County sheriff’s retirement recognized

At its Tuesday, October 4 meeting, the Waseca County Board of Commissioners recognized the retirement of Sheriff Brad Milbrath, who recently submitted his official letter of resignation. Milbrath, in the office for 12 years and with the department since 1999, will officially end his duties on December 30. During discussion, each of the commissioners expressed their thanks and congratulations to Milbrath. Chair Brad Krause said, “Our hats are off to you and we give you a great deal of thanks for all those years of service.”

South Country Health Alliance (SCHA), the agency the county contracts with to provide insurance for eligible residents, reported that it had a net income of $12.5 million as of August, with expenditures of about $954,000. These favorable numbers for the company are driven in part by higher eligibility rates due to the official continuance of the public health emergency and the provision that no one be dropped from their benefits so long as it persists. 

SCHA spokesperson Leota Lind also highlighted the “Healthy Start” program the agency helps provide. Healthy Start is a three-year initiative aimed at improving health in rural areas by focusing on prenatal and early childhood care. The program includes voucher rewards for attending appointments, informational packets and outreach for pregnant members, a Baby’s First Year calendar which highlights important healthcare milestones, Healthy Baby Healthy Teeth kits to encourage appropriate early dental care, and a free car seat program, among other services.

Commissioners approved two conditional use permits. One dealt with three hunting shacks on a property east of Buffalo Lake, owned by Buffalo Lake LLP. The property has hosted hunting shacks for many years, but the zoning was not fully completed when they were first built, as discovered during recent remodeling of the shacks. Under newly approved variances, the site is now officially allowed to have more than one building on the site, to have structures located in the floodplain and within 200 feet of the ordinary high water level, and for two of its structures to be larger than 250 square feet. Commissioner Doug Christopherson thanked the property owners for their patience during what he acknowledged as a difficult and time-consuming process.

The second property granted a variance was a one-megawatt community solar farm to be built in the Otisco area along State Highway 13, owned by Fox Garden LLC. The Minnesota Department of Transportation had disagreed with the initial proposal for the solar farm to have two access points on the highway. The amended plan involves widening and sharing a field access driveway. Christopherson, who farms in the area, abstained from the vote.