[0:01] [clears throat]
[0:22] Remind everybody about their
microphones.
[0:27] » Microphones.
Hello.
[0:33] Hello.
Can you hear me?
[0:37] » Yep, I can hear you.
[0:51] Go
[0:59] morning. Call the PR County meeting to
order. Start off the pledge, please.
[1:04] To the flag of the United States of
America and to the republic for it
[1:10] stands, one nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice
[1:15] for all. [clears throat and cough]
[1:18] » Good morning everybody. Um, first thing
on the agenda is approval of the
[1:23] minutes.
[1:31] » [snorts]
[1:37] » So, we got a motion. We got a second
um with the changes. All those in favor
[1:42] by saying I
>> I oppose same sign. Motion carries.
[1:48] Approval of the bills.
[1:53] Everybody get a chance to look at the
stuff that Candy sent out.
[2:05] You have any questions? Candy can
probably answer them. It looks a lot
[2:10] different than normal,
[2:13] but
I'm looking at them. But there was one
[2:17] There was one that said sell and land.
What was that?
[2:22] I'm trying to find it here. There was
two of them. I think Stension had one
[2:26] and I think emergency management had
one.
[2:31] » Cell and landform landline.
>> Well, that's that is
[2:36] I believe that's what that stands for.
[clears throat]
[2:43] I don't find it right in front of me,
but I saw two of them
[2:50] cuz both of those would have that.
Correct.
[3:01] » Okay, good with that.
>> Yeah, it's cell phone and landline.
[3:05] Yeah,
[3:10] » I knew what to sell, but I wasn't sure
about.
[3:14] Make a motion to pay the bills.
>> Second.
[3:17] » We have a motion. We have a second. Any
other discussion? Hearing none. Roll
[3:22] call, please.
>> His hi.
[3:27] » Fitz.
>> Hi.
[3:29] » Brown.
>> Hi.
[3:32] » Conf.
>> Hi.
[3:36] » Motion carries.
Approval of treasure checks.
[3:41] » Move to approve.
>> Second.
[3:43] » We have a motion. We have a second.
[3:48] All those. Oh, sorry. Broke call. Please
[3:53] » hold.
>> Hi.
[3:55] » Ruth.
>> Hi.
[3:57] » Brown.
>> Hi.
[3:59] » Hulk.
>> Hi.
[4:01] » Motion carries.
Approval. Approve of financials.
[4:06] [clears throat]
[4:09] It is now the liability report. Correct.
On that.
[4:13] » Yes. So that you guys see that the
report shows for financials. Now it's
[4:18] called a liability report just so that
you're aware.
[4:29] » Everything's all right, Candy?
>> Yep. We're still
[4:34] we're still working,
but it's it's coming there.
[4:42] Move to approve.
>> Second.
[4:46] » We have a motion. We have a second for
the approval of financials. All in favor
[4:51] by saying I.
>> I.
[4:53] » I. Those opposed. Same sign.
Approval of the agenda that is presented
[4:59] to us.
[5:04] Anybody have anything to add to the
agenda?
[5:10] » To approve. We have a motion.
>> Second.
[5:14] » We have a second. All those in favor by
saying I.
[5:17] » I.
>> All oppose. Same sign.
[5:21] Sarah.
>> Make sure [clears throat] the mic's on,
[5:24] please. Thank you.
>> Good morning. [clears throat]
[5:28] » Good morning, Sarah.
>> I have a couple updates to share with
[5:31] you today. Uh, first week will begin
October 4th through the 10th, and we'll
[5:36] be kicking off the week with our annual
pancake breakfast. This year we are
[5:41] changing things up a little bit. We're
moving out to the Ramsey County
[5:44] Fairgrounds where we'll be utilizing the
4H Hall in the Western State Bank Event
[5:49] Center. Our new addition this year. Yes.
>> You're going to do the pancake stuff. I
[5:54] want to make sure. So I put this on.
>> Yes. Pancake breakfast will be out.
[5:57] Actually, I do have a um
>> If I could get that flyer.
[6:01] » Yes. Here I have a flyer.
>> Sorry.
[6:04] » If you would like to take a flyer,
please help us spread the word because
[6:08] it is a big change. and we've we this is
the first time we're going to try it out
[6:12] at the 4 hall.
[6:16] » Thank you. Yes.
Also, our uh 4ers will be doing a a bake
[6:22] sale along with it to help raise funds
for future service learning projects
[6:27] throughout the 4 year.
And pancake breakfast tickets can be
[6:32] purchased from any Ramsey County 4
member at the extension office here in
[6:36] Ramsey County or at the door that
morning. So, uh, we do have a a
[6:40] complimentary ticket for each of you.
So, we hope you'll be able to join us.
[6:43] If you can't use it, please give it to
somebody else and, um,
[6:49] we'll we'd love to have everybody there.
Uh, along with it, the Ramsey County
[6:53] Fair Board is also planning some fun
activities, so there will be plenty to
[6:57] enjoy out there that day. We'd love to
see you come out and spend the morning
[7:00] with us. And again, that's Sunday,
October 4th from 8:30 to 12:30 at the
[7:06] Ramsey County Fairgrounds.
[7:12] Um, and then my second update is
regarding the 2027,
[7:16] it's hard to hard to believe I'm already
saying that, lake region extension
[7:20] roundup, which is quickly approaching
this year. The event will be held
[7:24] January 6th and 7th. We'll be uh
utilizing the memorial building, Armory,
[7:31] and the meeting rooms at the Ramsey
County Courthouse. Our planning
[7:35] committee's been working hard already to
line up speakers and main sessions,
[7:40] breakout sessions,
and I'm here today to ask for the
[7:44] commission's permission, if possible, to
have the doors open between the
[7:48] buildings as well as the courthouse
basement doors within the stairwell
[7:52] during the event. Having those doors
accessible would greatly improve
[7:57] participants [snorts] ability just to
move um in between locations, navigate
[8:01] the event much easier. So, um, just
wanted to kind of ask in advance before
[8:06] we start advertising. Uh,
>> which day again?
[8:10] » It's January 6th and 7th.
[8:15] » Make a motion to go ahead and approve
the doors.
[8:23] » Second.
[8:26] » Have a motion. We have a second. All
those in favor by saying I.
[8:29] » I. Oppos? Same sign. [clears throat]
carries.
[8:36] » Not. Yeah. And that's all I have today
is if anybody has any questions for me
[8:40] before
>> anybody have anything for Sarah before
[8:43] she splits.
[8:49] » Absolutely.
[8:53] » Yes. Absolutely.
[8:59] » Thank you, Sarah.
>> Yes. You're welcome. Thank you,
[9:04] » Bev. Up to you.
>> Good morning.
[9:09] » Morning, Bev.
>> I just wanted to give you an update on
[9:11] our remote indexing. We are on schedule
to finish up everything this uh fall. Um
[9:19] it'll probably be towards the end of
October or the beginning of November
[9:22] when we're done. Um we did run into an
issue when uh some of the pages were
[9:27] scanned in. There was a little over a
100 pages that were scanned in that
[9:30] actually had three documents on it
instead of one. So, we had to take and
[9:35] split them. That meant that we had going
to have a little overrun of the $30,000
[9:40] this year. There is should be enough in
our end account to cover that. I'm
[9:45] anticipating around $1,000.
Um,
[9:50] wanted to make you guys aware of that.
>> And this should be complete of all our
[9:53] indexing after this.
>> Correct. Right.
[9:55] » We will be indexed back to 1882.
>> Right now we're at 1894
[10:01] » and that that brings us all the way to
current also. Correct.
[10:04] » Correct. [clears throat]
>> Yes. So I just wanted to make sure that
[10:07] you guys knew that there's going to be a
little bit of a overrun, but our endrin
[10:10] fund should cover all that.
>> Is there any other questions for be on
[10:16] the indexing?
[10:24] hearing. I don't
>> I don't think there will be an issue.
[10:26] » No, I don't think so either. So,
>> thank you Katie for us.
[10:32] » I will do that.
>> It'll be nice to have that all all
[10:35] completed.
>> Yeah, I've heard good responses back
[10:38] from some of the people that have been
back searching.
[10:43] » All of this is protected on the server,
right?
[10:45] » Correct.
>> It's on a backup. So, we
[10:48] » It's backed up on our system and it's
also backed up on end. Okay. All right.
[10:53] [clears throat]
>> Double backup.
[10:54] » Thank you. Okay.
