[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6090261,"mediaKeyId","2869486-622faeef2fbf620d9e77a7234cf27a5b","parentId",2869486,"title","Commissioners discuss snowmobile trail permits and state LUP requirements; county urged to seek legal clarity","audioSeconds",623,"startMs",1853000,"endMs",2476000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2869486-622faeef2fbf620d9e77a7234cf27a5b&start=1853&end=2476","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2869486-622faeef2fbf620d9e77a7234cf27a5b/thumbnail_1853000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6090261/Houston-County/Minnesota/Commissioners-discuss-snowmobile-trail-permits-and-state-LUP-requirements-county-urged-to-seek-legal-clarity","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6090261-8185f87ac5b6da635299f843baa1ae4d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770990393&Signature=Atz-c~7L-hfOttN2VGOhVzcVLa7DEvnetnRbVp1hB3cRc7O3g-54A1tn62rH1ahcr3YNHdW8U8MlPvBWBHGMN1mFhhLjiLguLyfizYS7OaFf0H7xVpqIIhUMtUmfyTnPx936MvV1mwU3qcAO7KjSrmKio7KyKCQWCIeRBC5KdZzpNlk7p-R230yuKXUUmyXKGCy6uL-jUzs7cgMWQwonXw6I599lZnwkt~lN-hH97h8E6uIb28Y~NCdHIWI-JTQwP4dsHOPZ-HHmslsLaJzEaNRbqkoH99TJXxq8w9PXM5LtTVtd4io4bJJ71g3mubJk0CNHUxERsRVjmu0nKXIQKw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Houston County, MN","date","2025-01-21T00:00:00Z","article","Houston County commissioners spent a sustained discussion on state land-use-permit language and its effect on snowmobile clubs and trail sponsorship, and several commissioners asked county staff to send the materials to the county attorney and to seek clarification from state legislators and DNR/DOT staff.

Commissioners and attendees said the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and DOT had sent letters to local clubs asking for removal of trail signage and that the agencies were withholding funds because counties had not signed a recently provided LUP. County speakers said the LUP’s draft language would make the county — as sponsor or fiscal agent — solely liable for accidents on state rights-of-way, a change county attorneys across the region had declined to accept.

\"They have made comments about…taking it a step further to make this better. Literally, if they close or remove their signs from the state road right away…snowmobilers could be killed and seriously injured because they would have to remove the signs that they're required by the state and DNR to have,\" a commissioner said while relaying club concerns. Speakers said the La Crescent Club and Houston Money Creek Snowmobile Club had received letters and that at least some clubs face funding loss that could jeopardize their operations.

Speakers described uncertainty about whether the county is the statutory sponsor for trail permits or only a fiscal agent that distributes funds. One county official said the permit forms distributed to clubs list the sponsor as the county and asked that the county attorney review the club’s landowner-permit documents and the state LUP to determine whether the county is being asked to assume a new liability.

Commissioner feedback included requests to contact state representatives and to forward the clubs’ materials to the county attorney. The board noted that multiple southeast counties had declined to sign the LUP for similar reasons and that county attorneys had advised against signing.

The meeting record shows no legal decision was made at the meeting; commissioners directed staff to follow up with their county attorney and with state legislators to seek clarification and potential resolution.

During the same discussion period, several commissioners reported receiving constituent calls about a proposed solar project and asked that future land-use ordinance work consider screening and aesthetic standards for solar facilities. One commissioner presented photos from Mapleton, Minn., showing tree screening installed around a solar array and said screening standards should be discussed as part of forthcoming ordinance revisions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Official Houston County Board Meeting 1-21-25","oneSentenceSummary","Houston County commissioners spent a sustained discussion on state land-use-permit language and its effect on snowmobile clubs and trail sponsorship, and asked staff to forward materials to the county attorney and to seek clarification from state legislators and DNR/DOT staff.","taxTitle","Houston County, Minnesota","taxId",73152,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6090266,"Houston County dental pilot increases utilization; county, Delta Dental and providers expand mobile visits",969,777000,1746000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2869486-622faeef2fbf620d9e77a7234cf27a5b&start=777&end=1746","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2869486-622faeef2fbf620d9e77a7234cf27a5b/thumbnail_777000.jpg","/articles/6090266/Houston-County/Minnesota/Houston-County-dental-pilot-increases-utilization-county-Delta-Dental-and-providers-expand-mobile-visits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6090266-b7275021ef34411f40e0bf473a367505/orig.mp4?Expires=1770990393&Signature=Q46gU5CGk-nAUk8IOMS5JfkGF6cAR3m~s9sNWhB5lm6eoMHOStb6iP6lRZjHFV7V4ZjRD9tjoITeMHIROTbY6iswYPMbXQ4GA5SDHxkspheRLDeQKAtkr29wHWpfwR2A5yQ9LzH2-NqtHvAndUtjKd6YZw7r8Cno4BxcIMD~QEnbQZ15ezhlZj5ZDsN3swnCaHvMGXQtrVu6XOF3mz2lkWQMmWezGJaNK89w1M0f3k~q5QHgnHD90x~edC8eeGPGJhwIVCQq0VMRZwcY9oJql~uT~d9t00YsjRUhJPu8QSlDn7Ana4WZX7GDS8GA~l8kKnEs1NwR45qzdzeSPQjLBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Houston County commissioners heard a progress report on a county-led dental access pilot that organizers say has increased dental utilization by roughly 70% and expanded local mobile-clinic visits to twice a month.

The pilot, which county staff and Delta Dental representatives said began with stakeholder meetings in 2023 and launched formal interventions in February 2024, combines traveling dentists, mobile-clinic visits by Children's Dental Services, and a care-coordination process between health plans, county staff and local dental offices.

