is he an attorney yes well yes he's an educated attorney he practiced but he's he's a head HR for Cargill now gets to hire and fire him oh yeah big time well in today's world it's probably a good thing to have that background
uhuh yes although I should have had demanded that one of my children become an attorney not too late said there's night school for the night really talk sweet to their mother she' probably even pay for
it thank you ma'am um no no no thank you thank you very much it's never too late I went to school 15 years after undergrad yeah yeah yeah that's what I said that's what I was telling my do one daughter I said yeah
you could have another career she says there's night school you can keep your day job and go to night school she would take it under advisement yeah good morning morning Josh
morning I get behind the slow ones today yeah it's okay and when it happens what's your strategy learn to be patient yeah I used still listen to books on tape because otherwise you get annoyed look at
this probably a 8:45 it is time to call to order our community board uh feu um first item of business would be to approve the meeting minutes from February
so move second motion by commissioner eling second by commissioner Meyer to approve the meeting minutes from February 11th any discussion all those in favor say I I oose nay okay approved um chairperson's report
um public health of course they're a little nervous as to what's going on both at the state level funding and the federal level of funding but no defini ative um changes they see in in my opinion the
state seems to be struggling with they're constantly reorganizing themselves um putting different people in different roles and and changing things around and I I don't know if they're ever going to get it figured out um Emily can maybe attest to to some of
that yeah by Design well I don't know if it's by Design or what or they're just trying again it it we struggle when we go to the shack meetings um and that's you know County Commissioners Public Health people State people and it's just they're always trying to tell us how they're
reorganizing themselves and I said I said to the chair and I've been the chair in the past this ISS you know what I don't really care how they're reorganizing themselves I need to know how it impacts us locally where are the boots on the ground for the local actions and everything so it's a little bit frustrating and some of my other
fellow County Commissioners agreed that we don't know where they're where they're going with this but Public Health you know it's the health of the herd we're trying to keep everybody everybody in the state great state of Minnesota healthy um I don't know if anybody else has any um Family any any
updates I know commissioner Meer you usually listen in any anything from your perspective nope okay all right thanks for asking okay then moving on number four uh 4.1 approve use of foundational Public Health responsibilities Grant
funds to support Community Health needs assessment with project fine and that was outlined on page 3 and Emily do you have any take on that for us please uh so this is just a uh contract that we'd use foundational Public Health
dollars for um to support our community health assessment uh with uh working to make sure we're identifying underserved populations particularly um immigrant populations or non- English speaking populations um through surveying and focused group work uh which project fine
has done for us in the past and uh we're looking to engage them in that again this year mam chair yes okay so this grant really it's like aund and some thousand 200 yes 200,000 okay and we're spending about
8500 uh for this effort um how will you figure out what to spend the rest of it on good question um so I actually just uh submitted our work plan and budget so you'll be seeing that at your next Community Health board meeting for 2025 um there was a budget submitted
last year for the 2024 of which we haven't spent any yet um and we have until June to do that so I am working on a plan to spend those dollars as well and so the 200,000 is the 24 and the 25 no no we get 200,000 each year so we got
400,000 yes okay any other questions about this item um I do have a question um under translation um it's like uh 55 if I'm reading right it's $55 an hour I thought
a different contract we have uh with the the uh funding of uh the non um agencies that we do in December I thought it was supposed to be at like for some reason 40 comes to mind not 55 I don't recall up the top of my head
we we do typically pay 55 an hour to project Vine for translation services okay uh for inperson translation um like for appointments and things of that nature and this is not necessarily that it's a translation of the survey but it's the same rate as what they've quoted us yeah I guess I would ask that
we double check I mean are we paying when when other departments ask for translation services is a a different fee I gu I like I like consistency and I guess I don't want them to raise it to 55 if we're only paying 40 in certain areas but I I question why the the
difference and you know in Translation fees okay English is a hard enough language to interpret it and we all have our own interpretations through the English language is it the client requests it or is it the um service provider requests it or how do how do we
end up because we did just for everybody knows we spent a lot of money last year in Winona County on translation fees 90 some thousand um so again who who's scrutinizing when we need a translator uh so non-english-speaking parties can
request translation for any appointments with providers in wona County so any of our social workers uh Public Health nurses we we do use a lot of uh translation services for Maternal Child Health Services um but again all of those are funded through um either third party billing or or Grant dollars on the
public health side and the $55 rate is what we do pay for translation services um across the board from the public health side at least okay all right well we can we we can double if if we could double check Miss um the the difference
on that yes ma'am okay thank you um any other questions about spending Grant dollars for this particular service oh uh commissioner Ward yes no so you're talking about the yearend contract that we passed with project
fine yes and that was at our December 20th meeting yes yeah and it does I don't I am looking at it right now just cuz I never take these things off my hard drive um interpreter Services $55 an hour on page 505 of the okay it was
55 okay so then I stand corrected then I guess again consist I'm looking for consistency in builds there are some groups I work with outside of a County Board and a community we pay that much to project fine as well there small nonprofits as well
so again I'm looking for consistency so is there I'll move to approve this item I'll second that okay uh motion to approve the foundational Public Health responsibility Grant funds uh made by commissioner Meer second by commissioner vagle any other discussion all those in
favor say I oose nay okay approved um 4.2 approve cannabis and substance use Grant prevention Grant page 41 uh Emily so you've previously looked at this information and given me the go-
ahead to accept the grant dollars um that was back I believe in December and so this is just the official Grant agreement that's coming through for the Cannabis um and substance use prevention Grant which is about $109,000 for the year of
2025 okay uh discussion um Madam chair yes okay so if I am right this one comes with our with a budget attached to it which I think this is the first time we've seen it y okay so that's on page 53 it looks like we're going to work
with um ASAP which I think is great High a of valy mental health and then uh we're going to do a Regional cannabis education communication campaign yes so there's a Southeast uh Regional group that's working on a Communications campaign so
that we're not all uh being redundant in our spending instead we're going to collaborate and and use our dollars collaboratively to have larger impact hopefully commissioner Elie you got a question I just wondered are they ever going to look at changing the name of the
vant what would you suggest I just find the uh IR in passing laws that allow cannabis and then turn around and refund the fact that it's already going to cost us as taxpayers to deal with this and then we got to around and fund another Grant because grants
are just taxpayer money there are money it's not free money I got to go to work today to pay it um when we're done here so I'm just kind of curious why we have in one case a cannabis subst and substance use prevention Grant and we turn around and we allow it to happen so
the grant is focused on youth preventions particularly um much like many of the substance abuse um funds obviously there are legalized items that we still would want not want youth to be using um so a large part of the grant is is focused on that as well as people
that have chemical dependence um concerns um that we can use some of those dollars to support adults in those areas I don't disagree but just smoking as a 17y old or an 18-year-old change something absolutely not does drinking at 72 or 21 change anything absolutely
not so I just I want to point out the irony in the laws that are being passed and the people that are voting for them that you know it just in my mind common sense is leaving and um right or wrong I just I'm going to take every typ opportunity I can to point it out even
at the local government level is go go ahead yeah uh so I I recall either that it was in the governor's budget or somewhere else but that the state is thinking of actually not doing again or you know cutting it it's possible yes
it's be happening again um it was initially because I understand the substance use prevention side of things um because I think there needs to be more that but then you turn around and you put what's been commonly coined as a as a gateway drug for many years again I'm not against cannabis I'm just saying
it's it's just doesn't make any sense to me so the commissioner Meyer brought up the question yes the governor is cutting some of this cannabis dollars is not money in hand currently this is allocated funds we will have for 2025 uh
initially it was allocated for calendar year 2025 and 2026 and the 2026 are not had been pulled back and there was there's work happening to attempt to reallocate them that has not happened yet and there's indication it may not okay so it it's still a little iffy now there was one thing in here
that um concerns me I think it was this one we're considering hiring somebody was there a was there illusion of hiring some that was the third thing which is this campaign that I asked about okay so we're not anticipating hiring anything because we're
Contracting out for everything okay because and so those contracts can be cut very abruptly yep okay if if the funding goes away or anything we're not obligated commissioner vagley I'll move to approve item 4.2 I'll second we have a motion by commissioner
vagle second by commissioner Meyer to approve the Cannabis and substance use prevention Grant any further discussion I think it should be duly noted that it's yeah we're kind of dealing with oxymorons we're trying to prevent something but yet we're endorsing something in in in the same legislative
state of Minnesota so all those in favor say iose nay okay approved um 4.3 approv resolution naming agents of the Community Health Board and that's on page 55 and I think our agent is Emily
and Ross Miss V and and um Ross for certain things Emily are you qualified I know there's qualific there is qualifications stort has been our interim um filling that role and I've been working with our U Department of of
Health um consultant um regarding orientation to the role and she has given me the blessing that I am qualified and adequate to fulfill that role and um has given us the the go-ahead to move that transition from Ross to me and who's that person Mary
done uh Mary Orbin excuse me and Ross will re will uh retain uh a certain agent duties that I think have always been the case but I have never been specifically spoken to so maybe Ross can tell you okay your role stay the same um
I will I will go back to handling Public Health Medic in addition to Emily there is an addition um item G and when we Sunset the environmental health inspection programs in 2026 we we removed a section of naming agents of
the board even though we retained the well delegation agreement so we just made a provision for me acting as an agent of the board in that role um because we we kind of blanket took the environmental health program away and we
omitted uh maintaining something for the delegated well program okay I'll move to approve item 4.3 oh second we have a motion by commissioner Meyer second by commissioner vagle to approve the naming of the Agents of the
Community Health Board any further discussion all those in favor say I iose nay okay approved uh any other General business any any disease outbreaks or public health issues um I know na
nationally still we're dealing with um some measel issues but that isn't a a concern here in Minnesota okay all right okay second we have a motion by commissioner Meer second by commissioner eling to adjourn any
discussion all those in favor say i i n adour all right thank you on the agenda right y I just sounds great all right we will start our winon County Board with the Pledge of Allegiance
please join us IES good morning good morning beautiful sunshiny day kind of an oxy I feel I was driving in on my scenic drive from downtown noine and the radio came on the song be happy and I think if you can't
be happy on a day like today in southeast Minnesota it's problematic but uh we'll work the best to be happy all right we start our County board meetings with uh public comment um any speaker both in person and online uh can address
the County board for up to two minutes um so this is your opportunity when you uh come to the podium please state your name and address please hello I'm chassid saraki I live at 1254 West Third Street in Winona and I am going to
address the committee of the board uh item uh discussion on separating the Health and Human Services citizen advisory committee into two committees one focusing on public health and the other focusing on Human Services as a member of that committee I do recommend
that you split it into two I think if uh there was a more narrow focus in two groups uh it would be more effective and that isn't to say they couldn't come together and you know have a a joint meeting at times but I I really think it would be
more effective I've served on the committee for a year now and it seemed like it was a lot of spinning of the wheels and not a lot of action being taken and I think that this would be a a good direction to go in and I thank you for the opportunity to serve on that
committee thanks thank you there anyone else wishing to address hello everyone um my name is Kathy Freddy and I'm at 15685 County Road 25 Rolling Stone Minnesota and I am
your new County Assessor um I just want to thank you I just wanted to introduce myself um just to give you a little background I've been doing this over 24 years um I started off in lur County for a year and got my feet wet if you will and I moved on to uh um Olstead County
for about almost 23 years uh and then I've been the most recent County Assessor for Filmore County so I've gotten a lot of knowledge over the years and I look forward to collaborating with everyone and um representing the county
so glad to you're here thank you I appreciate it what are you gonna do with all your drive time now that you don't have now that I don't have it I don't know I haven't I yeah by the time I blink twice um and get reception again then all of a sudden I'm here so it's great it's a great feeling but but I do enjoy the community I've been here living here for about a year and a half
now and I really enjoy the area so yeah thank you everyone thank you anyone else wishing address the County [Music] Board okay that's all right good morning
uh my name is Will Yoder I'm at address 19162 Harvest Avenue in Bloomfield Iowa um I'm here today in support of the breeders in wona County my family and also breeders I work with um and I would
just briefly like to um maybe make you aware of a of a program that I think would be a better path forward rather than a ban and I would just like to I've shared some literature there but I would just like to give you a really quick
um kind of a so the the K9 CARE program that is uh it's a science-based program that focuses on Five Pillars of care and it's research that has been done by Purdue University uh and vet school in
Indiana and based on the outcomes of those standards of care there are standards that are put forth and those standards are then reviewed by um industry-leading experts whether it's behaviorists um people like Temple
grandon James serel Bernard Roland Etc um sign off on the standards so we believe they're the the gold standard for dog breeding in general for animal heal husbandry practices the audits are then done by so the standards are put
forth the audits are then done by a third party which is validus a certifying company or a body from uh de Mo Iowa and they're they come in based on the standards do the inspe or the audit and then either Grant or deny the
certification so again we believe it's the future it's the path forward um as you can see on the map there's five certified kennels in Minnesota and those are
all um in wiona county and you'll see there's one there that's in progress so we consider it um I guess we're proud of that and and we we consider our goal is to continue to do what we can to promote animal welfare and do what's right for
the dogs um I guess the other thing I wanted to just briefly make a point on is there was there was an article in the paper that was uh it it said something like one visit and now he's an expert so what I would like to say to that is that's a very fair um argument
and I would just like to say is how how is it that we can make a decision whether it's licensed or unlicensed breeders and in the case of a regulated breeder you have things like USDA unannounced inspections State unannounced inspections AKC audits third
party certifications you have all these checkpoints that you can walk into a facility and you can see what happens today what happened yesterday last month the entire year there's documentation for all that temperature humidity whatever it may be yes so I just want to
say that that I believe it's a safer choice for a consumer when they can see what's going on in the cels versus a place that's unregulated thank you thank you thank you is there anyone else wishing to address the wiona County Board uh Tim charmer
24690 County Road uh 15 um Jenny and I own and operate a a breeding C on a County we've had our cup for very very many years and the thing is is that everybody has a certain perception of how this is done our dogs are all AKC
registered they're all breed specic specific we're also inspected by the AKC so that means then basically does anybody on the board know that there is a Minnesota puppy lemon law are people that come and adopt a dog they sign a contract not only for our welfare for
theirs all our pups are guaranteed for a year the Minnesota Lemon Law for puppies is based out to help people with those issues most of these people that come and adopt are on their second and third dog from us we have people crying when
they call when they lose their pets we have a waiting list sometimes for a year because we don't have pups all the time so if somebody wants to come into wiona County follow the rules build a facility and provide good animals
why can't they our people that come from out of state we recommend hotels we recommend restaurants and they come and they stay in Winona stay overnight go out for supper and then they leave the next day and you're taking the advice away from
us to judge who and who we do not sell to because there are people we don't sell to they come down and we say we don't think this is a good fit besides that if the animal wealth wasn't topnotch people wouldn't be paying these top-notch dollars for these AKC pups be
very careful about the small businesses who try to run out of the county because Wabasha County has no no regulations and anybody can go breed there I'm just saying if you'd rather have them done right than not done at all thanks thank
you is there anyone else wishing to address the wona County Board I'd help shut it down jet FR 5724 Clearwater Road Rochester Minnesota I'm here on a to
give a kind of a personal story about my relationship with the Breeders that I have down here I've been a volunteer for a very highly respected golden retriever organization retriev of golden of the Midwest and back in
2012 I started working with the Breeders down here and have had nothing but positive Rel relationship with them um we've taken in many dogs I have a letter that was written to the Breeders from our board last year we're celebrating
our 40th anniversary this year so we've been around a long time we're in the five state area so we're we're big and this letter says for nearly 40 years ragum has been a place for dogs to start a new life dogs come to us for many different sorts of reasons many dogs
come to us because their families don't have the time for them or because their family member is sick or they no can no longer care for them some are surrendered to us because the family cannot afford their care and many of the dogs we receive from breeders like you
who want a good life to your for your daugh and they retire from breeding and have health issues and they um so they don't they don't they can't take care of them anymore the the O surrendering owner
ragam strives to say yes to every dog in need regardless of their health or circumstances whenever we can rum's policy is to welcome it R dogs into our care without judgment we have confidentiality rules in place that
never share the name or person where we we got the dog from we value our partnership with you we are grateful for the opportunity to work with you to take in dogs that you cannot keep or you wish not to keep we welcome the chance to take in additional dogs from you and
breeders in your community if you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact ragam a ragam volunteer myself or our executive director Mary McGowan and she has her phone number on here um we've placed a lot of dogs in a lot of
