County board chair Fritz Sobanja
The Cook County Board of Commissioners started its new year with the reappointment of Commissioner Fritz Sobanja as county board chair and Commissioner Jim Johnson as vice-chair. The pair served in those roles in 2009 and after their Tuesday, January 5, 2010 reappointment, they each thanked their colleagues.
Commissioners then spent nearly two hours reviewing the various boards, commissions and committees that keep the county functioning. The first item discussed was which commissioner would serve as a liaison for which county department—bringing information, questions and concerns to the full board as needed. In 2009, the commissioner department relationships were Commissioner Robert Fenwick: Public Health & Human Services and Information System Management; Commissioner Bruce Martinson: Auditor/ Treasurer, Recorder,
Maintenance; Commissioner
Jim Johnson: Attorney, Assessor/Land Commissioner and Court Administration; Commissioner Jan Hall: Personnel, Sheriff, Planning & Zoning; and Commissioner Fritz Sobanja: Extension, Community Center and Highway Department.
Commissioner Hall suggested changing liaison duties. “When we started serving as liaisons—which I think has worked out quite well—the purpose was to rotate through the departments, so all the commissioners become familiar with all of the department operations,” she said.
Commissioner Fenwick agreed that was the original intent, but reminded the board of the recent discussion about the possibility of hiring a county administrator. He suggested that the liaison assignments remain the same until a decision has been made about hiring an administrator.
The list of commissioner assignments was reviewed and as in years past, minimal changes were made. Commissioners Fenwick and Johnson exchanged duties on the Hospital District board and the Arrowhead Health Alliance. Fenwick has been serving as the county representative on the hospital board, but he has another meeting that conflicts. Commissioner Sobanja said he had heard from some citizens concerned about the possible management agreement with St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth and he said he felt it was very important to have a commisser attend hospital board meetings.
Fenwick said the county “doesn’t really have any say” since the hospital district was formed. Sobanja answered that he has heard concerns that the agreement with St. Luke’s is being “railroaded.” He reiterated that it is important to be involved.
Commissioner Johnson mentioned that his wife, Bev Johnson, serves on the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic board and she attends the hospital board meetings. He said he would be willing to be the county ex-officio representative. The board agreed and Fenwick joked, “Maybe you can carpool with your wife.”
Commissioner Johnson asked if someone wanted to take over his role on the Arrowhead Health Alliance since it conflicts with another meeting he attends. Fenwick agreed to take on that committee.
When the board and committee distribution was complete, commissioners each had a variety of assignments ranging from committees in county to committees around the state. Fenwick had 17 assignments, Hall 25, Johnson 28 and Sobanja 22. In addition, commissioners agreed to serve on 25 temporary boards and commissions, such as the Broadband Task Force, DNR Lands Management, Highway 61 Joint Lake/Cook Task Force, Septic Ordinance Committee and others. Two new temporary committees were established—the Region 3 Social Services Committee and the Forest Service-County Roads Committee.
Fenwick will serve on the first, which will address the re-design of social service departments. “I think this will be intense and will take some time,” said Fenwick.
Martinson and Sobanja will serve on the Forest Service- County Roads Committee whose first task will be to reach a solution on the plowing of the Onion River Road.
Citizens fill numerous board and commission positions and the board reviewed applications for those openings. The board noted that a new entity had been formed, the Fiber Optic Network Commission. Appointed to that board was Howard Hedstrom, president of Hedstrom Lumber Company; Scott Harrison, owner-operator of Lutsen Resort; Paul Richard Harvey, former director of telecommunications for a government contractor; and Terry Meath, retired manager of information systems. It was agreed that this commission will ultimately need a commissioner representative and Johnson suggested that Fenwick be appointed. However, Fenwick said that was premature and suggested that the board wait until the fiber optic network “gets off the ground.”
Other citizens appointed or re-appointed to various boards are Chris Thostenson, Airport Advisory Commission; Jean Mathis and Gail Anderson, Community Center; Joan Abrahamson, Extension Committee; Richard Betz, Local Water Management Advisory Committee; Jessa Wallendal, Darrel Fisher, and Kristen DeArruda-Wharton, Public Health & Human Services Advisory Board; and Roger Linehan, Public Health & Human Services Board.
Not all of the vacancies have been filled. The county needs citizen representatives on the Airport Advisory Commission, Community Center Board, Extension Committee, and the Library Board. All of these vacancies will remain open until filled. To apply to serve on these boards, contact Cook County Human Resources Director Janet Simonen at (218) 387- 3602.
Appointments to the Planning Commission and the Board of Adjustment were tabled to the next meeting at Planning Director Tim Nelson’s request. There were no applicants for these boards, so Nelson was contacting previous applicants to see if they are still interested. He hopes to have appointees at the next county board meeting.
In other business:
» T he county board accepted
the one bid received for official newspaper from the Cook County News-Herald.
The News-Herald
offered the county a discount from its regular rate of $6.00 per column inch. The county rate is $5.75, the same as last year. » T he board also designated its
website as an official publication
for information in addition
to the officialnewspaper.
» Commissioner Martinson
reminded the board that when it passed an ordinance governing where allterrain vehicles (AT Vs) can be driven on county roads in May 2009, the plan was to request a report on AT V tickets or accidents from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. Commissioners asked Board Secretary Janet Simonen to
send a memo requesting that
information.
» T he US Census Bureau
requested use of space in the courthouse lobby to set up a questionnaire assistance center (QAC). The board agreed to allow a census worker to use a table in the lobby for a “Be Counted” information center. The Census Bureau hopes this site will be used by citizens who
do not receive Census questionnaires
at their residences.
» T he board reviewed IRS information
provided by Cheryl Walimaa of the auditor’s office regarding mileage rates and agreed to set the reimbursement for travel in
personal vehicles at $0.50 per
mile.
» Fire department levies were
approved with the following increases—Colvill $35,746, up 3%; Grand Marais $44,062, up 20%; Gunflint Trail $60,000, up 32%; Hovland $40,000, no change; Lutsen $29,514, up 13%; and Maple Hill $43,500, up 5%.
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