SPECIAL MEETING OF THE KOOCHICHING COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Held on Tuesday, July 08, 2003; 9:55 a.m.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Commissioners Lepper, Adee, Chezick

MEMBERS ABSENT: Commissioners Hanson and Pavleck (out of town meeting)

OTHERS ATTENDING: Doug Grindall, Jaci Nagle, Pam Lagoo, John Mastin, Susan Congrave, Terry Murray, Dennis Hummitzsch; Reporters Laurel Beager, Jen O’Reily and Roger Jerome

2003/07-01 Motion by Adee, seconded by Chezick to approve the agenda with additions and deletions. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.

2003/07-02 Motion by Adee, seconded by Chezick to approve the minutes from the June 24, 2003 special meeting and to approve the minutes from the 2003 Board of Equalization meetings held on June 16, 17, and 27. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.

2003/07-03 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Adee to approve payment of the Auditor bills in the amount of $80,870.42, to approve payment of the June Board of Prisoners claim in the amount of $2,430.00, to approve payment of the monthly County Board expense claims in the amount of $7,799.54 and to approve payment of $20.00 for boiler permits for the Courthouse and Forestland Annex. Payment detail on file in the Auditor’s Office. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.

2003/07-04 Motion by Adee, seconded by Chezick to adopt a revised 2003 County Budget as presented by the Coordinator which eliminates the budget deficit of January 1, 2003 and covers the cut in State aids received for 2003. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.

2003/07-05 Motion by Adee, seconded by Chezick that as set in the revised 2003 County Budget, to approve a $75,000 Project Budget consisting of dedicated funds (donation and sale of a portion of the east lot) for a veterans memorial and to approve expenditures up to $75,000 to complete construction plans for a veteran memorial wall and for a temporary setting of the wall plaques in the Courthouse until financial conditions improve allowing for the wall construction on the front lawn of the courthouse. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.

2003/07-06 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Adee to submit a proposal to the City of International Falls to extend the LEC Lease Agreement to December 31, 2005 contingent on review of the lease by both parties in 2005 and reducing the City’s annual lease payment by $10,000 in lieu of the County’s annual $10,000 payment to the City for ambulance service. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.

2003/07-07 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Adee approving expenditure of up to $1,000.00 from the 2003 I.S. Budget to allow completion of the Highway Basemap Project under a GIS Specialist Contract with ARDC as recommended by the Highway Engineer and I.S. Manager. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.

2003/07-08 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Adee authorizing the Highway Engineer to seek bids for one tandem axle dump truck with plow, wing and sander, two twenty-ton trailers and one two-WD one-half ton pickup with bid letting on August 4 and bid results to the Board on August 12, 2003. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.

000 The Board received notice of the following temporary hires in the Highway Department: Clay Nelson and Ben Deedrick.

000 Due to low water levels, the public is having difficulty at the boat ramps and in some cases are damaging their vehicles and equipment. Board members requested that the Highway and Land and Forestry Departments check with the DNR to see what can be done to correct the problem as it does not appear water levels will be coming up any time soon.

2003/07-09 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Adee authorizing the Highway Engineer and Land Commissioner to contact the DNR to discuss maintenance efforts to improve the condition at the public boat ramps due to the low water and authorizing County forces to conduct minimal maintenance as necessary. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.

2003/07-10 Motion by Adee, seconded by Chezick to add discussion on the County Road 29 Bridge Project to the agenda. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.

000 Board members received complaints on heavy truck traffic on the detour route established as a bypass due to bridgework on County Road 29. The Highway Engineer also received complaints and has contacted Boise who agreed to reduce their loads. The Engineer stated that there is no other detour route that would withstand the truck hauling.

2003/07-11 Motion by Adee, seconded by Chezick authorizing the County Recorder’s signature to a Software Subscription Agreement with MCIS for replacement of the existing indexing system with the County’s commitment under the agreement contingent on a minimum of 34 subscribers so as to set the annual cost for the County at $4,000.00 with that amount pro-rated for 2003 should the agreement go forth (Recorder Budget will cover the cost for 2003). Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.

000 The Undersheriff stated that repairs to the cell doors came in under $500, which is covered in their Jail Budget so the request to the Board to expend $900 or more is not needed.

2003/07-12 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Adee to ratify an emergency hire in dispatch over the past weekend to cover a female correctional officer shift and to approve payment to the individual for time worked but that as ordered under the current hiring freeze, no further hiring exceptions will be authorized and that current staff will be expected to fill shifts. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.

2003/07-13 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Adee to approve a contract with Women’s Health Center for family planning services in Koochiching County with funding through family planning grants administered through the Public Health Department with in-kind service to serve as local match for the grants. The main office will be housed at RRCC, and will staff a half-time family planning specialist who will conduct weekly clinics. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.

2003/07-14 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Adee accepting the separation notice of Financial/Child Support Supervisor Ann Coulombe on August 15, 2003. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.

2003/07-15 Motion by Adee, seconded by Chezick to approve B25 Financial Assistance Specialist and Collections and Support Specialist position descriptions to serve as team leaders for the units in lieu of a supervisor position. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.

2003/07-16 Motion by Adee, seconded by Chezick authorizing the Community Service Director to internally fill the Financial Assistance Specialist and Collections and Support Specialist positions. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.

000 The Land Commissioner informed the Board that a $5,000 Ruffed Grouse Society Grant was received and will be used primarily for shearing decadent alder brush for ruffed grouse. It was noted that the Local Ruffed Grouse Society helps secure these grants for Koochiching County.

2003/07-17 Motion by Chezick, seconded by Adee to table the request by the Land Commissioner to fill two vacant forester positions until the full Board is present. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.

000 The Board acknowledged a letter from Boise’s Midwest Woodlands Manager supporting the filling of the County forester positions to assure continuance of well-managed lands and the allowable timber harvest levels.

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

2003/07-18 Motion by Adee, seconded by Chezick to adjourn the meeting at 11:25 a.m. Voting yes: Lepper, Adee, Chezick. Motion carried.