The Polk County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday morning inside the Polk County Government Center. Gerald Jacobson was absent from the meeting, so Joan Lee filled in as the Chair of the board.
2022 BUDGET UPDATE
Polk County Administrator Chuck Whiting gave the board a 2022 Budget update and said things are still on track for the “Truth in Taxation” hearing on December 14. “We are at the end game now, and I might tweak a few things, but the budget is otherwise set,” said Whiting. “For the board at this point, it comes down to where they want to put funds and revenues to make sure the levy doesn’t go up too much.”
Whiting also updated the American Relief Program Status and mentioned some funds could go towards this year’s budget. “The American Relief Program funds do factor into this year’s budget because we have some things budgeted right now that we can use those funds for,” said Whiting. “So, on Tuesday, December 14, at 6:00 p.m. will have the public hearing at the Government Center and go over the budget for next year, and the Commissioners all seem in agreement that we can get the levy down to a 3.5% increase which is what I have it set at right now.”
Whiting also noted there are variables to factor in, as there is still a search for employees and positions that may not be filled and accounted for in the 2022 budget. All things considered, Whiting believes the County is well within reach of hitting its goal for a 3.5% tax levy increase, which is a decrease from the maximum 4.6% preliminary tax levy that was set in September.
GREG WIDSETH
Polk County Attorney Greg Widseth brought a resolution to the board asking for the approval to start the search for filling a vacant Victim Assistant position. The board approved the request unanimously.
Widseth’s second item was an update on the Minnesota Opioid Settlement. There was no new information to report as there is still no timetable for when the settlement itself will be seen. According to Polk County Administrator Chuck Whiting, it still could be before the end of this year. There was no action needed from the board as the item was informational only.
SARAH REESE
Polk County Public Health Director Sarah Reese was also on the agenda and sought approval from the board to start advertising and hiring a .8 FTE Wellness Coordinator. The board approved the request.
Reese also shared a COVID-19 update with the Board of Commissioners. “For about two weeks in November, give or take for the holidays, we had 279 new cases, along with some hospitalizations and one new death,” said Reese. “We continue to watch the data closely and want people to be informed about what’s going on in our county.”
Reese would like to encourage the public to check out the Covid-19 response hub by going to https://www.co.polk.mn.us/191/Public-Health.
The last item on the agenda from Reese was a Polk County Retailer Tobacco Audit and its findings. Reese was joined by Polk County Public Health Wellness Coordinator Amanda Lien, and she presented the findings of the audit to the board. “Throughout Polk County this summer, we audited 31 retailers, and some key takeaways were that our retailers are making very positive efforts to decrease the exposure of Tobacco to Polk County youth,” said Lien. “There is always an opportunity to improve on the placement of products and making sure products are in less visible locations and away from counters.”
The presentation was informational only, and the purpose of the audit was to try and help retailers create environments where Tobacco is not advertised to youth. Lien also warns parents to be aware that products can and are still being purchased online by youth, and it is something to be mindful of moving forward.
OTHER ITEMS
Other items included the re-appointment of Stuart Christian to the Sandhill Watershed District and the re-appointment of Terry Sorenson to the Red Lake Watershed District. The board approved both re-appointments.
Michelle Cote of property records brought forth a resolution for the repurchasing of a tax-forfeited property by Doug Pedrick. The board approved the request. The second request Cote had was for the board to approve the sale of a forfeited property and to have the estimated market value be offered to the cities of Crookston and McIntosh. The board also approved this request.
There was also a closed session with Jon Steiner of Polk County Environmental Services and Polk County Attorney Greg Widseth to discuss and develop an offer for the purchase of a real or personal property related to the Polk County Landfill. No other information was shared on the closed session at this time.
The next Board of Commissioners meeting will take place on Tuesday, December 7.
