BOTTINEAU COUNTY

COMMISSIONER

 PROCEEDINGS

FEBRUARY 3, 2026

7:30 a.m.
The Commissioner Meeting was called to order at 7:30 a.m. by Chairman Tonneson. A meeting of the Board of Bottineau County Commissioners was held in the Commissioner Room at the Courthouse with the following members present: Chairman, Ben Tonneson, Vice-Chairman Rod Hiatt, Commissioners, Andy Pederson, Nathaniel Buynak, and Auditor, Emily Deschamp. Commissioner Lance Kjelshus attended via phone.

Old Business:

Agenda – A motion was made to approve the agenda with the addition of Policy 904 Building Closure/Inclement Weather by Hiatt, second by Buynak. Motion carried.

Minutes – A motion was made to approve the minutes from January 6, 2026 by Buynak, second by Pederson. Motion carried.

Consent Agenda – The monthly reports were reviewed, and a motion was made to approve the consent agendas by Kjelshus, second by Tonneson. Motion carried.

Advanced Business Methods (1/16), $197.34; Ann Monson Treasurer, $5,878.80; Book Systems, Inc., $1,774.00; Cengage Learning Inc., $188.95; DEMCO, $416.86; Grand Forks Herald, $276.49; Keller's Briteway, $90.00; Midwest Tape, $306.91; NDLA, $105.00; Turnkey Corrections, $116.72; Turtle Mountain Star, $42.00; Aflac (1/30), $4,167.07; Aflac Dental, $2,796.34; Ann Monson Treasurer, $2,035.83; Colonial Life & Accident, $823.34; Minnesota Child Support, $603.00; ND Child Support Division, $802.00; ND Order of Police, $66.00; New York Life Ins., $54.64; The Standard Life Ins. Co., $429.20; UNUM Life Insurance Co., $340.40; Bank of North Dakota, $10,000.00; Bank of North Dakota, $32,000.00; Otter Tail Power Co., $10,826.93; Renville County Auditor, $3,575.82; Turtle Mountain Communications, $1,752.73; IRS-FICA, $66,687.36; IRS-Federal Income Tax Withholding, $40,045.03; ND Income Tax, $1,296.00; NDPERS, $2,260.00; NDPHIT/BCBS-ND, $141,778.36; NDPHIT – MetLife, $2,159.63; Advanced Business Methods (2/6), $78.53; Amanda Lorenz, $114.55; Anderson Welding, $925.28; Ann Monson Treasurer, $50,000.00; Ann Monson Treasurer, $28,000.00; Auto Value Bottineau, $1,141.91; Axon Enterprise Inc., $18,865.46; Axon Enterprise Inc., $32,560.38; Axon Enterprise Inc., $4,660.54; B & M Laundry, $460.84; B & M Laundry Service, $331.40; Balco Uniform Co Inc., $1,080.60; Bee Line Service, $310.00; Bee Line Service, $748.16; Border Ag & Energy, $261.33; Border Ag & Energy, $37.75, Bottineau Clinic Pharmacy, $58.26; Bottineau Clinic Pharmacy, $137.87; Bottineau Co. Road Dept., $3,962.50; Bottineau Co Road Dept., $1,970.00; B ottineau Plumbing & Heating, $596.09, VOID Butler Machinery, $7,500.00; VOID Butler Machinery, $18,845.84; Cenex Fleet Fueling, $559.45; Charm-Tex, Inc., $396.00; Charm-Tex, Inc., $97.80; Circle Sanitation, Inc., $72.50; City of Bottineau, $695.73; City of Maxbass, $88.00; City of Newburg, $38.00; City of Willow City, $101.25; Cole Papers, $340.22; Courant, $437.62; Courant, $78.00; Courant, $486.40; Courant, $360.39; Creekside Bar & Grill, $669.33; D & L Storage, $340.00; Dakota Fire Extinguishers, $188.69; DRIVE Chevrolet, $963.58; Fargo Glass & Paint Co., $272.28; Farmers Union Oil