Denny Fitzpatrick and Robert Nicholson came before the county board during the public comment period at the commissioners’ Tuesday, October 10 meeting and expressed their concerns over the recent racial incident at I.S.D. 166 and reports of past incidents of racism in the county.
Nicholson, who said he has lived in Grand Marais for three years, read a statement Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen had shared with county residents the week before on local media (Boreal and in the newspaper and WTIP) expressing the sheriff ’s concern about hate speech and racist bullying.
Nicholson said the statement came from a community leader who possessed great vision, ethics and morality skills.
Nicholson asked the county board to support passing a resolution to support Eliasen’s concerns. Because this is a public comment period commissioners can’t take any action on a request, but later in the meeting commissioner Myron Bursheim said the board should consider adopting a resolution to support of Eliasen’s public statements. However, no action was taken at this time on the request.
On the issue of the 19.9 percent proposed levy that many residents are concerned about, Fitzpatrick said he didn’t object to paying higher taxes because these taxes paid for services that allowed the community to maintain a high standard of living. He expressed concern for the flack that the commissioners have been getting and told the commissioners that he understood that their job was stressful. He added, “I would want to give you a muffin basket every day if I could,” to ease their stress.
On the issue of racial harassment and hate speech, Fitzpatrick was both passionate and reticent. He said the recent incident at I.S.D. 166 was a low point for the school and community. His hope was that the community would be able to seize these events and use this time as an opportunity to find some solutions to our problems. He read some heart-wrenching statements from current and former students of I.S.D. 166 that were given at the rally held two Sundays ago at Harbor Park. Racist bullying towards the ninth-grade girl who left the school was “chronic, pervasive; I don’t want her tears to go in vain.”
The parents have pulled their two daughters out of school and are moving out of the community because of ongoing racist bullying to their adopted daughters.
Fitzpatrick also mentioned that he had posted some political signs for then-presidential candidate Barack Obama on his property and those signs were sprayed with KKK. “I wrote it off as an act of a barbaric or drunken person, but this is systemic.”
Next Fitzpatrick said there should be a safe place for every person in school and the community. He added that he supported Bob’s resolution for the county to adopt Sheriff Eliasen’s speech.
“I don’t have all of the solutions to fight bigotry and hate speech,” he said. “Maybe ask business owners to put signs up saying, ‘All are welcome here,’ as a start.”
Colvill resident Arvis Thompson talked about the joint city/county 640- acre park that is now being planned for city/county owned property that overlooks the town above the hospital.
“Since when did parks and trails become a mandated service?” she asked. Next, she wanted to know how the park/trail system would be paid for. “Are you going to hide it in a bond? Who are you developing this for?”
Locals are too busy working to use it. But are you asking them to pay for it? she asked.
Thompson said she represented the Colvill Community Club. For some time the Colvill town hall has needed repairs, said Thompson, who over the course of 30 months asked repeatedly for the county to tell her when the repairs would be made. “It is now the middle of October; I have no answer. Are you going to take care of the building or let it fall down?”
Clearly frustrated, Thompson asked, “Is the community not entitled to answers to the questions it asks?
“What’s the point of asking a question if no one responds?”
She said by not answering questions the board was being “disrespectful to your constituents. Please think about things you are doing. Please respond to the community who asks questions.”
County sells Grand Portage sliver of property
Commissioners unanimously approved selling Grand Portage Reservation 1.67 acres of tax forfeited land for $1. The area is unbuildable, and the band owned 5/6 interest in the property and requested to complete the last 1/6 ownership in the land, which is adjacent to the Grand Portage Reservation.
Commissioner Bobby Deschampe told fellow commissioners that this was one way for the band to reacquire land it had lost. This has been a longtime goal of Grand Portage, which seeks to own all of the property it was given in past treaties.
Exercise class approved
Judy Hill requested bringing a free voluntary employee exercise class to the county that would be held once a week. The goal is to increase the overall health of employees, explained Hill.
The class will meet Wednesdays (or it could float to other days of the week) at 4:15 p.m. when the building is closed to the public.
