June 10, 2021 at 1:12 p.m.
Cass Board declines to act on muskies on Gull Lake
Minnesota DNR has ordered muskies be stocked annually in that lake over 10 years. Brainerd Chapter of Muskies Inc. supports it.
A majority of Gull Chain of Lakes Association members have signed a petition opposing stocking.
Since the last county board meeting, Commissioner Neal Gaalswyk talked to Sen. Paul Gazelka, who was an author of a Minnesota Senate bill last session that called for a four-year moratorium on stocking muskies in all additional Minnesota waters.
During the moratorium, further analysis would have been given to the impact muskies have on other fish. The bill passed the Senate, but never was heard in the House. Gaalswyk said Gazelka considers that bill dead now.
Marc Bacigalupi, Minnesota DNR, said his agency has done studies on the impact of muskies on other game fish and has found no impact in other lakes. Additionally, he said, there were muskies historically in Gull before the dams were built on the lake.
Commissioner Dick Downham pointed out the county board does not have control over the DNR.
Gaalswyk noted the county had only taken positions on issues when the board has had unanimous support from local (city and town) governments on an issue. There were mixed positions from local governments on this issue.
Commissioner Jeff Peterson expressed concern about drawing more fishermen to Gull Lake, which is infested with zebra mussels, who then could bring more invasive species to lakes north of Gull.
Bacigalupi said it is important for all boaters to clean their boats thoroughly when leaving an infested water.
The board's action Tuesday cancelled the tabled status from the last meeting and had them declining to act on the resolution that would have supported a four-year moratorium.
On other issues Tuesday, the assessor's office reported second quarter foreclosures continued to decline. There were only nine this year, compared with 20 three years ago.
All were worth under $400,000. Only two were homesteaded properties.
The number of arm's length property sales continued to increase this year. There were 408 properties sold the first half of this year, compared with 381 last year.
Central Services Director Tim Richardson informed the board the county expects to pay about $67,110 for heating propane gas this coming heating season or $0.85 per gallon by bulk load and $0.655 per gallon by transport truck. This will be up slightly from the $59,394 paid last heating season. Lakes Gas offered the combined lowest bid this year and last.
The county heats the following buildings it owns with propane: Health, Human and Veterans Service and courthouse in Walker; highway garages at Walker, Remer, Longville, Hackensack, and Pillager; land department office and shop buildings; Longville ambulance building; and Deep Portage Learning Center.
Land Commissioner Kirk Titus obtained board approval to continue applying annually to the Lessard Sams Outdoor Heritage Council for state 3/8ths cent sales tax money to buy land.
Titus reported the county sold all five timber contracts to cut on county administered land at an Aug. 25 auction. Loggers paid $40.14 per cord for aspen. Red Oak sold for $47.60 per cord.
The board approved a new off-sale liquor license at Palace Junction for Bemidji Cooperative Association of Cass Lake. The license is contingent on the current owner for that business, Skip Finn, selling the property in October to Bemidji Cooperative Association.
Health, Human and Veterans Services spending through July ran just under budget projections. Costs for out of home child placements, however, ran about 3 percent over budget.
Hackensack American Legion Auxiliary donated $200 to the veterans transportation program.
In the public comment portion of the meeting, Joey Wade expressed concern to the board that tribal courts currently do not have as much oversight as state courts.
His concern was if tribal courts are given authority over criminal cases as well as civil and regulatory cases as has been proposed that there are not sufficient rules to govern that they would hear cases fairly.
He cited the Tribal Youth and Community Protection Act of 2016, which was introduced, but has yet to pass Congress.
The county board heard his concerns, but took no action on the issue.
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