Cook County commissioners are busy people, as was evident at the last meeting in April when the board spent quite a bit of time scheduling other meetings.
Meetings and decision on county administrator
At the April 28 meeting, the board announced several upcoming meetings scheduled related to the hiring of a new county administrator. On April 30, commissioners and the county management advisory team (MAT) met with the three county administrator candidates, James Ericson, James Thoreen and Jeffry Cadwell.
A community open house was scheduled for later that day for the public to meet the candidates.
Then, on Friday, May 1, the county board met in the morning to interview the candidates a final time. After hours of interviews and county board discussion, commissioners agreed to extend an employment offer to Jeffrey Cadwell.
At yet another meeting at 3 p.m. that afternoon, Commissioner Garry Gamble said Cadwell had accepted the position, pending negotiation of an employment contract.
Cadwell holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Minnesota – Moorhead and a bachelor of arts in history and political science from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. He is currently the city administrator for Mahnomen.
Town Hall meetings on towers
Commissioner Frank Moe told his colleagues that he had scheduled a town hall meeting at the Hovland Town Hall at 6 p.m. on May 12. The purpose of the meeting, said Moe, was to get input from east end citizens on an allied radio matrix emergency response (ARMER) tower proposed for the Esther Lake area.
Moe said he would like to share information on what bringing power and broadband service to that tower could mean for Hovland residents.
Commissioner Jan Sivertson there will also be a meeting at 4 p.m. on May 12 at the commissioners’ room at the Cook County Courthuse to provide information on the ARMER towers proposed for the Cascade River valley and the Sawbill Trail.
Changes to ATV ordinance on agenda
A public meeting was also set to consider a change in the Cook County ATVroad ordinance.
There was no discussion, but a memo in the board packet from the Cook County ATV Club explained that the request to open two sections of the Gunflint Trail came after the U.S. Forest Service opened some of its roads to mixed use. Basing its decision on the success of the Cook County ATVroad ordinance, which was enacted in 2009, the Forest Service opened several roads to create connections between forest roads and county roads that are currently open.
Because forest roads do not reach mid-Trail services, the Cook County ATV Club asked the county board to consider allowing ATV traffic on a 1.4-mile section of the Gunflint Trail between the Pine Mountain Road and South Brule Road and another 2.6-mile section from the Lima Grade to Big Bear Lodge.
The county board set a public meeting for Tuesday, May 12 at 10 a.m. in the commissioners’ room to discuss potential changes to the ordinance.
Broadening county comprehensive plan
Planning and Zoning Director Tim Nelson presented a proposal to modify the Cook County Comprehensive Land Use planning that is under way. He suggested that the county create a plan that covers more than land use and he shared a diagram of a multi-jurisdictional guide plan that showed the different components that could be included, such as public facilities, energy plan, water plan, trail plan and transportation.
Nelson noted that transportation has long been an issue of discussion, so he felt that was important to pursue. He added that the interrelated components of the plan could be whatever the county wanted, but he said the ultimate goal would be to have a shared understanding among all units of government in Cook County regarding community infrastructure and services in the county.
He said the first step would be a joint meeting with all potential planning partners, such as the City of Grand Marais, Grand Portage, the townships and other entities such as the state and federal government agencies in the county.
Commissioner Moe said he would rather wait until the new county administrator was on board to oversee the planning process.
Commissioner Gamble said he realized the county was putting a lot on the new administrator’s plate, but said he believed the changes Nelson suggests will make the comprehensive plan more inclusive and would give more substance to the document. He made a motion directing Nelson to proceed. The motion passed, with Moe voting no.
In other business
. Commissioner Frank Moe expressed concern about a constituent’s property taxes that increased three times in one year. Moe said he understood that the current assessment is actual value, but said, “I’d like to see if we can come up with an option to keep tax increases from going up so drastically.”
Commissioner Ginny Storlie agreed, noting that she had heard a similar complaint from Lutsen and Tofte property owners when she sat in on township board of equalization meetings. She said in one case a property owner’s taxes had increased 200- 300 percent. “I think we need to do something to make sure this doesn’t happen,” she said.
Gamble agreed, noting that sometimes there are tax increases that property owners are not comfortable with, but as commissioners, he said, “We need to ensure that it’s fair and that it is applied consistently.”
Auditor Braidy Powers noted that there was once state policy that set a limit on how much property tax could jump in one year.
Moe asked to hear from the Assessor’s Office on options for more graduated increases.
. Commissioner Doo-Kirk proposed setting up a committee to work with local artists about possibly displaying artwork at the courthouse. She said the hallway between the lobby and the Recorder’s Office would be a perfect place to exhibit some artwork and it would show support for local artists as well as pride in our arts community. A motion passed to establish a committee to create a policy for art in the courthouse. Doo-Kirk and Sivertson will serve on the committee.
. Doo-Kirk also said a box will be placed at the courthouse and other county buildings in which to accept comments from staff and the public. She said when employees receive positive comments, they will be in the running for recognition as “Employee of the Month.”
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