The Polk County Board met Tuesday at the Polk County Government Center in Crookston.
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT
Darin Carlstrom with the Highway Department spoke on three items during his time. The first two were the awarding of projects. One was for a roundabout on County State Aid Highway 21 and Trunk Highway 75, and this was awarded to Gladen Construction out of Laporte. The other project awarded was for a township bridge for Columbia township, which was awarded to Redstone Construction of Mora. The last item regarding the Highway Department was the purchasing of a tandem plow truck. All items were passed.
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
Polk County Environmental Services Director Jon Steiner spoke to the board about a proposal for insurance coverage. “As far as the insurance, that was for the Resource Recovery Facility in Fosston. We renew our insurance every year. It’s been costly in the past, and we’ve had trouble gaining insurance for it. We used to be covered through the county’s insurance trust fund,” said Steiner. “They were unfamiliar with the type of equipment used in the operations to the point where they didn’t feel comfortable finding companies willing to insure it. So we went out on our own and found an insurance company. This is a few years later, and we are just renewing that policy again.” The only adjustment came from the building value, which went up nearly $3 million.
PUBLIC HEALTH
Polk County Public Health Director Sarah Reese informed the board on the Opioid Settlement Fund and funding recommendations. “We have been exploring the landscape of resources/data available and people’s lived experiences to better understand what the needs are in Polk County. Through the Opioid Settlement Fund, we have a designated fund at Polk County where settlement funds have come,” said Reese. “Today, we have presented a variety of recommendations for funding to prevent drug misuse, to talk about treatment, and to talk about recovery/harm reduction strategies.”
Reese recommended that $427,126.00 go to partnering agencies. Eight applications were recommended: Alluma Incorporated, Crookston Youth Foundation or The Cove, New Heights Elementary School in East Grand Forks, Tri-County Community Corrections, Tri-Valley Opportunity Council Incorporated for the family resource center, the University of Minnesota Crookston, Care and Share of Crookston Incorporated, and New Americans Integration Center in East Grand Forks.
