On the recommendation of Interim Sheriff Leif Lunde, the Cook County Board approved the promotion of Benjamin Hallberg from deputy sheriff to chief deputy sheriff.
Lunde, who was chosen by Sheriff Mark Falk and the county commissioners to head the office upon Falk’s June 30 retirement, cited state statute when he appeared before the board June 17: “The sheriff of any county may appoint a chief deputy or first assistant with the approval of the county board.”
Hallberg has worked in the department since 2004, first as a dispatcher/jailer and then earning a peace officer’s license five years later when he began serving as a bailiff/ transport officer. In 2011, Hallberg was promoted to deputy sheriff.
“Ben’s career with Cook County has been commendable. He has served in a variety of positions, giving him a deep understanding of the entire operation of the sheriff ’s office,” Lunde told the board. Hallberg has also taken on a number of extra duties including coordination of the D.A.R.E. program, predatory offender registration enforcement and Search & Rescue, said Lunde.
“Ben’s employment record is stellar, with no disciplinary action ever taken against him,” Lunde wrote in his letter of recommendation. “I believe Ben is the best qualified deputy to fill the role of chief deputy.”
The board gave its unanimous support to Hallberg’s promotion, which becomes effective July 1 when Lunde assumes the position of sheriff. The board also voted to give both Lunde and Hallberg pay increases commensurate with their new job titles, and each was given the option to request a 10-year leave of absence for regular employment and return rights to their former deputy sheriff positions in the event Lunde does not win election as sheriff in the fall.
In a related matter, Sheriff Mark Falk appeared before the board to request the purchase of an upgrade of the 911 recorder system. Falk said the existing system is six years old and the upgrade will dramatically increase reliability and minimize failures. The board approved the purchase at a cost of $15,680, which will be taken from the sheriff ’s 911 Fund. The new equipment is expected to be installed in August.
Before leaving, Falk noted that that was likely his last visit with the board, and thanked the commissioners for their support and hard work throughout the years. “Best of luck to you all,” Falk said.
In other County business:
. Assistant County Attorney Molly Hicken was granted permission to advertise for and hire a Victim- Witness Program coordinator/paralegal to ease short staffing in the county attorney’s office. The position has been vacant since October.
. Dan Erickson, project engineer for the state Department of Transportation, presented an update on the Highway 61 paving project in Lutsen. The 12-mile project (between mile markers 90 and 102) began June 9 and is scheduled to be completed Oct. 10 at an estimated cost of $1.8 million. Erickson said motorists will encounter gravel road surfaces and temporary bypasses until August, when installation of the permanent pavement begins. There will be no construction over the July 4 holiday weekend.
. Assessor Betty Schultz was given approval to hire Rachel Espe for the technical clerk position in her office.
. Tim Kennedy was given the board’s support to apply for a county representative position to the District 1 Parks and Trails Planning Committee, which assists the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission in its selection of recreational projects to be funded through the Legacy Program. Kennedy said there is $8.5 million available annually for such projects, but there is also a lot of competition for the money so it’s important to have a representative at the table.
. A request from County Highway Engineer David Betts to award a $437,262 contract to AAA Striping (the lower of two bids received) for projects on five state aid roads this summer was approved. Betts said the price tag was substantially over the engineer’s estimate of $376,633, but he could cover the shortfall by using funds from the blasting budget and other sources. Asked if the striping project could be delayed until next year to try to attract more favorable bids, Betts said the county would lose its grant funds if the work isn’t done in 2014.
. At the request of Planning & Zoning Director Tim Nelson, the board approved an amendment to the county’s Clean Water Legacy Grant to allow continuance of the Lakeshore Septic Compliance Program onto a segment of Lake Superior. Nelson said the county has a “substantial” amount of grant funds left over after completing the originally scheduled work. The segment of Lake Superior that will be covered picks up from where the Tofte Schroeder Sanitary Sewer District left off with completion of its septic inventories, and moves toward the east to complete as many system inspections as can be accomplished with the leftover money until Aug. 31, 2015. As many as 143 Lake Superior properties may be inspected through the grant extension.
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