A former North Star Cemetery leader faces criminal and civil allegations that he diverted more than $350,000 from cemetery accounts.

County staff reported a strong bidding outcome for the proposed Justice Center, with hard construction bids estimated $205–210 million and an overall construction budget projected below $290 million. The board approved an earthwork contract (~$7.98M), a $230,000 contract for accessory-structure design, and directed staff to assemble remaining contracts while the financing plan moves toward a March presale resolution.

The board approved three awardees and six county-driven projects funded by opioid settlement dollars, including Townsquare Media for countywide outreach, CentraCare recovery centers in Sauk Center and Paynesville, and Steve Rummler’s Hope Network for naloxone access points. Commissioners debated media vs. boots-on-the-ground approaches before voting to approve the awards.

The board approved pursuing a Minnesota DHS capacity-building planning grant for an 1115 reentry waiver that would prepare the county to allow Medicaid-covered services for people in the jail and for about 60 days around release; staff said implementation would target substance-use and mental-health services and aim to reduce recidivism.

The board approved the 2026 budget with a 5.2% tax levy increase and a large contingency intended to protect fund balance; staff said the tax rate will fall slightly and that Stearns County’s levy increase is modest compared with many other counties.

The Stearns County Board approved a paid family and medical leave policy that ends the PTO donation program and relies on MetLife for benefit eligibility while county HR determines return-to-work timing. Commissioners asked for a three‑month review and clarification of the family-member definition.

Stearns County approved the Human Services deployment of an Electronic Virtual Assistant (EVA) that reads client rights, assists staff and handles phone intake; staff said EVA has saved hundreds of staff hours, TIBCO is the vendor, and the board approved the contract and deployment with oversight and monitoring in place.

The board approved county staff requests to advertise bids for the Justice Center and to submit building, plumbing and related permit applications to state and city plan reviewers, contingent on parcel closings and Saint Cloud annexation. Staff estimated plan review fees would not exceed $400,000 and outlined a Dec. 15 bid advert and 60‑day hold.

County staff presented a proposed 2026 budget of about $212 million (roughly $622 per capita levy rate), proposed a $1 million contingency for human‑services uncertainty, and reported a slight drop in the county tax rate. In the public hearing residents urged audits of human‑services spending, questioned election costs and property‑tax burdens, and raised concerns about immigration and local services.

Commissioners debated ways to limit a proposed airport authority tax levy and whether Stearns County should have elected representation on the airport authority's governing body. They discussed an MOU or nonvoting liaison as near‑term options and noted that adding voting county officials would require reopening the authority's enabling resolution.

The Planning Commission voted 3–2 to forward Carol and Clark Jones' request to rezone roughly 40.5 acres in Linden Township from AG‑40 to R‑10; staff noted the site is in a shoreland overlay and has a LISA score of 39.05, and commissioners split on spot‑zoning and neighborhood compatibility concerns.

A Recori FFA Ag Issues team staged a practice public hearing and presented the benefits and risks of on‑farm anaerobic digesters; ABC Renewables and the Christiansen family outlined benefits including RNG production and digestate use, while nearby residents raised concerns about nutrient loading, truck traffic, odor and property values; the commission commended the students.

The board approved a two-year delegation agreement with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to administer the county feedlot program for state-registered sites. Staff said the county manages over 1,300 state-registered feedlots (about 1,300) and nearly 2,000 total and will help owners in drinking-water management areas, but staff warned that uptake of the state's online nutrient-management tool remains limited and will require outreach and assistance.

Human Services described an increase in Tri Cap spending (used mainly for family and children's services and transportation) from roughly $48,000 in 2021 to $131,000 in 2025; the board approved Tri Cap contract items and a Minnesota Monitoring contract for supervised-release drug testing and asked staff to provide usage and positivity-rate metrics.

At a Stearns County Board of Adjustment meeting, members granted a road‑setback variance for Reed J. Oster (South Haven/Fairhaven Township) but denied separate requests for bluff or lake‑setback variances for properties on Horseshoe Lake, Cedar Island Lake and Big Fish Lake after staff concerns and public opposition about bluff disturbance and lake

Auditor-Treasurer staff explained new procedures for legacy, settlement and 2024-onward forfeitures, warned about clean-up costs and predatory surplus-claim firms, and said six new-forfeiture parcels will be offered in an online auction beginning Nov. 28 with first-sale closing Dec. 16.

Human Services Administrator Melissa Huberty told the Stearns County Board the partial federal funding for SNAP and depleted local emergency funds are already straining county services and could increase child-protection and uncompensated-care demands if the shutdown persists.

Stearns County planning staff recommended and the Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a conditional use permit for Brandon and Jennifer Dingman’s Cold Spring feedlot expansion. The site requires an MPCA permit because it exceeds 500 animal units and lies in a drinking-water supply management area; the manure management plan is under,

After extensive public comment and township input focused on outdoor amplified music, the Stearns County Planning Commission voted to recommend denial of a conditional use permit for Todd and Sarah Tyson’s proposed rural tourism venue and event center in St. Joseph Township. Commissioners cited unresolved noise‑monitoring and enforcement concerns,

Following a lengthy public hearing that drew the City of Richmond, Munson Township and nearby residents, the Stearns County Board approved the Buffalo Ridge Estates Third Edition plat 3–1 after an initial 2–2 split and a successful motion to reconsider.

Human services staff told the board that 12,500 county residents receive SNAP and that, if a federal shutdown continues into November, benefits could be at risk. The board accepted a state grant increase to support prevention work such as vaping education in schools.