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(February 13, 2025)

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CHISAGO COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS
Wednesday, January 15, 2025

The Chisago County Board of Commissioners met in regular session at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at the Chisago County Government Center with the following Commissioners present: Rick Greene, Marlys Dunne, Ben Montzka, Dan Dahlberg. Also present: County Administrator Chase Burnham, County Attorney Janet Reiter, and Clerk of the Board Christina Vollrath.

Chisago County Commissioner Jim Swenson will be attending the Chisago County Board of Commissioners Meetings on Wednesday January 7th at 9:00 a.m. and all other Committees until January 16th via Interactive TV, pursuant to Minnesota Statute 13D.02 and MN Department of Administration Advisory Opinions 08-034 and 13-009. Commissioner Swenson may be seen and heard at the meeting via electronic means and will participate from The Hammocks, 1688 Overseas Hwy., Marathon, Fl. 33050, a location open and accessible to the public.

Chisago County Commissioner Jim Swenson will be attending the Chisago County Board of Commissioners Meetings January 17th to January 31st via Interactive TV, pursuant to Minnesota Statute 13D.02 and MN Department of Administration Advisory Opinions 08-034 and 13-009. Commissioner Swenson may be seen and heard at the meeting via electronic means and will participate from The Fountains, 12400 International Drive, Orlando, Fl 32821, a location open and accessible to the public. Any questions can be directed towards Chase Burnham, County Administrator, at (651) 213-8877.

The Chair called the meeting to order and led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Commissioner Greene offered a motion to approve the agenda. Motion seconded by Dunne, the motion passed as follows: IN FAVOR THEREOF: Swenson, Greene, Dunne, Montzka, Dahlberg. OPPOSED: None.

On motion by Greene, seconded by Dunne, the Board opened the Road and Bridge Committee of the Whole at 6:31 p.m. The motion carried as follows: IN FAVOR THEREOF: Swenson, Greene, Dunne, Montzka, Dahlberg. OPPOSED: None.

The Board was given updates on the current projects of the Public Works Department from County Engineer Joe Triplett. No action was taken.

Jerry Seck from Larkin Hoffman and County Engineer Triplett discussed with the County Board their legislative priorities for 2025.

On motion by Montzka, seconded by Dahlberg, recommended a separate ‘I-35 Bill’ for the projects on CR 19 and 22. The motion carried as follows: IN FAVOR THEREOF: Swenson, Greene, Dunne, Montzka, Dahlberg. OPPOSED: None.

On motion by Swenson, seconded by Dunne, recommended the prioritization of the requested roundabouts within Chisago County. The motion carried as follows: IN FAVOR THEREOF: Swenson, Greene, Dunne, Montzka, Dahlberg. OPPOSED: None.

On motion by Dunne, seconded by Montzka, moved to request Larkin Hoffman to analyze the invasive phragmites monies available. The motion carried as follows: IN FAVOR THEREOF: Swenson, Greene, Dunne, Montzka, Dahlberg. OPPOSED: None.

All three of the prior motions were direction for Larkin Hoffman in the 2025 Minnesota Legislative session.

On motion by Montzka, seconded by Dahlberg, the Board moved items 1-5 to the consent agenda. The motion carried as follows: IN FAVOR THEREOF: Swenson, Greene, Dunne, Montzka, Dahlberg. OPPOSED: None.

On motion by Dunne, seconded by Montzka, the Board moved to close the Road and Bridge Committee of the Whole at 7:48 p.m. The motion carried as follows: IN FAVOR THEREOF: Swenson, Greene, Dunne, Montzka, Dahlberg. OPPOSED: None.

On motion by Dunne, seconded by Greene, the Board moved to approve the Consent Agenda. The motion carried as follows: IN FAVOR THEREOF: Swenson, Greene, Dunne, Montzka, Dahlberg. OPPOSED: None.

