Commissioners hear about NWCA programs available to county residents

At their February 14th meeting the Lake of the Woods County Board of Commissioners heard a presentation from Northwest Community Action Executive Director Sharon Millner about her agency's available programs to help residents of Kittson, Roseau, Marshall and Lake of the Woods Counties. Millner outlined programs which include Community Development, Early Head Start, Energy Assistance Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance, Food and Shelter, Food Support, Grant Writing Services, Head Start, Utility Conservation Improvement, Vehicle Repair Funding, Home Weatherization and Youth Intervention.

"How many families in Lake of the Woods County are being helped by your Energy Assistance Program this winter?" asked Board Chair Ed Arnesen.

"About 240 families this year," replied Millner. "This includes not only fuel assistance, but also furnace repair or replacement if needed."

"One of the newer programs is Vehicle Repair Funding," she continued. "If someone can't get to work because their car's broken that just leads to further strain on resources. Getting them the funds to fix their vehicle is the less expensive option."

"Energy Assistance is not a recurring program, is it?" asked Commissioner Joe Grund.

"No it needs to be applied for every year," responded Millner.

Millner also told the board about her problems getting in contact with our new District 2 State Senator Steve Green who "hasn't been overly receptive."

In other county business the board:

• Paid the Social Services Claims as presented by Social Services Director Amy Ballard. Ballard told the board that there were three weeks' worth of claims which included some left over from 2022.

• Paid the Auditor/Treasurer's Claims as presented by County Auditor/Treasurer Lorene Hanson. Hanson told the board that the claims were "pretty normal, and also include three weeks' worth of business." The board also approved Hanson's report on Pay Equity Compliance, a credit card for a new hire in the Assessor's Office, and tabled until next meeting a decision to farm out Economic Development services until a better idea of the cost was available.

• Agreed to postpone action on making June 19th a paid holiday for county employees. The Juneteenth Holiday was passed into state law last year but no extra funding was provided by the state to provide for a 12th paid holiday.

• Unanimously approved the purchase of two Skid Steer trailers for the Highway Department. County Engineer A.J. Pirkl told the board that the $27,000 cost of the two trailers would be partially offset by selling off the old worn out trailers the county is currently using.

Pirkl also updated the board on FEMA reimbursement for $415,000 worth of flood repair work that the Highway Department has done, and got approval for the repair of three public water accesses in Birch Beach and Rocky Point, and to perform needed repairs to Judicial Ditch #28.

Lastly the board approved a raise in the credit card limit for the Highway Department office to $3,000 to allow for motel reservations for job-required training trips. "We've been bumping into the $1,500 limit when sending our operators out for training," Pirkl told the board.

• Closed the regular meeting and reopened as the County Ditch Authority to authorize the county engineer to solicit quotes for about $80,000 of repair work on Judicial Ditch #28. "The ditch due east of Bostic Creek sluffed off due to the flood waters, and we need to add rock to the sides to prevent that from happening again," Pirkl told the board. The Ditch Authority meeting was then closed and the regular meeting reopened.

• Agreed unanimously to include payment of the County Fair Board's Solid Waste Assessment out of its annual disbursement from the county's Con Con Funds. "That would make the disbursement from the Con Con Funds $25,240 per year instead of the $25,000 that it is now," commented Commissioner Cody Hasbargen. The commissioners also unanimously approved paying the Fair Board's outstanding Solid Waste Assessment of $600 from Con Con Funds.

• Unanimously approved a conditional use permit to allow Daniel Miller to deepen access to his harbor on Oak Island. "The channel into the mooring area is only sixteen to eighteen inches deep," County Planner Josh Stromlund told the board. "He needs to blast away the rock bottom of the channel to deepen it to at least three feet."

• Heard from Board Chair Ed Arnesen that he'd talked to the county's lobbyist in St. Paul and legislation is moving forward on the Williams School removal and PILT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) legislation.

• The meeting was recessed at 10:40 a.m. by Board Chair Arnesen, and reopened at 1 p.m. for a public hearing on a wetlands appeal by Robert and Jennifer Audette. As at the January 10th meeting, Jennifer Audette stated their case with pictures about their order from the DNR to remove previously laid concrete on designated wetlands that they own. County Planner Josh Stromlund explained that wetlands are present when three conditions are met: Wetland plants, wetland soils, and wetland hydrology.

"We [as a county board] don't have jurisdiction over wetland," said Board Chair Arnesen.

"The board has to make a decision today," responded County Attorney James Austad. "Then their appeal can go forward to the Minnesota Board of Soil and Water Resources, and the DNR."

The public hearing was then closed, and the regular meeting reopened where the board unanimously denied the Audette's appeal with the stipulation that findings - Exhibit "M" - be included in the motion.

There being no further business to discuss Board Chair Arnesen recessed the meeting in recess at 1:30 p.m.