FAIRMONT– On Tuesday the Martin County Board of Commissioners considered a rent increase to the lease agreements of county owned spaces for both the Human Services of Faribault and Martin counties and city of Fairmont for the Fairmont Police Department, with the first being a three percent increase at a total annual rent of $246,613.20 and the second a five percent increase at a total annual rent of $65,760.

Commissioner Billeye Rabbe said that the building committee has recommended the increases in these amounts, both effective Jan. 1, 2027 but Commissioner Richard Koons said he questioned if it was enough of an increase.

“So did we,” admitted Rabbe.

Commissioner Jaime Bleess asked Koons if he was talking about human services.

“Not so much human services,” Koons said.

He went on to say, “with the improvements we are planning for the (Law Enforcement Center)… I question if, did we adjust for that or is this just our standard adjustment?”

The Fairmont Police Department is housed inside the Law Enforcement Center, which the county is planning to make improvements on following the boards decision to stop pursuing a new public safety and justice center.

Rabbe said it’s two percent more than the standard adjustment. She said the board could make a different recommendation.

Bleess said, “I think we were pretty solid on the five (percent) because of those reasons.”

Koons called the human services building a double-edged sword, as it is a county office, shared with another county, but he had more issues with the amount of the increase for the police department.

“If you look at any apartment complex, when there is a major roof (improvement)… new windows, there’s usually more of an increase than percent over standard. I question that one,” Koons said.

The board approved of a three percent rent increase to Human Services of Faribault and Martin Counties but tabled the increase to the city of Fairmont for the Fairmont Police Department in order to further discuss the amount.

On Tuesday the board also heard from Troy Nemmers with Bolton and Menk regarding the parking lot improvement project at 1200 N. State Street in Fairmont. The county received some bonding money from the state and intends to remodel the building in order to relocate some county departments there.

Nemmers said that along with improving the parking lot, they’re also looking to do some minor site grading to get some storm sewers there to help with draining.

He suggested that they advertise for bids next week and have the bid opening on Aug 5 with awarding the bid taking place on Aug. 18.

“We are getting a little late in the year… if we get a couple of bids that are competitive, we would proceed and have a roughly October 15 completion date to get that work done,” Nemmers said. “If all of the contractors are booked up we’ll have to consider doing this in 2027 if that fits the county’s schedule.”

The board approved of the plan to advertise for bids.

Later in the meeting, the board also considered quotes for boring and installation of fiber at the 1200 N. State Street building. The board approved of going with the low bid from TD&I at a cost of $16,320.

Following a public hearing, the board considered a five year tax abatement request from Cress Refrigeration Inc. Approving the request had previously been recommended by the county economic development authority. The city of Fairmont has already approved of the request and the Fairmont Area School District will consider it at its next meeting on July 14. The county on Tuesday unanimously approved of the request. The Fairmont-based business intends to build a 6,400 square foot building in order to expand.

In other business, the board:

— Heard from Laura Pilarski, Martin County 4H extension educator and Shanna Amborn, 4H youth development summer coordinator, who provided the board a program report.

— Approved a conditional use permit for Duane Rosburg Construction and Linda Shaw to operate a demolition disposal facility and recycling facility in an agricultural district.

— Set a public hearing time and date of 9:15 a.m. on Jul. 21 to consider a single family home tax abatement request from Andrew and Lauren Schmidt in Ceylon.

— Approved the hires of Jordan Walters as a part-time correctional officer and Philip Schaefer and Terry Riggs as temporary election judges.

— Heard an update and a budget allocation request in the amount of $30,000 from Empower Coalition (Martin County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition).

— Heard from County Engineer Kevin Peyman regarding the highway department’s preliminary budget request for 2027.