The Nobles County Commissioners met on Tuesday, April 23. The highlights of the meeting were:
The board recognized Sara Henderson for the completion of twenty (20) years of service to the County.
Public Works Director Steve Schneider reported on the Rural Intersection Lighting Project; the funding for the project had been approved by MnDOT for 14 intersections within the County. He stated that the County should begin accepting sealed bids for the project, with bids being opened on May 23. He stated that he hoped the project would be completed by September/October, 2019. The Board approved the motion to begin advertising for bids.
Schneider then addressed the Okabena-Ocheda Watershed project. The Watershed District is planning to replace the outlet dam I Lake Ocheda. This involves drawing down the lake and eradicating the carp (which have become a problem) and the invasive vegetation in the lake. The new dam would prevent the carp from returning to the lake. He noted that the County has been saving grant money that the State appropriates yearly ($50,000/year) to be able to complete this project with little tax property dollars. To date, the amount saved is $200,000. Discussion was held as to use the complete amount (which includes the 2019 grant money) or leave some in the fund for other projects that may come up. Schneider told the Commissioners that at this point this was intended to be informational, but if the board wanted to take action, it would give direction to the Watershed Board. Questions were put to Schneider concerning education and enforcement of the mandates to prevent the spread of invasive species. Schneider responded that they do continual education and that enforcement was hard, because of the additional manpower that would be needed 24/7 and with people putting boats in the water from multiple places on multiple lakes, it would be next to impossible to enforce. The commissioners approved $175,000 for the dam improvements with a split vote.
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