SPECIAL MEETING OF THE KOOCHICHING COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Held on Tuesday, October 22, 2002; 9:30 a.m.

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

MEMBERS ABSENT: None

OTHERS ATTENDING: Ann Scholler, Duane Nelson, Barb Paulbeck, Terry Glowack, Terry Murray, Susan Congrave, Doug Grindall, Walt Buller, Bruce LaVigne, Tom Morris, John Barr, Jason Barley, Bruce Stoe; Reporters Laurel Beager, Roger Jerome, Jen O’Reily

2002/10-24 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Pavleck to approve the agenda with additions and deletions. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2002/10-25 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Hanson to approve the minutes of the October 15, 2002 regular meeting with correction. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2002/10-26 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper accepting the recommendation of the Assessor granting an abatement for parcel # 57-31-42000, John and Jan Carlson, for corrected valuation due to a land split. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2002/10-27 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Hanson authorizing Board Chair’s signature to the 2002 audit agreement with the State Auditor. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2002/10-28 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Hanson approving the list of election judges serving the November 5, 2002 general election as recommended by the Auditor. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2002/10-29 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Hanson transferring $250 from the Administration Travel Budget to the Auditor Travel Budget to provide funding for the Assistant Auditor to attend a State Auditor’s GSAB 34 Training on November 18, 2002 as recommended by the Coordinator. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2002/10-30 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper authorizing expenditure of $390.54 from the General Insurance Budget for a Sheriff vehicle windshield repair (covered under the County’s insurance policy but subject to a $1,000 deductible). Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board was informed that the Extension Coordinator would seek applications and conduct interviews for the University of Minnesota (UOM) part time 4-H Coordinator position for Koochiching County with the hire contingent upon approval of the 2003 Extension Budget which allocates $6,500 to the UOM for the position. The Board was in agreement.

000 The Board was informed via an email from the MN Association of County Social Service Administrators that the Department of Human Services is eliminating funding for the Merit System as a state funded service effective July 1, 2003 to redirect funds to other parts of their budget with the provision of service continued to counties if counties provide payment to the State for the service (if legislation is passed authorizing the state to accept the payment). The Board will contact the Association of Minnesota Counties to discuss options for counties as the Board is opposed to the State shifting their cost to counties as a means to balance their budget. The Board was in agreement that this was just the beginning of what is to come and that there needs to be a united front that counties oppose mandates unless funding and/or flexibility in meeting the mandates are provided

2002/10-31 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck that for the purpose of providing PERA retirement benefits to members, the County Board hereby accepts the resignation of elected official Aaron, A. Carew as County Treasurer effective December 31, 2002. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Hanson, Chezick. Motion carried.

2002/10-32 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper authorizing an additional $1,000.00 from the Sheriff’s Capital Outlay Budget for placement of safety glass in the reception area of the Law Enforcement Center (purchase higher level glass and need to install telephone for communication through the glass). Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Hanson, Chezick. Motion carried.

2002/10-33 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck to add donation of communication equipment to the Northome Fire Department to the agenda. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Hanson, Chezick. Motion carried.

000 The Sheriff informed the Board that he is purchasing a radio and pagers for the Northome Fire Department as their current system for contacting members to respond to emergencies is inadequate. The Sheriff would purchase the equipment and donate it to the organization for emergency communication purposes and that expenditure is justified from the 911 Account. Future allocations for this purpose would be considered on adequacy of an organization’s system for receiving calls to respond to emergencies.

2002/10-34 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper approving expenditure of up to $5,000 from the 911 Account for the purchase of one radio and 15 pagers to be donated to the Northome Fire Department upon execution of an agreement itemizing what was donated and specifying the use of the donated equipment. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Hanson, Chezick. Motion carried.

2002/10-35 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper renewing a service agreement with AEOA for a local intervention grant for self sufficiency employment/family advocate project as recommended by the KCCS Director. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Hanson, Chezick. Motion carried.

2002/10-36 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck to renew the service agreement with the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe to provide chemical dependency service, information and referral service, court diversion service and family intervention service as recommended by the KCCS Director. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Hanson, Chezick. Motion carried.

2002/10-37 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper to approve a service agreement with PJ’s Foster and Waivered Services for adult foster care services as recommended by the KCCS Director. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Hanson, Chezick. Motion carried.

2002/10-38 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck to approve payment of burial case #667807 in the amount of $1,905.00 and accepting the following foster/day care licensing recommendations: case #00465 licensing for family day care for ten children, case #38626 licensing for family day care for ten children, case #07016 closing home for day care licensing at request of provider, case #07420 closing home for family day care licensing at request of provider, case #60100 relicensing for group family foster care for fourteen children and case #60045 relicensing for family day care for ten children. Motion further approves payment of Community Service social service and financial claims and administrative expenditures as presented with payment detail on file in the Community Service Department and approves payment of the Public Health bills in the amount of $24,346.72 with payment detail on file in the Public Health Department. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Hanson, Chezick. Motion carried.

