FAIRMONT — Martin County commissioners heard from County Assessor Mike Sheplee on Tuesday concerning an update to the county’s homestead application policy.

The board approved a motion to authorize a new policy that will replace an outdated version.

As part of the new policy, a letter will be sent out to about 4,100 county residential taxpayers who do not currently have a homestead application on file, due to a misunderstanding of how long to keep track of homestead applications. Those who do not return the form will see an effect on their 2020 property taxes.

Sheplee explained the issue to the board:

“In August of 2015, the Minnesota Historical Society put out a new general retention schedule, and on that schedule was the requirement that homestead applications be retained in our office for the entire length of the homestead, plus 10 years. Unfortunately, before that time we believed it to be 10 years only. So any homestead that had been in existence longer than 10 years at that time had been destroyed.

“As I became the new Assessor this year, I was required to do an audit of our homestead administration and that required locating all the homestead applications that should be in existence. There are 4,100 that we do not have.

“In addition to missing those applications, there have been some changes to what is required on those applications over time. So applications require the Social Security numbers of all owners who occupy the property and the spouse of each owner, regardless of whether that spouse lives at the requested homestead location or not.

“While we follow vital records in looking for changes in where people are living or if they’re living, one thing that we see that we could be missing is if people move and rent out their home. We don’t always find that out in a timely manner.”

Sheplee went on to explain the problem with that lack of knowledge.

“Homeowners are required by law to let the Assessor know when they move out of their place and there’s a fine and jail time, but that’s never been enforced and nobody really wants to do that. So one way that I can get a better handle on the needed forms and to get the Social Security numbers that have been missing is to send out new applications to these 4,100 and request that they be completed and sent back to us.”

Sheplee notes that the cost of the policy overhaul, including the mailing, will be $5,000 to $6,000.

“I really don’t want to put the public through this, but it’s something we’re required to have on hand and I can’t think of another way to get it done.”

In other news, the board heard from County Engineer Kevin Peyman, who presented a brief update on the highway department.

“Our crew is getting as much of the fall maintenance done as we can, but we’re also preparing for winter,” he said. “The big thing we try to get done is that we try to wait as long as we can for the grass to get done growing so we can get that last mowing in. So right now we’re trying to get everything mowed to try to get the snow catches down at the end of the roads, because we don’t want to leave grass higher because it just catches the snow when it blows in the winter.

“We’re through all the plows so they’re all ready to be put on trucks as needed. Salt and sand is full so we’re in that combination of preparing for winter but hoping we’ll get some time to finish up summer activities, which is typical for this time of year.”

In other action, the board:

o Accepted the resignation of a full-time transport officer and corrections officer in the Sheriff’s Office. The board also approved a motion to begin recruitment to fill the vacancies.

o Approved a motion to appoint the County Board representative to the Library Board as a voting member. As that will give the Library Board six members, the motion also increases that board to seven members. The seventh board member will be a citizen at-large within the county.