Board Minutes

for

November 27, 2001

 

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE KOOCHICHING COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Held on Tuesday, November 27, 2001; 9:45 a.m.

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

MEMBERS ABSENT: None

OTHERS ATTENDING: Duane Nelson, Doug Grindall, Richard Lehtinen, Terry Murray, Cindy Ellefson-Oswald; Reporters Terri Buller and Roger Jerome

2001/11-44 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride to approve the agenda with additions and deletions. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Chezick. Motion carried.

2001/11-45 Motion by McBride, seconded by Lepper to approve the minutes of the November 20, 2001 regular meeting. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Chezick. Motion carried.

2001/11-46 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride to eliminate an office clerk position under the Administration Office, upon vacancy, and create a full-time clerk in the Auditor’s Department to service both the Auditor and Treasurer Departments. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Chezick. Motion carried.

000 The Board was notified that Jaci Nagle was hired as the County’s Information Systems Manager on November 26, 2001.

2001/11-47 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper authorizing the Board Chair to offer the position of County Assessor to the Assistant Assessor when the position becomes vacant with the upcoming retirement of the current County Assessor. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Chezick. Motion carried.

2001/11-48 Motion by McBride, seconded by Pavleck to approve the starting salary for the Assistant Assessor should he accept the position of County Assessor at 95% of the C43 banding due to the number of years served in the Assessor’s Department and in the position of Assistant Assessor. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-49 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Chezick authorizing Board Chair’s signature to the 2001 audit agreement with the State Auditor. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-50 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Lepper authorizing the Coordinator to request bids for the County’s 2002 publications as required in MN Statute. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-51 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride to approve payment of the Public Health claims in the amount of $43,564.71 with detail on file in the Public Health Department and to approve payment of Community Service social service and financial claims and administrative expenditures as presented with detail on file in the Community Service Department. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-52 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck to amend Board Motion 2000/12-37 correcting the 2001 budget total as $19,579,941. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 Commissioner Lepper requested discussion at today’s committee meeting on lighting of the Courthouse dome as done in other counties and the State Capital. Board agreed to discuss the matter with the Heritage Committee and Complex Superintendent this afternoon.

000 The Sheriff informed the Board that the national guard (from Duluth) is posted at the Airport until March, 2002 under federal regulation. He stated that federal regulation requires an armed guard for every departure, which is currently three and up to seven in the summer months. In addition, federal regulation requires that law enforcement respond within twenty minutes after receiving an emergency call from the Airport. He stated that responding to the emergency call within twenty minutes is not an issue nor is the installation of the required panic button hooked directly from the Airport to the Sheriff’s Office an issue. The problem is not having enough manpower to cover the Airport during departure times and still have deputies on patrol. If we add additional staff than we have increased cost not covered in the department’s budget. Commissioner Lepper, the Board’s representative on the Airport Commission, stated that the Commission is looking into hiring their own part time or contracting armed guard service and will seek federal reimbursement for a majority of the cost. Commissioner McBride, also the Board’s representative on the Airport Commission, stated that federal assistance is not assured to date but that Representative Oberstar was working on the matter. Commissioner Pavleck stated that federal assistance is needed as local governments can not afford this large cost on their own. The Board agreed to defer the matter until early 2002 to see what unfolds. Commissioner Lepper informed the Board that the Sheriff’s billing for posting an armed deputy at the Airport has not been approved for payment by the Airport Commission but assured the Board it will be brought back up for discussion. Board members agreed that if costs are shared equally between the City and County for Airport expenditures than the County would withdraw their billings and agreed that billing is a means to track what services the City and County are providing.

2001/11-53 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Lepper authorizing the following line item adjustment in the 2001 Assessor’s Budget to cost share a four-wheeler with the Highway Department: move $3,000 from temporary hire to capital outlay. Voting yes: Hanson, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck; voting no: McBride. Motion carried.

