REGULAR MEETING OF THE KOOCHICHING
COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Held on Tuesday, June 3, 2008; 10:10 a.m.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Commissioners Pavleck, Hanson, Adee, Lepper

MEMBERS ABSENT: Commissioner Briggs (Personal)

OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE: Lee Hervey, Doug Grindall, Ann Scholler, Allen Kruse, Terry Randolph, Terry Erhman, Mary Service, Jay Knaak, Susan Congrave, Brian Youso, Einar Sundin; Reporter Lisa Kaczke

2008/06-01 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Lepper to approve the agenda with additions and deletions. Voting yes: Pavleck, Hanson, Adee, Lepper. Motion carried.

2008/06-02 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Adee to approve the minutes from the County Board meetings of May 20 and May 27, 2008. Voting yes: Pavleck, Hanson, Adee, Lepper. Motion carried.

2008/06-03 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Adee to approve payment of the monthly County Board expense claims in the amount of $8,533.31. Voting yes: Pavleck, Hanson, Adee, Lepper. Motion carried.

2008/06-04 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Adee authorizing the expenditure of up to $24,750 from the 2008 Communication Budget, which includes a $12,000 Federal Grant, to change out equipment in the County’s TV System to allow it to continue to run analog when the full power televisions stations are required to convert to digital broadcasting effective February 17, 2009. Further, that the County’s decision to convert the County TV System to a digital system is pending notice on the amount of the federal grant to Koochiching County to help defray the conversion cost, which notice is anticipated by late summer, early fall. Further, that the County’s decision to convert the County TV System to digital will be timely to allow the public ample time to utilize the federal coupon program (expires March, 2009) to purchase converter boxes if they have analog televisions. Motion further authorizes the County Coordinator to make adjustment to the 2008 Communication Budget to add the Federal Phase I Grant of $12,000 and realign budget expenditures for the 2008 summer work plan to continue the County TV System to broadcast analog on February 17, 2009. Voting yes: Pavleck, Hanson, Adee, Lepper. Motion carried.

2008/06-05 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Hanson to table action on the Cartway Petition filed by Thomas Jacobson pending further information upon the recommendation of the County Attorney and County Coordinator. Voting yes: Pavleck, Hanson, Adee, Lepper. Motion carried.

2008/06-06 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Adee to set up a Dialysis Study Agency Account for deposit of donations, memorials and other miscellaneous revenues and for payment of respective expenditures for the study of dialysis services in Koochiching County as recommended by Assistant Auditor. Voting yes: Pavleck, Hanson, Adee, Lepper. Motion carried.

2008/06-07 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Hanson to set the normal business hours of the County Veterans Services Officer from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday as recommended by the Veterans Service Officer to accommodate the part time position status with the VSO to ensure the public is notified of County office hours. Voting yes: Pavleck, Hanson, Adee, Lepper. Motion carried.

000 The VSO and VFW Post Commander provided information on the upcoming “Stand Down” to be held on August 21, 2008 at Kerry Park Arena which is a veterans outreach service/benefit forum with the focus on veterans experiencing homelessness and/or are in crisis. The VSO presented the Board with a legislative invitation list where invitations to the Stand Down will be sent to each of the federal and state legislative representatives to attend and/or acknowledge the special event. Those organizing the event will distribute the final event posting after their organizational wrap up meeting on June 18, 2008. The Board acknowledged the VFW members in attendance for their elected seats at the local and district levels.

2008/06-08 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Lepper authorizing Board members’ attendance to the August 21, 2008 Stand Down Veterans Assistance Event as a County Board activity. Voting yes: Pavleck, Hanson, Adee, Lepper. Motion carried.

