REGULAR MEETING OF THE KOOCHICHING COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Held on Tuesday, November 20, 2007; 10:50 a.m.

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

MEMBERS ABSENT: None

OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE: Richard Lehtinen, Doug Grindall, Mike Fairchild, Ed Oerichbauer, Kim Nuthak; Reporters Lisa Kaczke and Mike Freeman

2007/11-29 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Pavleck to approve the agenda with additions and deletions. Voting yes: Lepper, Hanson, Adee, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2007/11-30 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Adee to correct Board Motion 2007/10-46 correcting the employment separation date of Forester Scott Burns to November 2, 2007. Voting yes: Lepper, Hanson, Adee, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board was notified of the hire of Tara Long as Assistant County Attorney with an employment starting date of November 26, 2007.

2007/11-31 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Briggs that due to the large demand for passport services, directing that the shared Land and Forestry and Recorder Office Support Staff is assigned full time to the County Recorder Department effective November 26, 2007 and until such time as the Board determines a long term service solution. The Coordinator is authorized to adjust payroll budgets and expense to accommodate this staffing change. Voting yes: Lepper, Hanson, Adee, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2007/11-32 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Adee to approve payment of the Highway claims in the amount of $143,401.08 and to approve payment to Attorney Lyndon Larsen for contracted legal services for the County Attorney’s Office in the amount of $6,175.52. Voting yes: Lepper, Hanson, Adee, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2007/11-33 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Adee authorizing the County Coordinator to request bids for the County’s 2008 publications as required under MN Statute. Voting yes: Lepper, Hanson, Adee, Lepper, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2007/11-34 Motion by Adee, seconded by Pavleck that contingent on a cost share agreement of the participating Highway 53 Task Force entities and as Fiscal Agent for the Task Force, to approve a contract with Federal Advocates, Inc. on behalf of the Highway 53 Task Force for lobbyist services on the Highway 53 Four-Lane Project from January 1 through December 31, 2008 at a rate of $1,000 per month. Further, that letters are sent to former members of the task force, requesting their participation and contribution to provide a stronger front for securing the funding for completion of all the phases of the Highway 53 Four Lane Project. Voting yes: Lepper, Hanson, Adee, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2007/11-35 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Adee to approve the minutes from the November 13, 2007 regular Board meeting. Voting yes: Lepper, Hanson, Adee, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 A representative of the City of Littlefork informed the Board that the City has 4 unsightly and unsafe privately-owned structures in the city limits that require demolition and that the City is requesting the County to waive the demolition tipping fees. The basis for their request is eventually these structures will become tax forfeited and the total cost of demolition will fall on the County. Allowing the City to demolish the structures now saves the County money by having the City pay for the demolition of the structures as well as the hauling cost to the demolition site. The Environmental Service Director stated that consideration needs to be given to what precedent this may set for future requests to waive tipping fees and informed the Board that the estimated demolition tipping fee for these four structures is $2,500 if brought to the International Falls demo site or half the cost if brought to the Big Falls demo site.

2007/11-36 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Pavleck to waive the demolition tipping fee for the City of Littlefork for disposal of 4 structures in the City limits on the condition that the materials are disposed at the Big Falls demolition site. Voting yes: Lepper, Hanson, Adee, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2007/11-37 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Hanson accepting the recommendation of the Planning Commission to approve CUP 0705 for Hammerlund Construction, Inc. for rock crushing as part of the County’s Harbor Lane Road Reconstruction Project. Voting yes: Lepper, Hanson, Adee, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board Chair called for public comment at 11:33 a.m. The Mayor and Clerk from the City of Ranier updated the Board on the recent waterline breaks in the French and Jamison Additions, having had 15 breaks in the last month and that the City is working with an engineering firm toward a plan to replace these old lines.

2007/11-38 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Adee to adjourn the meeting at 11:55 a.m. Voting yes: Lepper, Hanson, Adee, Briggs, Pavleck. Motion carried.