Board of Commissioners and Drainage Authority Meeting (07-28-2026)

The Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners and Drainage Authority held a meeting on July 28, 2026, with several procurement and contracting matters discussed. The board authorized awarding an 18-month hauler contract for single-sort recycling collection in New York Mills, Otter Tail, and Parker's Prairie to local vendors Five-Star Disposal and Alex Rubbish and Recycling, emphasizing local service continuity despite some lower bids. They also approved a resolution to issue an RFP for auditing services by the August 1 deadline. The board agreed to partner with the city of Rosé on a single-family tax rebate program to support housing development. A $23,421.30 grant-funded contract was approved for asbestos removal at the Pelican Rapids Family Resource Center. Several out-of-state travel requests were approved for staff and commissioners to attend conferences and advocacy fly-ins related to wastewater management and transportation funding. The board approved right-of-way acquisitions and construction plans for a County State Highway 50 reconstruction project, supported a recommendation to replace a deficient culvert with a 6x5 concrete box culvert to maintain hydraulic connection and reduce maintenance, and authorized various ditch maintenance contracts totaling several thousand dollars. Additionally, the board set a date for a drainage authority meeting on ditch abandonment and discussed procedural improvements for timely invoice processing. Overall, the meeting focused heavily on infrastructure projects, local service contracts, grant-funded capital improvements, and strategic planning for transportation and environmental resource management.