Board Minutes

for

April 24, 2001

 

 

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE KOOCHICHING COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Held on Tuesday, April 24, 2001; 9:45 a.m.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Commissioners Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck

MEMBERS ABSENT: None

OTHERS ATTENDING: Terry Murray, Cindy Ellefson-Oswald, Ann Coulombe, Marty Gordon, Susan Congrave, Larry Connors, Blake Napper; Reporters Laurel Beager and Roger Jerome

2001/04-38 Motion by McBride, seconded by Lepper to approve the agenda with additions and deletions. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/04-39 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride to approve the minutes of the April 17, 2001 regular meeting. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/04-40 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride to approve payment in the amount of $609.00 to Griffith Law Office for legal service pertaining to Voyageurs National Park management plans and actions with payment from the Administration Legal/Litigation Budget; to approve payment to Griffith Law Office in the amount of $1,473.00 for preparation of an Amicus Curiae Brief on behalf of Koochiching County and providing oral argument in support of the Associated Contract Loggers and Olson Logging’s appeal to reverse the Federal District Court’s ruling with payment from the Legal/Litigation Budget, to provide a grant to the City of Northome in the amount of $750.00 to appropriate at their discretion for cultural and literary improvements in their area due to receipt of a funding request by the area’s bookstation with payment from the 2001 Contribution/Donation Budget, to approve payment of the Public Health bills in the amount of $22,001.35 with detail on file in the Public Health Department and to approve payment of Community Service claims for financial and social service programs and administrative expenditures as presented with detail on file in the Community Service Department. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board Chair appointed Commissioners Chezick and McBride as the Board’s representatives on the Backus/AB Committee as authorized in Board Motion 2001/04-28.

2001/04-41 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper to approve a Gambling Application for Exempt Permit – LG220 authorizing the G.R.S. Community Auxiliary to conduct a raffle on December 8, 2001. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/04-42 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Chezick adopting an office space agreement with District Court to move the Court Administration Office to the current County Attorney and Law Library Office space located next to the second floor courtroom at the time that a new person takes the Office of County Attorney. Upon the new person taking office, the County Attorney and his/her staff and the Law Library will be moved to the office space now occupied by Court Administration (current Court Administration Office and former Probation Office on second floor). Said Agreement is based on renovation plans as presented by the District Court Judge and drafted by the Complex Superintendent with understanding that modifications to the plan will be accepted upon further input from the Department Heads but that total cost and final plans are decided by the County Board. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board Chair informed the Board that the Senate tax bill included no repeal of the Attached Machinery Aid and the House tax bill will be reviewed sometime this week with Representative Anderson, ranking Democrat on the Tax Committee, monitoring this issue on the House side. The proposed increase in PILT is still gaining support and is tied to proposed legislation for an agreement with Con Con counties on which acreage will be designated as wildlife, forestry or general use. This agreement does not impact Koochiching County’s con con lands. The Biomass tax exemption and Bear/Education Center bills are moving in a positive direction. Commissioner Chezick stated that there is still an uncertainty with the LCMR Grant for the County’s parcel based GIS System and this issue continues to be monitored and lobbied. ACA is pursuing as a high priority, catastrophic prosecution case funding where the State would provide financial assistance for exorbitant cost associated with large law enforcement and court cases such as the murder cases in Carlton and Aitkin Counties. Commissioner Lepper stated that Representative Oberstar requested $23 million of federal funding earmarked for the four-lane project from Virginia to Cook. However, MNDot did not identify the Highway 53 Project in their 20-Year Plan for State funding. Our regional MNDot representatives felt positive that things could be done to secure State funding and are currently working on a scoping plan for the next segment of the four-lane project.