000 The Veterans Service Officer informed the Board of his intentions to research the feasibility of offering VA health care services through County-eligible health care facilities which if successful, will benefit veterans by not requiring them to travel long distances to VA facilities and will benefit the County by allowing VA health dollars to be spent locally. Knowing the VA’s qualifying health facility requirements, the VSO would be exploring the option in the new health facility being proposed by the merger of the Falls Memorial Hospital and Duluth Clinic, however, he will look at the potential of other County health facilities in meeting the requirements as well. From the information he currently has, the local VA health facility would have to service a regional area having a veteran population of at least 4,000, which he feels is doable for this area. The VSO informed the Board that he intends to connect with the Community Service and Health Directors as a first step in veteran outreach to get the connectivity of available services for veterans. Board members also suggested Kootasca and AEOA. The VSO stated that he will periodically report to the Board on office and outreach activities.

000 Task Force members studying advanced life support services through the International Falls Ambulance Service met with the County Board to report on their findings and recommendations. What the study found is the current ambulance service provides for EMTs that perform basic life support only at the scene and during route to the hospital. When the patient arrives, hospital staff than perform assessments to determine the patient’s condition and in critical cases, is time better spent in getting the patient in route to a larger health facility. Transport choices are air ambulance or ground ambulance and on an average, both take about two and one half hours for transport to Duluth. The difference is with ground ambulance critical patients require a paramedic and/or nurse in route which leave staff in a critical response event, finding a nurse to make the run. The delivery of care to patients from the scene to the hospital and for transports to larger health facilities is inadequate when assessing critical response time to the patient. What the study found is having full time paramedics for the International Falls Ambulance Service will provide advanced life support services to patients at the scene and in route to the hospital, and who can provide an advanced medical assessment to the hospital staff for a quicker determination of the patient’s critical status and need to transport. In addition, paramedics can do about 85% of the transport runs, helping with the problem of limited nursing resources for transports. The Task Force found that due to our distance from the nearest major health facility, the paramedic service provides a needed improvement in critical response time to patients and is the recommended service option by the Task Force, emphasizing that the study came as a result of concerns by the local medical community. The Task Force members provided this report to the City of International Falls at their last meeting. The City was supportive to continue exploring the option with more information needed on the cost and funding. Though the Task Force discussed a taxing district, they admitted they are not knowledgeable on the subject and acknowledged that the analysis shows in the first and second year, there is a shortage of funding of $32,000 and $25,000 respectively. In response to the question, members stated that the financial information provided demonstrates just the revenues and expenditures for the paramedic service option and at this time, no analysis has been done incorporating the paramedic services in to the actual City Ambulance Budget, which was noted that at the present time is self sufficient. Board members are supportive of improving the service but cost and who pays needs to be determined. In response to the question, members stated that the study included solicitation and comment from the other ambulance services in the County, which were in support. The Health Director and Sheriff stated that they were involved in the study process and support the advanced life support ambulance service. Commissioner Hanson stated that the Blackduck Ambulance Service went with paramedics and having this level of service provided more runs and more revenue.

2008/06-09 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Hanson providing the County’s support to further study the Task Force’s recommendation to establish paramedic services in the International Falls Ambulance Service and requesting that Task Force members, the feasibility study consultant , and City of International Falls representatives meet in committee session with the County Board to have the consultant provide an overview of the feasibility study, the findings and recommendations and discuss how incorporating the recommendation into the City’s Ambulance Budget will impact the budget overall. Voting yes: Pavleck, Hanson, Adee, Lepper. Motion carried.

000 The Sheriff informed the Board that representatives for the state-wide emergency communication system have requested time with the County Board to make a presentation on the state system planning and funding and how this could benefit the County in its own emergency communication system planning. The Sheriff stated that currently a draft joint powers agreement is being circulated amongst regional counties for review to establish an avenue where counties can participate with the state to receive communication system funding. The Board agreed to set a committee session for Tuesday, August 5 at 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for the presentation.

000 The Board Chair called for public comment period at 12:10 p.m. No comment was presented.

2008/06-10 Motion by Hanson, seconded by Adee to adjourn the meeting at 12:10 p.m. Voting yes: Pavleck, Hanson, Adee, Lepper. Motion carried.

___________________________ _____________________________________
Wade Pavleck, Board Chair Teresa Jaksa, County Coordinator

The Daily Journal
June 18, 2008