Koochiching County Board Minutes

Board Minutes

for

May 19, 2009

REGULAR MEETING OF THE KOOCHICHING COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Held on Tuesday, May 19, 2009; 9:30 a.m.

OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE: Terry Murray, Dale Olson, Dennis Hummitzsch, Terry Ehrman, Jerry Jensen, Andrew Olson, Pauline Walls, Paula Valentine, Tm McBride, Rod Otterness, Terry Taylor, Steph Vohler, Gail Rognerud, Wayne Lepper, Quay Whitbeck, ; Reporters Laurel Beager and Sheldon Slaubaugh

2009/05-29 Motion by Adee, seconded by McBride to approve the agenda with additions and deletions. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2009/05-30 Motion by McBride, seconded by Pavleck to approve the minutes from the May 12, 2009 regular meeting. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2009/05-31 Motion by Adee, seconded by Pavleck accepting the recommendation of the County Housing and Redevelopment Authority to re-appoint Ashley Germain to the Board of Directors for a five-year term. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2009/05-32 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper accepting the recommendation of the Insurance Committee to renew the County’s Group Life/AD&D Insurance with MN Life, Inc. with an increase in contract rates from $2.00 to $2.20 per month for both the employer paid and Health Account paid coverage; to renew the voluntary life insurance with MN Life, Inc at no change in rates; to renew the voluntary long term disability insurance with Assurant with no change in rates; to renew the voluntary dental coverage with Humana Dental at a 9.4% rate increase. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2009/05-33 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper to approve payment of court appointed attorney claims for representation of parents in CHIPS and TPR cases under Judge’s order for services incurred and/or claims submitted in 2009 and with the intent of the County Board to revisit the state’s court cost shift to counties with county organizations to challenge the shift before considering the County’s position to continue to pay claims in 2010 under Judge’s order. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2009/05-34 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Adee to add an employment resignation to the agenda at the request of the Community Service Director. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2009/05-35 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride authorizing the Community Service Director to fill the vacant Social Service Supervisor position, which has already been reviewed at the Personnel Committee level and with verification from the Director that funding is in place to support the position. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2009/05-36 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck accepting the letter of resignation and approving the employment separation of Financial Worker Ed Richards effective May 19, 2009. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2009/05-37 Motion by McBride, seconded by Lepper authorizing a one-percent per month penalty for tipping fee charges not paid within 60 days of billing as recommended by the Solid Waste Technician. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2009/05-38 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Adee that due to equipment failure and equipment need for the demolition site at the Transfer Station, to authorize the purchase of used 2000 Liebherr LR632 (Traxcavator) from Erb Equipment Company with a cost not to exceed $60,000 as budgeted to include delivery, tax and other related expenses as recommended by the Solid Waste Technician, contingent on reserving partial payment until the equipment is delivered, inspected and approved by County staff. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Solid Waste Technician filling in for the Director on the Extended Sewer Project reported that the Aerial Photo Contract has been approved with the flight planned within the week. The contract with engineering firm MSA is still in the review process but close to being completed. The group is working with the MPCA for possible funding from their Revolving Fund Program which requires a minimum of 40 points to be eligible. The Army Corps informed the group that because the project is not shovel ready, there is not funding this year to consider for the project. Work also continues through the Joint Powers to secure funding for the overall Basin Sewer Project.

000 The Land Commissioner reported on the May 6, 2009 timber auction – 18,204 cords sold for a total sale value of $376,254 with two small tracts unsold of the 29 tracts auctioned. Aspen price is still holding in the market and is the biggest seller in the County.

2009/05-39 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Adee to approve payment of the Highway claims in the amount of $51,051.30. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Chair of the ALS Ambulance Task Force presented the Board a draft resolution and Joint Powers Agreement for the County, City of International Falls and City of Ranier to support a taxing district to support a change of the City of International Falls’s ambulance service from basic life support to advanced life support services, proposing a tax levy of $304,000. The City’s ambulance service district has a population of approximately 8,000 with 6,000 being within International Falls. Advanced life support ambulance service places paramedics in the ambulance which can be used to transport patients to major hospitals in lieu of air flight services and allows paramedics to provide medical care at the accident site to include providing medications. The Hospital would not discontinue flight options but at times weather will not allow the flights to come or at times, the helicopter takes longer to transport the patient than if the patient would have been transported by ground. The Board opened session to hear comments from those in attendance. Comments were submitted by ambulance personnel stating instances of where ALS services would have saved lives or where medications to relief pain at an accident site could have been administered to the patient to provide relief until they reached the hospital. Others talked about personal experiences in needing transport services to a major medical facility. That currently the City’s ambulance transport requires a doctor or nurse to go with the patient in the ambulance as ambulance personnel can not administer medications. In addition, the patient is transferred at Virginia to ambulance service with ALS. Others spoke against the taxing district, though supportive of the hospital and ambulance services and people working in field. They did not feel people had the extra money to pay more taxes as stated in the presentation and asked for the data that would support the need for this higher cost service. City members stated that the community doctors support the advanced service, that eventually the run revenue will increase with the increase in transports, thereby bringing down the amount requested from taxes to support the service; that increasing the service charge is not an option as Medicare and Medicaid as well as other insurances have fixed rates that they will pay for ambulance service. In response to the question of data, Task Force members stated that the study focused on International Falls not having major medical service and the need to get patients transported as safely and quickly as possible. Board members asked why the original figure of $16,000 to establish ALS service from the existing City Ambulance Service jumped to $300,000. The Task Force Chair stated that there was a flaw in the financial analysis in the feasibility study but the study would still support ALS service for our area because of the distance to a major medical facility. Why not look at a part time service like what was done for the Blackduck Ambulance? The response was the City applied and received licensure as a part time ALS service and is the service recommendation presented (adds 4 full time paramedics to the ambulance service). How do you see the service operating under a Joint Powers? The taxing district will be overseen by the Joint Powers Board which includes the Cities and rural areas in the current International Falls ambulance service district. Did the task force include review with the City of Littlefork also having an ambulance service district, questioning whether there is an opportunity to include this district to reduce cost? The Task Force Chair stated that the study did not look at a combined and/or shared service with Littlefork ambulance service. Did the City of Ranier support the proposal? The Task Force Chair stated no. Board members expressed concerns with increased taxes in these economic times. The County as well as the City will be facing revenue cuts due to the State budget deficit and as a result of the slumping economy so if this service is an absolute priority, should be looking at all options to provide the service, including cutting somewhere else to make it affordable to the public. And it makes sense to include the other areas of the county where distance to an emergency room is far greater than the distance being discussed in the International Falls service district as it relates to medical care at the accident site and on the way to the hospital. Board members all concurred that the public needs to know the full details of this proposal to include seeing the Assessor and Auditor’s worksheets as to the proposed tax increases for this service based on market value. No Board member disputed ambulance service is a real life issue and needed and commended the people working in the field. Questions were also raised on what happens to the proposal with the City of Ranier’s decision not to participate? The Board Chair summarized to the Task Force Chair that if the County Board votes this down today, it will make it harder to bring it back and he would rather see it further explored to consider at a future time. The Task Force Chair stated the Task Force would like a decision. One Board member stated he can not support the proposal now. In addition, the public needs to weigh in on this issue and we should not be rushing this to meet a July 1 deadline for a special taxing district.
2009/05-40 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Adee to table the request by the ALS Task Force to approve a resolution and Joint Powers Agreement to establish a taxing district to support advanced life support ambulance services in the International Falls ambulance service district. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board Chair called for public comment at 11:35 a.m. No comment was presented.

2009/05-41 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Adee to adjourn the meeting at 11:35 a.m. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.