The Polk County Board of Commissioners met inside the Polk County Government Center on Tuesday morning.
CONSENT ITEMS
The board began the meeting by approving the Auditor Warrants and the board minutes from their meeting on September 6. The Consent Agenda included approving the payment to the US Bank in St. Louis, MO, in the amount of $67,751.72 for procurement card purchases. It also included approving payments of Lost Warrants dated on January 25, for Altru Health System in the amount of $125, on December 18, 2020, February 19, and June 18, 2021, for Angel Korynta in the amount of $14.95, $245.84 and $156.80. The board approved the agenda unanimously.
COUNTY ATTORNEY- GREG WIDSETH
The board first heard from Polk County Attorney Greg Widseth, who came forward to ratify a Professional Services Agreement between Minnesota Counties Computer Cooperative (MCCC) and Strategic Technologies Inc. (STI) for the maintenance, and support of MCAPS to be effective from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2025. Widseth reported that their current support agreement would expire at the end of the year. The new contract allows them to receive support and other services at a fixed, annual, per-attorney rate of $2,200 with a BETA testing fee that will remain at $150 per office with a new option for a licensing fee for licensees at the rate of $2,300 per attorney, and a $118,772.50 quarterly support payment for the first year. Widseth also requested the replacement of a Clerk Typist Cashier III-A. The board approved both motions unanimously.
SOCIAL SERVICES-KAREN WARMACK
The board then heard from Social Services Director Karen Warmack on a request for the board to approve the replacement of the Office Support Specialist position under the supervision of Betty Solie. The board approved the motion unanimously.
PLANNING AND ZONING-JACOB SNYDER
The board was then approached by Assistant Environmental Services Administrator Jacob Snyder on a resolution to adopt and implement the Middle Snake Tamarac Rivers Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan. Snyder explained that the Watershed District is represented by Mark Holy on the Policy Committee, and the district and its partners have been developing a One Watershed One Plan (1W1P) for the watershed as the State of MN. Specifically, the Board of Soil & Water Resources (BWSR) wanted to develop water plans instead of counties as their boundaries. “The Board of Soil & Water Resources has gotten away from each county having their own ten-year water plan. The reason being is that watershed districts’ boundaries don’t follow county boundaries. We follow certain features like a road, river, or something, while watershed districts are a beast of their own,” Snyder explained. “There are four watershed districts in Polk County, and they’re not following lines like a county does. So, the aim was with these plans is to encompass them into watershed districts and not to have each county run their own water plan.” Snyder requested the board to adopt and implement the district’s 10-year watershed district plan. The board approved the motion unanimously.
PUBLIC HEALTH-SARAH REESE
The board then heard from Public Health Director Sarah Reese, who requested the board to approve an emergency contract between the State of Minnesota, the acting commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health, and Polk County to partner/co-host a series of indoor public flu and bivalent COVID-19 vaccination events at predetermined/agreed upon venues from September to December. “We will be working with the Minnesota Department of Health to offer some clinics in East Grand Forks, Crookston, and hopefully one in Fertile to offer the bivalent vaccine,” Reese explained. “So, people can get it at that open clinic or at a clinic that Polk County Public Health hosts through our traditional flu shot clinics.” Reese noted that she believed that the state resources for the clinics would be coming in October, but Public Health extended the contract to December in case they wanted to add any extra dates and events. The official schedule of the vaccination events will be confirmed and released later this week. The board approved the contract unanimously.
PROPERTY RECORDS-SAM MELBYE
The board then heard from Director of Property Records Sam Melbye to request the authorization to enter into an eNotice Online Services contract for the TNT notices, Property Statements, and Valuation notices from The Master’s Touch, LLC, which will allow taxpayers to elect to receive notifications and exact statements electronically within five days after final proof approval. Melbye revealed that an advertisement would be included on the next TNT notice that the county sends out that will include a notice and code that will direct people on how they can sign up for it if they are interested. The board approved the contract unanimously.
COUNTY HIGHWAY ENGINEER-RICHARD SANDERS
The board then heard from County Engineer Richard Sanders, who requested the board to award SAP 060-646-009 to Knife River Materials-Northern for $3,013,424.30. Sanders noted that this, along with some changes to the budget, would move at least one project in 2023 to 2024-25 and would push some parts of his “five-year plan” to six or seven years. The board approved the bid unanimously.
The Polk County Board of Commissioners will next meet on Wednesday, September 21, in the Polk County Government Center at 8:00 a.m. to discuss other departments’ budgets.