County staff member John Jordan described the initiative’s origins and partners, saying the effort convened local providers, managed-care organizations and mobile vendors to troubleshoot barriers that kept patients from finding care. \"We invited the providers within the county because none of them were taking MA patients or seeing MA clients,\" Jordan said, and the collaborative moved to recruit a traveling dentist and secure seed funding.

Rich DeMarco, a representative of Delta Dental Minnesota, told the board Delta provided project management and worked with the county’s care coordination to schedule appointments and align resources. \"With a handful of interventions, the utilization increased by 70% in Houston County, between May and December compared to the previous year,\" DeMarco said.

County public health staff said the pilot relies on multiple funding sources and partner grants to cover non-billable costs of bringing mobile services to the county. Mary Zafke, identified as the county’s public health nurse, described the referral and coordination work she and health educator Bree Caesar perform to connect residents to providers. Zafke said mobile clinics set up in the public health building’s clinic or immunization space and that Children's Dental Services provides both hygiene and treatment services when on site.

Organizers said Children's Dental Services and other mobile vendors can see between seven and 10 patients per day when deployed, that adult patients have been served (staff said they had treated patients into their late 90s), and that the county’s current funding supports the traveling dentist coming twice a month for at least the next six months. Partners named by staff include Delta Dental, UCare (which provided initial grant funding), Children's Dental Services, Hermann Dental (Caledonia), Houston Dental (Houston) and Destination Dental (La Crescent).

Board members and staff emphasized the challenge of securing ongoing funding. DeMarco and county staff said Delta and other partners have provided grants or project support but that additional grant dollars or payer commitments will be needed to sustain or expand the mobile schedule. \"The key is to find the future funding for this,\" a commissioner said.

Organizers said the pilot’s care-coordination model — when county staff, the dental office and the payer align to schedule and support an appointment — was a critical learning and an element they expect could scale to other rural counties.

County staff asked that referral and consent forms be requested through the public health office or downloaded from the county website; staff noted the pilot’s referral form and consent process route requests to the appropriate partner.

The board thanked staff and partners and asked county staff to continue outreach for funding and to monitor utilization and service outcomes as the pilot continues through the next year.","County staff, Delta Dental and providers described a pilot that added mobile dentistry and care coordination; organizers reported a 70% increase in dental utilization and said mobile clinics now visit twice a month with funding for six months.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6090256,"Board approves agenda items, appointments and payments; two closed sessions held with no action",2754,32000,2786000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2869486-622faeef2fbf620d9e77a7234cf27a5b&start=32&end=2786","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2869486-622faeef2fbf620d9e77a7234cf27a5b/thumbnail_32000.jpg","/articles/6090256/Houston-County/Minnesota/Board-approves-agenda-items-appointments-and-payments-two-closed-sessions-held-with-no-action","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6090256-dcc9f69fe366378dbc342630c7282277/orig.mp4?Expires=1770990393&Signature=RO3BSB8gPFY28h~OZF9VkEcHHDIRxOgWhEoyfYLnTnY~geTOeaigeLF92QWAUdTqxDYMYHqgBTFHvQI8ssTZz4Mlx79rHbZkx4YNIizHPYCLKco38qfKKPg8Fm2n-TPI9C2cnqsoCBajb3swijqrMAai5JJOI-E~I8tCrb51KsMEJ59MQUHRHYEVvRHygH0oPeGwj~tTLcvtbd9mmE7Ye7o96qlQO-ycFwXMexgvQ9~gfxGOkIX1QGakbuRDNk58TwHa5XYItnaoDHHceKDIL0idvFiIsnMZEdV8Sq19TnkhOWD4A-uP314nIUW1XZPxh-XUkC2e-id8ETxVxquXYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Houston County commissioners conducted several routine votes during the meeting: they approved the agenda with adjustments, approved minutes, approved a consent agenda, confirmed committee appointments, and approved payments. The board also held two closed sessions — one for attorney–client privilege regarding a pending employment claim and one for labor negotiations — and recorded that no action was taken in those closed sessions.

Votes recorded on the transcript include approval of the amended agenda, approval of meeting minutes from Jan. 7 and a works-group session on Jan. 14 (one commissioner abstained from the Jan. 14 vote because they were not present), approval of the consent agenda, appointment of Dewey Severson (La Crescent) to the Parks Committee as member at large, appointment of Pam Handel and Joanie Schmidt to the Houston County Extension Committee for three-year terms, and approval of payments and auditor warrants. The board also approved a motion to enter a closed session under statute language recited in the meeting for attorney–client privilege and later approved a separate motion to enter a closed session for labor-negotiation discussion; minutes note that no action resulted from either closed session.

Where the transcript names makers or seconders, that was recorded (for example, Kurt seconded the motion to appoint Dewey Severson; Cindy seconded the motion to approve the Jan. 14 works group minutes). Several routine votes were taken by voice; the transcript records \"aye\" responses but does not provide roll-call tallies in the minutes.

Actions at the meeting were largely procedural and passed by voice vote unless otherwise noted. The board adjourned after conducting a personnel negotiating meeting in a closed session following the public meeting.","The Houston County Board approved its agenda and a series of routine items including appointment of Dewey Severson to the Parks Committee and Pam Handel and Joanie Schmidt to the Extension Committee, approved payments, and held two closed sessions (attorney–client and labor negotiations) with no formal action recorded.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners discuss snowmobile trail permits and state LUP requirements; county urged to seek legal clarity

Houston County dental pilot increases utilization; county, Delta Dental and providers expand mobile visits

Board approves agenda items, appointments and payments; two closed sessions held with no action