>> Anybody else have any questions?
[10:57] » Thank you.
>> Thank you.
[11:01] » Moving on to
water,
[11:09] please.
[clears throat and cough]
[11:34] » [snorts]
[11:37] » Yep. Go ahead.
>> Good morning.
[11:40] » Morning.
>> We're just finishing up our monthly
[11:43] board meeting. Not a lot to report.
Mr. Hall gave us an update on Fster
[11:49] Slooh appeal and I don't I plan on
trying to attend. I don't know if any
[11:53] other board members are going to but we
will do our best. [clears throat]
[11:59] Uh Mr. Hall, I don't know if you've
taken and addressed the certificate of
[12:02] indebtedness to the county yet or the
commissioners, but he basically without
[12:08] putting words in his mouth, is not
recommending that the county do this for
[12:14] and he can explain that to you for his
reasons. So, the board decided to go
[12:18] with financing options from a different
lender so we don't have to deal with
[12:22] that.
And we had water one water complaint
[12:26] that there'll be some upsized culverts
between county 9 and highway 17. The
[12:34] study came back and the recommendation
was 248
[12:40] in nope in uh south and nine basically
by Hermanson IT. So, Prospect Township
[12:47] will be contacting you for pipes.
>> And they are currently what?
[12:52] » They're currently 124 and 136.
>> And they're saying 248.
[12:59] » 248s or an additional 48, but the
complaintant asked to have fewer pipes
[13:04] and just put two in instead of having
three because uh dirt work might have
[13:09] been done to make them fit. So, it'll
just be better off.
[13:15] Other than that, we got our audit
findings back and it was a clean audit
[13:18] with just the standard two
recommendations for segregation of
[13:22] duties and the preparation of the audit
because it's only one person taking and
[13:28] giving him information
and other than that it was pretty quiet
[13:32] morning. So, any questions for me?
>> Anybody have any questions for John?
[13:39] » Hearing none. Thanks, John.
>> All right. Thank you.
[13:43] Moving on to Terry Hunt. [clears throat]
Nicole will be online. Can you hear us?
[13:49] Nicole,
[13:56] » are you there? Nicole.
[14:02] » All right. Good morning, everybody.
Carrie Hunt from Blue Cross and Blue
[14:05] Shield. Nice to see everybody. Um, I
think Candi probably gave you some of
[14:09] the documents. Um what I'm here today is
to kind of go over um to let you guys
[14:14] know that the uh the current plan that
the the employees have at Ramsey County
[14:19] um is what we call a grandfathered
classic blue plan. And um Blue Cross and
[14:23] Blue Shield um once healthcare reform
was passed back in 2010. Um we were one
[14:29] of the only carriers that allowed folks
to continue with plans that were pre um
[14:34] ACA, which is the Affordable Care Act.
Um and so we have held on to these plans
[14:39] for the last um well 16 years and um
they have differed from our other plans
[14:46] that they um no changes were ever going
to be made to these plans. They were
[14:49] literally what they were called
grandfathered and whatever benefits that
[14:52] they had. Um they didn't necessarily
meet all the requirements of the
[14:56] Affordable Care Act. Um well finally now
in 2027 Blue Cross and Blue Shield has
[15:01] decided to retire all of the
grandfathered plans. So, we will be
[15:04] discontinuing the classic blue
grandfathered plan and we are looking at
[15:09] moving the employees to what we are
calling a your blue um either a 9500 or
[15:15] an 8500. And what the difference is with
those plans by eliminating the
[15:19] grandfather plans, they do not contain a
lot of the preventative benefits that
[15:24] the ACA kind of recommends that uh plans
have. And with the traditional plan that
[15:30] they have right now, they they have a
deductible that is going to apply to
[15:34] some of their major services, uh,
hospital stays, lab work, x-rays, MRIs,
[15:39] those sorts of things. They'll be
responsible for the first $250.
[15:43] And then they're going to pay a co-
insurance of 10%
[15:46] of things like um, office visits and
chiropractic and um, anything after
[15:51] their deductible is met on a hospital
stay, they're going to pay that.
[15:54] » I got a question. You're talking 250.
That's every time they go.
[15:58] » Nope. The $2 $250 deductible is if they
have like a hospital stay, they're going
[16:02] to pay the first $ 250 and then once
that deductible is met, then they pay co
[16:05] insurance.
>> Make sure that because when you say 250,
[16:09] if we don't have that that it's once
that's met.
[16:12] » Absolutely. Yep. Yep. So once they and
then they have co-pays. So every time
[16:16] somebody would go to the doctor, go to
the chiropractor, they would pay and get
[16:20] medications, they're paying a co-pay.
And the one thing about the grandfather
[16:23] plans that is different than the new
plans, every time somebody would pay a
[16:27] co-pay, that did not go to their out-of-
pocket maximum. So you could have
[16:32] somebody, for example, if they went to
the doctor 10 times or the chiropractor
[16:36] 10 times in a year, that would be $250
that they paid that was not applying to
[16:41] their out-of- pocket maximum. They paid
that to the provider. On these new
[16:44] plans, on the non-grandfather plans,
every penny that somebody pays is going
[16:49] to their out of pocket. So on this your
blue I put in the packet either an 8020
[16:55] plan or a 9010 plan and in talking to
Nicole and Candy we were kind of looking
[17:01] more to that 8020. So the your blue 500
8020 it's a very traditional plan. Again
[17:07] people are used to paying 20% co
insurance when they go in and have
[17:11] services done. It moves it from a $250
deductible to a 500, which again is only
[17:18] going to apply for somebody if they end
up in the hospital, have lab work,
[17:22] x-rays, um, MRIs, surgery, then they're
responsible for that $500.
[17:29] If they are just purely going in to the
doctor, they have an office visit or
[17:33] they're going to the chiropractor, they
are going to pay a flat $30 co-pay, but
[17:39] that goes towards their out-of- pocket
maximum. They don't pay any more co
[17:42] insurance. They just pay the $30 uh
co-pay. If they end up in the hospital,
[17:48] they are going to pay 20% of that visit
again. And that's going to go to their
[17:52] out- of-pocket maximum. So, when we look
at it, the the current plan they have
[17:57] has out-ofpocket for medical and it has
out-of pocket for pharmacy. So, if
[18:02] people are going in to get medications,
they have a separate co insurance, which
[18:06] is not the deductible, it's a co-
insurance. they would pay a $15 co-pay
[18:11] and then 20% of their medication and
they'd have a maximum of $1,000 they
[18:15] paid on on medication. So for a family
of four, for example, um on the current
[18:21] plan that they have right now, they
would have the deductible of a family
[18:26] would be $500. One person would never
meet more than that $ 250. They would
[18:31] have co- insurance on medical of $2,000.
So just on medical they would have
[18:36] $2,500 out of pocket and then each
member would have a $1,000 maximum on
[18:42] med on medications. So really that
family could be looking at about $6,500
[18:48] of out of pocket. And again remember
none of the co-pays that that family
[18:52] paid was going to that out-of- pocket
maximum. Okay. On the new plans again
[18:58] they would be looking at a $500
deductible.
[19:01] They would be looking at on the single
plan then $3,000 would be your maximum
[19:06] out of pocket. So we're going to have
$2,500 out of pocket of the co
[19:09] insurance, but that's going to include
their medication, their medical,
[19:14] everything is going to cap them out at
$3,000 for a single. A family would be
[19:18] looking at $6,000 max out of pocket.
And no one person ever has to meet more
[19:25] than that single out of pocket.
Now, on top of moving to this your blue
[19:31] plan, some of the benefits that the
employees are going to see, they are
[19:35] going to get all of the preventative
benefits that go along with the ACA. We
[19:39] are now going to see mammograms and paps
for women paid at 100%. And there is no
[19:45] limit on that. So, honestly, if a female
wanted to have multiple mammograms in a
[19:50] year, she can do that paid at 100% by
the plan. Colonoscopies. Again, we used
[19:56] to have a limit of one every 10 years.
We're removing the limit on that. So
[20:00] again, if there's no family history and
they haven't doctored for anything
[20:04] related to the stomach or the colon,
they are entitled to a a colonoscopy
[20:08] paid at 100%. Those are things you did
not have on your current plan right now.
[20:14] So the preventative benefits are going
to align this plan with the market and
[20:18] no providers have to worry about are
things covered, are they not covered?
