is when you get into these situations, you go into hey, what's it take to just continue to do business? The nice and the need to things the nice and the needs need to come into play. I say this just because I don't want you to think we make decisions just really
right. So in my mind that's what I'm doing. I'm looking for ways that hey we don't need to continue to contribute to something especially if we feel it's somewhat stable. Um this has a direct impact on our rural constituents as we're footing the bill for a lot of this stuff. Um and we do get some push back that hey I can barely afford to stay in
my house let alone build one for somebody else. Right. So, um, I was under the I my impression of this was the same thing as the housing trust fund that I would just say, "Hey, let's do business as usual." The general fund expenditures went up a little bit. If we took that number plus the community and
housing development number, we eliminated the I'm going to say the housing trust fund for this year just because it is well funded. has over a three and a half year um setback or continuence I guess at 89,000 would be 25,000 three and a half
times funded. So it's three and a half years funded sitting there. So my thought process was and I'll second your motion if you want to. I'll amend my emotion to your >> was the 70,206 and 49500 >> 197 >> and allow the community the housing trust fund to sit dormant for a year and
let's reevaluate it next year and if for some reason those those funings has gone down we can revisit that. So this at least allows the general fund expenditures for the staffing and the risk mitigation to continue and then we use that as a little bit of a variable. It saves our taxpayers money. We're not
putting more money into something we may not need, right? And go from there. So that was going to be my motion to it. That's why I asked for clarity. >> I'll I'll amend my motion to uh approve funding at 119,76 for the 2026 or 2027 um year.
>> I would second that motion. >> There is a motion on the table. Commissioner, >> couple questions for you. Um first two statements that will go two different directions. Um $89,000 in the world of housing development is nothing. um you need to add a zero or two zeros to that
to look at real building projects. So in the grand scheme of things, $89,000 is a is money, but it's not a lot of money. It's a garage for some of these developments, etc. However, are there any current plans for any grant um submissions that this leverage would
assist with? Because if not, then I'm actually inclined to go with I actually prefer the 130, but um >> would you mind if I just made a comment on Sure. Because really what it is is just to go after the grants. Yes. Not necessarily to fund the project, right? But we we do need matching funds for
some of these grants for for the grant requests, etc. But are there any current grants that you're going to go after that would require matching funds that you're aware of? And I realize you're probably still finding your feet. So I want to grant you grace. >> Yeah, I appreciate that. Um I I don't have anything specific in Winona County
at this point, but um we we've been looking to partner with Habitat to um get a development of some kind going in the greater um Winona County area. Um we we do um target um state and local or
SAHA dollar, state housing assistance um grants where a lot of times I don't there's a lot of projects now that really require some type of skin in the game to to push it over the edge. And the housing trust fund I don't see I mean in my knowledge that I've gathered
in the four months I've been working with it is that it's not the funer of projects but it's the the bucket that helps push a project over the edge that then um increases your tax base and so it it's a it's a benefit in that way and
that's where we come up with that investment dollar you know a dollar is a return of 780 um I don't have a specific project here But um but we have been in contact with um um Three Rivers um
Community Action is working on a project in Good Hugh County where they're using tax credit and they take a portion of the housing trust fund dollars for their county and that's what's pushing this project over the edge to happen to put 50 units in um rural communities in that
area because it's much like here we don't operate in Redwing, we operate in the county outside of it. So, um I yeah that 89,000 is a small amount for some of these projects. Some I mean
Habitat I know last year had asked for 150,000 for a project that is um still sitting there for them to use because that project fell through that happened before my time and I don't really know all the ins and outs of that. But that's just an example of one project. They
were looking at 150,000 to make it happen. >> One last question. This is a difficult one and I don't expect you to answer it. Something to take back to the SECRA board is do you think that SRA is the best >> is the organization best suited to
administer the housing trust fund in terms of your bandwidth? Um, we had a short conversation I and a couple others with Habitat for Humanity and they seem to have the expertise and the interested in this as well, but if you can get back to me later about why we should stick with SRA. Uh, this is just one
commission. This is nothing um to don't overreact to this, but just help make the case why SAMRA um is the agency best suited to administer this county um uh housing trust fund. Commissioner Elsing's ask for the floor and then you
Commissioner Wood. >> I'll defer. >> Okay. >> Um just because I sit on the sure board and such part part of the problem uh is you have to have a willing private business builder that wants to do this segment of the you know the building and such.
