Sibley County meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Sibley County roundup: Budget, sand pit expansion, hemp licenses on agendas; no decisions yet published

The Sibley County Board of Commissioners and its advisory panels met in late July and early August, but no formal decisions have been published yet. Minutes from the July 28 workshop, the July 28 board meeting, and the August 3 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting are not yet available. The agendas covered budget discussions, a resolution on deputy registrar funding, land-use requests, and more.

Commissioners' Workshop (July 28)

The board held a workshop to discuss the county budget and Tri County Solid Waste. No formal decisions were listed on the agenda.

Board of Commissioners (July 28)

The board considered a resolution supporting a State of Minnesota revenue sharing fund for deputy registrar offices. Other agenda items included:

• Authorization for BH Petroleum Equipment Company to replace Henderson Fuel Tanks
• Low-Potency Hemp License Application for Winthrop Grocery LLC
• High Island Watershed Manager Appointment
• 2025 TIF Disclosure Report for the City of Winthrop

Planning and Zoning Commission (August 3)

The commission reviewed three land-use applications:

• Variance #534: Reduced setback for a feedlot/liquid manure storage basin in Arlington Township (PID 09.1802.000)
• CUP #1208: Open pit excavation for sand/gravel pit expansion in Faxon Township (PID 13.3318.000)
• Variance #535: Expansion of a nonconforming structure at 19464 265 Ave Belle Plaine (PID 13.2305.000)

Coming up

Board of Commissioners — August 11

The board will hold its regular meeting, addressing a conditional use permit for expanding a sand/gravel pit, along with routine approvals and other county business. Agenda items include:

• CUP #1208: Conditional use permit for open pit excavation to expand a sand/gravel pit in Faxon Township (PID 13.3318.000)
• Low-potency hemp license application for Grey Fox Tavern
• Memorandum of Understanding with City of Gaylord
• 2026 Primary & General Election Recount Agreements
• Approval of Court Appointed Attorney Contract

Commissioners' Workshop — August 11

The board will hear presentations from the Sibley County Agricultural Association, the Sibley County Soil & Water Conservation District, and the Sibley County Historical Society. They will also discuss the budget and move into a closed session under M.S. 13.05, subd. 3(d) to discuss security camera issues. No public hearings or votes are scheduled.

All meetings are open to the public unless noted. Agendas and minutes are available on the county website.

Sibley County feedlot expansion and farm colony permits on recent agendas; outcomes not yet published

What happened

Sibley County's recent government meetings centered on agricultural land-use permits, but residents should note: all three meetings listed below have agendas available but minutes not yet published. That means the items were scheduled for consideration, but no recorded votes, decisions, or dollar amounts are available yet.

Planning and Zoning Commission — July 6

The commission was set to review three items:

• **Modification of Feedlot Registration No. 143-94234** for Dieball Dairy / Jim Dieball, regarding a liquid manure storage basin.
• **CUP #1206:** Expansion of a commercial feedlot at 25738 State Hwy 5, Arlington.
• **CUP #1207:** Amendment to a Planned Unit Development for an Organized Farm Colony at 59917 236 St., Gibbon.

These are conditional use permit applications and a feedlot registration modification. No vote tallies or outcomes are available because minutes have not been published.

Board of Commissioners — July 14

The county board agenda included routine business plus the two conditional use permits that the Planning and Zoning Commission had reviewed:

• Approve claims as submitted.
• Application for Gambling Permit — Gaylord Game Protective League.
• **CUP #1206:** Commercial feedlot expansion at 25738 State Hwy 5.
• **CUP #1207:** Organized Farm Colony amendment at 59917 236 St.
• Foster Care Interagency Transportation Agreement — Minnesota New County School.

No dollar amounts for claims were listed on the agenda, and no vote tallies are available.

Commissioners' Workshop — July 14

The workshop agenda listed:

• Review of Board Operating Procedures.
• Closed session to discuss emergency response procedures under M.S. 13.05, subd. 3(d).
• Reopen from closed session.

The closed session was noted as permitted by Minnesota statute. No details from the closed session are available, and no actions from the reopened session are recorded in the agenda.

Why it matters

The two conditional use permits — a commercial feedlot expansion in Arlington and a Planned Unit Development amendment for an organized farm colony in Gibbon — appeared before both the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Commissioners. These items involve agricultural expansion and land use, which can affect neighboring properties and local services. However, because minutes have not been published for any of the three meetings, residents cannot yet confirm whether the permits were approved, denied, tabled, or modified.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed for the next 14 days. Residents who want to follow the feedlot and farm colony permit outcomes should watch for published minutes from the July 6 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting and the July 14 Board of Commissioners meeting.