Cook County commissioners held a brief meeting on Tuesday, January 9 making several appointments to committees and boards and setting employee contracts.
Following recommendations made by the Keystone Class/Compensation study, commissioners approved a three-year wage scale contract with 2.5 percent cost of living (COLA) increases each year for employees covered under the Law Enforcement Labor Servic Agreement (LELS.)
Non-union employees were also granted a 2.5 percent COLA.
Four employees, Rebecca Isbell, taxation specialist bookkeeper in the auditor’s office Lisa Sorlie, an accountant in the highway department, Sara Hadely, executive administration assistant, Public Health & Human Services, and Melissa Rexrode, sheriff ’s technician, Cook County Sheriff ’s Office, each were included in the non-union confidential employee list.
Workers will pay more for health care insurance under the new plan. In the past workers who weren’t department heads spent $50 per month if they were single and $75 per month if they were married. Under the new plan, the split is 80/20 for health benefits, with the county picking up 80 percent.
There was also an incentive for the longevity of service for 10, 15, and 20 years.
Highway crew covered through the 49ers union received the same benefits as the Law Enforcement crew. There was a modification of pay for call-in Sundays and holidays and synchronization of PTO accrual schedules.
Commissioner Myron Bursheim and Jan Sivertson were both appointed to the Extension Committee for a term of three years.
The county agreed to act as the sponsor for the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department who is seeking to purchase an ambulance at an estimated cost of $200,000.
County administrator Jeff Cadwell read a letter from Highway Maintenance Supervisor Russell Klegstad who recently retired. The commissioners approved advertising to fill the position.
Commissioners approved three abatements county assessor Todd Smith brought before them. One was for Grand Portage Band land incorrectly classified as taxable. A second was for the incorrect classification of the Department of Agriculture land changed to taxable land, and the third correction came in changing one homestead to a new one in the same year.
Each of the four volunteer fire departments in the unorganized territories received two appointments to the Fire Department Relief Association. Terms of the appointment are one year. Representing the Gunflint Trail are John Bottger and Fred Smith. Maple Hill representatives are Jed Smith and Ashley Curtis. Clark Bloomquist and Kim Linnell were appointed for Colvill. Hovland representatives will be determined once submissions have been received.
Also approved were: A motion for the renewal of the Grant-in-Aid permit for the Norpine, Sugarbush, Cascade State Park, Bally Creek, Pincushion Mountain and Gunflint ski trails with the board chair and Land Commissioner authorized to sign the permit.
Commissioners approved hiring a temporary staff worker for 10 hours at the cost of $600 to assist the development of an online application for the Recorder’s Office. Funding to pay for the temporary staff member will come from the recorder’s fees which are used for support of technology improvements for efficiencies for real estate professionals.
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