Hubbard County meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Hubbard County agendas: $459,900 motor grader quote, Deep Lake Park Phase II, shoreland variances

Minutes from Hubbard County's two October meetings have not yet been published, so no votes, approvals or final amounts are confirmed from those sessions. What follows is drawn from the published agendas. The largest single item listed was a proposed $459,900 quote for a John Deere motor grader from McCOY Construction & Forestry, before the Board of Commissioners on Oct. 20.

Highway equipment and contracts on the Oct. 20 agenda

The Board of Commissioners agenda listed the motor grader quote alongside two other proposed equipment purchases: $28,469.20 for a Trimble R980, Model 50 from Frontier Precision, and a $19,354.65 quote for a 20-foot Felling Trailer from Felling Trailers, Inc.

The same agenda included a final contract payment of $26,788.61 to Swenson Aggregate and Construction, LLC, and a proposed write-off of debt on invoice #498 for $4,629.14. Also scheduled were right-of-way easements for CSAH 23, a lease agreement with Shell Prairie Agricultural Association, and a Highway Department restructure.

These are agenda items. Whether the board acted on any of them, and in what amount, is not established by the material available.

Deep Lake Park Phase II plans reviewed at work session

At an Oct. 13 work session, commissioners were scheduled to discuss 2026 year-to-date budget reports and options for the 2027 budget and levy. The session also included a review of completed work and applications for Phase I and Phase II of Deep Lake Park.

The Phase II items listed were a proposed visitor center and parking, 20 proposed campsites, a proposed restroom and maintenance building, and a proposed dump station and trash enclosure. No cost figures for the park items appear in the summary.

HRA/EDA: audit services and property reports

The HRA/EDA Board met Oct. 20 with a proposal to authorize staff to issue a Request for Proposals for audit services covering 2026 through 2028. The agenda also listed review of the 2025 HRA-EDA Audit Report and financial reports for the Regency, Cornerstone, Meadow View and Meadows Edge properties.

Property management proposals also appeared on that agenda. A Nov. 3 special meeting notice states the item was tabled from the Oct. 20 meeting.

Coming up

Monday, Oct. 26, 6:00 PM — Planning Commission / Board of Adjustment, Government Center. The Planning Commission takes up an ordinance amendment by Derik and Krystal Zigmund to add a commercial business use category to Section 401, Table 1 of the Shoreland Management Ordinance, plus a discussion of conditional use permit and plat approval processes. The Board of Adjustment holds public hearings on six variance applications: 58-V-26 (Kevin Luksik), 20,000 sq. ft. minimum buildable area on Big Mantrap Lake, Clay Township, Parcel 04.35.00810; 59-V-26 (Julie Willms, Jennifer Spalding, Jolynn Kamrath), 300' minimum tract width in Mantrap Township, Parcel 20.30.00810; 60-V-26 (Nicholas Schilligo), after-the-fact vegetation clearing in the shore impact zone on Loon Lake, White Oak Township, Parcel 28.30.01610; and 61-V-26 (Strosahl, Leech Lake), 62-V-26 (Fischer, Hinds Lake) and 63-V-26 (Vaadeland, Todd Township). No dollar amounts appear in this agenda.

Tuesday, Nov. 3 — HRA/EDA Board special meeting. The board is scheduled to review property management proposals for its affordable housing portfolio, approximately 80 rental units: Cornerstone Apartments (9), Meadow View (28), Meadows Edge (28) and Regency Apartments (15). The proposed contract would begin Jan. 1, 2027, for an initial three-year term with two optional renewal periods.

Hubbard County boards to weigh $18M highway budget, Reuse Center contract, variances

Over the past two weeks, Hubbard County boards have taken up or reviewed items ranging from a proposed $18.2 million highway budget to a Reuse Center contract and property management services. No decisions have been published yet, as minutes for the Aug. 11 and Aug. 18 meetings are not yet available.

Highway Department budget and LEC update (Aug. 11 work session)

The Board of Commissioners work session on Aug. 11 included a review of the proposed 2027 Highway Department budget, which lists $18,217,067 in disbursements. That includes $10,000,000 for construction and highway maintenance projects, equipment purchases (a motor grader, tractor, and pickup), and resurfacing of the Public Works parking lot as a joint project with the Courthouse parking lot. The board also received an update on the Law Enforcement Center (LEC) project and reviewed the LEC's proposed 2027 budget.

