MINUTES & AGENDAS
August, 2015
Commissioner Proceedings
August 11, 2015
The Lake of the Woods County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, August 11, 2015, in the Commissioners’ Room at the Government Center.
Call to Order
Chairman Arnesen called the meeting to order at 7:30 a.m. and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited with the following members present: Commissioners Ed Arnesen, Buck Nordlof, Ken Moorman, Patty Beckel and Tom Hanson. Also present were: County Auditor/Treasurer Lorene Hanson, Deputy Auditor/Treasurer Janet Rudd and Woody Fiala.
2016 Budget
County Auditor/Treasurer Lorene Hanson met with the board to review the 2016 Budget with the board.
Closed Session
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Nordlof and carried unanimously to close the regular meeting at 8:30 a.m., pursuant to MN Stat.§13D.03(b), Union Negotiations. Members present: Commissioners Arnesen, Beckel, Moorman, Hanson and Nordlof. Also
present was Human Resource Director, Karen Ose.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Beckel, seconded by Commissioner Moorman and carried unanimously to close the closed session and open the regular meeting at 9:03 a.m.
Approval of Agenda
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the agenda with the following additions: Consent agenda for travel for Angie Eason, Shelly Phillippe and Cassie Brune; MRCC Survey, Great Northern Transmission Line, and Richard Linder letter.
Approval of Consent Agenda
Motion was made by Commissioner Beckel, seconded by Commissioner Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the consent agenda as follows: MaryJo Otten to Morris on August 17-18 for CPU/Computer meeting; Dena Pieper to St. Cloud on September 30, 2015 for Legal Staff Training; Janet Rudd to St. Cloud on September 17-18 for MDRA Conference; Shelley Pepera to St. Cloud on August 16-17for SSIS updates; Heather Blodgett to St. Cloud on August 17-18 for MN Choices Mentor Meeting; Angie Eason and Shelley Phillippe to Grand Forks on August 11-12 for Claims Training; Cassie Brune to Grand Forks on August 12-13 for Claims Training.
Approval of Minutes
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Beckel and carried unanimously to approve the official and summarized minutes of July 28, 2015.
COUNTY SURVEYOR
County Surveyor, Donn Rasmussen met with the board and reviewed projects that were completed and including the re-monumentation projects; located all corners on County Road 17 and located points on County Road 1. Donn informed the board that residents of Lake of the Woods County can call him once a month when he is in Baudette, or they can call him anytime when he is in the Brainerd office.
COUNTY ASSESSOR
County Assessor, MaryJo Otten and Human Resource Director, Karen Ose met with the board to inform the board that there will be an opening for the Assistant Assessor at the end of the year and would like to advertise and interview for an Appraiser/Appraiser Trainee.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Beckel, seconded by Commissioner Hanson and carried unanimously to authorize County Assessor, MaryJo Otten and Human Resource Director, Karen Ose to re-write job description and advertise and interview for Appraiser/Appraiser Trainee.
SOCIAL SERVICES
Social Service Director, Amy Ballard met with the board requesting approval of claims.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Beckel, seconded by Commissioner Moorman and carried unanimously to approve the following claims against the county.
Commissioners’ Warrants $ 17,012.91
Commissioners’ Warrants $ 1,783.17
Commissioners’ Warrants $ 1,434.77
Commissioners’ Warrants $ 305.70
Paul Bunyan Transit
Social Services Director, Amy Ballard informed the board on the last transit meeting they expanded the service area to a 6 mile radius east and west of the Brink Center.
Hire Case Aid
Social Services Director, Amy Ballard and Human Resource Director, Karen Ose met with the board requesting authorization to hire Sheri Stebakken,
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Beckel, seconded by Commissioner Moorman and carried unanimously to hire Case Aid, Sheri Stebakken, effective August17, 2015 at grade 8, step 1, $15.45 per hour, points 207.
GREAT NORTHERN TRANSMISSION LINE
Commissioner Hanson informed the board that he attended the Great Northern Transmission line public hearing that was held on August 6 in the matter of the application of Minnesota Power for a route permit and submitted the resolution to the Judge on the preference of the orange route that the county board passed.
