Polk County public meetings in 2024
39 substantive meetings from 2024, with official agendas or minutes and plain-English summaries.
Board of Commissioners
This meeting is purely procedural, with the only agenda item being the adoption of the agenda and meeting materials. No substantive decisions or discussions are listed.
The Polk County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted the 2025 budget and set a total net levy of $28,397,260. The board also approved multiple contracts for social services, including a $1.43M crisis services contract with Alluma, and approved several collective bargaining agreements. Additionally, the board approved bridge replacement priorities and a resolution supporting a multi-use trail grant application.
- Adopted 2025 budget and set $28,397,260 net levy (4-0)
- Approved Alluma crisis services contract up to $1,432,605 for 2025 (unanimous)
- Approved DHS crisis services contract up to $4,750,070 for 2025-2026 (unanimous)
- Approved AMHI/CSP grant contract totaling up to $3,784,756 for 2025-2026 (unanimous)
- Approved five collective bargaining agreements (unanimous)
- Approved bridge replacement priority list resolution 2024-83 (4-0)
- Supported CSAH 12 multi-use trail project and MnDOT grant application (4-0)
- Approved 2025 diesel fuel quote to Fertile Oil for $136,500 (unanimous)
🗳️ How they voted (7 roll-call votes)
Social Services Board
The Polk County Social Services Board will meet on December 17, 2024, to approve the agenda and minutes, review cases and claims, discuss the fund balance with fiscal supervisors, and refer several personnel replacement requests and numerous service contracts to the County Board for action. The agenda also includes updates on Non-Emergency Medical Transportation provider contracts and the Child Care Licensing program.
- Lead Eligibility Worker replacement request referred to County Board
- Social Worker replacement request referred to County Board
- Fund balance discussion with Fiscal Supervisors Cherie Chaput and Janelle Vance
- 16 contracts referred to County Board, including Alluma Collaborative Support Services, Alluma Crisis Services, Alluma Mental Health Contract, DHS Adult Mental Health Initiative Grant, Sanford Health contracts, Lutheran Social Services Contract, and others
- Non-Emergency Medical Transportation provider contract changes and Child Care Licensing program updates
The board unanimously approved the November minutes, the meeting agenda, and the Cases and Claims, which included warrants totaling $390,666.31 for payment on December 20, 2024. The director reported personnel actions, including probationary appointments, resignations, and status changes, and referred several 2025 contracts to the County Board. No substantive policy decisions were made beyond routine approvals.
- Approved November 19, 2024 meeting minutes (unanimous)
- Approved meeting agenda (unanimous)
- Approved Cases and Claims including $390,666.31 in warrants (unanimous)
- Referred 2025 contracts (e.g., Alluma, Sanford Health, Tri-Valley) to County Board
- Referred replacement requests for two resignations to County Board
Planning Commission
The Polk County Planning Commission will hold public hearings on two preliminary/final plats: Samuel Finseth's Finseth Subdivision (creating 5 lots) at 9:03 a.m. and Stepan Kutsev's replatting of the Northern Lights Addition at 9:30 a.m. Both hearings take place on December 6, 2024 at the Polk County Environmental Services office. Property owners within 500 feet are invited.
- Public hearing on preliminary/final plat for Finseth Subdivision – Samuel Finseth, creating 5 lots on parcel 38.00045.00 in Section 9, Township 149 North, Range 40 West.
- Public hearing on preliminary/final plat for Kutsev replat of Northern Lights Addition – involving multiple parcels owned by Stepan Kutsev, Raisa Kutsev, Kiril Kutsev, Vladimer Kutsev, and Church of St. Nikola.
- Both hearings at 320 Ingersoll Ave, Crookston, MN – 9:03 a.m. (Finseth) and 9:30 a.m. (Kutsev).
- Kutsev replat consolidates lots from Blocks 1-4 of Northern Lights Addition, including a church-owned parcel.
