REGULAR MEETING OF THE KOOCHICHING COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Held on Tuesday, September 8, 2009; 10:45 a.m.

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

MEMBERS ABSENT: None

OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE: Brian Youso, Terry Glowack, Terry Murray, LeAnn Meer, Jen Stevens, Doug Grindall, Bob Anderson, Aarden Barnes; Reporters Laurel Beager and Sheldon Slaubaugh

2009/09-14 Motion by McBride, seconded by Adee to approve the agenda with additions and deletions. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2009/09-15 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper to approve the minutes from the September 1, 2009 Regular County Board meeting. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2009/09-16 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck to approve payment of the Courthouse claims in the amount of $30,822.94 and authorizing the Board Chair’s signature to the August Vendor Payment List verifying its review. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2009/09-17 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by McBride approving a three-year service agreement with Hoffman, Dale and Swenson, PLLC. in the amount of $34,000 per year for a financial audit of the County for years 2009, 2010 and 2011 as recommended by Administration; further, authorizing the County Board’s signature to said Agreement. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2009/09-18 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Pavleck to approve the 2010 tax levies for the following approved fire service taxing districts and to pay the respective 2010 service contract amounts: Fire District 1 (Northome) levy of $9,840, Fire District 2 (Littlefork) levy of $66,483, Fire District 2 (Loman) levy of $8,200, Fire District 3 (Birchdale) levy of $9,900, Fire District 4 (Williams) levy of $2,500, and Fire District 5 (Big Falls) levy of $20,120. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2009/09-19 Motion by McBride, seconded by Adee to schedule a meeting with Highway Union representatives to hear a grievance regarding the starting pay step for the new Senior Engineering Technician. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Administration Director provided a recommendation for a 3% increase for the 2010 County Levy based on a projected 2010 County Budget with cuts in expenditure requests and anticipated revenues and reserve spending. The Board will consider the recommendation and act on the proposed 2010 County levy at the September 15th meeting.

2009/09-20 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Adee to schedule County Board committee meetings for September 29 and October 5th for reviewing the 2010 County Budget funding requests. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2009/09-21 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by McBride to approve expenditure of $3,000 for the purchase and installation of a unit heater for the Armory Building to allow for heated storage for the Sheriff’s equipment with funding in the amount of $500 from the 2009 Sheriff’s Non-contracted Budget and $2,500 from the 2009 Budget Contingency; further that the annual heating expense will be funded and monitored from the Complex Budget. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2009/09-22 Motion by Lepper, seconded by McBride to approve a Grant Agreement with the State of Minnesota Commissioner of Natural Resources for ATV Patrolling with reimbursement of eligible expenditures up to $21,518 for State Fiscal Year 2010 and $21,518 for State Fiscal Year 2011 as recommended by the Sheriff and further, authorizing the Sheriff and County Board Chair to sign said Agreement. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

2009/09-23 Motion by Pavleck, seconded by Lepper to approve the 2010-2011 Koochiching County Child Care Fund Plan as required by the State Department of Human Services and as recommended by the Community Services Director. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

000 The Board received a report from representatives involved in the establishment of the Servants of Shelter, which is a temporary shelter for the homeless in the County. As a one year pilot project, the shelter consists of ten beds that will rotate between four sites every 6.5 days (a seven day site requires licensing) and will provide shelter, food and companionship to those in need. The shelter is run strictly with volunteers with intake administrated by Community Services and Kootasca within set hours. Stays are limited from night to the next morning and 30 days. The shelter will open on November 2, 2009.

000 The Highway Engineer presented the Board a recommendation to accept a five-year easement from Boise which would turn their private road from TH 332 to TH 11 over to the County to utilize as a public road. Boise’s reason for providing this easement to the County is to relieve traffic on the Burner Road. The County Engineer stated that this section of road would be designated as a County Road and would cost about $3,000 to prepare it for usage and about $4,400 annually to maintain it. This will give the public the opportunity to try the route which is proposed for future CSAH designation and construction. A Boise representative stated that this route was built to ten ton standards as it was used by the Company for hauling heavy loads and that the Company is proposing this short term solution as the long term plan as proposed by the County to reroute TH 332 and vacate the Burner Road is halted by litigation. It is anticipated that lake area residents and construction companies doing work in the lake area will use this route over the Burner Road. Board members though not against the proposal, felt with all the new developments a review with their legal counsel for the Hwy 332 Litigation was needed. The Board Chair based on the position of the Board deferred action on the Easement Proposal and instructed the Administration Director to talk with the County’s Legal Counsel on setting up a closed session on the Highway 332 Litigation due to new developments.

000 The Board Chair called for public comment at 11:50 a.m. Aarden Barnes inquired on the two different legal descriptions attached to the Boise Easement proposal, which was explained by the Highway Engineer.

2009/09-24 Motion by Lepper, seconded by Adee to adjourn the meeting at 11:50 a.m. Voting yes: Hanson, McBride, Adee, Lepper, Pavleck. Motion carried.

__________________________________ _________________________________
Mike Hanson, Board Chair Teresa Jaksa, Administration Director

The Daily Journal
September 24, 2009