homes and they're happy with them could could you leave us a copy of that I'll give you this copy okay and then we can and put it in our in for the record thank you thank you thank you is there anyone else wishing to speak good morning I'm Gail gsman
stopa Big Valley Ranch 22036 East Burns Valley Road Winona Minnesota County uh God Bless the people who take good care of their
animals I observe people who do and do not and if you've read the papers lately I hope all of you have I have one thing that somebody sells a shirt that says God is great
dogs are good and people are crazy some are and some aren't I really go God Bless the people who take good care of their animals I could more easily take care of five
good horses than I could five female dogs having puppies I've said that so many times when I grew up my father gave us a dog each of our children each of his children a dog a
puppy not not puppy but it was a female puppy and we could raise puppies and we they were Terriers so they only raise about one or two or three puppies at a time and that was our spending money we didn't get a we didn't get any allowance
but he made sure we took good care of the dogs he loved dogs and um and of course it was really sad to see them go but a puppy and a dog need to be handled they need to be cared for they are compion animals they are not to be
butchered in some countries maybe they are but those people are desperate we do not raise dogs for meat or kitties for me I just Advocate good uh animal care
and let's supervise these if we don't have the time to supervise them at least once a year or twice a year what good is it everything needs to be supervised when I taught I was supervised my dad had a great a farm he was supervised so
let's check these if you're too busy then you don't need this job if you're too busy bored I support the ban on two puppy mills that are uh commercially bred animals thank you so much for
listening to the thank you um we have exce just I need board permission we have exceeded our 10 minutes are is the board willing to hear more testimony okay all right please come forward state your name thank you my name is Rita
I live at on Fourth Street went in Minnesota I would like to also Echo what Gail said God Bless the people who take care of their animals I have a a dear friend neighbor who came to me after she
was reading a you know this has going on for years and she was reading one of the letters that I had sent to the editor and she said Rita I'm just really concerned you know they they've had two Pomeranians and she
goes we have these lovely Pomeranians and are they a puppy meal do they come from a puppy meal I go explain explain you know the situation she goes well here's this one person who loved Pomeranians I think that was the breed since he was a child and when he grew up
he started you know raising them and he has a like a nice heated garager and a nice fenced in area and he loves these dogs and he does exactly like this gentleman said you have to interview to get these dogs and then this the dogs are included in
the family and I said that's not a puppy mail and so she was so happy I said if you there are a lot of breeders that do treat their dogs like should be treated and um so she was really happy about that and this is about the mass
production of puppies not every breeder we're not talking about all the Breeders should be shut down we're talking about the Breeders that have mass production do they have areas where in the winter it's heated in the summer it's cooled
are they are these animals exercise loved are they you know cared for that as as a as a family because they are social animals and should be treated like social animals and that is what we're asking
for so we ask you to support a band on any further permits of these mass production kennels and the data that we have presented just Mass data through the last many years and we just ask you to
listen to that data and the experts that we had that came through on on what is at zoom and um that is what I would like the board to go back and look over all that data and compile that when you make your decision to please band any further
permits thank you thank you is there anyone else wishing to address the County Board good morning morning morning my name is wetta PIR 23583 Highway 74 St Charles I've known a lot of these
licensed breeders since the early 2000s and I've seen their kennels all the way from the past to where they are now and you guys have done a great job bringing them up to a standard to where they're at um when you walk into their kennels the dogs don't cower in the
corner they're right up at the gate and they're wagging their tails and they're barking to let everybody know that you've arrived the county has also placed some of the highest standards I believe in Minnesota I mean that's something to be really proud of I mean we've come from not so good to really
powerful here I've seen Alstead County Filmore because I've been in this industry for almost 40 years on the feed side of life and I've seen a lot and you guys have done a great job down here and you should be very proud of it um it concerns me a little that Winona
County says no we don't want any more businesses in here you guys have set the standards they have to live by those rules that you've set so I don't see what what good it would do to Band anymore you know to say no
not to be here um you set the stand standards and what you guys wanted and the Breeders they listened they breed what you asked for and then they also went out to find that can9 Partners or whatever so that they could go over and above of what you
asked for you walk into those kennels and if they weren't worked with them dogs wouldn't be up by that gate wanting to see you or be petted okay they have their runout areas they have their play areas um I hope all of you have been out
to see the places there's heated floors I mean they're talking air conditionings in some of these my house doesn't even have air conditioning in it so you know they didn't fight you on any of the rules that you guys laid down they didn't bring in the lawyers they
said okay we'll get there and they did that so I guess that stands that they do want the dogs to you know have a good life so I hope you say no to Banning it thank
you is there anyone else wishing is there anybody online I don't see anybody that has a hand up or anything but I might be wrong okay uh last time is there anyone else wishing to address the wona County
Board good morning uh Ted Hazelton 1073 West fth Street Winona Minnesota I come before you to today to ask that you do not put a ban in place
the object of a ban is to stop something that hurts Public Safety or endangers uh Public Health this is not the case a ban will do nothing except uh
drive out potential business in Winona County I do have some experience with animals and dog kennels as my dad owned and operated Hazelton kennels in Minnesota City from 1952 to 1995 43
years we were um visited by the different Boards of Health the the American Kennel Club and you name it there are rules and regulations that must be followed adding
additional Hoops to jump through is not necessarily a good thing so those that have not seen them canels out in the Amish community should probably make it a point to check them over I did it
myself and we're talking Taj Mahal here in some of the heated floors air conditioning and they're not hiding anything they will welcome you to come and
look so I would ask that there not be a ban because all it does is uh interferes with uh personal Liberties and property rights it's why why would you deny
somebody the opportunity to make a living and contribute taxes like was mentioned earlier by other speakers so please do not ban work with them and look into these new
standards and this Kine partners that was handed to you thank you thank you thank you okay last time is there anyone else wishing to speak hello my name is an Olsen 1041
Grand Avenue St Paul Minnesota uh I am here regarding the dog breeding situation and issue and discussion we do support the ban on future permits excuse me voice Tremor um I did
want to address because I know the Planning Commission had mentioned uh the CCC program canine care is certified um the animal community Nationwide is aware of it it's known within the community as
really um a marketing tool for the pet industry a couple of the things mentioned it is still a mass production of puppies there are no dog limits under that certification it still sells to pet stores so and they're connected with K9
Partners Canan Partners is actually affiliated with Petland who has faced multiple lawsuits um for violating local and uh State legislation the audit which was mentioned is V is they're actually a
farm production auditor for swine and poultry not pet welfare the standards mentioned that's been the biggest problem because none of them are available to the public to review and that's actually posted on their website
so that's been one of the biggest problem no data transparency which is the same problem that the board has faced with the board of animal or this board has faced with the board of animal health um so the certification oh and also it's voluntary
third party so there are no legal consequences um we have been following it and it's been used as in this situation to stunt local legislation so we ask um
that that not be considered again this issue is about the mass production of puppies and the psychological health to the adult dogs confined and the puppies sold through pet stores again we
appreciate your discussion on this and ask for the ban on future permits thank you thank you thank you good morning good morning andoria 344 not Valley Drive in wona I also am speaking to uh or requesting that you
support a ban on the uh uh future puppy mills in know in the county uh my concern is also with a lack of transparency with the board of animal health um violations citations are not visible on their website they're um they
they say on their website that that's uh nonpublic private data so we are unable to go in and see uh based on one visit a year whether there are are any violations with each um puppy mill
um and the the the issue isn't the physical uh premise of the premises of the puppy Millet the the issue is the psychological harm to each dog being uh in a kennel with you know up to 50 80
whatever dogs and the the um the lack of of interaction with humans um do dogs are companion animals they need interaction every day and many of these uh say oh that my kids play with them every day kids are supposed to be in
school it's not their job to to uh uh interact with dogs every day um and then uh people also say I've gone to I go to um the K the visit the kennel and all the dogs are up at the fence and
they waging their tails well yeah they want some interaction and and we none of these people are trained to evaluate the health of these dogs the psychological Health um and and the board of animal health uh people they go and visit once a year once a year you know what does
that tell you uh what what happens the whole other rest of the year um so I'm I'm urging you to please ban future Mills uh wiona county has 12 we don't need more than that we're not ready to take we're not taking away anyone's
current business um then and when the county visited a couple years ago they sent out a uh a a request to each puppy mill yeah so anyway please please ban future Mills thank you thank you thank you all right seeing nobody steep to the
podium uh opportunity to speak we will close that part of our meeting thank you thank you all for speaking all right uh moving on uh item four approval of the County Board minutes we have 4.1 which is a close uh County the County Board of
February 20 and 4.2 the closed session of okay we have a motion by commissioner Eline seconded by commissioner vagley any discussion all those in favor say I I oppose nay okay approved um item five is acknowledge receipt of approved
committee meeting minutes from 5.1 is the planning from January 16th 2025 5.2 is Road and Bridge for October 15 2024 and 5.3 is Economic Development Authority of January 23rd 2025 second okay we have a motion by
commissioner eling second by commissioner vaguely to acknowledge the receipt of those meeting minutes any discussion all those in favor say I I oppose nay okay approved uh consent comments and approval of the agenda um commissioner vagle one comment at the
end please one comment commissioner eling uh comment at the end and a possible Committee of the board agenda item okay commissioner olon um one request at the
end requests for board action U yeah all right commissioner Meyer uh nothing for me okay Miss halty nothing Madam chair okay uh out of courtesy attorney sonan just courtesy don't have to
recognize you it's a court it was something you had against lawyers um she said yeah I have nothing okay all right thank you thank you okay um I do have one action um in the agenda when it
comes to that time and then I have uh an update from the AMC conference and a potential future board action so with that no no items have been um amended so uh I'll move to approve uh the agenda as
it was in our packet I'll second we have a motion by commissioner Meyer second by commissioner vagle to approve the agenda as presented in the packet any further discussion all as in favor say I iOS nay okay approved uh Miss Hy would you read the consent business into the record
please 7.1 approve local option sales and use tax agreement with Department of Revenue 7.2 award bid for cassad 29 and County Road 109 resurfacing to Dun Blacktop company 7 3 award bid for
casassa 16 and 20 resurfacing to Dun Blacktop company 7.4 approve use of foundational Public Health responsibilities Grant funds to support Community Health needs assessment with project fine 7.5 approved cannabis and
substance use prevention Grant 7.6 approved resolution appointing Emily VLAN as Community Health Services administrator 7.7 approved Personnel Board of appeal resolution 7.8 excuse me approv sub agreement with
Wabasha County swcd in support of wind laac Watershed and protecting strategy update project 7.9 approved 2025 Solid Waste huler license applications 7.10 confirm payment of dispersements and
7.11 approve resolution appointing Katherine Freddy as County Assessor I'll move to approve consent business as it was read second he we have a motion by commissioner Meyer second and by commissioner Olsen to approve the consent business as read any
discussion all those in favor say I I oppose nay okay approved all right moving into General business 8.1 um receive provide regarding Planning Commission recommendations to deny dog breeding kennel ordinance
modifications um I do have to call a point of order on this item um it is not the item itself but it is in regards to our rules as chair of the Winona County Board it is my obligation to clarify
that the rules are being followed and it is a matter of interpretation uh rule number eight in our board ground rules say policy decisions shall not be Revisited for onee period unless the situation or circumstances change
substantially and a 4 fths majority of the County Board agrees to reopen the policy for discussion I have consulted uh legal and I've consulted uh Robert's Rules of Order um authorities and to
avoid any potential future litigation uh I think we need to clarify at some future point that we are following our rules if we're not following our rules how does the public have any trust in what we're doing so it it's not the
issue uh but I do need to pull this and um reinforce rule number eight so with that that's off the agenda it is not dis debatable it's not uh it doesn't require a vote if you follow the Robert Rules of Order so we'll move on to Department
recommendations Ward so you said you you checked with the c with the legal can you can you summarize what you were told um I I asked for a specific meeting with our internal legal people for clarification on that I did not get that but I did talk to uh legal people in my
Circle outside circle of of uh contacts so it it's not debatable it's point of order you did not request a meeting with my office myself or Mr CR that I'm aware of I can pull up an email that I sent it was sent to both uh Miss holty and
yourself some time ago at least a month ago I can pull up the email I did request Clarity on this I know you've had had issues with this Rule and we've talked about it right um You did ask for clarification about uh the board U making a a pol or a policy or quazi
legislative decision versus quazi judicial and Mr CR and I both responded right to you but you have not that in my recent memory or did I ever see an email and if you did I apologize for not responding but I'll I'll find it that is
not the legal advice that I gave you okay so again it it's a point of order um it like I said it's not not debatable and we move on well it's your prerogative and it's the board's prerogative these rule the rules that were put in place you can uh change but
that's um but there's been debate over what that rule meant and I think the what it kind of goes to I think the ordinances as to when an ordinance can or can't be changed so I I would be very
cautious with you making that decision I'm just giving you that my constituents have asked me to do this I'm representing my constituents uh again it it's not the issue it is the rule we have not elected to change the rules at this point in time it's printed
in every one of our agenda packets and uh I'm sorry to say laws and rules are open for interpretation Madam chair I call for the orders of the day which is demand that the chair recognize and proceed with the regular order of business I I the motion requires a
second and a majority vote I will second that I deny that because a point order does not allow for discussion I think a point of order overrules your motion so I say let's move on 8.2 Madam CH discuss for the orders of the day to
demand that the chair proceed with the regular order of business a second we have discussed this issue with the rules multiple times over the last eight months and the conclusion was that we have consistently asked for Action to be
taken and every every time we do I don't think that that's reopening the topic it's simply continuing the topic that we've asked for action on for what four times you have asked for Action multiple
times and you've gone from studying allowing the Planning Commission to hold public hearings and studying you've gone to a a moratorium and then you've gone to a ban so each one of those is a change in my opinion again is a change in policy call the
question I call the question on the call legal legal uh what doesn't point of order overrule do we need to take a break yeah we need to take a break okay let's take a break five minute break I'll give you five minutes figure it out thank you
these are breing you move ahead after director and in and you go to city council last no I was no no it is makes it much work
except doesn't for um so yeah that's what I was that I called only okay I take your point I did he though he worries
I have a unless they do that it's bad yeah what maybe has changed with membership it's tough because he doesn't know the history I explain but it does I mean like that makes
years and then you a l stuff that's going on FL Florida time to buy time to buy the world [Music]
shortbody [Music] have you resolved the issue attorney sonan we have discussed the issue myself and Mr CR so we're ready to okay okay we'll call the Winona County Board back into session attorney sonan thank you
Madame chair um Mr cran assistant uh County attorney Steve cran who's here at the table with me um uh he he is here because he has worked with the planning department um on the dog kennel issue um but we've also talked together
about the question that you've been you've posed um first of all I would uh say that the call uh I got to look look that up here sorry the call for the orders for the orders of the day um is under Robert's Rules of Order it's our
position that um the a question about the rules uh supersedes Robert's Rules of Order so that you we can move forward to discuss what you what you are asking us to discuss I'm not making myself
clear sorry but yeah you're wearing gray today okay it's clear it it's not it's not definitive I guess in in my nothing's definitive in the law as you kind of said but but what we're saying is definitive is that the board's the the county board's
rules your rules um would over override the these these summary of motions so um whereas commissioner Myers asked for a call for the orders of the day which basically would stop discussion um and demand that you proceed with the regular
agenda however I would again argue and I'm going to ask Mr CR to be um specific about it that the rule 8 that you refer to comes under the um the rules of the the decorum meeting decorum and does not
go to the substance of what is material to a issue that the board is addressing um so what's your definition of decorum I guess I'm how you act with each other how you behave civility in in conducting
your meeting so um you know U being courteous and being specific um as to um you know not I mean theorum is how you conduct yourselves in this business so so it is
our uh and I've told you this before um I've submitted a memo on this and the questions come up multiple times particularly in the context of the commercial dog breeding issue um that that rule the rule number eight that you
refer to um does not apply but I will leave it to Mr CR to explain why it doesn't apply even if it was a policy decision go ahead Mr CR okay and with that then I unfortunately I need to know when does it apply not just when it
doesn't when does it we put it in there for reason people are expect constituents are asking us to follow our own rules so it's unclear to the public also not just me okay thank you um so to to address your question it would apply
when the board adopts a policy and that's a formal process of adopting a policy that that that uh provides direction as to as to what the the board is setting goals in a certain area the this issue is not read and repeated
within one year because there's been a continuous deliberation on this since uh 2022 uh and the board has uh let's see in 2022 uh the board received a uh uh a
presentation from the assistant County attorney on the dog rules and October 25th 2022 I'm sorry and uh January 16 2023 there was a staff