[20:22] And the other benefit that you're people
are going to see is with this plan, they
[20:27] get what's called the valuebased drug
list. So for anybody on this plan that
[20:31] is a diabetic, if they have any issues
with blood pressure, cholesterol, um
[20:36] inhalers, any of that is now going to
cost those people only a $5 co-pay for
[20:42] every 30 days that they get that
medication filled. In the current plan,
[20:46] if you have a diabetic, they're paying a
$15 co-pay and then 20% of that insulin.
[20:51] So going forward on the new plan, a
diabetic literally could probably spend
[20:57] $60 a year on their insulin, max, $5 for
every 30 days they fill it. So the
[21:03] benefits that are added into these new
non-grandfather plans um far far out
[21:08] anything that would be any difference in
the out of pocket that folks are going
[21:11] to see. Um so that's on the medical
plan. Um, but we were looking at again
[21:18] moving to the $500 deductible, either
the 8020 or the 9010. The difference
[21:23] literally is just going to be the amount
of co insurance that people have to pay.
[21:26] So the 10% or the 20%, people are going
to get to their out of pocket max faster
[21:32] if you go with the 8020 because they're
paying 20% um instead of 10%. So, um the
[21:37] difference if you went with the 8020
does lower your um cost uh for the
[21:42] Ramsey County just because the amen has
to pay a little bit more before um
[21:46] anything kicks in. So, that would be um
on that what we're looking at for
[21:51] medical would be roughly around a 6.7%
increase in your suggested funding level
[21:58] if you wanted to do that. Um, in
speaking with Candy and I've been part
[22:02] of Ramsey Countyy's health plan for the
18 years that I've been at Blue Cross
[22:06] and Blue Shield and um, I think the fund
is pretty flush. So, it's really we give
[22:10] you a suggestion on on on a percentage,
but that's purely up to the
[22:14] commissioners and you guys to decide if
you want to increase what you're funding
[22:18] um, or not. Again, you're going to be
paying claims every week and then you'll
[22:23] be paying a flat stop-loss um, premium
once a month. So that that's completely
[22:28] up to you if you want to uh increase
what you guys are are funding. Um again,
[22:33] whatever money is in that pot is your
money. Blue Cross does not get that
[22:37] unless you have claims. Um the other
thing that I put in the packet for you
[22:42] guys to take a look at is um on the
dental plan. In talking to Nicole and
[22:47] Candy, um we're presenting this year an
enhanced uh dental plan. Uh let's face
[22:54] it, as as the years go by, uh dental
work does not get any less expensive. It
[22:59] gets more expensive. And the one that we
are presenting to you um would be
[23:04] increasing your annual maximum benefit
from $1,000 to $1,500
[23:09] and then adding orthodontic coverage um
of $2,000 lifetime. Now, the one nice
[23:15] thing about our dental plans with the
orthodontia is it's for both adults and
[23:20] for children. So, if adults wanted to do
Invisalign or if adults wanted to do
[23:26] anything um with actual braces, they
have that ability to do that $1,500. The
[23:31] nice thing about increasing that annual
maximum is um from $1,000 is if people
[23:36] have any major work done, crowns, root
canals, um they're going to have their
[23:40] dollars going to go farther. All of the
preventative services that can be done
[23:44] on the dental plan, you get four
cleanings a year. None of that is going
[23:49] to be deducted from that $1,500. So, you
can still go in for your four cleanings
[23:53] and still have that $1,500 to use on
dental work. So, the nice thing about
[23:58] Dental Envision with the arrangement
that you guys have as being self-funded
[24:03] is you're only paying for claims when
they are when they come through. you're
[24:08] not paying premiums to Blue Cross and
and then if people aren't using it,
[24:12] they're not, you know, your your money
that you're putting in your in your fund
[24:17] is paying premiums or uh claims when
they come through. And again, there's a
[24:21] maximum of what people can use. So, um
it's not like the medical where it's
[24:25] unlimited. Um it would literally be um
tap. So, we're showing you that um with
[24:31] the dental um it could look at again
depending on where the the fund is for
[24:36] the dental and vision. um by increasing
the maximum it would be increasing the
[24:41] dental roughly around 34%. But again,
remember those dental premiums are a lot
[24:46] lower than than the health premium. So
again, uh you already have a pretty good
[24:52] um dollar amount that you're putting in
for dental. So it really doesn't you
[24:55] wouldn't have to increase it um
significantly on that um if you didn't
[25:00] want to. And then the last thing is on
the vision. Uh no changes to the vision.
[25:04] Uh we still do have an issue here in
Devil's Lake where none of the providers
[25:08] uh that accept that do vision accept any
buddies uh vision insurance. However,
[25:15] with VSSP, who we have contracted with,
they will allow people if they want to
[25:19] have services done here in Devil's Lake
to keep the business local, um they just
[25:23] have to call VSP ahead of time before
they have their appointment, let them
[25:27] know that there's no providers in their
town that accept VSSP and they will
[25:31] process that claim at the in network uh
level so that people get the biggest
[25:35] bang for their buck. if people choose to
go out of town to have their vision
[25:39] services done, um as long as they're
picking a VSSP provider, um and there's
[25:43] plenty of them, um Devil's Lake just
happens to be a pocket in North Dakota
[25:47] that doesn't have any providers. So, um
there shouldn't be any issues. And then
[25:52] back to the dental, sorry, uh all the
providers in Devil's Lake take uh the
[25:56] UCD dental. So, no issues with that.
Any questions for me on any of that?
[26:08] Does the [clears throat]
[26:12] I get the right tapes.
[26:17] Does the 85th 500 does that cover have
any coverage for GLPs?
[26:22] » Yeah. So, actually what we did is since
the grandfather plan did not have the
[26:27] ability to cover GLP1s for weight loss,
um the the quote for this year because
[26:32] you guys have never had GLP-1 coverage
for weight loss. There was no rate
[26:36] impact to add GLP-1 coverage. Now, you
still have the opportunity as a
[26:41] self-funded client to not offer GLP-1
coverage for weight loss. Where you will
[26:46] probably see a rate impact is if you
offer GLP1 coverage this year, you know,
[26:50] and people use it, then you would see it
next year. But there's no rate impact
[26:54] this year in 2027 to offer GLP-1
coverage for weight loss. So, we just
[26:59] need to know if you want it um to be a
benefit for folks or or not.
[27:12] » Nicole, do you got anything to add?
[27:17] [clears throat]
[27:20] » Yeah. Can you hear me?
>> Yes.
[27:26] » Okay.
also present
[27:37] » stop loss.
[27:43] » Yep. Yeah. So, right now you guys are at
a $30,000 stop loss. Um which means
[27:48] Ramsey County covers the first 30,000 of
every belly button that you guys cover
[27:54] under this plan. Um, and so what we
looked at was doing a $40,000 or a
[27:59] $50,000 stop loss. Um, and again, um,
probably looking at the the the funds
[28:04] that are available, I think it it's
pretty flush. So, if you guys wanted to
[28:08] take on a little bit more liability um,
for the the claims purposes, then that
[28:14] just lowers um, what your monthly
stop-loss premiums are going to be to to
[28:19] Blue Cross and Blue Shield. So, um,
again, it probably lowers it. I think if
[28:23] we looked at the at the $50,000 one, I
think it's going to lower it. I think it
[28:29] takes off,
it probably brings it down about 10%.
[28:35] On your stop-loss premiums.
Now, again, that increases your
[28:39] liability, but you only pay that up to
50,000 if people have claims up to that
[28:44] 50,000.
And we do have right now there's about
[28:48] two people that are um kind of in your
high dollar cases that are look like
[28:53] they will probably be active again next
year in 2027.
[29:01] » So all of this insurance that you're
talking here, this is for full-time
[29:05] employees only.
>> Yes. Yep. For full-time employees for
[29:08] Health Dental Vision. So, is there any
options if we were to have part-time
[29:13] employees on your guidance?
>> Do you have a lot of part-time people?
[29:18] » I'm asking in case we would have to go
that
[29:20] » um you can always put in a class of
coverage for part-time uh employees. Uh
[29:25] typically, uh what we see for other
groups that do part-time employees, they
[29:30] normally make them work an hour a
minimum of 20 hours to be part-time and
[29:33] then they typically don't,
how do I want to say this? Treat them
[29:38] the same as the full-time employees. So,
right now, everyone is getting the the
[29:41] their premiums paid. Part-time typically
are aren't going to get the same level
[29:46] of employer contribution that the that
the full-time do. So,
[29:50] that would be completely up to you guys.
