The Sherburne County Board last week decided to compromise on a request by the Palmer Twp. Board to receive park dedication funds.

The township was requesting $29,850 from the county in park dedication funds. That was the balance in the fund that had been collected in Palmer Twp.

The township was requesting the funds to help pay for improvements to Palmer Park, including a nine-hole disc golf course and new ballfield with a total project cost of $47,496.87.

The Sherburne County Park & Trail Advisory Committee had recommended denying the request and using the park funds in the township as part of the required grant match for the county’s newest park - Two Inlets at Bdé Heḣáka - Omashkooz Zaaga’igaans Regional Park. The committee stated that the decision was in line with priorities set forth in the county park dedication fund policy.  

Before the board made a decision, Administrator Bruce Messelt said the board had a few different options.

They could follow the recommendation of the advisory committee and deny the request, concluding that the funds were earmarked for higher priorities under county policy.

The board could approve the request and allocate the full amount since the request meets statute requirements.

Or they could compromise.

“It’s within the board’s discretion to consider a partial utilization of funds for the town, with an acknowledgement that all future parks and trails dedication fees in the township would go first and foremost to make your parks department whole,” he said.

Commissioner Andrew Hulse said he was in favor of the third option.

“I don’t feel right about the all-or-nothing approach,” he said.

“Most of the funds were collected long before there was a county park there,” Commissioner Gary Gray agreed.

Hulse recommended allocating $20,000 to the township. After further discussion the board agreed not to include any language about how to allocate future funds collected within the township until the board could review the policy. Then they voted 5-0 to allocate the $20,000.

Interchange Design

The board approved an amendment with Bolton & Menk, Inc. for the Hwy. 169 Co. Rd. 4 Interchange design. Because of required Hwy. 169 access closures within 1/2 mile, it is necessary to design and construct local city street connections to accommodate the movements in and around Zimmerman.

The county has been allocated by the state legislature an additional $2 million in design and property acquisition for the required changes.

Sewage Grant

The board approved the submission of an application to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for the 2025 Low-Income Fix-up Subsurface Sewage Treatment System Grant in the amount of  $54,000. The county received $29,567 in 2023. To date, 86 septic grants have been awarded to county property owners that have met requirements and a total $235,078 in grant funds spent.

Other Business

In other actions the board:

• Approved a resolution effecting the revocation of an existing Conditional Use Permit (Cellular Tower) in Big Lake Twp. at the request of the property owner because the property legal description has changed due to platting;

• Approved second-quarter donations received by Health & Human Services totalling $3,278.92;

• Passed a resolution to prohibit parking along Co. Rd. 4 from 10th Street West to Co. Rd. 45 within the city limits of Zimmerman.