WC, $3,161.51; Farmers Union Oil WSB, $22,569.04; Farmers Union Oil WSB, $488.32; FED EX $20.70; FED EX, $25.80; First National Bank & Trust, $8,713.29; JB Express, $225.00; Jordan Law Office, $4,897.00; Kinetic Leasing, $163,310.39; Kittleson Truck Repair, $3,410.00; Klingbeil's Body & Glass, $5,292.90; Kristy Titus, $319.85; Lawson Products, $1,031.34; LeMay Trucking Inc., $1,240.00; LeMay Trucking Inc., $2,325.00; Linde Gas & Equipment, $453.35; McHenry County Auditor, $6,844.51; Metigoshe Heating & Air LLC, $142.82; Michael Vandal, $2.90; Midcontinent Communications, $297.10; Midstates Wireless, $6,441.00; Midstates Wireless, $1,147.32; Mikkelsen Aggregates, $4,546.00; Motl Auto Sales & Service, $768.63; ND Association of Counties, $1,323.00; ND Association of Counties, $400.00; ND Recorder Association, $500.00; ND Game & Fish, $14,341.01; ND Sheriff's & Deputies Assoc., $400.00; ND State Tax Commission, $53.28; NDACTVSO, $170.00; NDSU Extension, $15,549.01; North Central Electric Coop., $910.43; North Dakota One Call, $1.50; North Star CCU, $30,000.00; Norway Steak House, $250.00; O'Keefe Oil, $2,714.30; Office of the Adjutant General, $2,082.12; Office of the Attorney General, $190.75; OK Tire Store, $1,309.48; Otter Tail Power Co., $96.47; PI Supply. $425.00; Parkland USA DBA Farstad Oil, $2,704.24; Pierce County Auditor, $8,222.23; Pomp's Tire Service, $892.77; Pro IT, $6,200.00; Quadient Finance, $123.98; Quadient Finance, $10.00; Quadient Finance, $2,500.00; Quadient Leasing, $707.73; Reliance Telephone, $395.00; Running Supply Inc., $1,547.47; Sawmill Lumber & Hardware, $32.00; Simply Refreshed, $248.64; SMP Health - St. Andrews, $2,032.80; SMP Health - St. Andrews, $623.00; Souris River Telephone, $608.37; Spectrum, $55.00; State Treasurer, $22,688.26; Subway of Bottineau, $504.00; Trinity Medical Group, $65.00; Tyler Technologies, $1,080.00; Uline, $2,229.06; Ward County Auditor, $8,250.00; Ward County Auditor, $8,525.00; Information Technology Dept., $6,396.87; LMRSD, $670.00; Ann Monson Treasurer (2/13), $366.55; Creative Planning, $838.36; JP Morgan $16,044.36; Verizon Wireless, $2,329.34; Payroll (2/27), $346,948.52; Total, $1,264,953.95 The February bills were reviewed, and a motion was made to pay the February bills by Buynak, second by Pederson. Roll call vote unanimous. Motion carried.

New Business:

Ryan Ackerman, Souris River Joint Board, was unable to attend rescheduled for the March 3, 2026 meeting.

Commissioner Buynak discussed Policy 904 Building Closure/Inclement Weather for the sheriff’s office and road department. Discussion was held about giving them time and half for working when the courthouse is closed due to inclement weather or annual leave. Emily discussed the Garrison Diversion Grant and the March 1, 2026 application, discussion was held about grant projects within the county. A motion was made to apply for the Garrison Diversion grant for Hoffa’s Park by Pederson, second by Buynak. Roll call vote unanimous.

Tammy Knudson, Clerk of Court, and Miranda Brandt, Deputy Clerk of Court, met with the board to discuss the Clerk of Court position.

