---

County Commissioner Rick Greene was voted-in by his fellow commissioners as 2026 chairman, in the annual organizational meeting held Tuesday   this week.  Greene mentioned that this could be a ‘challenging’ year as grassroots governing units like county boards, seem to get saddled with the costs and responsibility of carrying out mandated functions that state and federal elected officials shun.

Commissioner Ben Montzka is vice-chair for 2026.

There was extensive conversation about the system of setting agendas for the commissioner meetings, as Montzka opposed a revision to what has been longtime actual Board practice.  

The members expressed support for allowing just one commissioner to include an item for publication on an agenda.  Previously, the item could be brought up at the outset of a meeting and if approved by a majority vote it would be added. 

Members felt it would be more “transparent” to print the agenda and then amend the agenda at the meeting to delete the item if desired.  If members don’t support the discussion or action at the meeting, they can motion to have it deleted and vote. 

Commissioner Dan Dahlberg felt it is just as helpful for citizens to know who opposes a topic as well as who wants an issue to be discussed.  If an issue never makes it to an agenda there is no open history.

Also, he said, staff can develop background information about an issue if it is on an agenda.

On the flip side, the Board was also advised that if the commissioners were to later eliminate the item while revising the agenda at the meeting, then staff wasted time preparing for the item.

Commissioner Montzka added that the agenda is not under the authority of any minority opinion,  but is a “function of the Board.”  

Commissioner Jim Swenson had in fact added an item to discuss recording the Board meetings,  to Tuesday’s business at the last minute.  

Swenson said it was supposed to have been listed in the agenda when printed but he did not know why it was not included.

In looking at that issue, the consensus was to direct staff to write a policy on a database of meeting recordings.

The commissioners asked for costs, pros and cons of logistic concerns, and to identify exactly which meetings need to be recorded and how/where audio-visual records are to be maintained and made accessible.  Legal advisors have cautioned against relying on YouTube, as security and digital systems are not under county control.

Commissioner Montzka said he’d only support recordings if the “public microphone” portion was deleted from the archives. There are sometimes slanderous statements uttered and if the Board provides the forum for damaging information to be spread it would be cooperating in the slander.

The policy for creating recordings will be brought back to a future meeting.

The matter of naming a budget and finance subcommittee called for some give and take.  Chair Greene suggested this be composed of Dahlberg and himself.  Commissioner Marlys Dunne had sat on the subcommittee before with Dahlberg, and wanted to remain.  Dahlberg relinquished his seat to Dunne.

There was a big discussion on if Commissioner Dunne could appoint Chris DuBose to finish his HRA/EDA term through 2026 even though he has moved.  The bylaws state members be from each commissioner district.  The district 3 vacancy issue was left open for now based on county attorney advice.  For District 5 HRA/EDA Charlene Clifford was approved. 

DuBose was re-appointed to the planning commission along with incumbent James McCarthy.

Board of Adjustment and Appeal seats were filled by Chip Yeager and Douglas Greene.

John Pantelis, North Branch was put on the Park Board.

And, in addressing an issue from an earlier meeting debating fees to assess for storage (shipping) containers that people wish to get permits for “after the fact” the fees are waived for 2026.

No thanks to noise walls

The commissioners did not vote to support any of the sections of noise walls the state proposes as part of the Highway 8 safety and capacity improvements being finalized.

There are seven sections that the county has a vote on due to the fact there is a county biking and walking trail shown on the plans in those areas.  “Because the proposed trail is part of the county transportation network and will be maintained by the county, MNDOT is delegating its authority to vote (on walls) to Chisago County,” according to a memo the state sent to county engineer Joe Triplett.

Commissioners stated the cost is not justified, at an estimated $13 to $16 million.  Full funding for the highway work is not yet secured and there is potential for the county to need to fill in some gaps.

The wall sections range from seven feet in height to 20 feet tall in the neighborhood around Hale to Greenway Avenue.

Commissioner Montzka also noted that the city of Wyoming had asked for a delay on wall decisions until impacts on future development could be better studied.   The actual use of highway corridor land can change and the city had concerns about adverse effects on future commercial interest. Walls can block views of business locations among other things.

Triplett said the county has purview over some design elements and there may be discussions yet with MNDOT. He will present the County Board vote of non-support along with the outcome of residential preferences for impacted parcels,  and report back.

The Board does support vegetative plantings and other sound buffering measures, just not the solid walls.

---