MINUTES & AGENDAS
December 16, 2025
December 16, 2025
The Lake of The Woods County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, December 16,2025 at Lake of the Woods County Government Center in the Commissioners’ Room.
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Jon Waibel called the meeting to order at 9:00a.m. and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited with the following members present: Commissioners: Jon Waibel, Ed Arnesen, Cody Hasbargen, Joe Grund, and Buck Nordlof. Also present was Auditor-Treasurer Lorene Hanson.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Commissioner Ed Arnesen and carried unanimously to approve the agenda with the following changes: Add: 2026 Sheriff Office Fees.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the official minutes of November 25,2025.
SOCIAL SERVICES
Claims
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Buck Nordlof, seconded by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen and carried unanimously to approve the following claims: Commissioners Warrants $8,770.09; Commissioners Warrants $7,711.32; Commissioners Warrants $13,125.00.
Lifecare Behavioral Health-Clinical Supervision Contract
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen, seconded by Commissioner Joe Grund and carried unanimously to approve the Lifecare Behavioral Health Clinical Supervision contract as presented and for Chair Jon Waibel and Social Services Director Amy Ballard to sign the same effective January 1, 2026.
Sanford Behavioral Health-Crisis Response Services Contract
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Ed Arnesen, seconded by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen and carried unanimously to approve the Sanford Behavioral Health Crisis Response Services contract as presented by Social Services Director Amy Ballard effective January 1, 2026.
Meridian Services Contract
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the services contract between Lake of the Woods County and Meridian Services Inc, for waiver case management services as presented effective January 1, 2026.
Auditor/Treasurer
Claims
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Commissioner Ed Arnesen and carried unanimously to approve the claims against the County as follows: Revenue $121,626.30; Road & Bridge $25,259.96; County Development $275.00; Joint Ditch $770.41; Solid Waste $32,802.32; EDA $1,476.71.
WARRANTS FOR PUBLICATION
Warrants Approved On 12/16/2025 For Payment 12/19/2025
Vendor Name Amount
Baudette/City Of 5,858.35
Clay County Sheriff 3,013.54
Co-Op Services, Inc. 4,280.54
Counties Providing Technology 4,452.00
John Deere Financial 2,436.60
KC TECH LLC 2,925.00
Koochiching Co Treasurer 2,500.00
Larkin Hoffman Attorneys 32,150.00
Law Offices Of Patrick D. Moren 12,002.66
LOW Highway Dept 3,759.84
Mar-Kit Landfill 11,828.75
Marshall County Environmental Services 2,373.78
MN Counties Intergovernmental Trust 4,436.00
Northdale Oil Inc. 8,303.62
Pb Distributing Inc 3,353.30
Pennington County Sheriff Office 15,860.00
Peppermint Creek Services, LLC 3,300.00
R & Q Trucking, Inc 2,784.00
University Of Mn 18,750.00
Ziegler, Inc 9,365.58
48 Payments less than 2000 28,477.14
Final Total 182,210.70
Further moved to authorize the payment of the following auditor warrants: November 26, 2025 for ($225.00); November 26, 2025 for $551,629.67; November 26 2025 for $1,226,096.51; December 4, 2025 for $3,704.20; December 11, 2025 for $58,429.44.
2026 Board Meeting Dates
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Ed Arnesen, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the following 2026 board meeting date:
2026 LAKE OF THE WOODS COUNTY BOARD MEETING DATES
January
Tuesday, January 6 (Organizational Meeting) 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
Tuesday, January 13 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
Tuesday, January 27 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
February
Tuesday, February 10 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
Tuesday, February 24 8:15 a.m. Lake Of The Woods School (TBD)
March
Tuesday, March 10 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
Tuesday, March 24 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
April
Tuesday, April 14 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
Tuesday, April 28 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
May
Tuesday, May 12 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
Tuesday, May 26 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
June
Tuesday, June 9 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
Monday, June 15 6:00 p.m. Board Of Equalization
Tuesday, June 16 10:00 a.m. NWA Meeting
Tuesday, June 23 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
July
Tuesday, July 14 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
Tuesday, July 28 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
August
Tuesday, August 4 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
Tuesday, August 25 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
September
Tuesday, September 8 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
Tuesday, September 22 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
October
Tuesday, October 13 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
Tuesday, October 27 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
November
Tuesday, November 10 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
Tuesday, November 24 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
December
Tuesday, December 15 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
Tuesday, December 15 6:00 p.m. TNT MEETING
Tuesday, December 29 9:00 a.m. Government Center, Commissioners Room
LAKE OF THE WOODS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MAY BE ATTENDING THE FOLLOWING:
AMC JOINT LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE: March 3-5 in St. Paul
AMC LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE: March 25-27 in Nisswa
AMC DISTRICT 2 MEETING: UNKNOWN DATE in June
AMC POLICY COMMITTEE: September 16-18 in Bemidji
AMC ANNUAL CONFERENCE: December 7-9 in Bloomington
LAKE OF THE WOODS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY MEETINGS
Lake of the Woods County Board of Commissioners will be attending these meetings on the 3rd
Tuesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. in the Commissioners Room at the Government Center
Permission to bid for Legal Publishing Bids
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen and carried unanimously to approve the request to advertise for Legal Publishing Bids.