presentation on dog breeding rules and oversight in Minnesota and uh 620 there was a Planning Commission uh uh public comment and Planning Commission uh discussion
regarding uh dog kennels uh on May 9th 2023 the board received the commission findings a fact and the motion there was not to that the board passed was not to set policy it was to specifically to acknowledge receipt of findings and
begin process of amending W WCCO to potentially prohibit new large-scale dog breeding facilities and uh uh the October 24th of 2023 the the committee of the board requested
planning staff to bring back options for addressing the well-being of animals specifically noting dog breeding facilities that was in response to what the committee board had asked for that that uh uh brought us to February 13 2024 where I gave a presentation on the
legal issues uh and options for local regulation kennels which I did was doing at the request of the committee of the board from May 9th and that ended up with a motion that was passed to have the county work towards establishing a Prohibition on further kennel permits except for not for profit and government
entities and delete dog kennels as a conditional use then um on August 13th I gave a presentation on the process and timeline for implementing the moment motion uh
and acknowledging that there was a a gap there because the shortage in staff at the county attorney's office which we operated at half staff for most of the year um and at uh uh and provided draft
Amendment language that would achieve the intent of that motion on August 27th uh the County Board uh was uh uh considered the the uh whether there should be an interim ordinance and
whether there was a finding that there was an emergency which they passed and then the um on September 19th uh the interim zoning ordinance was it was uh set for a public hearing that
took place on October 17th 2024 uh 10 speakers spoke against the kennels um and uh the motion was tabled by the uh tabled by the committee that did not provide a
recommendation uh and November 21st the um there was a discussion again of uh of the interim ordinance of the Planning Commission which led to November 26th
when the County Board passed a motion to restart the process of amending the wona County's ORD ordinance without seeking an interim ordinance and on uh the 19th of December the Planning Commission again tabled the interim
ordinance uh and on January 20 or February 20th there was a public hearing on the zoning ordinance prohibit breeding kennels and a discussion uh to the County Board by the Planning Commission so we're we're at the point
now where the Planning Commission has made its recommendation to the board and this this issue is moving along towards its conclusion one way or the other but it's not a uh the board didn't make a decision during all this process all
they did was continue moving into the moving the process forward so the rule the rule says there you can't uh uh uh address something that has been a policy adopted by the board within a year and this is not there's no policy adopted by
the board yet on this okay but but the one year is not the only determining Factor that's just the first part of it uh one year unless and if I read you know English do I need an interpreter I don't know but unless the situation or
circumstances change substantially nothing's been provided I sit both on the Planning Commission and on this board and nothing substantially fact-driven science-based has been changed substantially or situation we've had no new applicants no uh changes in the
conditional use permits and and we use the word and it doesn't say or so the four fist vote so it's a multiple it's not just a one-year factor it's multiple factors that contribute to my questioning our rules so commissioner W
the part that you just cited applies to if the board were to adopt a policy and then within one year want to address the policy again there's been no policy adopted so there's no unless part of that Clause that appes to the current situation okay so when does okay if if
play it out if the board votes to ban that means it can't be brought up for one year unless there's significant new uh substantial and um circumstances that change so indicating maybe a a
multiple of applications maybe pending litigation um and then when would the 4 fifths vote come into play then because the policy was established back in 20 I think 14 when we adopted the original zoning
ordinance well that logic the ordinance but that is the policy we've been operating under it's been more than a year since 2014 right but that's the policy we're operating under right so what what if the however the vote the board votes on this matter ultimately
whether to amend the ordinance to no longer permit additional uh commercial dog breeding kennels or to disapprove that recommendation and not adopt the that uh uh uh change the amendment that would be setting a policy that is the
end of the process of deliberating and the policy now you wouldn't be able to they wouldn't be able to be Revisited within one year unless substantial decisions uh changes and then it would be a 4- fifth vote of the board to to determine that substantial changes have happened and that would allow you to
discuss it again okay so the forist only plays into account when we change it again not a simple majority not a change of the board not a change of circumstances it only applies to the question of whether you could address the issue within a
year of the board making a policy decision it doesn't mean you need that much to change it or or or anything else it just means you need that much to bring the issue up put it on an agenda discuss it and then then you would go through your normal voting procedures whatever that
was uh another major question I had is the role if this policy has changed and it's part of our rules because it's in our zoning ordinance what is the role of the board of adjustment it does say in there that the board of adjustment can
uh I'm paraphrasing I could pull it up but that they can they can you can uh challenge administrative decisions um to the board of adjustments so is this change in policy considered an administrative decision no uh the what
the statute says and what the ordinance says is that the appeals from the board of adjustment are for decisions made by County administrators like department heads the planning department that sort of thing uh the the uh Board of adjustment does not have veto authority
over the County Board okay um y all right um I again you're in Conflict what I've received from other other people
um and does commissioner Meyer's call of the order of the day override the point of order so Robert's Rules of Order not Bobs but Roberts so so in uh missan and I discussing this we
feel that rules adopted by the board would take precedence over Robert's Rules of order so the the oh I think that's a slippery slope well from what I've read it allows we've adopted we we have adopted and I think it says in there Robert's Rules of Order so I don't
know that our rules can override Robert's Rules of Order yeah they can uh you made a special change to our policy so that we could debate items before they are motion and when did we do that uh we did that when I was board chair
and verify um Mission Ward can we please move forward points well taken I appreciate your your your passion on well this sets a legal precedence you told me you were going to be fair I am and my constituent I'm trying to represent my constituent Bas please move on let move forward well I'm I'm setting
a precedence for a legal uh legal Challenge and I've been asked to do that so attorne thank you madam chair um number six of the policy the board's policy says unless otherwise required I'm sorry unless otherwise authorized by
the County board or required by Statute these rules and Robert's Rules of Order will serve as the model for conducting meetings where conflict exists Robert's Rules of orders and this policy shall Prevail well so we're saying the policy
prevails okay all right so let's discuss um I will withdraw the I'm going to commissioner word understand she she understand we we're moving on into point um
81 okay um receive provide Direction I am going to make awing my motion to um call uh I'm sorry to call for the orders of the day oh with draw one sec okay okay I want to make on
8.1 I want to make the motion to uh not proceed with a ban uh following the Planning Commission uh recommendation not only once but twice and I want to read into to justify that
not Banning um on just a second the findings of fact that were provided by our former attorney nuttle and adopted by the Planning Commission
not once but twice I apologize I've got way too many papers um hold on here it is okay this is dated April 203 20th whereas on April 20th
2023 the Planning Commission held a public hearing and received comments the wona County Planning Commission hereby finds the findings and these findings are to support not Banning commercial dog breeding one Minnesota chapters 343
346 and 347 address animal welfare and breeder Licensing in the state of Minnesota item two Minnesota rules 17214 90 through 1721 520 provide the rules of dog kennels in the state of Minnesota point three the Minnesota
Board of animal health is charged with protection of welfare domestic animals licensing and regulating commercial dog breeders and ProMag gating rules of operation the best practices of dog tunnel facilities point four the Winona County Sheriff's Office is charged with enforcement of criminal statutes and
ordinances and with reporting animal maltreatment to the board of animal health item five the purpose of the Winona County Z zoning ordinance is to regulate the use of land in order to protect public health safety order convenience and general welfare number six the Winona County zoning ordinance
allows for dog can facilities as conditional interim use and agricultural resource conservation and Rural Heritage districts the planning and envi item seven the planning and environmental services department is charged with the enforcement of the Winona County zoning
ordinance and any conditional interum use permit issued pursuant to the ordinance number eight all condition conditional interum use permits issued to dog kennel facilities will require operations to comply with all regulations and standards of the County
and the state of Minnesota and may include other specific conditions such as limiting the number of adult dogs and other relevant requirements number nine there are currently 12 permitted dog kennel facilities in Winona County 10 of which are active number 10 as a date of inspection nine of the facilities have
an active commercial breeder license from the Minnesota Board of animal health which requires inspection from compliance with state laws and rules and with one active facility not required to have such a license number 11 within the past 5 years the the board of animal health has found no Animal Welfare
related violations of the license facilities as the date of inspection number 12 as the date of inspection seven facilities have an active USDA commercial animal breeder license and two facilities not required to have such a license item 13 planning environmental
staff inspect of inspections of all sites in February 2023 yielded no concern regarding compliance with conditional and interim use permits and 14 unlike the board of animal health planning and environmental services do not have the expertise to adequately
enforce Animal Welfare regulation number 15 there is no need to further regulate Animal Welfare in the Winona County zoning ordinance when there already exist statutes that regulate animal welfare and breeding facilities when other entities are responsible for the
enforcement of the animal welfare regulations and when the existing fa facilities appear to be in compliance with state law local ordinances based on these findings of fact the Planning Commission hereby recommends that no action be taken to revise the Winona
County zoning ordinance at this time as it relates to permitting of dog kennels and that was sign by Mark Clark it was also referenced in our most recent um Planning Commission meeting public hearing uh to adhere to these same uh findings of
fact uh commission ward has made a motion um to accept the recommendation from the Planning Commission and uh not proceed with an interm ordinance um that would uh not allow future commercial dog
kennels and she's read into findings of fact those provided by attorney Stephanie Nall back on April 20th of 2023 I'll second the motion with discussion um I go back to my original
take on this situation as a business owner um we solve problems if I shut everything down just because there was a problem I don't know how any business would
exist I basically spend most of my days putting fire job doing what I do running around solving problems I brought this up a long time ago this issue isn't dead and I completely understand the concerns of everybody I really do including the
other three Commissioners that will pretty sure vote for this but I go back and I say what good does it do to ban it in Winona County you're just pushing the problem somewhere else you didn't solve anything you just made it somebody else's problem we just heard from people
talking about hey how good of a job we've done how the people that we've dealt with for years have conformed to everything we've asked them tell me what other group of people don't at least resist to to some sort of extent they want to make a living they
their values their ideas things might be different every group is different we we talk about Dei and all these wonderful things but yet here we are saying no our way is the best way we we we we have these other committies we we we've we we
just did it at the last meeting where unanimously our Township officers said hey we don't want to do something we said no no no no we know better than you it doesn't solve anything to ban this it just pushes it to another location and
we have the opportunity to continue something we were just told by virtual 40-year experts how we're literally setting the precedent I don't know if it's nationally but at least in the state level and here we are saying well guess what we're going to throw that
precedent away and let it start completely over somewhere else just think it's not going away you're not to get rid of the demand for Animals you're throwing away 15 years worth of us trying to set good standards
to say please come follow our standards if we are the Cadillac as it was described if we are the system that's so good and we have people coming to us saying look we'll do an even better job if you ask us to this just drives it to another place
that starts at the very bottom again and you got to go active as activist to go drive it back up to the top what good did it do as a business person that's suicide we keep building off from what we're already doing we don't want to
start over there's zero Merit in Banning something that we've put this much effort in to create the standard as clearly discussed by other people I don't I honestly cannot
understand what is being created by Banning something that we spent all this time creating the standards to get it to where it is today clearly not only at our level but at a state level and potentially I think I even heard on a national level like people that have been in the feed industry and and get to
go see all this stuff so why are we squashing something and having to start all over with a group of people that are in this industry that I've never heard one of them resist to this please tell us what to do they're coming us with ideas
we're saying no no no go start over somewhere else so I go back to what I've originally said the demand is not going to go away Winona count is not going to set the demand for animals but we have the ability to set the standard in which
they are being raised and we're already doing it and it sounds to me like we're light years ahead of it and we've got groups of people that want to work with it so I'm just please somebody tell me as a business
person what good does this do besides say not in my County I don't really care about the animals just not in my County go ahead and start all over over there because it's just going to move immediately immediately the demand is just going to get filled somewhere else
so this creates nothing positive I think it's a pure negative that we throw away everything that we've done to get to the where we're at today so I just rightfully guys cannot understand although I can appreciate
what we're trying to do you're throwing away years of effort with a group of people that are willing to bend over backwards clearly bend over backwards to do what they need to do by a group of professional individuals that have seen what it's like outside of our County and
said you guys are setting the precedent so if somebody can explain to me how this is positive for any animals because it's not going to stop it I'd be all years because I can appreciate both sides I'm just I'm kind of flabbergasted by the whole thing that nobody's thought
about that that this is just must be done with it not in our County so I second the motion under that pretext further discussion hearing none motion on the table is uh to not to accept the
planning commission's recommendation and take no action on the issue related to commercial dog breeding uh using the finding of facts provided by attorney netal back in 2023 Al those um I want to make a point of clarification at the pl the the most
recent Planning Commission meeting there was a discussion at the end of the meeting to encourage and with more research and more study these K9 care programs how they could benefit our local uh breeders and any future
breeders and it would enhance and improve the programs so so it was it was asked that we continue studying that factor of the industry I I just say let's set the standard I I
I I'm not willing to just dismiss the problem and make it somebody else's issue I'm willing to go after it I'm willing to say hey if there's an issue here let's look at it but just simply Banning it doesn't accomplish anything it just pushes it to the next County there's thousands of counties to pick from where it's going to go from there
ain't nobody in this room is going to solve it in their lifetime or we can set the precedent are we active or Proactive or are we just responding to it and saying not my issue get out of here I just I think it's disheartening I I if you truly have the animals interest in mind why would you
kick them down the road Mr Ward well and part of the discussion to uh uh tag on to commissioner elling's thought is this will not go away we will create puppy mills we will create readers in in smaller Pockets that don't live up to
the standards of Veterinary Care Quality buildings heat in the floor air conditioning uh Veterinary checks USDA checks Board of animal health checks so we will by by Banning it and um you're Banning it uh the the figure of four
animals has come into play so if you have four female dogs you're breeding there are no rules now I don't think that's what people want I think people want everybody to follow a certain basic guideline of ethical standards with vet checks and and vaccinations and and uh
health health care checks so again if if you elect to ban it you are creating a potential problem in Winona County and uh reiterate the city of Winona which is the majority of our population has
virtually no rules on dog breeding they do say You're supposed to only have two licensed dogs but it's not enfor it's not heavily enforced so you're asking half the population to live under one set of standards and the other half of
the population with virtually no standards hope them not Hur them further discussion hearing none all those in favor of this motion please signify by saying I I those opposed say Nay n nay motion fails
I'll handle I'll handle gabble back handle um I think you have to keep it till we point of order I think she has to keep it till the issue is done yeah uh we're not done with 8.1 unless no action is being taken un
motion we'll see if I do okay commissioner Olson I would like to here the agenda item to receive direction from the staff okay so we're going to
receive the recommendations from sta Madam chair um thank you um I and assistant County attorney cray and staff are here today to help you through this agenda
item um before I get started I'd like to thank the planning commissioner chair Eugene Hansen for his important work managing the latest public hearing allowing A diversity of testimony and engaging the rest of uh the plan commission I also want to acknowledge
the professionalism of my team of planners support staff assistant County attorney cran and their thoughtful and deliberate work that they uh that has allowed us to arrive at this place in the process with an extensive body of
work that they can be proud of I believe that extensive record will allow the county to make informed decision on this issue uh as mentioned earlier this this item has been before the county since
2016 and then again on uh May uh 8th 2023 um the plan commission submitted findings to the County Board to not amend uh the County ordinance uh to
limit uh future commercial dog braiding cels um that uh was done again in just February 20th where the plan commission again held that public hearing that I referred to
um on uh the the prohibition that's before you um would remove um kennels uh dog breeding kennels as a uh conditional use uh I want to make clear that that's not going
to ban we're not intending to ban uh boarding kennels or uh other um Humane Society type um facilities um and then um so with that uh the the options before you
here today are to uh and again staff and attorney cran is here to help you with this is to create and adopt findings and take action to approve or disapprove the proposed amendment or set a timetable
that will result in the board adopting findings and taking action on the proposed amendment within 60 days of the planning commission's recommendation that would be on April 21st of this year the board May prior to taking further
action request additional reports or presentations addressing specific questions or concerns raised at public hearing or by the plan commission there any questions staff is that I have a question oh was it t
well findings a fact I I I firmly believe that is an important role in this decision making and they should be determined by the board not delegating that to staff because it is a el it is a
