|
|
Following a day-long tour of county buildings conducted on Thursday, April 7, Cook County Commissioners approved forming a Facilities Community Advisory Committee at the board’s April 13 meeting.
The committee will consist of citizens who have expertise in commercial construction, building maintenance, architecture, etc., who can advise the county on capital needs and improvements to these structures.
Representing the county on the committee will be County Administrator James Joerke, County Auditor Braidy Powers, Maintenance Director Brian Silence, one commissioner and four community members.
On Tuesday, May 18, Cook County Administrator James Joerke said the Facilities Community Advisory Committee has not yet been convened (the application deadline for it was this past Friday). “We had a dearth of applicants, so I’m reaching out to some folks directly to see if we can get them to volunteer. Once we have a full roster, I expect the committee to meet on a monthly basis to assist us in developing a new five-year capital improvement program (CIP), which likely will take 6-9 months. After the creation of the CIP, the advisory committee will continue to meet on an ongoing basis to oversee its implementation.”
During the April 7 walkthrough, commissioners visited the courthouse, law enforcement center, recycling center, community center, YMCA, and highway department, and it was apparent that all the facilities need upgrades. Specifically, most need more space to accommodate the work being done in these buildings.
A thumbnail preview of the buildings follows:
Starting with the courthouse, the basement has some mold and the breakroom floods during a hard rain. The basement storage rooms are all used for election storage, court storage, auditor and soil and water storage, which leaves no room for maintenance storage. This results in the hallways used to store tools, parts, equipment, and excess office furniture.
Upstairs, temperature controls to some rooms are uneven, and some people freeze while others are too hot. The Attorney’s office doesn’t have a fire escape, and there is a lack of office space in the Soil and Water Department, where four people share a small office.
The Public Health and Human Services Offices have twenty-nine full-time and three temporary staff sharing offices. Conflicts arise when staff need to meet with clients about sensitive topics and there are not enough meeting rooms available. This means that a co-worker must leave when another staff person meets with a client.
Highway Department
A lack of space has resulted in filing cabinets being stored in the men’s bathroom. The shop is not large enough to accommodate the fleet of vehicles, which has essentially doubled since the garage was built. This results in vehicles being stored outside in the elements and unprotected from vandalism or theft.
The ventilation system is unsafe to use because when turned on, it pushes fumes into offices. Because of this, the shop staff must work in conditions that are unsafe and unhealthy. The Minnesota Department of Transportation has delivered on its promise that this would be the last year for the county to use the state building for salt and sand storage, so the county will have to develop a plan for where to put these materials.
YMCA
The Y is the one building where space wasn’t an issue. However, the pool heater needs to be replaced, the elevator has broken down several times, the basketball cabling equipment needs replacing, and there is only one electrical outlet in the gymnasium. This causes staff to run extension cords across the gym. Access to the roof also needs to be enlarged because it is difficult to get equipment up there.
Community Center
Currently, the community center houses the Emergency Operations Center. The space is too small to host groups of 100 or more, and more space is needed for conferences, training, weddings, etc. The community center also uses the search and rescue building and some other buildings for storage because there isn’t enough storage at the center.
Recycling Center
A lack of insulation in the recycling center causes staff to work in sub-freezing temperatures in the winter and hot temperatures in the summer. The building needs to be insulated and a new heating/cooling system installed. The center also takes more and more materials, and the space is no longer big enough to hold and sort materials properly. The building needs to be enlarged to provide more area and room to work. The Recycle Budget shop could also use more space.
Law Enforcement Center
A lack of office space causes seven deputies to work out of one office. There isn’t a dedicated evidence processing room which means at times; the staff uses the lunchroom to process evidence. A problem with hot water circulation results in cells not getting hot water for at least ten minutes while the water is running, and the sally port is too small and barely fits one vehicle. A larger sally port is needed to accommodate at least two vehicles. This is the only place where deputies park to transport prisoners.
The jail door system is also failing and needs to be repaired.
Other County News:
Commissioners approved a final amended 2021 budget and levy. Auditor/Treasurer Braidy Powers said adjustments were made for 2021 negotiated personnel costs in the General, Highway and Public Health and Human Services funds, with contingency funds reduced by an equal amount. This process eliminated the contingency fund and maintained the levy as approved on December 22, 2020, and amended on January 12, 2021.
The Grand Marais/Cook County Airport received $13,000 from the Federal Administration Airport Coronavirus Response Grant. The airport can use the funds for operations, personnel, cleaning, sanitation, janitorial services, and combatting the spread of pathogens at the airport. There is no match for the grant, and the term of the grant is up to four years.
Erickson Engineering Co. LLC was awarded the Design Services contract for the Flute Reed Bridge Project. Ericson’s design fees of $57,612 came under budget. The federal BROS (bridge replacement of the system) program is funding the bridge’s construction, and the county has submitted a bond application to try and secure match funds. If all falls into place, construction will be scheduled for the summer of 2023.
Commissioners approved the purchase of a new recycling trailer to replace an older non-serviceable trailer. Land Service Director Tim Nelson said the county places recycling trailers in more remote areas, so folks living nearby don’t have to drive into town to drop off their recyclable materials.
Nelson said funds to pay for the trailer ($24,225) are available from the future landfill development fund and won’t impact the budget.
Leave a Reply