Government Board of Commissioners Meeting Minutes Commissioner's Minutes - May 18, 2010
| Commissioner's Minutes - May 18, 2010 |
| Tuesday, 15 June 2010 14:29 |
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Grand Marais, Minnesota The Board met in regular session this 18th day of May, 2010, at the Courthouse in Grand Marais, Minnesota. HUMAN SERVICES BOARD MINUTES MEMBERS PRESENT: STAFF PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT: The Human Services Board met in regular session on the 18th day of May, 2010, in the commissioner's room of the Cook County Courthouse in Grand Marais, MN. Jan Hall, Vice-Chair, called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. Jim Johnson made a motion to approve the agenda for the meeting, seconded by Fritz Sobanja and approved all ayes. Fritz Sobanja made a motion to approve the April 20, 2010 meeting minutes, seconded by Roger Linehan and approved all ayes. COMMITTEE REPORTS: B. Arrowhead Health Alliance: No report given. C. Arrowhead Regional Corrections: The next meeting is May 28th. D. Community Health Board: Jan reported from the April 26th meeting. They went over reports. There is a new staff member for the SHIP program. They viewed a video, "Unnatural Causes." Jan mentioned it would be good for county agencies to see this video. She mentioned talking to Joni about that possibility. The next meeting is July 26th. E. Public Health/Human Services Advisory Committee: Diane reported from the May 4th meeting. They discussed the communication process between the County and Grand Portage Tribe regarding Child Protection. They viewed a video on Autism. Jerry Lilja reported the new hire of Sherrie Moe at HDC. There will be a new Human Services building in Grand Portage. Suicide Prevention was discussed. Jerry and Grace facilitated a program on WTIP. LeRoy Hallberg gave a report on the septic system ordinance. The committee thanked him for his service as he will be retiring on May 31st. Legislative issues and their impacts on PHHS were discussed. F. Health Care Planning Committee: No report given. G. Interagency Services Committee: Jan reported from May 17th meeting. Nutrition workshop and "Watch Me Grow" were discussed. LOTS funding was also discussed. The mission is how to read to children. One component is FRED, Father Reading Every Day. Lynn Sheils talked about sign language. Budgeting is based on child count. Funding has gone down. They discussed meeting dates for next year. H. North Shore Collaborative: No report given. I. Region 3 Human Services Redesign: The next meeting is May 26th in Eveleth. Jan and Bob will both be attending. PHHS 2009 Year End Financial and Social Service Client Count Report - Jan Parish In all 3 categories under PHHS, Social Services, Income Maintenance and Public Health, PHHS went over budget, for a total in expenditures of 107% however revenue was greater than anticipated totaling 109% of budget which increased the fund balance by $27,425. Federal sources of funding increased while state funding decreased from 2008. Received 50.3% from county tax dollars. Jan showed benefits that were paid by DHS. Food Support almost doubled since 2008. $8,047 Emergency Assistance (MFIP & ARRA funding) was received from stimulus money for March 2009-September 2010. When this program is done, there is concern that no money would be available for future requests. The majority of time reported by the social workers was distributed as follows: Adult services 30%, Mental Health 26%, Children and Family 25%. The Mental Health number is higher due to the hire of a mental health case manager after a lengthy gap of personnel. The provided services for children increased. The total Out of Home Placement was at 81% of the budget, while in a separate category, the Mental Health Out of Home Placement was at 262% of budget. Jan noted that there were $46,936 in collections of the $89,435 which nets $42,439 and is 124% of budget rather than the 262%. Sue mentioned we do not have Mental Health Out of Home Placement options in Cook County which equals more time for social workers to travel. Grace noted that mental health Rule 5's are typically older kids and she would like to see outreach earlier. Sue added the mental health workers in the schools serve primarily older children but we have early intervention public health programs. Jan noted that PHHS receives very little from state and federal sources for children's services. The Child Care Assistance program saw an increase in children & families in 2009 compared to 2007. Director's Report - Sue Futterer, Director of Public Health and Human Services B. Legislative Update: Sue passed out the most recent legislative update. Sue noted a few provisions in the Health and Human Services Omnibus Supplemental Budget bill that was passed. It gave up the option to take the Federal Health care money early, gave an 8.1 million appropriation for State Operated Services redesign. CCSA grants will be reduced. GAMC is still too unpredictable to discuss this month, hopefully will know more at the June meeting. ITEM FOR BOARD ACTION: Bruce Martinson made a motion to approve the abstracts and bills, seconded by Jim Johnson and approved all ayes. At 10:20 a.m. the regular meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners was called to order. County Board Chair Sobanja led the Commissioners in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Motion was made by Martinson, seconded by Johnson, and carried to amend the agenda for the meeting as presented. Mary Black, Assessor/Land Commissioner, appeared before the Board with several issues. Black and the Board discussed the County Boat Landing at Leo Lake, and the practice of allowing several local businesses to maintain a boat at the landing for commercial purposes. Present for this discussion were Forrest Parsons from Hungry Jack Lodge and Carl and Luana Brandt from Nor'wester Lodge, in addition to County Attorney Tim Scannell. Black reported that the Leo Lake Landing is being reconstructed by the Minnesota Conservation Corp and Cook County Soil & Water Conservation District. A neighbor has questioned whether it is legal for businesses to leave boats at the Public Landing. Luana Brandt reported that several Gunflint Trail businesses have been putting boats there for over 60 years. Parsons reported that it would be noisier and create greater erosion problems if the boats had to be carried down each time they were going to be used. The County Board expressed some concerns about setting precedents on County Landings, and discussed whether a policy should be in place and a fee assessed for the storage of commercial boats at the landing. Following discussion consensus was that Assessor/Land Commissioner Black will inspect the landing once it is reconstructed, will meet with the five businesses that place boats at the landing, and will come back to the County Board in June with an update and proposal. No further action was taken. Black presented an application abatement from Michael DePesa (property I.D. # 55-404-4433). The property has been valued based on 420' of lakeshore frontage, though a survey that was recorded along with the deed shows 340' of frontage. The owner is requesting an adjustment for the current year tax and the two years prior. Motion was made by Hall, seconded by Martinson, and carried to approve the abatement application as presented. Black reported that a new Minnesota Counties Information System (MCIS) building will be constructed. Cook County is a member of MCIS and has the choice of paying its $49,554.00 cost share of the project in a lump sum payment in 2010 or having the cost allocated over a maximum of 15 years. Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers appeared before the Board and reported he would prefer paying it in one lump sum, negating the need to track it over a long period of time. Motion was made by Johnson, seconded by Martinson, and carried to pay Cook County's share of the MCIS building project in one lump sum in 2010 in the amount of $49,554.00. Russell Klegstad, Maintenance Supervisor, appeared before the Board. Klegstad reported that two bids were received for the County's aggregate crushing scheduled for 2010. Low bid was received from Edwin E. Thoreson, Inc in the amount of $121,850.00. Motion was made by Martinson, seconded by Johnson, and carried to award the aggregate crushing bid to Edwin E. Thoreson, Inc. as low bidder. Commissioner Martinson moved the adoption of the following resolution and upon seconding by Commissioner Hall was adopted by unanimous yea vote of all members present: RESOLUTION #2010-37 BE IT RESOLVED, that the following claims totaling $159,512.86 having been audited and found to be true and correct claims against Cook County, are approved and the Auditor-Treasurer is hereby authorized to draw warrants in payment of said claims: Braidy Powers, Auditor-Treasurer, appeared before the Board with several issues. Powers and the Board reviewed Grant Agreement # 2010-EMTG-OO582 between Cook County and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division. This grant provides $18,106.00 to assist with the Cook County Emergency Management function. Motion was made by Hall, seconded by Johnson, and carried to approve the Emergency Management Grant Agreement as presented. Powers reviewed the decision made by Cook County to assume 75% of the cost for the Cook County Sentence to Serve Program, rather than its prior 50% cost, as the State is reducing its share from 50% down to 25%. Powers presented a contract amendment between Cook County and the State of Minnesota Commissioner of Corrections, Sentence to Serve Program, increasing the amount paid by the County from $75,989.00 to $94,986.26. Motion was made by Johnson, seconded by Hall, and carried to approve this amendment to the Sentence to Serve Grant Agreement as presented. Powers and the Board reviewed a Federal Financial Assistance Award of Recovery Act Domestic Grant 01-DG-11420004-629 between Cook County and the U.S. Forest Service, Northeastern Area Economic Recovery Operations Center. This grant will provide $120,000.00 to assist in reducing understory fuels on 150 acres in the Tait Lake area. Motion was made by Hall, seconded by Martinson, and carried to approve the Tait Lake Hazardous Fuels Grant as presented. Powers reported that Cook County will be receiving a grant to upgrade the heating and air conditioning system in the Courthouse. The Board can chose whether to utilize a "best value" procurement under a request for proposal process, or to request regular bids. Following discussion, consensus was to authorize Auditor-Treasurer Powers to contact various engineering firms and obtain quotes for them to assist us with developing and proceeding with a regular bid process to find a contractor to upgrade the heating and air conditioning system in the Courthouse. Powers reported that Cook County has been asked to act as legal sponsor for a grant application for the DNR Snowmobile Trails Assistance Program for 2011 in Cook County. Commissioner Martinson moved the adoption of the following resolution and upon seconding by Commissioner Johnson was adopted by unanimous yea vote of all members present: RESOLUTION # 2010-38 WHEREAS, Cook County desires to establish, construct, and maintain public snowmobile trails; and WHEREAS, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources provides grants to local units of government for the construction and maintenance of recreational snowmobile trails pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 84.83; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board hereby agrees to act as legal sponsor for an application for the DNR Snowmobile Trails Assistance Program for fiscal year 2011, that Cook County may enter into agreement with the State of Minnesota for the DNR Snowmobile Trails Assistance Program for the Gunflint, Lutsen, and Tofte/Lynx trails, that Cook County will comply with all applicable laws and regulations as stated in the agreement, and that the Auditor-Treasurer will act as fiscal agent on behalf of Cook County. The Board reviewed the list of temporary committee and commission assignments. Motion was made by Hall, seconded by Johnson, and carried to add the Flutreed Partnership Committee to the list that Commissioner Hall has been attending and to add Commissioner Hall as an alternate to the Region III Social Service Redesign Committee. Commissioner Sobanja expressed his concern that fewer summer jobs are available for local students and residents as the foreign worker employment program has increased. Commissioner Hall expressed her concerns that some students are being "bullied" in school. Consensus of the Board was that neither of these issue was a direct County Board issue. Correspondence-Memos: C. Materials for 5/6/10 meeting of Cook County Soil & Water Conservation District. Information. D. Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority meeting minutes for 4/13/10. Information. E. Materials for 5/4/10 meeting of Cook County Council on Aging. Information. F. Flutereed Partnership meeting minutes for 4/5/10. Information. G. Cook County Tennis Assoc. Newsletter, April 2010. Information. H. Letter from MN Chippewa Tribe Finance Corp., 4/20/10, re: property taxes for Indian-owned land. Information. There being no further business, motion was made and carried that the meeting be adjourned.
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