POLK COUNTY RECEIVES $1 MILLION TO RECONSTRUCT FISHER AVE IN CROOKSTON

Warren Strandell and Joan Lee won their November reelection campaigns and took their Oaths of Office to begin their new terms Tuesday at the Polk County Government Center.  The Oath was administered by Polk County Judge Jeffrey S. Remick.  Strandell was named the chair and Gary Willhite was named as vice-chair for the Polk County Board.
The commission passed their consent agenda, unanimously which included payments totaling $519,411.00 and approval of the auditor warrants.  The board also determined which commissioners would serve on each of 69 different local, regional and state committees. 
Lee notified the board that a letter asking Minnesota governor Tim Walz to repeal the Department of Commerce appeal to the Line 3 ruling is going around and the board will consider adding their signatures to the letter at the next board meeting. 

The board also approved scheduled equipment rentals and purchases from the Polk County Highway Department totaling $333,747.69 explains Sanders. “I was at the county board this morning and we got permission to lease three tractors from Valley Plains for our mowing that we do along our roadsides, approval to replace a cargo van we use and replace two snow plow trucks,” said Sanders.  “We are purchasing two Freightliners which will give us four Freightliners and nine Macks.  Beyond that, we got some mowers.”
Polk County has received a $1 million in State Bonding Funds to reconstruct CSAH 11 (Fisher Ave.) from the Burlington Northern Railroad Tracks to East City Limits of Crookston.  The board approved allowing Widseth Smith Nolting in Crookston to complete all the design work in the proposal explained Sanders.  “I got approval to contract with WSN for design on Fisher Ave. for the reconstruction in 2020,” said Sanders.  “We’re hoping to make that street into an urban section with curb and gutter, sidewalks and storm sewer.”

The board voted to pass each item on the agenda, including changing the Polk County Road Restriction Map by increasing CSAH 19 from CSAH 20N to HWY 75 from nine-ton to 10-ton and CSAH 54 from CSAH 11 to CSAH 57 from seven-ton to nine-ton; approving a ditch maintenance request from Rudolph Applequist to straighten County Ditch 79 in Section 20 of Onstad Township using his own equipment and labor; out-of-state travel for Polk County engineer Rich Sanders; purchasing replacement network switches as part of a lifecycle replacement plan for $26,429.41; approving the contract with Personal Money Management for Polk County Social Services totaling not more than $20,000; providing signature authority to Chief Deputy Michael Norland to sign vouchers in the absences of Sheriff Jim Tadman; approving three out-of-state travel requests for Polk County Public Health paid for by a scholarship and MDH Family Planning Special Project Funds; approving a Polk County Public Health’s Medical Consultant Contract with Altru Clinic’s Dr. Ronald Dorman from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020 for $5,040 a year. 
They passed resolutions designating Polk County’s website for Publications of invitations to bid on Polk County Transportation projects and to designate delegates to the Association of Minnesota Counties and Payment of Dues.  The delegates are the five commissioners, County Administrator Chuck Whiting, Sanders and Michelle Cote, director for Property Records.  Whiting also presented a purchase request for two cart lifters for use at the Transfer Station as part of a matching fund for an Organics Collection Program awarded by MPCA Environmental Assistance Recycling Grant.  The purchase was approved for $13,002.14.

The board approved a redesign of the License Center at the Polk County Government Center explained Cote.  “Today I brought before the board asking to move forward with the License Center remodel with the implementation of MNLars [Minnesota Licensing and Registration System] our customer flow has changed, so we’re looking for a bit of an updated feel to handle the transactions that come to us,” said Cote.  “As far as timelines we will be ordering the furniture we need, and we’ll need some electrical work and floor coverings.  I’m hoping by spring we will have it all done and we’ll be going to a temporary location here [in the government center] until the work is done.”
The proposed quoted remodel cost is $31,212.07 which comes in $1,499.93 under budget.  The board also approved a Tobacco License to Dean’s Bulk Service, Inc., of Barnesville who has purchased Win-E-Mac Travel Center.   

The final item on Tuesday’s agenda was awarding the 2019 bids for official newspaper and delinquent tax publications explains Cote.  “The official newspaper for the 2019 year will be the East Grand Forks Exponent as there bid at $1.48 per column inch was the lowest,” said Cote. “The publication of the delinquent tax list went to Richards Publishing, of the MacIntosh Times for $2.50 per column inch.”