The Polk County Planning Commission recommended approval of two preliminary plats to the County Board of Commissioners, both with staff conditions. The first plat, Neppers Division, proposes five lots in Hill River Township; the second, First ReSubdivision of Northern Lights Addition, proposes eight lots in Knute Township. The Commission also unanimously recommended 2025 fee schedule changes and discussed a draft cannabis ordinance.
- Recommended approval of Neppers Division preliminary plat (all in favor)
- Recommended approval of Northern Lights Addition resubdivision preliminary plat (all in favor)
- Unanimously recommended 2025 fee schedule changes (change of use alteration $100, additional site visit $50)
- Discussed draft cannabis ordinance for future adoption
Board of Commissioners
This meeting consists solely of a procedural item to adopt the agenda and review meeting materials. No substantive decisions, proposals, or discussions are listed in the provided agenda.
- 1:00 P.M. — Agenda and Meeting Materials
🗳️ How they voted (2 roll-call votes)
Board of Commissioners
The agenda provided is procedural boilerplate and does not list specific discussion items or decisions. The meeting is scheduled for 9:30 A.M. at the Government Center in Crookston.
🗳️ How they voted (4 roll-call votes)
Social Services Board
The Polk County Social Services Board will meet to approve the agenda and prior minutes, review cases and claims, and discuss personnel requests including a new Social Worker Team Leader position and a replacement Social Worker. The board will also receive budget information and refer multiple contracts and resolutions to the County Board, covering services like cultural navigation, employment support, consulting, and a resolution supporting a psychiatric residential treatment facility.
- New Social Worker Team Leader position request, referred to County Board
- Replacement Social Worker request, referred to County Board
- Cultural Navigation Services Agreement referred to County Board
- Ray of HOPE contract referred to County Board
- Resolution to support Clay County MN bond fund request for psychiatric residential treatment facility
Board of Commissioners
This meeting is an emergency board session. The agenda lists only 'Agenda And Meeting Materials' with a single attached PDF document. No specific decisions or discussion items are provided in the agenda text.
- Meeting designated as emergency board meeting
- Reference to attached PDF: '11-07-2024 emergency board meeting.pdf'
Board of Commissioners
The agenda for the November 5, 2024 Polk County Board of Commissioners meeting contains only a single item for review of agenda and meeting materials. No substantive decisions, proposals, or public hearings are listed. The meeting appears to be procedural only.
🗳️ How they voted (4 roll-call votes)
Board of Commissioners
This meeting is purely procedural, with the only agenda item being the approval of the meeting agenda and accompanying materials. No substantive decisions, discussions, or public hearings are scheduled.
Board of Commissioners
This is a procedural meeting. The Polk County Board of Commissioners will review the meeting agenda and supporting materials. No substantive decisions or public hearings are listed.
- Review of agenda and meeting materials (October 15 packet)
🗳️ How they voted (2 roll-call votes)
Social Services Board
The Polk County Social Services Board will consider routine items including approval of previous meeting minutes, review of cases and claims, and personnel matters. The board will refer two contracts—a DHS Children's Mental Health Screening Grant contract and a DEED contract—to the County Board, and accept the resignation of board member Paula Waters. Staff will provide program updates on IM and social services.
- Referral of DHS Children's Mental Health Screening Grant contract to County Board
- Referral of DEED contract to County Board
- Acceptance of Paula Waters' board member resignation, effective September 17, 2024
- Program updates from Financial Assistance Supervisors on IM program
- Updates from Social Services staff on program initiatives
Board of Commissioners
The agenda provided consists of procedural boilerplate. No specific discussion items or decisions are listed in the provided text.
🗳️ How they voted (2 roll-call votes)
Planning Commission
The Polk County Planning Commission will hold three public hearings on September 27, 2024. They will consider a preliminary/final plat for Kongsvinger Cemetery to add 208 plots, and two conditional use permits for septic system connections to accessory structures.
- Preliminary/final plat for Kongsvinger Cemetery, parcel #18.00006.05, adding 208 plots at 15950 470 Ave NW, Oslo.
- Conditional Use Permit for Chris Mills to hook a new septic system to an existing accessory structure at Lot 3, Block 1, Hideaway Cove Second Addition, parcel #45.00563.00.
