Photo from the stop in Vergas during the EGCI Tour. From left, front row, Vergas City Clerk and Treasurer Julie Lammers, Assistant Land and Resource Director Kyle Westergard, Vergas Mayor Julie Bruhn, County Community Development Director Amy Baldwin, County Administrator Nicole Hansen, Deputy Administrator Liz Mickelson, Deputy Administrator Lynne Penke Valdes, County Engineer Jodi Teich, and CDA intern Ava Hastings; back row, County Commissioner Johnson, Vergas Council Member Bruce Albright, Vergas Council Member James Stenger, County Public Information Officer (PIO) Shannon Terry, Commissioner Bucholz, Engineering Supervisor Bob Ehlert, Maintenance Superintendent Colby Palmersheim, Land and Resource Director Chris LeClair, Parks and Trails Director Kevin Fellbaum, Deputy Administrator Nick Leonard, Commissioner Sullivan, and Commissioner Mortenson. Not pictured but attending was Solid Waste Director Chris McConn. (OTC)
Otter Tail County, MN – Otter Tail County commissioners and leadership staff traveled the western side of the county on a recent tour designed to connect county leadership with the communities, projects, and people they serve. The group made many stops across the county, with a dedicated stop in Vergas to hear directly from city leaders.
The tour, organized to highlight the county’s Economic Growth and Community Investment (EGCI) team’s work, covered ground from Fergus Falls to Pelican Rapids and into the Vergas and Dent areas. Nick Leonard, deputy county administrator and leader of the ECGI team, said the tour format is intentional. Getting commissioners and staff into communities and viewing firsthand ongoing projects and future needs helps shape how the county approaches regional solutions.
The group’s first stops included the Fergus Falls Transfer Station, where leaders got an update on construction and demolition planning, followed by a tour of the County Highway 1 Garage in Fergus Falls. Parks and Trails Director Kevin Fellbaum briefed commissioners on the future of the Glacial Edge Trail and the plans to extend the trail network into Maplewood State Park, which would connect the city of Fergus Falls to a broader regional trail system.
In Pelican Rapids, the group viewed the Colony Apartments and Pinewood Estates from two Community Development Authority housing projects that have added new residential options in a city with a proven housing need.
The tour’s highlight stop was in the City of Vergas, where the group gathered at Long Lake City Beach for a working lunch with city leadership. City leaders shared updates on housing development projects that have added units to a tight local market, progress from downtown businesses that have opened or expanded in recent years, and a community-led effort to identify sustainable child care solutions for area families and employers.
Commissioner Wayne Johnson commented, “What’s happening in Vergas is an example of what’s possible when a small community decides to invest in itself — it all points to a city that is building for the long term. Otter Tail County wants to be a partner in that work.”
District 5 Commissioner Sean Sullivan says these tours give county leaders a real look at what’s working and what still needs attention.
Story courtesy of Otter Tail County.
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