1) R&B Committee Recommendation – County Engineer’s Report

2) R&B Committee Recommendation – CSAH 16 Reconditioning Project Award

3) R&B Committee Recommendation – CSAH 19 RAB & Reconstruction Project Final Design

4) R&B Committee Recommendation – Out of State Travel Request – ATSSA Conference

5) R&B Committee Recommendation – Bonding Prioritization – Larkin Hoffman

6) Minutes from the January 7, 2025, County Board of Commissioners Organizational Meeting

7) Payment of County’s Warrants and Miscellaneous Bills $1,853,500.62

Per Minnesota Statutes 375.1, proceedings of the County Board including a list of itemized accounts, claims or demands must be published in the official newspaper. The itemized list of claims is available for public review on the County website at https://www.chisagocounty.us/1197/Claims-Paid. Claims less than $2,000 are listed as a total dollar amount and notes the number of claims included in the total.

8.) Credit Card Request – Nichole Stein, CCSO

Environmental Services Director Kurt Schneider presented the Board with the Director’s Report and action items. No action was taken.

On motion by Greene, seconded by Dunne, the Board moved to approve Resolution No. 25/0115-1, a Resolution of the County Board of Commissioners of Chisago County, Minnesota, approving the Final Plat of Schulte Farm generally located at Olinda Trail / CSAH 25 and south of Chisago Boulevard in Franconia and Chisago Lake Townships, (PID # 04.00370.00 & 02.00101.20.

RESOLUTION NO. 25/0115-1
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF CHISAGO COUNTY, MINNESOTA, APPROVING THE FINAL PLAT OF SCHULTE FARM

WHEREAS, property owners Theodore Schulte & Teresa Schulte and applicant Sarah Sharkshnas submitted a request for the Final Plat of Schulte Farm on January 2, 2025; and

WHEREAS, the property owners and applicant wish to create two lots from the 20.00± acre subject site; and

WHEREAS, the subject site is generally located east of Olinda Trail / CSAH 25, west of Olympic Trail, and south of Chisago Boulevard in Franconia and Chisago Lake Townships and is zoned Agricultural (AG) District; and

WHEREAS, the subject site is legally described as:

PID 04.00370.00
That part of Government Lot 1, and that part of the Southeast Quarter of the Northeast Quarter of Section 15, Township 33, Range 20, Chisago County, Minnesota described as follows: Beginning at the northeast corner of said Southeast Quarter of the Northeast Quarter; thence South 01 degree 42 minutes 58 seconds East, assumed bearing, along the east line of said Southeast Quarter of the Northeast Quarter, a distance of 67.32 feet; thence North 89 degrees 47 minutes 53 seconds West, a distance of 200.99 feet; thence North 01 degree 42 minutes 58 seconds West, a distance of 603.65 feet, more or less, to the centerline of Chisago Boulevard; thence northeasterly along said centerline a distance of 218.5 feet, more or less, to the east line of said Government Lot 1; thence South 01 degree 42 minutes 58 seconds East, along said east line, a distance of 629.1 feet to said point of beginning and there terminating.

AND

PID 02.00101.20
The West 1020 feet of the South Half of the Northwest Quarter of the Northwest Quarter of Section 14, Township 33, Range 20, Chisago County, Minnesota, as measured at right angles to the west line thereof.

AND

That part of the West 1020 feet of the Southwest Quarter of the Northwest Quarter of Section 14, Township 33, Range 20, Chisago County, Minnesota, lying north of the South 1254 feet thereof, as measured at right angles to the south line thereof.

