By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

County land and resource employees, always seeking to better serve the residents of Otter Tail County, will be at a retreat on Friday, Feb. 18, for staff training. Offices will be closed on that day.

“We work each day to ensure a viable environment for the residents and visitors of Otter Tail County,” said Chris LeClair, county land and resource director.

County commissioners, on Jan. 25, approved the office retreat for land and resource employees.

“I wholeheartedly approve this team building approach,” said County Commissioner Lee Rogness of Fergus Falls.

Concurring with Rogness were commissioners Betty Murphy of Maine Township, Wayne Johnson of Pelican Rapids, Kurt Mortenson of rural Underwood and Dan Bucholz of rural Perham.

The county land and resource department makes every effort to gather input from county residents on important decisions.

As an example, proposed revisions to the Otter Tail County Shoreland Management Ordinance were addressed during a public meeting of the county board of commissioners on May 10, 2021, at the Bigwood Event Center in Fergus Falls.

“Most of the changes were an attempt to bring the shoreland regulations in line with Minnesota rules,” LeClair said.

The Otter Tail County Department of Land and Resource Management is designed to enforce county and state ordinances.

The county has received grants to provide homeowners with financial assistance to replace non-compliant septic systems.  Financial assistance is in the form of grants and/or zero-interest loans. 

An interactive lakes map was created to assist the county land and resource department in the management of the country’s extensive lake system. Included is a natural resources identifier, water acres, perimeter length and classification.