After several weeks of discussing Assessor Betty Schultz’s request to add a technical clerk position to her department, the county board voted on March 12, 2013 to create a 35-hour-a-week position that will be reviewed in five years and terminated within six years.
With the help of her staff, Schultz is implementing a new computer system that will track property information in a more detailed way and is working to comply with the state’s requirement that they assess all properties at least once every five years, something the county has not been able to do in recent years.
Commissioner Garry Gamble said, “I think Betty has a good handle on the problem and a good solution to the problem,” but added that government spending needs to be kept in check.
The board also voted to review staffing levels in all the departments. The review will include comparing Cook County’s staffing levels with other counties with similar demographics.
Commissioner Sue Hakes expected this to “create some extreme discomfort in some departments,” she said. “This could instill fear, and that’s not always so good for morale.”
Assessor Schultz pointed out that the commissioners would be focusing on the division of duties in each department more than individual people’s jobs. Commissioner Bruce Martinson said Lake County is looking at reducing staffing by attrition.
County administrator considered
On March 18, the board had a work session to discuss the possibility of restructuring the personnel director/ board secretary position when Janet Simonen retires in August. They considered putting some of her duties into someone else’s job description and hiring a county coordinator or a county administrator in her place.
A county coordinator or administrator could be a point person for information, oversee the county budget, implement board actions, and provide expertise to the board. A county administrator would have authority over the other department heads, whereas a county coordinator would not.
The board will be inviting a representative of the Association of Minnesota Counties and a couple of county administrators to talk to them about how a county administrator could be useful. They asked several department heads what they knew about these positions in other counties.
“I’ve heard some very positive things, and I’ve heard some not so positive things,” said Public Health & Human Services Director Sue Futterer. “The right person can certainly make a difference.”
“The right person is the bottom line,” said Planning & Zoning Director Tim Nelson.
Information Systems Director Danna MacKenzie said having a decision-maker and point person could help the county get things done more efficiently and cost-effectively. “We have an opportunity to change the way we do business to make it work better,” she said.
Courthouse reconfiguration
To make better use of space and with current staffing in various departments in mind, the board voted to make numerous changes throughout the courthouse. The changes will include moving the Soil & Water Conservation District offices to the first floor and putting all five Information Systems Department staff in one space where the personnel office is now. The two personnel staff will relocate to an expanded area where Information Systems Director Danna MacKenzie is now – where it used to be before the courthouse addition in the late 1990s.
Some construction will be needed to make these changes.
Communication upgrades
On March 19, the board approved a Homeland Security “cyber security” grant for an updated computer firewall system and technical assistance from the state.
The board also approved the purchase of a new radio console and help with installing it from St. Louis County at a total cost of about $170,000. It will allow the Law Enforcement Center to communicate more effectively with other entities on the state’s new Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) network.
The board approved a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the amount of $648,090 that will fund ARMER equipment for a dozen emergency response entities throughout the county. The grant was obtained through the Gunflint Trail Fire Department and required a match of $34,110 which the county is covering.
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