REGULAR MEETING OF THE KOOCHICHING COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Held on Tuesday, January 16, 2001; 9:45 a.m.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Commissioners Hanson, McBride, Lepper (attending in
afternoon), Chezick, Pavleck

MEMBERS ABSENT: None

OTHERS ATTENDING: Barb West, Roger Andrascik, Richard Lehtinen, Tom Toratti, Dennis Hummitzsch, Mike Lemieux, Terry Glowack, Ed Oerichbauer, Attorney Steven Fecker via conference phone, Terry Murray, Ann Coulombe, Cindy Ellefson-Oswald; Reporters Laurel Beager and Roger Jerome

2001/01-30 Motion by McBride, seconded by Pavleck to approve the agenda with additions and deletions. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Chezick, Pavleck; absent for vote: Lepper. Motion carried.

2001/01-31 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by McBride to approve the minutes of the January 9, 2001 special meeting with corrections. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Chezick, Pavleck; absent for vote: Lepper. Motion carried.

2001/01-32 Motion by McBride, seconded by Chezick to approve payment of the Highway bills in the amount of $113,414.40 with detail on file in the Highway Department and to approve payment in the amount of $5,200.00 from the Administration Budget for preparation of the annual cost allocation plan. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Chezick, Pavleck; absent for vote: Lepper. Motion carried.

000 The Board reviewed the AMC invitation to the Minnesota Tribal Government and County Summit on February 14 and 15, 2001. It was agreed to have the Coordinator contact local tribal leadership to seek their interest in attending the summit.

000 The Board reviewed the draft 2001 Committee Listing and agreed to the listing with the following changes: Commissioner Lepper will serve as the ACA representative, delete the Rural Policy Task Force as it is inactive and that the Board Chair will serve as liaison for the KCCS Directorship on the fuel assistance matter.

2001/01-33 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by McBride appointing Commissioner Mike Hanson and Phyllis Karsnia to the Aitkin-Itasca-Koochiching Community Health Board for a three-year term beginning January 1, 2001. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Chezick, Pavleck; absent for vote: Lepper. Motion carried.

000 By Board directive, business on establishment of the cooperative agreement for creation of a Voyageurs National Park Joint Management Council is to be scheduled on the agenda for the first and third meetings of each month. Commissioners Chezick and Pavleck had nothing to report at this time.

000 The Board discussed a County purchase of bulk paper which was the product of a foreign country rather than our local paper company. The Board held discussion on how to encourage local buying without controlling competitive bidding to seek the lower cost for the taxpayer. The Coordinator stated that KEDA should consider this issue in their focus group with area businesses. The Board agreed to set a committee meeting to discuss this issue further.

000 The Environmental Service Director participated in a workshop intended to help guide the preparation of a Water Resources Management Plan for Voyageurs National Park. The summary has been prepared by the University of Minnesota Department of Forest Resources and is now moving into the plan preparation stage. As stated in the written report, several issues were rated as top priority for the plan’s objective. The completion date for the plan is October, 2002. Commissioner Pavleck asked how the Park’s water resource plan ties into the MPCA’s basin planning? In the Director’s opinion, the two plans are tied together only because they both are collecting information on water resources and that they are not working on parallel paths. Per Park staff attending the meeting, the National Park Service has had intentions to prepare a water resource plan for a number of years. Their plan is specific to the Park but they will work with other agencies on a watershed plan. Commissioner Pavleck stated that the water planning initiative is getting broader and fears local government will be left out. How many plans can the County be involved in and be able to do justice to the process? Commissioner Hanson stated that there will be three to four water plans for the same water when all is said and done. The Director stated that information is information and that the information should mesh with all plans. Commissioner Hanson again stated his suspicion with federal and state agencies doing a water plan with intent to supercede the County’s plan. Commissioner Chezick stated that with all the plans in place or soon to be in place, none of them get down to the real fundamentals and solutions. He gave the example that septic systems are still failing in the County even though there are a number of resource management plans in place. Commissioner Pavleck asked Park staff what their involvement would be in fisheries? They stated that it is not their intent to take over fish management but to work with the DNR on a number of non-game species and aquatic issues. Commissioner Hanson feels the Park is expanding their influence. Park staff disagreed. The park is 40% water and that water and air have no boundaries so to improve quality, we need to work together. Commissioner Hanson asked why the Park doesn’t use the County’s water plan? Park staff stated that it does not deal with the issues on the level needed to manage the ecosystem in the Park. The County plan deals more with how people interact with the ecosystem. They stated, however, that they have not seen the County plan and requested a copy. Commissioner Pavleck stated local frustration with federal and state agencies dictating regulations and uses without consideration to local input and knowledge. He gave the example of the State requiring the mound system when it does not work in a large portion of this County. The Park plan looks like a twin to the MPCA’s basin plan and he wondered where the County would end up when it is all said and done. Per Park staff, the basin plan has a larger scope than the plan for the Park. We are all dealing with political boundaries but to improve the quality of the resources, we need to work together. Park staff stated that they contracted with the University of Minnesota to establish the plan for the Park and that the contractors will furnish progress reports throughout the process. Park staff stated they would maintain dialogue with the County on this matter.

000 The Environmental Service Director stated that the MPCA’s Rainy Basin Plan is in phase I which is to complete a draft basin monitoring plan through committees by December 2001. Phase II will follow with the development of the plan, again through committees, which will identify issues of local concern and of regional concern. The lead Basin Committee will approve the Rainy Basin Water Plan sometime in late 2002. The Director stated he felt there was weakness in process as there is no plan for acquiring public input or for plan adoption. Commissioner Pavleck stated his concern with the process using the open house forum to collect public comment and that he will not support the plan without public hearings. The Board agreed and asked why a plan was being developed if no one was going to take responsibility for it. The Director stated that the County is providing input at this time and that his position will be to ensure that local input is part of the planning process. The Board requested continual update on this process with summary reports outlining issues of concern for the Board.

