Cook County commissioners authorized Land Services to post a “Request for Proposals” for the purpose of soliciting vendors who could set up and operate a web-based license application and compliance tracking system to help the county administer the Vacation Rental Compliance Monitoring Program for the approximately 270 vacation rental businesses operating in Cook County.
The vote came at the board’s July 9 meeting.
Cook County recently adopted a vacation rental ordinance that will be reviewed in three years. The purpose of the RFP is to hopefully find someone locally who can provide the implementation, administration and compliance monitoring service to the county.
The RFP process will allow the county to compare between local businesses who apply and nationwide vendors who may also offer their services for a fee. Through this process the county hopes the program will be self-funded and not be subsidized by the general revenue tax funds.
Should no vendor be found, the alternative would be to hire county staff to run the program, and that has been deemed more costly than bidding the project to an outside firm to do the monitoring work.
Proposals will be accepted through 4 p.m. on Friday, July 26, 2019.
In other county business
. Cook County Assessor Bob Thompson recommended a motion to approve abatement due to a clerical error for a homestead filed November 2018. The abatement was approved and David and Virginia Hahn were granted full homestead on their property. . Following the recommendation of Cook County Public Health and Human Services who reviewed and evaluated proposals to provide managed health care services in Cook County, Blue Plus, Health Partners, Medica, and UCare were approved as Managed Care Organization(s) to provide managed health care service for Cook County. . Cook County Highway Engineer Krysten Foster asked that Edwin E. Thoreson, Inc. be awarded the contract for supplying, delivering and blending 1,500 CY of winter sand to the county for $48,975.
Thoreson’s was the low bidder on the project. Commissioners approved the contract, which will be paid out of the county highway department’s winter sand budget. . Commissioners approved a permit for lawful gambling activity for the Mid Trail Property Owners Association so they can conduct a raffle on Wednesday, August 7 at Fire Hall No. 1 on the Gunflint Trail. . A donation of $750 to the Cook County Sheriff ’s Office from Cathedral of Pines was accepted with thanks. The money will be deposited into the Sheriff ’s Office account and used to pay for various equipment. . Rowan Watkins shared highlights of the 911 Communications Committee that meets quarterly to discuss policy and changes to radio communication infrastructure including the Cook County owned towers. Watkins, who works in the MIS department, shared information with the board, but there was no motions made surrounding the information he delivered to the commissioners. . Ben Hallberg’s request to vacate his job as jail administrator and work as a patrol deputy sheriff was granted. Ben will remain in his current position until a replacement has been hired and trained and then he will assume his duties as a deputy sheriff. . Cook County Administrator Jeff Cadwell gave a brief presentation to the board with updates on construction projects.
Work on the YMCA bathroom is nearly complete, he said, with the floor to be tiled later in the week.
The Hovland public works facility layout is done and the slab will be poured later in the week if the weather conditions allow. On Monday, July 22, materials for the building will arrive onsite and work to erect the public works garage will begin, he said.
The courthouse roof project is about done, with some cleanup left, and windows for the courthouse and law enforcement center will be installed the week of July 15-20, Jeff said.
Commissioner Bobby Deschampe asked Cadwell what the cost was to remove asbestos in the Y for the bathroom project, and Jeff replied that it cost less than the board had budgeted for.
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