Contributed photo
Front row, L-R: Commissioner Bucholz, Commissioner Lahman, County Engineer Foster, Engineering Supervisor Ehlert, Community Development Director Baldwin, Deputy Administrator Penke-Valdes, and Commissioner Johnson. Back row: Asset Management Supervisor Palmersheim, Solid Waste Director McConn, Highway Maintenance Supervisor Field, Commissioner Sullivan, Commissioner Mortenson, Parks and Trails Director Fellbaum, Deputy Administrator Leonard, and Land and Resource Management Director LeClair.

Otter Tail County Commissioners and staff recently completed a county-wide tour to view progress on several infrastructure, housing, and other economic and community investment projects. The tour allowed commissioners to see the work being done across several departments and communities.

At Phelps Mill, commissioners observed restoration work at the historic park, including a recently installed boardwalk and soft trails. The tour continued to Battle Lake, where commissioners viewed progress on the new Lincoln Apartment housing development, which addresses the city’s workforce and affordable housing needs.

The group then visited the Henning Transfer Station site, where a new transfer station will be constructed in the fall. The new facility will be designed to receive single-sort recycling in 2026, enhancing the county’s single-sort recycling initiative as part of the Solid Waste Department’s master plan. They then toured Nelson Lake on County Highway 6 to assess current water levels, an ongoing concern for residents in the area.

In Parkers Prairie, commissioners toured the current highway garage and viewed several area transportation projects.

“This tour highlights the importance of collaborative work,” said Deputy County Administrator Nick Leonard. “From transportation to solid waste, each stop represented the important infrastructure that is needed for people to live and work in Otter Tail County.”

In the afternoon, the tour featured a stop at the Highway 76 Bluff Creek Bridge, which was closed due to a rusted bridge beam. Next, the commissioners toured South Point Apartments, a new housing development in New York Mills. Further visits included the Northeast Transfer Station, the Highway Garage in Perham, and a tour of a private rural subdivision in Maine Township.

Commissioner Bucholz, chair of the Economic Growth and Community Investment Committee, added, “It’s good to see all the work that is going on in the county. This tour shows how putting resources in the right places around the county helps everyone.”

To learn more about any of the projects and sites on this tour, please visit www.ottertailcounty.gov.