2001/01-34 Motion by Chezick, seconded by McBride to set aside $75,000 for timber and resource development reserves and $25,500 for park development reserves from the 2000 Trust Fund income as approved in the 2001 Land and Forestry Budget and as recommended by the Land Commissioner. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Chezick, Pavleck; absent for vote: Lepper. Motion carried.

000 Motion by Commissioner Pavleck failed for a lack of a second to set aside the maximum of $4.00 per capita from the 2000 Trust Fund income for promotion as allowed under MN Statute with allocation as set in 2000 with an additional $8,000 going to the cities from the KDA allocation.

2001/01-35 Motion by Chezick, seconded by McBride to set aside the maximum of $4.00 per capita from the 2000 Trust Fund income for promotion as allowed under MN Statute with allocation as follows: allocate forty percent of the promotion funds from the 2000 tax forfeit apportionment to the cities within Koochiching County with allocation ratio to be the same as in previous year and with a letter to accompany the checks stating what the funds can be expended on and when they have to be expended and to allocate sixty percent of the promotions funds from the 2000 tax forfeit apportionment to the Koochiching Development Authority to be held and utilized for the promotion of tourism, agricultural and industrial development as defined in MN Statute and park development. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Chezick, Pavleck; absent for vote: Lepper. Motion carried.

000 The Land Commissioner informed the Board that the deeds for the land exchange for the State’s leased lakeshore property have been recorded and the County is now in the position to sell the properties to the lease holders. The Land Commissioner requested direction from the Board on whether to use the two-year-old appraisal to establish sale price or to seek reappraisal. Per law, the proceeds from the sale must be held in the Trust Fund and to be expended only for natural resources projects to be determined by the County Board. The sale proceeds will be held in an interest bearing account as required by law.

2001/01-36 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by McBride to authorize the Land Commissioner to sell the lakeshore parcels as acquired from the State under special legislation based on the two-year-old appraisal data. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Chezick, Pavleck; absent for vote: Lepper. Motion carried.

000 The Board Chair opened a public hearing at 11:03 a.m. for the purposing of receiving public comment on a vacation request by Mike Lemiuex for a portion of right-of-way on C.S.A.H. 20 encroached by his garage located on Lot 21, Brennens Beach. No written or oral comment was presented. There was no comment by Board members. The Board Chair closed the hearing at 11:04 a.m.

2001/01-37 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by McBride that upon receiving no opposition, to approve the vacation request by Mike Lemieux for a portion of C.S.A.H. No. 20 right-of-way which is encroached on by a garage located on Lot 21 of Brennens Beach described as follows: commencing at the southeast corner of Lot 21, Brennens Beach, according to the recorded plat thereof; thence westerly, along the south line of said Lot 21, a distance of 63.6 feet, more or less, to the easterly face of the roof overhang of a wood framed garage, thence southerly, along the easterly face of the roof overhang of said garage a distance of 4.5 feet, more or less, to the southerly face of the roof overhang of said garage; thence westerly, along the southerly face of the roof overhang of said garage, a distance of 27.2 feet, more or less, to the intersection with the westerly face of the roof overhang of said garage, thence northerly along the westerly face of the roof overhang of said garage, a distance of 4.5 feet, more or less, to the intersection with the south line of said Lot 21; thence easterly along said south line to the point of beginning. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Chezick, Pavleck; absent for vote: Lepper. Motion carried.

000 The Complex Superintendent and Historical Society Director provided the Board a new construction cost estimate for the third floor historical restoration in the amount of $209,800 which includes heating and cooling and four of the six items in the previous estimate that were not included in the restoration cost. Per the Complex Superintendent, two of the six items, window sash and window covering, were excluded as window sashes have been repaired and because a decision has not been made on whether to cover the windows. The Historical Director stated that if the Board decides to cover the windows for acoustic purposes, it might be pricey to obtain coverings with a historical look. With regards to the State Historical Grant application, the Historical Director asked the Board how much they were willing to put into the project as the more the County puts in, the better the chances for a grant. Committing slightly more than half of the project cost, would commit the County to $138,000 with a $82,000 State grant request. If the County is successful with this grant request, work could begin as early as summer, 2001 with an estimated completion date in two years. If the County is not successful in this grant request, they will apply again in the summer of 2001. The County has been successful in its two grant applications so there is the chance this application will be set aside. The Complex Superintendent stated that work should begin as soon as possible to install the heating and cooling systems so the room is useable. The Historical Director stated that the County would know by April, 2001 if they are successful with this grant application.

2001/01-38 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Chezick to commit $138,000 of County dollars for capital improvement and 1900 historical restoration of the third floor courtroom (in addition to the previous dollars expended on the architectural study) and authorizing a grant application to be submitted to the State Historical Society requesting $82,000 of State dollars for the historical restoration. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Chezick, Pavleck; absent for vote: Lepper. Motion carried.

000 The Board Chair called for public comment at 11:25 a.m. No comment was presented.

000 The Board Chair recessed the meeting at 11:25 a.m. and reconvened at 2:15 p.m.

2001/01-39 Motion by McBride, seconded by Lepper to close the meeting at 2:16 p.m. to further investigate complaints against the Community Service Directorship. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/01-40 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Lepper to open the meeting at 4:49 p.m. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick; absent for vote: Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/01-41 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Chezick to dismiss the complaints of management practices against the Community Service Directorship as there was insufficient evidence to support any action at this time. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick; absent for vote: Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/01-42 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride to adjourn the meeting at 4:53 p.m. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick; absent for vote: Pavleck. Motion carried