CHS Joint Powers Agreement
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Buck Nordlof, seconded by Commissioner Ed Arnesen and carried unanimously to approve the CHS Joint Powers Agreement as presented and for Chair Jon Waibel and County Auditor-Treasurer Lorene Hanson to sign the same.
Permission to Hire Administrative Specialist
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Ed Arnesen, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the request to hire Madison Kotnik as administrative specialist for the Sheriff’s office at Grade 13, Step 1, $26.96 per hour at 273 points effective January 5, 2026.
County Attorney
Medical Examiner Appointment
Resolution
The following resolution was offered by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and the same being put to a vote was unanimously carried:
RESOLUTION TO APPOINT MEDICAL EXAMINER
Resolution No. 2025-12-02
WHEREAS, the County of Lake of the Woods County currently contracts with the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Services (UND) for medical examiner services and has named Dr. Mary Ann Sens as medical examiner for the County; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Mary Ann Sens has provided written notice to the County that effective January 1, 2026 she will no longer be employed by UND and further, the County was advised that Dr. Sens has been placed on administrative leave with pay, effective November 25, 2025; and
WHEREAS, at the time that the County entered into the extant contract with UND, UND was accredited with the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME); and
WHEREAS, the County has been advised that UND has lost its NAME Accreditation; and
WHEREAS, due to the loss of the NAME Accreditation and the resignation of Dr. Sens, the County will be terminating its Contract with UND; and
WHEREAS, the County intends to enter into a Contractual Agreement with the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office located in the City of Ramsey, County of Anoka, State of Minnesota for provision of medical examiner services as required by law and set forth in Minn. Stat. Chapter 390; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Quinn Piper, of Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office is a doctor of medicine licensed in the State of Minnesota and is a forensic pathologist certified by the American Board of Pathology and therefore qualifies as a coroner or medical examiner pursuant to statute; and
WHEREAS, Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office is presently NAME accredited; and
WHEREAS, under the terms of said future Agreement, the County of Lake of the Woods must appoint a Medical Examiner per statute; and
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Lake of the Woods County Board of Commissioners hereby appoints Dr. Quinn Piper, as the Lake of the Woods County Medical Examiner, pending termination of the extant contract with UND and pending execution of an agreement with Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office of Anoka County. Minnesota.
Sheriff
Cannabis Retail Application Approval
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Jon Waibel, seconded by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen and carried unanimously with Commissioner Ed Arnesen abstaining to approve the cannabis retail application from Lake of the Woods Cannabis Co. as presented by Sheriff Gary Fish.
Pine to Prairie Joint Powers Agreement
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the Pine to Prairie Joint Powers agreement and for Chair Jon Waibel, and County Auditor-Treasurer Lorene Hanson to sign the same effective January 1, 2026.
Sheriff’s Office Fees
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Commissioner Ed Arnesen and carried unanimously the Sheriff’s office fees as presented by Sheriff Gary Fish.
Tobin Fisheries
County Attorney Michelle Moren, and County Engineer Anthony Pirkl reviewed the Right of Way Ordinance violation in regards to the Tobin Fisheries building.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen, seconded by Commissioner Ed Arnesen and carried unanimously to approve the request to draft a resolution with corrective action that includes the building must be taken down or removed from the area within 60 days at the cost of the owner.
Public Works
Add to Agenda
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Ed Arnesen, seconded by Commissioner Joe Grund and carried unanimously to add solid waste walking floor purchase to the agenda.
Solid Waste Walking Floor Purchase
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen and carried unanimously to approve the purchase of a walking floor at the landfill in the amount of $128,000.00.