>> And right now they can make a whole lot more money building just a private. So to get the builder interested to jump through all the hoops and everything is part of the part of the struggle. Um, I don't know this new housing thing that that passed at the federal level. I don't know what that's going to do um
for the housing market. Um, every day I get solicited. They want me to do, you know, they want me to downsize and build a new house. And there's really a lot of things on the market now that are inexpensive, highly efficient, and and we have to change. I think as a society,
we have to change. We don't need the threecar garage and the family wreck room and the three offices because they're working from home and everything. We've totally overbuilt our housing system and we have to kind of I think adjust to what we can afford. And
interest rates, they just said interest rates are high right now. So I I have no problem just kind of sitting for like waiting a year leaving that 89,000 to work uh if it needs to and um you know go from there. >> Mr. Also,
>> yeah, I think if we had a defined reason that we could see a guaranteed economic short long-term situation with this right now, but the one thing I can promise you is that people will have to pay their taxes. >> There's no maybe there. So this is where
this is an opportunity for us to say, "Hey, this sure it might not be ideal in the grand scheme of what you guys have focused, but I think for right now in the continuence of you get your feet on the ground, come back to us some good projects that we think, hey, yeah, here's an economic return for the county." I think that would make a lot
of sense. If that fund was at zero, this would be a different conversation. Um, but you know, again, I just I'm going to support I guess a second to your motion, amended motion. So, um, I would like to hear from commissioners who haven't had a chance to speak. Commissioner Olsen, everything you want to share with us.
>> I'm not going to support the motion. I'll just leave it at that. >> I'm not going to support this motion either. I feel like it's backsliding. It took us a while to get to 130 thou 130,000. For over a decade, that uh levy remained flat at 100,000. I had a
conversation with Buffy a couple years ago, Buffy Brick, and I said, "What would it take for us to be able to expand the low-income housing in Winona?" And she said, "Well, you're going to need to increase the levy." So, I would support either the 130, but I would also love to give SEMRA the full
144,000. So, I won't be supporting this motion. Is there further discussion? Commissioner Ward, I you mentioned that housing in Winona County and I think there is a big need in the city of Winona. So I think the city of Winona
needs to step up and and be a a better partner in all of this. >> This is a yeah the rural side of this is what we have to represent which is what this has a direct impact on. And you know, this is us saying, hey, we feel that in our
districts, >> this is what our people want. So, >> and and if I could just speak to what you're talking about, the the you know, underfunding it in a year, you know, it you come you come with a year like this
where we're talking about maybe 10,000 in that fund or nothing at all or 25,000 was the the initial modest request. and and um like we talked about a project can often it could need 150,000
to to get that thing going to get it off the ground. And let's say next year we do have one that wants to go and and if some of these smaller projects have um eaten away at some of those funds, you know, is the
board is the county, the taxpayer have the appetite to come up with 150,000 right now in addition to make a project go. And that's where these really sit. And I I go back to Good Hugh County where
we've had we had two two projects that are 100,000 plus that came to us this year. Nothing nothing that significant last year and they had been putting in a regular amount into their housing trust fund. Yes, it sits as a slush essentially. I mean to use your
terminology, but at some point when when two great projects come up, renovating an old school to turn it into 50 housing units, you know, that came up and and I I doubt at this at this point and with
the the sentiment regarding, you know, tighter budgets that that they were going to kick in $150,000 this tax year to make that happen if the funds weren't already there. And I think that's what what you're looking at is
it's more piecing in money into an envelope. Much like budgeting at home, you know, you're budgeting out so much a year that you want towards that. So when the big project, your your big vacation or your big um home renovation comes up, you have that month money that you've
