Despite Siberia-like temperatures outside, it was plenty warm inside on Tuesday, January 7 as the Cook County Board of Commissioners set their 2014 assignments and appointed citizens to various commissions, committees and boards.
Hall reappointed as board chair
District 1 Commissioner Jan Hall was again reelected to serve as the county board chair by a 3-2 vote. Commissioner Heidi Doo-Kirk first nominated Commissioner Sue Hakes but Hakes lost 2-3, with commissioners Bruce Martinson, Garry Gamble and Jan Hall voting against her nomination. Gamble nominated Hall for the Chair position, seconded by Martinson and Hall was voted in 3-2 with Hakes and Doo-Kirk voting against.
Bruce Martinson was again re-elected to serve as the 2014 vicechair. This is the third year in a row that each Hall and Martinson will serve in those capacities.
Commissioner committees and duties
While some boards require that two commissioners attend, many have a commissioner and one alternate position. The board agreed that only the designated commissioner should attend those meetings, or if the alternate also wanted to attend, he or she wouldn’t be eligible to receive a per diem.
In addition to their regular salaries, commissioners will be paid $100 a day for attending approved meetings on the days the board does not meet as well as mileage and meal reimbursement for out-of-county meetings. Commissioners are allotted $10 for breakfast, $12 for lunch and $15 for dinner.
When it came time to divvy up meeting assignments, most of the time commissioners kept what they had from the previous year. One exception this year was Garry Gamble who told his board colleagues that he no longer wanted to serve on the Cook County Local Energy Project (CCLEP) Advisory Committee Board and the Cook County Local Energy Project. Gamble said that he didn’t feel the dialogue between him and other members serving on these boards was always respectful. Commissioner Doo-Kirk agreed to serve as the primary liaison from the county with Commissioner Hall serving as the alternate on these two boards.
Mileage rates and official newspaper set
The board followed Internal Revenue Service guidelines when setting 2014 travel and mileage reimbursements at 56 cents per mile for business trips; 23.5 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes; and 14 cents per mile driven in the service of charitable organizations.
The business, medical, and moving expense rates are a decrease of one-half cent from the 2013 rates. The charitable rate is based on state statute. When larger vehicles like vans or trucks are used for county business the reimbursed rate will be 20 percent per mile over the 56 cents per mile rate, said Auditor/Treasurer Braidy Powers.
Cook County Highway Engineer Dave Betts was again designated county agriculture inspector. Betts will receive $6,000 for those added duties.
The Cook County News Herald was selected as the county’s legal newspaper. Commissioners also designated the county’s website as a legal publication site. All legals placed in the News-Herald will also be placed on the county’s web page.
Citizens step forward for boards and commissions
Stan Tull and Dave Seaton were appointed to the Cook County Planning Commission and Tull and Jerry Hiniker were appointed to the Board of Adjustment. They will replace Dave Tuttle and Allen Olsen, who both gave resignation notices following the end of their terms.
Audrey Stattelman asked for and was granted another three-year term to the Grand Marais Public Library Board.
Howard Hedstrom, president of Hedstrom Lumber Company, was appointed to the Cook County-Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA). Hedstrom will replace Don Davison on the EDA board. Davison did not reapply for his position.
Three people were appointed to the Cook County Revolving Loan Fund committee: Scott Harrison, Pat Campanaro, and Bruce Kerfoot.
County to consider strategic planning
The board will hold an organizational meeting in early February to discuss, among other things, regular board meeting protocol, how to communicate better as a board, strategic planning, and defining and clarifying the board’s relationship with newly hired county administrator Jay Kieft and the role he will play for the county.
Levy resolution for 2014
The board set the 2014 operating budget and levy at $6,109,103. They took $594,162 from the Use of Fund Balance to keep the levy limit the same as last year.
The 2014 levies are as follows: Revenue Fund levy $2,625,788; Road and Bridge $1,424,211; PHHS $1,032,804; Airport $95,300; Building Fund $126,000; YMCA $110,000; Gov Ctr/LEC CIP Bonds $360,000; and equipment bonds will receive $335,000.
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