The board’s approval of an assembly control license for the Wheat Trail Festival marked a development. Scheduled for July 2026, the festival aims to promote mental health and provide resources to the farming and rural community in partnership with the Living Foundation. The festival is to be held on a 200-acre site in Good Hume, Minnesota, and is expected to attract more than 500 attendees, necessitating a license under the county’s assembly control ordinance. County departments such as public works, emergency management, and the sheriff’s office reviewed the application and proposed conditions, including no on-street parking to ensure emergency vehicle access. The board approved the license after a public hearing yielded no opposition, though a separate conditional use permit for proposed overnight camping is pending review.

Another pressing matter was the board’s discussion about easement access related to a plat request from Omen Farms LLC. The proposed plat, encompassing 123 acres, aims to divide land amongst family members without further development. However, a concern is the lack of a recorded easement for public access to Lake Bilsby, despite historical use of the property for this purpose. The board acknowledged the potential future implications of not securing a legal easement, which could risk access being denied by property owners. While the Omen family expressed reluctance to incur costs for formalizing this access, the board emphasized the importance of pursuing an easement to prevent future complications.

The board also addressed the utilization of juvenile detention beds. Rhonda updated the board on the underutilization of contracted juvenile detention beds due to transportation challenges, as the nearest facility is two hours away. As a result, the board decided to forgo the contract for the upcoming year in favor of a more traditional method of securing beds as needed. This decision is expected to save approximately $36,000, though the board acknowledged the need for further exploration into transportation solutions for detaining juveniles.

In addition, the board approved adjustments to job classifications within the county’s human resources structure. Proposed changes aimed to align job classifications with market rates to support employee retention and recruitment. These changes were unanimously adopted following a presentation by Tessa, presumably a member of the HR department, who emphasized the significance of maintaining competitive salaries in the county workforce.

The board also considered a proposed Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district from the city of Wanamingo. The TIF aims to redevelop a vacant elementary school building for commercial purposes, with anticipated annual revenue of $79,000, of which $25,000 is allocated to Goodhue County. While the county is not required to approve the TIF, an upcoming public hearing will gather community input, and the board has the option to submit comments within 30 days.

The meeting continued with a request from Sumptra for a $30,000 grant to Habitat for Humanity for rural rehabilitation work. The funding, earmarked by the Goodhue County Housing Trust Fund Subcommittee, aims to assist low-income residents with home repairs and aging-in-place modifications. The board approved the request, recognizing the program’s potential to address critical housing needs.

Finally, the board decided to terminate the county’s involvement with the IQ program, specifically the institution community work crew contract, effective December 31, 2025. This decision aligns with the county’s establishment of its own program, expected to save $54,000 annually.

The meeting concluded with discussions about the county’s access management and control ordinance. The board debated the appropriateness of the planning commission for evaluating the ordinance, given its focus on zoning rather than traffic engineering. Ultimately, a motion was made to create a new committee to study county access management comprehensively, reflecting ongoing tensions between regulatory compliance and the practical needs of rural property owners.