put away. And that's more the way I think of that 25,000. >> Mr. Begley. >> Oh, did I did I give it to you? I apologize. >> Yeah, that's okay. I don't want to keep dragging this out, but um you know, the allocation of funds is always a is a difficult thing. And I guess the the the
issue is I take it from a taxpayers's perspective. And I go back to what I originally said. If there is a project that makes fiscal sense, financial sense, >> of course, we're going to take a look at it. And I think you're probably talking to the hardest person up here when it comes to that type of thing. Um, so if
and when that does, I I could see us coming up very easily with the funds if this makes sense to just take tax. Like I said, the taxpayer will have to pay their taxes. Not maybe if we could, we might a whole bunch of this. And that's what taxpayers don't like is the taking
the control of their money where they're not making the interest on it. They don't get to decide to do with it. Putting it into a fund on a whatif. So our job is when these opportunities do come in and say, "Hey taxpayers, you didn't fund this last year. We're going to overfund it this year because we got a great opportunity." What they don't
want to see as a storehouse of their money that they can't use when they need it. They're not making the interest on it. They're not benefiting from it until we decide as a government entity to use it. The slush fund aspect is a disappointing thing because it doesn't allow who we represent to manage their
money. we've decided to manage it for them and there's no economic benefit for them in the intern. So that's where we need to be careful. So to say that we might have a project and we need to gain all this money and sit on all this because it's their money not ours is to me is detrimental because it it dis it
disenfranchises and takes the ability for them to manage their own money until we say hey here's now here's the economic return for you. So I think we need to be careful that we set that precedent that we know how to manage their money better than they do. And so that's where when these opportunities arise, that's why I say if we had
something on the docket today, absolutely we should be looking at that. But because we don't, I don't want to just continue to put money into account. So if we have to fund this, if there's a great opportunity, brought $150,000. If there's $150,000 opportunity that we can see a return on that, I'd be more than
willing to sell that to my constituents and say, "Hey, this is this is awesome. You know, we're a declining county. We need housing to this extent to attract people here." But when nothing's on the record as far as what we're going to do, it's very hard for me to go out and say, "Hey, keep putting some more money into the hat that you can't control that you lose the opportunity to lose or make
money off of them." So that's why I just can't support the blind taking of money without a cause. So, uh, that's why I'm going to continue. Um, >> so Justin, the last two years I supported the full requests that Buffy brought before us and both years and
last year specifically I said next year please tell us how this benefits taxpayers on county. Go ahead. >> We I realize that there was a change in in that position. Um so I am going to vote against the current um motion and but I would vote in favor of the
original 130 to maintain the existing. And just for speaking for myself only, Justin, I know it's tough because you're four months into a very important and difficult job that has many different counties that you work with and entities. I I I want to I want to show you some grace as well. But if you next
year when you come before us, um make a a case why this housing trust fund like give us examples of what it has done or specific examples about what it's going to do for next year. So I want to vote against the current motion, but I would vote for Commissioner Ward your original
motion for 130,000. >> Okay. >> The motion on the table is from 119. So all the question. Okay. >> Uh so the motion on the table is to approve the preliminary levy resolution at 119706.
Um um all those in favor, please signify. Oh, this motion was made by Commissioner Ward and it's been seconded by Commissioner. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. >> I. >> I. >> Those opposed, please signify by saying nay. >> Nay. >> Okay. Motion does not pass.
>> I'll split the baby. Uh I'll make a motion for 130,000 of last year's funding level. >> I'll second that motion. >> Okay. Commissioner Olsen moves and Commissioner Begley seconds. Approving the preliminary levy resolution at
130,000 which was last year's amount of funding. Further discussion >> hearing none. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. I. >> Those who are opposed, please signify by saying nay. A motion does carry. >> Thank you. Just thank you.
>> Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for stepping up and taking over Buffy's job. >> Yeah. >> And please put on your agenda the city of Winona. >> Request funding. >> We'll do. We'll do. Thank you. I appreciate talking to you. >> Thank you for coming.
Okay. Uh we are about at the close of our regular meeting. So, uh Commissioner Vagley, you had some comments. >> Um first of all, I want to thank um the Ripple group and the mothers who worked uh to organize the United Against Fentanel walk that took place this last
Saturday um at Windham Park. I don't know what the official number is. I would guesstimate at least 200 people came um to that event. There were lots of different nonprofits. I saw at least six or seven members of the Winona uh police department there. Um a lot of people impacted people from our
treatment court. Um Bill Mo and others. There was it was a great event put on by Malia Fox. I want to thank them for all the work that they're doing. Since our last meeting, I've attended three three different funerals or celebration of lives. I want to extend my condolences
to the family of Jerry Miller for the loss of his wife, Susan Miller. Um Susan um was very active in our community and worked on many different charities and causes. Um also want to extend my condolences to the family of Tom Wyn. Um Tom has been very active in the Chamber
of Commerce, former CEO of Peerless Chain. Um the Winona Community Foundation, Winona State Community Foundation, very active in St. Paul's Episcopal Church. He and his wife have also become very active in the um the day and night shelters, the homeless shelters in town. um and his and his
funeral. It was an overflowing uh audience at St. Paul's. Lastly, I want to extend my condolences to Lindseay Brandt for the loss of her husband. Um that event, that um memorial service was this past Sunday at the American Legion. Two other quick comments. I want to just
quickly state on the record again that I am very interested in continuing the conversation to have the city, police department, and the county sheriff's department work together and stay at the law enforcement center. I think it's important that we continually point out that the county is a willing and eager
partner to to keep them those two departments together. And lastly about the dispatch center, um I want to thank again Mr. Sadler, Miss Sulty, and the others who brought that forward. I strongly support the short-term and long-term needs. And I'm very committed
to fixing the problem with our current dispatch center and keeping it a local dispatch center. At some point in the future, we we could have discussions about regionalization, but now now we should focus on solving this problem for this emergency, you know, 911 service um in in in the time being. So, I want to
thank everyone and express my strong support for doing what it takes to fix this solution in the short term. That's it. Thank you. >> Thanks, Commissioner Elsing. >> Yeah, I just wanted to thank everybody that came out to the county fair. Great attendance and opportunity. I believe it was Saturday morning to uh uh as we do
every year, go up and buy some 4 ribbons. Um it was it was amazing the money that was generated. Uh I you know it's public record everybody knows you know I bought a $2,000 duck and I don't even get the duck. So we
bought a $2,000 goat $1,500 uh sheep. So, um you know, we're fortunate and blessed to be able to help the 4H kids out as well as donate to the fair, my company, and um so, um you know, we try to extend those back, but it was great
to see I I talked with Cindy Tim in the office and Phil Tessing. I caught some of the 4 people. Um, you know, obviously 4H attendance is way up and it is awesome to start to see some of these barns filling up and and just some of the the the projects that are being done
are pretty amazing what these kids are coming up with. So, u great year Thursday uh I was out in Nebraska. I came home late Thursday. The wife and I went up walked the fair about 7:30, 8 o'clock and there was just the tractor pull going on. So, no major event and it was difficult to find a place to park.
So, that is a good problem to have. And um so um you know obviously there was some weather on Wednesday. I had heard I again I was in a different state but uh um other than that the weather was great. It was warm. It was typical county fair weather and I had the privilege of running the payloader one
of the payloaders at both the trailer night uh trailer events the trailer races and you couldn't find a place to park in those pits. I mean it was just packed. So um you know very fortunate to have such a great county fair is one of the higher attended ones in the state. I think it's top five, I believe. It's
it's it's right up there at the top. And, you know, if you do our our contribution to that, it's it's 50 cents per person, you know, on a tax basis is just very very inexpensive what it is from us. So, to be able to provide something that so many people take advantage of and it's open to everybody.