The first offering will be a yoga class. Employees must bring their mats and exercise clothes etc. Commissioner Bursheim said studies show that the value of exercise in the workplace can improve work environment, and the county could benefit as an employer.
Before taking the class employees must sign a waiver acknowledging that they understand “I am not required to participate in the program and that any injury occurring during the recreational (exercise) activity will not be covered by the county’s workers compensation coverage.”
Commissioners unanimously approved the exercise class.
Revolving loan approved to Banadad Trail Association
The revolving loan committee voted to approve a revolving loan of $4,500 to the Banadad Trail Association. The money will be used to purchase snowmobile trail grooming equipment.
The loan request, which was then approved by the commissioners, is for seven years. Auditor/Treasurer Braidy Powers told commissioners that the Banadad Trail Association had taken out a revolving loan from the county seven years ago and only had three payments left and had never been late on making a payment.
Update from county administrator
County Administrator Jeff Cadwell reviewed options for the annual county health plan and asked commissioners to designate an option for renewal.
Cadwell also reviewed a list of bonding proposals, and the board considered the timeline for proposed bonding projects. This will be discussed further at the October 17 Committee of the Whole.
Human Resources
When Alison McIntyre moved up to the director position at Public Health and Human Services, her Social Services financial assistance supervisor position was left vacant and needs to be filled. Judy Hill, Cook County Human Resources head, asked the board to look at filling the vacancy internally at first. If no one applies or a suitable replacement isn’t found within the courthouse, the position will be advertised to the public.
Commissioner Ginny Storlie asked Hill if filling the job internally would create another opening when that person moves into McIntyre’s former position. Hill said that would probably be the case but added that these would be filling current positions not creating new ones.
Actions approved by the board
. Commissioners approved a lease agreement to allow T-Mobile Central LLC to add an equipment shelter on the tower located on the Lutsen Ski Hill for five renewable five-year terms for $4,800 annually, with an annual increase of three percent more each year.
. IT Director Rena Rogers asked for the new revenue to be placed in the Radio Capital Account to offset capital and operational costs that are associated with maintaining the tower infrastructure, which was granted.
. At the request of the Cook County Invasives Team, commissioners approved the renewal of a 10-foot by 20-foot billboard on Highway 61 at the Superior Ridge Resort in the amount of $4,750. The lease will run from November 2017 to October 31, 2018.
. Annual tobacco licenses were awarded to Chicago Bay Marketplace, Clearview General Store, Gunflint Pines, Lockport Store, Lutsen Liquor Store, Mike’s Holiday-Tofte, Poplar Haus, Ryden’s Gas, Ryden’s Border Store, Temperance Liquors, Tofte General Store, Tofte Bottle Shop, and Trail Center.
. Twenty-eight liquor license renewal applications, which are subject to approval by the county attorney, county sheriff, town board, and worker’s compensation compliance and compliance with local and state ordinances governing liquor licensing were awarded.
. Jeanne Monson was hired for 40 hours per week to fill a Social Worker 1 position in the Public Health and Human Services department.
. Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen asked for the Sheriff’s Office to continue to receive Off-Highway Vehicle enforcement grant funds for $10,455 for 2018-2019 from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The money is used to allow the sheriff’s department to patrol OHV /ATV trails, purchase ATVs, and can be used for ATV maintenance and to purchase fuel and other related enforcement costs.
OHV funds have been coming to the sheriff’s office since 2008, noted Eliasen.
. Next, commissioners approved the Sheriff’s Office to continue to receive Stonegarden grant funds to assist the U.S. Border Patrol with patrol efforts along the U.S. and Canadian border.
The 2016 Stonegarden grant will fund roughly 660 hours of overtime shifts totaling $30,888, and $23,431.32 for the purchase of new equipment which includes night vision goggles, rain gear, snowshoes, trail camera, binoculars, etc.
. In another law enforcement matter, commissioners approved a District 2 Sheriff’s Mutual Aid agreement with Lake, St. Louis, Carlton, Koochiching, Itasca, Cass, Mille Lacs, Pine, Kanabec, Crow Wing, and Aitkin counties.
The mutual aid agreement outlines the process for requesting mutual aid as well as the responsibilities of the requesting county and responding counties.
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