- Conditional Use Permit for Dennis Schneider to hook an existing septic system to a new accessory structure at 14364 Maple Dr SE, Mentor, parcel #74.00583.00.
Board of Commissioners
The agenda contains only a single item: approval of the agenda and meeting materials. No decisions or discussions on policies, budgets, or ordinances are scheduled.
- Only procedural item: approval of agenda and meeting materials
🗳️ How they voted (1 roll-call vote)
Board of Commissioners
This is a procedural meeting where the Polk County Board of Commissioners will consider approving the agenda and meeting materials for September 18, 2024. No substantive decisions or public hearings are scheduled.
- Approval of the meeting agenda and supporting documents
Social Services Board
The Polk County Social Services Board will consider the 2025 proposed budget, presented via PowerPoint by staff. The board will also review cases and claims, discuss personnel matters, and receive county board information.
- Review and discussion of the 2025 proposed budget (presented by Victoria Ramirez and Cherie Chaput)
- Review of Cases and Claims
- Personnel matters
- Approval of agenda and August 20, 2024, meeting minutes
- General business and other items
Board of Commissioners
The Polk County Board of Commissioners is meeting on September 17, 2024. The agenda contains only one item: review of the agenda and meeting materials. No rezonings, contracts, ordinances, or public hearings are scheduled.
- Review of agenda and meeting materials (September 17 packet)
The Polk County Board of Commissioners met in regular session and approved several items, including the sale of eight retired law enforcement squads, a resolution re-appointing Mark Landsverk as County Assessor, and multiple ditch maintenance projects. The board also approved consent items, including various payments and warrants, and discussed 2025 departmental budgets.
- Approved sale of eight retired sheriff squads (unanimous)
- Re-appointed Mark Landsverk as County Assessor for 2025-2028 (5-0)
- Approved ditch maintenance work in CD 110, 126, 30, and 123 (unanimous)
- Approved consent items including warrants and payments (unanimous)
- Approved Commissioner Warrants dated 09/20/2024 (unanimous)
🗳️ How they voted (1 roll-call vote)
Board of Commissioners
The agenda contains only one item: adoption of the agenda and review of meeting materials. No substantive decisions or public hearings are listed; the meeting is procedural only.
🗳️ How they voted (1 roll-call vote)
Social Services Board
The Social Services Board will review cases, claims, personnel, and budget items. The board will refer several recommendations to the County Board, including a new member appointment and facility user agreements for the Family Resource Center.
- Recommendation of Rani Bhattacharyya as Social Service Board lay person successor
- Letter of support for Alluma outpatient substance use disorder services
- Family Resource Center Facility User Agreement with East Grand Forks School District ISD #595
- Family Resource Center Facility User Agreement with City of Fertile
- Family Resource Center Facility User Agreement with Aurora Center for the Arts in Fosston
Board of Commissioners
The only item on the agenda is the review and approval of the agenda and meeting materials. No substantive decisions, discussions, or public hearings are scheduled. This meeting appears to be a routine procedural session.
🗳️ How they voted (3 roll-call votes)
Planning Commission
The Polk County Planning Commission will hold three public hearings on July 26, 2024, to decide on conditional use permit applications. The items include a 48 RV camper site campground near Mentor, an event venue near Fisher, and a 54 sq ft backlit sign for CHS Northern Grain in Erskine.
- Conditional Use Permit for Andrew Lisoff to create a 48 RV camper site campground on parcel #32.00182.00 at 33016 155 Ave SE, Mentor.
- Conditional Use Permit for Daniel & Deann Donarski to operate an event venue on parcel #24.00071.02 at 33418 US Hwy 2 SW, Fisher.
- Conditional Use Permit for CHS Northern Grain to construct a 54 sq ft backlit sign on parcel #03.00163.00 near Erskine.
Social Services Board
The Polk County Social Services Board will meet to elect officers and review cases and claims. The board is considering a social worker replacement request to be referred to the County Board. Updates on IM and fraud prevention will also be discussed.
