Government Board of Commissioners Meeting Minutes Commissioner's Minutes - June 22, 2010
| Commissioner's Minutes - June 22, 2010 |
| Wednesday, 11 August 2010 08:52 |
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Grand Marais, Minnesota The Board met in regular session this 22nd day of June, 2010, at the Courthouse in Grand Marais, Minnesota. The meeting was called to order at 8:30 a.m. with the following members present: Commissioners Fenwick, Hall, Johnson, Martinson, and Sobanja. Absent: None. County Board Chair Sobanja led the Commissioners in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Motion was made by Fenwick, seconded by Hall, and carried to amend the agenda as presented. Tristan Beaster, Conservation Technician, appeared before the Board along with Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisors Jim Hall and Joan Farnum. Beaster and the Board discussed the courthouse rain garden location and size, and reviewed various options and cost estimates to reconstruct the garden so that it would be smaller but still maintain its integrity. The preferred proposal would be to remove tier two and three, regrade and re-sod the area, and reconstruct tier two so that it is located closer to the east side of the site and away from the Veterans Memorial area. Existing materials would be used, and SWCD staff as well as volunteers would replant the vegetation. Beaster estimated that the project would cost approximately $5,000. Farnum and Hall reported that the SWCD Board supports the proposed solution. Commissioner Johnson noted that the revision would allow the site to continue serving as a demonstration garden and would be a good compromise. Hall reported that Don Wilson, American Legion Representative, also approved the proposal. Following discussion, a motion was made by Fenwick, seconded by Johnson, and carried to authorize Beaster to proceed with the proposal as presented, bringing back final cost information to the County Board. Russell Klegstad, Maintenance Supervisor, appeared before the Board to present bids for summer maintenance on the Special Service Tax Districts. Six bids were received for work to be conducted on four subordinate service districts. Following discussion, motion was made by Hall, seconded by Fenwick, and carried to award the bids as follows: Evergreen Road to Mike Rose Excavating, Mile O Pine to LaBoda Grading, Voyageurs Point to LaBoda Grading, and West Rose Bush Lane to LaBoda Grading, as low bidders for those districts. Mark Sandbo appeared before the Board as the Superior National at Lutsen Golf Course Committee representative. 19 people representing the Friends of the Golf Course, the Grand Marais/Cook County EDA, and the Cook County Visitors Bureau were also in attendance. Sandbo provided an overview of the Golf Course, including numbers of rounds played as well as maintenance activities conducted. Sandbo reported that the amount of money spent for advertising and marketing as well as for infrastructure improvements are not keeping pace with needs, inflation and spending. The Golf Course Committee believes that additional money should be spent in those areas so that the Golf Course can continue to be a vital recreational asset for Cook County. Sandbo presented several options regarding the future of the Golf Course and money needed. The Golf Course Committee recommends that a long term lease of up to 20 years be developed, a new non-profit corporation be established to run the Golf Course and a Board of Directors consisting of County wide representatives be established, with members selected by the Cook County Visitors Bureau. The Golf Course Committee also requested use of $440,000 in PILT funds to pay off the Golf Course bonds, using $1.2 million of the 1% Local Option Sales Tax Revenue, and increasing the EDA Levy by $140,000 per year for Golf Course operations. The Golf Course Committee also requested that a County Commissioner be appointed to serve as liaison to its group. Following considerable discussion, Commissioner Sobanja agreed to serve in that capacity, with Commissioner Fenwick assisting if necessary. Consensus was for the Golf Course Committee to continue discussions and make future presentations and proposals to the County Board. No action was taken. Mark Falk, County Sheriff, appeared before the Board with two items. Falk presented a grant agreement amendment between Cook County and Minnesota Department of Public Safety Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division. This amendment would extend the fiber optic project expiration date from June 30, 2010 to September 30, 2010, to allow the project to be completed. Motion was made by Fenwick, seconded by Hall, and carried to approve the grant amendment agreement as presented. Falk presented a grant agreement between the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division and Cook County for the 2009 Operation Stonegarden Program, in the amount of $144,395.00. Falk noted that half of this money would be used for overtime to allow additional Deputy Sheriff Patrol on behalf of Homeland Security and half would be used for equipment. Falk intends to purchase 12 in-car video cameras for the county squad cars. Motion was made by Johnson, seconded by Hall, and carried to approve the 2009 Operation Stonegarden Grant as presented. At 10:10 a.m. a Public Hearing was convened to consider proposed changes to the Cook County Fee Schedule. Braidy Powers, Auditor-Treasurer, reviewed the proposed fee changes. Tim Nelson, Planning Director/Solid Waste Officer, was present to provide additional information regarding the changes in proposed Environmental Health fees. Commissioner Fenwick expressed interest in obtaining information regarding mandated versus non-mandated services in the Planning & Zoning/Environmental Office, and also requested information regarding comparable fees established by other counties. Following discussion, motion was made by Fenwick, seconded by Martinson, and carried to continue the public hearing regarding Cook County Fees to the July 13, 2010 County Board meeting, pending further research. Commissioner Johnson reported that there is some confusion regarding fees that are established at the Saganaga Parking area. This issue will be reviewed. Commissioner Fenwick moved the adoption of the following resolution and upon seconding by Commissioner Martinson was adopted by unanimous yea vote of all members present: RESOLUTION #2010-42 BE IT RESOLVED, that the following claims totaling $ 105,282.61 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 presented an abatement application