voted on process to change the the policy and we're the policy makers staff is not the policy makers so I would indicate that that the County board members need to create the findings of fact and then have those findings of
fact reviewed by Council not ask Council to come up with them because Council I think County attorneys and all of us work for all the citizens of Winona County not just a few selected members of the county or even uh um uh you know the County Board you work for all of us
so I think it would be unfair to ask staff to come up with your findings of fact um because they should be the neutral party in all of this and if the County Board wants to uh find their findings a fact I think they need to be established today here at a public
meeting and and that's exactly what we've laid out Y and that's and and that's one reason I think that findings of fact were not provided in our packet they have been in the past but they were not board driven findings of fact they were uh the legal um findings of fact
which I think is a difference thank you uh yes staff 100% agrees with what you said which is why findings weren't included because uh didn't have a a policy direction to work with uh or facts to help with the legal language of that when when uh
uh Mr C slack says staff is here to help it it would just be in if the if the board chose to adopt findings of facts today to just ensure that the language is sufficient that that how those are
worded um and uh I also just want to clarify I just for everybody that the current motion or the uh uh the proposed amendment would not ban existing kennels uh all all the conditional use permits
would remain in place indefinitely so um and that's not something we can control that's by Statute that's by state law once you get a conditional use permit it goes with the land yeah but in the unless it's violated you can't but
there is a process to remove a conditional use permit if there are violations cited right and the the the the statute the conditional use permit statute says just that it also says that nothing in that statute prevents the aboard from changing the status of a
conditional use generally within the within the county so Mr olon question for you Steve um so I have findings would you recommend that
I make a motion hopefully receive a second and introduce the findings to you to formalize for a future agenda item what what I would recommend is that uh you the board discussed those proposed
findings and and even discussed the Planning Commission recommendation and uh if the board agrees that those findings are ones you want to move forward with uh then give staff direction to ensure that they their the language in them is legally sufficient
okay so I'd like to make a motion to uh reject the planning commission's recommendation and to um follow through with the proposed amendment to the wona County zoning
ordinance as uh identified in our agenda item and I will provide findings if I receive a second second that um can we all see copies of that I'll be I'll give them to staff no no I would I'll read
them I can't vote on something I I'm sorry my my I would like a hard copy of it can you make hard copies is uh where's um than you and I'll further add that I did I was present at the Planning Commission
meeting online I appreciate all the testimony that was given I listened um you're right the gold standard um and perhaps we have reached that my findings are going to say that's not enough um
that the psychological impact on the dogs that are kept in a breeding facilities and the puppies that are removed and sold um outweigh any standards that uh are currently in place can you provide us
with names of individuals who are experts in that field when I get my record back I will commissioner commissioner Elon thank you for at least acknowledging that commissioner Olsson that we are actually setting the
standard and I go back to why throw that away the demand isn't going to decrease we're hearing the demand is going to increase um this solves nothing it just pushes the demand to another
County as the uh demand continues to increase for more animals um I think it's sad that we can't build off from this and continue to try to help with this
situation if it's truly a passion for people I don't agree with becoming this all-inclusive rule setting everything has to follow we let one group of people dictate the issues of
others but I definitely can appreciate the fact that we are where we're at today and quite honestly I would think just based on what I know of the other Commissioners that be the opposite
um that to solve a problem you can't just simply ignore it and this is to me ignoring the problem it's just simply saying and I say it again um it's going to happen we keep forgetting that part
it's going to happen no matter what no matter what we decide here today whether we decide to not ban it or we decide to ban it the increase in animals is going to continue to go up the demand goes up the population is going up so it's not
going away and so as that keeps coming it's going to go somewhere so that very well thing that commissioner Olsson talked about the well-being of the animal doesn't eliminate whether we vote for it or don't vote for it if we don't vote if we vote for the ban it's definitely going to happen it's just going to happen
somewhere else it doesn't change anything we didn't solve the problem today we we we might have solved the problem having to discuss this in wi County for one year because that's what it's going to set it's going to set the precedent under rule number eight which I agree I think that's the way it should
be doesn't solve anything we didn't do anything today you didn't help a dog you didn't help anybody you didn't help a dog out you pushed it to another County because today the demand went up and tomorrow the demand will go up and the next day the demand will go up and the next day the demand will go up and it's going to get filled in a different
location so we didn't do anything here today if we ban this we simply Kick the Can down the road to to make it somebody else's problem and they're going to start at the bottom to get to where we are today so I guess if this is truly an issue about Animal Welfare congratulations we
did nothing today commissioner vaguely and then I'm going to give the floor back to I guess May makes procedurally to continue with what commissioner olon was going so then you'll be next findings I'm going to present here have all been introduced at the either Planning Commission or the
County Board level um to this board or previous board so um psychological and harmful and physical harm to dog scientific studies including those by Dr Franklin McMillan who testified to this board saw that commercial dog breeding kennels cause psychological trauma and
long-term harm to dogs um the confinement repeated breeding and separation from their litters result in abnormal behaviors fears and health issues uh we have concerns over regulatory oversight that's been expressed several times agencies like
the USDA Minnesota Board of animal health oversee commercial dog breeding ongoing there have been ongoing concerns about the effectiveness of enforcement instances of inconsistent inspections limited transparency and challenges in addressing violations have raised
questions about whether the current regulatory system adequately protects Animal Welfare um there's been strong community support and expert testimony over 900 residents have petitioned in favor of banning future commercial dog breeding
permits numerous testimonies from veterinarians Animal Welfare experts and affected consumers have highlighted the cruelty and health issues associated with these kennels and legal and ethical justification for ban Minnesota law
permits counties to regulate land use for the health safety morals and general welfare of the community a Minnesota Court in a published opinion unpublished opinion ruled that dogs are companion animals not livestock the definition of livestock is
what permits any of this to happen or production units reinforcing that commercial breeding should not be treated as an agricultural practice uh commissioner vagley then commissioner Elon um I'm going to vote in favor of the motion to prohibit further permits for a couple reasons
first of all and correct me if I'm wrong anyone from staff it doesn't impact existing breeders it doesn't does nothing to impact existing breeders and I want to acknowledge that we have great some great dog breeders in Monona County um I don't know if Tim charmer is still
here um but what I know of Tim and Jenny what you do is fantastic workout there so this is no commentary on the people who are doing a great job raising dogs um it and currently we have no current applications for new facilities so it has no effect on the existing um dog
breeders and we have no um applications currently in the works um it um it it doesn't impact and it will not impact I've received a couple emails about what's next chickens Hogs and and cattle this is two very different issues these
are companion animals and this in my opinion is and I'll speak in my opinion not speaking definitively like I'm the master of all facts this is simply what's best for dogs and I think we could move on County to um that gold standard this is helps us get there
especially if people out inside and outside the county know that we value um the condition of dogs that will attract more business to Winona County and I'm looking forward to the continued conversation about how to work with people to do what they're already doing
well even better Etc so I'm going to vote in favor of the motion to prohibit further permits and looking forward to a continued conversation with the Breeders to find ways to continue to build upon the good things that they're already doing uh commissioner
elsing I it again doesn't make any sense to me um if we say they're doing a good job like we said we've got great breeders we just we said a commissioner Bagley we got great breeders the people that are doing a good job we've got the gold standard hey good it doesn't it
doesn't it doesn't stop the people were well aware of that uh so if they're doing a good job and these things don't exist and we say hey good job job guys then why wouldn't we want that to happen at in our County why don't we want to
embrace this I also can see the point of hey tomorrow it's chickens and then it's Hogs and this and that and that one time dogs weren't considered a companion animal and today people want to consider them a companion animal and most of the breeds were bred for functionality not
as companion animals even as less as 50 years ago so um that can change and when that begins to change it makes it difficult the economic structure in which people make their living and so I I I I to me it's the beginning of a
slippery slope and although the state might recognize it to a certain extent um it doesn't necessarily mean it's gospel if we can continue to push back against that I I just say I'm going to say this again if it's good what what we have now then why aren't we appreciating
the fact that we could if so let it be that we could have more to take it out of the other areas that don't have the standards that we do I'm going to say ask the question again by Banning it and clear and concise evidence says that the
Need For Animals is continuing to go up how are we helping anything in our current situation or anything outside of our current area and situation by doing this you're limitting literally limiting the fact that we just said the people that we have here are doing a great job
and we want to continue to work with them that's what I'm saying let's open it up for business and let's keep working with people taking the issues that exist in other areas and saying hey come set the gold standard come work with us we'll we'll get you there and
and and let the people that are doing it and want to do it in our County become that standard shutting it down doesn't improve anything for Animals shutting it down doesn't doesn't do anything for the population demand that's here it's just so counter IND counterintuitive and and
and contradictive to what it is that we're actually if you so truly are concerned about Animal Welfare how does this help I just literally still cannot understand how this helps we're not doing anything Mr Ward
um a question that uh commissioner vaguely asked impact current breeders if this ban goes into effect are they are they restricted can they make improvements can they add animals because if we do some of these things it
costs more money to to implement additional programs and additional guidelines so is a current conditional we're saying we can't take away their conditional use permit which I agree with totally but it does it prohibit them from making improvements to their
operations or expanding their operations as long as it doesn't violate the conditions of their whatever the conditions of the existing and most of those we had all limits of number of dogs how would they most of them how
would we how would they because it's just like any other uh Enterprise if you have to have more rules and regulations you have to generate more income to cover those rules and regulations how would would they apply for uh a change in their to to increase their animal
units would they apply for a change in their conditional use permit or would they have to go get a variance it wouldn't be a variance it would be an amendment to their conditional use permit which is the fun functionally the same thing is going through the process over again okay so there would be an
Avenue to increase size as long as it wasn't prohibited and with the existing cup the existing cup the chair you're the chair I get that forgot there I forgot but can I just so are you saying
that if their conditional use permit had a limit in terms of the adult dogs and they wanted to increase that they would have to come for a change but if they're permit doesn't have one they don't right that would be right okay gotcha okay um
as to the findings of fact number one here psychological and physical harm so with doing my research through the College of veterinary medicine Purdue University um the standards of care were created by Dr candit crony PhD at Purdue
University in 2013 based on existing and ongoing research they are further developed and collaboration with recognized academic and practicing animal science and veterinary medicine Leaders with expertise in diverse can9
welfare Sciences genetics physical health and behavior so there are other people that are you know working on this and again this is related to the K9 Care Program um number two the concerns about regulatory oversight time and time again
people have said uh we can't get information from either the USD or Board of animal health has the planning department or any staff legal or planning done a Freedom of Information Act to obtain information from either of these
agencies I I can't answer that but uh attorney cran we have we have not uh needed an in Freedom of Information request to get data um the issue with uh the board of
animal health is that uh all their data is nonpublic they have to make a a decision that we need it for law enforcement purposes in order to give us the data uh and there's not a timely
access uh to the data uh the uh uh uh individual spoke earlier that said that all the inspection reports and all that uh that the board of animal health produces is not public data and we have to keep it PIV
private too if they give it to us um the USDA uh I I will say they have improved their computer system and it's easier now to to search for inspection reports at the USDA um it's just not information that's
directly sent to us from from the USDA right but it is available and I've had myself I've contacted people at these agencies and I've had other citizen uh constituents cont them and they have gotten information looks like um we've got some uh a point are you finished
Comm no I'm not I I I want to recognize the speaker at the I am the chair so I will recognize the speaker when you're done looks like she's got an answer for one of my questions okay I'll continue um the strong community support and expert testimony you have to be careful of this one there is case law uh saying
when you can use all the neighborhood comments and when you can't there is a definitive um uh different case law so you have to be careful of that one um the health safety and Morales and general welfare of the community again it was stated in our own in our first
findings of fact that zoning is a land and and use uh it's not an animal welfare Avenue and I will put into uh the record also that Congress um this was 2324 this is Congress this is
federal they were proposing to introduce a puppy protection act of 2023 adequate housing exercise veter care appropriate nutritious food continuous access to portable water and meaningful socialization of humans and compatible animals for at least 30 days we're
already doing that folks that's already in our conditions and such so they are contemplating and then also at the state level I know uh the Ann Olson and organizations are trying to get a companion animal uh uh legislation but I
don't think it's uh reached any level of of hierarchy um so the conditions or the ings here are somewhat arbitrary and capricious in my mind on your doubt I want well after ol
oliv Miss Luther speaks then you for sure you I put you you are on the list got thank you are you done commissioner work uh for the time being okay please proceed thank you commissioner mayor um just one point to add to assistant County attorney cr's comments um the USDA inspection reports are public
information that can be requested on their website Board of animal health inspection reports however are not we did reach out to the program staff at the companion animal program twice now um from August of 2020 up until October of 2024 last year there were two
violations of their program both were administrative in nature from readers that are in Winona County um a administrative meaning maybe some paperwork paperwork correct there wasn't any mistreatment of animal or or any document so I'm going to move on to
commissioner vagley um is what my understanding of this issue which predates my term on the County Board this third term this issue has been discussed for 9 years going back to 2016 I think it's time to vote and move on um there's many valid points I want to
recognize the very valid points and good points that people the public have made what commissioner Ward and elen have made but I'd like to encourage the vote to encourage the board to vote and move on we have a lot of other um items on the agenda today I would like the opportunity to speak before we do
absolutely Mr what well um we just passed at our last meeting to update the comprehensive land use plan or the yeah the comprehensive plan and in that comp plan um I guess we're using the existing one we haven't updated it yet but there is a
line in there for economic development for all e e economic opportunities for all and I think as commissioner elen has brought out you're you're shutting the door on Economic Opportunity um in one of uh Mr cr's presentations I think we
need to brush up on um our amendments uh five and 14 I think we're going down a very slippery slope about denying it's not we have allowed commercial dog breeding for many years now all of a sudden we want to ban it that that is
taking away a right in my opinion of of people so it's not like we never allowed it we did allow it and we have allowed it successfully with good conditions uh gold standards and everything so now you're trying to to ban something that
we have allowed I think uh a court of law may have uh interest in that um the 14th Amendment and the Fifth Amendment and again I have said um that we're be careful you're kind of isolating a particular subculture within our Winona
County uh borders um and I I do want to say that um some of the Amish breeders wanted to be here today they came to our Planning Commission because they are very concerned uh but they had a a a a community um unfortunate uh emergency
that that prohibits them from being here today a tragedy in their their Community um but they are very concerned um they are are law abiding respectful people and they have tried to do you know fulfill all the all the conditions we've put on them and I've said long and hard
that with the conditional use permit it's each and every application individually it's not they're not lumped together we're we're taking an industry and we're lumping it together we're saying they're puppy Ms and that's far from from the information that I have or the aspect I have but we're we're
lumping them all in one group but a conditional use permit does not lump them in one group it takes each individual application into consideration you can put limits on it you can put uh you know hours you can put number of dogs you can control it with a conditional use permit and if
there's any violation or anything in our zoning ordinance in our comp plan there are uh remedies to with you know uh can cancel or whatever you want the term you want to use of a conditional use permit so all the factors are there for control
to ban it just is is uh lumping everybody into the same uh the bucket and uh I think we're all individuals and they're all individual businesses and I think they should be respected Elon what we're alluding to is
public distress in officials and the ability to look forward and say can I do I feel I'm going to be able to conduct business in Winona County I I agree and it's such a it's just another I'm going to say it again
we have these boards that consistently bring things to us that we override and you want to talk about public distress you distrust you talk about hard getting people onto these boards why would you they continue they
bring us stuff and we deny it and I I just it's again and I'm going to ask the question how did this solve a dog's problem today nobody's giving me an answer further
discussion if not I'd like to share are there any other findings of fact I mean this is what you're basing your decision on and you're forward in this to legal to to defend any potential litigation
suit or do you have more condition are there more findings a fact that we need to consider typically the chair waits to be last to speak I would love to speak but I'm waiting until uh everyone else has had a the time is please well I do have a question what before you speak I do
