KITTSON COUNTY BOARD PROCEEDINGS November 1, 2022

KITTSON COUNTY BOARD
PROCEEDINGS
November 1, 2022

The Kittson County Board of Commissioners met, pursuant to adjournment on October 18, 2022 at 9:00 a.m.
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Younggren. The pledge to the flag was given.
A motion was made by Commissioner Johnson, seconded by Commissioner Gillie and unanimously carried to approve the agenda.
A motion was made by Commissioner Olson, seconded by Commissioner Younggren and unanimously carried to approve the Board minutes from October 4, 2022.
Administrator Buhmann requested moving the agenda item for the General Election update to the beginning of the meeting. He provided a summary of the omissions found with the initial election ballots and the process of appealing to the Minnesota Supreme Court for an order to correct the mistakes. The Minnesota Supreme Court order was issued on October 17, 2022 at the end of the business day. The County will be notifying voters who have submitted their incorrect ballot up until October 17, 2022 dated order by letter providing them with the option of revoting with a correct ballot or having a duplicate of their ballot made and transferred to a correct ballot. Corrected ballot packets will be mailed out to voters who have not yet had their ballot recorded with the County. The corrected ballot is needed to be submitted as the incorrect ballots will not be recorded if they are received after the October 17, 2022 court order. The ballot packet will include information on the Minnesota Supreme Court order, the omissions from the incorrect ballot, a new green striped return envelope for returning the corrected ballot in, and to destroy the incorrect ballot. Anticipate that the correct ballot will be mailed out by the end of the week, October 21, 2022. The letter includes our Taxpayer Services telephone number for the voters to call if they have any questions.
Jeanna Kujava, Public Health Director provided a visual demonstration for the board on building bridges and connecting with community groups and leaders to improve the lives of our citizens. Discussion on our involvement with Quin County and the reason the counties joined together was to have the capacity to apply for grant program funding.
Kathy Johnson, Social Services Director brought a request to extend the family medical leave for an employee who qualifies for the additional four (4) weeks as outlined in our County Personnel Policy handbook. A motion was made by Commissioner Gillie, seconded by Commissioner Johnson and unanimously carried to approve the extension.
Johnson presented a request to extend the contract hours for InterTech who in building the interface with the County Tyler software for financial tracking. The request was to increase to an additional 100 hours, but in 50 hour portions. A motion was made by Commissioner Johnson, seconded by Commissioner Olson and unanimously carried to approve an additional 100 hours to the contract.
Next two contracts with Tri-Valley Opportunity Council for transportation were brought to the Board, the first was the contract for the Tri-Valley bus at $2 per ride, annual cost to social service is approximately $7,000.00. A motion was made by Commissioner Gillie, seconded by Commissioner Kraulik and unanimously carried to approve the contract. The second contract for medical transportation and volunteer driver’s program with rides being reimbursed through medical assistance program. A motion was made by Commissioner Johnson, seconded by Commissioner Olson and unanimously carried to approve the contract.
Johnson provided a summary of the state Department of Human Services Waiver review conducted recently in the social services department.
A motion was made by Commissioner Kraulik, seconded by Commissioner Olson and unanimously carried to approve bills and meal reimbursements.
Commissioner’s
Warrants $143,831.35 Meal Reimbursements $119.24
Administrator Buhmann provided an update on the repair work being completed on the courthouse elevator. Anticipates an elevator inspection to occur in the next week or so. We will still need to install smoke alarms, so we are hoping to obtain a temporary license until they are installed.
Administrator Buhmann discussed the idea of holding Commissioner workshops. A workshop is still an open meeting which allows the Commissioners to all be in attendance to listen to and discuss specific topic issues without taking any action until a board meeting. Two topics that Buhmann feels where this would benefit the board is the 2023 Budget discussion and the setting of the Ditch levies. Buhmann was instructed to schedule the two workshops and provide proper public notice for them.
Buhmann announced that open enrollment for the signing up for the County’s Health Insurance and Benefit Plan for the employees started today.
Joining the Board meeting was Andrea Weleski, County Engineer as Buhmann began a discussion on the wheelage tax. Weleski provided the Commissioners with a spreadsheet with possible projects that could be paid for through the implementation of a countywide wheelage tax. Buhmann shared that the County would not be eligible to begin a wheelage tax program for fiscal year 2023 as there are public notices which need to be presented before August 1 of the year before the wheelage tax is to take effect. His recommendation would be to continue working on this for a 2024 implementation.
Weleski provided an update on CSAH #1 that the overlay is completed and that the road striping should be complete at week’s end if the weather cooperates. She also provided an update on the shoulder work and striping that is being worked on CSAH #7.
Committee reports- Commissioner Johnson shared that he has been in communication with Jim Butler from the Disabled American Veterans DAV group from Roseau on the vehicle situation and if a shared vehicle could be used between the different groups. Questions remain regarding ownership of the vehicle. Commissioner Kraulik no report. Commissioner Younggren reported attend the MarKit meeting with Commissioners Olson and Johnson. The new waterline and hydrate has been installed on the property. It was announced that the midwest vendor for cardboard recycling in the Twin Cities has stopped taking cardboard for recycling. This could have a big impact regionally as there are no other vendors in the upper midwest. Commissioner Olson discussed attending a Minnesota Rural Counties (MRC) meeting in which the lobbyist Dan Larson is retiring. MRC is interviewing three potential candidates as his replacement. Commissioner Gillie reported attending a fall meeting of the State Community Health Services Advisory Committee (SCHSAC) with Public Health Director Kujava. Commissioner Gillie is researching the history of the partnership of Quin County members and the funding associated with this membership. Gillie attended the Dancing Sky Committee which has concerns on the funding for our Area Agency on Aging as the funding for these services are being reformulated statewide and the adjustment will affect the funding in northwestern MN counties by a loss of over one million dollars. She will bring this issue to the Fall Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) Regional meeting.
Correspondence- None.
A motion was made by Commissioner Olson, seconded by Commissioner Johnson to adjourn the meeting at 10:42 a.m.
Loren Younggren,
Kittson County Board Chair
ATTEST: Brian E. Buhmann,
Kittson County Administrator
(November 9, 2022)
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