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The meetings of the Chisago County Board will be recorded and likely available on the county website  in archive materials.  The county commissioners have treaded very deliberately on recording meetings in numerous discussions over the last few years,  and as about 50 percent of Minnesota counties moved ahead creating recorded databases, Chisago remained reluctant.

The county board meetings are live streamed on-line at the county website now;   and as Commissioner Marlys Dunne noted, anybody can make a videotape or audio version using their own recording device from this source.  She added that people are “screaming for this” service and it is happening anyway.

Commissioner Ben Montzka has been the least supportive whenever this comes up on agendas, pointing to the county insurer’s advice against creating a permanent video record.  

Montzka said he could vote for recording if the public comment (open microphone) portion is left out.  The general public has been known to make false accusations or slander certain persons without factual basis when they sign-up for their three minutes to talk.   Commissioner Montzka was concerned the county not be a party to facilitating this behavior and disseminating the remarks.

While the board ultimately voted 5-0 for staff to write a recording policy, the administrator cautioned there are “technical questions” yet to be cleared up.  He told the Board to expect finer details and a final draft policy at an upcoming meeting.  Among the points to be finalized are length of retention of the recording, where the recording will be made available, if work sessions and budget committee meetings are included, and a start date.  Administrator Chase Burnham added that the clerk’s written minutes  once they are voted on and are adopted, remain the legal record of the Board. 

Recording costs could be anywhere from $23,000 to $42,000 as estimated by the county I-T manager, based on number of cameras needed in the system and other operational questions.  This estimate does not include any extra related staff hours.

In other business last week:

The county approved membership in a ditch authority that affects Judicial  Ditch #4 that crosses into Chisago County from Isanti County. It was established in 1989 and years have passed since there has been activity.  Chisago has only about 12 percent of the assessable parcel acreage.  The ditch is in need of attention and Commissioners Dan Dahlberg and Rick Greene were appointed to represent landowners at upcoming ditch meetings.  All property affected is in Fish Lake Township.

~ A low dose hemp edible retail business was approved for an edible outlet in the Rush Point Store. Registration applicant is Alyssa Oldenburg.   The county has the authority over these type of registrations everywhere— except cities of Harris, Rush City, North Branch, Wyoming and Taylors Falls.

~ Deputies now have a contract, retroactive to January 2026. The LELS deputy unit and the county have approved wording to run through December 2027.  General wage increases of three and four percent will be applied each year.  

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