Clay County Commission chairman Frank Gross (left) administers the oath of office to newly elected commissioners Jenna Kahly and David Ebinger. Photo/Steve Larson.

Karen Newman

Three commissioners were sworn in prior to the January 5 meeting.  Frank Gross was re-elected to continue his service.  New commission members are Jenna Kahly and David Ebinger.  The commissioners elected Kevin Campbell as the 2021 chairperson.  They chose Jenny Mongeau to serve as the vice-chair. 

The meeting schedule for the Clay County Commission remains unchanged.  The meetings take place on Tuesday mornings at 8:30 am.  The commission meets the first four Tuesday mornings of the month.  For months which include a fifth Tuesday, no meeting is held unless there is a specific need for an additional session. The commission meets in the new third floor meeting room in the courthouse.  Because of Covid-19 restrictions, new technology was installed permitting citizens to speak to the board from a distance.  A form for citizens who wish to be heard may be found at: https://claycountymn.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=288

Chairperson Campbell thanked Frank Gross for his service to the Clay County Board of Commissioners and Clay County citizens, declaring, “I want to recognize Commissioner Gross.  I’ve been on this board now for eighteen years and I’ve seen nothing like this past year has been.  Thank you for your leadership.”  Campbell emphasized the importance of educating the two new commissioners about their role, “This year, as we plan and do department updates, and as we start preparations a little bit later in the budget, I want to get a more thorough report from all the department heads on behalf of our new commissioners.  This is a lot of work and it’s a lot to learn in your first couple years.  It’s important that we take the time to make sure you know how everything is run.”

The board adopted resolutions for 2021 rotation of county newspaper designations. 

· Resolution 2021-01:  To designate The Extra as the official County newspaper for 2021.

· Resolution 2021-02: To designate the Clay County Union as the Clay County Board of Commissioners’ newspaper.

· Resolution 2021-03: To designate the Barnesville Record Review for the first publishing of the Clay County financial statement.

· Resolution 2021-04: To designate the Hawley Herald for the second publishing of the Clay County financial statement.