Checking in online, all five Cook County commissioners took part in the May 26 Cook County board meeting. Here are the highlights of the meeting.
Commissioners approved the resignation of Assistant County Assessor Todd Smith. Smith will leave his position on June 5, 2020. In a memo to the board, Smith said he was resigning to “try to resolve the recent health issues that have made it exceedingly difficult to work to fulfill my duties as Assistant County Assessor.”
Smith’s position will be advertised so that a replacement can be found.
* Based upon the recommendation of the Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), three people were approved for hire as seasonal Aquatic Invasive Species employees. The three are Jerry Hiniker, Wiley Thompson, and LeRoy Johnson. They will work through the end of the summer as watercraft inspectors and be paid out of the Aquatic Invasive Species budget.
* At $2,057,892.90, KGM Contractors, Inc. was the low bidder for the Gunflint Trail work. The work is expected to begin in July and run from the Trout Lake Road to the Pine Mountain Road on CSAH 12 (the Gunflint Trail).
KGM’s bid was about $600,000 less than Northland Constructor’s and both companies submitted proposals that were less than the engineer’s estimate of $2,606,866.87. Funds to pay for the work will come from Cook County’s state-aid balance.
* The county awarded the 2020 chloride application contract to Enviro- Tech for $218,000. Enviro Tech bid $13,000 less than Knife River Corporation- North Central for the work. Some 200,000 gallons of liquid calcium chloride will be purchased and spread on various gravel roads this summer to keep the dust down on those roads.
*Due to the unusual circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, commissioners voted to extend the deadline for applying for the vacation rental licenses from May 31 to July 31. The new license application deadline would allow local rental operations to determine whether they would open this year or not. Discussion within the Vacation Rental Committee members favored keeping the $200 application fee because it was nominal when compared to rental fees collected by these operations.
*Charlie Sawyer’s retirement from the County Highway Department was approved with regrets. Charlie submitted his request to retire effective July 21, 2020.
* Commissioners approved a lease contract with New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC (AT&T), to use the Hovland tower for $45,600 per year with a two percent annual increase.
The $45,600 annual revenue will be placed in the 01-222-5110 Radio Communications Capital account.
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