By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

County commissioners, on Sept. 8, approved a plan for needed enhancements at the lobby of the county jail which is attached to the courthouse complex in Fergus Falls.

“Our county jail public lobby is not currently a secure entrance,” said Chief Deputy Sheriff Reed Reinbold. “We have applied for a Safe and Secure Courthouse Grant.”

Funding from the grant would allow for the addition of remotely activated locks, a doorbell camera and a delayed egress alarm for the emergency exit in the public lobby.  

“This will help further secure our courthouse complex,” added Reinbold to the five members of the Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners.  

Needed upgrades of the county jail have met with almost unanimous support in recent years. One example is the addition of five new holding cells and the construction of a second elevator as part of a $1.3 million safety upgrade. 

County commissioners, earlier this year, renewed a WellPath medical contract term for the county jail in Fergus Falls that was set to expire in July 2026. This renewal allows for an additional one-year period from Aug. 1, 2026, to July 31, 2027.

“The goals of WellPath, on behalf of local detention clients, are to improve patient care and clinical quality, reduce cost, mitigate risk of malpractice and litigation and increase operational efficiencies in county jails,” said County Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbons. 

WellPath, based in Tennessee and operating in several states, was first approved in 2024 by county commissioners after a recommendation from County Sheriff Fitzgibbons.

Other county 

board business

County commissioners, on Sept. 8, approved a recommendation from County Emergency Manager Patrick Waletzko for a Sprint Paramedic Pilot Program budget amendment. The pilot program in Otter Tail and Grant counties deploys rapid-response vehicles staffed with advanced care paramedics to reduce emergency response times in rural areas.

The county is assisting property owners in Battle Lake and other communities with grants to purchase new septic systems, when needed. Costs can range from about $8,000 to $12,000.

The County Land and Resource Office has state funding available to help residents of Otter Tail County replace non-compliant subsurface sewage treatment systems (SSTS). The county serves as the lender, with the cost of the system assessed to the property owner’s property taxes which is paid off over 10 years.

The Otter Tail County Auditor/Election Office will appoint an absentee ballot board and a mail ballot board pursuant to county board resolutions each even-year election and any special election. This requires the use of an absentee ballot board at the Otter Tail County Government Services Center.

A public hearing will be held at 6:30 p.m., on Monday, Oct. 12, at Pelican Rapids High School to address the Pelican Rapids EMS primary service area. Otter Tail County is actively pursuing a Subordinate Service District (SSD) under Minnesota law to ensure uninterrupted 911 emergency and ambulance coverage for the entire Pelican Rapids service area. 

Otter Tail County purchased property along Highway 42 in Parkers Prairie in 2025 for a new highway shop site. Proposals have been solicited from two firms for architectural services. Widseth was the low quote and has designed other county highway shops for Otter Tail County. The proposed schedule indicates construction could begin in early 2027.

County board members heard from the County Human Resources Office that Minnesota Adult Protection is a statutorily mandated county social services function under the state Vulnerable Adult Act. The act establishes county responsibilities for adult protective services, assessment, investigation, maltreatment determinations and protective interventions. There is State Department of Human Services supervision and oversight.