auditor/treasurer
Claims
County Auditor/Treasurer, Lorene Hanson met with the board requesting approval of claims.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the claims against the county as follows:
Revenue $ 21,962.13
Road & Bridge $ 63,526.40
County Devel $ 1,232.00
Solid Waste $ 29,137.29
EDA $ 44.56
Further moved to authorize the payment of the following auditor warrants:
July 31, 2015 $586,370.51
August 4,2015 $378,648.07
WARRANTS FOR PUBLICATION
Warrants Approved On 8/11/2015 for Payment 8/14/2015
Vendor Name Amount
Bart’s Trucking Inc 10,470.00
Earthworks Contracting Inc 12,780.00
Fish/Kevin 10,950.00
Hoffman, Philipp & Knutson, PLLC 4,120.00
Howard’s Oil Company 9,207.99
LOW Highway Dept 5,812.40
Mar-Kit Landfill 13,497.75
Miovac/Tim 10,110.00
R & Q Trucking, Inc 5,612.75
Woody’s Service 3,961.09
Zuercher Technologies, LLC 2,190.00
58 Payments less than 2000 27,190.40 Final Total: 115,902.38
Extension Contract
County Auditor/Treasurer, Lorene Hanson presented the 2016 Extension Contract to the board for approval.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Beckel, seconded by Commissioner Nordlof and carried unanimously to enter into the MN Extension Contract effective January 1, 2016 thru December 31, 2018 and authorize Chairman Arnesen to sign.
Veterans Service Contract
County Auditor/Treasurer, Lorene Hanson presented the 2016 Veterans Service Officer contract to the board for approval.
Resolution
The following resolution was offered by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Moorman and carried unanimously to approve the following resolution:
Resolution of Lake of the Woods County
County Veterans Service Office Operational Enhancement Grant Program
Resolution No. 15-08-01
BE IT RESOLVED; by Lake of the Woods County Board of Commissioners enter into the attached Grant Contract with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) to conduct the following program: County Veterans Service Office Operational Enhancement Grant Program. The grant must be used to provide outreach to the county’s veterans; to assist in the reintegration of combat veterans into society; to collaborate with other social service agencies, educational institutions, and other community organizations for the purpose of enhancing services offered to veterans; to reduce homelessness amount of veterans; and to enhance the operations of the county veterans service office, as specified in Minnesota Law 2013 Chapter 142 Article 4. This Grant should not be used to supplant or replace other funding.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED; by the Lake of the Woods County Board of Commissioners that Chairman Arnesen is hereby authorized to execute the Grant Contract for the County Veterans Service Office Operational Enhancement Grant Program, on behalf of Lake of the Woods County.
Cell Phone Stipends
County Auditor/Treasurer, Lorene Hanson presented a request from MIS Director, Peder Hovland for cell phone stipends for smart phones for his office.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Nordlof, seconded by Commissioner Beckel and carried unanimously to authorize MIS/GIS Director, Peder Hovland and GIS /MIS Specialist, Daniel Fish a cell phone stipend for smart phones in the amount of $60.00 per month.
Amend Agenda
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Nordlof and carried unanimously to amend the agenda and add “permission to advertise and interview for Deputy Auditor/Treasurer- Fiscal Officer”.
Fiscal Officer
County Auditor/Treasurer, Lorene Hanson and Human Resource Director, Karen Ose met with the board to inform them that they want to repost for Fiscal Officer for the County Auditor/Treasurer’s office.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Beckel, seconded by Commissioner Nordlof and carried unanimously to authorize County Auditor/Treasurer Lorene Hanson and Human Resource Director, Karen Ose to repost, interview and hire for Deputy Auditor/Treasurer- Fiscal Officer as previously approved on July 14, 2015.
County Land Leases/Timber Sales
County Auditor/Treasurer, Lorene Hanson met with the board and informed them that County Assessor, MaryJo Otten reviewed the land values in Lakewood Township and that the Tillable land value now is $8.90 per acre and Non-Tillable value is at $7.70 per acre; she also mentioned that she received a request from an individual farmer requesting to lease the non-tillable land. The consensus of the board was that individuals could lease this land for farm use only.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Moorman, seconded by Commissioner Hanson and carried unanimously to approve the current land value rates in Lakewood Township for Tillable land at $9.00 per acre and Non-Tillable land at $8.00 per acre with the contract period not more than three years.
Timber Sales
Commissioner Hanson discussed timber sales and county administrative lands (tax forfeited) and the possibility of harvesting timber. The board placed this under Old/New Business.
PUBLIC WORKS
Ditch Update
Public Works Director, Tim Erickson and Assistant Engineer, Boyd Johnson met with the board and updated them on the drainage project. They presented a map of area ditching needs. This will be an on-going project with weekly meetings with drainage as the priority; one-third of the 75 miles of ditch work is on judicial ditches. Other areas of projects consist of road and culverts. The estimated time to get this work completed will be three years.
