Board Minutes

for

November 6, 2001

 

REGULAR MEETING OF THE KOOCHICHING COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Held on Tuesday, November 06, 2001; 9:45 a.m.

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

MEMBERS ABSENT: None

OTHERS ATTENDING: Ruth Anderson, Richard Lehtinen, Duane Nelson, Dennis Hummitzsch, Doug Grindall, Bob Murray, Delbert Newberg, Paul McLaughlin, John McCarthy, Tom Shilts, Joe Rahm; Reporters Laurel Beager and Roger Jerome

2001/11-01 Motion by McBride, seconded by Lepper to approve the agenda with additions and deletions. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-02 Motion by Chezick, seconded by McBride to approve the minutes of the October 23, 2001 special meeting. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-03 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by McBride accepting the resignation of Ross Thompson as of January 1, 2002 and authorizing the Assessor to fill the appraiser vacancy due to this retirement. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-04 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Pavleck accepting the resignation of Jim Kalstad as of February 6, 2002 and authorizing the Assessor position is filled due to this retirement and directing the Coordinator to set a committee meeting for the Board to discuss plans for filling the Assessor position. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

200/11-05 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Chezick approving a revised Assessor position description with the only change being the removal of a non-banded responsibility that the Assessor assist the Zoning Department due to the transfer of duties from the Assessor’s Office to the Environmental Service Office in 1995. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-06 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride to approve payment of the Auditor bills in the amount of $92,089.46 (includes additional expense of $95.18 for a missed zoning claim) and to approve payment of the October Board of Prisoners claim in the amount of $4116.00. Payment detail on file in the Auditor’s Office. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-07 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride to approve payment of $360.00 from the Board’s Budget for 2002 NCAO membership dues. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-08 Motion by Chezick, seconded by McBride to table the request by the Convention and Visitors Bureau Board to appoint Paul Nevanen to fill the Board’s at-large position. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-09 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by McBride to request a timeline extension of the Borders Water Grant Agreement so that pending work can be completed and allow time to look at any border concerns due to the September 11th Attack on America. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-10 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Lepper authorizing the Environmental Service Department to sell the used MSW trailer to Wilkens Industries for $8,000.00. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-11 Motion by McBride, seconded by Lepper authorizing the Sheriff to utilize his part-time budget to hire temporary replacement in the absence of his secretary with rate of pay at eighty percent of the regular secretary’s position banding, per the Temporary Hire Pay Rate Scale. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Sheriff informed the Board that the first meeting of community representatives to discuss an emergency management network went very well and that the next group meeting is scheduled for November 19, 2001 at 10:00 a.m. The Board requested notification of the meetings and also a list of representatives attending the meeting. The Sheriff will utilize emergency management funds to cover the costs of this planning process and would come back to the Board to discuss additional support if needed.

2001/11-12 Motion by McBride, seconded by Lepper authorizing a repurchase of tax forfeit property described as Lot 9 less the West 75 Feet and Lot 10, Block 5, Central Addition to Littlefork for Alvin Stene per County Policy and as recommended by the Land Commissioner. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-13 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper approving a White Pine Grant Agreement with the State of Minnesota in the amount of $5,000 to be used for white pine regeneration and management (tree purchase and plantation establishment). Motion further authorizes the County Auditor and Land Commissioner to sign said Agreement on behalf of Koochiching County. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 Board Motion 2001/04-16 empowered the Highway Engineer to direct a survey to locate, to the best of the County’s ability, the public UT road in the City of Big Falls referred to as Big Fork Avenue. The County Surveyor presented a survey, which resulted in more questions than answers as there are discrepancies in the legal descriptions from the 1903 survey and the 1906 plat and 1909 rearrangement of the plat for Riverside Addition to Big Falls. The survey did not resolve the question as to whether Big Fork Avenue as shown on the plats is a dedicated public roadway or private property. The Highway Engineer stated that the County’s initial involvement with this issue was whether the avenue, if it existed, was a City or County road and secondly, the County supported having public access to the river. The Highway Engineer did not recall the County ever maintaining this road. The County Board questioned whether they had any further interest in pursuing this matter. Delbert Newberg an adjoining property owner to the Avenue in question expressed his concern with one property owner controlling this access and not allowing property owners or the public to access the river. The Board agreed the matter of whether this is a public access is a legal and court matter and relinquished their interest in pursuing the matter any further. They agreed to provide the information to the City of Big Falls so they can decide if they want to pursue the matter any further. The Surveyor stated that case law regarding plats would need to be researched and applied to determine the intent of the plat, which determines if there is public access to the river. Commissioner Hanson stated he would meet with the City of Big Falls and provide them the survey information and the Board’s position not to pursue the matter any further.