- Nomination and election of officers
- Social worker replacement request referred to County Board
- IM updates from LeAnn Holte and Jon Street
- Fraud Prevention updates from Marc Cardinal
Planning Commission
The Polk County Planning Commission will hold hearings for three conditional use permit applications. These requests involve constructing accessory structures and replacing septic systems in Erskine and Fertile.
- CUP for a 4,480 sq ft accessory structure at 38987 4 Dr SE, Erskine
- CUP to replace an existing septic system at 39031 Woodside Dr SE, Erskine
- CUP for a 4,608 sq ft accessory structure and septic system at 410 St SE, Fertile
🗳️ How they voted (1 roll-call vote)
Social Services Board
The Polk County Social Services Board will review cases, claims, and budget items on June 18. The agenda includes personnel replacement requests for CPS and Family Based Services. A contract amendment with DHS Crisis Services will also be referred to the County Board.
- Personnel replacement requests for CPS and Family Based Services
- Resignation of Board Member Cathy Gutterud
- Contract Amendment with DHS Crisis Services
- Updates on FRC, Adult Mental Health Services, and Income Maintenance
Planning Commission
The commission will consider various Conditional Use Permit applications during its May 24 meeting. These include requests for accessory structures, a billboard, and new business operations.
- Conditional Use Permit for a billboard (Daniel Larson)
- Conditional Use Permit for a home-based dog kennel (Jenessa Kiecker)
- Conditional Use Permit for farm-related seed retailing (Matthew Larson)
- Conditional Use Permit for 6 docks and 11 watercraft spots (Kurt Larson)
- Conditional Use Permits for accessory structures and septic systems
🗳️ How they voted (2 roll-call votes)
Social Services Board
The Polk County Social Services Board is meeting to approve the agenda and prior minutes, review cases and claims, discuss personnel replacement requests, and receive updates on contracts and program units. The board will also hear updates from supervisors on Child Protection, CMH, and FRC programs.
- Eligibility Worker replacement request referred to County Board
- Accounting Technician replacement request referred to County Board
- Contract with Wellness in the Woods Virtual Peer Support Network referred to County Board
- Cultural Navigation Services agreement referred to County Board
- Updates on Child Protection, CMH, and FRC programs
Board of Adjustment
The Polk County Board of Adjustment is meeting to approve prior minutes and hold a public hearing on a variance request. The applicant seeks to reduce required septic system setbacks on a property in Mentor, Minnesota.
- Public hearing on Brad Johnson's variance to reduce septic tank setback from dwelling from 10' to 5'
- Variance to reduce septic drainfield setback from property line from 10' to 5'
- Property located at 101 Harrison Ave N, Mentor, MN 56736 (parcel #91.00120.00.00)
- Approval of minutes from February 23, 2024 meeting
Planning Commission
The commission will consider several permit applications, including a new electrical substation for Minnkota Power Cooperative. Other items include the Woodside Acres Addition plat and a campground expansion.
- Electrical substation construction by Minnkota Power Cooperative
- Woodside Acres Addition preliminary/final plat for 21 lots
- Expansion of a campground from 4 to 20 sites
- Large Gathering Permit for Maple Lake Pavilion
- Construction of a grain leg over 100 feet tall
🗳️ How they voted (1 roll-call vote)
Social Services Board
The Polk County Social Services Board is meeting to approve the agenda and minutes, review cases and claims, discuss personnel matters, and consider budget items. They will also refer several items to the County Board, including contracts with Tri Valley Opportunity Council and an out-of-state travel request.
- Review of Cases and Claims
- Personnel items: Eligibility Worker, Social Worker, Two Social Worker CPS, Social Services Supervisor
- Amendment with Tri Valley Opportunity Council transportation
- Tri Valley Opportunity Council Housing Services Contract
- Out-of-State Travel request for Victoria Ramirez, Social Services Manager
Planning Commission
The Polk County Planning Commission will hold public hearings on March 22, 2024, to review three Conditional Use Permit applications. These requests seek approval for residential septic system connections and a commercial honey bee extraction business. Local property owners within a quarter mile of each site are invited to provide input at the Crookston meeting.