Approval to Hire
Public Works Director, Tim Erickson met with the board requesting permission to hire a heavy equipment operator. Tim informed the board that newly hired Mike Huerd has over seventeen years of heavy equipment experience and is also a certified diesel mechanic. With his years of experience he would like to start him at step 4.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Moorman and carried unanimously to approve the hiring of Mike Huerd at grade 10, step 4, $18.55 per hour, point 233, effective date of hire August 24, 2015.
Recess
The meeting was called to recess at 10:55 a.m. and reconvened at 11:04 a.m. as follows:
Correspondence
The board reviewed the letter from Richard Linder in regard to the minimum maintenance road. Commissioner Beckel informed the board the she spoke to Public Works Director, Tim Erickson and he will go out and look at it and have it mowed to make it more drivable; acknowledged thank-you letter from the Ubel family.
MRCC SURVEY
Commissioner Beckel reviewed a survey from MRCC with the board for their comments.
LAKEWOOD NURSING SERVICE
Jay Ross, CHI Finance Director met with the board to review the 2016 budget. Staff gave an overview of the programs that LakeWood Nursing Service provides to the community. They discussed the budget, funding sources, operational expenses and grants that they receive; proposed that the board budget for FY 2016 $60,172. He explained that they do not know how much grant money they will receive, but anticipating approximately the same as last year. Jay informed the board that the new contract should be delivered soon. The board requested County Auditor/Treasurer, Lorene Hanson to assign $65,000 for the 2016 Nursing Service budget.
SHERIFF
County Sheriff, Gary Fish met with the board requesting authorization to enter into Minnesota Department of Public Safety Grant for Emergency Management.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Beckel, seconded by Commissioner Hanson and carried unanimously to enter into the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Grant for Emergency Management effective January 1, 2015 thru December 31, 2015 in the amount of $13,044 for planning, wages and benefits for Emergency Management Director.
Law Enforcement Roof
County Sheriff, Gary Fish met with the board and informed the board that the roof is still leaking after maintenance patched as much as they could. He informed the board that he did get a quote and the cost of replacement of the roof would be around $24,000. He noted that the roof is 30 years old. Chairman Arnesen requested that he come back to the next meeting to discuss this further.
RECESS
With no further business before the board, Chairman Arnesen called the meeting to recess at 11:50 a.m.
Attest: Approved: August 25, 2015
_______________________ _________________________________
Lorene Hanson, Chairman of the Board, Edward Arnesen
County Auditor/Treasurer
=====================================================================================
Commissioner Proceedings
August 25, 2015
The Lake of the Woods County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, August 25, 2015, in the Commissioners’ Room at the Government Center.
Call to Order
Chairman Arnesen called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited with the following members present: Commissioners Ed Arnesen, Buck Nordlof, Ken Moorman, and Tom Hanson. Absent, Patty Beckel. Also present were: County Auditor/Treasurer Lorene Hanson, Deputy Auditor/Treasurer Janet Rudd and Woody Fiala.
2016 Budget
County Auditor/Treasurer Lorene Hanson met with the board to review the 2016 Budget with the board.
Approval of Agenda
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Moorman, seconded by Commissioner Hanson and carried unanimously to approve the agenda with the following additions: Consent agenda for travel for James Austad, credit card, and budget discussion.
Approval of Consent Agenda
Motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the consent agenda as follows: Dawn Christianson and Stacy Novak to Morris MN for Auditor/Treasurer Tax meeting on September 15-16; Erik Tange to Duluth for Driver License Agent Training on September 22-23; Janet Rudd and Stacy Novak to Little Falls on October 4-5 for Driver License Agent Training; Dawn Christianson to Bemidji on September 21-22 for Drivers License Agent Training; Jodi Ferrier to East Grand Forks for Foster Care Licensing Training with DHS on September 30-October 1; Boyd Johnson to Brainerd for Mn/DOT’s 2015 Right of Way Professionals Workshop on September 22-25; Tim Erickson to Bemidji for Annual County Engineers’ Seminar on September 9-10; Leah Larson to Duluth on October 15-16 for Health and Human Service Conference; Daniel Fish to Duluth for GIS Conference on October 7-9; James Austad to Brainerd for Attorney Conference September 10-11.
Approval of Minutes
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Moorman and carried unanimously to approve the official and summarized minutes of August 11, 2015.
SOCIAL SERVICES
Social Service Director, Amy Ballard met with the board requesting approval of claims.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Moorman, seconded by Commissioner Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the following claims against the county.
Commissioners’ Warrants $ 11,321.78
Commissioners’ Warrants $ 25,879.44
Credit Card
Social Services Director, Amy Ballard requested approval for Sheri Stebakken to be issued a County Credit Card.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Moorman and carried unanimously to approve a county credit card for Sheri Stebakken.
