Ann Sullivan
Kicking off the New Year, Cook County Commissioners wasted little time to conduct their annual organizational meeting on Tuesday, January 5.
The meeting was conducted by ZOOM because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the pledge of allegiance, Court Clerk Kim Shepard swore into office the two new commissioners; District 2 Commissioner Stacey Hawkins and District 4 Commissioner Ann Sullivan each recited the oath of office.
Following the swearing-in, the two new commissioners began their duties and the full board elected a new chair and vice-chair for the coming year. Sullivan nominated Vice-Chair Dave Mills to chair the board, and following no other nomination, Mills was elected chair for 2021.
Next, Commissioner Ginny Storlie nominated Ann Sullivan to be vice-chair and with no opposition, Sullivan was voted unanimously to serve in that position.
Getting down to business, the board worked for the next couple of hours to set their commissioner meeting and board assignments.
Stacey Hawkins
Commissioner Hawkins suggested the board start picking from statutorily required meetings, which they are legally required to attend. Administrator Joerke said Hawkins had sent him a list of committees and meetings that might be classified as statutorily and he spent the weekend going over the list.
Following agreement with Hawkins’ suggestion, commissioner assignments were divided up, with each of the four commissioners agreeing to represent the county on a wide variety of committees and boards. The county board will add the fifth and final member in February after the special election is held for the open District 1 commissioner seat, and that commissioner will take some of the burdens off of the four commissioners by taking some committee assignments.
The Grand Marais State Bank was approved as the primary depository for county funds for 2021, and the Cook County News-Herald will once again publish the legal notices.
Also approved was a resolution to collect and spread the non-county levies (hospital, ISD 166, EDA, Arrowhead Regional Development Commission, City of Grand Marais, six fire districts, Lutsen, Tofte, Schroeder townships) for 2021.
After some discussion, commissioners passed a resolution approving the 2021 budget and levy.
Hawkins, who took minutes for the county board for several years, said she never remembered a new board approving a resolution that had already been passed by a previous board. She mentioned that former Commissioner Heidi Doo Kirk’s name was listed as one of the 2021 budget and levy resolution signers.
Auditor/Treasurer Braidy Powers said the names were incorrect and the names would be taken off.
Powers added that this wasn’t a new practice, but one that had been used since before he came to work for the county in 1991. He added there hadn’t been time to put the levy and budget into a clear resolution form until after the 2020 county board had passed it.
Hawkins said she certainly wouldn’t have voted for the 2021 levy, and she didn’t want her name attached to it.
“It is just affirming what the board voted on, on December 22,” said Commissioner Mills.
Sullivan moved to approve the 2021 budget and levy document, and the resolution passed unanimously with Hawkins voting for it.
Commissioner Storlie asked if the county board wanted to continue honoring staff with cards on the individual’s yearly anniversary. She said if the board wanted to continue, the information had to be extracted, and cards would have to be given to the board to sign for the honored employees. Commissioner Heidi Doo-Kirk was purchasing cards with her own money that were signed by the board. Card signing might be a challenge with meetings now held on ZOOM said Administrator James Joerke. Board Secretary April Zimmer said commissioners could stop in and sign the cards on their own time, if they so wished. Everyone agreed it was a good practice to honor the employees for their hard work.
Per Diem: Hawkins suggested each board member keep a monthly tab of their per diems, then submit a copy and keep a copy for themselves, and at the end of the year, they would have a record of what they spent on meetings.
As for the meetings and committees each board member attends, Hawkins suggested that commissioners be responsible for getting copies of those meeting minutes and adding them to the board packets.
Attorney Molly Hicken said some of these boards might ask commissioners for permission before the county board publishes their minutes.
Mills said he saw both the value and the burden of Hawkins’ suggestion. He offered that the county “do a trial and see how it goes” to begin with.
“I don’t want to add more tasks to the staff. I don’t know if we are ready to grow in that way,” he said.
Administrator Jorke suggested that when the board members were giving committee or board reports at commissioner meetings, they share more details. He said he was also wary of adding more work for the staff.
Commissioner Storlie said commissioners “give a verbal report of the meetings we attend, and that’s in the minutes.”
Hawkins commented that it was just an idea. “I want everything to be more transparent. Maybe minutes aren’t the best way,” she said, adding, “I just know that not all of the verbal reports that were given were forthcoming. I’m just looking for a way to be more transparent.”
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