Cass County Board: Camp Ripley official updates county on 2021 activities

   BACKUS—Brig. Gen. Lowell Kruse presented the 2021 Camp Ripley annual update on the Army National Guard facility’s activities to Cass County commissioners Tuesday, May 3, noting Camp Ripley has 800 - 1,000 state and federal employees.

   In 2021 Camp Ripley payroll was $52,741,521 with a total of $86,988,466 expenditures for the year 2021.

   Kruse stated with COVID-19 restrictions being lifted, Camp Ripley was able to host numerous trainings, celebrated their 90th birthday last June and hosted their largest open house to date. Camp Ripley continues to promote it’s cold weather training by hosting winter dive school training for the United States Coast Guard. 

   Kruse also shared upcoming events and trainings for 2022, which will include trolling for troops/turkey hunts, aviation operations, field artillery operations, hosting various units from surrounding states, a youth camp and other various state trainings and hunting opportunities.

   Each year Camp Ripley tries to burn off 1/5 of it’s property in a prescribed burn to reduce the rise of unplanned fires and create a safe training environment for soldiers. 

   Cass County Chief Financial Officer Sandra Norikane presented a financial update for 2021. Norikane stated the 2021 financial statement audit will again have the majority of it conducted remotely. A few items highlighted by Norikane was an anticipated surplus for the general fund; a large loss in the self insurance fund due to two large claims and that the forfeited tax sale fund had another positive year. Two recommendations made to the board to take action on was approving a fund balance transfer in the amount of $76,000 from the general fund to the Sheriff’s equipment revolving fund and a fund balance transfer from Health, Human and Veterans Service fund in the amount of $1.5 million to the capital projects fund earmarked toward the Pine River Transfer Station project. A motion on this was made by Board Chair Bob Kangaas with Commissioner Neal Gaalswyk seconding the motion, all commissioners approved the motion unanimously.

   In other business, the county board:

   • Established a public hearing for adoption of the 2022 Cass County Capital Improvement Plan on June 7 during the regular board meeting.

   • Approved a 2021 budget amendment for an additional amount of $2,000 for the Medical Examiner to amend the overal budget to $162,000.

   • Approved an American Rescue Plan Act Grant in the amount of $25,000 to Madeline Properties pending receipt of the second distribution of funds.

   • Approved an American Rescue Plan Act Grant in the amount of $60,000 to YMCA Camp Olson pending receipt of the second distribution of funds.

   • Approved an American Rescue Plan Act Grant in the amount of $50,000 to Cass Lake Housing and Redevelopment Authority pending receipt of the second distribution of funds.

   • Heard from Cass County Election Administrator Pamela Smith concerning the offices to be voted for at the State General Election and the absentee voting location for 2022.

   The next meetings are as follows: Commissioner’s board meeting 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 17 at Pillager City Hall, 306 Elm Ave W, Pillager; Cass County Association of Township 9 a.m. Thursday, June 2 to be held virtually; commissioner’s board meeting 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 7 at at the boardroom in the courthouse annex in Walker and the annual planning work session 9 a.m. Friday, June 10 at Deep Portage Learning Center, 2197 Nature Center Dr. NW, Hackensack.