Several people were hired or promoted into new positions at the Cook County board of commissioners January 14, 2020, meeting.
Kyler Johnson was hired as a recycling center assistant. This is a new position that was accounted for in the 2020 county budget.
Jeffrey Morck will fill a vacancy and become the county’s new attorney office administrator.
Pamela Dixon, who was performing the duties of the county human resource director in an out-of-class appointment following the resignation of the former administrator, was officially named the Cook County human resource director.
Commissioners accepted the personnel committee recommendation to approve restructuring the land commissioner/parks & trails position to become the land commissioner/ assessor clerk. That position will now be moved into the assessor’s office, and the roles and duties of the parks and trails director position, within the land services office, will be further evaluated.
It was noted that for several decades, the county assessor had also functioned as the land commissioner.
Tim Nelson, the director of land services, will assume the duties of the parks and trails director, and he will keep all of the projects and plans moving forward. That extra work may be accomplished in several ways. Nelson will do an evaluation to see how to manage the program either through possible additional staffing, or adding a part-time contracted director, or through shifting duties within the land services department.
Motions also approved:
*The Minnesota DNR snowmobile grant for $4,122 for fiscal year 2019 and $4,122 for fiscal year 2020 was passed. The Cook County sheriff ’s office uses these funds for patrol, equipment, and education.
*A joint powers agreement between the Minnesota anti-Heroin Taskforce program and Cook County was signed. The joint powers agreement provides overtime reimbursement to the Cook County sheriff ’s office, which “investigates illicit activities related to the distribution of heroin, or the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids or any opioid-related overdose death.”
* Commissioners voted to extend a fuel reduction service agreement with Chuck’s Wood and Firewise Company by extending the work date from December 31, 2019, to June 30, 2020. According to Auditor/ Treasurer Braidy Powers, the work is going well but is not complete.
* The sheriff ’s office will receive a new dispatch system. Commissioners approved the purchase of an NG 911 dispatch system at the cost of $100,731.40.
* Commissioners approved the annual audit engagement letter and authorized the board chair, county administrator, and auditor-treasurer to sign the letter.
The letter describes the services that will be provided by the office of the state auditor, including the audit of the county’s financial statements for the year ending 2019, as well as the audit objectives, management responsibilities, and audit procedure.
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