NEW ULM — Brown County commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of an outdoor public health workstation using a $6,853 Statewide Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) grant Tuesday.

Brown County Commissioner Brian Braun seconded a motion by Commissioner Dave Borchert approving the purchase. He said his support comes from previous experience with outdoor work when he worked at Koozie Group in Sleepy Eye.

“Anytime we had an opportunity to have a meeting outside, I appreciated it as a bright spot in the day. I think it goes a long way in keeping our employees happy,” said Commissioner Braun.

“I like the idea,” said Commissioner Borchert.

“Hopefully, we can grow some good vegetables too, have a snack, sit outside and enjoy nice weather we can get sometimes. We take breaks and walks, so we can make sure the outdoor area is taken care of. It’s up to (public health) clients and their families if they feel comfortable meeting outside. We occasionally get requests for that,” said Brown County Public Health Director Jaimee Brand.

She said staff would use an outdoor work station as an alternate, but not a primary work place option.

The grant can be used to purchase a four-seat round concrete table, three-seat round concrete table for ADA access, privacy screens, planter boxes and concrete. In-kind contributions include dirt donated by a community member, education, communication, plants and garden bed seeds, all provided from the county wellness committee. Other in-kind contributions include volunteer time planting a garden by the wellness committee or public health staff.

The Brown County Wellness Coordinator will encourage employees to use outdoor workstations for meetings and lunch breaks. After implementation of stations, the wellness coordinator will search for additional funding sources to implement outdoor workstations at all county buildings.