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Council Meeting Minutes for May 18, 2026 <br />Page 2 of 6 <br /> <br />The Mayor was invited to serve as a judge for the rib competition. The RibFest is expected to <br />include approximately 20 teams and 240 racks of ribs, with prizes awarded for first, second, and <br />third place, as well as People’s Choice. Ribs will be supplied by Grundhofer’s Old Fashioned <br />Meats and the Bald Eagle Sportsmen’s Association. <br /> <br />Council members inquired about additional event information and RibFest details. More <br />information is available at www.goodneighbordays.com. <br /> <br />Miron made motion, Krull seconded, to cosponsor Good Neighbor Days by waiving the special <br />event and providing deputies as needed. <br /> <br />All Ayes. Motion carried. <br /> <br />Washington County Sheriff’s Department Annual Report – Sheriff Dan Starry <br /> <br />Sheriff Dan Starry began by stating this would be his last formal yearly presentation to Hugo. <br />Starry plans to retire when his term is up at the end of the year. <br /> <br />The Sheriff introduced Sarah Halverson, Commander of Patrol, who has been with the County <br />for 26 years, and Hugo Sergeant Matt Wieland, who introduced the Hugo deputies: Mike Nunan, <br />Jeff Workman, Garrett Zakrzewski, Alec Zachrison, Andrew Schommer, Tyler Jarrett, Greg <br />Rieter, and Isaac Robbins. Jarrett is the new Hugo detective and shared that he has been with the <br />County for nine years. Deputy Schommer shared that he started in 2020, left to work with the <br />State Patrol for a period of time, and was excited to be back in Hugo, where he grew up. <br /> <br />Starry presented a PowerPoint showing the past year’s activities and Hugo’s 2026 service cost at <br />over $1.7 million. The majority of the expense is for employee wages and benefits to remain <br />competitive. The cost per capita is $102.56 for 24/7 coverage, which includes support from the <br />entire Sheriff’s Office. Citations nearly doubled in 2025 from 555 issued in 2017. Most were <br />traffic violations that resulted in education and warnings. Excessive violators are ticketed. In <br />2025, there were 265 cases investigated and over 10,000 calls for service, equating to <br />approximately 27 calls per day. Starry reviewed call-by-hour data, showing that the most calls <br />came in between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., with 699 calls, and the fewest occurred at 5 a.m., with 82 <br />calls. He encouraged residents to call immediately if they see something instead of waiting. <br />Arrests increased from 158 in 2024 to 170 in 2025. Motor vehicle accidents, mostly car versus <br />deer, increased from 151 to 170, and mental health-related calls showed a small decrease from <br />131 in 2025 to 128 in 2026. <br /> <br />Starry provided information on how the department is responding to trends. He discussed the <br />new Community Impact Unit, e-bike safety, the increase in mental health professionals, and <br />fraud tactics. He also discussed the department’s relationship with school districts and the DARE <br />program led by Deputies Isaac Robbins and Cassie Rice. <br /> <br />Starry thanked the Mayor, Council, and staff for supporting the Sheriff’s Office. <br /> <br />Weidt commented that he appreciated having Washington County as the City’s law enforcement <br />provider and wished Starry well in his retirement.