Cass County Board: Cass Lake veterinary clinic receives letter of support from county

   SMOKY HOLLOW TOWNSHIP — Cass County is offering a letter of support for a community veterinary clinic in the Cass Lake area. 

   Commissioners briefly discussed the letter at its July 20 meeting at Smoky Hollow Township. The letter was part of the board’s consent agenda but Board Chair Jeff Peterson requested more information on community veterinary clinic. Commissioner Rick Haaland said the clinic is proposed to be built in the Cass Lake area with funding from various non-profit animal activist organizations and will have volunteer veterinarians staffing the facility along with veterinary students from the University of Minnesota. 

   County Administrator Josh Stevenson also told the baord he had a request to pull from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Grant activity from the consent agenda for more discussion. Stevenson stated as of July 15, the county had received a total of 18 direct cash requests with several more being received since then. Stevenson said the grant is not only for businesses and nonprofit organizations, but anyone who is self employed. He said most businesses are using the grants to help pay for loans now coming due or to help pay for updates to HVAC systems.

   There also is separate money available to townships that has been sent to the state, Stevenson said. The townships will need to request this money from the state in order to receive it and if the township cannot use or distribute the money they can turn the money over to the county to be put into the category for the direct payments to businesses. Stevenson said even though a township may not have a business in it there are residents in the township that work at a business that could benefit from the grant. If the township doesn’t ask for the money from the state the state will keep the money and use it in other areas of the state. The ARPA grant activity was approved by all commissioners with Haaland abstaining. 

   A public hearing was also held to approve and adopt the updated 2021 Cass County fee schedule with the only changes being  an increase on the prices of culverts and mailbox supports. Stevenson said he had not received any written or phone comments and the reasoning for the update to the fee schedule is due to the increased cost in materials. County Engineer Darrick Anderson said he plans to begin his supply orders in October for the following year. This way, he said, he can have correct costs for when the fee schedule is set in December and possible increases throughout the year can be avoided. Commissioners Neal Gaalswyk and Bob Kangas motioned and seconded the adoption of the new fee schedule, with the motion passing unanimously.

   In other business, the county board:

   • Heard a concern on conditions of County Road 161 in Smoky Hollow Township, with Anderson stating the grant he had applied for through the Minnesota Department of Natural resources was denied, but he was planning on applying again. In the meantime the department was addressing a few of the soft spots in the road, Anderson said. 

   • Approved the updated Guide to Requesting Information from Cass County and the Inventory of Non-Public Data on Individuals.

   • Adopted a resolution proclaiming July 27, 2021 as County Staff Appreciation Day.

   • Received and filed a report from Chief Financial Officer Sandra Norikane on the 2020 preliminary audit results and the 2021 budget to actual.

   • Heard a report from Elections Administrator Pam Smith on the estimated Cass County redistricting time line.

   The next meetings are as follows: commissioner’s board meeting, 9 a.m. Tuesday, August 3 at the boardroom in the courthouse annex in Walker and commissioner’s board meeting, 6 p.m. Tuesday, August 17 at Cass Lake City Hall, 330 Second St. SW, Cass Lake.