County Board Meeting September 15, 2026

At their September 15 meeting, Douglas County Commissioners set the preliminary levy for 2027 at $40.6 million which is an 8.37 percent increase over 2026. They reminded those attending, this simply means the levy cannot increase. It can, however, decrease and Commissioner Charlie Meyer said he hopes to get it to 5 percent or less before it’s finalized. Board Chair Shane Schmidt said he has reached out to all county department heads to ask they find ways to cut their budget proposals.

Additional budget details for 2025 were presented at the start of the meeting when audit results were shared by CPA Becca Nielsen with Clifton Larson Allen. The only material weakness found was “lack of segregation of duties”. Nielsen said that means some county departments don’t have enough staff to properly segregate duties when, for example, they have cash coming in. She said it’s just not feasible for the county to hire additional workers to perform those duties. Commissioner Meyer said that means the county is not overstaffed. Finance Director Jill Frisell had members of her department at the meeting. She and the board thanked them for helping the Finance Department achieve the clean 2025 audit.

Public Works

Public Works Director and Engineer Tim Erickson asked commissioners to approve two bridge-related items. The first one approved was to make replacing the Bird Lake Road bridge crossing the Central Lakes Trail a priority project. Erickson explained that Osakis Township is eligible for significant township bridge funding if the county passes a resolution supporting it. The second item approved is to advertise for bids for the Geneva Le Homme Dieu Bridge. The state bridge engineer has signed off on the plan which means work can begin next March. This project will improve the water passage between Lake Geneva and Lake Le Homme Dieu.  

Land and Resource Management

Director Dave Rush asked to use the county’s Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Rapid Response Plan to treat Eurasian watermilfoil in Pocket Lake. The infestation was just confirmed by the DNR, and the request was to treat three areas to limit the spread. Justin Swart, county AIS Prevention Specialist, said now is the time in the season to act. The board approved using the herbicide Florpyrauxifen-benzyl at a cost of $5,816.00. The board made clear the funds for this are available through Land and Resource Management’s current budget and that the Pocket Lake Association members will pay for any future treatments.

Auditor/Treasurer

Auditor/Treasurer Vicki Doehling asked for permission to move forward on posting a public hearing to discuss Douglas County issuing 1 to 4 day temporary on-sale liquor licenses for food trucks.

A bit of background: in 2026 the Minnesota Legislature passed a bill allowing Douglas County to be a test county in 2027. Commissioner Meyer said, “it’s not like an ice cream truck will be going up and down the road selling booze,”.  The temporary licenses are for private events only and for a limited number of days. The board approved publishing a notice to hold a public hearing at 9:01 a.m. on Tuesday, October 6. That is the first item on the agenda of the board meeting which will be held at 821 Cedar Street.

The county board provides an opportunity for people to speak at each board meeting. During the September 15 meeting Margaret Martin, with Alexandria Area Indivisible, spoke about her group and the goal of promoting positive, progressive values and actions. She asked the commissioners to support their efforts to promote the “tireless work of our election officials – our neighbors- in administering our elections. We are counting on our commissioners to ensure Douglas County prioritizes the voices of the people”.  Martin presented a short list of questions for the commissioners and a Freedom to Vote Pledge.