Cass County Board: Election officials clarify procedures for absentee voters

  WALKER — Cass County Board of Commissioner’s heard a clarification regarding direct balloting procedures from Pam Smith, Elections Administrator during the regular board meeting held Tuesday, Oct. 4. 

   Smith shared with the board that direct balloting is for absentee voters that would like to personally deposit their ballot into the DS200 ballot tabulator rather than use the envelope process. In the past absentee voters were allowed to utilize the DS200 ballot tabulator seven days prior to and on election day. It was discovered that use of the DS200 is not allowed on election day, rather absentee voters are to place their ballots in a ballot box where then the election judges will collect them and place them into the larger ballot tabulator. 

   Chief Financial Officer Sandra Norikane  also shared that the 2021 audited finance statements and the management and compliance report have been posted to the County’s website and will be published in the newspaper shortly. There were no changes to fund financial information since they were presented to the board previously, however there were two changes made to the overall financial presentation. The first change was how the reporting of the Opioid Settlement is accounted for and the second is on how to report amounts that are ultimately settled to local units of governments from tax forfeit settlement. Norikane also mentioned once again there were no written findings for the year, which considering an amount of $2.1 million was received and distributed by the county in state and federal covid grants.

   In other business, the county board:

   • Approved the 2023 cafeteria plan costs and plan contributions as recommended by the Insurance Committee.

   • Approved the expense of $1,200 to Martin Mechanical to complete a site visit and prepare a heating system evaluation report on the utility rooms at Deep Portage Learning Center.

   • Approved an easement, and waived the easement fee of $500, for Crow Wing Power and TDS to run new underground wiring  to Deep Portage buildings. The old lines have reached their maximum service life and the DNR would not issue a permit to replace them in their current location. Therefore, a new location was selected.

   • Awarded final payment in the amount of $311,609.50 to Gladen Construction for the bridge replacement over Bungo Creak on County State Aid Highway 25 and Mosquito Creek on County Road 103.

   The next meetings are as follows: Commissioner’s board meeting, 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18 at the Land Department Meeting Room in Backus, Association of Minnesota Counties District 2 fall meeting, 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19 at the Beltrami County Administration building, 701 Minnesota Ave NW, Bemidji and commissioner’s board meeting, 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1 at the boardroom in the courthouse annex in Walker.