Johnsrun and Knuesel, LLC, based in Winona, Minnesota, will take over court-appointed counsel in Houston County. Darlene Larson, the Court Administrator for Houston County has requested approval from the County Attorney Sue Bublitz. The two will work out the specifics of the contract with Johnsrun.
Only two bids were submitted for the contract. One of which was La Crescent and Spring Grove, who requested $54,000 for a one-year term. Johnsrun bid was just slightly lower at $52,500.
If those estimates seem low, they actually represent a “signicant increase†in the words of Bublitz. Previously, the county was able to budget a two-year contract for $52,000 plus contingency. This represents more than a 100 percent increase.