So, um you know, another great organization that uh that is very very low cost to the taxpayer. So, um just want to appreciate everybody that participated in that. Um we uh I also wanted to extend some condolences to the Dean Newslock family. He had passed away
in uh kind of a tragic tractor accident. Dean was a great guy. Uh drove by his place twice a day, four times a day every day for 20ome years. So uh used to stop in and talk with him every once in a while. So um and condolences to them and the Brandon family and everybody that uh was related to him. So, thanks
again everybody for a great county fair season and uh get your kids in 4. >> Yeah. Um following along with Commissioner Elings of the fair, we did have our extension meeting and I will ask the extent >> I was gone for that. I was >> Yeah. staff to send out I I don't have
handouts for everybody. Uh but their numbers are outstanding. Uh community club youth enrollment is like 409. Uh but partnership youth enrollment, that's where they're going to the schools, the libraries, uh different community things, 375. So they have impacted 784
youth just this summer. Um we did have I think 133 auction participants. Um great number the >> total. Sorry, I haven't seen the total, but I I think it's going to do well. >> Yeah, it's outstanding. Um Master Gardeners is growing. Master
gardeners a couple years ago was down to just a real handful of people. They've gotten some really good uh numbers. Uh we also have master naturalists. Um that's more the forest and the trees and that program is growing. Um one of the neat things um and I'll have them send
this out. We have a young gentleman. Um I can't think of his last name. They didn't give me his last name. He's an outstanding young man that does all these projects and you sit back and you listen to him and he he's like a little old man in a kid's body. I mean, his language and his conversation is just
outstanding. But he is one of five Minnesota 4 youth representatives that got a prestigious Roth Scholars program and I'm not real familiar with this. It's a national leadership uh initiative. Um but he will be doing things throughout the community um for leadership and just an outstanding and
so one of five across the whole state I think is pretty awesome. Um but and then coming up put on your calendar um September 27th one of their main fundraisers is the fall harvest uh festival at the um uh 4 building at county fair. Um secondly uh we had a
shack meeting um June 25th uh up at in the Minneapolis. Um, one of the big things is, um, there is still money for clean water and I know the soil and water conservation district or they had the tapin program at the fair. Uh, Ripple had a booth at the fair. Uh, but
there is still money. If people have not had their private wells tested, please reach out, get your private well tested. There's still, uh, money for improving your your own water. Um, one of the things, uh, cannabis. uh public health is still very concerned about cannabis
and they talked about um different things coming in that people don't even know about and how they're being regulated and how we're how we're even knowing what these some of these um they call it uh Kratom >> it's a they refer to it as gas station
heroin >> no that's pretty scary and that stuff is coming in and it's it is pretty scary there um uh data centers were also talked about. Uh there's a lot of concern about data centers and how it relates to public health. Um some of
these very high transmission lines that are coming across southern Minnesota. Um people are concerned if this has a public health issue. Um so they're following up with that. Um good meeting. Unfortunately, the commissioner of health wasn't there. And
as I've always said, unfortunately or fortunately, our commissioners across the state of Minnesota are political appointees. We will have a changing of the guard this fall. So we will probably all have new commissioner, commissioner of health, comm community, uh corrections, uh public safety, what uh
DNR, uh all those things will be probably new leadership and there will be a huge education curve to educate these new people coming into these positions uh to get them tuned into what how counties function within the state system. And so we did ask uh we have a
legislative aid um to maybe start coming up with that postcard thing of how we can educate the new commissioner assuming it's a new it usually is uh commissioner of health how how they should work with um counties and that takes care of it. Thank you. Commissioner Olsson
>> I just want to echo uh Commissioner Vagley's statement regarding the um police and sheriff. I I have worn out my welcome with several city council people and the mayor um reminding them that this isn't a city county. It comes down
to the taxpayer and we're going to be paying for the same service twice. Um that we now share in one facility and accepting the 7.9 million from the state's going to cost us 30 million extra. Um so it doesn't make fiscal sense. So you could tell Jerome that
when you get home. >> Bishop Begley, you had to throw something else in. >> Um, I just wanted one more note is I believe this past Saturday was Jennifer Lvala's last day of official appointment. I want to thank Jennifer for going above and beyond her whole
career, but especially in this last couple weeks, she and Ben Klinger and the sheriff and chief deputy um what they've been doing driving back and forth um to Rice um and Steel counties um and all the work. So, thank you, Jennifer, um, and all the other folks
working, Ben Klinger and others who've been doing that work to hopefully get us through this rough patch, a hopefully a shorter rough patch so we can get right write the ship and and and move move um hopefully find enough staff and then some to hopefully avoid this problem because this is a very serious problem.
