January 13, 2012

 

In 2010, the county approved a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for Russell and Susan Nystrom to construct a commercial-grade wind turbine for renewable energy on their property in Section 8 of Aldrich Township.

 

A year after issuing a CUP, the county can revoke it if construction has not yet begun, but the Nystroms have provided written proof that progress has been made on the $7.5 million project. Based on this proof and the recommendation of the Wadena County Planning & Zoning Commission, the Wadena County Board of Commissioners has agreed to extend the CUP 12 more months as of the board’s regular monthly meeting Tuesday, December 13.

 

“The future looks pretty rosy,” said Russell Nystrom during the meeting. The commission had reviewed the proof and recommended the 12-month extension “with advice from legal counsel as to whether they can receive the extension under the ordinance which existed on the date of their application or if they have to, now, adhere to the current standards,” wrote Wadena County Zoning/Parks Director Deana Skov in her notes to the board. Wadena County Auditor/Treasurer Char West provided the information to the board on Skov’s behalf, as Skov was unable to attend the meeting due to illness.

The board’s approval included the condition that the setback conditions be adjusted in light of the size of the turbine, which is in an agriculturally zoned area that can be seen from Highway 10.

 

The purpose of the wind turbine, according to Nystrom and its designer Private Energy Systems (PES), Inc., is to use it to develop renewable energy and possibly an anhydrous ammonia plant. The idea is to convert wind energy to make the anhydrous ammonia.

“Is this going to be a retail anhydrous outlet?” Commissioner Ralph Miller asked Nystrom.

 

“Yes. But community comes first…” Nystrom responded, in part referencing the job opportunities that will be made available to local people.

Indirectly, an estimated 82 jobs would be created for construction of the wind turbine, according to PES, a Midwest energy developer working on behalf of Blackrock Energy, LLC, and the Nystroms. Blackrock Energy has been set up as owner/operator/employer of the yet-to-be constructed turbine.

Another 13 jobs are estimated to be directly created by the project, three associated with the “wind” and 10 more from a type of engineering called “Co-Generation.”

 

Nystrom also assured the board that the remaining portions of the field around the 1.65 Megawatt turbine will still be able to be used for farming.

The plan includes selling a small percentage of the anhydrous ammonia to refrigeration and air conditioning outlets with the bulk of it for use by agricultural businesses. The proposed plant may have an estimated production of 400 tons of anhydrous ammonia annually.

The commissioners are also considering taking a tour of a U of M-Morris plant that has been working to develop this type of renewable energy.

PES President David Ault included some information in writing to the board that was disputed during the meeting. He wrote, “Todd-Wadena Electrical Co-op (TWEC) has no current interest in renewable energy nor would they like to support a local renewable energy project that will power as many as 300 local homes and farms in the Wadena-Verndale area with clean power.”

 

TWEC responded to Ault’s comments with a letter to the board dated Monday, December 5. In that letter, TWEC General Manager Robin Doege wrote, “Mr. Ault’s comments characterize TWEC as not interested in supporting local projects and renewable energy. TWEC supports both economic development and renewable energy.”

 

“TWEC receives approximately 20 percent of its power from renewable resources (primarily wind and hydropower). Great River Energy (GRE), TWEC’s generation and transmission partner, has over 450 MW’s of wind generation under contract today. These renewable resources are shared with TWEC and 27 other Minnesota rural electric cooperatives.”

 

Tim Pavek of TWEC attended the board meeting to reinforce this position. “We’re not opposed to renewable energies...we are very supportive of all types of energy,” Pavek told the board. Ault said part of the plan for the plant is to purchase some electricity from TWEC. The project is being financed in part through a nationally recognized loan provider with 60 percent debt commitment, 5 percent equity, 30 percent with an ITC/PTC grant and 5 percent through other grant dollars.

 

 

In other business:

 

• Conducted the county’s 2012 Budget and Levy Informational Meeting in the Wadena County Courthouse Auditorium. The meeting began with about eight members of the public but quickly dwindled to three when five realized it was not a tax equalization meeting. The proposed property tax levy, at over $7.9 million, reflects no increase from 2011. The county receives 43 percent of its income/revenues from taxes levied in the county, another 35 percent from state/federal taxes, 17 percent from miscellaneous sources and 5 percent from charges for services the county provides.

 

• Approved a 2012 Natural Resources Block Grant for the Wadena County Soil & Water Conservation District (WCSWCD) in the amount of $68,277.

