Commissioners approved posting a part-time YMCA custodian job for a 10-16 hour per week position.
Currently, there is only one custodian assigned to clean the Y. In June two YMCA custodian positions opened up, and only one full-time person was hired to replace the two workers. The job is open to being done in either early morning or evenings.
Judy Sivertson was hired to fill the part-time bailiff position.
Part-time county employees will now be offered the standard life insurance benefit currently available to full-time county workers. Commissioners approved giving part-time employees the chance to choose the standard $10,000 life insurance policy. This will cost the county $1.88 per part-time employee per month. Total cost to the county is $9.25 per month or $111 per year with the new hire.
A donation of $300 from John Peterson of Hovland to the Sheriff ’s department was accepted with thanks. Peterson asked that his contribution is used for search and rescue equipment.
Commissioners approved by resolution the Grant-In-Aid permit for the Gunflint, Lutsen and Tofte snowmobile trails for the period of January 20, 2019, through December 31, 2023.
The board also approved a new billboard lease agreement between Superior Ridge Motel and Cook County for one year at the cost of $4,900. The billboard is used to inform the public about invasive species. The Cook County AIS group agreed to the increase of $150 per year increase.
Cook County Auditor/ Treasurer Braidy Powers sought a motion to solicit bids from newspapers to publish legal notices for the county, with submissions due on December 13, so the county could review the proposals on December 18, 2018. Commissioners approved a motion to move forward with Powers request.
Also approved was a contract for medical examiner services and coroner services with Anoka County.
Sawtooth Mountain Clinic provided coroner services through Dr. Sandra Stover, who recently left to take a teaching position at the University of Minnesota Duluth medical school. The medical examiner and autopsy services were recently awarded to Anoka County. Sawtooth Mountain Clinic recently gave the county notice of their intent to cancel the coroner contract when Dr. Stover resigned.
Recent flooding at the Cook County Historical Society basement has caused damage and needs to be fixed. Last October flooding allowed nine inches of standing water to enter and some collections, especially paper, were lost. A second flood this October was inevitable, and artifacts were moved to shelves or to other locations.
“We are working to remove all artifacts from the lower level, but we have no other facility with proper environmental controls or enough space to house the collection,” wrote Executive Director Carrie Johnson to the county board.
In 2005 the building was added onto with a lower level. The lower level houses most of the 5,000 objects, 675 books, 1,500 files containing thousands of documents and 20,000 photographs entrusted to the Society. But the lower level can no longer be used for storage, said Johnson, who was seeking to hire a company to repair the problem with the basement leaking.
With that, commissioners approved a contract with Northern State Basement to provide drain tile and install a sump pump system in the basement at the cost of $11,914.
The sump pump system will also prevent potentially expensive foundation repairs, said Johnson.
YMCA Director Emily Marshall came before the board with an update about making a new childcare bathroom in the Y facility, which is owned by the county. Marshall is seeking a grant that may call for matching funds from the county.
The Y currently is licensed for 42 children, but with additional bathrooms and playground space, their license could be expanded to 62 children.
The YMCA needs approximately $120,000 to finish the bathroom and playground. At Marshall’s request, the Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority recently agreed to apply for and accept funds from the IRRRB Infrastructure Grant Program that would be used to add an additional bathroom to the childcare space.
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