By Robert Williams

Editor

The “Growing Up Vergas” daycare program was brought up during the Otter Tail County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, April 28, at the Government Services Center in Fergus Falls.

Children and Families Unit Supervisor Stephanie Olson discussed the city’s Rural Child Care Innovation Program (RCCIP), an initiative of First Children’s Finance and a community engagement process designed to increase the supply of high-quality, affordable child care in rural communities.

Olson discussed the secured land on East Altona Drive, the plan to build a duplex and Olson and her team are holding monthly meetings with Vergas officials on the project.

Ottertail recently completed a new daycare facility. A duplex containing two daycares in Perham will be licensed by next week. Fergus Falls is also creating daycares in a pair of duplexes.

“It’s just awesome to see all these projects going on,” Olson said. “All of them are supporting local businesses for the building sites and numerous businesses are donating their time, materials and things. It shows how important childcare is to our community and economic development. That’s been wonderful to be a part of those developments.”

According to Olson, there are eight other daycares waiting to be licensed to open in the provider’s own homes.

District 2 Commissioner Wayne D. Johnson commended the team for keeping the county’s daycare numbers at an even state and keeping up with the need.

“At least we’re maintaining and not losing ground to it,” Johnson said. “That’s kudos to your work, getting these licenses and helping people get to that point in time where they can open those businesses and the rest of these businesses that have really helped with these duplexes. These cities have stepped up. It’s a partnership and it’s taken a lot of help from a lot of places.” 

American Idol

The City of Fergus Falls has designated Wednesday, May 6, to be Chris Tungseth Day. Tungseth has advanced to the final five performers on the television show “American Idol.”

According to District 5 Commissioner Sean Sullivan, if Tungseth advances to the final three contestants on Monday, May 4, a parade will be held Wednesday, May 6, along with a concert in Fergus Falls.

Sullivan noted producers of the show have been working with city officials and are estimating anywhere from 10,000-15,000 people would be coming into town.

Foster Care

Otter Tail County is asking individuals and families to consider becoming foster parents. The number of children who need safe, stable homes continues to grow, and the county needs caring foster families to step up and May is Child Foster Care Month.

“Otter Tail County prioritizes placing children with relatives whenever possible. Family restoration is our ultimate goal,” said Olson. “However, there are times when that is not an option, and we look to our community to help provide safe homes for children.”

Foster care gives children a temporary home while their families work through challenges. Foster parents provide stability and emotional support that can make a lasting difference. The need for foster families in Otter Tail County spans all ages, from infants to teenagers.

“There are children in our community who need a safe, loving place to stay,” said Jody Dahlen, Child Foster Care Licensor. “Foster parents have an opportunity to make a real difference in a child’s life.”

Foster parents come from all walks of life. Whether people are married or single, own a home or rent, or already have children, they can make a positive impact. Otter Tail County provides the licensing process, resources, and ongoing support so foster parents feel prepared and confident.

One local foster mom put it this way:

“Love them and let them go? Yes, it sounds hard, and it is. Maybe it’s not for everyone, but does it take a special kind of superhuman quality? I don’t think so. Everyone, if they look deep enough, will see that they too can find room to love another child for a little while.”

An Otter Tail County social worker will guide people through the process and make sure you have the tools and support they need. For information on the application process and resources for foster families, call (218) 998-8150 or visit ottertailcounty.gov and search “Child Foster Care.”

Share this message with friends, family, and neighbors. 

Otter Tail County offers an outreach toolkit to help organizations plan, promote, and raise awareness about the need for foster parents. The toolkit includes graphics, content, and resources to help recruit foster families across the county.

Access the toolkit at: ottertailcounty.gov/toolkit/foster-care/child-foster-care-outreach-toolkit/

Mental Health

Commissioners also passed a resolution to make May Mental Health Month, an annual proclamation that began in 1949, created by Mental Health America.

“So we’re here some 70+ years later and I think we see today that message of wanting to spread hope, support, resources in the community and decrease stigma is just as important today as it was some 70 years ago,” said Social Services Supervisor Megan Adams.

Adams and Health Educator Reese Ellison will be back before the board in May to further discuss the services provided in the county.

