Hough, Inc. gets bid for Frazee Heartland Trail construction

The new four-season picnic shelter, public bathroom and warm-up area for winter enthusiasts, at Dunton Locks continues to be constructed.

By Robert Williams

Editor

The Becker County Board of Commissioners discussed a building at Dunton Locks in Detroit Lakes. 

This dirt floor 30×50 building has been on site at Dunton Locks in Detroit Lakes since 1976 and owned by the Pelican River Watershed District. The District is looking to partner with the county to remove the building to allow for more parking spaces at the new park facility being built 50 yards away but the county wants to examine paperwork from both parties dating back to the purchase to establish any partnership. The District wants the county to assist in purchasing or constructing a suitable storage building in the area.

According to Pelican River Watershed District Administrator Tera Guetter, the property was purchased by the watershed district from a private party with state grant funding and its own match. At the time of purchase, the district was not interested in owning land and transferred that ownership to the county.

The Watershed does own the building that houses two vehicles, a boat, kayaks and other miscellaneous items.

Discussions by the Watershed board has led to an interest in not owning anything on the Dunton Locks site, including the storage shed that is being discussed. 

In late 2024, the county approved the building of a new four-season picnic shelter with a heated building to house bathrooms and a warm-up area for winter enthusiasts.

The storage shelter is north of the former picnic shelter.

Given the activities of the Watershed District and boats and equipment stored in the shed, the District is interested in acquiring a new facility in the area but offsite of the Dunton Locks property, according to Guetter.

“We’re open, if the county would start thinking about helping us pay for a new facility, that way we would not be on our own; we would be willing to work with you on starting some sort of process in helping us locate somewhere in this area for housing our equipment,” she said.

Commissioner Hansen discussed the impetus of these projects coming together was a future increase in need for more parking. 

Commissioner Nelson debated the actual purchase of the property stating he believes it was purchased under the assessed value by the county.

“If you can show the Pelican Watershed has money into the property that might alter what I think,” he said. “I don’t think it’s our responsibility to find a place for you guys. I think that’s your responsibility to find out where you want to be.”

Nelson wanted to see the storage shed taken down, claiming it had reached its “end of life.” The dirt floor building is 30×50 and has been on site since 1976.

Commissioner Hansen rebutted by stating there are people (a potential buyer) willing to move it off the property.

The two found agreement in the need for more parking in the future.

“I was hoping we would work together on this,” said Guetter. “Otherwise we also have to put up money and we felt that there is some value there for the county to have that area for the parking lot and we’re very open to that transaction.”

Hansen, who was on the Watershed board at its last meeting prior to taking his county commissioner position, related the thoughts of the District in thinking they own the building and the county needed to buy them out or find a new space.

“We were all over the board,” said Hansen.

Chairman Meyer and County Administrator Carrie Smith advised both parties to gather all the information possessed in regards to the building’s ownership and the land.

Smith noted her cursory review is that a partnership was made to build the building but there was no agreement in regards to the future and the life of the building.

“I think that’s the missing piece,” said Smith.

“If the Watershed put any money into the land then that’s a different story to me…if we owe anything,” said Nelson. “As far as the building, I think a 50-year-old pole shed is at the end of life. If they did, then I feel there is an obligation to pay that off and get a solution on that.”

Contradictions exist between the records of the Watershed and the county. Staff will gather that information and bring it back to the board for more discussion.

Appointments

Commissioner Barry Nelson was reappointed to a three-year term on the Lakeland Mental Health Center board.

The board is advertising to replace Phil Hansen to represent Position 6 (Melissa Lake) on the Pelican River Watershed District Board of Managers. Hansen resigned from the Watershed upon being elected to the Board of Commissioners.

John Okeson, former Board Chairman, was appointed to replace Hank Ludtke on the County’s Recreational Advisory Committee (RAC). Ludtke officially retired from the committee earlier this year. Okeson will fill the remainder of Ludtke’s term in District 3. The RAC also has one open member at-large position, which is also being advertised.

Commissioner Erica Jepson will be attending Government to Government: Tribal-State Relations Training in Mahnomen Jan. 29-30.

Commissioners Nelson and Hansen will attend the Northwest Minnesota Watershed District Manager Orientation/Refresher Training Tuesday, Feb. 25, in Detroit Lakes at the Detroit Lakes Police Community Room.

A clarification was made to assignments on two committees:

Labor Negotiation Committee – Meyer and Jepson

Salary review board for elected officials – Meyer and Jepson.

Donations

The board approved a donations from the Damien Society of 100 tokens for the Becker County Transit to the Becker County Veterans Service Office, for distribution to Becker County Veterans in need of transportation based on their appreciation for the service of those Veterans/

A second donation was approved from Betty Bigger, a private individual, who donated $250 to the Becker County Veterans Service Office in memory of her husband, an Army paratrooper, requesting that it be used for Becker County Veterans.

Becker County entered into a grant agreement with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) in the amount of $10,000 to conduct the following: County Veterans Service Office Operational Enhancement Grant Program.

Environmental Services

The board approved the following expenditures: $25,350 for a Scrap Bucket and Grapple; $57,493.28 to purchase 23 radios for Environmental Services; $29,750 for a Kraken PU3340 concrete pulverizer; and an AMI sorting grapple attachment from RDO Equipment for a requested amount of $23,250.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) approved a Greater Minnesota Waste Reduction, Reuse, Recycling, and Composting Grant (GMWRRRC) grant application from Becker County for the amount of $178,096.60 to help the County begin a separated source of organics collection and waste diversion program.

This grant will help Becker County begin a separated source organics waste diversion program which will help divert organics to a permitted organics composting facility and reduce the amount of solid waste sent to end disposal at the Perham incinerator or a designated landfill. Initially, Becker County will reach out to sources that generate large amounts of organic waste, which would include grocery stores, schools, restaurants, etc. Additionally, staff is proposing to have organics collection offered at the public recycling drop sites in Detroit Lakes, possibly Audubon, Frazee, and Lake Park. The program roll out will be coordinated by Ari DeVries, MN Green Corps member, who will be working in the County until next fall on this program.

The grant funding will be used to purchase equipment, program literature, and related program costs. The organics will be mixed with ground wood waste at the County Solid Waste Campus and temporarily stored in roll-off containers and then loaded into waste trailers and transferred out to the Glacial Ridge Compost Facility, located near Hoffman, MN. The program will be utilizing Becker County recycling trucks to service accounts weekly.

Environmental Services Administrator Steve Skoog will be reporting on the program monthly.

Trails

County Highway Engineer Jim Olson announced the winning bid by Hough, Inc., of $668,673.03 to complete the Heartland Trail into Frazee. Hough’s bid was 22 percent below the engineer’s estimate of the project. 

“It should leave us some remaining bond funds in our county that we can use,” said Olson.

Planning & Zoning

A public hearing was held on behalf of the MPCA in regards to a permit to construct a Calf Facility – Parcel # 37.0072.000 – Aho Dairy, LLC, 18801 Aho Road in Frazee.

The application and public notice published in the Frazee-Vergas Forum were provided for review. There was no public comment. The hearing was closed and reported to the MPCA.