The McLeod County Board of Commissioners approved a conditional use permit allowing Glencoe Light & Power to build a new generator building and install three 3,100‑kilowatt diesel generating units on its property near Winsted/Blanco, with conditions including perimeter screening and drainage work.

The permit (conditional use permit 25‑03) authorizes a roughly 60‑by‑101‑foot building that will house the equipment and remote radiators and stacks located outside the structure. The county’s environmental planner and the utility said the radiators and exhaust stacks will be outside the building; the utility committed to screen the full perimeter fence and gates with PVC mesh screening once the fence is erected.

The item drew the meeting’s lengthiest public and board discussion. Neighbors asked for additional screening specifically around the radiators and for quieter fans if available; one neighbor raised broader questions about the need for the additional electrical capacity. County staff and the applicant presented an engineer’s noise estimate that predicted a conservative level of about 55 decibels at 200 feet and noted the applicable Minnesota noise standard for utilities. Staff said McLeod County does not possess county equipment to perform formal decibel testing and that Minnesota Rule 7030 (noise standards) provides the regulatory threshold and exemptions used for evaluation.

Commissioner Krueger moved to approve the permit; Commissioner Chaska seconded. A roll-call vote recorded two dissenting votes and three in favor: Krueger voted no; Commissioner Wright yes; Commissioner Smalls no; Commissioner Chaska yes; Commissioner Nagel yes. The motion carried 3–2. Several commissioners said they would expect staff and the utility to return if post‑construction measurements show noise exceeding regulatory limits or the engineer’s projections.

The permit includes conditions reflected in the planning commission recommendation: repair of any disturbed drainage tile or tiles to preconstruction condition, placement of a portable restroom during construction, compliance with Minnesota wetland and drainage rules where applicable, and the added perimeter screening the applicant committed to provide. County staff said they will coordinate with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) or other state authorities if formal decibel measurements become necessary.

Ending: The board approved the permit with screening and site‑restoration conditions but signaled ongoing scrutiny: if neighbors report measurable noise above allowable levels after construction, county staff expect to bring the issue back to the board for further action.