2002/10-39 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck authorizing the Public Health Director to revise position descriptions for the Medical Secretary, Bookkeeper and Nurse as position descriptions are outdated and do not reflect current duties with the revised positions to be deferred to the Personnel Committee for review and recommendation. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Hanson, Chezick. Motion carried.

000 Bruce LaVigne approached the Board with a request for maintenance on a portion of road (approximately 120 feet) which he and his neighbors claim was maintained by the City of Island View. His main concern is that the ditch along this portion of road, which has not been maintained for 13 to 14 years, has very poor drainage causing damage to the road. He and two other homeowners use this road as access to their property. He is the only year round resident so he snowplows this portion of road since he needs to plow his driveway anyway. He would also like the road threshold graded once in a while as potholes form due to the turnaround. The Highway Foreman stated that in order to conduct maintenance, a turnaround is necessary for the heavy equipment and asked whether there was an area other than his driveway (is blacktop and could be damaged by the heavy equipment). Mr. LaVigne stated that snowplowing wasn’t a real concern to him but the ditch needs to be dug and cleared. The Highway Engineer stated that there are platted and unplatted roads throughout the county and is not a determination of a county maintained road. The County conducted the road maintenance for the City of Island View through a service agreement and in reviewing this agreement and in talking with former Island View City officials, he could not find where this road was maintained in the past. Commissioner Pavleck pointed out, however, that residents in the area believe the road was maintained and are willing to pursue the determination in court. Commissioner Pavleck felt that ditching this small portion of road and providing minimum maintenance should not be a large cost item but understood that maintenance would require a turnaround for the equipment.

2002/10-40 Motion by Pavleck, seconded Lepper directing the Highway Department to address the drainage issue on approximately 120 feet of road off the Monahan Road in the Gold Shores area before freeze up and to come back at a future date with a recommendation for minimum maintenance on this portion of road with costs. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Hanson, Chezick. Motion carried.

2002/10-41 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck accepting the recommendation of the Highway Engineer to award low bid to Ulland Brothers totaling $1,625,438.31 for SAP 36-630-12, SAP 36-631-15, SAP 36-622-07, SAP 36-645-07, SAP 36-648-10. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Pavleck; absent for vote: Hanson, Chezick. Motion carried.

000 Officers from the Army National Guard met with the Board to explain activities that would occur at the training site should the County approve a three-year agreement authorizing the Guard to use an eighty acre site in the Pine Island State Forest. Koochiching County is within a zone in which airforce can drop to 500 feet. Humvee units from Grand Rapids will travel to the training site to conduct battle drills where they will identify aircraft and simulate the shooting down of enemy aircraft. In order to exercise this training, airforce needs to drop down to 500 feet and there will be no live ammunition used. Board members were in support of the agreement, however, they want the public made aware of the activities at the site so as not to alarm anyone. The officers agreed and would put out press releases to the public to make them aware of the activities. The Officers also stated that the public is welcome to watch these training exercises.

2002/10-42 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Lepper approving a three-year agreement with the Army National Guard allowing use of property described as the South one-half of the Northeast Quarter, Section 33, Township 153, Range 27 West being in the Pine Island State Forest as a training site with the agreement to include a waiver of liability in which each party is responsible for their own acts and an understanding that there is potential to have the occurrence of a gravel operation in the same area which could be in conflict and that care should be taken to prevent damage to roads and trails if spring/early summer soft or wet road conditions cause roads/trails to be susceptible to damage from vehicle use. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 Commissioner Chezick stated that his absence from last Tuesday’s meeting was due to out of state travel on behalf of ARDC to a business conference in South Dakota to discuss five-state distressed region legislation. The legislation is based on migration of population out of an area as an indicator that the area’s economic infrastructure is failing. Though this legislation is passed, the next phase of legislation that needs passage is the allocation of funding, proposed at $30 million. If the funding is approved, the State of Minnesota would receive $5 million. What does it mean for Koochiching County? Koochiching County is the only flagged distressed county in the State of Minnesota due to our large population drop with many other counties flagged in North and South Dakota. How it will all play out is still unknown, but ARDC will continue to monitor the situation.

000 The Board Chair called for public comment at 11:20 a.m. No comment was presented.

2002/10-43 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Hanson to adjourn the meeting at 11:20 a.m. Voting yes: McBride, Lepper, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.