SPECIAL MEETING OF THE KOOCHICHING COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Held on Tuesday, March 8, 2005; 9:55 a.m.

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

MEMBERS ABSENT: None

OTHERS ATTENDING: Einar Sundin, Jaci Nagle, Lee Hervey, Duane Nelson, John Mastin, J.J. Hasbargen, Marty Cody, Bruce Grotberg, Dennis Hummitzsch, Richard Lehtinen, Paul Mielke, Chad Bishop; Reporters Laurel Beager, Roger Jerome and Mike Freeman

2005/03-16 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Adee to approve the agenda with additions and deletions. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/03-17 Motion by Briggs, seconded by Adee to approve the minutes of the March 1, 2005 regular meeting. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/03-18 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Adee to approve payment of the Auditor claims in the amount of $32,627.85 and authorizing Board Chair’s signature to the February Auditor vendor payment listing verifying its review. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/03-19 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Adee accepting the recommendation of the Koochiching Housing and Redevelopment Authority for the resignation of Allan Nygaard and appointment of Lorraine Nygaard to the Authority Board. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/03-20 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Briggs authorizing the Board Chair to send a letter to legislators supporting funding for the State Capital County and Local Historic Preservation Grants Program in the bonding bill. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/03-21 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck authorizing the Information Systems Manager to enter into a contract with InterTech for spam and antivirus filtering services with an estimated annual cost of $900 (based on level of current email addresses) and further, authorizing the following 2005 I.S. Budget adjustment to cover the contract expense for 2005: transfer $750 from 01-060.6305 to 01-060.6204. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board Chair reviewed information from the meeting with the Lake of the Woods County Board on March 7, 2005 on discussion of strategic planning to maintain and improve access to public lands. Reviewed was a draft bill modifying requirements for forest classification for off-highway vehicles north of U.S. Highway 2 and a request to have two commissioners and an alternate appointed to a Tri-County Trail Designation Group to conduct work for trail designation planning in the tri-county area.

2005/03-22 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Adee strongly supporting SF1406 modifying requirements for forest reclassification for off-highway vehicles north of U.S. Highway 2 and authorizing the Board Chair to appoint County representatives to a Tri-County Trail Designation Group. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/03-23 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Adee adopting the following resolution stating the Koochiching County Board’s opposition to the Governor’s budget proposal to freeze PILT payments to counties:

WHEREAS, in 1977, The Minnesota Public Lands Impact Study conducted by the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources became the basis for later passage of Minnesota Statute 477A which allowed for Payment In Lieu of Tax (PILT) payments to counties with State public lands;

WHEREAS, Payment In Lieu of Tax payments are made to counties to provide property tax relief to taxpayers who are paying a disproportionate share of the tax burden due to the presence of tax exempt state public lands (over 1 million acres of State managed land in Koochiching County);

WHEREAS, Payment In Lieu of Tax payments are made to counties to encourage retention of the public land base and to foster sustainable natural resource management programs by counties over the long-term for the benefit of future generations of the entire State of Minnesota;

WHEREAS, the retention and stability of state owned, county managed natural resource lands plays a major role in the continued viability of Minnesota’s forest products industry and public land recreation opportunities which directly impacts numerous regional economies in Minnesota;

WHEREAS, certain PILT payments reinvested in the management of those public lands have paid handsome dividends to the State of Minnesota in terms of enhanced Multiple Use Management and sustained wood fiber availability to statewide markets;

WHEREAS, the equity and reinvestment ability of “frozen” PILT payments will result in reduced equity to local taxpayers and a further inflationary value reduction over time;