have a question um Tracy Fon is she a a expert is is this expert testimony or is this a I don't know who this person is it's Greg's fiance it's my fiance whose computer I printed that from okay just asking I I
don't know I thought it was some Regional expert obviously not okay okay so going back to 2022 when I first began to hear about this topic um I came to a place where I believe that I wanted to do more for the
dogs um and that really has been my question all along is what can I do to protect Animal Welfare in response to commissioner elson's points um number one that the demand grows so we need to keep having more um
commercial dog breeders I'm going to go back to the Planning Commission meeting at which an individual who spoke that was connecting to the meeting on ring central so over the Internet talked about the number of Shelter pets and
dogs that are euthanized every year and so I would say um is the demand growing and do the folks who get these dogs because we've had testimony also back on April 20th of uh
2023 that many times folks who buy these dogs don't understand where the dogs came from and once they find out then some of them have been motivated to become a part of folks like those who have been coming to us for all these
years asking us to help protect dogs so will the dogs just move to Wabasha County or good Hue County or Homestead county my point would be that in taking steps to protect animals here in Winona
County we have the ability to empower other counties to see that there is a need and to see that there is the possibility to move forward and to see that there's a demand from the public that is being heard and so I think that in the end it has the potential to have
more widespread consequences um and the other thing is that when I go to bed at night I want to feel as if I have done what I said in the very beginning which is I want to figure out how it is that we're going to protect the
animals so back in 2022 the planning director that the time was kwali and uh Stephanie nuttle whose findings you read was was the assistant County attorney neither are with wiona County anymore but what they told us in
their presentation was that there are other levels of government that are taking care of this work you don't need to do it but as I door knocked and as I listened to my constituents many of which have spoken they've spoken here today and they've spoken at many other
meetings I came to learn a number of things the first thing is that the standards that are set by the Animal Welfare act at the federal level and by the the standards also at the state of Minnesota are very low low enough that
they do not protect the dogs so back on April 20th of 2023 when we had a public hearing Bob Baker was online you can hear his remarks on the YouTube recording of that meeting he represents the Missouri
Alliance for animal legislation he called the LA Federal standards survival standards and the American Association for the prevention of cruelty to animals on their website calls those standards as designed to keep the female dogs just healthy enough
to reproduce there is no regulation about how often the dogs can be bred and so they turn out litter after litter of puppies we heard a story from a constituent at one of our hearings about a dog that had been uh dropped off at the Humane societ Society in Rochester
from a dog breeder in wona County had spent according to the vet its life in a cage on a cold floor in a cement Barn had arthritis badly enough in its high quarters that it couldn't walk so the point is those people aren't
breaking the law in any way they're simply following the standards as put down by the breeding industry it is legal for a dog to live in a cage that is just 6 in longer than their body those are just the ways in
which we set a very low Bar for our breeders also at the 2023 Planning Commission meeting uh veterinarian Frank McMillan prevented us presented us with three peer reviewed studies those are the ones that commissioner olon is referring to in his findings of fact um
I listen to the testimony again last night so we've been given evidence of the harm that the allowed business practice in the industry can cause we've been told by assistant County attorney Steve CR that the reports from the state animal Board of Health are not public we don't really
know about those violations but we do know about the USDA violations and we have those available to us they go back over a decade at our meeting of February 13th of 2024 I read from those
reports I had started by taking a point from the Humane Society that I identifies practices that are legal and allowed inside the industry that end up being bad for dogs like tiny cages not
having climate control um and poor vet care no grooming and then I went back through those violation reports and I found examples where animals were not being kept in cages that were as big as
what was required where people were not following the conditioning standards in terms of Maximum and minimum temperatures for the dogs where they hadn't kept their dog shots up to date and they weren't providing the appropriate medical checks
from the veterinarians the point being we know that some of those Animal Welfare violations have happened here now if we have commercial breeders that have performed their business above the industry standard and above what the
minimum Animal Welfare laws then that's fabulous but we also have evidence that there that not all people do follow those standards we've received numerous it ofms evidence about the failure of the USDA to report violations and to take
action even when the violations are reported again that goes back to Bob Baker but also I read some information from the ASPCA website back in February of 2024 that identified how many violations and yet that no action had
been taken no cies removed no licenses revoked so the point is even though our staff told us in the beginning that there is another level of government tasks with taking care of animal welfare we've seen plenty of evidence that they are not doing a very good job of protecting dogs at least at commercial
dog breeders and lastly our staff has told us that they don't have the expertise or the standards to manage the welfare of dogs even the sheriff has said that this is true and given that declaration when I
come back to that question that I asked in the beginning which is how can I do more to protect Animal Welfare the one thing that I can do is make sure that I don't let the situation get worse by not allowing any more kennels so I am going to support this um
motion and I I feel like there is evidence for the points that commissioner Olsen has put forward for findings of fact commissioner award um if you vote to ban where are this are
you going to uh establish standards for the uh what you will create as backyard breeders uh of four or less dogs are you are you going to investigate and set standards for four or less but there again we aren't requiring them to have any kind of license or permit or
anything so how can you enforce anything on a backyard reader um and then we're also talking that we're not going to restrict boarding Kett kennels or um Humane um Service uh things so a Humane service are we going to set standards
for Humane service and boarding kennels because a Humane Ser with no rules they can have multiple multiple animals in in not the best condition and maybe not the most polite animals that could be uh a threat to Public Safety so again looking
Beyond if you're going to ban the commercial what are you going to do about the back I'll refer to them unfortunately as backyard breeders individual breeders um uh to if you're really truly concerned about the animal
because one animal can be abused in a situation or 50 animals can be abused there's no there's no limit uh uh size for uh animal cruelty or animal abuse so again I'm asking the three of you that seem to be supporting this band what's
your what's your plan for that factor in our in our um County and I'm not not expecting I I'm asking the question of these three not you Mr seesac because again you're not the policy maker you just have to implement the policy they
are they are creating a policy so I ask where are we going with that is it just a a mute issue that under four is not a problem they can take care of them I would say that um the commercial dog breeding industry and it's described
when I read to you from the website of the Humane Society they take actions because their primary concern is with um making money and they cut Corners in order to make more money and um so from that
perspective your suggestion that people who have dogs are less than four dogs I don't really think that's an issue on the table today well I read Craigslist periodically and there's always dogs on there for sale and it just you know come get this dog or free dog and so again if
you're again if you're truly concerned about dog welfare psychology and everything how do we how do we truly protect all dogs not just those coming out of commercial breeders I think there's something lacking here I think it I think it's
time to vote and move on well I I would like an answer the problem commissioner Ward is if I answered 100 questions today you would ask 100 more questions well but but your you your you know it's it's your Mo you can you just fil you try to
filibuster this issues it's time let it go let's vote in constituents Health their health and their livelihood to pay our taxes Unfortunately they have property taxes we want small farms so what have we got we've got 10 people I
maybe not 10 right now running small farms um one of them is 17 Acres he has over $6,000 property taxes you're affecting his livelihood to make money to pay his property taxes and we don't take we don't take dogs and cats in
there are no there are no pending applications if there was one or 20 that's a different issue can we please vote and move on well there aren't any because you've put the word on the street don't even think of coming to Winona County to do this you're you're stifling economic opportunities all yeah
who in their right mind would come and apply for a permit today that want to move out of County Kanas but you have no at this okay so for the record at this point in time you have no concern for the four dog um amount or standards for boarding and rescue operations that is
not my that is that was not my response i' would like to vote and move on to the other important items on the agenda well this is a very important item oh further discussion hearing none the motion on
the table made by commissioner olon seconded by commissioner vagley it is to reject the planning commission's recommendation and go ahead and follow through with the amendment as it was presented in the
agenda um commer Olsen has provided a rough draft of some findings and I would assume that staff will come back with the actual resolution at a future time um what it what uh I'd recommend is that
uh the record uh show the findings verbally if if they're not going to be written today prior to adopting it uh the the only uh uh wording on these that
uh uh uh that I don't see is uh the uh uh discussing the relationship between the legitimate needs of the state or the health safety welfare of people in the county and the welfare of dogs since since these all deal with the welfare of
dogs um and and and that whether there is that relationship or not between those two things so you would like this to be a draft a verbal draft or I apologize no I I'm I I just saying that I think if if
the board were to vote on this issue you should if you have written findings today you should have verbal findings there's sufficient your discussion has discussed every one of these so you have addressed them uh I think it would also be good to discuss uh the relationship
between the issue and the welfare of the county the interest of the county so there are Minnesota statutes that allow us wion a county through our zoning ordinance to protect public interest public health safety morals general welfare and Animal Welfare is not
excluded from those laws um um and I'm suggesting that Animal Welfare is a part of that um we have ordinances um that we consider moral in terms of where we allow let's say adult bookstores or
whatever you know they are and it's the same sort of a thing I personally don't want uh on my conscience uh what I think is terrible Mal treatment of dogs to be
allowed inside the county um and so for me this is a point where I think that Animal Welfare should be a concern of the general welfare of the county others commission Ward um I think you have to be careful with the health
safety and Welfare there is a court case where yes and I did reach out to the attorney general I have yet to hear back from them their interpretation of health safety and Welfare and it was the situation was much uh different it was in a condensed residential neighborhood
where the individual was keeping and I don't remember the number a large number of dogs and there was uh a barking a problem they had got calls from barking and then there was a concern of animal waste and everything but it was a very small residential lot we are allowing
this in egg uh natural resource areas where by the rational basis test we allow uh you know larger numbers uh of animals and and yes uh at this point dogs are in the livestock that's the rules that are there um but we allow
large you know breeding of cows sheep pigs chickens um so the rational Bas is to limit one um type of animal over another um and health safety and Welfare usually uh pertains to human not animal Mr vley so
Mr CR what was your suggestion please I I Beyond this or what what do you recommend what some options so I suggested that you discuss the relationship between the the interest or needs of the county and the uh motion
that's that's being considered uh what the board could do today is you could adopt findings verbally and then Vote or you could direct staff to take your discussion and draft findings which
could then be voted on at a later meeting and then vote on the motion or you could request additional information or presentations or I'm sorry again this would take time but we we could work on uh uh if if we have clear Direction on
the findings that you want we could review them and draft them during this meeting or you could do nothing in regards to your issue because this is what has been presented to us today that's another option correct right right it is all right thank
you Steve and I I believe in my motion I did reference the years of testimony that have been provided the video testimony the spoken testimony the written testimony it's all referenced to by
motion I believe that should stay in the record thank you um personally I would like to get this I I would like to take action on this today and um I'm going to call the
question not um have to move forward and keep to having this debate again um I'm also comfortable with moving forward with the motion with as is yeah um so uh however I do want this to be um I
do wants to have our resolution in and order um so h if you are here and we are going to continue with the remainder of our uh Agenda One idea would be um to approve this now but to see the language
a little bit later in the meeting is that possible uh I I wouldn't approve it until you see the language I mean you could prove it you could you could talk about why you're approving it now and what and what findings you're adopting uh but I
think you have to have those findings the reason on the record commission I think that what commissioner Meyer had said referencing the the past testimony in addition to this I feel comfortable that there's
nothing we can do to make ourselves 100% full ofof when it comes to litigation but I feel comfortable that we've done due diligence in this matter I I'd like to vote will you second the call the question will somebody second the call the question proceed to
vote it doesn't mean you have to vote in favor it just call the question also requires a second um I will say this sitting in front of me is a document that animal F provided several years
ago and it has some proposed findings in it so I'd like to read the findings one can you provide us a written copy again I don't like findings thrown at me verbally can you go get a copy I mean these findings were made available to you at some time in the
past okay well I don't have them I don't in 20 in uh 2023 I don't have them in my pack go ahead and we get copies M it's two pages both sides operate that way they do fit uh pretty well with I think the bullet points that commissioner also
put together the thinking is to add possible bullet points to this finding effect yep it is in the form of a resolution and it does pretty much talk about I think these are all the things
that we've been hearing over the last three four years find in right I vagley how late can you stay today as long as May thank you foring them not past 2 o'cl
oh yeah really yeah because I have a doctor's appointment at 3 in calonia in carep my concern about time is not because of my teaching schedule it's just about us resolution and moving forward to the other items on the agenda
yeah well and if needed you know you can push some things back if you need to so we're waiting for a copy photo copies of the yeah of some proposed possible should we just take um five
minute break that's good thank you I'm sorry did she say we're taking five five minute break it's okay I got thank you I love [Music] you coming
down record show and your address is a UPS Store we don't need that Mr CR do you have a copy of what ol your printed thank you okay follow the order we can vote quick no
no I kind I apologize but I do think we need to go through these so I'm gonna wait for the other two Commissioners to return so petition that's hard okay okay so the
first item on here the first whereas Clause wona County recognized significant public interest and concern regarding industrial dog breeding kennels and the mass production of puppies with over 900 petitions submitted to the County Board in opposition to those breeding operations
so that is updated and uh consistent with um Mr Olson's bullet point about strong community support and expert testimony whereas the public and subject experts have expressed concerns about industrial dog breeding kennels since
2015 when six kennels were granted permits even though all kennels were then in violation of the law these concerns and comments have continued throughout the years with comments submitted to the Planning Commission and the County Board uh do you think that we
would need to put the dates of all the hearings or just leave that at I I don't think the dates would be needed because the it's in the record if this was before the board before yep and it has been both to the Planning Commission and the County Board over time whereas significant data and Studies have been
provided to the Planning Commission and the County Board showing harm to breeding dogs and puppies from industrial breeding due to long-term confinement of the breeding dogs stress of conditions limited positive interaction and socialization with humans no or limited enrichment cement and wire flooring restricted exercise
untreated medical conditions and other factors negatively impacting the welfare and physical and psychological health of the animals which can lead to fear anxiety aggressive behavior and other problems the animals May develop okay I question that because with our
conditions we have said the size of the the kennels the access to outside uh fresh air the access to food the socialization of the animals we've addressed almost all those things in our conditional use permits that there is no
language about any of those things in the conditional use permits well it's implied in the if you go back and listen to the discussions and it it's talked about in each of the conditional use permits and they say in there that you will anything that they talk about in
their conditional use permit process where they have talked about having outdoor recreation having uh kennels and all these things and it says you will adhere to all things that are discussed during your conditional use pering permit process so I I argue that that
that you're drawing a conclusion here with uh again a very generalization not specific to our Winona County conditional use permit holders so I'm going to go back to things that have been said by commissioner Olsson and also things that I have said so first of
all we have scientific studies that have looked at what are so the practices are set by State Statute and by the Animal Welfare laws at the federal level and we have received evidence that these are the bare minimum we've had expert
testimony by someone saying that this is the survival standard so um I would say that we have had significant data and studies providing to the Planning Commission and the board that showed the harm but not specific to wiona County
operations no we don't I have because we have read from USDA reports of specific violations Happening Here in Winona County whereas Winona County has granted 12 permits and is known as the puppy mil capital of Minnesota due to its granting
and this has negatively impacted the reputation of wona County do you want to keep keep that in I'm sort of thinking um that that's a puppy puppy mill Capital that's a very derogatory it is indeed drop let's drop that one drop
it and negatively impact our reputation I I I don't think you can prove that okay so I'm in favor of dropping it commissioner Bley Olson Alon okay whereas planning and Environmental Services Department in Winona County is charged with the enforcement of condition conditional SL interterm use
permits pursuant to the ordinance but the staff are not experts in the science of animal welfare and do not have the qualifications to adequately enforce Animal Welfare regulations and the county doesn't have sufficient resour resources to ensure compliance of the law recent visits of the facilities by County staff were announced allowing
conditions with the facilities to be altered and as noted by County staff two of the kennels refused to allow the staff to enter illustrating the County's inability to verify compliance um they were probably not allowed to enter Because of biocurity
and that's with any any animal um operation and and without appointments so I think that's a very negative uh so should we drop that last statement sure that whole last sentence yeah the whole last sentence although I mean the rest is true our staff and the
