SPECIAL MEETING OF THE KOOCHICHING COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Held on Tuesday, February 25, 2003; 9:30 a.m.

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

MEMBERS ABSENT: None

OTHERS ATTENDING: Pam Lagoo, Bob Peterson, Terry Murray, Richard Lehtinen, Jennifer Hasbargen, Doug Grindall; Reporter Laurel Beager

2003/02-43 Motion by Adee, seconded by Pavleck to approve the agenda with additions and deletions. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2003/02-44 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Adee to approve the minutes of the February 18, 2003 regular meeting. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2003/02-45 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Adee to ratify contract settlements with the Highway and LELS (Sheriff )Unions for 2003 through 2005 as recommended by the Board’s Negotiation Committee. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2003/02-46 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Pavleck to approve payment of the Public Health bills in the amount of $13,238.57 with payment detail on file in the Public Health Department, to approve 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 to approve payment in the amount of $4,998.40 to Johnson, Killen & Seiler, P.A. for personnel and negotiation services with payment from the Administration and Board legal budgets. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2003/02-47 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Adee authorizing a budget transfer of $300.00 from the Administration Personnel Budget to the Safety Program Budget for reimbursement of training cost for employee violence awareness training as requested by the Safety Coordinator. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2003/02-48 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Pavleck to approve line item adjustments in the 2003 Auditor, Attorney, Board, Retiree Medical and Administration Personnel Budgets to adjust for medical insurance cost based on new and former elected officials choice of insurance. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2003/02-49 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Chezick authorizing the Board Chair and Auditor to sign Grant-In-Aid Trail Permits #144-17-0007 and #144-17-2601 with the MN Department of Natural Resources for existing Loman Line and Hagerman Snowmobile Trails contingent on a signed Trail Agreement between the Snowmobile Club and County. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2003/02-50 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Adee authorizing the Recorder to purchase a Plat Filing Cabinet at the quoted price of $2,550.00 plus tax and shipping from the Recorder’s Equipment Account. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2003/02-51 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Hanson authorizing the Auditor/Treasurer to hire the former Treasurer under a consulting contract for a maximum of 35 hours and a cost not to exceed $550 with funding from the temporary hire funds provided in the 2003 Auditor/Treasurer Budget. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2003/02-52 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Adee to renew the Northome, Inc. Service Agreement for supervised visitation services as recommended by the KCCS Director. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board was notified that Deb Walters submitted her resignation effective 2/2/8/03 from the State Operated Service Social Worker position and that the Department is working with the State at this time to replace the position for Koochiching County. The position and funding was provided to Koochiching County in lieu of closing the Moose Lake Mental Health Facility.

2003/02-53 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Adee to approve the following burial case payments: #910730 in the amount of $1,372.00, #744716 in the amount of $1,814.00 and Case NCN in the amount of $2,362.25. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2003/02-54 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Chezick accepting the following Foster Day Care and Day Care Licensing recommendations: #05580 relicensing for family day care for ten children, #11790 licensing for family day care for ten children, #25318 relicensing for family day care for ten children (C1 license), #69758 relicensing for group family day care for twelve children. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2003/02-55 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Chezick authorizing payment of $5,384.91 to Kennedy Scales, Inc. for repair of the MSW trailer scale at the Transfer Station with cost to be covered in the 2003 Environmental Service Budget (was not a budgeted item) as recommended by the Environmental Service Director. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2003/02-56 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Chezick to approve Conditional Use Permit #0301 to James and Keri Norton at 3607 County Road 21 for a home occupation photography business as recommended by the Planning Commission. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2003/02-57 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Hanson to approve Conditional Use Permit #0302 for Up North Builders at Highway 53 north of the Kirvan Truck site for an office and showroom for sales and assembly of log furniture and products as recommended by the Planning Commission. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The County Attorney requested the appointment of the former County Attorney as her assistant for a one-year period to ensure that legal service by the individual for the County is documented under MN Statute and covered under the County’s liability coverage. The individual will be under service contract and paid from the $20,000 legal counsel budget provided the County Attorney in the 2003 Budget. The majority of the Board was not willing to make the appointment and open the door to creation of an assistant attorney position in the County. The majority supported their past practice of providing the County Attorney funding to obtain legal counsel through contracting when conflicts arise and/or when specialized legal service is needed without the need of Board approval.

2003/02-58 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Chezick denying the request to appoint an Assistant County Attorney and approve a service contract for the assistant as the discretion to contract additional legal counsel lays with the County Attorney under the confines of the legal counsel budget set by the Board in the County Attorney’s annual budget. Voting yes: Lepper, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck; voting no: Adee. Motion carried.

2003/02-59 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Chezick to close session at 11:10 a.m. to confer with the County Attorney on the Gold Shores Road Project litigation. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried. Attending the closed session: full Board, County Attorney, Engineer, Coordinator, Environmental Service Director. Session opened at 11:23 a.m.

2003/02-60 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Adee to award low bid to Garit Hansen for County Road 57 Bridge work over Valley River in the amount of $707,344.75 based on legal opinion that total bid must be considered (another bid provided accounted for less county dollar cost but total bid was not the lowest bid). Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick; voting no: Pavleck. Motion carried.

2003/02-61 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Adee to table the request by the Highway Engineer to call for bids for a tractor and mower until such time as the Board has a better handle on budgets and more information is provided on the condition of the current equipment. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2003/02-62 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Chezick authorizing the Highway Engineer to purchase an automatic sieve shaker for testing gradation samples which is required by the State with cost charged to state aid. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2003/02-63 Motion by Adee, seconded by Pavleck to adopt the following resolution for construction of County Bridge No. 36526 over the Valley River:

WHEREAS, the County of Koochiching has applied to the Commissioner of Transportation for a grant from the Minnesota Transportation Fund for the construction of County Bridge No. 36526 over the Valley River and:

WHEREAS, the amount of the grant has been determined to be $667,344.75 by reason of the lowest responsible bid.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County of Koochiching does hereby affirm that any cost of the bridge in excess of the grant will be appropriated from the funds available to the County of Koochiching, and that any grant monies appropriated for the bridge but not required, based on the final estimate, shall be returned to the Minnesota State Transportation Fund. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board Chair called for public comment at 11:50 a.m. No comment was received.

2003/02-64 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Adee authorizing Board’s attendance to the meeting with the Governor on Wednesday, February 26, 2003. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2003/02-65 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Pavleck to adjourn the meeting at 11:55 a.m. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Hanson, Chezick, Pavleck. Motion carried.