The county board is endeavoring to be responsible in its spending of public money. A proposal by Emergency Management Director Jim Wiinanen and Maintenance Director Brian Silence on April 19 for improvements to the inside of the Search and Rescue building across from the hospital was met with a request for more quotes on the cost.
Requested was funding for wall partitions, electrical outlets, and a shower inside the bathroom. The partitions would be used for video projection, maps, and incident planning on bulletin boards and a whiteboard, and the electrical outlets would enable use of more computers, printers, and battery chargers. A spigot for washing vehicles would be moved out of the incident command/training area and closer to the overhead door.
“I agree that this needs to be done,” Commissioner Jan Hall said.
Wiinanen and Silence obtained cost estimates from Sawtooth Lumber ($1,000), Nordic Electric ($1,580), and Nosker Plumbing ($1,440). Commissioner Fritz Sobanja said he thought it would be good to get other quotes. Commissioner Hall said she figured they would get similar prices from other vendors. Silence said he tries to spread out jobs among local vendors but agreed to seek more quotes.
In other news:
The board authorized Brian Silence to hire a temporary summer worker for up to 12 weeks at a cost of $5,760. Silence said the worker would be kept busy with lots of summer projects.
Highway Engineer David Betts received approval to hire five temporary employees for a maximum of six months to help with summer projects. One will be filling in for a permanent employee who is out on extended sick leave.
Betts told the board fuel prices are 15-30 cents higher than the amount budgeted. “We’re probably going to have to dip into reserves for that,” he said, although the department is currently under budget for the year.
The board approved an agreement for the Sheriff’s Department to provide law enforcement services on U.S. Forest Service land this summer as usual.
The amount the Forest Service will pay, $11,500, is half what it paid in previous years. “We’re certainly disappointed that they had to cut their budget,” Sheriff Mark Falk said. The department will adjust the hours their deputy will provide coverage, although the entire county is under the Sheriff’s Department’s jurisdiction anyway. “The bottom line,” Falk said, “is it’s our responsibility to respond.”
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