Legislators to update County Board on Tuesday

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- The upcoming legislative session will take center stage at the Brown County Board of Commissioners' regular meeting Tuesday morning.

A discussion of the upcoming session and its many issues between county officials and State Sen. Dennis Frederickson and State Rep. Brad Finstad, both Republicans from New Ulm, is at the top of the board's agenda.

The semi-annual sit-down will touch upon familiar topics like the state budget forecast, sales tax levy limits and meth lab cleanup costs but is also likely to focus on more local concerns like funding for U.S. Hwy. 14.

Those issues, along with ag issues, will be on lawmakers' plates along with a possible gas tax hike, increased prison terms for sex offenders and methamphetamine convictions, new stadiums for the Minnesota Twins and the University of Minesota Gophers, the bonding bill that lawmakers failed to pass in 2004 as well as the state's projected $700 million deficit. The 2005 session begins next month.

The two legislators are expected to share their thoughts on the upcoming session and how the deficit will be adressed, according to county documents.

After that portion of the meeting is finished, the heads of the county's highway, social services and public health departments may share some of their individual concerns.

The county board is also going to hear four more Family Services contracts with Minnesota Valley Action Council, Lutheran Social Services and Greater Minnesota Family Services following the meeting with the legislators.

An informal session on manure management planning is scheduled at 1:15 p.m. in the Brown County Law Enforcement Center, in which officials may review recent studies on those plans and the county's zoning ordinance.