The Polk County Commissioners met on Tuesday and passed a resolution declaring a state of emergency for the county after the tornado damage centered around Winger on August 26. “Polk County had two tornados, one through a 16-mile long area around Winger, the second was up by the Tilberg area crossing into Clearwater County with a 20-mile long path,” said Emergency Manager Jody Beauchane. “Most of the damage occurred in the City of Winger, with over $60,000 in damage to publicly owned property.”
The county’s emergency resolution will now be passed onto the State of Minnesota and they will send officials up to review the damage, with the possibility that the state will pick up the tab if they determine the damage to value more than $58,000. Beauchane added that damage to public property was limited in Fosston, with the majority of damage happening to privately owned equipment.
The commissioners also gave approval to Michelle Cote of Property Records to fill the opening for Clerk Typist Cashier III position. Additionally, Environmental Services Director Jon Steiner will hire a sort line position for a new slot and one for a replacement at the incinerator in Fosston. And three change orders were approved for the construction of the transfer station in Crookston, which Steiner said continues to move forward. “We had a few issues and hiccups with the project which have delayed it and for a while actually stopped construction,” commented Steiner. “We have worked with the general contractor and they’ve worked with their subs to get us back on track and if we continue with our progress we should start getting into the building before too long.”
Steiner added that it takes a while to complete all the work and will probably be mid-winter before they can get into the office area.
