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GRANITE FALLS -- In a split vote Tuesday, the Yellow Medicine County Board approved a conditional use permit for Mark Sand & Gravel Co of Fergus Falls to set up a temporary hot mix asphalt plant in Stony Run Township.
Commissioner John Berends cast the dissenting vote.
Local residents Rob Stengel and his mother Pam Stengel spoke against the motion. Rob Stengel expressed concerns about potential pollution, property devaluation, and said his 3-year-old daughter has respiratory issues that could be adversely affected by plant emissions.
Pam Stengel said they had unanswered questions about potentially toxic emissions with potential ill effects on children and dogs, noise and dust nuisance from trucks running all day, and asked for a discretionary environmental assessment.
Mark Sand & Gravel Vice President Brianne Balcer noted the plant was in compliance with all conditions regarding dust and pollution mitigation, that the plant was only a temporary facility, which would operate for four weeks at most, but otherwise had no comment.
Berends said his experience with similar facilities was that neighbors always complained about the odor.
In other business, the board voted to approve a request from the Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Chippewa and Yellow Medicine County for a special benefit tax levy for 2024 of .0185% of the estimated market value of all taxable property withing the Authority's jurisdiction.
The HRA provides assistance to low income residents through the Housing Choice Voucher Program -- Section 8.
At the request of Rae Ann Keeler-Aus, director of the Yellow Medicine County Family Service Center, the board voted to approve a grant request to PrimeWest Health Community Reinvestment Program in the amount of $82,764 for a period of two years.
The board approved a bid for road striping to Sir Lines-a-Lot, LLC for $108,762. The only other bid submitted was for $127,777 from Traffic Solutions Inc.
The board denied a request for a pro rated refund of liquor license fees by Goodfellows in Stony Run Township.
The owners requested the refund due to closing for health reasons. The annual fee is $1,785 and the license still has seven months to run.
The board voted to approve a resolution providing for the sale of General Obligation Drainage Bonds in the approximate amount of $2,295,000 and has retained Ehlers & Associates as independent municipal advisor. The board will consider bond proposals and the awarding sale of bonds at its meeting on Sept. 26.