Upgrades in Ottertail, Fergus Falls come at no cost to taxpayers

By Robert Williams

Editor

Otter Tail County Deputy Administrator Nick Leonard provided a resolution that was adopted regarding the Guaranteed Energy Savings Project for facility improvements and two 40 kW solar arrays, one located at the Government Services Center in Fergus Falls and the other at the Operations Center in Ottertail using the Department of Commerce’s Solar on Public Buildings grant program.

“This is a good thing for the taxpayer, ultimately, and I just want to commend you for the work that you put into it and I’m sure it will be a good relationship with McKinstry over the years,” said District 5 Commissioner Sean Sullivan.

McKinstry Essention, LLC has completed an Investment Grade Audit for Otter Tail County, which identifies specific projects and opportunities for cost savings, efficiency improvements, and long-term facility performance enhancements; and the proposed Guaranteed Energy Savings Project will support the county’s goals of reducing energy consumption, lowering utility costs, extending the useful life of county facilities, and aligning with broader county sustainability objectives at no additional cost to county taxpayers.

“I think this is a great move for the county,” said District 4 Commissioner (Vice Chair) Robert Lahman. “Both solar and the electrical upgrades—the solar costs us virtually nothing plus it gives us the benefit of electricity. Otter Tail Power gains because they can use the credit with this program too. So, everybody gains.”

The project is paid for in total by grant monies from the Department of Commerce and rebates through Otter Tail Power.

A summary of economics and cash flow lists the project costs of $1,528,635 with projected annual energy savings of $81,400, upcoming capital budget(s) savings of $900,000, a return of $73,500 through rebates, incentives and direct pay and a 25-year savings prediction of $2.6 million.

Dangerous dogs

County Administrator Nicole Hansen announced slight changes to the Animal Bite and Dangerous Dog Ordinance.

Updated a June 2018 ordinance after being recently reviewed to remove references to OTC Public Health to provide clarity so that complaints and reports in the county are investigated by the sheriff’s office. Language was also cleaned up regarding rabies or rabies exposure because the purpose of the ordinance is to regulate potentially dangerous domestic animals, not just focus on rabies. The changes were made to reflect how the county operated in dealing with dog cases, mainly that public health had not been involved in comparison to the sheriff’s office.

The ordinance was also modified to apply to all areas of the county, excluding cities and townships that have their own ordinances. 

The county held a public hearing on the changes with no comments from the public.

The board approved the ordinance changes with an adoption date of Oct. 1.

Highway

Interim County Engineer Rick West presented an agreement and resolution between the county and the Minnesota Department of Transportation regarding detours during the Trunk  Highway 210 Interchange reconstruction project to begin in 2026.

Highway 1 has been designated as the future detour route. The City of Fergus Falls has a separate agreement to utilize Lincoln Avenue as a detour.

The project includes replacing two existing bridges with a single structure, reducing lanes from four to two, and constructing three roundabouts at the interchange ramps and Redwood Lane.

Open House

County Commissioners hosted a community open house on Monday, Sept. 15, from 7-9 p.m., at the Dent Community Center at 201 Birch Street. This was not a formal Board of Commissioners meeting, but an opportunity for residents to engage directly with commissioners and county staff about local initiatives and services.

Commissioner Dan Bucholz, representing District 1, invitesdresidents to attend.

“This open house gives us the chance to listen to you, share what we’re working on, and talk about how we can serve our communities,” Bucholz said. “We look forward to seeing you in Dent.”

County employees from several departments will be on hand to share information and answer questions. Highlights of the event include:

• Highway Transportation Plan Presentation: Engineers from the County Highway Department will provide an overview of the county’s long-range transportation and safe roads planning.

• Community Development Updates: Community Development staff will share details about new housing and community projects.

• Technology Demonstration: Staff from the financial services team will demonstrate the latest innovation in paying taxes online.

Following the brief presentations, attendees were able to speak directly with county commissioners, ask questions, and provide feedback. Light refreshments were served.

The event was open to all.

Transportation

Health Educator Emily Frustol reported on the Toward Zero Deaths grant update and traffic safety efforts over the past year.

The Otter Tail County Safe Communities Coalition (OTCSCC) is a local group carrying out the efforts of Minnesota’s statewide Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) traffic safety program.

Frustol presented local and regional crash data from 2020-204 in regards to fatalities and serious injuries.

Year, county fatalities (serious injuries), State fatalities

2020 – 9, (22), 393

2021 9, (23), 486

2022 9, (21), 439

2023 3, (35), 411

2024 10 (44), 477

2025* 2, (21), 219

January through Aug. 17, 2025

“So far this year, we have reported two traffic fatalities in Otter Tail County, while the state has recorded 219, which is 20 percent less than this time last year and the lowest since 2019, so we’re on a good trajectory there,” said Frustol.

Frustol also reported 2020-2024 rate of fatalities and serious injuries per vehicle mile traveled.

“Otter Tail County rates higher than the state average in the speeding category, impaired and unbelted, but we rank below the state average in destruction and pedestrian and biking categories,” said Frustol.

The next meeting of the Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners will be held Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 8:30 a.m., at the Government Services Building in Fergus Falls. Meetings can also be viewed live on the Otter Tail County YouTube Channel.