Commissioner Sve began the meeting by announcing that it was Minnesota’s Township Day, where residents of townships across the state hold annual meetings to discuss local issues and hold local elections. Sve planned to attend his township in Silver Creek.
The top issue of this meeting was the proposed resolution to switch the Lake County Recorder and Auditor/ Treasurer positions from elected to appointed. This was a topic of some discussion among the Board during the February 10th meeting, though all eventually agreed to pursue the change. So far, the Board has undergone all benchmarks required under Minnesota law, and during the meeting, Interim Auditor/Treasurer Radle and Chief Deputy Recorder Lee stated their continued support for the transition. Radle spoke on the technical complexity of the position, stating that “transitioning to an appointed County Auditor and Recorder ensures that critical positions are filled on specific qualifications rather than minimal electoral requirements.” She also pointed out that changing the positions to appointed would bring them in line with the hiring of other department heads within the County. Lee agreed: “I want the best qualified candidate […] there is a lot of technicalities that people don’t realize. We have a lot of statutes and laws and rules that we have to follow.” Many officials were in attendance to address any public comments regarding this and other action items, but there were none pertaining to the matter. Commissioner Baltich noted that, from his talks with County residents and the reception to the public postings on the proposal, “the general public is comfortable with the decision.” Commissioners Hurd and Sve noted that they had also not received any calls or emails concerning the issue. After a brief debate on whether to proceed with the transition or delay in case of opposition, the motion to proceed passed unanimously. Members of the public still have 30 days to comment on the resolution.
The evening prior to the meeting, Commissioner Baltich had visited Little Marais, where he spoke with residents about topics such as future helium projects and the Fiscal Disparities Program. He, along with other Commissioners, also attended the AMC (Association of Minnesota Counties) Legislative Conference in St. Paul the previous week, which he considered a success for reaching out to legislators.
Commissioner Goutermont elaborated on the Fiscal Disparities Program being a hot topic of discussion, especially considering the proposed data center in Hermantown. The Iron Range Fiscal Disparities Program was started in 1996 (using 1995 as a base year) to share a tax base between all groups within a not quite contiguous region very roughly consisting of Koochiching, Lake, and Cook counties, and parts of the counties of Itasca, Crow Wing, Aitkin, St. Louis, and Carlton, with the city of Duluth notably excluded from the arrangement. The current discussions involve scrutiny over who is paying vs being paid and how to update the agreement for modern circumstances.
Capitol Days was on the agenda for this week, running from March 18-19. Several Commissioners will be in attendance to represent and push for support for Lake County.
Sheriff Stadler reported on upgrading their shotguns, trading in their previous models – over 20 years old in the Sheriff’s case – for newer versions and coming in under budget. The Sheriff also led the St. Urho’s Day parade for what will probably be the last time due to his upcoming retirement.
The County’s IT Director discussed the proposed long-needed updates to the County website, including the need to have it be ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible by April 26, 2027. This would involve making the website compatible with screen readers, used by those who are blind/visually impaired or otherwise would have issues reading onscreen text. County Highway Engineer DiPiazza covered truck damaged in the big storm earlier this year in anticipation of the action items concerning new equipment for the Highway Department.
Prior to discussing other action items, the Board and Highway Engineer DiPiazza covered action item #8 in more detail for the benefit of the public. The Sunset Road Connector Project will involve realigning Sunset Road where it connects to Highway 16 in order to improve safety for drivers and nearby residences. Fall Lake Township has been approved for state funding for the project with the aid of Lake County. The action item, which was unanimously approved, awards the project to Low Impact Excavators, Inc. pending County Attorney review of the contract.
Other action items of note approved included a second public hearing involving the establishment of a cartway, the purchasing of new shotguns for the Sheriff’s Office, the Special Event Permit for the Wolf Bikepacking Race scheduled for July 10-12, the purchase of a new pressure washer/culvert steamer and snowplow repairs by the Highway Department, general maintenance services and supplies for the Toimi Wayside Rest, authorize bids for an Aggregate Stockpile Production contract, authorizing payment to The Jamar Company for roof renovations, reimbursing the City of Silver Bay for 1/2 the cost of replacement zamboni batteries, a 63 month printer/scanner lease for the Lake County Recorder’s Office, and a contract with CivicPlus.
Resolution items approved were the appointments of Environmental Services Director and Senior Engineering Technician, the probationary appointment of Accounting Technician, and filling a temporary Engineering Intern position.
