Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, February 6, 2025. Reprinted with permission and gratitude.
Gretchen Mensik Lovejoy
Fillmore County Highway Engineer Ron Gregg sat before the Fillmore County commissioners last Tuesday, Jan. 28 with a cooperative agreement with the city of Spring Valley for the construction of County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 8 – Tracy Road – from Highway 16 and 63 to Section Avenue, or CSAH 1.
The construction agreement will outline “how it will happen and how the county will participate in the cost of the project.” Commissioner Mitch Lentz, who represents the district that includes the Wykoff area, asked Gregg, “Have you worked out the Safe Routes to School…if there’s funding?” Gregg replied that that effort would have had to begin as a collaboration with the school district prior to the CSAH project being planned by the city and county. However, he assured Lentz that sidewalks are included in the project’s design. Lentz, who is a farmer who often travels the portion of CSAH 8, Farmer Street, that the county and city repaired and upgraded just over a year ago, registered his mild frustration that Farmer Street was narrowed when it was reengineered and now does not have enough space to accommodate in one lane tractors with dual rear wheels when there are cars parked on both sides of the street. “Shouldn’t there be no parking the whole way? It was narrowed the whole way. When residents park on both sides, I, with my little tractor, have to drive in the center.”
Gregg spoke again of the proposed Tracy Road/CSAH 8 project, relating that existing parking allows adequate space for cars and that that space will be narrowed by one foot as Tracy Road is narrowed. Lentz pointed out, “Tracy Road is extremely busy with buses. With all that traffic parked on the sides of the road, if the residents park on the sides of the road, it will be a lot narrower.” Commissioner Duane Bakke, who represents constituents in the Lanesboro area, asked, “Can you change parking to one side?” Lentz added, “I would like to see, when you narrow roads like that, no parking on both sides.” Gregg countered, “In order to accommodate tractors in town, the city (sets parking ordinances). The city is responsible for half the cost of sidewalks.” Commissioner Larry Hindt, who represents the district that includes the city of Spring Valley and who resides close to Tracy Road/CSAH 8, remarked, “On Tracy Road, when there are school activities, people park on both sides of the street. It really narrows the street.” Bakke commented that motorists – including farmers and truck drivers – should be able to drive in their own lanes, according to the designs being considered. Lentz stated, “It would be best if there was no parking when the road narrow.” Bakke persisted in his opinion that parking ought to be limited to one side of the street, and Hindt said, “The school should be aware that there would be parking on one side for events…they need to be aware of that.”
Commissioner Marc Prestby, chairing the panel, asked Gregg what he thought the commissioners should do, given the new discussion about parking. Gregg answered that the construction agreement is “ready to go,” and Prestby pressed, “This agreement is set to go, but….” Lentz suggested that the commissioners should recommend the parking issue to the city of Spring Valley before determining what to do. Hindt made a motion to approve the agreement, and Lentz seconded, saying, “I second it, but I will vote against it because I don’t believe that narrowing roads (is beneficial in this instance).” Bakke said, “This agreement is for the cost, not the actual construction.” The motion passed, and Gregg called for the board to clarify what it had just accepted. County administrator Bobbie Hillery responded, “This is for the agreement, but we will bring it back (for parking discussions).”
Fillmore County Sheriff John DeGeorge arrived to finalize details for the purchase of body cameras. The commissioners and the sheriff’s office have been communicating about the purchase and implementation of the cameras and a camera policy for at least the past several weeks. The total cost will be $95,500, and the county is required to pay $24,501.10 upfront and $17,749.72 a year for operation and support. Commissioner Randy Dahl made the first motion to approve the camera purchase. Lentz seconded, after which the board voted to approve the cameras, then the policy governing their use.
Minnesota Driftless Hiking Trail representative Alex Shapiro updated the board on the long-distance hiking trail project’s progress, explaining that work to plot the trail was begun approximately six years ago and that it will be the first of its kind in southern Minnesota as a pedestrian route longer than 25 miles. The trail’s construction will require “substantial funding and support” from landowners, county officials, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and from the state legislature. The trail will likely bring foot traffic to towns for “safety and economic development,” and the proponents assured the board that the trail will be accessible to emergency utility vehicles for medical purposes. Construction is expected to be completed within the next decade.
Director of nursing Jessica Erickson brought forward a request to purchase 21 first aid kits for the sheriff’s department and local police departments and pull-up seals for the kits. She related how the kits would be distributed – 15 would be placed in deputies’ squad vehicles, and three each would be given to the Rushford, Preston and Lanesboro departments. Erickson shared that the Chatfield Police Department declined the kits because it had already purchased them. She went on to state that the seals she requested are meant to “help keep track of whether a kit has been used…if you don’t have the seals, then you have to inventory the kits, and this helps to see if a kit has been used.” The commissioners obliged both requests.
Human resources officer Lindsi Engle asked the board to consider the resignation of social worker Kourtney Olson – effective Jan. 10, and to promote eligibility worker Christina Gilder to social worker as of Jan. 31. The county is advertising internally and externally for a replacement eligibility worker. The board agreed to promote part-time deputy Drew Copley to full-time deputy – effective Feb. 28 – and then passed a memorandum of understanding with the Local $49 union. Lastly, Hillery brought forward discussion regarding the commissioners’ respective committee assignments and potential changes to the list, as Prestby agreed to assume corrections committee duties in place of Bakke.
The consent agenda included approving the minutes of the Jan. 14 meeting.
Fillmore County’s commissioners convene on the first, second and fourth Tuesday mornings of each month at 9:00 a.m. in the lower-level boardroom at the Fillmore County courthouse in Preston. The public is welcome to attend. For more information, log onto the county website at www.co.fillmore.mn.us, or have a seat in the gallery at the next meeting.
Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325
