REGULAR MEETING OF THE KOOCHICHING COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Held on Tuesday, January 19, 2010; 9:30 a.m.

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

MEMBERS ABSENT: None

OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE: Doug Grindall, Kathy Sikkila, Dan McCarthy, Aarden Barnes; Reporters Laurel Beager and Sheldon Slaubaugh

2010/01-21 Motion by McBride, seconded by Lepper to approve the agenda with additions and deletions. Voting yes: Adee, McBride, Hanson, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2010/01-22 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck to approve the minutes from the January 5, 2010 regular meeting. Voting yes: Adee, McBride, Hanson, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2010/01-23 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Lepper to approve temporary clerical hire of Anita Gray in the County Attorney’s Office and temporary LPN hire of Heather Englund and Miriam Zupke in the County Health Department as recommended by the Administration Director under the County Temporary Hire Policy. Voting yes: Adee, McBride, Hanson, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2010/01-24 Motion by McBride, seconded by Pavleck to approve a revised Emergency Management Service Contract as recommended by Administration and approved by the Sheriff and County Attorney to process the contract payment under Courthouse Claim Payment Policy. Voting yes: Adee, McBride, Hanson, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2010/01-25 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by McBride adopting the following resolution authorizing the sale of County Real Estate formally known as the Northland Day Activity Center pursuant to Minnesota Statute 373.01:

WHEREAS, Koochiching County owns a parcel of real property located at 1600 20th Avenue in International Falls, Minnesota.

WHEREAS, said real property is described as a parcel of land lying in Government Lot Two (2), Section 5, Township 70, Range 24 West of the Fourth Principal Meridian according to the United States Government Survey thereof, and being in the County of Koochiching and State of Minnesota, and more particularly described as follows: Assuming the East boundary line of said Government Lot 2 to have a bearing of N0°09'09"W and starting at the intersection of the West right-of-way of 20th Avenue and the South boundary line of the Plat of Shorewood, thence southerly along the arc of a simple curve concave to the east which has a tangent bearing of South and a radius of 966.71 feet for a distance of 40.01 feet to the point of beginning, thence continue southerly along the arc of said curve for a distance of 166.32 feet to the beginning of a simple curve concave to the West which has a radius of 881.32 feet and a tangent bearing of SI 2° 13'45" E, thence southerly along the arc of said curve for a distance of 136.48 feet to a point, thence S89°47'00" W for a distance of 188.49 feet to a point, thence N0°13'00"W for a distance of 300.00 feet to a point, thence N89°47'00"E for a distance of 150.00 feet to the point of beginning; and containing 1.16 acres, more or less; and with an approximate 4,566 square foot facility for commercial operation built in 1980.

WHEREAS, Koochiching County has no need to continue ownership of the said real estate;

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to Minn. Stat. Sec. 373.01, the Koochiching County Board hereby authorizes the sale of said parcel of real property. That the County shall advertise for bids to purchase said real property in the official newspaper of the county for three consecutive weeks and once in a newspaper of general circulation in the area where the property is located. The notice shall state the time and place of considering the proposal, contain a legal description of the real estate and a brief description of any personal property.

The terms of the purchase shall be cash payable within 30 days of the bid being accepted by the Koochiching County Board. All proposals must be received by the Koochiching County Auditor/Treasurer’s Office no later than 4:30 p.m. on February 17, 2010 and shall be reviewed by the County at 9:00 a.m. on February 18, 2010 in the County Boardroom. Bids must be accompanied by a cashier’s check payable to Koochiching County for 10 percent of the amount of the bid. Voting yes: Adee, McBride, Hanson, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2010/01-26 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck to approve payment of the Highway claims in the amount of $58,066.36; to approve payment of the Courthouse claims in the amount of $186,908.43; to approve payment of $2,262.00 to the Koochiching Housing and Redevelopment Authority under the funding agreement in Board Motion 2005/02-32 for Board of Director’s per diem; authorizing the Board Chair’s signature to the December Vendor Payment Listing verifying Board’s review. Voting yes: Adee, McBride, Hanson, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2010/01-27 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride authorizing the Board Chair to appoint a Board member to attend the National Park Conference in Washington D.C. on March 10, 2010 to present the County’s Island View Sewer Project and RECAP Project to the federal delegation for support and further, to authorize the Board member’s out of state travel. Voting yes: Adee, McBride, Hanson, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried. (Board Chair appointed Commissioner Pavleck with Commissioner McBride as the alternate.)

