The agenda was full for the Cook County commissioners at the board’s Tuesday, June 11 meeting. The board took the following actions. . Izabela Sheehan was hired as the part-time Community Center assistant and will be working with Cook County Community Center Director Diane Booth. The position is new, but it has been discussed or months. . Commissioners approved a permit for the Gunflint Trail Property Owners to conduct a raffle at Gunflint Lodge on July 17, 2019. . At $24,500, Nesgoda Services LLP was the low bidder for the Poplar Lake Hazardous Fuel Reduction project. The commissioners also agreed to amend the contract with Wright’s Tree Service to extend the work period to December 31, 2019.
Both of the fuel reduction projects are federally funded. . Schroeder Area Historical Society was approved for a one-day liquor license for September 26, the date of their Cross River Heritage Center celebration. . Following the decision by county law enforcement dispatcher John Groth to retire, which was received with regret, his position was opened up immediately and will be filled when John leaves on June 14.
Candidates were interviewed August 2018 for a jailer/dispatch opening that was filled, but the top remaining candidates will be offered the job because they have completed a background check and have been approved to work as a dispatcher/ jailer. . The resignation of YMCA custodian Mark Williams was accepted and the position will be posted for a full-time custodian. . Commissioners accepted, with regret, the resignation of Human Resource Generalist Judy Hill. Her last day at work will be July 18, 2019, but Judy said she would be available if the county needs some help past that date. . With the recommendation of the Interview Committee the commissioners approved appointment of Robert (Bob) Thompson as the new county assessor. Thompson is a certified Minnesota appraiser who has passed the testing requirements to meet the Senior Minnesota Certified Appraiser requirements. He was the only candidate of the four who applied for the job who met all of the requirements as outlined by state statutes.
The Minnesota Commissioner of Revenue must now confirm Thompson’s appointment. His appointment period ends December 31, 2020, at which time he will be up for a four-year reappointment. . Commissioners approved advertising for proposals to replace the law enforcement center 911 phone system.
The current system is more than seven years old and is showing signs of wear and is no longer on warranty. System failures in the past have been fixed remotely and on-site, but the worry is there will be a failure that can’t quickly be fixed, and the county will not be able to administer 911 calls.
The new system will have to be able to receive emergency texts and integrate with the county Zuercher CAD and Zuercher map.
Funds to replace the system will come from the Equipment bonds that were passed at the county board May 22, 2018 meeting. . Jan Sivertson was approved to receive $25,000 from the Revolving Loan Fund. Sivertson said she would use the money to make improvements to the Sivertson Gallery web site to improve year-round sales without adding wall space. Some of the funds will be used for framing, printing, and image capturing equipment.
Jan secured the note, which will be paid back in eight years, with a personal guarantee as collateral. . Cook County Highway Engineer Krysten Foster was authorized to sign an agreement with Erickson Engineering Co., LLC for $45,715 to conduct engineering services for the replacement bridge over Sea Gull Creek. . Commissioners approved an amendment to the 2018 agreement between the county and Rock Solid Rail Builders to build an additional 5.4 miles onto the Tofte-Lutsen Mountain bike trail.
Funds to pay for this work are coming from the Iron Range Resources Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) who approved a $375,000 grant that was written and submitted by the Cook County/Grand Marais EDA. . Auditor/Treasurer Braidy Powers brought four resolutions to commissioners to allow four parties to repurchase tax-forfeited properties.
Each of the four qualified either by having been the previous owner or having a relationship to the last owner to the tax-forfeited properties.
Applicants noted hardships due to not receiving notice of forfeiture: two were relatives living elsewhere and did not receive notification from Cook County, one was in a homeowner’s association whose official point of contact for the common parcel was a bank that did not forward the forfeit notice to the owners, and one was the previous owner who cited changes to the postal service in Duluth.
Notwithstanding the reasons for the people not able to receive their notices, Powers said it was in the county’s best interest to allow repurchase to quickly get the properties back on to the tax rolls, which the board agreed to do by approving the four resolutions. . Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen was appointed interim Emergency Management director. Until someone new is hired, Pat will assume the position left open by his wife, Valerie Marasco Eliasen, who resigned to take another job in the county.
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