Tim Nelson, planning and zoning director, came before the Cook County commissioners on March 15 with a request to have the board send a letter to Minnesota legislators showing the county’s support for a House and Senate bill that, if passed, would help the county save money on waste electronic collections.
Currently Cook County schedules collection events twice each year, with the county absorbing administrative and transportation costs and residents paying up front disposal costs.
“It, [the bill] would be more beneficial to many of the other counties that collect, store and transfer waste electronics on a continual basis,” said Nelson, adding, “But it would save Cook County between $4,000 to $5,000 per year in waste fees we pay to haul our collections.”
According to Nelson, the bill would shift responsibility for management and disposal costs to manufacturers.
Originally the bill, which was passed in 2007, required manufacturers to recycle waste electronics and it was intended that manufacturers pick up the cost of management, transportation and disposal, but once electronic manufacturers realized they could reach their yearly mandated collection credits in larger communities, they stopped reaching out to rural communities, explained Nelson.
Commissioner Garry Gamble said, “I know we are all aware that costs passed on to manufacturers will be passed onto purchasers, but I am for it as a mechanism to dispose of our used electronics.”
“I question whether this bill will pass this year,” said Commissioner Frank Moe, “but I am in favor of it and we can always resubmit it next year if it doesn’t pass this year.”
Commissioners voted to support Nelson’s request and made a motion to send a letter to the legislators in support of House File 1412 and its companion bill Senate File 1427.
Revolving loan fund request from Terra Bella approved
With the recommendation of the Cook County Revolving Loan Fund Committee the board approved a 15-year revolving loan to Sandi McQuatters, owner of Terra Bella Floral in Grand Marais, in the amount of $71,650. McQuatters will use that money to help purchase the former Dee’s Hair of Elegance beauty salon and house located to the west of Gene’s Food’s off of Highway 61 in Grand Marais.
McQuatters, who was in attendance, said the new space would be almost the same size of her current shop, but one plus would be that she could store merchandise in the basement which would actually leave more space for flowers and other merchandise.
Commissioner Jan Sivertson said she was “very much in favor of the loan,” and added that she was happy McQuatters would be creating two full-time and one part-time job with the move.
Commissioner Moe thanked McQuatters for operating the county’s lone flower shop and said its importance was immeasurable, especially, he quipped, when he was in hot water with his wife and needed to buy flowers to help patch things up.
According to County Auditor Braidy Powers, the revolving loan is contingent upon McQuatters getting a conventional bank loan and obtaining an appraisal of the property, which McQuatters said was nearly complete.
The board voted 4-0 in favor with Board Chair Heidi Doo-Kirk abstaining because she said she was a former employee and relative of McQuatters. “I will recuse my vote but I am in full support,” of the loan, said Doo-Kirk.
Maintenance department gets new carpet cleaner
Brian Silence, maintenance director, came before the county board with a request to purchase a new Dalco carpet cleaner for $2,738.83. Silence said the county needed a new one because the old one was broken and would cost too much to repair.
“We had it [old carpet cleaner] refurbished about five years ago but it conked out,” said Silence. “I called a carpet cleaner and got an estimate on how much it would cost to clean the carpets one time and he said it would be just over $5,000, so this pays for itself right away. This new carpet cleaner would also be lighter and easier to handle and go under desks. The old one was big and clunky,” he said.
The board voted unanimously for the purchase.
Leave a Reply