LRIP Resolution
Resolution
The following Resolution was offered by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the following:
LOCAL ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
LAKE OF THE WOODS COUNTY SPONSORING AGENCY
For Eighth Ave South East, City of Baudette Project
Resolution No. 2025-12-01
WHEREAS, the City of Baudette is applying to the Commissioner of Transportation for a grant from the Minnesota State Transportation Fund for Local Road Improvement for Project- Eighth Ave South East;
BE IT RESOLVED, that Lake of the Woods County agrees to act as the sponsoring agency for the project identified as Eighth Ave South East, seeking Local Road Improvement Program funding and has reviewed and approved the project as proposed. Sponsorship includes a willingness to secure and guarantee the local share of costs associated with this project and responsibility for seeing this project through to its completion, with compliance of applicable laws, rules and regulations; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Lake of the Woods County hereby authorizes County Engineer, Anthony Pirkl to act as agent on behalf of this sponsoring agency.
Set Public Hearing
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to set a public hearing for an amendment to the ATV Ordinance for January 13, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.
Ditch Authority
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Ed Arnesen, seconded by Commissioner Joe Grund and carried unanimously to close the regular meeting and open the ditch authority.
Ditch Review
The Board of Commissioner and County Engineer Anthony Pirkl reviewed the ditch assessments for 2026 and discussed other ditch related items.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Ed Arnesen, seconded by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen and carried unanimously to close the ditch authority and open the regular meeting.
Recorder
County Recorder Sue Ney reviewed the judicial private date security statute that allows the county to charge up to $75.00 per notice, request, and consent.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Buck Nordlof, seconded by Commissioner Ed Arnesen and carried unanimously to approve Private Data Security fees as presented by County Recorder Sue Ney.
Northwest Community Action (NWCA)
NWCA Representatives Diane Hayes and John Wynn reviewed the housing rehabilitation agreements packet and requested final approval from the board.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Buck Nordlof, seconded by Commissioner Ed Arnesen and carried unanimously to approve the housing rehabilitation agreements packet as presented and for Chair Jon Waibel and County Auditor-Treasurer Lorene Hanson to sign the same.
IT
Knowbe4 Contract
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the Knowbe4 Contract as presented by IT Director John Butenhoff.
Recess
A brief recess took place at 10:55 a.m. and reconvened at 6:00p.m. for the Truth in Taxation meeting.
Truth In Taxation Meeting
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to close the regular meeting and open the Public Hearing for Truth In Taxation meeting at 6:00p.m. Members present, Commissioners Cody Hasbargen, Joe Grund, Buck Nordlof, Jon Waibel, and Ed Arnesen. Others present, County Auditor/Treasurer Lorene Hanson, County Engineer Anthony Pirkl, Deputy Auditor-Treasurer Anna Sanchez, Ed Anderson, Rose Anderson, Toby Burk, and Don Smith.
County Auditor/Treasurer Lorene Hanson reviewed the 2026 Proposed County Budget & Levy at the Truth In Taxation Public Hearing.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Commissioner Buck Nordlof and carried unanimously to close the public hearing and open the regular meeting at 6:25 p.m.
2026 Certified Budget
Resolution
Resolution Adopting
Certified 2026 Budget and Tax Levy
Resolution 2026-12-03
The following Resolution was proposed and moved for adoption by Commissioner Joe Grund:
WHEREAS, the Proposed County Budget for the year 2026 has been reviewed by the Lake of the Woods County Board of Commissioners; and
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the following Proposed Budget and Tax Levy is hereby adopted for Lake of the Woods County for 2026:
Revenue Fund $ 2,450,300
Road & Bridge Fund $520,000
Social Services Fund $700,000
Economic Development Authority Fund $50,000
2026 Proposed Budget and Tax Levy $ 3,720,300
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following amounts be levied against the unorganized townships of Lake of the Woods County for 2026:
Twp Road & Bridge $546,470*
Twp Fire – Baudette $30,750
Twp Fire – Williams $21,340
Twp Fire – NW Angle $6,500
Total $605,060
2026
* $546,470 for Township Road & Bridge, includes $5,000 Blue Blades and $12,765 Admin of Township Roads (528,705+5,000+12,765=546,470)
A public meeting to discuss the 2026 Proposed Budget and Tax Levy was held on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in the Lake of the Woods County Commissioners’ Room.
The motion was seconded by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen, and the same being put to a vote, was unanimously carried and the Proposed Budget is now the Certified Budget.
Adjourn
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Joe Grund, seconded by Commissioner Cody Hasbargen and carried unanimously to adjourn the meeting at 6:35 p.m.
Attest: December 30, 2025
________________________________ _________________________________
Auditor/Treasurer Lorene Hanson Chair Jon Waibel