 

• Authorized the Wadena County Highway Department (WCHD) to prepare and accept quotations and bids for the 2012 purchases pertaining to equipment rental, metal culverts, aggregate materials, aggregate crushing, bituminous materials, traffic signs and sign posts as needed for routine maintenance and operations. The items are all included in the 2012 Road and Bridge budget.

 

• Adopted a resolution nominating the following projects for inclusion in the State Fiscal Year 2016 Area Transportation Improvement Plan: CSAH 4 from US Highway 10 to CSAH 54, CSAH 17 from Fern Ave SE to Ironwood Ave SE (s-curve on the edge of Menahga) and CSAH 25 from CSAH 18 to North County Line.

 

• Adopted a resolution nominating the following projects for inclusion in the 2011 Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP) for Fiscal Year 2012 and 2013: CR 160 from CSAH 2 to McGivern County Park and CR 169 from TH 10 to CSAH 20.

 

• Heard from Wadena County Highway Engineer Ryan Odden, “Due to dry conditions many of the gravel roads are very rough to drive on. With the temperature warming up to above freezing we have been blading as many of the roads as we can….”

 

• Approved an emergency management grant agreement for over $15,000.

 

• Approved the county recorder’s office remodel at a total estimated project cost of $29,142.

 

• Approved reducing the county contribution to the Kitchigami Regional Library System by $10,465. This brings the contribution down from the 2011 level of $90,587 to the 2012 funding level of $80,122. The Board consensus is for the reductions to be applied equally to the mobile library and the Wadena Public Library. The reduction is in keeping with the State Legislature’s new minimum level of Maintenance of Effort (MOE) for library service funding by cities and counties as 90 percent of the 2011 MOE as certified by the State.

 

• Approved the Wadena County Community Corrections 2011 Second Half Allocation of $75,614 to the Todd-Wadena Community Corrections fund.

 

• Approved the Wadena County Crisis & Referral Program 2011 Second Half Allocation of $1,660.

 

• Approved an HRA Plan Amendment. Employees who elect to switch to the HDHP/HAS plan, but still have funds left in the HRA, may use those remaining HRA funds on all eligible 213d expenses (including premiums) once the minimum HDHP deductible is met. The minimum deductible for single is $1,200 and for family is $2,400.

 

• Adopted a resolution approving the Fifth Amended Joint Powers Agreement of South Country Health Alliance. The amendment allows member counties until March 30, 2012, to give notice of withdrawing at the end of 2012.

 

• Heard from Wadena County Public Health Director Cindy Pederson that Wadena, Todd and Morrison counties have jointly been awarded a SHIP grant. Wadena should see at least $7,500 from that, she said. The dollars can be used for school activity and nutrition, community nutrition, smoke free post-secondary campuses and multi-unit housing buildings, and health care obesity/smoking risk reduction.

 

• Approved a motion authorizing Pederson to sign a contract with the Wadena County Sheriff’s Department effective for the 2012 calendar year for correctional health services to include RN coverage at $25.67 per hour plus required fringe benefits and to include hourly rate with benefits at time and a half for overtime; and supplies for inmate health needs provided by Public Health.

 

• Approved motions authorizing Pederson to sign annual and two-year contract renewals.

 

• Approved a motion to adopt a revised Wadena County Public Health Advisory Committee Bylaws effective December 13, 2011, to change the minimum number of meetings per year to four and to change the assessment wording from CHAAP (Community Health Assessment and Action Planning) to local assessment and planning process.

 

• Approved a motion for MIS Director Kevin Stensrude to explain to the board, during the Tuesday, December 27, meeting, the reason for purchasing a $713 chair for the MIS Department. The Board approved the purchase as it was determined the chair had already been delivered and used.

 

• Approved a call for bids for the 2012 official county newspaper to be opened at 8 a.m. Tuesday, January 3, and awarded at 9:30 a.m. that same morning during the board meeting. The board decided not to schedule the call for bids on Monday, January 2, due to it being considered a national holiday as it follows New Year’s Day Sunday, January 1.

 

• Approved a Lawful Gambling Exempt Permit for the England Prairie Pioneer Club on Sunday, August 26, 2012, involving bingo and raffles.

Regular meetings of the Wadena County Board of Commissioners are usually scheduled at 9 a.m. the first Tuesday of the month and 9 a.m. the third Thursday of the month.