Cook County Sheriff-elect Pat Eliasen appeared before the Cook County Board of Commissioners on December 30, 2014 and asked to begin his sheriff duties with the salary set at $7,261 per month, near the top of the pay scale. The highest pay scale, three tiers higher is $9,176 per month.
Touting his experience and years of service, Eliasen said, “I have been a member of Cook County Sheriff ’s Office (CCSO) since 1995 and I have worked every type of investigation there is. I have the experience to assist other deputies in their duties and investigations.
“I grew up in Cook County and I know the terrain and people very well. I have been all over the county either hunting, fishing or in the course of my patrols, and this experience will be an asset for supervision of events that may occur.
“I have been managing people in one way or another for 15 years. The majority of my management experience has been on the football field, basketball court, classroom or shooting range. This takes organizational skills and guidance skills to direct players in practice, in games, lead students in the classroom or design and implement shooting drills for law enforcement agencies. I not only supervise local law enforcement, but agencies such as Silver Bay Police Department and Two Harbors Police Department.
“I am personally responsible and accountable for the safety and well-being of each and every person within the borders of Cook County 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With my years of experience that I have outlined, I am aware of what it takes to provide safety and leadership that can be trusted not only by the employees of the Sheriff ’s Office, but by the public as well.
“The interim sheriff was granted Step 10. I believe that I should be granted Step 15 due to the continuous service and dedication that I have delivered to Cook County since 1995.
“Based on my skill sets and the qualifications that I have outlined, I am confident that I can lead the CCSO into the future and I have already shown the aptitude that it takes to lead people.”
Commissioner Garry Gamble said he had a “healthy respect” and appreciation for Eliasen’s years of service, but he didn’t think it merited starting him out at Step 15.
Gamble said he took a look at the historical changes in the [pay] steps in the sheriff ’s department, and he didn’t have Eliasen placed at a Step 15 level after his assessment was completed. “We want to be fair and equitable,” said Gamble, who said he would feel comfortable starting Eliasen out at Step 10.
Commissioner Sue Hakes asked Auditor Braidy Powers what the board had budgeted in 2015 for the sheriff ’s position. “We put in Step 10,” answered Powers.
“I agree Step 15 is a sizeable increase. I think with your experience you could come in at Step 10, which would give you a nice pay increase and give you something to shoot for. No pun intended,” Hakes said.
Commissioner Bruce Martinson agreed with Gamble and noted that even if Eliasen started out at Step 5, it would be a $10 an hour increase over his current pay, and a step 10 increase would amount to a $14 per hour jump in pay over his current wage.
Commissioner Jan Hall said she would support a step 10 starting salary based on Eliasen’s years of service. A unanimous motion passed to start Eliasen at Step 10, D63 pay rate of $81,084 per year ($41.16 per hour).
Next Eliasen asked that his Chief Deputy Will Sandstrom be paid at a Step 10, C-52 rate. Elilasen said Sandstrom would have to supervise other deputies and take over as acting sheriff if he was out of town or couldn’t perform his duties because of illness, etc.
Sandstrom has been in law enforcement since 1999 and worked for the Cook County Sheriff Department since 2001.
Commissioner Heidi Doo-Kirk said historically the county has started the deputy sheriff at Step 5. Gamble said that with Sandstrom’s years of service he would be comfortable starting Sandstrom at Step 8, but Commissioners Hakes, Hall, and Martinson felt Sandstrom should start at Step 5, which amounts to a $3 per hour pay increase for Sandstrom. The board voted to start Sandstrom at Step 5.
Acting Sheriff Leif Lunde came before the board with two requests. First, he asked the board to reinstate current Chief Deputy Ben Hallberg as a deputy sheriff on January 2, the same day Eliasen and his Chief Deputy Will Sandstrom will be sworn in, at a pay grade of Step 8, C3. Hallberg is currently paid at a supervisor’s salary of Step 5, C52.
“Ben has served faithfully and with courage,” said Lunde.
Commissioner Doo- Kirk moved to reinstate Hallberg at Step 8, seconded by Hakes and carried by the board with Gamble dissenting because he didn’t feel Hallberg’s 7½ years of service warranted such a high pay grade.
Next Lunde said he was requesting to be reinstated as deputy sheriff with, “seniority encompassing my full 16.5 years of service. I am asking to be reinstated at Step 15 (for non-department heads) because of my years of service.”
He said this might be difficult but before Lunde could begin his arguments the board interrupted him and voted unanimously to grant his request. Both Hallberg and Lunde will go back on patrol after January 2 while Eliasen and Sandstrom will be sworn in to start their new positions on January 2.
Senior Center Audit
Senior Center Director Bev Green appeared before the board with a final audit of Cook County Council on Aging (CCCOA) performed by Peterson Company LTD. The independent audit, said Green, showed that the senior center and programs were being run honestly and in a forthright manner.
“It’s been a long road for all of us. There were some good moments and some bad moments. I didn’t think they would find anything. I went in very frustrated but tried to stay positive,” said Green.
Several citizens had voiced complaints about the record keeping and the county board asked CCCOA to find an independent auditor to clear up any questions. Peterson Company audited the financial statements of CCCOA for the year ending December 31, 2013. Gamble said the process was one that in the end protected and served the CCCOA very well. Green agreed. Cost of the audit, said Green was about $3,500, but she didn’t have the exact amount with her.
MRCC question posed
Gamble asked the board to consider dropping Cook County from the rolls of the Minnesota Rural County’s Caucus (MRCC) because the board lacked leadership and direction. Gamble said there were two other boards Cook County belongs to that better deal with issues concerning northeastern Minnesota, and he felt that by leaving MRCC the county would be saving the $2,100 membership fees and the time and expense of sending a commissioner to the meetings.
Hakes said she thought the new county board should take up this topic. Commissioner Doo-Kirk thought the request was interesting and she asked Gamble to write up his reasons and present them to the board at a later meeting. Martinson agreed with Gamble and said the MRCC was not a good fit for Cook County. Gamble said Aitkin County had left MRCC and Lake County wasn’t a member. Three other counties have also said they weren’t going to join again, but Gamble couldn’t remember who they were. He agreed to write up justification to withdraw from MRCC and will present them at a later meeting.
In other board action:
. Cook County Soil and Water Director Kerrie Berg came before the board with a request to increase her assistant’s hours from 16 to 20 hours per week while she dropped her hours from 40 hours to 35 hours per week.
Berg said she would work a minimum of 32 hours per week in the winter months (October through March) and a minimum of 35 hours per week during the summer months (April through September) not to exceed 40 hours per week.
The board unanimously approved her request.
. In the consent agenda the board voted on a request by Cook County Highway Engineer Dave Betts to approve a special event permit for the John Beargrease Sled Dog Race, which will be held from January 25 to January 28, 2015.
.Betts also came before the board with a request to make the final payment to Northland Constructors LLC of $6,150.63 for their work on the County Road 7 sidewalk that runs in front of the hospital.
“The work has been completed and a final inspection has been performed,” said Betts. The board approved his request and a check will be sent to the Duluthbased company.
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