Adams also discussed the Adult Mental Health Local Advisory Council (LAC) annual report.

The LAC hosted educational presentations, including National Alliance on Mental Illness’ (NAMI) overview of local support groups. A family workshop is planned on June 6, at Lake Region Healthcare. Mental health distributed resource baskets countywide in May and October; staffed booths at Dandelion Days and BCOW and published a suicide-prevention billboard in collaboration with Otter Tail County Public Health.

Priority Areas were identified: Public Education; including Public Service Announcements, media outreach, and expanding basket locations.

Other priorities include: Housing; membership; access to services; transportation; pet board and care and a Mental Health Emergency Department.

Recommendations to County Commissioners were: to continue permanent supportive housing in our community; explore strategies to strengthen mental health staffing and workforce capacity; improve affordable transportation options for appointments and community integration and support development of a Mental Health Emergency Department.

Human Services

Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner Shireen Gandhi commended county staff for perfect performance in meeting the DHS financial reporting requirements for calendar year 2025. All key quarterly fiscal reports for programs the county participates in were submitted to the Financial Operations Division on or before the report deadlines in perfect order. This effort required submission of 32 major reports covering the four calendar quarters of 2025.

Small Business

May 3-9 was proclaimed National Small Business Week. Community Development Director Amy Baldwin related the following information about small businesses in the county: Otter Tail County is home to over 1,800 business establishments; nearly 30 percent of the approximately 31,000 individuals employed in the county work in small businesses, underscoring the vital role these enterprises play in supporting livelihoods and opportunities for residents; and small businesses in contribute significantly to the county’s economic success, generating a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of approximately $3.28 billion in 2024.

Johnson and Board Chair Robert Lahman discussed the impact small businesses have on the county’s communities. Lahman spoke firsthand having owned multiple businesses in Parkers Prairie over the years.

“It’s important to the communities,” Lahman said. “It keeps the communities running and provides a few jobs. It’s a big thing.”

“Typically, those small businesses are the ones supporting the non-profits,” Johnson said. “Oftentimes it’s the small business who will donate something for that purpose; that keeps everything in the community going, as well.”

Jail

Commissioners approved the annual renewal and compensation adjustment for Wellpath, a provider of health services at the Otter Tail County Jail, presented by Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbons. The increase is the contractually allowed minimum Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase of 4.5 percent, resulting in an increase in base compensation from $688,188.93 to $719,157.43

Annually. Operating costs are $31,587.01 monthly and $379,044.06 annually and the management fee is $59,929.79 monthly and $719,157.43 annually. Wellpath developed the proposal based on current wage rates.

Hazard Mitigation

Grants were approved to be provided to Battle Lake, up to $18,075 Ottertail and Underwood. Battle Lake will install a generator on a sanitary sewer lift station; Ottertail and Underwood will install outdoor warning sirens. Underwood is installing an existing siren to its one existing siren. Ottertail is installing its first siren with future plans to expand the coverage area. One remaining grant will be provided to Cliterhall for a siren, but will not be on the board’s agenda until later in May.

Battle Lake will receive $10,674; Ottertail will receive $18,075 and Underwood will receive $14,761. Each city will match the total grant amount received from the county based upon the expenditure of one dollar of grantee funds for each two dollars of grant funding.

Recycling

Assistant Solid Waste Director Scott Bjerke discussed ongoing efforts to expand single-sort recycling in the northeast quadrant of the county. The County is purchasing recycling carts and distributing them at no charge to residents within the service area.

Commissioners approved the Solid Waste Department’s request to purchase 6,192 carts at the quoted price of $405,323.04. The purchase is grant-funded with a 25 percent local match.

Snowmobile

An annual resolution for Otter Tail County to be the financial sponsor of the four snowmobile clubs was approved unopposed with Lahman abstaining from the vote.

The clubs are Otter Trail Riders Snowmobile Club (Maintains trails near Fergus Falls/Ottertail); ULTRA Snowmobile Club (Upper Leaf Trails Recreation Association). Dalton Snow Thrashers (Based near Dalton) and Midnite Riders Snowmobile Club (Operates in the western area of the county). These clubs, often in coordination with others, maintain over 700-miles of groomed trails in the Otter Tail County area.