Three-quarters of the way through 2010, Cook County has spent 79% of its budget, which means it is about $250,000 over budget. That does not mean the budget has been disregarded, however. The overages were caused mostly by payments that have already been made for the entire year, and some of those costs will be reimbursed.
The largest overages resulted from matching a grant for required radio communication changes, tower expenses in Grand Portage that will enable AT&T to extend cell phone coverage, a one-third cost share in the Grand Marais Municipal Pool, and the cost of surveying the area in and around Judge Magney State Park.
On October 19, County Auditor- Treasurer Braidy Powers told the county board, “It’s all covered and there were no real surprises.”
In other county news:
. After advertising for bids late in the year, the county only received one bid for winter salt and sand, and it came from Isak Hansen & Sons in the amount of $73,063. The bid was $3,000 over the amount budgeted for 2011, but the department will pay for the difference with money left over from last year’s salt and sand budget.
Highway Department Maintenance Supervisor Russell Klegstad told the county board on October 12 that he thinks the county might receive more bids if they advertised earlier and bidders had more time to get the requested amount of salt and sand, but since the county does not have the ability to cover all of its stockpile, they can’t get it when it might receive a lot of rainfall before cold weather hits. The board approved the bid unanimously. . A newer home in Lutsen received a tax abatement for the last three years because the original assessment on the house was based on the size of the entire foundation rather than the portion of the foundation upon which the house sits. The property was assessed before the structure went up and the assessor
did not know a portion of the foundation
would be a patio. . Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) Housing Coordinator Nancy Grabko reported October 12 that the EDA sent $2,500 to the Township of Tofte to help pay for an assisted living market study. “We need to do this type of study to confirm that there really is a need for this kind of housing for the seniors in our community,” she said. The EDA received a thank-you letter from the township. . The board unanimously approved an off-sale liquor license for Chicago Bay Marketplace in Hovland. Theordinance allows only one license in the Hovland area and requires a public hearing prior to issuance. This will be held Tuesday,
November 9 at 10:00 a.m. Hovland has
no license holder at this time. . Commissioners Fritz Sobanja and Bruce Martinson decided on October 12 to meet with David Betts and Russell Klegstad to discuss the joint maintenance facility that had been pursued by former county engineer Shae Kosmalski with several other governmental entities. Nothing has been pursued since she left, Sobanja reported.
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