Recess
The meeting was called to recess at 9:25 a.m. and reconvened at 9:30 a.m. as follows:
auditor/treasurer
Claims
County Auditor/Treasurer, Lorene Hanson met with the board requesting approval of claims.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Nordlof and carried unanimously to approve the claims against the county as follows:
Revenue $ 14,000.53
Road & Bridge $280,779.49
County Devel $ 11,041.50
Solid Waste $ 10,377.88
EDA $ 4,209.00
WARRANTS FOR PUBLICATION
Warrants Approved On 8/25/2015 For Payment 8/28/2015
Vendor Name Amount
Cenex Co-Op Services, Inc. 12,317.47
Computer Professionals Unlimited Inc 3,071.00
Crop Production Service 7,522.39
Holiday 2,001.51
Lavalla Sand & Gravel Inc 150,000.00
Liberty Tire Recycling, LLC 4,736.20
M & J Construction Of Holt, Inc. 100,011.20
Northwest Community Action, Inc 3,428.50
Pro-West & Associates, Inc 2,000.00
Rinke-Noonan 11,041.50
Ziegler, Inc 10,603.00
44 Payments less than 2000 13,675.63
Final Total: 320,408.40
Further moved to authorize the payment of the following auditor warrants:
August 12, 2015 $ 9,203.01
August 17, 2015 $111,669.03
August 17, 2015 (14.84)
August 17, 2015 $ 4,927.09
August 19, 2015 $ 792.30
August19, 2015 $ 97,555.71
Exclusive Off-Sale
County Auditor/Treasurer, Lorene Hanson met with the board informing them that an individual inquired that they would like to apply for an Exclusive Off-Sale license; informed the board the MN Statutes § 340A.405 requires that a public hearing needs to be held on the issuance of this type of license.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Moorman and carried unanimously to set a Public Hearing for an Exclusive Off-Sale Liquor License for September 22, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. pursuant to MN Statutes §340A.405.
Flu Shots
FLU SHOTS
County Auditor/Treasurer, Lorene Hanson met with the board inquiring if the board would like to offer flu shots again this year.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Moorman, seconded by Commissioner Nordlof and carried unanimously to offer flu shots to all county employees for the fall of 2015. The county will only pay for vaccinations that are administered at the Government Center. The county will not pay for offsite vaccinations at any other locations or time.
MIS/GIS
MIS/GIS Director, Peder Hovland met with the board requesting approval to purchase a computer for the Social Service Department.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Moorman and carried unanimously to approve the purchase for a computer in the amount of $1,051.
SHERIFF
County Sheriff, Gary Fish met with the board requesting approval for roof replacement on the Law Enforcement Center in the amount of $24,872.40.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Nordlof and carried unanimously to authorize County Sheriff to replace the Law Enforcement Center roof in the amount of $24,872.40 from the building fund reserve.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Commissioner Moorman updated the board on the Joint Powers Natural Resource Board Joint Powers Agreement.
Old/New Business
Lessard –Sams Outdoor Heritage Council/Outdoor Heritage Fund
Land Trade-
Aquatic Invasive Species-New Catch and Release Signs
Township Road Inventory
Beaver
Clementson Bridge Property/Water Accesses-Waiting on Lessard Grant Money Meeting
L/W Area Park & Trails-Remove
L/W Broadband/Communications- Remove
NWA Airport- Meet with MNDOT
HWY 172 N Corridor
Department Head Evaluations
Exit Interviews
Timber Sales
Recess
The meeting was called to recess at 10:25 a.m. and reconvened at 10:34 a.m. as follows
LAND AND WATER PLANNING
Land and Water Planning Director Josh Stromlund met with the board and presented an application for a Zone Change from Natural Environment to Commercial -Recreation for Dale and Connie Peterson to allow the applicant to conduct a commercial business consisting of a Resort- Recreational Area. Correspondences were acknowledged. Josh informed the board that the Planning Commissions did approve the application with conditions. Josh reviewed the Finding and Facts with the board:
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Moorman, Seconded by Commissioner Hanson and carried unanimously to approve the Zone Change from Natural Environment to Commercial-Recreation for Dale and Connie Peterson to allow the applicants to conduct a commercial business consisting of a Resort-Recreational Area with the following conditions: Follow state guidelines(department of health, wetlands, etc.)
| INFO: | INFO: | INFO | INFO | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name of Applicant: | Dale and Connie Peterson – ApplicantRichard Babler – Owner | Date: | August 12, 2015 | ||||||
| Location/Legal Description: | A 7.45 acre tract in Govt. Lot 2 and the SW¼SE¼ of Section 5, Township 163N, Range 34W (Lakewood Township) | ||||||||
| Current Zoning Classification: | Natural Environment | Proposed: | Commercial-Recreation | ||||||
| Parcel Number(s): | 14.05.31.010 | Application Number: | 15-06ZC | ||||||
The Planning Commission shall consider all facts from all sources prior to submitting a recommendation to the County Board relating to a proposed zone change. Its judgment shall be based upon, but not limited to the following factors as applicable.
