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The Freeborn County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a hauler permit for a fifth entity to conduct solid waste removal in the county.

Harter’s Disposal of MN LLC, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, will join haulers Waste Management, Thompson Sanitation, VEIT Disposal and Kruckeberg Services, who already have permits.

Freeborn County Solid Waste Manager Mark Goskeson said he checked with neighboring counties, including in Mower and Olmsted counties, about the business and also checked Harter’s business record, as well as information from the Better Business Bureau.

Goskeson said he thinks it is important to encourage competition.

The permit application for the company said the trash loads would be taken to the Austin transfer station or the Olmsted County burner facility.
In other action, the board:

• Approved the 2022 County Feedlot Officer annual report.

A letter from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency stated the county conducted 20 inspections of feedlots in the county in 2022. It commended the county for its work during the year.

• Approved a 2 a.m. closing license for Harmony Park in Geneva Township.

Freeborn County Auditor-Treasurer Pat Martinson said the license had been in place for 20 years and includes background checks on the owners and approval by the county sheriff and attorney.

• Approved 3.2 beer and wine on-sale licenses for Freeborn Lake Golf Course, a 3.2 beer on-sale license for Harmony Park and a 3.2 beer on-sale license for Hickory Hills.

• Approved a service contract with Krueger Excavating of Albert Lea for the replacement of a box culvert under County State Aid Highway 26 about a mile south of County State Aid Highway 13. The culvert serves County Ditch 49.

Krueger Excavating had the low bid of $126,016. The engineer’s estimate was $88,450 and was low due to outdated bidding information.

• Approved the addition of two eligibility workers with the Freeborn County Human Services Department.

Human Services Director Suzi Nerison said the workers will be paid for with funding from the state.

Nerison said during the public health emergency tied to the pandemic, the federal government gave direction for states to cease renewals of SNAP and Minnesota Health Care Programs to ensure food security and that individuals received required medical care.

She noted the county had seen a 56% increase in SNAP cases and a 32% increase in Minnesota health care cases in last four years.

SNAP renewals resumed in September 2022, and work is already underway for the health care programs.

Overtime or additional staff are required to catch up on the renewals.

She estimated the county would receive an about $161,000 allocation from the state for the cost. The workers would focus on renewals for the services.

She noted over the next two years they will likely be able to reduce staff in the income maintenance unit due to attrition because of retirements.

• Approved final committed fund balances and budget amendments for Dec. 31, 2022, to incorporate items not known when the budget was approved, including when some American Rescue Plan Act funds would be received.

• Placed Sophie Quam, deputy recorder on regular full-time status. Quam has been in the position since October 2022.

• Voted to table action on whether to affirm the county’s personnel administration system and to appoint the county administrator to also serve as personnel director.

• Went into closed session to evaluate the performance of Administrator Candace Pesch.