sheriff have clearly have said they're not in a position to do this but the sheriff is delegated through statute to be the Animal Welfare enforcement so I mean if he's avoiding his statutory responsibilities that's beyond our control whereas concerns have been
expressed about the federal government in its enforcement of the animal welfare act pertaining to licensed dog breeding facilities including multiple law lawsuits congressional orders Audits and other means documenting questionable conduct and policies by the US Department of Agriculture and lack of protection of the dogs and
puppies I do you have specifics there that's again is a very broad brush stroke do you have specifics I do have specifics and we have been given specifics there were on um I think the specifics should be uh
listed if you're going to use specifics because again that's uh uh so uh that's how laws are you got to look at court cases and you got to look at precedents and stuff we had about 20 or 30 pages of examples that were given in the Planning
Commission packet on April 20th of 2023 let's leave it and if it's challenged we can record yep they in the record it's in the record whereas concerns have been expressed about the state government and its ability to properly enforce Minnesota statutes 34657 through
34765 which is the dog and cat breeder law including no rules created by the board of animal health for the dog and cat breeders law for enhanced and effective enforcement of the state law so the folks from animal the individuals from animal folks have talked to us about how
um yes the statute was on the books but the board of animal health failed to create the actual rules for the enforcement of that and that's something beyond our control that's State statue that's that's a higher level of government is
true you can for it but we can't we can't uh change it whereas wona County Sheriff's Office is charged with enforcement of chapters 343 and Minnesota animal cruelty statutes however cruelty complaints are rarely filed due to no or limited access by the public to Cano conditions and the
animals and no or limited reporting of suspect cruelty or neglect by veterinarians employed by the Breeders further expenses to address violation of Cruelty statutes can be significant to the County due to the necessary Care and housing of multiple animals if if they are seed I would find it very offensive
if I was a veterinarian and you're saying I'm neglecting they take an oath of office to protect um I've got it here somewhere I mean I would be very very offended because they are professionals and if they see it's just like a Child Protection work or if they see any uh mistreatment or cruelty they are under
oath uh to report it so I I think you better strike that actually we did receive evidence of veterinarians who did not speak out
okay we just drop that whereas yeah because we've taken quite a long time yeah that's commission W okay you're going to drop that whole
paragraph or yes okay whereas Minnesota statutes including statute sections 39421 39430 1 and 3755 1 allows one own a county through its zoning ordinance to protect the Public's interest and public health
safety morals and general welfare Animal Welfare is not excluded from these laws but should be valued and embraced as a part of the public interest if it's not excluded it is automatically included I Look to um legal Minds if you don't say something
specifically it is excluded is it automatically included generally yes okay commissioner Meer the intent of these resolutions was to add new find
new bullet points new numbers to the findings of fact correct more in the format of how the findings effect would have been Pro would be provided if we had asked or took time for staff to craft them okay based on our conversation and given that some of us I
included would like to just get this done today so then the last stuff is about but I we would replace that with the zoning ordinance that is before us so it' be these four plus which now is six I believe I
think this is the formal language that embodies the points that commissioner olon made Mr cran is drafting as we speak right oh okay can we take another break so I have to bring up again where uh are you
including something in here about four dogs and intentionally breeding well dogs will breed if they're not even intentionally not at this time breed so it's that's our backyard puppy mill operations we're going to leave those
intact and does this do anything to um Talk about the um what we talk about the Humane Society type of operations they're Allowed no rules no guidelines it's a problem if I answer a
question I get 10 more question if it's not in the rules and and staff did craft some things that it doesn't include those so I guess again if I it's no rules at this time now not to say it can't change but right now if you adopt this and it goes into effect
there in my opinion there are no rules for that in the draft ordinance that's in your packet that boarding kennels are allowed right with no there's no standards though it's still a conditional use right okay oh it is still a conditional use yes okay do we
have any kennels or things operating under conditional I think maybe we have a couple I'm not sure I know we have one that's going to be on the docket next uh later on this month okay but but we haven't established any standards and that's what the zoning
about standards there are no performance standards correct thank you County attorney Grant I think the uh uh language proposed uh recognizes uh dog canalys structures in which there's four or more
dogs over four months of age at for a commercial purpose involving the sale or breeding of dogs for six or more months so those are all standards of of that apply to it um it specifically excludes animal
Ware uh hospitals or an veterinary hospitals animal or Animal Welfare entities which also have a limitation they have to be a nonprofit organization or government entity engaged in the rescue Care and Adoption of stray abandoned unwanted or
surrendered animals that does not engage in the breeding of animals those are all standards that would apply to them okay so do you have the findings yet
no I apologize what are we waiting for we're waiting for to are you combining these two or are you um yeah it's follows findings to repeat back to the board to potenti vote on right I we
just discuss them all right now yes we did so he's putting them in writing put them in writing and again I'm sorry I'll need a cop I'll need a hard copy I do not operate on that's why we have a hard well whatever he's draft whatever Mr CR is draft you can always
vote no Madam chair is there the ability to pause on this and legal counsel may we pause on this and come back to that we can move on to some of the other agenda items is that
plausible I I think I I would advise that because what Mr cran is working on is what you would be if depending on what you how you vote but this would be the the board's legal document saying
why or why not it approved the motion and um in in many other situations what this board has done um we've had very and and this what the planning or I'm sorry the planning assment and I would
recommend that you do this is have very very specific findings of fact and essentially conclusions of law um and then then your um than your decision and that would support and hopefully you know withstand a legal
challenge so um and we could print those out we can print them out but he's working on it right now so don't we just so are we asking Mr fr to Simply retype what we all just disc he's going to finalize it no I mean it's well tell them what
your so so the board has talked about several findings so the idea was to take what you're reading in right now and then also include the other aspects that you've discussed uh that are relevant my concern with waiting is how
this um agenda item started out uh with a big disruption of the meeting so as long as we're here and working on it I would like to complete it so I take your points how do others feel you want to table it and come back
to or table it for another meeting well I guess not so Mr CR go ahead uh the the the proposal was to quickly draft what you've discussed here so that you have a firm idea of what you're adopting the
other option is to uh take the ones you've described here uh and uh the ones uh commissioner Olsson has presented and uh indicate that those are the findings you're adopting U and that they will be
you know rendered to written form by staff my preference would be to wait how do others feel wait how long till the end of the meeting or to another uh 10 minutes yeah so we would table it and come back to it at the
end we should take a 10 we're on recess for 10 minutes 11:36 yeah good thing his fingers are working yeah it is good thing he got his things off his CHR can you email this to us because I
wrote all over mine let me see if I can find a clean version that I can get a copy I did write all over mine I need to scan it in I do watching you have a clean one I have one but I don't I thought I only needed to bring one with me I was
looking up a couple maybe somebody else didn't write on points of order curious works okay great Sor I just wanted to have one to get scaned in can't remember we discussed
yeah I remember seeing it but I don't remember where all mixed together and so and I was going through it this morning trying to which things I bring and not I just want to make sure I have a clean version for the scan yes of course County website you happen to desire a copy of that or
do you already have it I made copies because I didn't know thank you I'll take it read it it's two sided just so you know Y is this from the training um yes I apologize for not showing up don't worry days
yeah days I just can't deal with it on this but do you uh sure I'll put it in my massive file is that your massive file yeah and I to save some time at the end
we I was very V discussion I just it first time be there with that survey is that we come to conclusion 24th okay that's what I have in my calendar but there were so many different things I
was trying to figure out what so I sent Heidi message I did I check my okay okay sounds good thank you uhhuh little stress between the shoulders this long I don't know if you can see my legs just no it's
discreet I'm trying to sit still but it's like it's not my forte be cool sh is this metal Y metal little few things that I find that's the issue yeah sense or does this make sense
only way I but but but again you get the C in front of the Horse let's find this answer first and then it might not even be relevant because we say that's not feasible and then we don't worry about squash it before we had the answer to say on a whole bunch of ifs and maybe
the we don't we're not in control of the money and we have the opportunity to take fre the only way I get portion yeah it is it is but the only way I can take advantage it's such waste I don't disagree so the only way I can take
advantage of the waste is to try to benefit and it's site specific that's not the right site I guess that's what drives only way you take advantage of it is it would be make more sense to to do something over there on principle I disagree with the whole thing because you're taking my dollar to go figure
this out but you already took it I had the choice to give it back so the only way can take advantage of it is say all right let's learn from I up there last week aty lot of different legisl they're saying even the Democrats I'm gonna be bringing up here
a little bit I'm gonna bring that okay good situation is get scary Golden Goose not they just cut its head off they fled it thre it burned it and then and then attracted the M what
they did with the budet what's the easy way P down in the county yeah yes I did get a response from representative Jacob said you know what they're doing you can't that's no C savings is is we fall for these things
bait and switch over give you some money get sorry well it's just like isn't there one here I thought I had it written down didn't we give money to the soil and water to do the aquatic invasive species I think that I
think that money's gone though I think he cut well I'm sorry I'm it's proposed to cut it yeah so we have to wait till figure out separate is a separate but but he he I think the governor's budget cuts it it's good what they do there's no oh
absolutely and I mean again you know you put Zebra muscles in any of these other lakes and said destroys his his I think his budget cut it yeah and that's disappointed all that Surplus and now
it's not on here I think we discussed it I think at our general government that some of the things of course it's just proposal and you know everybody had to say it's the governor's budget it's not ours it's the governor's budget it's not ours did you know is itance he used to work for soil and
water is that I got the right name he's a neighbor of mine well he's lost two dogs and he's been scouring the neighborhood they they're chipped they got collars they're red lab I think it's such and two of them and they're out running free they can't find them you
see today he had posters up on the mailboxes and such yeah I don't know what yeah yeah he's my neighbor I can see his house for my house and those are too big for those dogs are too big
fores yeah you'd think they would be but again they're domestic so do they have did they have the fight bre out of them I don't know you know two of them though two of them and they've got I don't know if they he said some he called me or left a
message um wondering if I'd seen him and I said no I hadn't I don't know if there was some kind of collars on them tracking collars it's sample stuff yeah this is the real that's metal that's good I put some on a garage and a pine tree fell on it and all it did was dent a couple little
places it's pretty tough stuff this is the steel shingle yeah and it looks nice the price whoever will give us the most grant money top gets I think it's like five
and then the next row up it HSS in y does it hold up to Wi it has we've had it on probably for close to 10 years like say I had a big pine tree fall on it and just dented a couple pieces and it's been doing the job would be
difficult everything else is essentially just a matter maybe it's cheaper to knock off the top and make a flat roof Courthouse did we did we find out what's the penalty of not keeping it quote
historical I they'll feed they'll feed and clothe me and I can have I can read books and watch TV that would you know some days I would like that lifestyle oh what
I'm sorry that IU R I've got one of those that fell couple years ago in my fire place how many feet of frost we get this year yeah this one has my Gravel Road was really spongy the other day and I
was amazed how quick it dried out yeah coming up I'm always amazed in our shed you know it's 35 seeps through every a lot of it was wet private
yeah I mean yeah two two little boys yeah yeah so I don't know Amy swears it's something in the water in the western suburbs she doesn't like the western suburbs she always says when she's leaving St Paul she's going to North South Dakota it's such a long drive over
there it may contribute I don't know can't say it it doesn't but just yeah for your own so early for right pardon me early 40 uh yeah yes yeah yep hopefully that'll be young enough y early
detection I have noted that on network TV there are some very nice ads that um promoting U you know checking for breast cancer uh they they got some high-profile um
people aess those are a minute that we could talk to actually Chris I probably and Mara I need to probably leave in an hour I said 2 o' before I need to leave in an hour we're still going I
didn't I figured it take longer but getbody you don't get the answers look serious anyway they did come back because they wanted to wanted to changeed I as for them to a small percentage of
it but I comb through everything I could find they don't for was are you looking for the first time we discussed it what's that um you're looking at no a bridge committee work she's not going for that
train I think she doesn't I think if you can afford it retiran is a very good yeah well I'm looking forward to is the okay goes much longer if we table it and come back to it Marine can we do that table it and come back to
it from what council said was one or two other chair know a little about it it's all but you know what it's interesting because I have this happen to me
plans all you guys re us kind of funny that all the back 10 minutes I like more right that's that's what I so again I think I was might override the whole
situation right didn't know it all that's I know soil if you could Bart yes how long is your how long is financial status report going to take how long is financial status
report we can just accept it and and decide to discuss it later it's a lot of information it is a I've got a summary that can be done in five minutes yeah yeah we and maybe yeah maybe you can provide but we'll ask you 20 minutes with the question so the intent though
is to get feedback on the presentation the it's all yeah yeah do you like it or the aspects you don't like it does the IRS like it the government accounting it's the government Accounting Standards Board
that we want to care about it's gby but what what's the deal we can't buy Refreshments who changed the rules there now actually actually that's been uh in the I thought you could spend $5 per
person that's you and me is that you can only give it those who are actually being recognized well not to e a donut if they're not being recognized and then if there's some left over afterwards we set them on a different table honestly okay so my for the Commissioners and we
won't eat any yeah my choice is were a cup or a cup because I had five years and I was like I don't want a cup but I'd be willing to buy the donuts for everybody how I feel yeah I thought it was a little bit of a nitpick but we've done it for years
my whole career yeah it's a a recognition b yob b b yo D bring your own donut or we just don't do we recognize him but we don't do Refreshments that everybody hook
dos like hooked on fo can we take donations I imagine you could technically somebody donate the donuts I she's asked for us to donate the donuts I'm just saying a business are we supporting
businesses we need aard receive the Dons then they stay we'll table it put them on the table true yeah we have to approve it bless you thank you actually they could donate cash and say
specifically for did you have a sense how much longer this is going to take some many typ 100 words minutes well they had a technical difficulty they were just finishing up
so I mean I if we really wanted to I would think that we could postpone the committee of the board well that's what I was saying you can push some of that right I mean we revised some parts but there
was we got through agreement yeah my guess is they you know they have to word you know how lawyers are right Dr the where asses and change drop the sentences the parts that we want to drop
[Music] you still have any talk with Paul or I mean with Jason on the council not recently think you talked to more recently than Paul has yeah I try to I
reach out to him but I very frustrating I really like that very differs in my opinion yeah there you go I know he um so he had planned a meeting with Community not cages and he
wanted to talk to Paul Paul's like I do like yeah okay thank you yeah he strikes me as it's not just us them that we're also slowing down and you yeah my day is your
day oh you could postpone postpone it until later in the meeting and then bring it back up I think that's not a good idea well according to council I proposed that and they recommended not to do it okay so that's why we broke under be a
good day to shingle know it's not warm enough probably is it oh yeah it doesn't matter if it's not asphal right even even Asel chingles this is probably nicer nicer than yeah nicer than 100 when they all melt onto
your feet squishy I want two more minutes then we'll table it is that okay no get her done do you need a twoth thirds Vote or a Four f for that I only hit ah minority
rules college ures that pardon me college ures that yeah all he wanted to do five minutes sorry 10 minutes before every time you ask him it takes
him longer to refocus stop it we H to do the word go uh he went to the restroom I believe yeah don't follow go in there and ask him questions
right start talking gaps shingles that's what that's what like and then like have gaps right and so he came they came back to us and I'm like you know you do
but we could put these on man like that actually what was you know we're not following our own rules we didn't vote to take a recess take a recess supped to have a
motion and a second and a majority vote Dwayne you can call the question she wanted to say she just got a new Rescue do want she dogs were
rescued people and they can't take care of the dogs so these are AG dogs she she wanted you know that and she's just you remember Jane Anderson at high school I sure do um do you hear about Jane unfortunately she got moved last
week to Memory Care in Rochester um apparently there was a deep decline in terms of Alzheimer's or dementia oh I just saw her I don't know six seven months ago just heard about it one week ago two weeks ago last
year way like this didn't if you get I'm not surprised by that teacher but but she was and then Jan works in the office she was there she just comes and sech vacations plan for the summer
not early all of them are trips going to um virgin Beach inil like the weekend before Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Memorial Easter oh before [Music]
Easter for you and did get time off and go with you so we're going to do that we have a trip in G to go for a hotel resort so stay a
c May right y may it should not we just the there you go yeah if it's super bad you can just stay home we don't just you know so we'll go so last year I missed
my in the apost islands because I got Co so we reserved the cabin again um but that's not I think until September okay and then um I think in late August we are G to go
um there are some fsid of this is theise to him is that I would taking this job so take more time he's kind of up commission students that they will
help you there for semester another one take the time so we just and and then it's implenting them and then it's I get ideas we wanted to go to um you know
talking about that for we just what we decided we have to lookast don't do it we never do keep GR okay conc we used to