- Is the zone change consistent with the Lake of the Woods County Comprehensive Land Use Plan?
X Yes ___No
| COMMENTS: | COMMENTS: |
|---|---|
| Comments: | Resort and recreational area with commercial property |
- Are the existing surrounding land uses consistent with the proposed zoning classification?
X Yes ___No
| COMMENTS: | COMMENTS: |
|---|---|
| Comments: | See #1 |
- Will the zone change alter the characteristics of the neighborhood?
___Yes X No
| COMMENTS: | COMMENTS: |
|---|---|
| Comments: | Continued resort/recreational |
- Is there a potential for public health, safety or traffic generation impacts based on the proposed zone change and how will they be addressed?
___Yes X No
| COMMENTS: | COMMENTS: |
|---|---|
| Comments: | About the same as current use |
- What additional public services would be necessitated and would existing utilities be sufficient to accommodate the proposal?
X Yes ___No
| COMMENTS: | COMMENTS: |
|---|---|
| Comments: | Electric/sewer and water, must follow guidelines |
- Will the zone change impede the normal or orderly development and improvement of surrounding property for uses permitted in the zoning district?
___Yes X No
| COMMENTS: | COMMENTS: |
|---|---|
| Comments: | It will not impede |
- Has there been a change in the development in the general area of the property in questions?
X Yes ___No
| COMMENTS: | COMMENTS: |
|---|---|
| Comments: | Expansion of resorting functions |
8. Will the zone change have a negative effect on property values in the neighborhood?
___Yes X No
| COMMENTS: | COMMENTS: |
|---|---|
| Comments: | |
| CONDITIONS | CONDITIONS: |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Follow state guidelines (Department of Health, wetland, etc) |
The Lake of the Woods County Planning Commission hereby recommends to the Lake of the Woods County Board of Commissioners adopt the above findings and DENY / APPROVE the application for a zone change be WITH / WITHOUT conditions.
_____________________________________ August 12, 2015
Tom Mio Date
Chair, Planning Commission
The Lake of the Woods County Board of Commissioners hereby adopt the above findings of fact of the Lake of the Woods Planning Commission WITH / WITHOUT modification(s) and DENY / APPROVE the application for a zone change WITH / WITHOUT special conditions.
_____________________________________ ____________________
Ed Arnesen Date
Chair, County Board of Commissioners
PUBLIC WORKS
Public Works Director, Tim Erickson met with the board requesting approval to final payment for SAP 39-601-030.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Nordlof and carried unanimously to authorize final payment for Lake of the Woods County (Force Account) in a total of $55,853.00 and herby authorize final payment
Building Committee
Tim updated the board on the Social Services Department office space and reviewed a plan for remodeling for more office space with the board; requested permission to start the remodeling hopefully on Labor Day weekend.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Nordlof and carried unanimously to amend the agenda and add authorization to remodel office space for Social Services Department.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Nordlof, seconded by Commissioner Hanson and carried unanimously to proceed with the floor plan that was presented to the board for remoldeling of the Social Services Department in the amount of $10,000 from the building reserve fund.
Lake of the Woods Fairgrounds-2016 Budget
Fairground Board members Nicole Hancock, Alana Canfield, Dave Antonson, Otto Lee, Ruth Lee, Joyce Foss and Brenda Rone met with the board requesting additional funds for 2016 budget. They informed the board that they have water issues, gravel work, grand stand to be fixed, canopy work and electrical work.
Motion
Motion was made by Commissioner Hanson, seconded by Commissioner Moorman and carried unanimously to levy $25,000 for the 2016 Fairgrounds budget.
Budget
Chairman Arnesen discussed setting up one more budget date, the board set September 8, 2015 at 7:30 a.m.
RECESS
With no further business before the board, Chairman Arnesen called the meeting to recess at 11:45 a.m.
Attest: Approved: September 8, 2015
_______________________ _________________________________
Lorene Hanson, Chairman of the Board, Edward ArnesenCounty Auditor/Treasurer