BSCB receives updates and approves 2024 audit report

The Big Stone County Board met for a regular meeting on Tuesday, April 15, at the Big Stone County Courthouse in Ortonville. 

Board members approved the meeting agenda and amended minutes from their meeting on April 1. They also authorized the payment of bills. 

During committee reports, board members discussed information from recent meetings. 

Commissioner Jeff Klages shared information from a Big Stone County Purchasing and Property Management meeting. He reviewed the progress of the Courthouse HVAC Project. Klages reported that Gunner Construction should complete taping, texturing, and painting this month, and the installation of carpets will follow. 

Commissioner Klages delivered notes from a PrimeWest meeting. He highlighted that PrimeWest reported $182 million in total assets, $62.5 million in liabilities, and $38 million in revenue in February. Klages noted that PrimeWest’s net income for January was a loss of $487,000 but that the net income for February was $186 million. He also highlighted that enrollment decreased by 1,355 members. 

Commissioner Chad Zimmel provided information from a Western Probation Services meeting. He shared that the organization reviewed its financial reports. Zimmel reported that Western Probation Services is working to set up meetings with local governments and organizations to discuss ideas for how to provide probation services moving forward with recent funding changes. He highlighted that the organization collected $9,205 in supervision fees in 2024. Zimmel shared supervision statistics for Western Probation Services from Dec. 1, 2024, to April 1, 2025. He reported that the organization recorded 70 new adults and 15 new juveniles, for a total supervision number of 404 adults and 56 juveniles. 

Commissioner Wade Athey shared notes from a Big Stone County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) meeting. He reported there are currently two vacancies but three applicants on the waiting list. Athey reported that the HRA’s audit went well with the new audit company, which found 11 corrections. 

Commissioner Paul Radermacher delivered highlights from a Countryside Public Health meeting. He reported that the organization is working on a budget change due to a COVID Recovery Grant running through 2026, not 2025. The $1,385,000 grant reimbursed all but $160,000 of eligible expenses. 

Commissioner Bill Thyne shared information from a Big Stone County Historical Society meeting. He reported that the museum approved its budget and plans to open on May 6 with operating hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday. 

Board members received updates and addressed action items following committee reports. 

Family Services Director Laura Laub shared an update regarding Region 6W’s application for a Sauer Family Foundation Grant. She noted that the grant is for exploring and assessing projects related to Family Resource Centers. Laub reported that Swift County Human Services recently received a grant award from the Sauer Family Foundation worth $223,300 for Region 6W. 

Family Services Director Laub provided an update regarding Big Stone County’s proposed Child Care Licensing Joint Powers Agreement. She shared a letter from Larry Hosch of the Minnesota Department of Human Services detailing how, instead of executing separate joint powers agreements for each county, DHS will use a one-time, direct payment method for reimbursing counties for childcare license fees. 

Sheriff Mark Brown introduced Deputy Sheriff Jake Lillehaug, who was the recipient of Big Stone County’s ICPOET grant and recently began work as a full-time member of the Big Stone County Sheriff’s Department. 

Big Stone County approved a 2025 Department of Natural Resources Boat and Water Grant and approved Sheriff Brown to sign as the authorized representative. The grant is worth $3,706. 

Board members approved the City of Ortonville Law Enforcement Agreement between the City of Ortonville and the Big Stone County Sheriff’s Department. The City of Ortonville approved the agreement at its regular meeting on April 7. The contract runs through 2027. 

Board members approved a Print Services Contract with Marcos. The new contract runs for five years, with the county leasing seven new devices and purchasing three existing devices from the company. Under the new agreement, the county will save approximately $458.52 per month thanks to reduced costs associated with the purchase and continued use of three older machines as penny assets. 

Big Stone County Engineer Jorden Roggenbuck shared updates regarding Highway Department activities. He highlighted that preliminary planning for Phase I of the City of Graceville’s Safe Routes to School Grant is complete, and bid letting is scheduled for May. Roggenbuck also noted that Phase II of the project received notification of being awarded $283,000. He also shared that Big Stone County was awarded $118,000 through an MPCA Stormwater Resiliency Grant for the CSAH 20 culvert south of the assisted living facility in Graceville and that the Highway Department is still developing plans and specifications. Roggenbuck also highlighted that Big Stone County received notification of an award of $300,000 through the Protect Program to riprap the eastern shore of Toqua Lake along CSAH 20 and the east side of CSAH 25 adjacent to Artichoke Lake. 

Board members authorized the Highway Department to receive quotes for repairing 2023 FEMA ditch damages. Engineer Roggenbuck reported that he broke the repairs into two phases for bidding to accommodate the need for a long-reach excavator for work on several of the locations. 

Board members approved Big Stone County’s 2024 Financial Statements and ordered their publication following an audit presentation by Layne Kockelman of Abdo.

Kockelman detailed that Big Stone County received an unmodified (clean) opinion with no instances of noncompliance with Minnesota statutes or OMB Compliance Supplement requirements. 

Kockelman reported that Big Stone County’s General Fund Unrestricted Fund Balance had a reserve of seven months of budgeted expenditures. He noted that the county’s Fund Balance Policy only calls for 42 percent, or five months, of budgeted expenditures in reserves in the General Fund. Kockelman also highlighted that the Highway Department has two months of budgeted expenditures and Family Services has eight months of budgeted expenditures in reserves in their Unrestricted Fund Balances. 

Kockelman highlighted Big Stone County’s General Fund Budget to Actual information. He reported the county anticipated $6,154,652 in revenues but received $812,210 above that amount for a total of $6,966,862 in revenues. He also reported that the county anticipated $8,680,087 in expenditures but incurred an additional $2,666,897 above that amount for a total of $11,346,984 in expenditures. The county garnered a net loss of $1,854,687 in revenue over expenditures and received an additional $117,836 from capital assets sales and insurance proceeds for an overall net loss of $1,736,851. He noted that Big Stone County began 2024 with $15,452,796 in its General Fund and closed 2024 with $11,190.510. 

The Big Stone County Board meets again for a regular meeting on Tuesday, May 6, at 8:30 a.m. at the Big Stone County Courthouse in Ortonville.