go trip couldn't do that shoulders nobody knows except my husband and then a friend of M isn't landing and you're a drum line that practices stone at the
East End Y and they're gonna Warrior they're gonna come down and G to do a pop I'll give everyone an opportunity just take a empty kenic box with me and have people don't good idea can do so we take
people situations we take them on the river good fish beautiful not do you know anything about Mr Bailey I saw him at Veterans Day but I haven't seen him since is he still
okay um he's slow he moving slow but seem to be okay is he still having that phone I don't know about that nice I have several on nice right there's something weird here on Steepy you're on the roof yeah yeah this
is a sample of the potential I'm so sorry and I'm I I thought this is a really weird that's the other one that you're walking on there so what you so two things good one you didn't trip and the other you've shown that you can walk on it without destroying yeah tiny
though curious what that was so we have a Sate roof on our Courthouse R this is the existing but because of the installation when that's very windy the wind lifts them it works the it works the nails out
and they're heavy they're G to knock somebody else well look how sharp they are they would fly fly to the ground and they get embedded in the dirt now imagine if you were there it would do embedded in your head yeah that's right so we're going to have to replace it but it's a very expensive op where's where's
he at it's a building full of Boyers so yeah there you go night Sor just like yeah so that's you know that's the that's the original bunch of people with one group in one room doesn't matter who we when I went to oh they're still
working apologize not yet it would be helpful if we can I know there would be oh you so wonderful you want to see that don't pour water on the floor
man don't do it Wonder beautiful I've been wanting to do that for years I my parents would do that actually got interviewed on station but anyway one of the things was about the cour um
Christine um I just back here I joined the historic things I wanted to do one of the in and so this this year it was famous
places who you I and and walk just touch Bas the article the other one was about rebuilding Church and the statement was well there was a committee so of course it took a long
time and I'm in the back one more committee I'm the coordinator and then I have community and whatever but he said took long long time when you're so I figured doc just killed it
right well the governor did and then the DLC that that's their redheaded stepchild so they don't care um I talk to the guy that does only I just person3
labor so they do farmers Park Pass Drive we pay this guy give up they would give if entity want toserve State Surplus give it to the
county and their equipment um they do store over that I mean ultimately he would like stay with the state because so I ask guys over
yeah would create an opening would you be he said depends on you know yes but not gonna take a huge big cut I where else I mean I know a guyy 5 something years old I
said like drive and then talk to about the benefit to the inmates because I was a as a juvenile I got some trouble and I was sentenced to [Music] community County um staff on the grounds
on the courthouse and stuff it had a profound impact I mean just a positive impact on how I perceived you know property government fund public property I think it's a great idea Steve
buzwell was talking about one of the guys who was former inmate in trouble all the time now he's a um professional payer up the mail yes oh my God Cru right now just deal to can deal when I get back yeah that's right sometimes you have to just take a
vacation to a meeting at 1:00 it hasn't gotten any bigger is his wife she he said she doing really well I asked I just talked to him before he left he said his they show
up oh my God that can but yeah it's uh I because I didn't think she was going to make it oh I mean l going on company
you did well they merged us into US mer with youing really well Serv we were down there already but now they were to say five people there one Cal Iowa Western Iowa
very there's actually nine individuals mer five really drastic that they would PR that's not that bad for I know they you live in the city don't you a St Charles yeah we got
Township annual meetings tonight Township annual meetings tonight and it's it's really strange townships they don't run their own meetings they hire a moderator and it's it's just a a strange yeah yeah and they they always want me
to moderate so they called me the other day well you'll be coming to the meeting and I think we have a couple supervisors up in a clerk so that we have an election your toship for my Township yeah we don't have Township meeting you have yeah yeah yeah yeah no it's just uh so all your townships are having their
annual meetings tonight yeah and there's been a real question a couple townships how they set their budgets and everything and the clarity and such and I said my Township has really even gone down every road the township has they track when they the maintenance and the rocking and the plowing and everything
and documented how many and I swear they haven't done that much on my road but that's okay but they break it down and they've really stepped up their um account you know their accounting and um sharing information and everything which is uh beneficial because I got that
lacrescent influence I got you know but right up to lacrescent and so don't do it they don't even think they're you know a lot of them don't even think they're part of on accouny they just you know they have that City and stuff so Ohama had some new figures
here I still would like to know from Bob if residential property values are up 30% what is rural property up this is uh they're coming really they're on their way I saw some bit the hall then they
got to be printing printing that's crash woohoo recent paid Seven Something 75 three that's Tim sold that muler yeah sold 154
Acres interesting they all sold the Sox how much was that how much was the uh P to 7500 um the one the 142 tillable yeah it it
doesn't it didn't break it down per acre 1.72 one million you have to do the math I don't know why you didn't break it down 142 working josa tree but just got
hired for his off season which will be summer because it gets too hot out there and they do main window so they he went well I me he got all his certifications
it that land over there that must be the one right on Binger Farm because do they go original har to the souad the old fun um I mean it's a unique person would be able
to and the fact that he back Construction and building and blah blah blah they work five weeks on two weeks off you that's said you put in yes 10 12 hour
remember the chuckle land sold a mile ding back there they sold that ground two weeks for two weeks and then I want to say was $2300 an acre all saying who can afford
$2300 an and you know what grain price weren't that much different no no that's the crazy part yeah and now you're looking at 10 12,000 hard say was don't guys honestly I see it every
day count is gonna be nothing but corn corn beans yeah corn beans but I was reading yeah well these cover crops there was a couple new cover crops that they were playing with but there's no market for it you know they're trying to say something that produced some oil
what the disconnect is that people don't understand it comes down to timing to do some of these things you've got to sacrifice something else typic you're giving up yield which when you're in a Cutthroat industry that simple it doesn't work you know I just tell guys hey if you do 5% of your Acres
5% more than what you ever did just you work makes sense I mean it's a it's a game of pennies though I just wish the public understood that but they don't they just think it's a stash thing and do whatever you want they don't understand
timing about eggs just get some more chicken well I think it takes a year to whatever to get a chicken to lay an egg what a what a fallacy to put against you know fix the problem like that it's it's the infrastructure it's the buildings it's the permitting it's it's the lab
it's it's growing the chickens it's dealing with the manure problem that creates we broke her a lot of it I mean the the list of things that go when you start burning bars down and getting chickens it isn't like you just go up oh my gosh we're going to do this in two weeks six weeks these eggs are going to
be back in the store machine just pull the lever and the eggs come out I me it's so like this started a year and a half ago it's not g to get fixed in forbid you give an animal anti antibiotic or anything oh we don't want to do that that's a
consumer's Choice what they do there but it still doesn't speed anything up you know so it's just the delay of manufacturing but we want to immunize all our children they just in arms about Robert F Kennedy know saying so we actually deal with a lot of these bars you know and we work with them figure
out I've sh we were from Western Wisconsin Central South Dakota before or Central EXC me Eastern I mean trying to keep up just went off to back
shortly somebody it's over 900 yeah there are more copies coming so yeah it's t for I need more papers
We Begin yes so there I can see a couple of typos and the first whereas um that was back in 23 it's now over 900 petitions on one two 3 four five six the
sixth whereas Clause we had agreed to drop the last sentence starting with visits of the facilities by the county staff well if we go if we're going one by one let's see the one two three fourth whereas uh we're we're confusing
the naming here we're calling it industrial and we've always called it commercial dog breeding and then um uh to Industrial another place I just saw so yep in the fifth one industrial
should we replace that with commercial well I think to me again industrial is yep derogatory I'm fine that's fine well at least it's fine with me I assume if someone else has a i sounds great up commercials are good substitute uh um number three the
rationale relationship between dog regulations and General Health I don't think that's been proven I mean that's a very general statement very broad brush stroke because we don't have any reports of rabies or disease or or anything well
it's demonstrated by the current existence of ordinances regulating dogs and other animals in the County ordinance and that is true H that's a well I it's a weak argument okay we we'll pick that part in a later
discussion I think the ninth one on the back side we don't go about 8 n a second where on the back side I mean these are supposed to be yes that is correct aren't these supposed to
be findings of fact and are there facts to back that up I I don't know that they're um documented I mean it's a again it's a very bro broad brush your painting um to the best of my ability I
have pointed out to you where we received testimony and exactly where it was but the sheriff has never come forth with any list of of complaints or ACS he's taken so I mean the sheriff is charged with enforcement so he should if
he had issues he should be able to provide those we had agreed to drop that paragraph I think commissioner vaguely just pointed that out so number one there's just one Mr CR were you able to keep up on you were talking F and the first one has the 550 BEC
yep and then what was the six where as I believe it would end with to Ure comp of like and U four and five Industrials replac with commercial and there's an S that's needed at the end
whereas yes whereas in two uh second page second paragraph whereas the mon County Sheriff's Office we've agreed to we agreed to drop that and I know in your very short time to
draft this there's very little and again with findings of fact there's very little reference to Minnesota statutes there's no reference to case law so you defeat feel this is defendable in a court of law without
those things cited and if it's not cited now you can't come back and throw it at us again can you everything that has come for the board on this issue is in the record okay all right everybody vote those
rions the one um one thing I did want to address that is not in there that uh had had been a topic of discussion one point was just to clarify that dog boarding kennels are permitted uh if you wanted to add that it would just be a definition and then
making it a conditional use uh in the two zones where uh you're you're uh removing dot canels as a conditional use I have language for that okay can you read it sure and does it go in this
does it go in this res this yeah yeah so it' be under chapter 4.2 definitions would be amended uh in addition to what's already there by adding the definition for dog boarding
panel which is any structural this other than a commercial dog greeder panel or veterinary hospital or clinic as defined elsewhere in the wcz where dogs are kept or maintained in parentheses day or
overnight for for care training exercising socializing or similar activities by a person other than the owner of the dogs is that included in here it isn't uh what about these Humane they're not owned by anybody
they're they're that's referenced in the zone in orance there there's they're abandoned so how do how does that sorry well this whole concept of Humane um you know dogs that are rescued and everything you talked about that in
previous so where's where's the reference to that because they're not owned by P they're not owned by anybody defition Animal Welfare K Animal Welfare kennel yeah so this is where the additional language that you
just read for us would go exactly yes and then and then uh let's see the numbers here so in uh the first page where it says where added Animal Welfare panel as
a as a conditional use uh you would also add uh Doan panel and then same for the uh second or the last page oh I see okay so um exhibit a
number 14 is Animal Welfare kennels okay now tell me what else okay so you you would add a a dog boarding kennel as another conditional use okay
15 and then shift the numbers down yes okay and then you do the same thing for the rural Heritage District the second last page number eight is Animal Welfare ten and dog boarding CS right
okay I apologize for that Omission yeah thank you for your work on it you have to address who the acting chairs I think because the acting chair will will have to sign us well he after this item is over the
guy will return to you right yes but I want the ACT if you're GNA pass this and and if you want me to dig into this then the acting chair will have to sign it as an amendment we can make that change
are we Is there further discussion because I will not sign it hearing none the original motion is to reject the planning commission's recommendation follow through with the amendment to the um
zoning ordinance as it was presented in the agenda in accordance with the findings of fact that we have in front of us and with the markup as we have just done while we are sitting
here question Mr Ward I have two findings of facts so the one's commissioner olon I don't know that they're all included in this secondary just this though just this just this not this other nope that that um bacy fernum
referred to us that she typed to our commissioner rson yes it was printed on the her computer oh you typed it yourself okay any further discussion caring none all those in favor of the motion as I have stated please signify by saying I I
those who are opposed please say Nay Nay n okay the motion does carry what's the date of Effectiveness publication after it's published okay and what's the timeline
for that uh I do not have that answer okay so a person could make an application today because we're still under the old rules uh yes okay all right until it's Le a legal printed in the
news okay all right yeah commission vely um I'm G to apologize to the board and staff I'm going to take off I apologize um thank you for all the time work um I don't think there's any other items that most
of it's informational correct Courthouse roof Courthouse roof my two cents worth on the courthouse roof is steal unless there's compelling I'm just one of five so I know I'm going to get some feedback on that um but that's just like to sense and then what about Committee of the
board can we postpone that one it's up to the board I'm more than willing to postpone to the next meeting if you so desire postponing committee the board item Health and Human Services sure I am okay it will be on the next uh regular
scheduled meeting yes ma'am all right I apologize all right 8.2 discuss provide Direction on Courthouse roof replacement good afternoon Dave Kramer County engineer um as you're aware I also oversee the buildings and grounds area
um you discussed this at your January 28th meeting there were some questions um so we've attempted to answer those in the memo and then uh discuss the a bit more discussion on the four different options that were that were um presented
at that meeting I've got a list of potential grants um to try to move things along I tried to craft some recommendations um as I indicated in there um somewh ambivalent I think about the overall decision but um I guess
based on my current thoughts would be to go with the uh the Slate or at least proceed with that um I've got some uh and and then I included some pages from the January meeting the information that was put together by Brian grenell of of
Garland just kind of some got some pictures and some you know information on longevity and costs and things like that so um so with that we' be kind of looking for your thoughts and thoughts and desires of how to move forward I've got some
samples here the uh the metal shingles um couple things have have kind of pointed to the same manufacturer I I queried my County engineer cohorts um and Phil wles from Freeborn County was familiar with just their Church they had
replaced slate shingles with a uh steel sh U with a steel shingle uh product and it happened to be a Deca product it's a it's one that looks more like uh wood shakes but it's essentially similar to this one and and this is uh otherwise
this is a material that um Brian grenell of of uh uh Brian rather from from uh Garland um had had acquired from us uh for us from decra this is the decra
shingle XD U natural slate there's two pieces is there um so you can see what that looks like and on page 94 of your packet is a actual photo of the Central Presbyterian Church in St Paul just down the street from the Capitol Building um
on page 93 is a visualization of what that looks like which is actually looks looks some quite a bit darker than um the actual Church photo um then slate shingles uh you all received an email from uh Julie Butler with durable slate
company as kind of a follow up to our January meeting I think they had uh found the article in the Winona post and had sent you some information I had a couple conversations with her and then also John Chan of their of their company um they seem to have a lot of expertise
with with slate and um but we're seem quite confident that slate grof could be um installed and and be resilient that what they would recommend is is slate hooks which is in the pictures that are uh like for example on page
103 and and 98 of your packet the example with the Slate shingles does have slate hooks so that's what those would be is it's a be a stainless steel piece that nails down in the slot between the shingles and then the singles you know when you install a row
above you slide that down into there before you nail it on so it keeps the bottom Edge from lifting um they also mention that just with the current rof is you know roughly being 30 years old um they they want to look at it but it it might be economical to actually
remove and and replace and reuse most of the existing shingles um we talked about you know if we did proceed with that it would probably make sense to bid bid it as alternates either reuse or just new materials sometimes the labor involved with salvaging materials cost more than
just getting new plus if it was close to the same it might make sense just to get new because the the ones that are up there do have some some wear on them you know they've been out there weathering for a few decades even though in the life of a slate tile it's not you know you expect that's you know relatively
minor part of the overall life but um so that's guess the information that we put together and kind of looking for questions and Direction well if you go on page 96 and you get every one of those grants go for it um Madam chair yes okay
so recommendations the first one is to defer the project to next year 2026 yes and that makes it possible for us to apply for the grants and to get the required approvals from the State Historical preservation office yes I I
totally support that I think I think we should do it I'd like to see us try and get some grants I'll second that um was that a motion I don't I don't know that we do we have to make a motion discuss provide Direction it would push off what we put
in ordinance yeah because it pushes off what we budgeted in this year's or I would have to think we need a motion to do that at the same time I do have a concern there's two concerns I have one is we have a $2 million budget obviously if we don't get any of these grants the
cost is going to go up I still want to go after that um regardless but is there an exp you know is there a way we can expedite it to try to get a closer look can we can we in this
grant writing process can we say this is not something we have a fiveyear outlook on this is something that we kind of have a dire situation is there a way we can go to the top because of this situation we have a faulty roof we need to do something quick we want to do it by your standards I'm just trying to use
that as leverage to to to move this thing forward faster where we potentially could have an answer quicker so I've not dealt into details of these grants besides compiling this and what I what I put in the memo yeah um so one of the things I'm suggesting is you know if
we want to go after these grants we need to have somebody who can uh specialize in that and has you know because I don't have spare time to work on that frankly um the probably the most viable Grant from a historical perspective is the uh
first bullet um on on page 96 of Minnesota historical and cultural heritage grants that funding is from the the Legacy funds the 38% sales tax that was approved um so that's where that money is come would come from that is
