The Wright County Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of a 5.98-acre parcel in Montrose for $470,000 to build a new highway maintenance shop, replacing the outdated Waverly facility.

The board unanimously approved the purchase agreement during their April 15 meeting, with the deal contingent on city planning and zoning approval within 150 days. The property acquisition is part of a multi-year capital improvement project budgeted at $400,000 for 2025, $400,000 for 2026, and approximately $2.9 million for construction in 2027.

Jeremy Carlson, the county's right-of-way agent, said staff worked with Montrose city officials to identify suitable locations. The selected site on the west side of town was recommended by city staff after the county evaluated multiple options, including parcels south of County Road 12 that were deemed unsuitable due to poor soils and water runoff concerns.

In other business, the board approved transitioning from a probationary delivery system to a community corrections system, a change that has been under consideration for several years. Mike McMillan from the corrections department said the switch will provide more local control over service delivery and align Wright County with most peer counties. The transition is expected to be completed by December 31.

The commissioners also recognized National Work Zone Awareness Week for April 21-25 and received an annual presentation from Great River Regional Library, which reported strong usage across Wright County locations with over 98,000 cardholders systemwide.