000 Falls Public Library Director Tom Shilts and International Falls City Councilors John McCarthy and Paul McLaughlin met with the Board to review an infrastructure improvement plan for the Falls Public Library to make the facility handicap accessible. The Director stated that a significant portion of the library does not meet the definition of accessibility under ADA. The improvement plan has a cost of $347,000 and application is being made for $142,223 of grant funds from the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning, which requires a local one-for-one dollar match that cannot be in-kind. Councilor McLaughlin stated that the City has set $85,000 in its 2002 budget for this project and will find another $15,000 to equal $100,000 contribution. The Board received a resolution of support from the City of Ranier for this project and asked the County to contribute to the cost. The City is administrating the project and is the applicant for the grant funds. The City strongly supports this project because the library is a great asset for the City and County public and economic development infrastructure. The funding request from the County is $100,000. Councilor McCarthy stated that the lateness of the request was due to finalizing the plans and finding out whether grant funding was available for the project. This had to be done before requesting support from the City and County. He stated that the maintenance of effort associated with contributions to public libraries is not an issue as the County would provide the funding to the City, not the library. The grant application must be submitted by November 16, 2001 and they will know by December if grant funds are approved for the project. They are looking at a start and completion in the 2002 calendar year if funding is approved. Board members expressed concern with the lateness of the request as the 2002 County Budget funding is set and committed at this point. They also expressed concerns with the maintenance of effort requirement for supporting public libraries and being tied to future funding commitments because of this upgrade. Commissioner Pavleck suggested an economic development infrastructure improvement grant to the City, which eliminates the County’s involvement with the library project. He stated that the City already receives a $22,500 cities grant from the KDA and $12,614 from the County’s promotion funds. He would support an additional $25,000 economic development grant for 2002. Councilor McLauglin stated that the above mentioned funding is committed to the Chamber, Bronko Museum and mainstreet beautification. Commissioner Hanson and Lepper stated concern with the countywide impact of providing an infrastructure improvement grant to one city in the County. In addition Commissioner Lepper stated that everyone took cuts in the 2002 Budget and it is still not balanced. With the State’s projected revenue shortfall and uncertainty with the economy due to the September 11th crisis, the County’s fund reserves need to be protected as they may have to get us through hard times ahead. Ruth Anderson wondered if the veterans would be willing to forgo a memorial to help support the project. Other members of the public stated the importance of having a good library system for attracting interest in the community. Good infrastructure says a lot about a community. The Board stated their support of library systems and their importance to the public and community but this was a funding issue, not a lack of support. Some Board members expressed support to provide a level of funding in the 2002 budget and to look at next years budget for further support but would not guarantee there would be funding. The Board discussed whether to defer the item to the next Board meeting to allow the Board time to review the information. Some members felt that the amount of funding available to support this project by the County is known and they did not know what new information would be presented next week to warrant deferring the matter.

2001/11-14 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by McBride to support the City of International Falls’ Public Library Remodeling Project to provide better access for the public and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other accessibility standards. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Chezick. Motion carried.

2001/11-15 Motion by McBride, seconded by Lepper to grant $25,000 to the City of International Falls from the 2002 KDA Budget for infrastructure improvements contingent on meeting any grant requirements set by the Board. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Chezick. Motion carried.

000 The Board Chair called for public comment at 12:05 p.m. No comment was presented.

2001/11-16 Motion by McBride, seconded by Lepper to adjourn the meeting at 12:05 p.m. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.