Outgoing county commissioners were honored at the Tuesday, December 2 board meeting. (L-R) Jan Hall of District 1, Bruce Martinson of District 5 and Sue Hakes of District 3. They will all be done with their commissioner duties in January 2015.
The Tuesday, December 2, 2014 county board meeting started on an extremely sad note, with the announcement that County Administrator Jay Kieft had died just the day before. Commissioner Garry Gamble said, “We are all saddened at the news of Jay’s passing.”
Gamble spoke of the process of hiring the county administrator and the commissioners’ hopes and goals for the position. “Jay became the substance of those things,” said Gamble, asking for a moment of silence for “our friend, Jay Kieft.”
The county board tackled a variety of issues in the meeting, but returned to the question of what to do next regarding the county administrator at the end of the meeting. Commissioner Bruce Martinson said the most pressing issue is handling human resources matters. However, he said the county management advisory team (MAT), which is involved with the county hiring process, is not scheduled to meet for two weeks.
Commissioner Garry Gamble said City Administrator Mike Roth had stepped in during the gap between the departure of former county board secretary/human resources director Janet Simonen and when Jay Kieft was hired on December 9, 2013. He suggested they talk to Roth to see if he would be willing to help out again.
Auditor Braidy Powers said he would make that contact with Roth.
Martinson asked his colleagues if they wanted to contact former board secretary/human resources director Simonen to see if she would come back to work for the county for three months.
Gamble said, “We need to look at all these options.”
Commissioner Heidi Doo-Kirk asked if the auditor could also contact consultant David Unmacht, who had helped with the previous search for the county administrator, to see if he had any ideas on temporary options.
The board agreed and Gamble reiterated, “We need to look at options and decide what is best.”
Best wishes for outgoing commissioners
A more pleasant part of the meeting was a break for coffee and cake to honor the outgoing commissioners, Jan Hall of District 1, Sue Hakes of District 3 and Bruce Martinson of District 5.
The commissioners’ room filled with friends and co-workers who came to wish the soon-to-be former commissioners well. Jan Hall and Bruce Martinson will attend two more county board meetings, but for Sue Hakes, this was her last meeting as she has other obligations.
Before the cake was cut, Auditor Powers spoke to those in attendance, stating, “If you don’t follow the workings of local government closely, you might be surprised at the breadth and volume of the issues facing commissioners. I think I was when I came here.
“I think candidates are often very interested and knowledgeable about a few important issues that probably get them interested in the job, but one of the real challenges I think is to gain that knowledge and judgment about a wide variety of issues that come before a county board that affect so many lives. Local issues that start and stop here, but also statewide issues that have a big impact on us but require so much interaction with other counties and state agencies to keep our interests from getting lost in the shuffle.
“I have really come to appreciate the commitment of county commissioners in general—and these three outgoing commissioners in particular— to maintain their focus and dedication to the public’s service.
“And I think we should all thank them,” said Powers.
In other business
. Auditor Powers informed the board that it was time to set per diem rates and salary for the county commissioners for 2015. After brief discussion, a unanimous motion passed to keep the salary and per diem the same as in 2014. The per diem rate is $100 for all approved activities, in- or out-of-county. Per diems are only allowed for meetings on the county list of boards and commissions. Per diems are not allowed for regularly scheduled or special board meetings.
The 2014 salary, to continue to 2015 is $22,395. The county board chair makes an additional $1,500 per year.
After the motion offered by Commissioner Gamble and seconded by Commissioner Doo-Kirk passed, Gamble quipped, “It looks good to have the two commissioners who will live with the consequences make the motion.”
.The board accepted the recommendation of Assessor Betty Schultz to grant a tax abatement for Linda Strohl of Grand Marais who had a house fire in January 2014 and lost the use of her home for several months. The board agreed to abate the $666 of Strohl’s property taxes.
. Attorney Baiers Heeren appeared before the board requesting approval of a Quit Claim Deed for a property on Cascade Beach Road. Heeren said it would be a “simple and easy” way to resolve title issues for the property owner Janann Winburn, as well as for the county highway department, which owns the Cascade Beach Road (County Road 97).
Commissioner Doo-Kirk asked County Attorney Hicken if that was the case and Hicken said yes. Hicken added that if this went to court to be resolved it would cost the county a great deal more.
Heeren noted that there are a number of properties with similar problems. Doo-Kirk asked if the county had to handle them one at a time. “Can we be proactive in resolving this?” she asked.
Heeren said an option would be to establish a Boundary Commission to work with all of the property owners. Commissioner Garry Gamble said he would rather see each homeowner make his or her own decision on whether or not it was necessary for them.
The county approved the request before them with a unanimous motion.
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