If you were going to say like we'll pay
[29:54] for a single or we'll pay you have to
pay 50% of your single, that would be
[29:58] completely up to you guys. The minimum
would be sing 50% of a single plan has
[30:02] to be paid by the employer if you're
going to offer coverage. So, and I only
[30:07] bring that up lean just because
sometimes full-time people don't like to
[30:10] know that part-time people are getting
the same benefits that they are
[30:16] paid by the employer,
[clears throat]
[30:21] but that is completely your guys's
decision to do.
[30:26] Nicole, did I did I forget anything
else?
[30:32] » I don't think so. Do you think
[30:47] So, did that answer your question,
Nicole? as far as a part-time
[30:52] » benefit thing.
[31:06] I just wanted I just wanted to make sure
that you're um I know we had talked
[31:10] offline about in case we've had would
have part-time employees how we would
[31:17] proceed.
>> Yep.
[31:18] » You know, and since you're here today,
Carrie, I want to make sure I ask that
[31:22] question so that we're not
>> putting more stress on Candy to ask you
[31:26] when we have you right here.
>> Yeah. No, you bet. You bet.
[31:28] » Is that part-time?
Does that [clears throat] decision need
[31:32] to be made when selecting one of these
or is that something the commission and
[31:37] county can do at any time?
>> Yeah, it should be done on group
[31:40] anniversary which is January one. And so
if it's just something that if you don't
[31:43] have any part-time people now, but you
anticipate like maybe in March, you
[31:48] would probably get part-time. I would
put it in your contract that just says
[31:52] part-time employees are eligible for
benefits working 20 hours a week. They
[31:57] get, you know, whatever. I'm just
throwing this out here. they get 50% of
[32:00] a single paid by, you know, Ramsey
County. But as long as it's spelled out
[32:04] that whenever anybody has a part-time
employee, then they would be offered
[32:07] benefits
>> and that doesn't affect rates.
[32:10] » Now, where it could affect rates is if
they have a lot of claims.
[32:14] » So
Nicole, do you have a question?
[32:18] » I was just
[32:37] out there.
[32:50] There's been some back and forth.
[32:57] So
[33:01] we're not ready for
[33:12] that.
[33:18] So we want as much discussion as
possible. [laughter]
[33:28] So basically
>> my understanding is we need to have this
[33:32] settled by December.
>> Yeah. And I think whenever your I think
[33:36] typically in the past we've had it
approved
[33:39] » October
>> whenever you guys have to have your
[33:42] budget finalized. So yes, you don't need
to make any final decisions today. I
[33:46] think again like Nicole said, it's
really more of a anformational just
[33:49] because the plan is being discontinued.
We want to get this in front of you. So,
[33:52] if you guys had any questions, I'm here
to answer them. Um, and I and I can tell
[33:56] you that the plans that they would be
moving to are much better for the
[34:01] members than the current plan that
they're on. So, just the additional
[34:06] benefits that they're going to receive.
[34:12] Any other questions for me?
>> I don't have any other questions.
[34:15] Commission have any other questions?
>> Okay.
[34:17] » I appreciate all the information.
>> You bet. And like I said, and if you
[34:21] think of anything, Candy, she's got a
direct line to me, so yeah, I'll answer
[34:26] whatever.
>> You good?
[34:28] » Yeah. No, I'm good.
>> Okay. All right. Thank you.
[34:32] » Yeah. Thanks for coming.
[clears throat]
[34:37] » Moving on to Jason.
[34:44] » All right, we will uh jump right in. I
guess we get the Magwater Dust Control
[34:50] invoice from Haley's Dust Control for
$10,995.25.
[34:56] I'm asking for a motion to pay that
amount and then there'll be $2748.81
[35:03] being reversed through the residents who
had the dust control done.
[35:08] » Move to approve payment. Second.
>> We got a motion. We got a second to pay
[35:14] the $10,99525.
[35:19] Any hearing any discussion here point
you all getting reimbured?
[35:25] » Yep.
And this was the last year we were going
[35:28] to offer this. I didn't budget for this
in the 27 budget [clears throat]
[35:33] because county paid.
>> Can we make sure people get those
[35:36] letters?
>> Yep. [clears throat] Yep. We will once
[35:38] we decide.
>> We talked about this before, but just
[35:41] like Yeah.
letter know that it's not going to be an
[35:44] option.
>> Um, so we have a motion and we have a
[35:49] second. Any other discussion
>> hearing? None. Roll call.
[35:55] We're paying
[35:59] » Hodis.
>> Hi.
[36:01] » Rick.
>> Hi.
[36:02] » Brown.
>> Hi.
[36:04] » Folk.
>> Hi.
[36:06] » Motion carries.
Uh the next thing is I um have a
[36:12] contract
with uh for uh surplus equipment again
[36:18] with Westad. He did our sale last year.
It was pretty successful. Um thought
[36:23] we'd look at doing that again. You guys
were
[36:27] good with the list. I think I sent
everybody a list. I believe
[36:31] » um do we want to go do we have to go
through each one of those? How do we do
[36:34] that? I don't remember from last year. I
can.
[36:38] So, basically, you have a master disc on
there, wheel rake,
[36:42] car, kettle, the John Deere with a um
$3,500 reserve. Correct.
[36:48] » Yep.
>> International dump truck, Bush Hog,
[36:52] Batwing, 15 foot, 500gallon propane
tank, two of them, um F-150,
[37:01] and then two Rams.
>> Yes.
[37:04] Anybody
have any questions as far as the items
[37:09] that are on the list?
[37:14] » This will be when?
>> September 24th.
[37:18] And it won't be our own sale. He's uh
they're doing a consignment sale again.
[37:22] So, there'll be other items on the sale.
We don't have enough for our own this
[37:27] year. Last year, we had quite a bit, but
this should be the last one, I would
[37:33] think, for a couple years. is with who
again?
[37:35] » With Wested
>> with Kyler Wested.
[37:43] » Make a motion to go ahead and declare
the item surplus and
[37:48] [clears throat]
conduct the online auction.
[37:51] » Second.
>> We have a motion. We have a second. Any
[37:55] discussion?
Hearing none
[37:59] by saying I.
>> I. Those opposed same sign. Motion
[38:03] carries.
[clears throat]
[38:06] » Okay. My next thing is a budget item. We
need to purchase 300 ton of sand so we
[38:12] can do some salt sand mixing and then
have some around for for um crack
[38:17] sealing in the spring. The quote is for
$4,50
[38:22] for what we need from Gowen. They were
our low bid this spring on our materials
[38:26] quote. So asking for a motion to accept
the quote and get the sand.
[38:31] » Move to approve. Second.
>> Feel the motion. We have a second. Those
[38:36] in favor by saying I
>> I those opposed sign. Motion carries.
[38:44] » Wash sand bl
just no rock or gravel in it. Just
[38:48] cleaned.
Um the next thing on the list is
[38:54] purchase uh the chips seal rock class 42
from Gwen.
[38:59] We only need about 1,900 ton with what
we have left over from this year's
[39:04] projects. As we shifted part of that to
next year, we were going to do some
[39:07] patching in that area. So, we didn't use
everything we had on hand. Again, they
[39:12] were the low quote this spring when we
did our materials bids. And for uh the
[39:19] 1900 ton, that comes out to $75,95.
So, asking for a motion to accept this
[39:24] quote for the 2027 chip sale projects.
Move to approve.
[39:29] » Second.
>> We have a motion. We have a second. Any
[39:32] other discussion?
Hearing none. All in favor by saying I.
[39:37] » I.
Same sign. Motion carries.
[39:42] [clears throat]
>> Next thing we have going is we need a
[39:45] second rental tractor to mow with. We
did this last year as well. John Deere
[39:50] only offers one through the program now
for each entity. So, um, High Plans has
[39:55] agreed again to rent this one at $75 an
hour with a 100 hour minimum.
[40:00] » So, did we hit that last year?
>> We didn't.
[40:03] » We did not. We were really close. We
were at 80 some hours. Um, we only we
[40:08] were short on staff last year, so and
they just went by the hour, but this
[40:12] year they want the 100 hour guarantee.
So, we'll definitely use it for the 100
[40:15] this year.
>> I was just curious how close we
[40:18] » It was really close. Yeah.
[clears throat] So, um, anyway, that'd
[40:23] be $7,500 and we don't need to pay that.
We're just asking to accept the rental
[40:28] agreement.
>> So, move.
