SPECIAL MEETING OF THE KOOCHICHNG COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Held on Tuesday, July 12, 2005; 11:20 a.m.

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

MEMBERS ABSENT: None

OTHERS ATTENDING: Einar Sundin, Julie Schumacher, Terry Glowack, Richard Lehtinen, Terry Murray, Pete Schultz, Paul Mielke, Larry and Elaine Beach, Doug Grindall; Reporters Amanda Ricker and Mike Freeman

2005/07-01 Motion by Adee, seconded by Lepper to approve the agenda with additions and deletions. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/07-02 Motion by Briggs, seconded by Lepper to approve the minutes from the June 28, 2005 special meeting. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/07-03 Motion by Briggs, seconded by Adee to defer a Personal Leave of Absence request to the Personnel Committee for policy review and review with the Department Head. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/07-04 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Adee to approve payment of the Auditor claims in the amount of $48,560.50, authorizing Board Chair’s signature to the Auditor’s June vendor payment listing verifying its review, to approve payment of the County Board’s monthly expense claims in the amount of $7,183.20 and to approve payment to Attorney Lyndon Larsen in the amount of $6,820.15 from the 2005 County Attorney Budget for legal services. Payment detail on file in the Auditor/Treasurer Department. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/07-05 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Briggs to ratify 2005 On/Off Sale Intoxicating Liquor and Sunday Liquor Licenses to Thunderbird Lodge, Inc. to reflect a share holder change in the Corporation and to approve a Tobacco License for the Thunderbird Lodge, Inc for the period of August 1 through December 31, 2005 as recommended by the License Committee and County Auditor/Treasurer. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 At the request of the County Board, the Kootasca Associate Director submitted a proposal to provide strategic planning consultation to the County Board. The strategic planning session is estimated to take about 35 days to complete. The strategic sessions of the County Board will be posted as open meetings under the Open Meeting Law. The proposal would begin with a survey and County profile data to members with the first session scheduled for August 3, 2005.

2005/07-06 Motion by Briggs, seconded by Pavleck to enter into agreement with Kootasca for strategic planning consultation at a price of $500 to allow the County Board an opportunity to discuss direction for the County with all sessions to be posted under the Open Meeting Law. Motion further approves expenditure of $500 from the 2005 Budget Contingency for this service. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/07-07 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Briggs authorizing the Complex Superintendent to expend up to $10,000 from the County Sinking Building Account to complete the first phase of correcting the power problem in the historical portion of the Courthouse. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/07-08 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Adee authorizing the Historical Society Director to submit a grant application on the County’s behalf to the State Historical Society to assist with the cost to complete the power correction project for the historical portion of the Courthouse with the final project figure for determining the grant request to be provided by the Complex Superintendent (within the estimates previously provided the Board). Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/07-09 Motion by Briggs, seconded by Lepper to approve a service agreement with Murray Surveying, Inc. in the amount of $8,000 to obtain the services of Matt Gouin to work with individual property owners in the Jackfish Sewer area on their easement routes within the scope of the project and in conjunction with the Project engineer and construction contractor as a last effort to acquire signed easements at the project asking price. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Community Service Director informed the Board that Range Center has made the decision to no longer provide for MI Day Activity Center services in the County and that the Department would recommend contracting with ODC to continue these services. The Department and providers are looking at August 1, 2005 for the change. At this time Range Center’s service agreement is expired (as of July 1, 2005) and the Director requested an extension from July 1, 2005 for up to 3 months to retain services until the change over is completed. The Coordinator stated that a lease agreement for space in the NDAC Facility (owned by the County) is currently with Range Center and that a change in providers will require a new lease agreement for space in the building. It was agreed to wait for the July 26, 2005 Board meeting for any official action to change providers at which time the current lease will be terminated and a lease with the new provider will be acquired.

2005/07-10 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck to approve an extension of the Range Center Service Agreement for MI Day Activity Center services from July 1, 2005 for up to three months as recommended by the Community Service Director to allow time for a change of providers. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board was informed that Jerolyn Nordlund was hired to the vacant social worker position on June 27, 2005.

000 The Board Chair called for public comment at 12:00 p.m. Pete Schultz on behalf of the Visitors and Convention Bureau Board, asked for direction in seeking information on lodging facilities qualifying for the lodging tax as information was provided them that residential type properties are being rented out. The Board Chair requested a written letter detailing the issue and questions to forward to the appropriate departments and/or to contact the Environmental Service Department for zoning regulations on lodging units and the Assistant Auditor on lodging tax regulations. Paul Mielke in referencing a newspaper article stated the purchase price for the storage tank area should not be passed on to the property owners in the sewer district as this error was made in the planning process. Questioned the hiring of services to work with property owners on easements as he felt the County is just spending more taxpayers’ money on this project when the Director should be doing this work and that the restraining order against a property owner in the sewer district was not necessary. Elaine Beach raised questions on the final assessment roll for the sewer project and felt that condemnation should be defined for the property owners. With no other comment, the Board Chair closed public comment.

2005/07-11 Motion by Adee, seconded by Lepper authorizing out-of-state travel under the County’s Travel Policy for the Highway Engineer to attend the National Local Transportation Assistance Program (LTAP) Conference in Iowa from July 24 through July 27 with all travel and registration expense paid by LTAP. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/07-12 Motion by Briggs, seconded by Lepper authorizing repayment of a cost participation agreement with the City of Mizpah for the storm sewer cost for the municipal CSAH street project in their area in an amount not to exceed $4,000 to be repaid to the County over a two-year period as recommended by the Highway Engineer. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board Chair requested an alternate for the County Board representative on the Blackduck Ambulance Joint Powers Board and recommended Northome Mayor Gary Buentemeier.

2005/07-13 Motion by Briggs, seconded by Lepper appointing Northome Mayor Gary Buentemeier as the County’s alternate representative on the Blackduck Ambulance Joint Powers Board. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/07-14 Motion by Briggs, seconded by Adee to provide a welcome letter to George Green, a member of the Xtra Miler Club, who will have accomplished a visit to all counties in the Nation with his visit to Koochiching County on August 13, 2005. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2005/07-15 Motion by Adee, seconded by Briggs to adjourn the meeting at 1:50 p.m. Voting yes: Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.