Commissioners approved a resolution to apply for 2020 funding from the Minnesota Trail Assistance Program with auditor/treasurer Braidy Powers acting as the county fiscal agent for the grant. The money is distributed to the Banadad Trail Association, Bally Creek Ski Trails, Norpine Trail Association Pincushion/North Shore Ski and Run Club and the Sugarbush Trail Association who maintain area cross country ski trails. . Current highway engineering technician Randy Roberts was promoted to the position of engineering technician supervisor. The posting to hire either a supervisor or technician was approved last year by the board but it has been very difficult to fill. Roberts meets all of the qualifications of the engineering technician supervisor position. Commissioners agreed to post the highway engineer technician I or II position opened by Roberts’ advancement. . At the request of Cook County Highway Engineer Krysten Foster, the commissioners approved hiring the services of Braun Intertec Corporation, who performs geotechnical testing services on an on-call basis. Foster said the department received and evaluated three geotechnical services proposals and Braun offered the lowest fees, as well as had the best depth of staff.
Braun’s services will be needed for the Mineral Center Road paving project, the Hovland garage, South Shore Drive and the Two Island River projects. The cost of these projects is anticipated to be covered by the bond funds for the Mineral Center Road and Hovland garage and the state-aid funds for the South Shore Drive and Two Island River projects. . Brian Silence, maintenance director, came before the board with a request to install a chemical fire suppression system in the Law Enforcement Center (LEC) server room at the cost of $21,000.
Silence said it was recently discovered that the server room, which contains thousands of dollars of computer equipment, was protected by a fire suppression system that was water based. Once it was found, the sprinkler was disabled. Silence said the money needed to pay for the chemical fire suppression system was covered in the building fund. Commissioners passed a resolution granting the request. . IT Director Rena Rogers requested that AT&T be allowed to move their cell service equipment from the WDSE tower above Grand Marais on the Old Ski Hill Road to the county’s more stable tower which is nearby.
“As a result of FirstNet, the Public Safety Broadband Network, AT&T is significantly improving their coverage in Cook County,” said Rogers, adding that the equipment change over is significant and AT&T needed a more structurally sound tower to operate from.
Under terms of the 25-year lease agreement with five-year terms, AT&T will pay the county an initial rate of $35,784.84 per year, with an annual increase of 2 percent.
Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the lease agreement.
Further business:
A request to purchase 10 individual monitors for commissioners’ desks and a conference room projector for $3,148 was approved.
The monitors will allow commissioners or others who use the room to view powerpoint projections on the wall behind the commissioners, as well as allow commissioners to view the agenda or meeting materials on the monitors.
County Assessor Todd Smith asked commissioners to approve three abatements, one for a house that burned down, one for a Homestead Exemption and one for a clerical error. All of the reductions were approved.
Auditor/Treasurer Braidy Powers recommended to the board to adopt a Post Insurance Debt Compliance Policy for tax exempt government bonds because the policy would help the county remain in compliance with Internal Revenue Code regulations for all tax-exempt debt insurances.
Cost to the county for the updates to the current policy and procedures is $200, which is to be paid to Ehlers & Associates.
Next, Powers asked commissioners to approve a purchase agreement for Wetland Banking Credits at the cost of $240,499.
In his summary to the board Powers pointed out that purchase of wetlands credits is required under a modification of the Army Corps of Engineers permit that was issued for the extension of the airport runway. The adjustment of the permit was for additional tree removal allowing full use of the new runway. The permit also allowed the county to discharge dredged fill material into .64 acres of wetlands adjacent to Junco Creek to extend Runway 9 at the Cook County-Grand Marais Airport.
Powers said a grant application had been sent to the FAA for the wetland purchase and the approval of the purchase was required by the FAA before they would finalize the grant.
The county agreed to purchase the wetland credits from Dennis LaBoda for $237,511. The county also has to pay a withdrawal fee of $1,890.20 to the State of Minnesota and a fee of $520 for Bank Service Area 1 and a stewardship fee of $1,098 based on the per credit fee of the balance of purchase price.
County administrator Jeff Cadwell gave an update on the Hovland Public Works project and the bathroom remodel at the YMCA.
Judy Hill brought five job descriptions to the board which had been reviewed and needed updating. The board approved the updates, which reflected changes in the jobs or the certification held by people who held the positions.
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