from Northwoods Trust (property I.D. # 55-203-3200). The property owner combined two parcels into one in 2007, but both parcels remained on the County Assessment System. Motion was made by Martinson, seconded by Hall, and carried to approve the abatement application to eliminate the parcel in question as a separate property as requested. Powers and the Board discussed the issue of boat mooring at the two landings on Saganaga Lake. People have been anchoring their boots off of the landings, thereby congesting the area. The County Sheriff has authority to put up signs on both landings, designating certain areas as off-limits to anchoring and mooring. Following discussion, motion was made by Fenwick, seconded by Johnson, and carried to concur with the proposal to have the County Sheriff put up signs at the two landings on Saganaga Lake, designating that no mooring be allowed in certain areas. Powers reported that the County received a Minnesota DNR Defensible Space Mitigation Grant in the amount of $225,000.00. The original grant was from 2007 through March 2010, but was extended to September 2010. The Firewise Committee is asking the County to extend the grant through September 30, 2011 to allow for completion of defensible space activities. Motion was made by Hall, seconded by Fenwick, and carried to extend the DNR Defensible Space Mitigation Grant to 9-30-11 as requested. Timothy Nelson, Planning Director/Solid Waste Officer, appeared before the Board to discuss the Environmental Health Officer position. One candidate decided to re-activate his application, so Nelson completed the interview process and recommended that Mitchell Everson be hired for the position at the C41- Step10 level. Everson would start part-time on July 6 and would increase his hours to full time by August 1st. Nelson would also like to hire back former Environmental Health Officer LeRoy Halberg on a temporary part-time basis during July, to conduct some training and transition activities. Motion was made by Fenwick, seconded by Hall, and carried to proceed with the hiring and training of Mitchell Everson as the new Environmental Health Officer as presented. Janet Simonen, Personnel Director, appeared before the Board to discuss staffing at the Highway Department. Simonen reported that David Betts would begin employment as the new County Engineer/Agricultural Inspector on Monday, June 28. Simonen inquired how long to continue the out-of-class assignments and pay for Engineering/Officer Supervisor Bill Parish, Maintenance Supervisor Russell Klegstad, and Road & Bridge Accountant Anne Zellner. Consensus of the Board was to have said out-of-class assignments expire as of June 28 when the new County Engineer begins employment. Commissioner Hall reported that the Horse Shoe Bay dock has been moved and installed in Chicago Bay in Hovland. The Hovland Community is pleased with this improvement to the area. Commissioner Sobanja informed the Board that he would be attending the State Resources Conservation and Development Convention on August 18, 2010. Commissioner Fenwick reported that the Community Center Steering Committee would be meeting next week. Commissioner Sobanja reported that the Grand Marais Library Board is meeting with architects to discuss the expansion plans for the library. Commissioner Martinson reported that he met with Commissioner Fenwick and Auditor-Treasurer Powers to develop an application form that groups could use when requesting funds from the 1% Cook County Sales Tax proceeds. Consensus was that any authorized governmental agency could serve as fiscal agent for 1% Sales Tax Funds. The County Board reviewed the proposed form. Motion was made by Johnson, seconded by Martinson, and carried to approve the application form to request funds from the 1% Cook County Sales Tax, with several adjustments. At 11:15 a.m. Commissioner Fenwick left the meeting. Correspondence-Memos: A. MN Transportation Alliance News Review, 6/15/10. Information. C. Materials for 6/10/10 meeting of NE MN Office of Job Training Elected Official Board. Information. D. Materials for 6/17/10 meeting of Cook County Hospital District Board. Information. E. Letter from MN Counties Intergovernmental Trust, 6/14/10, re: Community Action Agency membership in MCIT. Information. There being no further business, motion was made and carried to adjourn the regular meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners at 11:25 a.m. At 1:00 p.m. the 2010 meeting of the Cook County Board of Appeal and Equalization was reconvened from its original June 15, 2010 meeting date. Present were Commissioners Johnson, Martinson, and Sobanja as well as Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers. Absent were Commissioners Fenwick and Hall. Also present were County Assessor Mary Black and Assistant County Assessor Allison Lowe. Black reported that the Assessor's Office conducted additional physical inspections on properties owned by Stephen Bick, John Monson, Rosalee Schaefer, John Monson, and Thomas and Jirak Tibbetts. Black reviewed the proposed changes and valuation reductions that were proposed by the Assessor's Office following said inspections. The Board also reviewed the other adjustments that were recommended. Following discussion, motion was made by Martinson, seconded by Powers and carried to approve the following valuation adjustments as presented: Stephen Bick, (parcel I.D. # 52-406-3140) -$59,400, Glenn Johnson (parcel I.D. # 52-236-1190) -$21.200, Kathy McGinley (parcel I.E. # 54-105-4305) -$39,100, John Scheef (parcel I.D. # 52-185-2010) -$25,700, Keith Jentoft (parcel I.D. # 52-403-3240) -$13,900, Carter-Miller (parcel I.D. # 55-328-3225) -$13,500, Larry Gamer (parcel I.D. # 52-235-1120) -$27,400, John Monson (parcel I.D. # 56-211-1415) -$55,500, Marjorie Schmidt (parcel I.D. # 50-534-4210) -$23,500, Sandy Petty (parcel I.D. # 53-119-2413) -$49,400, Rosalee Schaefer (parcel I.D. # 53-230-3355) -$23,900, Johnson Monson (parcel I.D. # 56-21-1410) -$3,000, Thomas & Jirak Tibbetts (55-213-1200) -$28,000. Black and the Board discussed recent state legislation regarding Cascade and Solbakken resorts, which would allow them to receive homestead classification for both properties in addition to Ma & Pa Resort classification. Black and Auditor-Treasurer Powers will research this issue further and report back to the County Board. There being no further business, motion was made by Johnson, seconded by Martinson, and carried to adjourn the 2010 Cook County Board of Appeal and Equalization meeting at 1:25 p.m.
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