NEW ULM — Brown County Commissioners will consider a request to purchase 14 Soldiers Rest plots from the City of New Ulm for $700 each, for a total purchase of $14,000, Tuesday, Jan. 7.

Brown County has received $23,654 in federal plot reimbursements since plots were last purchased in 2016. Funds are deposited in a revenue account that holds funds for future plot purchases.

The current plot has 20 full plots. Veteran’s deaths in 2019 rose more than 60% from the previous 12 months. Commissioners approved a $14,000 purchase for the 2020 budget.

Commissioners will also consider approval of:

• Drainage ditch repairs including $43,801.67 for slough repair in Section 19, Prairieville Township and $477 for slough repairs in Section 17, Prairieville Township.

•Awarding fuel contracts at the New Ulm and Comfrey highway shops. Quotes will be opened Jan. 6 and brought to the board for consideration. Unleaded gas and diesel are tied together as one bid.

• Setting the County Board of Review date for 7 p.m., Monday, June 15. A continuance would begin at 1 p.m., Tuesday, June 23.

• A Brown County Well-Sealing Cost Share Program providing 50% of billed costs of sealing unused wells, cost-shares not to exceed $400. An additional $4,000 of interest is sought to be released from the County Septic Loan Program to help fund the cost of sealing unused wells.

• The 2020-2021 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) County Feedlot Program Delegation Agreement Work Plan.

The biannual agreement between the MPCA and delegated counties gives counties the authority to administer Minnesota Rule 7020 (feedlot rule) at all sites not meeting the large CAFO (Confined Animal Feeding Operation) definition. The agreement lays out county work plan goals and minimum annual program requirements.

• A request to call for bids to rent county-owned land north of the Brown County Sanitary Landfill. The county purchased 72.77 acres of land just north of the landfill. Part of the property was intended to be used for 2017 leachate spray field development.

The new spray field was developed but never used because the MPCA did not allow it due to elevated constituents in leachate monitoring wells. The land includes 67 acres of ag land including about 30 tillable acres and 37 acres of grassland with some tree plantings.

The proposed leachate spray field area is available for haying. It was planted in a grass/hay mix and is established. It has not had leachate applied to it.

The Brown County Planning & Zoning Office recommends the contract is effective for three years.

• Commissioners will elect a 2020 board chair and vice-chair at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. The regular board meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the courthouse commissioner’s room.

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com).