NEW ULM — Brown County Commissioners unanimously approved an Minnesota Department of Transportation grant application Tuesday to fund the purchase of two Class 400 electric buses for the Heartland Express New Ulm city route.

Approval came on a motion by Commissioner Dave Borchert, seconded by Jeff Veerkamp. Brown County Human Services Director Barb Dietz said Brown County Heartland Express might receive funding for two electric-powered buses due to the length of the New Ulm city route.

“We found out only three other systems are applying for the grant,” Dietz said. “Due to the low numbers, the federal government is funding it at 80%. The normal match would be fully covered by MnDOT for the vehicle and all infrastructure. No local dollars will be needed for this purchase if we move forward with it.”

Dietz said bus delivery dates are not known and the application will request two buses.

Also at its Tuesday meeting the County Board approved:

• The 2021 Brown County Human Services Collections and Social Service Fraud Investigations report submitted by Preston Cowing, including $560,582 recovered. Since the program began in 1994 to March 2022, $3,116,675 has been collected for Brown County from a total collection of $8,346,361.

The report included a total cost benefit of $5.65 per $1 spent, compared to the state average of $4.97.

Cowing said his staff has been doing at-home fraud prevention investigation visits up front since the 1980s but got a fiscal year 2021 grant for $35,000 to fund the program.

“We want people to get what they’re eligible for, no more, no less,” Cowing said. “It’s truly the hope we’re able to prevent fraud.”

Commissioner Scott Windschitl said he knows of a number of people on medical assistance who want to get off it and are unable to do so. Brown County Human Services Director Barb Dietz said people in that situation should call her office about it.

• Recognized 2021 award recipients, including the Safety award to Public Health Nurse Melissa Hoffmann, Distinguished Service award social services supervisor Denise Kamm and office support specialist Patty Zupfer; and the Commissioner award to staff at the County Attorney’s Office: Charles Hanson, Dan Kalk, Paul Gunderson, Jill Jensen, Melissa Bakke, Nicole Grathwohl, Bernadette Epper and Krystle Weymann.

“We’re extremely grateful to receive the 2021 Commissioner’s award,” said Brown County Attorney Chuck Hanson. “I have an amazing group of co-workers that makes our office a great place to work. It also helps that we get to work with an amazing group of people in other Brown County departments. Our county is extremely lucky to have every department staffed with such dedicated, hard-working people.”

Retirees in 2021 were Steven Bjerke, Kimberly Hemphill-Schmitz, Debra Huhn, Kenton Mankle, Cynthia Meyer, Gregory Palmer, Jean Prochniak, Brian Smith, Laureen Tauer, Margaret Thordson and Richard Meyer.

The 2021 employee recognition banquet was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Bolton & Menk’s $45,000 low bid for 1.016 miles of CSAH 13 construction surveying from CSAH 29 to CSAH 13 north of New Ulm, motion by Borchert, seconded by Tony Berg. Madsen Land Surveying bid $46,700.

• Brown County Veteran’s Service Officer Greg Peterson reported filing 126 claims, 121 of which (96%) were granted in 2021.

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