Cass County Board: Delta variant dominates Cass County COVID cases

   WALKER — The Covid-19 Delta variant is 99% of the current positive cases Cass County is currently seeing, Gina Zubke, public health nurse reported at the Tuesday, Nov. 2 Cass County Board meeting.

   Zubke shared the trends out of the recent surges of positive cases. During the past month, the population ages 0-18 were the highest affected numbers but there has been a recent shift to people ages 30-49 years old. Speculation is this shift is to the parents and guardians of the children that have tested positive. Zubke also mentioned hospitalization rates are lower than the other surges seen last fall and spring, but those that are being hospitalized are under the age of 50 and have not been vaccinated. 

   Zubke then shared with the board that Cass County Public Health has been holding weekly Covid-19 vaccine clinics every Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The public can pre-register for these clinics or walk-ins are accepted. Currently all three vaccines are being offered along with the third doses and booster doses. Zubke also mentioned Cass County Public Health has been working with five school districts to hold vaccine clinics once the vaccine has been approved for kids ages 5-11.

   County Administrator Josh Stevenson presented an overview of the citizen budget committee meeting held Friday, Oct. 15. Final budget recommendations from the committee was to set the levy at 2.99% over the 2021 levy based on adjustments including $250,000 from the 2020 Unassigned General Fund balance, $125,000 from local option sales tax fund balance, $225,000 from salary vacancies in the sheriff’s office and adding $100,000 from the 2020 Unassigned General Fund balance to the capital plan fund.

   In other business, the county board:

   • Adopted a resolution appointing Josh Stevenson as County Administrator for an additional four years.

   • Approved submitting a letter of support for Stephen’s Lake portage easement relocation with wording in it saying the county requires them to provide public access to the lake.

   • Approved a grant in the amount of $80,000 to Wild Roots Early Learning Center to build and open a day care facility in Pine River that will provide child care services to children ages 6 weeks to school age, along with providing jobs in the community.

   • Approved providing an additional $40,888.70 for the Courthouse sidewalk project and concrete add-ons needed during the project.

   • Approved the final payment for the contract on County Road 5, County Road 46 and County Road 47 construction projects in the Hackensack/Longville area. 

  • Approved an agreement with Corinna Wynn for use of property for an additional recycling container site in Hackensack and to spend up to $1,500 for gravel and fencing at the site.

   • Approved the request from the City of Cass Lake to pay the tipping fee, not to exceed $15,000, for the demolition of the old Neises Store after receiving more information as requested at the last meeting.

   • Approved an agreement with Slagle’s Demolition Landfill to haul and unload used tires and recycled electronics from their site in Longville to the transfer station in Pine River at a rate of $100 per hour, and not to exceed two hours per trip. 

   The next meetings are as follows: Commissioner’s board meeting, 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, at the Land Department meeting room in Backus; AMC Annual Conference Monday, Dec. 6 through Wednesday, Dec. 8, at Double Tree Hotel, Bloomington-Minneapolis South, 7800 Normandale Boulevard, Minneapolis and commissioner’s board meeting, 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9 with a public hearing beginning at 6 p.m. regarding the 2022 Cass County fee schedule, budget and property tax levy, at the boardroom in the courthouse annex in Walker.