[40:32] » Second.
>> We have a motion. We have a second.
[40:34] » All those in favor by saying I
>> I both same size. Motion carries.
[40:40] » The next thing was that new approach
request for Jordan Han on Ramsey County
[40:44] 1. He wants to come straight off of one
onto his home driveway. I think I sent
[40:50] you guys the map of that. I believe I
did. Um hopefully it was marked out okay
[40:57] so you could see what he was plan was
with that. I um reached out. There's no
[41:03] regulations about approach per mile on
that stretch of road or anything like
[41:07] that. The sight lines are good. I know
another resident did it a year or two
[41:11] ago. Well, a couple three years ago was
Kevin's time. So, it's all at their
[41:15] cost. There's no cost to the county on
that. They'd have to purchase the covert
[41:18] and do the approach and he'd have to
build it to the standards if it was
[41:22] approved. I have no reason to decline it
other than the fact that
[41:28] there is a frontage road there. I don't
know how many approaches we want off
[41:32] Ramsey County one, but
I guess with it as their cost,
[41:39] » it's up to me. I It's
>> How far up is the other road coming off
[41:43] the front? What What's the advantage?
Well, they don't have to come in and
[41:47] then drive by the two neighbors houses.
They can just go straight off the
[41:51] » do the other neighbors have straight on
approaches.
[41:54] » Um, one has put one in. Yeah. At their
own cost that the I believe the township
[42:01] is the one who did the the frontage road
at the time to avoid the to avoid cost,
[42:06] you know. So if these homeowners, Kevin
allowed it when he was there because
[42:10] they were assuming the costs themselves
as homeowners.
[42:15] Well,
>> we all know what approaches do if
[42:18] somebody goes off the highway and hits
one,
[42:20] » right? And that's why they have to be
built to the North Dakota DOT standard
[42:25] or we don't allow them. We inspect that.
>> North Dakota standards are on highway
[42:30] two everywhere,
>> right?
[42:32] » You go off road get an approach. We all
know,
[42:36] » right?
>> How many do you want up there?
[42:39] » Well, right. That's that's the next
thing. I mean, there's [clears throat]
[42:44] they're all they're all along that
stretch. Fison's got multiple on that
[42:51] side. You got It's a busy area. A lot of
lot of development there.
[42:56] » The state highway, you better have a
damn good reason to put one in there. I
[42:59] know that they only put them record.
>> Right. Well, that's why I brought it
[43:05] here. Like I say, I did the leg work. I
check in to see what the impacts would
[43:09] be.
The sight lines are good. Things like
[43:12] that are fine for an approach. Just
depends on how many
[43:15] » I have no problem.
>> Yep.
[43:17] » Icy roads cause people to blow roads.
>> Yep. That's why I brought it here.
[43:25] » I don't know.
>> I think it's a little close. Is it
[43:30] close?
I yeah I haven't I haven't with the
[43:34] reduced speed zone is what makes it
okay. I haven't uh as far as spacing
[43:40] because it's reduced through there but I
didn't pull the measurement off the on
[43:44] here for the other for the entrance one
down on the so the entrance that the
[43:50] closest one to him is the one by
Wendell's there where you come in on the
[43:53] south or the
>> east end and then there's Wendle's house
[43:58] and other house and then his
>> our side. Yeah, it's on the north side.
[44:02] So, right now there's two approaches
onto that frontage road and then there's
[44:05] one going straight
>> because I know there was a concern,
[44:10] correct me if I'm wrong, where the bike
path side is, right?
[44:12] » Yep.
>> When we had the last approach, the guy
[44:16] came in here and wanted to put I wish he
was here, but when he wanted to pave it,
[44:22] there was concerns of paving up to the
bike path. Correct.
[44:25] » Well, the bike path's getting right done
now. So,
[44:28] » so how much traffic do we want over the
bike path? Also, I'm just throw all the
[44:34] options out there because I know there
was a lot of concern
[44:39] come in that we were redoing the bike
path for that individual like are they
[44:43] going to patch it in so that his
driveway still matches that, you know,
[44:48] are we are we creating some issues there
where now we're paying for that? But
[44:53] even though that would be on their own
because we did we're just doing the
[44:57] bike.
>> Right.
[44:58] » So now this would be another avenue to
cross that bike.
[45:02] » Right.
>> Exactly. Yep. No. Yeah. Right.
[45:06] » I think that's some concern too. But
>> well
[45:10] » you're thinking that it's a little
close.
[45:12] » No. Seems like it. But
[45:17] » measure it on personal view.
>> Which one is it? He's the third host
[45:22] from the
[45:27] » So you come in by Wendles and then you
got the
[45:32] pizza.
>> What's the purpose of I don't understand
[45:35] what the purpose of a frontage road is
that we're just going to allow bunch of
[45:38] approaches to go in. I mean that's why
frontage roads are put in to create less
[45:44] intersections.
>> I get it. Everybody wants to know
[45:48] approach, but how many approaches will
you put in before we have problems? I
[45:53] mean, look at what happened on Highway
two. I mean, granted, we don't have the
[45:57] speed out there that we do on Highway
two, but
[46:00] » there's one at Wendles, right? Then the
next one west,
[46:03] » is there another one?
>> All the way to
[46:08] » That's the one that's paved, I believe.
[46:16] Maybe
she bring up
[46:24] so we can all see it. [cough]
[clears throat]
[46:28] » And you put those in.
[46:32] Let them put them in and they think they
own it.
[46:35] » Well, they would own it because we're
not going to put the except for the
[46:38] rightway part. We'd still have
jurisdiction over the rightway saying,
[46:41] » but we're not going to put the money.
>> They own them. You know what? What the
[46:46] road?
>> So, what comes next is a mailbox,
[46:50] » right?
>> Um I don't Well, yeah, I know what
[46:54] you're saying. They want to control
them.
[46:56] » I think what comes next is we should
have never done the one we did because
[47:00] now we've opened up the can of worms. We
let the neighbor do it and now we've got
[47:03] the next guy wanting to do it.
>> And of course, granted, that wasn't any
[47:07] of my doing or many of your guys' doing,
but it's something that was done.
[47:13] So now here we sit with
>> I know what you're saying. Yeah.
[47:16] » If you [clears throat] asked for that on
Highway 57, they'd say no.
[47:19] » Right. I agree.
>> They wouldn't put no more there. Why
[47:24] didn't they do that on Highway 2 east? I
don't know why the highway.
[47:29] » Oh, that's why we're That's why
>> and the road on that other end, that
[47:32] other driveway to the other entrance
isn't any further apart.
[47:37] Candy's gonna bring it up here so we can
>> looks like 530.
[47:48] » I'm just looking at what are the
advantages. I mean
[47:53] » just besides
>> Yeah, it's the it's the third one right
[47:56] there. Ken, that's the one
>> push to get out.
[47:59] » So you have the one at the beginning,
right?
[48:01] » Yep.
>> And then you have one further down.
[48:05] » You have that one. Then you have the one
over.
[48:10] » So my question is the way it is now,
we're not necking down traffic
[48:17] » because basically you have if you would
have all the homes there's one, two,
[48:21] three, four, five, six, seven, eight,
nine, 10.
[48:25] » This one
>> right there.
[48:27] » Right there.
>> Yeah.
[48:31] » We don't need more approaches along that
road. Like I said, people go off of the
[48:35] car.
>> You said we're looking at 500 ft
[48:38] » from that one to that one and 700 to the
other one.
[48:43] » My if we allow this one and those four
lots, someone puts a home in there and
[48:48] then we put another one in there and
then we go down to the end with that new
[48:52] expansion coming on. Are they going to
want one out the end? I'm just asking
[48:58] the question, are they going to want
that frontage road to come all the way
[49:00] out to Walleye Drive next?
>> Well, that would have been the thing to
[49:05] do instead of the one that we did. You
know, in reality, if we were in
[49:09] » charge of the front room, Jason, the
township.
[49:12] » Yeah.
They're just looking for permission to
[49:16] come off our rightway.
The the homeowner is not the township.
[49:21] » Not the township. No, he's got no
support of the township.
[49:24] » Well, he just came to us. It's our right
away from now. That would be the next
[49:28] step. I would [clears throat]
>> do is talk to the township, see where
[49:31] they're at.
>> Well, I think I think Blaine made a good
[49:35] point that I wasn't considering at the
time either when I was looking at
[49:38] everything. We are going to redo the
bike path. Maybe we just tell him to
[49:42] we'll revisit it after we he can revisit
it after we look at the
[49:47] » bike path construction and see how that
turns out.
