Комиссия округа Доуглас утвердила бюджетные ассигнования на 2027 год и разрешила добычу щебня

DOUGLAS COUNTY — Douglas County commissioners doled out more than $734,000 in appropriations at their Tuesday, Sept. 1, meeting. This is about $66,000 less than what was requested by leaders of various organizations/agencies at the Aug. 18 meeting. Out of the 17 organizations/agencies, eight of them received the appropriation amount that was requested with nine of them getting a lesser amount than what was requested. ADVERTISEMENT Here is a look at the 2027 appropriations, with the amount requested in parenthesis: The entire meeting can be viewed on the “Douglas County, MN - Board of Commissioners” YouTube channel, youtube.com/@DouglasCountyMN-CountyBoard. - Rainbow Rider – $27,866.19 (same) - West Central Initiative – $11,440 (same) - ENCORE! - Center for Vibrant Aging – $20,000 (requested $25,000) - Douglas County Water Quality Legacy Fund – $25,000 (requested $50,000) - Dancing Sky Area Agency on Aging – $9,826 (same) - Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce – $4,000 (same) - Central Minnesota Elder Network – $12,000 (same) - Douglas County Ag Association – $25,000 (requested $30,000) - Douglas County Historical Society – $25,000 (requested $40,000) - Douglas Soil and Water Conservation District – $321,255 (same) - Lakes Area Humane Society – $16,000 (requested $17,000) - Alexandria Area Economic Development Commission – $58,000 (requested $60,638) - Osakis Economic Development Commission – $7,000 (requested $8,000) - Viking Library System – $150,439 (same) - Regional Radio Board – $16,146.33 (same) - Glacial Ridge Trail – $1,000 (requested $1,000) - Chippewa River Watershed – $4,200 (same) All but one appropriation was approved by a vote of 5-0. The Douglas County Ag Association appropriation was approved 4-1. Commissioner Tim Kalina is the one who voted no. No discussion took place for any of the appropriations as the board had discussed the appropriations at a work session earlier Tuesday morning. Pazdernik mining operation Despite opposition from a few residents, the Pazdernick Properties, LLC, aggregate mine is moving forward. By a vote of 5-0, Douglas County commissioners accepted the Environmental Assessment Worksheet and made a negative declaration for any further environmental review. This means there is no need for more environmental study or review. In addition, the condition use permit, with its 23 conditions, was also approved by a vote of 5-0. This permit allows the aggregate mining operation including extraction, processing and stockpiling of materials, along with concrete storage/recycling. ADVERTISEMENT The mining operation is on 97-acres in LaGrand Township. It is located northwest of Alexandria and northeast of Garfield near the intersections of County Road 82 NW and 39th Avenue NW. The proposed lifespan is 50 years, after which the site will be restored to a usable condition for agriculture production, forest management/recreational uses and rural residential development. Here are just a few of the 23 conditions: Prior to any active aggregate mining occurring on the property, an operation and reclamation plan must be submitted to the Land and Resource Management Department that includes a map of the area drawn to scale with specific areas of the property designated as phases; extent of existing and proposed vegetation types (including those required); water features left or to be created along with any planned or required buffer area of that feature; and several other pieces of information. Once the plan is approved by the Land and Resource Management director, it must be followed and completed unless changes are approved in writing by the director. No more than 10 acres of the proposed pit may be actively mined without the commencement of reclamation on previously mined areas. The hours of operation within, along with to and from the facility, is limited to the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. No work can be done on Saturdays or Sundays. The state permitted access from County Road 82 is the only permitted access for mining and construction equipment along with hauling to and from the mine. There will be no more than 100 truck trips per day without an approved amendment to the conditional use permit. ADVERTISEMENT Traffic signs that state “Trucks Hauling” or “Truck Entering” or other approved messages must be posted when truck trips to and from the mine exceed six per hour for a duration of more than four hours. Dust control will be used within the mine at any time visible dust from a mining or processing operation can be observed leaving the boundaries of the mine property.