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Commissioners tour county, view projects

Lead Summary
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By
Mavis Fodness

County commissioners received a firsthand look at various projects in Rock County on their annual road tour June 21.
Meeting in the afternoon, commissioners completed the 2 ½-hour transit bus ride prior to the 5 p.m. board meeting.
A 7 p.m. Board of Equalization meeting ended their day. No property adjustment requests were made.
The tour took commissioners to areas in Kanaranzi, Beaver Creek and Luverne.
County Administrator Kyle Oldre, County Engineer Mark Sehr and Land Management Director Eric Hartman directed the tour.
 
Kanaranzi park
Commissioners authorized Oldre and Sehr to present sealed bids to the Hills-Beaver Creek School District to purchase surplus playground equipment for the Kanaranzi park.
Playground equipment needs to be updated in Kanaranzi park, one of two parks in Rock County (the other is Schoneman Park south of Luverne).
“This park gets some use,” Oldre said.
The county is looking at replacing the merry-go-round and the swing set with a larger swing set and two jungle gyms. H-BC recently purchased new equipment for the elementary school in Beaver Creek, and old equipment is for sale.
The playground equipment in Beaver Creek was also part of the commissioners’ tour.
 
Recycling sheds
Cameras were installed at two of the county’s nine recycling sheds in an effort to stop garbage and other household waste from being dumped into the green bins.
Beaver Creek and the Hills recycling sheds now have cameras to identify perpetrators.
“It’s just these two (sites) that we have calls on,” said LMO director Hartman.
Commissioners viewed the motion-sensitive camera at the Beaver Creek recycling shed and noted that a microwave and a bicycle rim were left in the shed. This was just days after the area had been cleared of other household waste, including a television.
The large green bins are for recyclable materials only.
Recently installed posters at each of the nine locations show what should be recycled and what should be considered garbage for the landfill.
 
Rural water route
Commissioners toured two proposed routes to connect the Blue Mounds State Park to Rock County Rural Water.
In November the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources approved a feasibility study to determine the best route. The DNR is searching for a permanent solution to the ongoing drinking water issues at the park.
“Generally landowners have been helpful in knowing where the rock formations are,” Oldre said.
Engineers are able to determine a route within 1,000 feet of the park property before rock formations are found.
Easements were garnered from all but two landowners, located directly east of the park, for the feasibility study.
Engineers are considering routes coming from the north or south to the park’s office, where its water distribution center is located.
 
Other tour stops
From the transit bus commissioners viewed five agricultural improvement projects coordinated by the LMO.
Three projects involve reconstructed waterways, new terraces and a new manure management system. The other two projects involved constructing a series of future terraces.
Other highlights of the tour included the Loop trail, pedestrian crossing lights on Highway 75, proposed entry points for kayaking/canoeing on the Rock River, and remodeling progress at The History Center.
 
In other business, the commissioners:
• accepted the retirement request from Mark Hovland of  the Land Records office. He retires with 30 years of service. The position opening will be advertised.

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