Morton County Commission 2026-10-27

At its regular meeting on October 27, 2026, the Morton County Commission approved the low bid from RDO Equipment Company for two 2027 John Deere 772P motor graders and wings, to be delivered after January 1, 2027. The motion stated a total cost of $662,000; the highway department’s presentation also cited $673,140 including accessories, against a 2027 budget allocation of $1.09 million. Commissioners approved the county’s annual NDDOT maintenance certification. They also authorized installation of signs on a county-road bridge honoring PFC Adolf John Wetch; the Department of Veterans Affairs will pay for the signs, while the county will provide installation equipment and labor. The commission approved an Operation Green Light for Veterans declaration for November 4–11; the presenter described a possible small lighting purchase of about $60 per light, but no separate purchase authorization was recorded.

A representative presented a proposed 20-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement for a planned ethanol facility near Glen Ullin, estimated at more than $800 million, requesting $350,000 annually. Commissioners did not approve the proposal; they raised concerns about the term, road and bridge costs, and the proposed payment’s effect on local taxes, and discussed further analysis and negotiations. The commission also adopted Resolution 30-2026-02, lifting the data-center and cryptocurrency-mining moratorium after county land-use standards were established. Other actions included forwarding a reported Huff junkyard/zoning complaint for further investigation and approving several property-tax abatements.