Finding an assistant county engineer is turning out to be not such an easy task. Months after it was approved, the new position in the Cook County Highway Department remains open. On January 10, County Engineer David Betts asked the county board to allow him to bring senior engineering technician Bill Parish back parttime on a temporary basis to help with some engineering projects.
The board approved Betts’ request, allowing Parish to come back up to 10 hours a week for up to six months at $31/hour, less than he was getting with benefits before he retired last year. The cost will be offset by money budgeted for the assistant engineer position, and Parish’s engineering work will be covered by funding for the state-aid roads he will be working on.
The board is still hoping to find a replacement for Jim Hall on the Cook County/ Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) after Hall fulfilled the maximum number of consecutive terms allowed. The board had planned to interview CPA Greg Koschinska of Schroeder, but he withdrew his application because he thought he might have to miss about four meetings a year because of obligations outside the county.
Other positions remain open around the county as well. County Commissioner Bruce Martinson told the Schroeder town board on January 10 that he is willing to be replaced on the Tofte-Schroeder Sanitary Sewer District (TSSSD) board. Because of requirements of the bylaws, he has remained on that board for the last four years only because a replacement who lives within the district in Schroeder has not been found. It may behoove citizens to be careful what they volunteer for, because once they have a job, it might be theirs forever.
In other county news:
The board authorized the Highway Department to spend up to 110 percent of the $42,000 budgeted—up to $46,200—for a used shop service truck to replace a 1987 Chevy. This will allow the department to jump into a bidding process instead of having to wait for board approval. Maintenance Supervisor Russell Klegstad said a new truck would cost $85,000-110,000.
The board adopted a resolution supporting the reconstruction of 870 feet of County State Aid Highway 5, the Lutsen ski hill road, north of Brule Run Bridge. The resolution states that that portion of road is in disrepair and that the project is on the Highway Department’s 2012 schedule.
The project would include a number of safety features, said County Engineer David Betts, including a wider roadway, parking lanes, pull-offs for buses, lighting, a bridge guardrail, improved signage, and pedestrian features such as sidewalks and crosswalks.
“Pedestrian traffic is very heavy in that area,” Betts said, “so sidewalks and crosswalks would be very important.” The road will extend past the parking lot on the north side of Papa Charlie’s.
Betts estimates the total cost will be around $650,000, which he expects will be funded by a Minnesota Local Road Improvement Program grant along with a $120,000-125,000 contribution from Lutsen Mountains.
The board authorized an expenditure of just under $65,000 for new GPS survey equipment for the Highway Department. Much of this amount is the cost of the first of a two-year lease-to-buy agreement, with a buyout of $1 at the end of the lease.
Engineer Betts said renting the equipment would cost almost as much. The engineering technicians will use the equipment in designing road projects.
“It really increases our ability to be productive,” Betts said.
The board approved an agreement to initiate a land exchange with the U.S. Forest Service. The Forest Service would be obtaining up to about 1,912 acres of county land in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW).
The cost of the exchange is estimated to be $104,000, divided equally between the two parties. The person chosen to appraise the land is supposed to be non-biased, Cook County Land Commissioner Mary Black said, but she did not know how an appraiser would value shoreline land in the BWCAW that could never be developed.
Black said the Forest Service is mandated to make the “highest and best” use of its land.
The board approved an amendment to the county zoning ordinance that will allow the City of Grand Marais to process and evaluate planned unit development (PUD) applications within its two-mile extended jurisdictional area. This will eliminate a need for applicants to apply to both the city and the county.
Conflicts at county board meetings are sometimes spirited when commissioners disagree. At the end of the meeting, Commissioner Sue Hakes addressed the issue of respect. “I would like to see the tone and mood of the board changed,” she said, “so we can work together more effectively.”
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