Tuesday, February 13, 2024. The Lake County Board of Commissioners’ regularly scheduled meeting was called to order at 2:00 p.m. by Lake County Board Acting Chairperson Jeremy M. Hurd. Acting Chair Hurd led the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. Unless otherwise stated, all actions have been approved by a unanimous vote. Lake County Board members present in the Lake County Service Center, Split Rock River Room (SRRR), 616 Third Avenue, Two Harbors, Minnesota: District 1 Commissioner Joe Baltich, District 3 Commissioner Richard “Rick” C. Hogenson, and District 4 Commissioner Jeremy M. Hurd. Board members absent: District 2 Commissioner Derrick “Rick” L. Goutermont and District 5 Commissioner Rich Sve. Also present: County Administrator Matthew Huddleston, County Auditor Linda Libal, County Attorney Russ Conrow, Environmental Services Director Christine McCarthy, GIS Analyst Amy Lewis, and Clerk of the Board Laurel D. Buchanan.
MOTION HOGENSON, SECOND BALTICH: 01 – Approval of the agenda. Absent: Goutermont, Sve
Lake County Board Acting Chairperson Jeremy M. Hurd opened the floor for public comments. No public comments were made.
Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District Manager Tara Solem provided an update on watershed planning in Lake County, including the Rainy Headwaters – Vermilion River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan and the Memorandum of Cooperative Agreement for Implementation of the Rainy Headwaters – Vermilion River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan. The MOA is made and entered into between the County of Cook, by and through the County Board of Commissioners, the County of Lake, by and through the County Board of Commissioners, the County of St. Louis, by and through the County Board of Commissioners, the Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District, by and through the Soil and Water Conservation Board of Supervisors, the Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District, by and through the Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors, and the North St. Louis County Soil and Water Conservation District, by and through the Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors. Environmental Services Director Christine McCarthy thanked Tara Solem for her work.
County Administrator Matthew Huddleston provided an update on several items of county business. County Auditor and Environmental Services Director provided brief updates for their offices.
MOTION HOGENSON, SECOND BALTICH: 02 – Approve Consent Agenda as presented:
1. Approve Board of Commissioners’ regular meeting minutes of January 23, 2024.
2. Approve Health and Human Services claims payments in the following amounts:
a. Administrative Payments $ 17,071.90
b. Region III Payments $ 45,316.67
c. Special Payments $684,265.93
3. Authorize payment to Centralsquare Technologies in the amount of $15,951.85 for the 911 System Annual Maintenance Fees from 4/9/2024 – 4/8/2025 (invoice 401385).
4. Approve and authorize the Board Chair to sign the State of Minnesota Aerial Imagery and Lidar Services Work Order Contract between Lake County and Kucera. The total obligation of the County for all compensation and reimbursements to the Contractor under this Work Order Contract will not exceed $191,000.
5. Authorize payment to the City of Silver Bay for the 2023 UT 1 portion of the Silver Bay Fire Department in the amount of $17,833.36.
6. Appoint the following to the North Shore Collaborative (NSC) Joint Powers Board to serve a one-year term beginning January 1, 2024: Courtney Crilley, Accend Services; Abigail Lingwall, Human Development Center; David Mills, Cook County Board of Commissioners; Richard (Rick) Hogenson, Lake County Board of Commissioners; Rena Rogers, Cook County School Board; Rebecca Deschampe, Grand Portage Tribe; Harriet Hagedorn, Lake Superior School District; Emily Simonson, AEOA; Brian Stevenson, Arrowhead Regional Corrections.
7. Approve the appointment of Karen Saari and Dean Rudloff, Co-Chairs of the Lake County Local Mental Health Task Force, to the Lake County Health and Human Services Advisory Committee, effective January 1, 2024, for a one-year term.
8. Approve the appointment of Marlys Wisch to serve on the Lake County Health and Human Services Advisory Committee, effective January 1, 2024, for a two-year term.
9. Approve the appointment of Deb Scott to serve as Chair of the Lake County Health and Human Services Advisory Committee, effective January 1, 2024, for a one-year term.
10. Approve the appointment of Honor Schauland to serve as Vice Chair of the Lake County Health and Human Services Advisory Committee, effective January 1, 2024, for a one-year term.
11. Approve and authorize the Lake County Board Chair and Health and Human Services Director to sign the Minnesota Department of Health Response Sustainability Grant Project Agreement between the Carlton-Cook-Lake-St. Louis Community Health Board and Lake County Health and Human Services for the period of January 16, 2024, through June 30, 2027. Further authorize the Board Chair and Health and Human Services Director to sign any subsequent amendments or grant award letters through the term of this grant.
12. Approve the Resolution to Submit, Adopt and Implement the Rainy Headwaters – Vermilion River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan and authorize signatures on the Memorandum of Cooperative Agreement for Implementation of the Rainy Headwaters – Vermilion River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan.
13. Authorize the Highway Engineer to sign the Special Event Permit for the Heck of the North Gravel Classic bike race/ride scheduled for Saturday, September 28, 2024 and located on the following public highways under Lake County jurisdiction:
– CR 131 (Drummond Grade)
– CR 123 (Moen Road)
– UT 10 (Old Drummond Road)
– UT 34 (Westover Road)
– CSAH 2 (Highway 2)
– CSAH 3 (Highway 3)
14. Authorize the Highway Engineer to sign the Special Event Permit for the Wolf Bikepacking Race scheduled for July 19 – 21, 2024 and located on the following public highways under Lake County jurisdiction:
– CR 131 (Drummond Grade)
– CSAH 2 (Highway 2)
– CSAH 15 (Forest Highway 11)
– CSAH 16 (Kawishiwi Trail & Spruce Road)
– CR 705 (Cramer Road)
– CSAH 7 (Cramer Road)
– CR 701 (Hefflefinger Road)
– CSAH 3 (Highway 3)
15. Authorize the Highway Engineer to sign the Special Event Permit for the Fox Bikepacking Race scheduled for June 22 – 23, 2024 and located on the following public highways under Lake County jurisdiction:
– CSAH 7 (Cramer Road)
16. Approve closeout of project SAP 038-603-039, Bridge 38J39 and Approaches, CSAH 3 – E. Branch Silver Creek and a final payment of $15,690.40 for the work completed to Landwehr Construction for a total contract work value of $771,149.03.
