A building permit issued to Waste Management, 25237 755th Ave., Clarks Grove, with a valuation of $923,800 in December for the construction of a new building provided a real end-of-year boost for the county’s final 2009 total. This new building will replace two structures destroyed by fire on June 2 and 3, 2009.

During December the Freeborn County Planning and Zoning Office issued seven building permits with a listed valuation of $980,300. This increases the total estimated valuation of county-issued permits to $23,836,769 for all of 2009.

At the end of 2008 the listed valuation for county-issued building permits was $9,769,030.

The one permit in 2009 that really made a difference in those totals was the one issued to Wisconsin Power and Light for 122 wind-turbine towers with a valuation of $17,000,000. WP&L plans to construct the Bent Tree Wind Farm on 32,500 acres in Hartland and Manchester Townships sometime in the future.

Albert Lea’s inspection department issued 11 building permits during December with a valuation of $305,770. (One of those permits was for a new residential unit on Meadow Lane.) This increases the total valuation for permits issued during 2009 to $13,736,735.

The total of county-issued permits issued for all of 2008 was $15,002,726.

Permits for a dozen new residential units were issued by the city during 2009. In 2008 the total listed on the city’s report was eight new living units.