The Freeborn County Board of Commissioners discussed economic development in the county at a workshop Tuesday morning.

Dan Dorman, executive director of the Albert Lea Economic Development Agency, said he’s been wanting to develop a better working relationship with the county board on the issue of economic development.

Freeborn County was in an agreement with SoyMor, where it loaned $360,000 from the Minnesota Investment Fund in 2006. Every month for 84 months the county collected on that loan, and while 80 percent went back to the state, 20 percent stayed in a revolving loan fund. Currently there’s about $68,000 in that fund.

Dorman said with funds like those the county can choose to loan out that money, but the fund will still carry the state’s restrictions. Dorman spoke to the board about the fact that if the county board were to designate a local development organization, or LDO, that the money could be loaned out for economic development with less restrictions.

“An LDO must be a private, nonprofit,” Dorman said.

Dorman said that while the county could establish its own such private, non-for-profit organization, it cannot be part of a government body. Dorman suggested that Greater Jobs Inc., part of ALEDA, would be a good candidate as an LDO since it’s already established in the community.

The commissioners didn’t decide anything Tuesday but did ask if they could hear more about the process

The board also:

• Discussed sewage issues in the Stables area. Board Chairman Dan Belshan said he’d like to see other options presented to the board for ways to deal with the waste in that area. One plan was presented to the board that had a cost of almost $6 million, with the county possibly paying around $1.2 million if approved. No action was taken.

• Discussed the Union Pacific Railroad abandonment. The county has gotten an extension until mid-July to keep working with the railroad on the possible acquisition.

• Discussed a number of issues with Freeborn County Engineer Sue Miller. The first was about rumble strips, which are in the process of being taken out of roads in Freeborn County.

Miller said that the county has a policy to take them out, but the board could revisit that. County Administrator John Kluever suggested a workshop in March to meet at the Highway Department to look at specific intersections; the board likely will set a date for the workshop at its next meeting, March 6. Miller also said her department received a $180,000 grant to place flashing lights at various intersections throughout the county.