000 The Board received a copy of a letter from the Orr City Administrator to the Minnesota Attorney General requesting a meeting to discuss the State’s position on waterway and other jurisdictional issues due to the continued local concerns and problems with Voyageurs National Park. In talking with the City Administrator, Commissioner Pavleck stated that there is a great interest in making a case to the State that they step in and come to an agreement on waterway jurisdiction with the Federal government, including Voyageurs National Park. He also stated that the problems we are facing with Voyageurs National Park is not uncommon as there are a number of states having the same jurisdictional issues with the federal government. If the Board is supportive of this, Commissioner Pavleck suggested the Board contract Senator Lessard to set a meeting with the Attorney General and his staff and key local, county and state officials to discuss this matter. Commissioner Chezick agreed and stated that St. Louis County Commissioners Fink and Forseman need to be involved. In referencing the letter, Commissioner Chezick also wanted to make clear that any interest to annex portions of northern St. Louis County into Koochiching County was initiated by people not the County Board and went on record stated that Koochiching County and St. Louis County have good relations.

2001/04-43 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by McBride to send a letter to Senator Robert Lessard requesting his assistance in setting up a meeting with the Attorney General and his staff to discuss jurisdictional issues involving Voyageurs National Park with letter copied to Representative Anderson, St. Louis County Board and their legislative representatives and the City of Orr. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board Chair acknowledged a letter from the MN Department of Human Services from the April 17 Board meeting commending Community Services staff for perfect performance in meeting DHS Social Service financial reporting requirements for calendar year 2000. The Board commended the staff for a job well done.

2001/04-44 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride to approve a service agreement with Behavioral Health Services, Inc. for mental health and chemical dependency treatment as recommended by the KCCS Directorship and upon approval by the County Attorney. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/04-45 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck accepting the recommendation to relicense family day care for ten children, Case #25915. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board received a report showing current caseloads for Child Support and Financial Service programs with a breakdown of cases per employee. The Board was informed that the Department issued three fuel guarantees but non-county sources paid for the fuel assistance in the end so no county dollars were expended. The Salvation Army was one of the sources paying for the fuel assistance. Changes enacted by the 1999 legislature required that all eligible individuals might be offered MR/RC waiver resources through a one-time allocation process. Prior to this law change and the Department of Human Resources implementing this change, there was limited state funding so people were put on a waiting list. Now that the Department has implemented this legislative change, the waiting list is eliminated which is good for the client and the County.

2001/04-46 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Chezick directing the Board Chair to send a letter to the Salvation Army thanking them for their assistance in providing fuel assistance and for all the other community need services they provide. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/04-47 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper accepting the following low bids for seasonal materials as recommended by the Highway Engineer: Riveted Corrugated Steel Culverts - Johnston Fargo; Aluminized Spiral Culverts - Contech Const. Prod.; Polymer Pre-Coated Culverts - Johnston Fargo; Concrete Culverts - Elk River Concrete Prod.; Concrete Arch Culverts - Hancock Concrete Prod. Co., Inc.; Concrete Box Culverts - Elk River Concrete Prod. Co., Inc.; Timber Bridge Material - award to both Wheeler Consolidated and Page & Hill Forest Products. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/04-48 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride to approve the following three-year appointments to the Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors, effective May 1, 2001 and ending April 30, 2004, as recommended by the CVB President: Steve Lindberg, Dan Traska, Jim Bischoff, Mary Ann Kasich, Steve Fox (replacing Tim Shuff). Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 Commissioner Hanson informed the Board that he attended the annual Associated Contract Loggers’ annual meeting and dinner. Attorney Steve Young representing the ACL in the Court of Appeals case stated publicly that without Koochiching County’s involvement in the case, he believed they would not have gotten this far with the case and publicly thanked Koochiching County. He also had the opportunity to speak with DNR Commissioner Garber who stated that Koochiching County has a model timber harvest program and commended the County.
2001/04-49 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper to approve a therapy service contract with Falls Memorial Hospital with addendum (no county dollars) as recommended by the Public Health Director and upon approval of the County Attorney. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Chezick. Motion carried.
000 The Board Chair recessed the meeting at 10:50 a.m. and reconvened at 2:35 p.m.
2001/04-50 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by McBride approving payment of $4,000.00 to the Forest Hill Cemetery Association for a site improvement grant and referring the in-kind assistance requests to a May 1 committee meeting for further consideration. Motion further authorizes the Coordinator to transfer budget funds from the Administration Projects Budget to the Donation/Contribution Budget to cover the site improvement grant. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.
2001/04-51 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride to adjourn the meeting at 2:40 p.m. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.