June 10, 2021 at 1:12 p.m.
Commissioners decline statue offer from Walker resident
Ringle had approached the city of Walker earlier about locating the statues on city property. The city is scheduled to consider the proposal further at a June 6 council meeting.
The courthouse lawn currently has a bronze bust of Ed Rogers, who was a longtime Cass County Attorney, a county elected official. The county commissioned that statue as a part of the county centennial celebration. It was sculpted by one of Rogers' decedents.
Ringle's proposed statues include one figure each to represent early man, early Americans (early Indians), fur traders, lumbermen, fishermen and families.
The commissioners noted there are no figures included to represent farmers who homesteaded here. They also said they believed there could be no end of people feeling their heritage had been left out.
"It (the courthouse) is the people's property," Chairman Jim Dowson said, echoing the board's consensus that county property should be left to represent only county functions, not just those of the Walker/Leech Lake area.[[In-content Ad]]
In other business Tuesday, Kevin Lee, North Memorial Ambulance, reported Longville Area Ambulance Service transported 44 people to hospitals in the first quarter this year, the same number as the first quarter of 2010.
Because two paramedics were on medical leave during that quarter, salary expenses ran higher than projected and about $8,000 more than in 2010, but the service received more income than projected in the budget, Lee reported.
Therefore, the service ran at a 15.3 percent profit and was above the 10 percent goal.
The commissioners set the 2011 distribution of 2010 profits from timber sales from county administered tax forfeit land. The $1,201,930 distribution was down slightly from the $1,339,201 2010 distribution.
Of the total $300,482 will go to the county general fund, $330,531 to reforestation, $120,193 to trails, $300,482 to schools in the county and $150,242 to cities and townships.
The county sold $295,064.69 of stumpage from county administered land at an April 28 auction. Aspen sold for $29.13 per cord and red oak for $32.16 per cord. Those were the two largest tree species offered on the sale at 4,435 cords of aspen and 3,504 cords of oak. No red or white pine was offered in this sale.
Land Commissioner Joshua Stevenson reported the county contracted to plant 30,330 red pine seedlings on 48 acres this spring and 75,200 jackpine seedlings on 102 acres. Aerial seeding covered 78 acres with black spruce/tamarack, six acres with jackpine, 19 acres with white pine/white spruce and 33 acres with white pine.
The board authorized Stevenson to hire low bidder of three, Sawyer Enterprises, to repair two gates on county timber access roads for $180 and low bidder of six, Schrupp Excavating, for $800 to demolish structures on tax forfeited land.
Stevenson reported the film applied to windows in the land department office at Backus is already saving cooling costs.
The board voted to spend $11,500 to have film applied to south and west windows in the courthouse annex and south windows on the third floor of the health, human and veterans services building in Walker.
Central Services Director Tim Richardson said he expects a less than five-year payback on the investment. The film is guaranteed for 15 years.
The board will hold a public hearing during the regular 9 a.m. July 5 board meeting at the courthouse in Walker on an update of the county's capital improvement plan.
Second publication rights after Brainerd Dispatch.
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