Fergus Falls, Ottertail have plans for child care facilities

Contributed photo
Sen. Jordan Rasmusson and other local and state partners celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony for the Ottertail Family Center last summer. The project is a larger model of what the Vergas EDA/HRA is pursuing for the open lot on Altona Avenue.

By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

The county board of commissioners, on Feb. 24, adopted a child care resolution to provide a grant match to strengthen Fergus Falls PioneerCare’s application to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The requested grant match is $5,000 or five percent of the total grant award.

“We as commissioners, on behalf of county residents, are pleased to support PioneerCare’s Child Care Expansion Project in Fergus Falls,” said County Board Chairman Bob Lahman of Parkers Prairie. “Our  board action will help secure additional state resources to expand access to affordable, quality child care.”

Adds County Commissioner Dan Bucholz of Perham, “Quality child day care can and should be a top priority. We as a county board need to be part of collaborative initiatives to address a critical shortage of licensed child care throughout Otter Tail County.”

Through local partnerships with organizations including the Fergus Falls Area Habitat for Humanity, the City of Fergus Falls, and numerous local employers, PioneerCare plans to build a series of three duplexes that will be leased by licensed special family care providers. This will create child care for up to 70 children over the next three years.

The project’s first phase of construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2026, with additional phases planned through 2028 as funding allows. Capital fundraising through the PioneerCare Foundation has already raised significant community investment toward a total project goal.

Under Minnesota DEED guidelines, applicants can strengthen competitive standing by demonstrating local commitment through a grant match or local contribution. 

“The availability of child care is an essential part of community development and resilience,” said County Board Chairman Lahman. “Child care is an expectation of county residents and is directly connected to opportunities for enhancing the economic prosperity in Otter Tail County.”

To that end, the county board of commissioners developed a child care grant fund and supports a Child Care Economic Development grant application by PioneerCare. A project match cannot exceed $5,000 or five percent of the total grant award.

County recycling

grant approved

Otter Tail County’s Solid Waste Department informed county commissioners on Feb. 24 that the county has been selected for a $250,000 grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to support single-sort recycling startup services in the northeast quadrant of the county. 

Funding from the grant will help pay for purchasing recycling carts, installing an AI camera on one collection truck and contracting with a third-party hauler to provide a collection route of 18 months for the communities of Ottertail and New York Mills.

In 2023, Otter Tail County received a grant from the MPCA to implement single-sort recycling for high population areas in the southeast quadrant of the county which includes Battle Lake, Parkers Prairie and other areas.

Bridge replacement

near Bluffton

Funding has been obtained to replace the Bluff Creek bridge northwest of Bluffton in eastern Otter Tail County. The bridge, along Highway 76, has been temporarily closed due to bridge deterioration.

The state of Minnesota is contributing $225,628 to the project and Otter Tail County will contribute $394,636. The total cost is $620,264. The replacement is expected to begin in June 2026 and should take approximately one month to complete.

The contractor is Marvin Tretter, Inc., of Pierz, Minnesota.