Thank you, Jennifer. Uh, I just want to say that we got an email from the Minnesota Department of Egg that the spongy moth fly over and pheromone distribution to control the pest is done. So, sorry. I I I do have to acknowledge
uh Rebecca Church, uh John Hazelton, and Charles Rebecci all had uh booths at the county fair, and that was greatly appreciated by the constituency that people are out there letting them know what they stand for, how they're going to work for Winona County, and everything. They were very well received
and um again, it it outstanding. I know it's a lot of work and uh they did appreciate knowing the people that are trying to run for Winona County government. So, thank you to for being here. >> Thank you. >> I'll second that. >> Okay, Commissioner Alson moves. Commissioner Vaguely seconds. Motion to
adjurnn. Any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. Anyone's opposed? Nay. >> We are adjourned. >> Five minutes and then we'll move into committee of the board. for the audience committee. The board is a >> uh the first item is
um to discuss a potential so presentation from Selco on how they distribute the library funding. I see that in our packet on page 155 we did get a little chart. Um but the question is do we want more than
this? Commissioner Vegle. Well, I guess maybe I should I was going to make a motion to um I guess again this is the board, but I just an indication that um I would support 10.1 and maybe link 10 to it as well to have that discussion and then to have the discussion about
freezing it. Um and so we're we're right now we're not deciding. No, >> we're discussing moving it to a >> Right. Yep. So we need three votes and you are suggesting that we should do 10 one and 10 two. I'll agree with that. >> I would too. >> Okay. Yeah. And the question and I posed
it to several people who approached me is that I'm unclear how Selco is operating their budget. I mean even if we freeze it so that means you know somebody's not getting a pay rate or you know how do how do they just and then how do they distribute their funds?
What's their formula? Uh it's a Celco is what multi and maybe are you a couple Selco ladies? Okay, we'll we'll put you on a future agenda of um you know how many other counties are impacted and stuff like that. So, >> um >> we need to be educated.
>> Yep. I think it'd be helpful for them if you could if we if we have not just you, Commissioner Ward, if we have questions to give them to Miss Holty to give them to you guys so you have a better sense of what's coming at you. >> Um and I'd say you guys look like librarians. >> That's a compliment.
>> Goodness. You look like librarians. I like I like Eron Erin Lefi back there. >> He looks like a maintenance guy. >> Also, in recent like in the last week, I've gotten some emails with kind of a new argument in favor of the library um
that had to do with like proportionality, right? They're they're saying that the city contributes more per person than we do or whatever. And I was interested in hearing the rationale for that like just so that I could better understand numerically what it is
we're talking about. >> You guys are familiar with that. >> Can you say that again? The city >> is the city mandated a certain amount. We're mandated by >> Well, they're all on questions. Okay. Yeah. >> City mandated. >> I'm not the expert. >> Yeah. And being an informal meeting, I guess sometimes when I look at these
situations and this is something in real estate I always say. Now, if you want to put in a grand door, that's fine. But there's a certain amount of base cost to operate something. A front door costs the same as front door regardless of the situation. It might arguably cost a little more based on local what to put
it in. But if I call up a door company, I'm going to pay the same, right? Same thing with the cost of concrete. Same thing with a window. Same thing with the HVA system. You know, cost a certain amount to buy a furnace. Doesn't matter what it's going into. So, you have your operational base cost. And so to me when we look at proportionate funding we have
to look at it in that aspect and then you go up and above based on size per capita and everything else. That's the reality of it. So we keep that in mind to me when we look at dispersing things. If somebody says something's out of whack, it it doesn't pay. And I see that in the real estate world, especially
dealing with post offices and big companies and things like that, they want to try to base it on a square foot and downsize it all the way up and down. And that's always my argument back. So keep that in mind. Okay. All right. >> So, is the is it is the county board?
>> Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. More information. >> More information is good, >> please. All right. >> Then after that, we could decide to freeze their right to this is just a discussion. Yep. >> Okay. So, item 10.3. >> Miss what you need to then move. Perfect.
>> Uh 10.3, discuss acceptance of wooden flag, American flag for display in the boardroom. >> Okay. You have some pictures. Do you have you have an actual sample? >> I have I have the one One of three, right? >> Well, there's three. They were all sold. I had committed to this. Oh, even if if
you didn't go along with it 250 years. Uh, you know, this boardroom's pretty blah. I think a decorator decorator would say we need a little >> There's a whole blank wall back there. >> But I saw this at um it's a local constituent. Um Jeff um Yant up by you
may know Robin. Robin's been a Wilson Township super for many years. He makes these >> and I just thought 250 years. Uh we're the county board in the the 250 year celebration. I also would like to um so
this would not be county funds. This is county commissioner funds. um uh pay for the I I already paid for it, but hopefully you'll contribute. And then us to make a small plaque to put under it saying uh in n in 2026 the Winona County Board enlist contributed
this to >> happy birthday, >> happy birthday and such. But I thought it's unique. It's not just a flat um piece and I just thought it was kind of cool. >> What was the total cost commission and thank you for doing that. This was a great idea. I love the idea of the
county board giving a 250th birthday gift to the future county res commissioner. It's a great idea. How much was the total cost? Commissioner Ward. >> It's not >> tell everybody it's 125 and keep the
mass symptoms >> or throwing. >> Well, that's what I heard. What is >> 20? I said just tell them it's 125. So the math is simple. >> Okay. So uh yeah, >> let's throw throw a little extra for that. >> So because this is committee of the board, we need three votes to advance
it. And I Yeah, support the next conversation. >> Yep. >> Totally. >> And I guess the staff and sorry Erin, if you could help us figure out like what a little what a little plaque would cost so we can fully cover the costs of that. That's a great idea. Yeah. >> Yep. >> You know, a plaque maker.
>> Oh, absolutely. just tell us. >> Good morning. Um, if the board does decide to, for the record, this is Aaron with uh known county building maintenance. Um, if the county board does decide to uh donate this plaque or whatever, I would look at some
consideration on uh where to place it. Um, there is flag etiquette rules. Um, since we already have one American flag in the room, it's supposed to be facing a certain u direction. If there's two of them and they're supposed to be matching, I don't have all the rules memorized. We had something we could
look at. Um, another thing would if it didn't make the boardroom, you know, a lobby or something like that. >> Um, something like that. So, >> would this technically it's not a flat. It's just a representation of a flag. It'd be no different than a flag and a picture or a picture of a flag. Correct. So I think it's got a different set of
rules when it >> there is and I did just a quick Google this morning. It did come up. Even if it is a wooden >> flag for dimensions, it still has to have the but I thought a picture was different than the actual flag. >> So >> So it's just something we have to look into. Yes. >> Sure.
>> And if you could help us figure out the plaque as well so we could the board could totally cover it. So >> yes, we can do that. All right. >> Technically this is two. >> Great. So >> thank you. >> Is there business for the committee of the board? motion to >> I don't think we even >> think we need one.
>> All right, >> commission war. Do you want money now or should we wait? >> No, we can. Okay, >> we can wait till we know what the pla's going to cost.