June 10, 2021 at 1:12 p.m.
Cooperative venture between Cass and Crow Wing counties approved
Cass contracts to have three to five abandoned buildings demolished annually. Crow Wing averages about one building every three to four years, Stevenson said.
While the demolitions now will be jointly advertised in the hope costs will run lower, each county will sign a separate contract with the winning bidder.
Tuesday, the board awarded a contract to low bidder, Grinning Bear Roll-off Service of Pine River, to inspect for asbestos and other regulated materials in five buildings on tax forfeited land for $2,050.
Their report will determine whether a demolition contractor can remove a few hazardous materials separately during general demolition or whether a hazardous materials contractor will have to be hired, Stevenson said.
If Crow Wing County commissioners approve the cooperative agreement, they can start the process by using Cass's Grinning Bear's per-house bid, Stevenson explained.
[[In-content Ad]]The board voted to ask the Association of Minnesota Counties to lobby the state Legislature in 2011 to enact permission for Cass County Land Department to conduct a pilot program to manage timber on 150,000 school trust acres of the state's 191,000 acres of land in the county.
Stevenson noted the county makes a profit selling timber from the 254,000 acres of land the county currently administers. The county distributes that money to cover county land management operations and distributes additional profits to schools and townships in the county. The state only breaks even on its land management, he said.
From the county's $1,341,021 2009 timber sales profits, the county paid $535,504 to its land management operations, $321,845 to schools, $321,845 to the county general fund and $160,923 to townships, thus lowering the amount local governments needed to levy for their operations.
While Stevenson admitted more private businesses would need to generate more demand to make cutting more timber from state lands profitable, he said he believed with the right business plan, the county could generate profit from the additional state lands if the county were authorized to manage them.
Tuesday, the board also voted to permit Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to install three testing wells on county administered land to monitor groundwater for early detection of pollution.
MPCA is using money from the three-eights cent environmental and arts sales tax to install monitoring wells throughout the state, Stevenson said. These will be installed at a depth of about 25 feet. MPCA believes by identifying pollutants at that level, the causes of pollution can be stopped in the future before the pollutants reach the deeper wells people tap for drinking water use.
Wells on county land will be installed off logging trails in McKinley, Byron and Birch Lake Townships.
Second publication rights after Brainerd Dispatch.
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