Lake County commissioners approve land use and subdivision ordinance updates

Lake County commissioners approved amendments to Land Use Ordinance #12 and Subdivision Ordinance #9 on April 28, clearing the way for new rules that govern how property can be divided, developed and regulated across the county. The adopted ordinances took effect May 8, following a public hearing held April 20 at 6 p.m. in the Law Enforcement Center in Two Harbors.

The ordinance vote carried the most immediate impact for homeowners, developers and townships because it shapes what can be built and how land changes hands. County officials have been moving the amendments through the planning process for weeks, and the board took them up during a special action meeting in the Split Rock River Room rather than waiting for its regular second-Tuesday session.

County Administrator Matt Huddleston opened the meeting by praising Bryr Ludington, who has stepped in as the new environmental services director while the department manages a wave of ordinance work. The staffing change comes as Lake County’s environmental and zoning decisions remain at the center of day-to-day permitting and land-use enforcement.

Technology and records management also surfaced as a county governance issue. Commissioners discussed the county website replacement, which officials hope to have in place later in 2026, and raised concerns about data practices and county staff using personal phones for government business. Lake County’s website lists an Information Technology department led by Director Dan Lackore, and the county’s GIS tools already provide public-facing parcel, zoning, plowing and aerial-imagery maps, making the website overhaul part of a broader shift in how residents access county information.

Commissioner Joe Baltich also raised the status of the Kawishiwi Bridge, a project Lake County wants to replace with state bond funding. The proposal moved in St. Paul as HF 583 and SF 135 and sought $1 million for the bridge near Spruce Road, covering site preparation, demolition, design, construction, furnishing and equipment. A House briefing document described the existing span as a 132-foot steel truss bridge over the Kawishiwi River that no longer meets the weight requirements of modern grooming equipment.

Other correspondence pointed to the county’s broader civic workload. Rick Hogenson highlighted the Lake County Chamber Spring Gala and said the Veterans Memorial project is about three-quarters of the way to its fundraising goal. County veterans-services materials say the World War II memorial is expected to cost about $1 million and that the memorial fund is roughly halfway to its goal. Rick Goutermont noted the temporary pause in the Arrowhead Counties Association, praised turnout at the Survive This! emergency preparedness event at Two Harbors High School on April 26, and pushed for action on a Finland-area property sale.