LuAnn Heineker, a new district director for the Minnesota Extension Service, was introduced Tuesday.

The Mower County Board of Commissioners met Heineker at their regular monthly meeting and heard about the Extension Service's concerns for the anticipated impact of the state budget deficit.

Jerry Tesmer, a district director for the Extension Service serving Fillmore and Mower counties, made the introduction.

Then Tesmer and Heineker both discussed the funding dilemma with the commissioners.

According to Tesmer's computations, the county's subsidy of Extension Service programming and activities costs $12.09 per household or $4.88 per person.

"The Extension Service budget is $188,430 or 0.0055 percent of Mower County's $34,178,422 budget for 2003," Tesmer said.

Counties account for 26 percent of the total revenues received by the Extension Service in Minnesota, Heineker said.

Heineker also said the counties' revenues go largely to the "infrastructure of county extension programming."

She said after dealing with a $690,000 unallotment cut this year, "the Extension Service anticipated between $3 and $5 million in spending reductions to come.

But Heineker saw light at the end of the funding dilemma tunnel.

"I think there's potential for revenue generation," she said.

In a related Extension Service matter, the county board's personnel committee recommended hiring one person as a summertime employee. The person will work mid-May to August and be paid $9.50 per hour.

The county commissioners accepted the recommendation, which limits the amount paid, and thus the time worked, to $3,000.

A year ago, the commissioners allocated $5,000 for summer assistance in the Extension Service office.

Recommendations approved

Also Tuesday, the county commissioners approved two conditional use permit requests and the final plat for what could be the largest single residential development in the county.

Thomas Mullenbach and Brian and Dawn Marks each were granted CUPs for additional dwellings in wooded areas.

Mullenbach's is in Adams Township and the Marks' dwelling is in Lansing Township.

The Mower County Planning Commission had recommended approval of the requests with conditions. No objections were heard at Tuesday's public hearing.

The final plat for Turtle Creek Estates was approved. The residential development straddles the Austin and Lansing townships' line west of Austin.

Plans call for the development of as many as 93 residential lots.

In still another zoning matter, the commissioners gave their approval to a rezoning of property in Lansing Township, resulting from an oversight a year ago, when the revised comprehensive plan and county zoning ordinance were approved.

Both the final plat and the rezoning were recommended by the Mower County Planning Commission.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com