2010/01-28 Motion by McBride, seconded by Lepper authorizing Board members attendance to the GSA Open House/Public Hearing on the draft Environmental Impact Statement for locating a new Border Customs Facility as a County Board activity – January 27, 2010 at Rainy River Community College. Voting yes: Adee, McBride, Hanson, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2010/01-29 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper adopting the following resolution requesting the Municipal Dispute Resolution Board be convened to determine CSAH designation for a portion of the proposed Trunk Highway No. 332 Turnback within the City limits of International Falls:
WHEREAS, Koochiching County is willing to accept Trunk Highway 332 from Trunk Highway No. 53 to Trunk Highway No. 11 as a Turnback in exchange for a lump sum payment of $3.5 million, and

WHEREAS, the northerly 0.6 mile and the east-west 1.0 mile of the 4.25 miles proposed as a Turnback is within the City of International Falls, and

WHEREAS, the northerly 0.6 mile of Trunk Highway No. 332 was formerly designated as a County State Aid Highway No. 24, and

WHEREAS, the remainder of the proposed Turnback was designated as County State Aid Highway No. 114 and reconstructed as a State Aid Project 36-714-02 between 1974 and 1976, and

WHEREAS, the above section of County State Aid Highway were turned over to the State of Minnesota as Trunk Highway No. 332 by Commissioner Order dated December 18, 1975, and

WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes requires municipal approval for a County State Aid Highway designation within a municipality, and

WHEREAS, Koochiching County informed the City of International Falls by letter of this proposed Turnback and requested city approval for CSAH designation approval in letters dated September 8, October 7, 2009, and January 5, 2010, and

WHEREAS, the District State-aid Engineer, Walter Leu met with the City Council to explain the turnback process and answer their questions, and

WHEREAS, the District State-aid Engineer, Walter Leu explained the turnback process to the Koochiching County Board in a letter dated October 2, 2009

WHEREAS, a meeting has held between the city council and the County Board on September 15, 2009 to establish a committee to resolve this issue, and

WHEREAS, the first meeting of this committee was canceled by the city before it was ever held, and

WHEREAS, the City of International Falls passed a motion on December 21, 2009 in which they requested the County approve the city receiving $2.15 million of the $3.5 million and jurisdiction of the northerly 0.6 mile of Trunk Highway No. 11 known as the Burner Road, and

WHEREAS, the Koochiching County Board did not concur with the City of International Falls’ motion and requested that the city approve the CSAH designation for that portion of the turnback within the city limits by January 19, 2010, and

WHEREAS, the requested approval has not been received as of January 19, 2010.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the County of Koochiching requests that the Minnesota Commissioner of Transportation convene the Municipal Resolution Dispute Board to determine if that portion of the proposed Trunk Highway No. 332 Turnback within the City of International Falls should be designated as a County State Aid Highway without city approval. Voting yes: Adee, McBride, Hanson, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2010/01-30 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper accepting the recommendation of the Highway Engineer and Foreman for an increase in equipment rental per hour rates as follows: Tandem Axle Dump Truck $80; Motor Grader $110, Pickup/car $25, Loader/backhoe $75, 450 Tractor $60, Front End Loader $110, Athea Sweeper $80, JD Crawler Dozer, Unit 21 $80, Cat D8 Crawler Tractor $120, Tandem with trailer $110, Case Backhoe Unit 933 $130, John Deere Mower $90, Air Compressor $40, Welder without operator $30, Sander Truck $60. Further to adjust rates for winging/widening private driveways in emergency situations where a four-wheel drive pickup can no longer push the snow - $35 per trip and eliminate the per minute rate charge currently set in policy. Voting yes: Adee, McBride, Lepper; voting no: Hanson, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2010/01-31 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck authorizing the Sheriff to seek bids for replacement of two squad vehicles as planned in the 2010 Sheriff Budget with bid results to come back before the County Board for approval. Voting yes: Adee, McBride, Hanson, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2010/01-32 Motion by Hanson, seconded by McBride authorizing the Land Commissioner to obtain quotes and execute contracts for park attendants to provide site management at County administered river access points for the Rainy River early fishing season and to request the annual funding contribution from Lake of the Woods County. Voting yes: Adee, McBride, Hanson, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Veterans Service Officer (VSO) provided the Board a Department report to include office activity, current and planned outreach activity, status of grant funds to the County VSO and training activities.

2010/01-33 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper authorizing out of state travel for the VSO to attend the NW MN Associations of CVSO Conference in Fargo, ND on February 4, 2010. Voting yes: Adee, McBride, Hanson, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board Chair called for public comment at 10:25 a.m. Dan McCarthy stated his finance concerns as they relate to the Convention and Visitors Bureau, KEDA and the RECAP Project. Aarden Barnes inquired on the status of the Pine Island Horticultural Peat Project.

2010/01-34 Motion by McBride, seconded by Lepper to adjourn the meeting at 10:45 a.m. Voting yes: Adee, McBride, Hanson, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.