FAIRMONT– On Tuesday the Martin County Board of Commissioners heard from county Economic Development Authority (EDA) staff regarding a federal grant application that focuses on economic disaster.

Amber Patten said that back in October she and fellow EDA staff member, Celia Viesselman, had applied for the federal EDA Economic Disaster Project grant and just last week they heard back from their contact.

While the originally required county match of $80,000 was expected to be met as an in-kind match, with staff hours administering the programs, a recent change does not allow the county to use existing staff time for administration of the grant program, which means that a cash match of $80,000 for the grant is required.

“We wanted to get your approval. There’s a letter for Kevin (Kristenson, board chair) to sign, understanding that you’e going to procure separately the $80,000 to manage the project,” Viesselman said.

Commissioner Billeye Rabbe asked where the $80,000 would come from. Viesselman said it could be split over two years and suggested that the EDA budget absorb half of it at least for this year.

“I don’t want to assume that the federal EDA grant is going to go through,” Viesselman said.

“It was a long shot to begin with, right?” Rabbe asked.

Viesselman confirmed, but said that it’s a good sign that the application has gone through the process up until this point.

She went over the four areas that the grant can cover, which includes building resiliency in manufacturing, increasing workforce skills, helping entrepreneurs and improving downtowns.

Commissioner Richard Koons asked what the timeline was and whether there was time to bring the change in funding structure before the EDA board.

“They would have preferred if we gave an answer last Friday,” Viesselman said. “It needs to go through the next round for review. Obviously we can hold off and wait.”

Commissioner Jaime Bleess said that in the past three years, every time the board has been told to “hurry up” it’s usually been a bad decision. He said he thought it should go to the EDA board first.

“I’m not sure the bang for the buck is there, personally,” he said. “But instead of voting for it or against it, I’d like the people who are on EDA… to talk about it,” Bleess said.

Viesselman said that it could be brought to the EDA and then brought back to the county board as she said it’s a rolling grant. However, she said there’s no guarantee that funds would still be available.

Commissioner Joe Loughmiller made a motion to table the matter until the Feb. 3 meeting, which is the board’s next regular meeting and the day after the county EDA’s next meeting on Feb. 2. Bleess seconded the motion.

Rabbe, however, expressed some frustration and said that’s the public’s sentiment is that the county does nothing for industry and nothing for businesses.

“This is something we’re doing for the businesses and industry in Martin County. As little as it may seem, I do think it’s important to go forward with something,” Rabbe said.

She stressed that it’s time sensitive and the fact that Martin County is being looked at and has a chance to receive the grant is a “big deal.”

“I think we have to support it. We aren’t saying we’re giving them $80,000. We have given them authorization so far to go forward with the grant and all we’re doing is giving them more authorization to go forward,” Rabbe said.

She added that the EDA has already supported applying for the grant but Loughmiller pointed out that the EDA supported it as an in-kind match, which has since changed.

When asked if waiting could hurt the county’s chance of getting the grant, Viesselman said, “They may choose to fund other projects in the review process simply because we weren’t ready and they were ready.”

Koons said if they do get the grant, neither the county nor the EDA have budgeted $80,000.

“I tend to side with Jaime’s thoughts and Joe’s thought. This needs to go through the EDA committee because if we are awarded this, it’s $80,000 over the course of two years that we have to come up with,” Koons said.

Rabbe pointed out they could always reject the grant if the county is awarded it and can’t come up with the matching funds.

“That defeats the purpose of continuing going forward because it’s a great opportunity, as you say, to offer back to the industries,” Koons said.

He said he believed the board was putting the cart ahead of the horse and reiterated that the federal EDA has since changed the rules, implying that that was the issue at hand.

In a roll call vote, the motion made to table the matter until the EDA board can review the matter passed 4-1 with Rabbe opposed.

Moving to other matters, Pam Flitter, the Planning and Zoning Director, provided a review of the zoning permits issued in 2025.

In 2025, there were 106 building permits, 56 septic permits, six variance, one Conditional Use Permit (CUP) permit issued and 38 commercial pesticide tests administered.

Flitter also went over the 2025 structures built quarterly report. There were seven new homes in the county, which Flitter said was “pretty good.” There were also 14 decks or greenhouses, 10 garages, 10 grain bins and 49 sheds.

“I think it really shows that ag is one of our biggest industries and it’s continuing to be protected and we continue to watch it hopefully grow,” Flitter said.

Finally, she showed comparisons each year from 2019 to 2025 and while all permit types were down from 2019, Flitter said that 2025 permit numbers were in the ballpark with recent years.

In other business, the board:

— Approved and authorized the board chair and Martin County Auditor/Treasurer to sign the solid waste collection and recycle haulers and facilities licenses for 2026.

— Approved the renewal of a legal services agreement with Squires, Waldspurger and Mace for zoning matters in 2026 at a flat rate of $6,000.

— Approved the proposal for the NinjaOne IT Management Platform Software Subscription at an annual cost of $5,790, which will come out of the IT operating budget.

— Approved the promotion of Kacey Wurster to full-time branch outreach librarian at the Martin County Library and authorized recruitment of a part-time circulation technician.

_ Approved the renewal of law enforcement contract between the Martin County Sheriff’s Office and the city of Northrop for roughly 10 hours a month at a slightly increased cost of $10,534 annually.

— Approved an amendment to the jail food service partnership contract with a slightly increased rate of $149.286 per meal period and $1.92 per meal ordered and served, whichever is greater. Chief Deputy Corey Klanderud said it’s about $6,000 more per year.