you know potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars is what the information from Luke Sims of the city wiona indicated so I did indicate the the time frames for that so there's they've got an application cycle coming up in the next you know months here where an initial application is due in
in July I think a final application I didn't put the date here but I think it's due in September they would make their decisions in December and then the funds can be work can begin after January 1st of 2016 2026 and must be completed within the next year and a
half by June 1st of 27 so that's besides that other other Grant time frames I've not delved into that to know that but my suspicion is most grants have you know like quarterly semiannual or annual cycles and and so you know we need to
have somebody basically look into that and see okay what what's worth the effort of applying for that actually have a chance at but with that specific example it very much fits a time a a project schedule of having a
2026 project um it's not you know to say well we this is important for us we want to do it in 2025 it's just not going to work I think for their for their normal process the short answer then Dave is that yes we can we just need to make sure that somebody does it and the
likelihood of getting it done in 2025 is probably not going to happen anyway I'm just concerned with Rising project cost you know if that's going to be a particular matter um you know and what we make on a grant we might lose just in percentage of going up so you know are we is this just counterintuitive to the
whole thing I don't know but if we have opportunity to get multiple grants I could definitely see that um and move forward I think the other thing that's going to do is allow us to V out exactly what we actually need to do and what are options are um because I want this thing to fall within our $2 million budget and right now I don't see an option that
actually Falls in that so um that's where I'm just pushing this thing towards or would like to lead it towards anyway so I support the motion too um under the pretense though that what are we doing for the hazard are we going to put a yellow fence around it orange fence around it we stand there and tell
somebody you all watch out I think all the loose ones have fallen off well not not exactly so the in the recent high winds some more have lifted and some pieces came down so it's it's an ongoing Hazard um yeah as far as uh eron and I
talked about you know what do we do to mitigate the risk in the meantime I I don't know that we have a good answer because any of the the entrances to that building all are in in locations where tile could fall you know do we if the wind gets above just above a certain
mile an hour do we close the building and send everybody home I don't know if that's viable I I don't have a good answer yeah well we just I mean it the motion doesn't negate the fact that it needs to happen or that the
protective aspect needs to exist but I just would say that we we have to put something in place to make sure in the end term that we do that so yeah I just want to make sure we're that's on record Being addressed I guess and we don't have really total costs here what the
steel that's part of what letting this thing go and getting figured out right I mean we we don't and again and thinking why would I put something on that failed again I mean that why would I put slate on it again I mean yeah you show new little Clips but again
it that's we were sold a bill of goods how many years ago and it I don't I don't disagree with you and I have I have those same doubts as I as I think that's why why I say I'm ambivalent because when I you know looked at what happened in the wind and they're lifting up like I can we really make that material stick down I I think we can but
I I I have those same doubts but the the extent of the cost the extent of the cost information we have is on page 103 the the you know the rough dollar prices that dollar costs that were in the last presentation the other thing that comes to mind the
historical building funding toolkit by the city of Winona what remember the jail we had to put more windows and then we had to glaze them over because of their rules what what rules does the city of Winona imply over on that building because it is the city
wiona um it would just be a normal uh reroofing building permit through them um the if this building had a city historical designation then it would need to go through their historic preservation committee and and currently it doesn't that's something that their
committee is interested in because they do believe the V building has a lot of valuable value for the committee but at this point it would I I'm not aware that they would have any I think the historical uh requirements under Minnesota law due due to the designation
is much more stringent than anything the city of Winona would impose that's my impression yeah thank you um I have spoken with some members of the city's committee and they are uh would like to help us with Grant making applications they also said that
if they did have uh the city designation they would open up an additional set of Grants as well um so I they are interested in assisting us um and helping us find additional money so
you'll share those contacts with yes I can yeah and I just if I can add to that uh Mr Doyle was in my office because his daughter is Gwen Herbert who's our cjcc executive director yeah
um and uh Mr Doyle and I uh worked together on our last Courthouse open house that's right um and so he was in my office visiting with with Gren and and I and I had documents um well that
actually Sandra Sula had given me cuz I think everybody I know that Aon knows I'm a history n um so I had shared those with him and he was going to talk to the city because he's on on he's on the Pres motion on the table is to defer
this and go down that is that correct we get a motion in a second was officially made a motion by me although commiss Olson did second it yeah I'm just trying to get us back to what what are we deciding here I've got a set of four recommendations and I kind of like some direction on all of those
things only one so the so where we're that's probably the easy one y yeah um and I was just stating that I support that I'm willing to go ahead with that I'm also willing to engage in outside Services um I want the County
Board to pursue some grants um and uh if looks like there's kind of been a little bit of a change in terms of these are their top two preferred choices um and they'll to see what the
state shpo will approve and so I'm okay with all four of the recommendation yeah we're just basically saying the project isn't going to happen in 2025 no matter what we've got a little bit of time let's go after some of this we can conclusively make a better decision and let's try to get
this thing with an actual budget what we budgeted for which deviates I think from the allocation of dollars for the 2025 budget so I would say that we probably need a motion to move forward with that it would be my guess and do we do we set so we we have this 2 million in the
background but you know we're going to have to spend money to get a according to um page 90 number three Architects and everything involved I it'll easily go over two million if you start hiring Architects well so we had um we had said
that we would bond for it and the only expense that we really set for 2025 was 100,000 that's what I recall I don't recall that I don't believe we put anything in the budget for I think it was a$2 Million all from
bonding the 100,000 referred to the Lac was La was was the LA we did not put anything other than the bonding the 100,000 was the LC LC Debt Service yes so how are we going to jail service jail it wasn't Debt Service
we thought whatever so how are we going to pay for an architect to come up these figures and pay for potentially somebody to get grants and stuff out of that two million and then that throws that all the way off well that's a bond yeah I
don't think we'll Bond if we're not doing it because we'll spend we we would need to spend from you know Levy funds from Reserves at this point uh for we need to put a cash app on it because I can see this really running ack uh you would come back with us to with a
specific proposal yes if it was so we would yeah we will effec come back with a professional Serv you haven't read the memos there's no more new money if you haven't read the memos it's going so I'm not willing to tax my citizens for well
maybe if and so how do we do this do we move forward by simply we we don't do anything we just verbally say this is we we agree with this come back to us with a few numbers as far as what we might have to spend because we will need a motion to generate any funds to pay for whatever
needs to happen yeah so is there a motion de warranted to move forward with are we just going to have a common consensus that what you've laid out is acceptable okay so I'll move to accept the four recommendations with the addition from commissioner elsing that
any actual expenditure of money comes back to the board approval okay okay we have a motion to uh receive the four recommendations on page 96 and 97 and then any um uh additional
information about expenditures for receiving act no expenditures are made by yeah the motion is we're not spending any money till we get more back from Mr prman all those any discussion and we had two seconds for it okay well oh I didn't real have a thirdd motion by
commissioner Meer second by commissioner Olson uh any more discussion all those in favor say I iose nay okay Carri get your marching orders all right go shank the grant Grove um 8.3 discuss and
appoint citizen advisory committee member and we had a new member for the Eda um P 104 yes I know this applicant uh I used to be in rotary with him I'll move to approve his appointment to The
Economic Development Authority okay we have a motion and a second motion by commissioner Meer second by commissioner Olson to appoint David Paris if I've got the name right I hope um through the Ed okay any further discussion all those
in favor say I I those nay okay approved all right um Mr Elliot finances again did you get the memo there is no new money I did okay good all on the same page M Madam chair Commissioners this is the uh
presentation of the January financial status report um I would say that going forward um this would probably just be a consent item as because I intend to submit one of these every month um it's going to be faster in the future uh
February I'm going to get it will be uh on the uh March 25th agenda as a consent item and then um March will be submitted in April very first cycle um that's that's the Cadence that I intend to meet for these things so you're not looking
at information that's two months old um the reason I'm standing here is because the formatting is new uh for you and and so uh I don't know if you've had a chance to read it if you have any initial thoughts otherwise you can just send me emails separately and I I can
adjust the formatting uh the the big report is is in there from our ifs system the 140 page report but on top of that is the summaries that I've prepared which kind of gives you fund level information you know there
dozen or so funds that we've got um and then it drills down into fund and department so you'll you'll get to see a little more detail especially like in the general fund or what we call the revenue fund here and the uh multiple departments that are there also uh the
Departments that roll up into uh Health and Human Services in the sheriff so there's quite a bit of detail there for you um and then a table that shows cash balance by fund and uh the fund balance so there's a quite a bit of information
I believe here uh commissioner Olsson was that a question or yes I do I do go ahead that's pretty much all I was going to say they're going to be no my only suggestion um would you have the actual percentage of budget in the final
column which would be nice to call highlight and a note sometimes I know when we've had past reports if it's over the percentage for this month why is it over that then we have a little subtitled note that says it's over
because we that margin allocated or something yes I it just helps to to highlight it and then draw our attention is something we did notice Madam chair commissioner Mayer so and I assume to uh commissioner Olson's Point like if I
look at okay so this is from the previous before the amended so the page numbers were right right but I'm looking at the what was 114 so it's the under the expenses budget versus actual I picked one where
Insurance we're at 8% of the year but it's at 87% of the budget and that's cuz it's an annual payment or something that's basically what I can assume from there and there's there's a lot of those factors like obviously property tax you're going to see zeros until May when
we get the first trunch uh we haven't spent any money on Capital yet so fund 42 is going to be you know slow uh Road and Bridge Highway they their spending occurs mostly in the summer so there's all sorts of timing related things and I'll add a variance column you know I'll
just have to shrink everything a little bit more but I'll I'll put it in there section would be nice just if you see something that flags that might say hey somebody might instead of getting five different emails or phone calls probably easier to just throw it in there yep you know we'll do I would add that you
know as commissioner Meer just noted she knew what that meant but the public reading this document might not know that so it would help to clarify something sure like if we made the premium payments already and so it's done for the year so that we can
understand okay you know how and Human Services is the item right so um if it is because it's the one that goes over frequently so if it's over and it's a concern because there's some regulatory change or as in the past we needed
additional places for out of home placements like that we're kind of made aware of a thing that needs maybe consideration or discussion on our part yes okay um one of the things that and I again a lot of information and such thank you um we have you have the fund
balances there but what what what are we uh obligated to there's a statute we have to require so many dollars so many months of I mean so we say we've got like total County unreserved and undesignated fund balance as of 13125
was $24.8 Million am I supposed to have 24 or 25 or can I have 10 if you go to the next page I think it is a what I'm looking at here is Page 111 uh 32 yep 3 12ths uh and what is 3
12ths 3 12ths of certain fund types right I guess I would like that figure and it's it's in there it's in the it's in the words right above the table he's saying okay so so okay Revenue General government we have 26,400 and 312th is only six so why do I
have 26 in there when I only really should have six I mean what I'm what I'm saying and what the public says on that and I think it's well I have page 111 it's unrestricted Reserve fund balance yes you have 312s but you have Revenue Road and Bridge health and we have a
total of 56 plus million but only 312 is only 14 million seems like I'm holding a whole lot of money it's County policy we'd have to change that if you want to make it something else no 312 would be for I'm supposed to have 14 million I
you're showing me I got 56 million no that's the budget it's supposed to be 312th of the budget is your fund balance okay so it's supposed to be 14 so but now you've got 17 in the next line that's the actual balance balance that's what's in there okay so you got 17
million and it really only that's what the last column is variance meaning that we're ahead 3 million yes 3.37 well we over the years well history commissioner Al in history I think we've always
had more in reserves than what we needed but there again so then we tax I don't disagree I don't disagree I'm ta and hold it fluctuates this is very well laid out yeah it's very thank you yeah and and we did make some conscious
decisions in the 25 budget to spend down the fund balance I don't know if we will but there the some of the capital and uh the LEC if we have some emergency repairs there that was going to come out of fund balance to kind of chip away at some of that I think there's going to be a lot of push and pull on fund balance
and that's back to when we looked at the budget you know commissioner this is what I talked about is really understanding that because alluding to commissioner Ward's point is sometimes the public perception is we're hoarding money and we don't always see what it's for what that actual number is
and it is nice to be able to say hey to statute we're required to have this yes we're currently over a little bit but we got a few things coming up and rather than the big surprise this is where we pull the rabbit out of the hat and it really creates the public trust that we're not hoarding money we're actually trying to protect you from the large
swings and every once in a while we have to kind of go to bat and risk a little bit on those large swings so I appreciate this and it's clear it's concise the public can see it they can go in there and look at it themselves and say okay I get it Madam chair yes I will share I when I was at the Great
River Rail commission meeting earlier uh in the week or was it last week at any rate I um Susan beter is the commissioner in um Goodhue County they're little smaller than we are 43,000 but they said that uh their HHS staff had reviewed the changes that the
government the governor recommended in his budget they thought it would cost good Hue County one and a half million dollars more for HHS I share your concerns about um budget shortfall thank you okay thank you all right uh
committee reports and Communications uh commissioner um Meer you had nope no I have nothing commissioner eling you had something few things one of them got answered we are having our first I was a little confusion on the email chain uh but the first meeting for the veterans
community meeting is going to be March 24th at 5:30 so I'm happy to be part of that um next thing I wanted to bring up was just something in light of guess all the turmoil uh at the state
level with a lot of uncertainty and going from a record Surplus to staring down the barrel of a lot of the and I've said this for years it's the old bait switch or hook and switch whatever you want to call it where it looks like we got plenty of money and then all of a
sudden we don't and the lead to get the county to do things or even the municipality to do something and then the money dries up and you're stuck holding the ball and don't know where to go with it and where to fund and it's a vast very fast way to raise taxes when these things get started but in light of
all that uh there's there's definitely a lot of uncertainty and one of the things that I've you know come up and actually talking with some other people people I get the question asked well what's the county going to do State's got State doesn't have any money how are they going to pay for all this stuff and I I
think in the best interest for the community one of the things that we can do very easily and I think we've done a um I think we' filled a lot of these positions anyway but is to take a look at a highing freee and more than anything just to show our constituents that we're
aware of what's Happening uh we're taking a pause and just saying hey we need to see how this shakes out because we do understand that a lot of our funding comes from the state and um you know we're aware of that we're not looking to add any more expenditures we are especially on the staff side and we
want to make sure we maintain the dollars that we do have to to do the projects at hand so I would just it was something that I wanted to bring up um I think it has would have to go to the committee of the board to go up through the ranks but if there's a second on that I'd entertain the second I'll
second that so I would say hiring free and any cost cutting or cost increase uh implications that's we haven't again I've heard from a lot of counterparts across they've already discussed this and we really haven't had a discussion about and that's why I'm bringing it up
as as one of the several things and again it's all inclusive into the cost cutting cide of things but so that would come to the committee of the board next done that that's that's what I want we got that all right anything else um no okay um commissioner Olen I I shared an
article with Marine uh regarding the STS program um not being funded come July 1st so I've talked to um attorney sonan and uh looking at some alternatives for that fil sherff was
been experimenting with um doing that inhouse so anyway I just brought that forward and for further discussion I think it's being discussed behind right now okay I think we all got that yeah that MMO
from okay couple things um of course uh most of you aren't affected but I have a lot of Township annual meetings tonight and they will discuss their budgets and and elect officers and everything so if anybody's in a Township our elections are from 4 to 8 and then the annual meeting at
8:15 um I I did uh yes and um the township officers banquet is March 26th yes and you have to RSVP for that yes yes it is today so if you want to attend um these were talking point at our AMC
give I'll attorney son talking points at our AMC ledge conference I refer to the for distribution well it if you if you would have attended if you would have attended we weren't supposed to give them to
legisl see yeah if you had attended the conference you would have Ben distributed these talking points these were talking points when we went to talk to our legislators um there's a lot of stuff in there one of the main points they all said all the legislators both Democrat
and Republicans said it it's not our budget it's the governor's budget and so I mean he did propose making some pretty substantial cost shifts uh and cuts to counties and so they always said it's not our budget it's the governor's budget um so we'll see where that ends
up um but these are are points uh through out our whole um you know legislative lobbying um that we have so just you can you can do with them as please I did I I'll take the heat for not intending for distribution um and
that should take care of us all right to adjourn second we have a motion by commissioner eling second by commissioner Meer to adjourn any discussion all those in favor say i n right and we have postponed the committee of the board you're right