Mower County board to weigh ADU rules, labor contracts, bridge replacement
No decisions were made by Mower County boards in the past two weeks; all recent meetings were agenda-only. The county board will consider several significant items at its next meeting on Aug. 11, including an accessory dwelling unit ordinance, a short-term rental permit, labor contracts, and a bridge replacement bid.
Recent meetings
Board of Commissioners (July 28)
The board's agenda included a cannabis ordinance for commercial outdoor grow facilities, a County Attorney request for a budget amendment and one additional staff attorney, adoption of the All Hazard Mitigation Plan, a ProWest proposal for parcel fabric integration, and a first amendment to the Mower County / City of Rochester Mutual Aid Agreement for Dispatch Services. No votes were taken.
Planning Commission (Aug. 3)
The commission held a public hearing on Conditional Use Permit #1008, a request for short-term rentals (including VRBO) for up to 8 people in Section 35, Austin Township. It also considered an amendment to Zoning Ordinance Article X regarding Accessory Dwelling Units. The agenda noted that CUP #1011, a request for cannabis cultivation and processing in Windom Township, was rescinded. No decisions were made.
Board of Commissioners Work Session (Aug. 4)
The work session covered 2027 budget proposals from Discover Austin and SELCO, a discussion on office space for Extension, and a Cold Storage Building Move discussion. No votes were taken.
Upcoming board meeting (Aug. 11)
The Mower County Board of Commissioners will hold public hearings on two items:
- Conditional Use Permit #1008 for a short-term rental (up to 8 people) by David & Stephanie Huse, Section 35, Austin Township.
- An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance amendment to the Zoning Ordinance.
The board will also consider:
- A modification to the Housing Tax Abatement policy to exempt ADUs as qualifying housing.
- A bid for SAP 050-605-018 to replace Bridge 89212 with Bridge 50L03 on County Road 5 near the Freeborn County line.
- Tentative labor agreements with LELS #81, LELS #83, and AFSCME for the period 7/1/2026 through 6/30/2029.
All items are on the agenda; no decisions have been made yet.
Coming up
- **Mower County Board of Commissioners** – Aug. 11, 2026. Public hearings on the short-term rental CUP and ADU ordinance, plus labor contracts, bridge replacement, and housing tax abatement changes. This is the only upcoming meeting listed in the next 14 days.