FAIRMONT — Martin County commissioners on Tuesday met the individuals involved in the county’s summer youth intern program.

Tammie Hested from Minnesota Valley Action Council was present to talk with commissioners. This is her first year in charge of the program.

Fourteen young adults are working about 240 hours, earning $10.50 per hour, at different businesses in the county.

“Thank you for this funding,” Hested told the board. “I think this opportunity for these kids. There’s really no dollar amount you can put on it. It’s really that valuable.”

The cost of the program to the county is $50,000.

“We’re investing that $50,000,” said Commissioner Elliot Belgard.

The idea of the program is to get young adults experience in a field that interests them, and also to show them the job opportunities available in Martin County. Hested would like to see the program grow as a way to invest in the county’s future workforce.

Moving on to other matters, the board discussed the responsibility of lawn maintenance at the newly acquired Veterans Memorial Park, located on Winnebago Avenue in Fairmont. Currently, members of the Veterans Committee are mowing the lot but would like to have someone else do it. The county building committee had discussed several options, including having the highway department, park department or an outside party do it.

County Engineer Kevin Peyman explained that the mowing is time-consuming because of many trees in the back of the lot, and that it requires some extra work such as trimming around light fixtures.

Commissioners decided that the Martin County Highway Department will take over the responsibility for mowing, for now, until the issue can be discussed with the city of Fairmont.

In another matter, the board heard an update regarding the proposed garage storage facility to be located on Indus Street near the highway department. The building will be about 13,000 square feet and used in part for highway department equipment storage.

ISG Architects and Engineers, based in Mankato, had provided a concept/pre-design of the proposed facility and probable cost. A second design and cost estimate by a local contractor was given that was much lower, but was missing several desired features, including a sprinkler system and a boiler for a heating source.

The county building/purchasing committee believes the facility is feasible and had recommended approval and moving on to the next phase, which is design and specifications and bidding.

Commissioners voted to approve the next phase, which requires getting quotes from architecture firms for design and specifications. Ideally, commissioners would like to get construction started soon but realize it will not likely start until the fall.