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BACKUS - Cass County Board reported Tuesday that five department heads met the requirements for their positions after the board conducted annual performance interviews with each person two weeks ago in a closed meeting.

Those department heads include Auditor-Treasurer Sharon Anderson, Central Services Director Tim Richardson, Environmental Services Director John Ringle, County Assessor Mark Peterson and Health, Human and Veterans Services Director Reno Wells.

The board conducted additional interviews with department heads at another closed meeting following Tuesday's board meeting.

Cass County voted Tuesday to pay Beaver Tree Service of Longville $1,880 to cut down and remove in July seven clumps of cedar trees from the courthouse front lawn.

Administrator Robert Yochum said the trees had overgrown the courthouse building and walkways. Additionally, the trees at least once had provided a place to hide for a person who escaped custody during a court hearing.

He said the plan will be to install only low growing bushes in the future.

The state of Minnesota will negotiate on behalf of Cass and other participating counties a lower rate from telephone companies for 911 services. There will be no cost to the county.

Central Services Director Tim Richardson informed the board 80 percent of 911 emergency calls now come from cell phones, so the state and county believe the charges telephone companies make for services from landline phones should be reduced.

Walker Legion American Post donated $500 and Hackensack Legion Auxiliary Post donated $200 for the veterans transportation program.

Cass County earned $560,204.38 interest on investments through September this year, compared with $537,503.70 in the same period last year.

The county spent $19,000 to pave a drive through driveway at the recycling drop-off location in the parking lot at Walker Hardware in Shingobee Township.

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