REGULAR MEETING OF THE KOOCHICHING COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Held on Tuesday, June 4, 2002; 10:22 a.m.
And Thursday, June 6, 2002; 5:30 a.m.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Commissioners McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Pavleck
Commissioner Chezick present for June 6th Session

MEMBERS ABSENT: Commissioner Chezick (out of town on county business) for
the June 4th Session

OTHERS ATTENDING: Ann Scholler, Ann Coulombe, Dennis Hummitzsch, Frank Bahr, Lobbyist John Ongaro via telephone, Attorney Jennifer Hasbargen, Doug Grindall, Marty Gordon, County Attorney David Johnson, Attorney Joe Langel via telephone on June 4th and in person on June 6th, Robyn Sykes via telephone; Reporters Laurel Beager and Roger Jerome

2002/06-01 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Hanson to approve the agenda with additions and deletions. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2002/06-02 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Hanson to approve the minutes of the May 28, 2002 special meeting. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2002/06-03 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Hanson to approve payment of the Board’s per diem and expense in the amount of $8,325.04 including $105.85 of non-board expense and to approve payment of the May Board of Prisoners Claim in the amount of $2,900.00 with payment detail on file in the Auditor’s Office. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2002/06-04 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Lepper to approve the updated 2002 AS/400 Disaster Recovery Plan as presented by the Information Systems Manager and authorizing Board Chair’s signature to said Plan. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2002/06-05 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Lepper to approve attendance at the June 8, 2002 Northland Alliance Dinner and Organizational Meeting in International Falls as a Board activity. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Assistant Auditor on behalf of the License Committee, provided a policy and application for issuing permits for display of fireworks in the County (outside of city boundaries). The Committee is proposing a $50 application fee to cover the County’s expense in reviewing and processing the permit. By law the Sheriff is the authority to approve the permit with the Auditor to attest to the approval. Due to recently passed legislation allowing the use of sparklers in Minnesota, the Assistant Auditor was asked to research how the new law applies to the County and its municipalities and provide a written report if no action is needed of the Board.

2002/06-06 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper accepting the recommendation of the License Committee in adopting a permitting process for displaying of fireworks in the County as required by law with a permit fee of $50. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Financial Service Supervisor/Team Director met with the Board to review the County’s Burial Policy. The Board raised concerns with rates paid for burials in other counties and the current list of County rates in comparison to current costs and other counties rates. The Supervisor provided a countywide comparison of burial rates. Of 87 counties, 52 have higher or equal rates to Koochiching County and 39 show lower rates than Koochiching County. Consideration has to be given when comparing rates to other counties, the number of funerals homes available to bid services. With regards to payment of cost for out of county burials, the Board could chose to pay our rate or stay with paying the other county’s rate, which could be more or less than our rate. Board members expressed concern with having no overall cap on burial expense. The Supervisor pointed out that the line item rates in the policy are the caps and that capping the overall burial expense will be difficult because there are many variables. The Board agreed to retain the policy with no change but requested that more line item detail be provided to the Board on burial payment requests exceeding $2,000

2002/06-07 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Hanson to approve payment of burial case #1065811 in the amount of $1,000.00 and case #216295 in the amount of $2,345.20. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2002/06-08 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Lepper to approve payment in the amount of $1,650.00 to Superior Forestry Service Incorporated for 2002 spring containerized tree planting and in the amount of $1,285.00 to Bob Dey for pine tree thinning and site preparation as recommended by the Land Commissioner with payment from the 2002 Land and Forestry Budget. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Land Commissioner reviewed the results of the May 10, 2002 timber auction: 25,771 cords were sold for a total auction sale value of $811,121.54 with 16 of the 17 tracts sold during the auction and 1 tract remaining unsold.

2002/06-09 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Hanson authorizing the Land Commissioner to proceed with Land Exchange 802 between Koochiching County and the Department of Natural Resources and approving payment of the difference in appraisal value of $1,000 as recommended by the Land Commissioner. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2002/06-10 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Lepper authorizing the Land Commissioner to proceed with the replacement of the Frontier Landing boat ramp under the agreement with the DNR Coop and authorizing expenditure of up to $1,000 for the project. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board Chair called for public comment at 11:35 a.m. No comment was presented.

000 Arrowhead Counties Association Lobbyist John Ongaro updated the Board via telephone on impacts to counties from the 2002 legislative session which included cuts in the SCORE grant and the deferment of CSSA payments causing counties to provide cash flow to cover the expenditures until reimbursed (may impact the county’s interest earnings as going from quarterly reimbursement to annual reimbursement). Board agreed to have the Fiscal Supervisor/Team Director report on this issue on June 25. With reserves used to cover the budget deficit, the State is now relying on the tobacco endowment funds for cash flow. Though counties dodged the bullet this year in cuts, the projected state deficit for 2004/05 is $1.1 to $2 billion and with no reserves or increased funding, next year’s legislative session will be a difficult one. Mr. Ongaro reported that legislation was passed for designation of Interregional Corridors (Chapter 364 of Session Law) as proposed by our Association which puts high priority regional corridors first in line for state truck highway funding. Our mission now is to convince the Commissioner of Transportation, whose duty is to designate these corridors by August 2002, to designate Highway 53, Highway 2 and Highway 61 as high priority due to their connection to the Canadian border. Mr. Ongaro will be organizing a meeting of Commissioners and Highway Engineers to further discuss this issue.

2002/06-11 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Hanson to close session at 2:05 p.m. to confer with legal counsel on filed litigation on the Gold Shores Road Project. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Pavleck. Attending the closed session were Commissioners McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Pavleck (Commissioner Chezick absent as conducting county business out of town), County Attorney David Johnson, Assistant Attorney Jennifer Hasbargen, Attorney Joe Langel via conference phone, Highway Engineer Doug Grindall, Assistant Engineer Marty Gordon and MCIT Director Robyn Sykes via conference phone.

000 The Board Chair opened session at 4:08 a.m. and recessed the meeting until Thursday, June 6, 2002 at 5:30 p.m. at which time the Board will go back into closed session on this litigation matter. The Board Chair also called a special meeting for Tuesday, June 11, 2002 at 9:30 a.m. to conduct any business necessary for the June 14, 2002 court hearing. Due to lack of time, the Board deferred the closed session for negotiations to a future meeting.

000 The Board Chair reconvened the County Board meeting on Thursday, June 6, 2002 at 5:30 p.m. Present were the full Board, Coordinator and Attorney Joe Langel and Attorney Jennifer Hasbargen.

2002/06-12 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Chezick to close session at 5:30 p.m. to confer with legal counsel on filed litigation on the Gold Shores Road Project. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried. Present for the closed session were the full Board, Coordinator and Attorney Joe Langel and Attorney Jennifer Hasbargen. The Board Chair opened session at 6:15 p.m.

2002/06-13 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper to adjourn the meeting at 6:16 p.m. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.