2001/11-54 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Chezick accepting the County Engineer’s certification of performance for completion of the following contracts: SAP 36-624-14 with Ulland Brothers, Inc. in the amount of $161,720.93; SAP 36-629-10 with Ulland Brothers, Inc. in the amount of $322,442.17; SAP 36-714-03 with Wagner Construction, Inc. in the amount of $880,366.80. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-55 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride to add attendance at a meeting with Senator Wellstone and a letter in support of the Highway Engineer’s nomination from the Minnesota County Engineer’s Association as NACE Rural County Engineer of the Year to the agenda. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Chezick. Motion carried.

2001/11-56 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride authorizing Board’s attendance to meetings scheduled for December 1, 2001 with Senator Paul Wellstone in International Falls on Northern Border Security and Rural Health Care and authorizing the Board Chair to draft a letter supporting MCEA’s nomination of the Koochiching County Highway Engineer to the NACE Rural County Engineer of the Year. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Chezick. Motion carried.

2001/11-57 Motion by McBride, seconded by Lepper authorizing payment of $2,072.99 to Kennedy Scale, Inc. for repair of the transfer station scale. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-58 Motion by Chezick, seconded by McBride accepting the Planning Commission’s recommendation to approve Use Permit #0107 to the DNR to excavate (mine) approximately 12,000 cubic yards of gravel from the Big Fork River terrace south of County Road 5, about 3 miles east of Highway 6 in southern Koochiching County. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 During the past several meetings the Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) has discussed a request to reduce tipping fees based on the idea that fees for rural customers have to be so high in order to compensate for fuel costs and time involved in servicing rural areas. After much discussion on different options for reducing costs for rural residents, it became clear that adoption of any plan for rural areas only was going to be complicated and time consuming to implement and SWAC requested the issue be brought back to the Board for further direction. Commissioners Chezick and Lepper felt the Board would be opening a Pandora’s box and did not feel the County should interfere with private enterprise.

2001/11-59 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Lepper to maintain current policy for charging haulers (all treated the same). Voting yes: Lepper, Chezick; voting no: Hanson, McBride, Pavleck. Motion fails.

000 Commissioner Pavleck advocating for rural residents stated that due to the long distance to haul to the transfer station and the distances between rural residents, the price to the consumer is much higher in the rural areas. Some Board members stated concern with subsidizing haulers and felt that if the County could do with less revenue, the solid waste assessment fees charged to the property owners should be reduced, not subsidize the hauler. Commissioner Pavleck suggested setting a committee meeting with haulers and SWAC representatives to discuss the matter further as he feels there is an inequity in hauling costs for the consumer. Board members agreed to the committee meeting with haulers and SWAC representatives to further review the subject and will schedule a meeting in January or February, 2002.

2001/11-60 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride to renew the Northland Counseling Clubhouse Agreement with a three percent increase (State required), pending County Attorney review and provision of required insurance documents as recommended by the KCCS Directorship. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-61 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck to renew the Northland Counseling Mental Health, Rational Alternatives, ISD 361 Tutoring, Mentoring and Transportation, ISD 361 Wraparound, and ISD 363 Tutoring, Mentoring and Transportation Service Agreements, pending County Attorney review and provision of required insurance documents as recommended by the KCCS Directorship. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-62 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Chezick to renew the Pineview Recovery Center Detox Service Agreement with a three percent rate increase (State required) pending County Attorney review and provision of required insurance documents as recommended by the KCCS Directorship. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2001/11-63 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride to approve payment of burial case #310709 in the amount of $1,728.75 and accepting the following licensing recommendations: #25412 closing home for day care as requested by the provider; #30354 closing home for family day care as requested by the provider; #57985 closing home for foster care and family day care as requested by the provider; #07016 licensing for family day care for ten children; #43119 licensing for family day care for ten children; #39295 relicensing for foster care for two children and licensing for family day care for ten children. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

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

2001/11-64 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Pavleck to adjourn the meeting at 11:25 a.m. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Lepper, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.