June 10, 2021 at 1:12 p.m.
County revenue from Chippewa National forest at 5-year high
Cass's $348,976.81 payment this year comes from revenue the national forest generated in 2016. It is the highest of the last five years.
Of the total, the county gets $174,488.41. Walker-Hackensack-Akeley, Cass Lake-Bena, Remer-Longville and Deer River Schools split the balance.
Cass County Board Tuesday set a public hearing for the 6 p.m. regular board meeting Aug. 15 at Pine River City Hall to consider extending the levy for County Ditch 9, but at a reduced amount.
That levy was authorized four years ago to generate $30,000 to clear the agricultural ditch of beavers and their dams. The ditch was installed about 100 years ago and had not been maintained.
The hearing will propose to reduce the levy to $21,500 for the next five years, because legal fees and excavation are not expected during those years.
The board approved a three-year labor contract with International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49, representing county highway department employees. Terms follow those contracts the board approved earlier with other unions.
They call for 2.5 percent wage scale increases each Jan. 1 and, for those who have not already reached Step 10 on the scale, a July 1 step increase of about 3 percent.
Mark Beard obtained board approval to extend his contract to provide construction management services to the county for another year at the same $50 per hour rate he has charged since 2014. The extension stipulates he will pay liability insurance without increasing his hourly rate.
The commissioners voted to extend a contract with Devon Shafer, doing business as Shafer Excavating, to inspect new private sewer systems for $95 each when properly executed and documented or $20 for each as-built properly reviewed and documented without an onsite inspection.
They also voted to allow the county environmental services department to begin charging sewer system installers a $50 re-inspection fee. This fee will be charged when installers call Shafer to have a new system inspected before they are ready, thus requiring Shafer to make a second inspection trip when they are ready for him.
The board approved out of state travel for Probation Officer Bryan Harris to attend community supervisory training sponsored by the National Drug Court Institute in May at the National Judicial College in Reno, Nev. The Minnesota State Court Administrator's Office will pay the cost for this training.
Cass County sold 5,545 cords of timber from the five tracts of trees offered for sale to loggers March 30. Aspen sold for $39.94 per cord. Oak sold for $38.69 per cord.
The commissioners approved a renewal contract with Range Mental Health Center to provide sub-acute detoxification services for health, human and veterans services eligible clients for $342 per day.
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