A retired former Cook County Highway Engineer has agreed to accept a temporary contract to replace Krysten Foster. Foster left to take a position with the State of Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).
Michael Tardy, who served as the cook county highway engineer from 1988 to 1992, has agreed to step back into his old role on a temporary basis until the county can find a permanent replacement for Foster.
Under the proposed contract, Mr. Tardy will be paid $100 per hour but not work more than 20 hours per week. He lives in Duluth and will be reimbursed for his travel-related expenses. Overall, the cost to employ Mr. Hardy will be comparable to the value of the shared services agreement with Lake County for the services of Krysten Foster, who served as both Lake and Cook County Highway Engineers.
Lake County has told Cook County it does not wish to enter into a shared services contract at this time while it attempts to replace Foster.
Mr. Hardy entered into an agreement for employment with Cook County on Saturday, May 2, 2020. The Cook County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution on Tuesday, May 5, during a special meeting acknowledging the hire.
Commissioners agreed that as the county highway department enters into what promises to be a busy summer, Mr. Hardy’s skills, experience, and knowledge of the CSAH roads will benefit the county as it searches for a permanent replacement for the hard working, highly-skilled Krysten Foster.
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