17. Approve remittance of 2024 HUTDF Town Road Account distributions in accordance with Minnesota Statute 162.081 and Minnesota Rules, as follows:
a. $7,189.11 for Beaver Bay town roads
b. $8,146.52 for Crystal Bay town roads
c. $13,517.43 for Fall Lake town roads
d. $21,115.71 for Silver Creek town roads
e. $9,530.65 for Stony River town roads
18. Approve Project Labor Agreement (PLA) Committee recommendation for requiring a PLA on Highway Department Project SAP 038-602- 036, Reconditioning of Highway 2 (CSAH 2), Upland Trail to Greenwood Lake.
19. Approve Project Labor Agreement (PLA) Committee recommendation for requiring a PLA on Highway Department Project CP 102-024- 001, Replacement of Bridge 93091, Hawk Hill Road (CR 102) over Knife River.
20. Approve Project Labor Agreement (PLA) Committee recommendation for requiring a PLA on Highway Department Project SP 038-607-015, Replacement of Bridge 7909, Cramer Road (CSAH 7) over Ninmile Creek pending authorization or approval to include a PLA requirement from MnDOT and/or FHWA.
21. Approve Project Labor Agreement (PLA) Committee recommendation for requiring a PLA on Highway Department Project SAP 038-632- 003, Reconstruction of Banks Blvd in Silver Bay.
22. Authorize Highway Department purchase of installed snowplow and dump truck components and accessories for two (2) plow trucks from Towmaster Truck Equipment under State Cooperative Purchasing Venture (CPV) contract number 222949A at a cost not to exceed $176,592.00 for each truck plus any additional delivery, tax, title, or registration fees.
23. Approve the following appointments as election judges for Unorganized Territory #2: Rhonda Studier-Sve and Karen Howard.
24. Approve the following appointment as on-call election judges for Unorganized Territory #2: Vicki Falk and Sandi Olson.
25. Approve the following appointment to the absentee ballot board: Vicki Falk.
26. Approve the following auditor/treasurer staff to the absentee ballot board (as needed basis only): Lola Haus and Ronelle Radle. Absent: Goutermont, Sve
MOTION HOGENSON, SECOND BALTICH: 03 – Motion to table the proposed updates to the County Fee Schedule for 2024. Absent: Goutermont, Sve
MOTION HOGENSON, SECOND BALTICH: 04 – Approve the resignation of Cory Hage, Engineering Technician, effective February 2, 2024. Absent: Goutermont, Sve
MOTION HOGENSON, SECOND BALTICH: 05 – Approve the recruitment for one full-time Engineering Technician. Absent: Goutermont, Sve
MOTION BALTICH, SECOND HOGENSON: 06 – Approve the change in employment status of Melissa Crandall, Assistant Veteran Service Officer, due to completion of probation effective February 14, 2024. Absent: Goutermont, Sve
MOTION HOGENSON, SECOND BALTICH: 07 – Approve the trial appointment of Scott Anseth, Highway Maintenance Worker, to Highway Maintenance Coordinator at the Step 4 wage of $29.24 per hour effective February 17, 2024. Absent: Goutermont, Sve
MOTION BALTICH, SECOND HOGENSON: 08 – Approve the probationary appointment of Eric Warnecke to Highway Maintenance Supervisor at the Step 4 wage of $34.21 per hour effective February 19, 2024. Absent: Goutermont, Sve
MOTION HOGENSON, SECOND BALTICH: 09 – Approve the Highway Department request to fill the following 67-day temporary positions:
Laborer
3 positions $15.00 per hour
Industrial Mower
5 positions $16.50 per hour
Engineering Intern
2 positions $18.00 per hour
Truck Driver
3 positions $18.50 per hour Absent: Goutermont, Sve
MOTION BALTICH, SECOND HOGENSON: 10 – Approve the Maintenance Department request to fill two 67-day temporary Grounds Maintenance positions at $15.00 per hour. Absent: Goutermont, Sve
MOTION HOGENSON, SECOND BALTICH: 11 – Approve the probationary appointment of Mackenzie Hogfeldt to Environmental Services Professional at the Step 2 wage of $32.04 per hour effective February 20, 2024. Absent: Goutermont, Sve
MOTION BALTICH, SECOND HOGENSON: 12 – Approve the probationary appointment of Jacob Ihfe to Deputy Sheriff at the Step 2 wage of $29.93 per hour effective February 20, 2024. Absent: Goutermont, Sve
MOTION HOGENSON, SECOND BALTICH: 13 – Adjourn Board meeting of the Lake County Board of Commissioners at 2:38 p.m. Absent: Goutermont, Sve
The Lake County Board of Commissioners will convene for the following meetings:
– Committee of the Whole at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at the Lake County Highway Department, 1513 Highway 2, Two Harbors, Minnesota.
– Regular meeting at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, in the Lake County Service Center, Split Rock River Room, 616 Third Avenue, Two Harbors, Minnesota:
ATTEST:
Laurel D. Buchanan Clerk of the Board
Jeremy M. Hurd, Acting Chairperson
Lake County Board of Commissioners
