Robert A. Benson

The meeting commenced with discussions from the Road & Bridge Committee of the Whole, covering the County Engineer's Report, a final contract payment for the CSAH 10 Reconstruction Project, and support for a BUILD Grant Application. The Consent Agenda included several items, such as recommendations from the R&B Committee, appointment items, and a conservation grant application for invasive Phragmites treatment. The Environmental Services/Zoning Report featured discussion on an Interim Use Permit and the Annual Planning Commission Policy Resolution. Other business involved the February 11th Budget and Finance Committee Report, Cannabis Retail Registrations, a Joint Ditch Authority joining, an RFP for the TH 8 Center City Business Park sale, contract approvals for professional/technical services, opioid settlement expense review, appointment of a Local Agency Security Officer, and scheduling a public hearing for a property tax abatement. The board also held discussions on correspondence, administrator updates, and committee reports, followed by a closed session to discuss litigation strategy in Darcey Duncan v. County of Chisago, and a second closed session regarding labor negotiations.

The regular session commenced with the approval of an amended agenda. Key activities included convening the Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee of the Whole for department updates provided by the County Administrator, followed by actions on the Consent Agenda. The Consent Agenda included approval of an out-of-state travel request, payment of county warrants and miscellaneous bills totaling $1,161,867.30, staff anniversary recognition, and fund transfers. The Board also accepted the 2025 LID Annual Report Presentation and approved the 2026 AIS Strategic Plan Implementation and Roadside Survey Agreements with Wild Rivers Conservancy. The session included a Citizens Forum. Significant portions of the meeting involved two closed sessions: the first to discuss litigation strategy concerning Darcey Duncan v. County of Chisago and Richard Duncan, and the second to discuss strategy for labor negotiations. Actions were taken following both closed sessions.

The Board of Commissioners addressed several agenda items, including updates on Public Works Department projects and the acceptance of the County Engineer's Report. Key actions involved approving several Road and Bridge Committee recommendations, including a TH 8 Xcel Transmission Pole Relocation Agreement and a Grant Assist. Agreement for the BUILD grant TH 8 Recon. A resolution was passed agreeing to the terms and conditions for a State Funded Program for IIJA Discretionary Grant Assistance. The Board also approved the payment of County Warrants and Miscellaneous Bills totaling $715,018.84, and formally accepted various 2025 donations for the Sheriff's Office and the Children's Water Festival. Additionally, the Board accepted the Environmental Services Director's Report, enacted a zoning ordinance rezoning a property from Agricultural (AG) to Rural Residential (RR), and approved grant agreements with the Board of Water and Soil Resources. Decisions were made regarding personnel matters, including increasing department head invoice approval authority and the capitalization threshold for assets, and approving the purchase of a ballistic vest. The Board also approved the DRAFT Chisago County Street Naming and Addressing Policy, authorized expenditures for 2026 Enterprise Services CIP items, approved the Adult Mental Health Initiative (AMHI) Contract, authorized out-of-state travel for case management services, and authorized professional service contracts with two attorneys for Child Protection proceedings. Furthermore, the Board delegated authority to the Finance Director and Finance Department to review and pay claims, and passed a resolution expressing intent to seek legislative authorization for an additional county sales and use tax dedicated to transportation purposes. Finally, the credit card limit for an Enterprise Services employee was increased.

The meeting commenced with a Health and Human Services Committee of the Whole session, which reviewed an out-of-state travel request to Omaha, Nebraska, for mandated client visits. The Board of Commissioners' business included approving the payment of county warrants and miscellaneous bills, recognizing staff anniversaries, and handling fund transfers and carryover of dedicated funds. Other business involved reviewing the 2025 LID Annual Report, discussing the Wild River Conservancy's 2026 Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Agreements, and revising appointment provisions of HRA-EDA By-Laws. The session also included a Citizen's Forum, administrative updates, and committee reports.

The meeting agenda for February 5, 2026, scheduled for the Chisago County Government Center, included several items. Key discussions involved a public hearing regarding a request for an Interim Use Permit (IUP) for an accessory structure without a principal use structure on a parcel in Shafer Township, a presentation from the Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership and Consultants, and a staff memo pertaining to Temporary Storage and Shipping Containers, which relates to Ordinance Section 4.19. The agenda also noted the cancellation of the February 4, 2026, Planning Commission tour. Supporting documents included minutes from the January 8, 2026, regular meeting, which detailed the approval of rezoning for a property to Rural Residential District, and a memo detailing proposed adjustments for storage container regulations.