- Benedict Kuznia seeks a permit to connect a septic system to an accessory structure at Lot 11 of Hideaway Cove First Addition (parcel #45.00552.00).
- Jordan Olson and Sidney Williams request approval for an over-800-square-foot accessory building with a septic hookup at 18203 Anderson Road SE, Erskine.
- Daniel Bauer applies to operate a honey bee farm extraction business at 12050 434 St SW, Fertile (parcel #28.00134.00).
Social Services Board
The Polk County Social Services Board is meeting to approve the agenda and minutes, review cases and claims, discuss personnel matters including a request to replace a Child Protective Services social worker, and consider budget items. The agenda also includes general business and program updates from staff.
- Review of Cases and Claims
- Social Worker CPS Replacement Request referred to County Board
- Budget review
- Program updates from Marni Kelly, Trisha Schuler, and Angela Thompson
Board of Adjustment
The Polk County Board of Adjustment will hold two public hearings on February 23, 2024. One request seeks a variance to reduce a septic tank property line setback from 10 to 5 feet. The other seeks a variance to allow access to a convenience store from a non-paved road. Both hearings are open to nearby property owners.
- Variance for Kyle Schafer to reduce septic tank setback from 10' to 5' at 14259 Maple Inn Road SE, Mentor, MN (parcel #74.00814.00)
- Variance for Casey Hammer & John Reitmeier to allow convenience store access off a non-paved road at 24900 270 Ave SW, Crookston, MN (parcel #49.00057.02)
- Hearings at Polk County Environmental Services, 320 Ingersoll Ave, Crookston, MN
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission will consider a Conditional Use Permit application from Kyle Shafer. The request involves connecting a new septic system to an existing accessory structure on a parcel in Mentor, Minnesota.
- Conditional Use Permit for septic system connection at 14259 Maple Inn Road SE
Social Services Board
The Polk County Social Services Board is meeting to approve the agenda and minutes, review cases and claims, discuss personnel and budget matters, and receive updates from county staff. Several items are being referred to the County Board, including resolutions on gift distribution, support for a psychiatric residential treatment facility, and a violence intervention project contract.
- Board Resolution allowing distribution of gifts, referred to County Board
- Board Resolution supporting Clay County's request for Minnesota bond funds for a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility
- Violence Intervention Project Contract referred to County Board
- Updates on Reaching Rural Initiative, FRC, and Provider Capacity grant
Board of Commissioners
The agenda is procedural boilerplate. No specific action items, decisions, or discussion topics are listed in the provided text.
🗳️ How they voted (1 roll-call vote)
Board of Commissioners
The agenda provides the meeting location and time but contains no specific discussion items or decisions. The detailed agenda is contained in a separate external packet.
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission is holding a public hearing to consider amendments to the county land use and zoning ordinance. The proposals involve changing size limitations for accessory structures in agricultural and shoreland districts.
- Removing square footage limits on non-agricultural accessory structures for parcels 1.5 acres and larger
- Limiting accessory structures to 1,200 sq. ft. for parcels under 1.5 acres
- New accessory structure size limits based on parcel square footage in the Shoreland Overlay District
- Proposed maximum height of 17 feet from average grade for certain structures
🗳️ How they voted (1 roll-call vote)
Board of Commissioners
The provided agenda contains only procedural information regarding the meeting time and location. No specific items for decision or discussion are listed in the text.
🗳️ How they voted (1 roll-call vote)
Social Services Board
The Polk County Social Services Board is meeting to approve the agenda and minutes, review cases and claims, discuss personnel replacement requests, and consider contracts referred to the County Board. The board will also hear updates on legislative changes and program updates.
- Social Worker CPS Replacement Request referred to County Board
- Fiscal Supervisor I Replacement Request
- Personal Money Management Contract referred to County Board
- Tri-Valley Opportunity Council Transportation and Senior Companion Contract referred to County Board
- Income Maintenance legislative changes for 2024