- CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
- Roll Call – all present
- Approval of Agenda
- Approval of Minutes – Regular Meeting – April 14th, 2026
- Retirement for Eric Lundin, Social Services
- PROPERTY TAX & ELECTIONS: Denise Anderson
- Appointed two County Commissioners to the Rice County Canvassing Board
- Approved the following
- Renewal of Winjum Shady Acres Resort Wine liquor license, 17759 W 177th St, Faribault, for the period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027
- Renewal of Winjum Shady Acres Resort on-sale Malt liquor license, 17759 W 177th St, Faribault, for the period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027
- Renewal of Vintage Escapes Winery On-Sale & Sunday Liquor License, 8950 Dodd Rd, Kilkenny, for the period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
- Renewal of Keepsake Cidery On-Sale Malt Liquor License, 4609 135th St E, Dundas, for the period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
- Renewal of Keepsake Cidery Wine Liquor License, 4609 135th St E, Dundas, for the period of July 1, 2026, through June 20, 2027.
- DRAINAGE AUTHORITY: Jarett Spitzak
- H2Over Viewers Contracts, Redetermination of Benefits
- At their Committee of the Whole meeting on April 21, 2026, Rice County commissioners reviewed and discussed the recommendation from the Rice County Ditch Committee to contract with H2Over Viewers for redetermination of benefits. Staff are now requesting approval of the contracts. The ditches are grouped into four separate contracts to support efficient and orderly completion of work: Group 1: COUNTY DITCH 2, 4, 6, 13A, 15, 26, AND 29 (Winter 2026/2027) Group 2: COUNTY DITCH 11A, 20, 22, 30, AND 32A (Summer 2027) Group 3: COUNTY DITCH 9, 14, 17, 25, AND 31 (Winter 2027-2028) Group 4: COUNTY DITCH 7, 12, 16, 23, 27, AND 33 (Summer 2028) Other than the ditch groupings, the contracts are identical. All benefited property owners pay for the cost of the redetermination of benefits process according to their proportionate share of benefits. Here is a link to a website that contains a video that provides an overview of H2Over Viewers redetermination of benefits work: https://h2overviewers.com/. $3.97 per acre x approximately 90,000 acres = $357,300. Costs for the redetermination process are treated as project costs, which are apportioned among affected landowners by their share of benefited acreage.
- Discussion
- Peters: Do we have to worry about surcharges?
- Underdahl: Will there be price escalation over the multiple year contract?
- A: No, the prices are locked in.
- Underdahl: It would be good if we could put out an announcement that this is going on, so there is transparency, so people don’t hear about it through backdoor channels. When we get to redetermination, there will be winners and losers.
- Peters: Agree.
- A: Yes, we can do that and update the drainage ditch page on county website. There are also landowner meetings and final hearings.
- Underdahl: Anything we can do to prevent landowners saying, “This is the first I’m hearing about it.”
- Approved all four contracts for ditch review determination.
- ADULT SERVICES: Megan Thomas
- Duck Cup Memorial Donation
- Approved: Duck Cup Memorial has donated $200.00 to Friendship House to pay for the rental of Our Merciful Savior church and utensils for the ice cream social for the mental health walk on May 27th, 2026.
- Paint the Town grant
- Approved: Friendship House applied for the Paint the Town grant to assist with funding of the mural that will be painted on the north side wall facing the garden area. The grant was awarded in the amount of $754.41 and will pay for the cost of paint and supplies to be used for the mural. This leaves the amount of the remaining funding needed at $3,500, which was approved to be paid for by South Central Community Based Initiative/Joint Powers Board on Friday, April 17th, 2026. Our project is now fully funded with a projected completion date of sometime in June.
- Q: Underdahl: Will this be on the wall or panels?
- Underdahl: You might want to talk to the city because the rest are on panels.
- A: We talked to the city and they said there wasn’t anything they needed to weigh in on. But didn’t know the other murals downtown are on panels.