WHEREAS, the Preliminary Plat of Schulte Farm was recommended for approval by the Planning Commission on January 4, 2024 and approved by the Board of Commissioners on January 17, 2024; and

WHEREAS, the Final Plat submitted on January 2, 2025 generally conforms to the approved Preliminary Plat and meets all conditions of Preliminary Plat approval; and

WHEREAS, as required pursuant to the Chisago County Subdivision Ordinance, the County Board of Commissioners has received the opinion of the County Attorney’s Office, as found in this resolution, as to whether, based upon satisfactory title evidence, fee simple title is in the name of the subdividers; and

WHEREAS, the County Attorney’s Office has reviewed the owner’s title policy that the County has received relative to the application of the Final Plat of Schulte Farm, and based upon review of the owner’s title policy, the application for the Final Plat of Schulte Farm and the Preliminary Plat of Schulte Farm, it is the opinion of the County Attorney’s Office that the owner’s title policy submitted in support of the Final Plat of Schulte Farm satisfactorily demonstrates that the fee simple title to the property sought to be dedicated into the proposed plat is in the name of the Theodore P. Schulte and Teresa L. Schulte, joint tenants, the owners on whose behalf the application has been submitted.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Commissioners of Chisago County, Minnesota hereby approves the Final Plat of Schulte Farm, subject to the following conditions:

1. The Final Plat of Schulte Farm is approved as submitted on January 2, 2025. Any deviation from the approved plat drawing prior to recording shall require further review by the Planning Commission and approval by the County Board.

2. Lot 1, Block 1, Schulte Farm includes 3.00± acres of land identified as PID 02.00101.20 and 12.00± acres of land identified as PID 04.00370.00. Upon Final Plat approval, these two tracts of land will be considered one for building and zoning purposes and they may not be sold or developed as individual tracts of land until and unless Lot 1 is replatted or subdivided in a manner which complies with the County’s subdivision regulations in effect at the time of said replat or subdivision.

3. The applicant shall obtain all necessary and applicable permits from Federal, State, and County jurisdictions for any wetland impacts prior to commencement of development.

The motion carried as follows: IN FAVOR THEREOF: Swenson, Greene, Dunne, Montzka, Dahlberg. OPPOSED: None.

On motion by Dunne, seconded by Montzka, the Board moved to approve Phase-3 of the Proposal by and between Chisago County and Collins Engineers Inc. in support of the Chisago Lakes Lake Improvement District Weir Repair project as presented. The motion carried as follows: IN FAVOR THEREOF: Swenson, Greene, Dunne, Montzka, Dahlberg. OPPOSED: None.

On motion by Montzka, seconded by Greene, the Board moved to approve the Staffing proposal of Health Cannabis and Substance Use Prevention Grant (CSUP). The motion carried as follows: IN FAVOR THEREOF: Swenson, Greene, Dunne, Montzka, Dahlberg. OPPOSED: None.

On motion by Dunne, seconded by Montzka, the Board moved to approve the Out-of-State Travel Request for Courtney W. and Madelyn W. to travel to Texas to attend the 2025 Preparedness Summit. The motion carried as follows: IN FAVOR THEREOF: Swenson, Greene, Dunne, Montzka, Dahlberg. OPPOSED: None.

On motion by Greene, seconded by Dunne, the Board moved to approve the Purchase of Service Agreement between Resource and Training solutions and Chisago County. The motion carried as follows: IN FAVOR THEREOF: Swenson, Greene, Dunne, Montzka, Dahlberg. OPPOSED: None.

On motion by Dunne, seconded by Greene, the Board moved to appoint Mike Mergens as At-Large, Brenda Green as Alternate, and Gary Schumacher as Alternate representatives on the One Watershed One Plan effective January 1st, 2025, thru December 31, 2026. The motion carried as follows: IN FAVOR THEREOF: Swenson, Greene, Dunne, Montzka, Dahlberg. OPPOSED: None.

CITIZENS FORUM
TIME – 8:03 p.m.
END TIME – 8:03 p.m.
# of SPEAKERS – 0

County Administrator Burnham provided administrative updates. No action was taken.

Several Commissioners offered reports of their respective committee assignments. No action was taken.

On motion by Dunne, seconded by Greene, the Board adjourned the meeting at 8:31 p.m. The motion carried as follows: IN FAVOR THEREOF: Swenson, Greene, Dunne, Montzka, Dahlberg. OPPOSED: None.

Dan Dahlberg, Chair

Attest: Christina Vollrath
Clerk of the Board

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