Meeker County Board Meeting
The Meeker County Board of Commissioners has received an update from Xcel Energy officials about a 180-mile transmission line which will pass through Meeker County on its way from Lyon County to the Sherco plant in Becker. Notices for public hearings will be coming out in early October.
The public hearings will be held later in October and early November and then the recommended route will go to an administrative law judge and the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission for approval by March of 2025. Negotiations with landowners for easements would take place in 2026 and the line would be operational by 2028.
The Meeker County Board has set the preliminary 2025 net levy at $17,415,859 – a 3.5% increase over 2024. The preliminary budget for 2025 is just over $51-million ($51,027,550).
The Meeker County Commissioners have moved to approve of the establishment of a Meeker County Adopt-a-Highway program for Meeker County’s State-Aid-Highway system. Public Works Director Phil Schmalz says businesses, non-profit groups, families and others may adopt 2-mile sections of the county roads for a minimum of two years and there will be more information about how to do so on the Meeker County website.
The Board has approved of a conditional use permit for property at 17887 670th Avenue of Hutchinson for a landscaping project for Rod Engel on Lake Erie in Ellsworth Township; approved of a conditional use permit for property at 22490 County-State-Aid-Highway 14 in Darwin Township at Lake Washington for a landscaping project for John Rogers; and approved of an interim use permit for Gregory & Nickie Jans for a gravel pit operation in Section 19 of Swede Grove Township.
The Commissioners approved of a proposal from Metropolitan Mechanical Contractors of Eden Prairie for the replacement of the Courthouse boiler for $58,090; and approved of Metlife as the County’s accident, critical illness and hospital care carrier for 2025-2028.
