×

Board receives projects update

FAIRMONT — Martin County commissioners heard an update from Highway Engineer Kevin Peyman on Tuesday.

He said there has been a slight delay on some roadwork in Northrop because of rain, but the work itself should continue without too much trouble.

He also noted that the flashing four-way stop at the intersection of Highway 263 and County Road 26 near Welcome seems to be running smoothly.

“I’ve talked to the sheriff a couple of times and really haven’t heard anything so I assume no news is good news,” he said.

Commissioner Dan Schmidtke said he goes through the stop every day and believes everything is working fine.

It was noted that, on a periodic basis, someone will forget about the stop and blow through, but overall both the Minnesota Department of Transportation and Martin County officials believe those incidents will decline as people get used to the stop.

In other news, Peyman said tiling work at the Martin County Fairgrounds is going well. Previously, the Martin County Arena experienced a problem with water seeping back inside the building during any significant rainfall.

“We’re not involved with the tiling portion of it, but we are helping with the parking lot,” he stated. “We going to start on it this week and then it will be up to the fairgrounds to get the tile work done and once they tell us they’re done we’ll go back in and do the restoration.”

In other action, the board approved a motion to include fraud investigator expenses in the Human Services budget, as recommended by county staff. The expense had been in a general fund in the Sheriff’s Office, though there was some confusion as to how it ended up there.

The Faribault County Sheriff’s Office conducts the services per an agreement with Human Services, and commissioners agreed the expenses should be paid by Human Services to the Faribault Sheriff’s Department.

The board also approved a motion to require all county employees to have a mandatory direct deposit for their paychecks, as well as for committee expense checks. It is believed the move will increase efficiency in county payroll and accounting operations. The change will go into effect on Jan. 1.

Commissioner Elliot Belgard said he does not like the fact the move takes options away from some employees. It also was noted that some employees do not have bank accounts and will be forced to get them. Both Belgard and Commissioner Steve Flohrs dissented, but the motion passed 3-2.

Finally, the board approved a motion to authorize the execution of ag rant for the Sheriff’s Office in the amount of $11,128. It will cover equipment and supply expenses incurred for ATV enforcement activities.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.65/week.

Subscribe Today