Grand Marais resident Terry Collins appeared before the county board’s September 12 meeting and voiced his concerns over the survey that is being sent out to Cook County taxpayers asking them if they approve—or disapprove—of the county board’s current proposal to raise the levy more than 10 percent for the next three years.
There were other questions asked in the survey, but that is the one that seems to concern local taxpayers the most.
A group of concerned citizens paid for the survey, which was put together by former commissioner Garry Gamble and the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence, who helped prepare the questions.
Collins spoke at the beginning of the meeting when commissioners allow the public to speak for up to five minutes.
About the survey, Collins said, “What you are going to get is an advocacy piece by an advocacy organization.”
What should be a data driven survey looks like ad hominem attack on the county administrator, said Collins, who said he didn’t know county administrator Jeff Cadwell. He said Cadwell had prepared a long range financial plan for the board at the board’s request and made his recommendations to the board for the levy increases based on past spending practices and upcoming needs and shouldn’t be rebuked for bringing those ideas forward.
As far as the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence (MCFE), last fall Cook County Chamber Director Jim Boyd in conjunction with the Assessor’s Office sponsored an open house for the public to attend with a representative from MCFE there to answer questions about taxes and assessments.
On its website MCFE says “Fiscal Excellence” consists of three simple yet fundamental ideas: Revenue collection should reflect the principles of sound tax policy. Government spending should be efficient, transparent, and accountable. And spending outcomes should be measured and evaluated.
“The mission of the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence (formerly known as the Minnesota Taxpayers Association) is to make these ideas the foundation of Minnesota state and local government. We pursue this mission by educating and informing Minnesotans about sound fiscal policy; providing state and local policy makers with objective, non-partisan research about the impacts of tax and spending policies and advocating for the adoption of policies reflecting principles of fiscal excellence.”
Collins said he had done some investigation about the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence and he found them to be a “right wing anti-tax think tank.”
Collins ended by telling the commissioners that they could do what they want with the survey results, but that the survey had been done inappropriately and was an embarrassment.
Completed surveys will be sent to the Cook County News-Herald where they will be tabulated and the results published.
Arvis Thompson spoke next. She asked about recent numbers published by Health and Human Services that show that almost half of the county gets food assistance or that shows 220 kids in the county under 18 are listed as maltreated.
“Where is the research? Where is the background? You can make numbers work for you any way you want. Are these people working? Not working? What you are showing is an area that is very poor. Poverty doesn’t create jobs. Yet you are saying you are trying to bring jobs here, build housing. Jobs for who? Housing for who?
“Because numbers can be manipulated in the budget. That’s not fair…
“Why would I want to move here? It’s poor. All you are going to end up with is lots of people with lots of money who can’t get any services and they will go back to where they come from,” she said.
When setting the upcoming levy, Thompson asked commissioners to think about “Who are you working for?”
Motions approved:
. Commissioners approved a request to replace two multi-function copiers at the highway department at the cost of $14,345.82. Funding to replace the copier machines is based on the charge to departments for copies. Rates to departments are determined to cover the cost of paper, toner, maintenance and copier replacement.
. Bev Wolke was hired as deputy auditor-treasurer bookkeeper at a B23 Step 7. Bev has been working as a temporary out of class appointment B23 Step 5 since December 2016, and Auditor/Treasurer Braidy Powers said Wolke has learned the position well and has earned an increase to Step 7.
. Also approved was a resolution for a grant agreement with the Minnesota Department of Transportation for a state grant of $3,750, which will help fund the environmental assessment for Phase III of the airport runway extension project. The federal agreement for $67,500 was approved previously as part of this agreement.
The cost to conduct an environmental assessment for obstruction removal at the airport is split three ways with the federal share at 90 percent, state share at 5 percent and local share at 5 percent. The project cost is not to exceed $75,000.
Cook County received $254,441.93 for the State-in-Lieu payment for 2017, but with $4,106.40 taken out for Wildlife Management, the county will get $250,335.53. Last year the county received $370,008.48.
The total used for the 2018 levy reduction is $208,150.41, with $37,717.09 used for resource development.
. A special use permit and three-year operating land permit for the Moose Pond boat landing at Saganaga Lake parking lot and boat landing with the USDA Forest Service was approved. The lot will be a fee-based parking lot for 2017 to 2019.
Currently, the county runs one fee-based parking lot at Sag Lake during the snow-free months. The county under permit from the Forest Service has used the second parking lot for many years. Voyageur Canoe Landing has been contracted by the county to manage both sites. The daily fee is currently $5 per day. Tribal members from Fond du Lac, Bois Forte Band of Chippewa and Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa are allowed to park without paying a fee.
. A grant for $7,500 to assist veterans was approved. This is an annual award that comes to all counties from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The grant must be used to provide outreach to the county’s veterans; to assist in the reintegration of combat veterans into society; to collaborate with other social service agencies and educational institutions, and other community organizations to enhance services offered to veterans.
. A one-time fee of $1,290 was paid to the U.S. Forest Service to lease two solid waste canisters up the Gunflint Trail for five years. The costs will be passed to the users of the solid waste canister sites, so there will be no cost to the Cook County taxpayers.
. Rena Rogers, MIS director, requested and was granted $4,212.50 to host the county’s GIS aerial map imagery for one year. Funds will come from the Recorder’s Unallocated Funds. These are accrued through real estate transactions and are used to pay for improvements in technology that help the public access land services records.
. Land Services Director Tim Nelson asked for and received permission to purchase a new green multi-bin recycling trailer at the price of $19,207. The cost will be funded, said Nelson, through the future landfill development fund. He also asked that the trailer be located at the county highway department land in Hovland near the highway shop.
“Up to this point,” said Nelson, “We have had two trailers located west of Grand Marais, one in Lutsen and one in Tofte, and two located on the Gunflint Trail, but only one container located east of town in Grand Portage.”
Nelson said the new site would collect some materials already taken directly to the recycling center in Grand Marais, and potentially capture some new materials due to its convenient location.
. Maple Hill Fire Department approved a zero interest loan in the amount of $36,400 to the Maple Hill Fire Department so the access road could be upgraded and a bathroom and washer/dryer could be added to the Hedstrom Hall.
. Commissioners approved a change order for a municipal plow truck so that all wheel drive could be added at a cost of $38,835. The improvement should allow the truck to be in service for 15 years or more.
. Cook County Administrator Jeff Cadwell brought forth recommendations from the Public Health and Human Services Advisory Board Ad Hoc committee who reviewed the public health related grant requests.
In the past these groups and programs who will receive funding were called “non-mandated,” and they had to have representatives appear each year before the commissioners with requests for donations.
The ad hoc committee forwarded a recommendation to commissioners to keep the grant request at two percent of this year’s levy.
In 2017, the commissioners approved $147,200. For 2018, the goal of the commissioners was not to grant more than $157,300.
Agencies and programs receiving these public health dollars include Birch Grove Community Center, Community Education, Senior Center, Volunteer Attorney, Legal Aid, and others. Cadwell also reviewed a conversation that was held at the Highway Advisory Committee about the need to reevaluate the County’s Capital Equipment Replacement Plan. All of these assumptions will be included in a set of options prepared for the Commissioners to use next week in setting the preliminary levy for 2018.
. County Administrator Cadwell brought the 2017 contract with local No 49, International Union of Operating Engineers, AFL CIO (Highway department) before the board for approval. The contract is effective from August 22, 2017 through December 31, 2017. Commissioners approved the contract.
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