[49:49] » Sure. because that'd be my only I I
don't have the if the approach is built
[49:53] into the 4 to1 standard and the 3 to1
back slope and all that. It's a nice big
[49:57] ditch. I don't know the danger of the
approach as much as the fact that we're
[50:01] going to be taking extra track and there
plus they're going to be working there
[50:04] next summer that's getting done. So,
we'd be in there digging up his new
[50:07] approach and his access anyway.
>> What are we going to do? We got a grant
[50:11] to redo that um bike path through the
transportation act
[50:17] » to [clears throat] get it up to current
standards.
[50:19] » I'll be honest with you, you know how
they have that front end road. I think
[50:23] only one person finishing that frontage
road
[50:29] straight west.
So you would have an access point on
[50:33] this side and you have access that side.
Makes more sense than just making a
[50:38] private drive. But that's my opinion,
right? When we went and allowed that
[50:43] private drive basically
[clears throat] and people could say,
[50:47] "Well, there's a private drive on the
other end." But it would be access for
[50:51] both sides. Then you don't have Whoops.
You don't have this side having to drive
[50:56] all the way back and so on. You would
have an access
[51:00] to both entrances. to me would make more
sense so that you have less because if
[51:06] once you if you put in another approach
what's going to stop for everybody
[51:09] wanting to put one
>> well it's not that's that's
[51:13] » what you said we
>> that's why we're here now yeah that's
[51:15] why we're here now everyone's going to
want their own and I get it
[51:18] » and I know when they pave when they pave
that
[51:23] there was a lot of concern of when we
were going to fix the bike path
[51:28] » Yeah because now we're have to cut
through
[51:32] My thinking is you want to stay on the
half mile line where Riggins is, right?
[51:38] » Yeah.
>> But the other one is not on the quarter.
[51:42] » No, I shouldn't have went there. I
agree.
[51:45] » I think you better stay on the quarter
and a half mile line because that's the
[51:48] right way to the government. Do
>> nobody can deny you access on you stay
[51:54] on the section or on the quarter half
>> because that's what made section lines
[51:58] was quarter mile. Yep. Well, I'm fine
with it. That's why I want to bring the
[52:02] conversation here. There's not a lot of
danger to making the decision on your
[52:07] own.
>> Well, like I say, I there's there's pros
[52:10] and cons to both. It doesn't it's not
really technically
[52:14] would be hurting anything besides the
fact that it's in our rightway, not on
[52:17] the quarter or the half mile line. And
there's really no reason for it except
[52:21] for the fact that we let the neighbor do
it [laughter]
[52:24] three years ago. You know what I mean?
That's the only
[52:28] So then you're in that situation where
then is everyone's going to want one,
[52:31] you know?
>> Well, in that situation,
[52:34] » I mean, I think we could revisit this
once we get the bike path done to see
[52:39] where we go with that. Like,
>> great. I think that'd be fair.
[52:43] » I mean, how much traffic do we want over
that bike path?
[52:46] » It's good. I mean, we're lucky that we
got a grant to take care of that bike
[52:50] most of that bike path because it's not
cheap.
[52:52] » No, it's over 500,000 to redo it. So,
>> does that grant have any sort of
[52:57] restrictions
on it for the construction of path
[53:02] itself?
>> There's something about motorized stuff.
[53:05] » Yeah, nothing motorized. Um, we we
honestly were just getting into the
[53:09] preliminary engineering of it. So, we
really they're just getting put KLJ's
[53:13] just getting started laying it out. So,
I really don't know a whole lot of the
[53:17] construction details as of yet. there
could be some sort of restriction on,
[53:21] you know, how many roads crossing over.
>> Well, and that's why I called and talked
[53:27] with uh Brandon about just about access
period because on federal highway or
[53:31] federal aid roads, federal highway
system roads, there generally is a
[53:36] spacing requirements and only so many
approaches within a mile, which is four.
[53:41] But, uh, on this situation, since it's a
heavy populated residential area, it's
[53:46] never really been anything that was ever
incorporated into this [clears throat]
[53:50] stretch
[53:54] because as you go every direction from
there, there's it's littered with
[53:59] approaches on the north side.
They put one they put an approach every
[54:04] road from Freeze on for access to the
bike path.
[54:08] you know, there's just it's just an
approach mess out there. But yes, I say
[54:13] we revisit it after we get further along
with the bike path if he would like to.
[54:16] It's up to him. It's
>> also our obligation as the county would
[54:20] to keep the roads as safe as we can.
>> Keep the rightway as clear
[54:24] » access it at the half mile and the
quarter line and no place else. They did
[54:31] that on Highway 2, they wouldn't had all
the problems they got. Right.
[54:35] » Well, look how many times we've visited
on that. a lot and I think we're finally
[54:41] getting to get that done next summer so
that it's I mean we've lost some lives
[54:46] on that road.
>> Yeah,
[54:48] » that probably could have been avoided
and like I [clears throat] said the
[54:51] traffic's not near the speed on this
road, but
[54:56] it's busy.
>> Yeah. [clears throat and cough]
[54:59] » Well, like I say, I was just asking for
a a motion to accept or decline the
[55:04] request, but I think I got that. So,
I don't think we made a motion.
[55:09] » Make a motion to deny the request.
>> Second.
[55:13] » We have a motion and we have a second.
Any other discussion? Hearing none. All
[55:18] those in favor by saying I.
>> All oppose same sign. Motion carries.
[55:25] [clears throat] Um I don't know how much
of this last page I I printed a new one,
[55:30] but uh quote from post to spot gravel
Ramsey County 9. There's a soft area
[55:35] west of Ramsey County 3 that needs a few
loads. And then Ramsey County 4 north of
[55:42] 17 needs a few loads too. We're looking
at 350 yards total. They gave me a price
[55:48] of 6875 and that should take care of the
spot graveling around the county area.
[55:53] We were going to do a little bit south
of pen, but we're going to do that
[55:56] ourselves. So, um, that was for $6,875.
So, I'm asking for a motion to accept
[56:01] the quote.
So move.
[56:05] » Second.
>> We have a motion. We have a second. Any
[56:07] discussion?
Hearing none. All those in favor by
[56:10] saying I. I.
>> All opposed. Same sign. Motion carries.
[56:16] » Um DS excavating got the I got the
invoice for those 5 72inch coververts
[56:21] that were installed on 96th Avenue, that
waterboard crossing that we did. And I'm
[56:26] asking for motion to pay the $17,500
bid price. So move.
[56:33] Second.
>> We have a motion. We have a second to
[56:35] pay 1,00 or 17,500.
Roll call, please.
[56:42] » His I.
>> Fred.
[56:44] » Hi.
>> Brown.
[56:46] » I.
>> Bulk.
[56:48] » Hi. Motion carries.
>> Um, DS Excavating.
[56:54] Brandon uh submitted another partial bid
or partial invoice for the rest of the
[57:00] remaining gravel now on Ram County 7 and
four for $6,300. So I'm asking for a
[57:05] motion to pay that $6,300.
And like I put in the notes there,
[57:10] there's just a little over 8,000
remaining for gravel out of that
[57:15] $120,000 soft spot project.
>> So move second. A
[57:22] » motion. We got a second. All in fair by
saying I. Oh,
[57:26] » you're paying, right?
>> Yeah.
[57:28] » So, we need a roll call, please.
>> Yes, please.
[57:32] » That's 6,300.
>> Yes.
[57:37] » His hi.
>> Frit.
[57:40] » Yes.
>> Brown.
[57:42] » Hi.
>> Fulk.
[57:44] » Hi.
>> Motion carries.
[57:48] [snorts] Um, and the last thing I uh
well, I guess I got two things because I
[57:53] got the door quote, too. But the mowing
ad. I do have the ad if you'd like me to
[57:58] read what it says to you guys. Or maybe
I was going to send it and I don't think
[58:02] I did. But anyway, it's just a saying
that we want the ditches mowed by
[58:06] October 1st, 2026. So, I'm asking for a
motion to accept that and post that
[58:11] again in the journal.
>> So moved.
[58:15] Second.
There go.
[58:18] » We put that on our
>> It'll go on the website, too. I'll get
[58:21] it to Michelle and it'll go on the
paper.
[58:23] » Do we have a motion? We have a second to
put in the paper on our site.
