After an hour-long public forum, the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners decided Tuesday to go ahead with an effort to repair and improve County Ditch 16. The project would repair and improve the

drainage ditch at a cost of $700,000.

&8220;As difficult as this is, the benefits outweigh the costs … We need to proceed with it,&8221; said Commissioner Mark Behrends.

Commissioner Dan Belshan wanted to see cost-cutting alternatives, but instead the board voted to approve the project on Ditch 16. Commissioner Jim Nelson abstained while other commissioners approved it.

A public hearing on the repair and improvement of a separable part of Ditch 16 was held before the vote.

Mark Anderson, lawyer for the petitioners of the ditch project, spoke in favor of repaired improvement. It is estimated that the ditch repair would cost $700,000. Repair should be 45 percent and improvement should be 55 percent of the cost, he said. With this estimate, $385,000 should then go to the improvements, Anderson said, and the benefits exceed the expenses of the improvement.

&8220;A county ditch system is a lot like a cooperative,&8221; Anderson said.

Landowners and neighbors to the ditch spoke during the open forum as proponents, neutral parties and opponents.

Belshan mentioned that the state highway system help pay for some repairs for Ditch 16, but County Engineer Sue Miller said it would be difficult to attain that money. Miller said that the Minnesota Department of Transportation for Region 6 &8212; where Freeborn County is located &8212; does not have any money that could go toward these repairs.

Shoff noted Interstate 35 runs through this land and causes some of the problem with the area&8217;s drainage, so there should be some assistance in paying for the repairs.

Commissioner Christopher Shoff offered an amendment, and Belshan seconded it, to ask for money from the state highway department. However, the amendment was rescinded.

The board also voted against looking into finding more information to save money on a ditch system by getting funds from the state highway department. Mathiason said he didn&8217;t want to set a precedent that hasn&8217;t ever been set before by asking the state for money for this type of project.

There could be an option to reassess the ditch in 10 to 15 years.

County Ditch 16 was formerly known as County Ditch 52. Landowners near ditch 52 contributed to the cost of any repairs for the ditch.

In other business, the board:

– Met in closed session for only 15 minutes to discuss the county administrator position. After

emerging from the nearly hidden room behind the county boardroom, Board Chairman Glen Mathiason told the audience that the commissioners discussed the background checks that were performed last week and they will extend an offer to the top candidate of their choice.

For legal reasons the No. 1 candidate&8217;s name can not be released at this time, until that person accepts the position and any negotiations that need to be made. Mathiason said the candidate&8217;s name will be released &8220;certainly in the near future.&8221;

– Approved boundary modification for a Job Opportunity Building Zone property in Albert Lea. Ryan Nolander, business development director of the Albert Lea Economic Development Agency, presented to the board about a boundary modification to transfer acres to a site east of Love&8217;s Truck Stop and north of Trail&8217;s Travel Center.

– Resolved to backfill the watershed technician position in the environmental services department. This is a position within the environmental services department and works with many watershed, among other duties.

– Accepted a grant to the county public health department for $1,467 from the Minnesota Department of Health to eliminate health disparities in regards to refugee health and tuberculosis. These are annual funds allocated to the department.

– Approved permits of conditional use for Winnebago Cooperative Telephone Association to place fiber optic communications cables near Twin Lakes and the southeast corner of Albert Lea.

– Approved the filling an vacant detention officer position at the Freeborn County Detention Center.

– Approved a request from Luke Nielsen to construct a total confinement barn on the south side of Riceland Township.

– Approved a request by Leonard Schultz to build an agricultural building outside the farmyard but on his property in Freeborn Township.

– Approved a liquor license for Freeborn Lake Recreation in Carlston Township. This allows the sale of beer and wine with 3.2 percent alcohol content.

– Approved a liquor license for Holiday Park Golf Course in Hayward Township, allowing the sale of 3.2 beer.

– Approved a liquor license for Clarks Grove Golf Course in Bancroft Township for the sale of 3.2 beer.

– Tabled a motion to approve a liquor license for Harmony Park in Geneva Township. Freeborn County Sheriff Mark Harig was not available to reference on this issue, so the motion was tabled to be discussed at a later date.