WHEREAS, SF 1248 and companion HF 1420, Section 30 entitled, (477A.125) (ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS AFTER FISCAL YEAR 2006), will “freeze” Payment In Lieu of Tax payments at current levels.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Koochiching County Board of Commissioners OPPOSES SF 1248, SECTION 30 AND HF 1420 SECTION 30. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/03-24 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Briggs accepting the recommendation of the Licensing Committee to approve an On-Sale and Sunday Intoxicating Liquor Licenses from April 1, 2005 to October 31, 2005 and a Tobacco License from April 1, 2005 to October 31, 2005 to the International Falls Country Club. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/03-25 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Adee accepting the recommendation of the Licensing Committee to approve a penalty agreement with Daryl and Terri Guderian, d.b.a. Country Sampler and Saloon for two violations under the County’s Liquor License Ordinance and further, authorizing the Board Chair’s signature to said Agreement. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/03-26 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Adee requesting the County’s License Committee to provide a recommendation to the Board for a penalty structure for violations of the County Liquor Ordinance. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Sheriff provided a bid recommendation to the Board to enhance the County’s communication system for public safety within a $157,000 federal homeland security grant. He stated two bids were received by the deadline and that he received a call from a third vendor who was not able to submit a bid by the deadline. For consulting purposes, the Sheriff acquired the services of Ken Yurrick from Northern 2-Way Service in Grand Rapids to assess the current system and to assist in reviewing the bids for deciding the best proposal for the county. The Sheriff also consulted with two other individuals from out of county (who did not bid the project) who reviewed the current system and provided input on the direction the County should move to enhance its radio system. The matter was than deferred to the County Attorney who informed the Board that upon conferring with outside legal counsel as to whether one of the bids met the required bid specs, it was concluded that one of the bids was non-conforming to the bid spec and therefore the Board could either accept the remaining bid or reject all bids and rebid the project. The Sheriff informed the Board that the grant application for the homeland security grant has a deadline of March 11, 2005 and no extension on the timeline is allowed (he checked). With regards to advice from the consultants, the Sheriff was told that the microwave system was the way to go and the conforming bid from Infinity Wireless was the recommendation of the Sheriff and the bid review committee (committee included Sheriff, Undersheriff, Consultant, Deputy and two local individuals with knowledge of radio equipment). Board members asked if long range cost for the microwave system was reviewed. The Sheriff stated that with any system there are maintenance costs and that he now budgets annually for maintenance of the current system. The Sheriff also stated that other regional counties are also going in the direction of microwave systems. The Board Chair allowed public comment from Lee Hervey, dba Voyageurs Communication. He stated he has 35 years of communication experience and is knowledgeable with the microwave system and that he did not bid on the specs because he felt this was not the way to go and feels the recommendation is a bad mistake.

2005/03-27 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper accepting the recommendation of the Sheriff and bid review committee to award the bid for enhancement of the public safety communication system to Infinity Wireless with a bid amount of $157,000 with award contingent on approval of the Homeland Security Grant Agreement to fund the project. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/03-28 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck that per the Board’s position in the January 18, 2005 committee meeting, to enter into a Multi County Forest Certification Collaborative to prepare participating counties for forest certification and authorizing Koochiching County’s participation at a cost not to exceed $18,000 as recommended by the Land Commissioner and with funding from the Land and Forestry Budget. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board informed the Land Commissioner that earlier in the meeting they adopted the resolution opposing the Governor’s budget proposal to freeze PILT payments to counties. The Land Commissioner and the Assessor explained that the reason for freezing PILT payments is because each five years counties have the option to review valuation for inflationary purposes and that the next opening is this fall and the State is estimating the review by counties will result in a 23% increase in PILT payments to counties. The Land Commissioner also informed the Board that the Riparian Land Enhancement Account bill appears to be back on the table and stated that the County’s opposition to this bill has already been submitted to legislative contacts.

000 The Board Chair informed the Land Commissioner that the Board would want a member of his department appointed to the Tri-County Trail Designation Group and the Land Commissioner stated that he would participate. The Board Chair named the Land Commissioner and Commissioners Lepper and Hanson to represent Koochiching County on the Tri-County Trail Designation Group.

000 The Board informed the Environmental Service Director that no Board members could attend the annual ISTS Conference for March 21 and 22, 2005. The Director stated he would request conference material for the Board.

2005/03-29 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Briggs authorizing the Board Chair and County Attorney’s signatures to a Project Cooperation Agreement with the Corps of Engineers for a $600,000 grant for the Jackfish Bay Area Sewer Project as recommended by the Environmental Service Director. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board Chair called for public comment at 11:28 a.m. Paul Mielke provided the Board a copy of an easement to a property owner for the sewer project which he said was well done as it provided a detailed description so the property owner could identify the location of the easement of their property. He than provided a copy of the easement document provided to him that generalized the easement description so he is not able to locate the easement on his property. He is requesting that the easement description be defined to provide the exact location of the line on his property or at least to stake it out on his property. The question was asked whether he still had his property posted no trespassing and he stated yes but would allow project staff on his property to identify the easement line. No other comment was presented.

2005/03-30 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Adee to adjourn the meeting at 11:36 a.m. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.