[58:29] Those in favor by saying I
>> I
[58:33] same sign. Motion carries.
>> And lastly for me today then will be the
[58:38] door quote. I um reached out to the two
contractors that have been working on
[58:45] the building there. We're getting
closer. We got the concrete floor in. We
[58:50] got some lights put in. Things are
coming right along. Um anyway, I got a
[58:55] quote here from Lindstöms. This is five
doors, insulated doors installed
[59:03] with U
windows and the doors.
[59:09] 24 x 12 glass. They're the low headroom
doors, so they're a little harder to get
[59:13] just because of the ceiling height and
the header height on those pole
[59:16] structures isn't there for the clearance
of the regular standard door. So, per
[59:21] door it came out to $1,495.88
88 for a total of 57,47940.
[59:29] » And these What's that?
>> How much was that last year?
[59:33] » 50 5747940.
And I think you should have a hand out
[59:37] there, Bill, hooked to the
>> Yeah.
[59:39] » with it. And those are from Midland
Doors. I guess I don't know my doors. I
[59:44] did call around. It seems like those are
one of the better doors on the market
[59:48] once I saw what brand they were.
Move to approve.
[59:53] » Second.
>> We have a motion. We have a second.
[59:58] Any other discussion?
Hearing none. All in favor by saying I.
[1:00:04] » I.
>> All oppose. Same sign. Motion.
[1:00:08] [clears throat]
>> Um, one last thing. I guess I was out
[1:00:11] and drove the the circuit yesterday
afternoon.
[1:00:15] Things are looking meekly better up.
I don't know optimistic I guess or
[1:00:22] whatever but um tread carefully there
but no fster suit appears to maintain
[1:00:28] gone down a little bit few inches maybe
but there's not I'm not not seeing a
[1:00:33] whole lot
>> yeah there's not a lot of drop there I
[1:00:36] mean it's we probably got maybe 10
inches now with the laser on a couple
[1:00:41] spots of freeboard it was awful windy it
was hard to tell so I didn't spend a lot
[1:00:45] of time I was going to I'll lay out a
grid for the next one so you kind of see
[1:00:48] where we're at. But, um, Fox Lake looks
real good. I've been visiting with Chris
[1:00:53] Rude of the Fish and Wildlife there.
We're working on some options to
[1:00:57] possibly be able to do something there
as a permanent fixture there. Um, if we
[1:01:02] do that fix, of course, I'll need
Daniel's help with that because we're
[1:01:06] talking about maybe switching some
easements and we need to have him look
[1:01:09] through those things and make sure we're
doing what's legal as a highway
[1:01:13] department in the county. We won't enter
into anything until Mr.
[1:01:17] takes a look at all that for us, but be
nice not to have to fill that in and
[1:01:21] spend that money and then have to just
repeat the process of permitting and dig
[1:01:24] it out again over and over every year.
So, they're willing to work with us
[1:01:28] there, it seems like. And the soft spots
are healing nice on four. Um, there's
[1:01:33] might be a little much rock there. I
talked with Mr. Sundine yesterday. We
[1:01:37] got some plans with that. So, we'll see
how that comes together. But the center
[1:01:41] of the road is really good now. It's
holding up nice. So,
[1:01:44] » how much total money do we have in that
road for the year?
[1:01:48] » The guess
>> the gravel part up there or
[1:01:52] » Well, so far just the soft spots we
budgeted $120,000, but then that's not
[1:01:56] counting all the extra blading and and
then we got hundred and some thousand on
[1:02:01] asphalt patching. $139,000 where we
fixed all the breakouts and the asphalt
[1:02:06] down.
>> Just the gravel part.
[1:02:07] » No, that's going south, too. But uh but
on the gravel part, just the soft spot
[1:02:12] repair, we're at 120. We set 120 aside
for that coming into the year.
[1:02:17] » And the whole road, how much do we have
on it? Your guess?
[1:02:21] » At least a quarter million right now
with the asphalt patching too where we
[1:02:25] had all the blowups this spring in the
pavement.
[1:02:29] » And none of that is south. South is
that? No, that's all north to south,
[1:02:35] right?
>> Yeah, there was one big one south. There
[1:02:38] is
>> yeah right between six right by the area
[1:02:41] six there there was one paver pass
through there double lane there but then
[1:02:46] everything's north
[1:02:49] » and basically
that money is coming from the county
[1:02:54] right
>> all that money is coming from the county
[1:02:56] yeah
>> and if we didn't have water ling these
[1:02:59] roads all the time we wouldn't be doing
that
[1:03:03] » yeah well definitely would help for sure
you're
[1:03:05] » simple isn't it
>> yeah we're saturated Yeah,
[1:03:11] that's what the frustrating part was
when FEMA was here. They agreed with us.
[1:03:15] They know we're saturated, but they were
only looking at what happened from that
[1:03:21] three-day rain, not past year's rain,
spring or on. They don't care. Just what
[1:03:26] happened right there.
>> Just so they can put in a paper
[1:03:29] paperwork for that week and head on
home. So
[1:03:35] » and leave you with the problem.
>> Well, our soft spot repair budget all
[1:03:40] went within that 2 miles of seven and
four. We didn't we weren't we weren't
[1:03:44] able to go anywhere else again, you
know, and we have other spots that need
[1:03:48] it.
>> Absolutely.
[1:03:50] » But it was it was so bad through there.
I mean, the other spots we can band-aid
[1:03:54] and get across,
>> those spots are tough. You couldn't
[1:03:57] drive them.
[1:04:01] » Thank you, Jason. Yeah, but overall I
think we're getting there now. We can
[1:04:05] get caught up on blading again.
>> I was over it the other day and I felt
[1:04:08] it was a lot better.
>> It's a lot safer feeling now. Yeah,
[1:04:12] » we still got the rough road signs up
just to hopefully people pay attention
[1:04:17] to them. But we'll get them down once he
gets some more gravel on there, but
[1:04:20] trying to let that rock work in a little
bit. Anybody else got anything else?
[1:04:30] » Thank you.
>> Thank you.
[1:04:33] Thanks, Jason. [clears throat]
Daniel,
[1:04:37] you're on the
>> Thank you, sir. Um, so I asked to be on
[1:04:44] the agenda today. Um, I have two open
positions in my office, a parallegal and
[1:04:50] an assistant states attorney position
that are open. Uh, both have been open
[1:04:54] for approximately
three to four months. Um,
[1:05:02] current policy, uh, 209 in the county
handbook, uh, prohibits me from starting
[1:05:08] anybody above, uh, step five in the
individual, uh,
[1:05:17] positions grade. So, for parallegals,
they start on grade four or they're on
[1:05:21] grade four and to my understanding. And,
uh, assistant states attorney is on
[1:05:27] grade 10. Um
essentially uh starting us out at step f
[1:05:34] or limiting me to starting out at step
five and that's only with uh the
[1:05:40] portfolio holders approval uh severely
limits my ability to attract
[1:05:46] applicants. Um, for example, uh, I have
had conversations with experienced
[1:05:53] attorneys, uh, who have five plus years
of experience doing this job. And they
[1:06:01] would have to take a $15,000 pay cut in
order to cut work for Ramsey County. Um,
[1:06:07] I'm not going to be able to convince
somebody that they're doing their civic
[1:06:11] duty and take a $15,000 pay cut and make
it worth their time. Um similarly in the
[1:06:18] parallegal position uh individuals who
work in the state court system or in
[1:06:23] other offices
um it it's a competitive market. It's
[1:06:27] hard to find people who have the
qualifications to not only start out in
[1:06:31] the position but to attract people uh
with already uh experience in the area
[1:06:38] so that I'm not having to train somebody
from the ground up. Um, I I I'm asking
[1:06:44] the commission for a variance um uh case
by case. Um, I'm not sure how you how
[1:06:51] you would want to phrase it, but I'm
asking that with portfolio holders
[1:06:55] approval essentially that capping at
step five for new hires. I would ask
[1:07:01] that that at least for the time being
for my two open positions uh be
[1:07:06] something that I can speak with Blaine
about make sure that it makes sense to
[1:07:11] him. Uh since he is the portfolio holder
I'm not trying to undo the policy as
[1:07:16] it's written. It's just that Bla at step
five.
[1:07:19] » Daniel called me on this and I wanted
him to present it to everybody because I
[1:07:23] didn't want to make this decision
himself. I figured bring it to the
[1:07:27] commission so that you guys hear the
whole like it's just not me making the
[1:07:34] decision.