- Underdahl: You may want to consider panels. If the building needs maintenance, you can move the panels and not lose the mural.
- Purfeerst: Loves the mural design and how it will brighten up the space.
- SHERIFF’S OFFICE: Jesse Thomas
- Proclamation of National Correctional Officers Week 2026
- Notes high turnover in correctional officers.
- Hoisington:
- Clarifying numbers: 551 people offered interview, 229 interviewed, and out of that hired and still have 18 people on roster?
- Yes. Of 229 interviewed, many don’t get hired. Certain jobs are easier to hire for than others. You have to pass a medical and background check, for instance. It’s a lot of people. We’re almost to being fully staffed, and it’s been a while.
- Peters: Notes good sized pool of candidates.
- COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS: Angela Brewer
- Approved: Dismissal of 2025 uncollectible debts
- Debts incurred in calendar year 2019 have become uncollectible. Community Corrections budgets for collection of debt at a rate of $90,000.00 per calendar year. Revenue received in a calendar year may be for client debt in any of the preceding six years. The uncollectible debt from 2025 totals $88,872.00
- Individuals placed under supervision with Community Corrections are assessed fees per the County fee schedule, primarily for: supervision fees; drug testing confirmation fees; and reimbursement for electronic alcohol monitoring fees. These debts are subject to Revenue Recapture collection efforts, however there is a statute of limitations of six years (from the date of assessment or last voluntary payment, whichever is later) for collection of this debt. Each calendar year the department brings forth for review and dismissal the client fees which have been rendered uncollectible due to the statute of limitations expiration. This debt does not include fees that were waived pursuant to statutory requirements. The uncollectible debt proposed for discharge includes probation and related fees from calendar year 2019. The total amount is $88,872.00, the majority of which is unpaid felony probation supervision fees (see included chart detailing debt type). Community Corrections budgets for the collection of $75,000.00 – $90,000.00 per year in collected revenue from fees. The budgeted amount is based upon an average of previous year’s assessed fees, as the number of cases and corresponding fees vary from year to year. The budgeted amount of collection is approximately 75% of the assessed fee amount average. Fees are not always paid in the year they are assessed and payment priority is given to victim restitution and court fines over locally imposed fees.
- Approved: Appointments to the Community Corrections Advisory Board (CCAB)
- Carolyn Treadway, general public member
- Jay Haws, general public member, business representative
- Judge Jeffrey Johnson, Judiciary representative
- Rochelle Marquardt, Community Corrections representative
- Thao Trihn, County Attorney representative
- Approved: Out-of-state travel, National Co-Responder conference
- The Behavioral Health Unit of Community Services – Community Corrections Division has three Community Based Coordinators embedded in the three major law enforcement agencies in the county (Sheriff’s Department, Faribault Police Department, and Northfield Police Department). The CBCs receive referrals from law enforcement officers regarding community members who may be experiencing a mental health or chemical health crisis or concern. CBCs are also available to co-respond with officers to calls in the community. Community Corrections is the recipient of a Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP) grant to support Police Assisted Recovery and Deflection (PARD) and related activities. A component of this grant supports training specific to this initiative. The National Co-Responder Conference, scheduled for June 7-10, 2026, is an opportunity for staff associated with this work to receive national training, learn trends, models, and interventions in other states, and network with professionals from agencies across the country. The COSSUP grant would cover the expenses of the employees to attend this conference.
- Purfeerst: Agenda looks very well put together.
- HIGHWAY: Dennis Luebbe
- Awarded Contract #2680- Culvert replacement
- Award contract # 2680 to Fitzgerald Excavating & Trucking in the amount of $151,910.00 for project 21-201.
- Peters: We’ve used them before?
- ADMINISTRATION: Sara Folsted
- Approved Consent Agenda
- Extra Time/ Over Time Report 04-03-2026
- Payment of Bills
- Personnel Appointments
- ADJOURNMENT
