---

PINE RIVER-Cass County Board voted Tuesday to host the county's annual sale of surplus equipment online this fall.

McLaughlin Auctioneers will conduct the auction between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11. Some city and township items also may be offered.

In other business:

Longville Ambulance Service transported 108 patients the first half of this year, down from 115 in 2016. Profit margin ran 9.4 percent, slightly under the 10 percent goal, according to Kevin Lee of North Memorial Health, which operates the service.

Expenses ran under budget, Lee reported, and advance life support crews were available on every shift.

Land Commissioner Kirk Titus obtained board approval to drop a contract with former low bidder Mutch's Forestry Service to brush recreational trails and to award the contract, instead, to the next lowest bidder, Schrupp Excavating.

Mutch's started the project, but found their equipment inadequate to complete the job, Titus reported. He said the county's policy will prohibit Mutch's from bidding future county projects until proper equipment is obtained and the county is reimbursed the additional costs incurred to complete the project.

The cost difference is $5,056, he said. Trails involved in this contract are the Old Grade/Blind Lake, Bull Moose and Moose Lake.

Schrupp also was low bidder for a new contract to brush the Soo Line Trail at $9,500. Ruyak Enterprises had the lowest of three bids to replace culverts under the Soo Line Trail for $24,401 and to provide taconite tailings as needed for $17.69 per cubic yard.

Champion Forestry Services submitted the lowest of four bids at $42.87 per acre to apply bud caps on seedling trees to discourage deer browsing. About 150 acres will be capped where 955 trees per acre have been planted.

The sites are in Homebrook, May, Powers and Blind Lake townships.

The county has to update its child care assistance program plan annually. This year's plan was posted on the county website, www.co.cass.mn.us, Wednesday and is open for public comment until Sept. 15. The county board will then consider adopting the plan Sept. 19 before it is submitted to the state.

Cass County will administer a special election for Cass Lake-Bena School District for their special referendum Nov. 7 on whether voters will approve a special levy for school construction.

Second publication rights after Brainerd Dispatch.[[In-content Ad]]

---