County Board agenda (Aug. 18)

The Aug. 18 County Board agenda included several action items: awarding a Reuse Center Project contract (amount not specified in the agenda), classifying seven tax-forfeited parcels as non-conservation, approving an On Sale/Sunday liquor license for Wonewok Conference Center LLC, approving Sheriff's Office donations and a donor agreement with Kyle Nohre, and approving an op-ed on the Enbridge appeal to be sent to local authorities and media. The board also considered consolidating Heartland Express driver positions and contracting with MAHUBE-OTWA for homeless services, and received reports on the ambulance service and extension.

HRA/EDA Board (Aug. 18)

The HRA/EDA Board met Aug. 18 to consider routine consent items, including approval of minutes, financial reports for DW Jones, Inc.-managed properties (Cornerstone, Meadow View, Meadows Edge, Regency) for June 2026, and payment of invoices. The board also held a public hearing and considered new business: a request for entry cost assistance, a septic improvement assistance request, and whether to renew or terminate the existing property management services agreement. If terminated, the board would issue an RFP for a Jan. 1, 2027 start.

Coming up

The Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment will meet Aug. 24 to review six variance applications: 43-V-26 (Dawn Driessen-Fox) for grading in a steep slope on Island Lake; 44-V-26 (John Carder) for grading in a steep slope on Big Mantrap Lake; 45-V-26 (William Mills Trust) for a boundary line adjustment on Big Mantrap Lake; 46-V-26 (Jesseca Dekic) for lot compliance on 4th Crow Wing Lake; and 47-V-26 (Sunny Shores) for a subsurface sewage treatment system upgrade on Fish Hook Lake.

Hubbard County boards weighed shoreland variances, equipment purchases, and property sale; commissioners set to take up commercial development and Lake Belle Taine engineering funds

Hubbard County residents saw a busy stretch of county meetings in late July, though official minutes have not yet been published for any of the sessions. Based on the agendas released, the Board of Commissioners, the HRA/EDA Board, and the Planning Commission each took up land, equipment, and development matters. A Board of Commissioners meeting on August 4 will consider a commercial development proposal and a funding request for engineering work at Lake Belle Taine.

Board of Commissioners — July 21

The agenda listed several purchasing decisions and policy reviews. Items scheduled for consideration included:

• Purchase of a roll-off ramp container from Ramp Container, LLC for $14,590.00.
• Approval of a quote from Thomas Forestry to bud cap 899 acres of pine tree seedlings.
• Purchase of a half-ton and one-ton pickup from Neighbors Ford.
• A proposed policy for Hubbard County Out of Home Placements; Parental & Children Income Recovery Fees.
• The 2026 Purchase of Service Agreement with Mahube-Otwa for Chore and Homemaking Services.

Because minutes are not yet published, it is not confirmed which of these items were approved.

HRA/EDA Board — July 21

The Housing and Redevelopment Authority / Economic Development Authority Board agenda included discussion of a potential sale of HRA-EDA property on Third Street E in Park Rapids, along with industrial park marketing. The board was also scheduled to review financial reports for four multifamily rental properties: Meadow View, Meadows Edge, Cornerstone, and Regency, plus a review of paid and unpaid invoices.

No outcomes are confirmed without published minutes.

Planning Commission / Board of Adjustment — July 27

The agenda covered several shoreland variance requests and a commercial development application:

• Variance requests for properties on Duck Lake, 11th Crow Wing Lake, Lake Belle Taine, and Island Lake.
• Two variance requests from Hubbard County Parks and Recreation for a deck, road, and parking lot on Deep Lake.
• Minor subdivision of a 19.7 acre property in Akeley Township by Craig and Angie Nelson.
• Conditional use permit for a commercial planned unit development by Billion Real Estate Holdings, LLC.
• Proposed amendments to Shoreland Management and Subdivision Ordinances regarding permit and plat processes.

Minutes are not yet published, so decisions on these items cannot be confirmed.

Coming up

Board of Commissioners — August 4, 2026. The agenda includes:

• Conditional Use Application 1-CU-26 by Billion Real Estate Holdings, LLC for a commercial planned unit development.
• Conditional Use Application 2-CU-26 by Hubbard County Parks and Recreation for county park use.
• A request for a $24,989 low quote from Houston Engineering plus an additional $5,000 for Lake Belle Taine.
• A software implementation and license agreement with Intuitive Municipal Solutions.
• A proposed increase of the Sheriff Department administrative staff change fund from $100 to $200.

A preliminary budget discussion is also listed. Residents interested in the commercial development proposal or the Lake Belle Taine engineering request may want to attend.