Kent Indvik and Seth Demontigny, Wold Engineering, gave an update on the County projects:

· Project BRJ-005(061)-Site 2-South of Renville Corner-Seth updated the board on the box culvert. No change on this project to date.

· Maxbass box culvert-Seth updated the board on the project. The preliminary structure plans have been submitted to the state. Things are moving forward and final plans will be completed for a May 8, 2026 bid through the Department of Transportation.

· Flexible Transportation Fund-Grants for structures-Kent and Seth discussed the letter that the county received from the Department of Transportation on the approval of three (3) projects for the county. Bottineau County received 1.9 million in state funding through flex transportation funding to utilize for structures within the county.

· Flex Funding/Prairie Dog Funding for county road projects. The county did not receive any funding for 2026 projects. Two (2) township’s Pickering and Blaine were awarded funding through the state for 2026 projects.

Ritch Gimbel, Road Superintendent, met with the board to discuss the road department activities. The Maintenance Certification County Federal Aid Project from Department of Transportation was presented to the board. Ritch updated the board with reports for the 40 mile an hour zone at Lake Metigoshe where the county added speed signs. Discussion was held about the counties FEMA Coordinator; the Road Supervisor was appointed to this roll in 2011.

Jeremy Tofteland, Bottineau County Sheriff, gave the board an update for the Sheriff’s Department. The sheriff’s office will be completing interviews today (2/3) for two (2) correction/dispatch vacancies and one (1) deputy. A motion was made to utilize $30,000 in excess Gross Production Tax from 2025 to purchase a new finger printing system for the sheriff’s office by Kjelshus, second by Tonneson. Roll call vote Kjelshus yes, Buynak yes, Pederson yes, Hiatt yes, Tonneson yes. Motion carried. Discussion was held about Policy 904 Building Closure/Inclement Weather . A motion was made for essential employees that are scheduled in the twenty-four (24) hour period of the storm event to receive hour for hour of annual leave capping the leave at eight (8) hours by Buynak, second by Hiatt. Roll call vote Buynak yes, Kjelshus yes, Pederson no, Hiatt yes, Tonneson no. Motion carried.

9:45 a.m.-Public Comment-No one in attendance.

10:00 a.m. – A motion was made to open the bids for gravel, bridge material, culverts, and machine hire by Buynak, second by Pederson. Roll call vote unanimous. Motion carried. No bids were received for bridge material. A motion was made to accept all the submitted gravel, culverts, and machine hire bids by Kjelshus, second by Pederson. Roll call vote unanimous. Motion carried.

Department Head meeting – Chairman Tonneson gave an update on the Commissioner meeting and the department heads gave an update on their office activity.

Seymour Jordan, States Attorney, met with the board to discuss his office activity. Discussion was held about Bottineau County becoming a Home Rule Charter County. Information was given to the board and more discussion will be held in the future.

Ashley Pedie, Tax Director, met with the board to present an abatement for the City of Bottineau. A motion was made to approve the abatement for four (4) months credit due to loss of the home by Pederson, second by Buynak. Roll call vote unanimous. Motion carried.

District 6 Representatives, Dan Vollmer and Dick Anderson, met with the board to update them on the special session that was held on January 27, 2026. Sheriff Tofteland discussed his concerns with the SIRN radio system for the sheriff’s office, fire departments, and EMS. Ritch Gimbel, Road Superintendent, discussed the 2026 funding that Bottineau County did not receive.

Brianna Blue, NPHSZ Director, met with the board to discuss employees utilizing personal exercise equipment during their 15-minute break or lunch hours. Brianna presented a waiver to the board that each employee would have to sign off on if they chose to utilize this during their non-work time. Discussion was held and it was the consensus of the board to not move forward with this at this time.

As there was no further business , a motion was made to adjourn the meeting at 12:10 p.m. by Buynak, second by Pederson. Roll call vote unanimous. Motion carried.
Benjamin Tonneson, Chairman

Emily Deschamp, Auditor