A program to help seniors with chores so they’re able to remain in their homes will again get funding from Mower County.

The County Board at its Tuesday annual meeting approved appropriations for 2018.The third-largest appropriation is $36,000 for Mower County Senior Center’s Chore Program. Through it, seniors can apply to get assistance with chores such as house cleaning, raking, and shoveling.

“The board’s attitude has been the longer we can keep seniors in their homes and out of their nursing home we provide greater dignity to them,” County Coordinator Craig Oscarson said.

The county provides the funding to the senior center which manages the program.

The Chore Program appropriation and most of the others approved Tuesday are at the same level as 2017, including the largest, $146,998 for Mower Soil and Water.

The Mower County Senior Citizens Center will get $11,000.

SEMCAC, a community action agency, will receive $3,000. It operates more than 25 programs, such as Head Start, senior services, community development and transportation.

The Lyle Senior Citizens, LeRoy Senior Citizens, Brownsdale Seniors and Sargeant Seniors will each receive $600.

The Southeast Minnesota Initiative Fund will get $1,000.

Southern Minnesota Tourism will receive $500.

The Mower County Historical Society will receive $55,265 in 2018, which is $5,000 more than in 2017.

Shuffling commissioners

The first action of 2018 for the Mower County Board was electing Jerry Reinartz as its new chairman and Tony Bennett its vice chairman.

The board also approved committee assignments:

• Finance and purchasing committee: Polly Glynn and Tony Bennett.

• Personnel Committee: Reinartz and Tim Gabrielson.

• Building and Grounds Committee: Mike Ankeny and Gabrielson.

• Solid Waste Committee: Ankeny and Bennett.

• Planning Committee: Bennett and Ankeny as the alternate.

• County Extension Committee: Reinartz and Glynn.

In other action, the board approved.

• the request by  Michael J. and Shirley D. Adams to subdivide, without platting, by exemption, property in the Freeway Interchange Management District in Section 34, Dexter Township.

• rezoning parcels owned by Scott Hamand and James and Sheryal Rubin from business to agricultural in Section 14, Frankford Township

• rezoning land owned by Troy Cunningham from residential to business in Section 26, Lansing Township. Cunningham has been cleaning the property that is across from Todd Park and is thinking about operating a greenhouse and nursery there after his retirement from the railroad, according to Angela Knish of Mower County Public Works. The property formerly was the site of the Cottage Inn, she said. “It’s in industrial area,” she said. “No residential structures in that area. It’s industrial and nature.”

•  Keeping the county fee schedule the same for 2018.

•  Keeping the legal publications and depositories, health officer the same

•  Depositaries no changes

Setting the County Board of Equalization meeting for 6 p.m., Monday, June 11.