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Cook County Housing and Redevelopment Authority has offered a job to hire an Executive Director and wants to provide insurance benefits to the candidate, but there is one problem. Because there will only be one employee in the HRA, the county’s HRA can’t secure benefits from the Northeast Service Cooperative, which administers the county’s employee benefit program.
With that, County Administrator James Joerke asked the board to allow him to execute an agreement with the Cook County Housing and Redevelopment Authority which will allow the county to administer payroll and benefits for the HRA’s Executive Director.
Joerke explained this is the same thing the county did last year when it contracted with the Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Board to provide payroll and benefits for the EDA Executive Director.
The agreement would have no impact on the County levy and the term of the agreement would be for one year, with a one-year renewable option. Should the HRA hire a second employee the agreement with the county would end, and the HRA would get insurance benefits from the Northeast Service Cooperative.
Wage study
With the recent employee turnover in the county, Joerke said it was time to look at new wage data, and not just data from other counties, but to take a look at what the private sector is paying for similar jobs done in the county.
The administrator said he has been meeting with Tessa Melvin of David Drown Associates to lay out the groundwork for an updated Job Classification Study.
The process will be inclusive, he said, including the Personnel Committee as well as stewards from the three unions, department heads and non-union supervisors who will assist in the study.
Joerke said he didn’t know why so many people were leaving county employment, but wages and a lack of affordable housing were factors that couldn’t be dismissed.
Salaries need to align to the market, he said, adding the county has been using wage data that is two to three years old.
“I’m really excited to get this underway…It’s a lot more affordable and cost effective if you can keep people,” added Joerke.
New precinct boundaries
*Commissioners passed a motion updating and establishing unorganized territory precinct boundaries based on the 2020 census. The proposal presented by Auditor/Treasurer Braidy Powers included establishing a new precinct titled 8B for the improved management of elections.
The 8B precinct follows highway 61 between Croftville and old Colvill precincts and extends north to the junction of the Pine Mountain Road and the Gunflint Trail. According to Powers, the new precinct takes area from Maple Hill and Gunflint precincts and creates three new precincts.
“It is our intention to notify all voters as to their precinct and polling place as soon as we can, but no later than 25 days prior to the 2022 elections,” said Powers.
Because of the 2020 census voting districts will change in the county. Powers said the county board has to approve an area redistricting plan by April 26, 2022. In the meantime, commissioners called for a public hearing to be held April 12, 2022, at 6 p.m. in the commissioners’ room at the courthouse to discuss redistricting.
*Commissioners agreed to approve an addendum to the LELS (law enforcement bargaining unit) 2022-2024 labor contract which will raise their cost-of-living adjustment from 3.0 percent to 3.5 percent.
Administrator Joerke explained that following the negotiations with the law enforcement bargaining unit the county negotiated a 3.5 percent cost of living increase with the 49ers in the highway department. To achieve parity, Joerke requested the county raise the LELS cost of living increase to 3.5 percent.
*By motion commissioners approved a contract for $1,500 to hire Fred Kolkmann and Sports Surfaces to evaluate the county’s three tennis courts in preparation to bid out for surface replacements.
* Auditor/Treasurer Braidy Powers presented the fourth quarter, 2021 General Fund Budget report which was unanimously approved. Powers said some departments brought in fees higher than budgeted due largely to increased activity with the public, mainly through real estate transactions. With that, Powers said revenues were at 107 percent of budget and expenses at 97 percent of budget, and the net use of budget was at 88 percent.
*On March 17 the county asked for a Request of Qualifications from firms to provide the county with Aviation Master Planning Services. Two firms sent applications and after those applications were evaluated by the airport selection committee recommended RS&H to provide the Master Planning Service planning for the airport for the next twenty years.
* Commissioners approved a Schroeder Townships amendment to the Cook County Zoning Ordinance that establishes a mixed us zone district that will take the place of the current general commercial zone district.
*Minnesota Power/Allete was granted a conditional use permit to build and operate the Two Island 115kV electric substation that will replace the Taconite Harbor substation.
*Steven and Sharon Frykman were granted a three-year interim use permit to operate a home business in the Forest Agriculture/Residential (FAR-3) zone district on land adjacent to County Road 44. The resolution came with conditions that the Frykman’s must follow to operate their art gallery. The business operations are limited from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from Memorial Day weekend through October 7, with an allowance to operate ten consecutive days associated with the Fall Studio Tour and three indoor evening events per operating season, by appointment only.
*KGM Contractors, Inc., of Angora, Minnesota, was awarded the contract for the Pike Lake Road (CR 45) reconstruction.
KJM was the low bidder at $4,367,003,70.
The project is being paid for with transportation sales tax funds. The engineer’s estimate for the work was $6,514,661.
*Elsa Lunde was approved by motion to serve as the Firewise Program Coordinator starting March 23, 2022, to December 31, 2024. All funding for the Firewise Coordinator position is paid by federal and state grants and the Secure Rural Schools PILT funding. Lunde will be an independent contractor, not an employee of the county, although the county may provide limited office space, office supplies and internet access.
* When the county MIS department learned the State of Minnesota IT Department (MNIT) service would no longer manage the county application hosting and support services for its Check Point Firewalls, another vendor had to be found.
MIT assisted in the search with the Cook County MIS Department and Midpoint Technology was recommended to take over the work for one year at $25,102.24. MIS Director Rowan Watkins wrote, “Cybersecurity is always critical and with the combination of current events and our current staffing situation, having qualified and capable security support services available to us is paramount.”
Commissioners unanimously approved the one-year contract with Midpoint Technology.
*Commissioners accepted the resignation of Highway Engineering Technician Randy Roberts with regrets. Randy’s last day will be April 1, 2022.
*Kirk Oberg’s request to make a lateral transfer to the IT Systems administrator position was unanimously approved.
*Commissioners accepted the resignation of Theresa Oberg with regret. Theresa is leaving her position as District administrator for the Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District on April 8 and will be available to help with the transition through the end of May. She has worked for the county for 12 years.
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