Beltrami County Board Swears In Deputy, Updates Meeting Schedule

Sheriff Jason Riggs administered the oath of office to Deputy Travis Amston during the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners' April 7 regular meeting, adding a sworn officer to a department responsible for patrolling one of the largest rural geographies in Minnesota.

Amston's swearing-in was framed in the context of maintaining patrol capacity, court security, and emergency response capability across the county. In a county where rural distances can significantly extend the time between a 911 call and a deputy's arrival, each addition of sworn personnel carries direct consequence for the communities waiting on that response.

The board also approved an amended 2026 meeting calendar that moves the November session off Election Day. The change removes a scheduling conflict that could have made it harder for commissioners, county staff, and members of the public to participate fully on the same day. Anyone who wants to address the board in November will now be able to do so without competing with polling obligations. The amended calendar is in effect for the remainder of the year.

Committee assignments were updated during the same session to reflect recent staffing and commissioner changes. Those placements determine which commissioners carry oversight responsibility for specific policy areas and spending decisions through the end of 2026, including public health, public works, and county finances.

The consent agenda included a revised resolution for the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force, keeping the multi-jurisdictional partnership's interagency agreements current. The task force operates across several counties and municipal agencies in the region, concentrating on felony-level drug trafficking investigations. The county has used the partnership in previous years to coordinate federal grant activity alongside regional law enforcement operations. Adopting the updated resolution allows member agencies to continue coordinated casework without interruption.

The full April 7 meeting is available on the Beltrami County YouTube channel under "Board Meeting 4-7-26." Agendas, minutes, and the drug task force resolution are posted on the county's official website at co.beltrami.mn.us, where residents can also find information on upcoming meeting dates now that the amended 2026 calendar is formally in place.