Cook County Personnel Director Janet Simonen brought good news to the county board Tuesday, September 8, 2009. The county budgeted for a $100,000 increase for its health insurance (what would have been about a 10% increase), but the actual increase will be only $3,000, an increase of only .3 of 1%.
County employees will see no increase in their deductibles in the next year, although some will be required to apply their deductible to services that were previously considered preventive and covered at 100%. If a preventive test detects illness, subsequent tests will be subject to the deductible since they would be follow-ups to the treatment of the illness.
In other news, the county will be paying for replacement of Colvill Town Hall’s 13 double-hung windows. The old windows do not open and actually can fall out of the casings if pushed, according to county Maintenance Director Brian Silence.
Betsy Zavoral provided the only bid for the project, quoting $6,900 for parts and labor, although maintenance staff would provide $1,200 worth of additional labor.
The building is being used frequently, Silence said. Other improvements within the past couple of years have included new exterior paint and a new furnace.
The county board voted to enter a 10-year lease agreement with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for operation of a communications tower in Hovland. The county will pay the DNR $500 a year.
TheDNR has agreed to allow replacement of an old wooden fire tower that has been used until now. According to Sheriff Mark Falk, the state might pay for half the estimated $13,000 cost of a new culvert along the Hovland Tower Road that will be necessary to get new tower equipment to the site. Disaster funding from the 2007 Ham Lake fire is available to pay for installation of the tower.
“We need this tower,” Sheriff Falk said, adding that his department has had “paging issues” in the Hovland area.
“We’ve expanded [fire district] coverage,” said Commissioner Jan Hall. “This is something that just needs to be done.
Communications consultant Duane Ege said the old tower is “really neat.” He will try to salvage it for its historic value.
County Engineer Shae Kosmalski informed the board that signs will be posted around the county informing drivers of load limits on upcoming bridges. ThePine River bridge at the end of the Arrowhead Trail is in bad shape, she said, and may need load limit analysis to determine a safe limit if the bridge is not replaced.
The county board approved a motion to present property owners in nine sections around Judge Magney State Park the option of a survey to correct historic survey mistakes. The process would begin if at least two property owners per section sign a petition requesting the survey. A public hearing would then be held.
Thecost would be about $30/acre that could be paid over 10 years at 1% interest along with semi-annual property tax payments. Pending the county attorney’s review of an accompanying letter from county surveyor Wayne Hensche, the petition will be mailed to affected property owners.
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