I [clears throat] understand what you're
[1:07:36] saying.
>> Yeah.
[1:07:39] » It's the point is the commission has set
a policy. That policy is from 2019 I
[1:07:45] believe. Um, a and I understand why the
policy was set that way, but similar to
[1:07:51] many positions around the county, like
the VSO position, I mean, we're having a
[1:07:55] hard time getting people to come and do
the jobs that we need done. And so, if I
[1:08:01] don't have the ability to use what's in
my budget, I'm not asking for additional
[1:08:04] money. This is just to use what's in my
budget. Um,
[1:08:10] and so I'm asking for some sort of
variance to allow me to step outside of
[1:08:16] the step five restriction on hiring new
employees.
[1:08:21] » If there are any questions on that
>> for these two positions,
[1:08:24] » yes, just for these two positions, just
for the time being, I I think it's worth
[1:08:28] probably revisiting to see if that
specific policy is feasible for the
[1:08:33] county. I mean,
maybe we need to do a variance on a
[1:08:37] case- by case basis, but um I mean,
we're struggling to get qualified
[1:08:41] applicants in a few positions. And so,
if if I can't attract those applicants,
[1:08:47] I'm
I don't have a lot of options.
[1:08:52] » Yeah.
[1:09:02] Not to rush anybody, but I have a
hearing at 9:15. If anybody has any
[1:09:07] questions on that,
well, I look at it. We had our HR here
[1:09:12] because we had some issues in the past
and we got a policy put in place now of
[1:09:17] our pay schedule. uh we start
manipulating that again, are we going to
[1:09:22] get back into
some further problems?
[1:09:29] » That that is why this was put in place
in 19. But we can either decide to limit
[1:09:36] the amount of pay that we're able to
attribute to a position and leave it
[1:09:41] empty. And so the county is not
receiving the benefit of
[1:09:46] what I consider to be vital uh to the
operation of the county. I I mean I've
[1:09:52] been down these two positions for the
past four months. The reality is is I'm
[1:09:57] I'm falling behind
on the criminal side and the civil side
[1:10:01] of things. And so if I can't get these
positions filled, I'm going to have to
[1:10:05] pull back from my support of the
departments as I think is very vital. I
[1:10:11] think the commission as well as the
waterboard as well as the portfolio
[1:10:16] holders have benefited from more
interaction with me from more time spent
[1:10:20] from my office. But I can't I can't do
both without more support and being able
[1:10:27] to fill my positions. And so I
understand that the concern is salaries
[1:10:33] getting out of control, but if we're
going to
[1:10:37] not allow positions to be filled with
people who want to do the job and who
[1:10:42] will do the job well and they just need
more money in order to come over, then I
[1:10:48] the amount of support that I can give
the county is going to decrease in a
[1:10:54] proportionate manner. And if that is the
decision of the commission, then I'll
[1:10:58] have to go in that direction and I'll
have to look at what I need to pull back
[1:11:03] on in order to make sure that I'm doing
the job to the best of my abilities.
[1:11:11] » What's the current staffing of your
office, Daniel?
[1:11:14] » I've got uh Nancy Watt and Kim Perkune
are uh parallegals. Um, and then Noah
[1:11:22] Corger is an assistant who started a
little less than a year ago and myself.
[1:11:30] » Do you have an an assistant states
attorney?
[1:11:33] » Mr. Corger is an assistant states
attorney.
[1:11:37] » And he's been there how long?
>> A little less than a year. We're coming
[1:11:41] up on 11 months, 12 months uh, in
October.
[1:11:50] Um and the office has functioned with
two people in it for a number of years.
[1:11:56] Judge Olsen when he was in the office
was
[1:12:00] uh
the only full-time attorney and uh
[1:12:05] Martin Halbach was an assistant states
attorney. Um, I think that based on the
[1:12:11] amount of
[1:12:15] we'll say questions and concerns that I
fielded just over the past year, I I
[1:12:20] think everybody is appreciative of being
able to uh get a legal opinion uh in a
[1:12:27] timely manner and get more support from
my office. And as has been slowly
[1:12:32] happening, um,
Judge Agotness when she was in the
[1:12:38] office moved, uh, Miss Hawach down up to
a full-time employee. And even with, uh,
[1:12:44] two full-time attorneys, I don't think
as much civil support on the county side
[1:12:49] of county governance side of things was
being done either. And I we are I'm a
[1:12:56] hundred hearing uh cases ahead from
where I was last year. Um we're charging
[1:13:01] out more uh to my understanding law
enforcement feels that cases in a way
[1:13:06] that they uh appreciate and feel
supported from my office. I I don't
[1:13:11] foresee our cases going down anytime
soon. And so I those criminal cases
[1:13:17] unfortunately take u precedence as far
as an importance uh for my dayto-day
[1:13:24] without more support in the office. And
so the civil support is is going to
[1:13:29] start sliding.
[1:13:33] » You're up a 100 cases from last year.
>> Yes, sir.
[1:13:37] » Really?
>> Yeah.
[1:13:40] » Would you have any guess? Would you
speculate on
[1:13:44] why that is.
>> Um where's it coming from in general?
[1:13:49] » I what I'll say is last year was a
specific dip that I can account for. Um
[1:13:56] we're on track for about 7 750 cases
this year, which is um maybe a little
[1:14:03] bit above average for the last 5 to 10
years. Uh but there was a dip and after
[1:14:11] I took over last year um this year is
just at a higher rate. I I I don't have
[1:14:18] the numbers to really guess one way or
the other.
[1:14:27] » I think this I think this should be
addressed. I mean
[1:14:31] » I think I think Daniel we have all the
information that you've given us. that
[1:14:34] you have up.
>> I do have to run. Um, and I do have
[1:14:38] these applicants lined up. If a decision
could be made today, I'd greatly
[1:14:42] appreciate it and one way or the other
just so that I can get some answers out.
[1:14:46] Um, and I will leave it in your hands.
>> Thank you.
[1:14:50] » Thank you, gentlemen.
>> Thank you.
[1:15:01] The only thing that scares me on this is
>> are we going to have other entities,
[1:15:08] other departments coming to us with the
same thing?
[1:15:14] Like I know the sheriff wanted to do
something like this also
[1:15:19] and where are we at? You know what I
mean? Maybe
[1:15:25] what something I like to know on the
applicants and I'm not on the hiring
[1:15:30] thing is the applicant coming to us
gaining benefits or not gaining
[1:15:36] benefits. Is it a wash where they're
just looking to, you know what I'm
[1:15:40] saying? If you're coming to the county
and I don't know how they do it on other
[1:15:44] entities, but let's say you had a lawyer
out in the other, he wasn't getting
[1:15:48] insurance and all the benefits that we
offer and he's coming here. We give them
[1:15:52] all one for one of what he's making plus
the benefits because that's something
[1:15:57] that someone has to give up to, you
know, I've I've changed jobs before.
[1:16:02] I've taken pay cuts to look at what was
for me in the future.
[1:16:07] not what was at the present. You know,
coming to a job isn't always about
[1:16:12] making more money coming to a job, but
what is it best in the future? Is it
[1:16:17] better for me in the future or is it not
better for me?
[1:16:20] » And I I get what he's saying. If if uh
[clears throat] you have someone with
[1:16:24] the experience and you can get them
[1:16:30] two different ways. I don't know. It's a
tough thing because we have other
[1:16:34] departments. If it was the only
department that we were had, you could
[1:16:38] probably make it an easy decision.
You know, I mean, I'll use you as
[1:16:43] example, Jason, you have what, 10
people,
[1:16:47] » and the sheriff has 12 people,
Candy has a few people, and then all of
[1:16:53] a sudden, where do we go with this? Are
we we snowball it? I don't know.
[1:16:59] » Question. Was he saying in his budget?
>> It's it's within his budget. I've tal
[1:17:06] I've talked to him. It is still within
his budget that he had presented. So he
[1:17:12] wouldn't be going over his budget.
>> So he wants to pay the people.
[1:17:19] » I think he wants to pay him off way. I
have my understanding is pay them off
[1:17:23] the experience they have now.
>> Well, that seems like it would be
[1:17:27] workable for him. I you know I
>> if you pay off the experience that they
[1:17:30] would be coming in. So basically he was
would when I talked to Daniel on the
[1:17:34] phone
step five is lower than the experience
[1:17:40] that they have
>> right now. He would only be taking them
[1:17:44] to the step of where their experience
would be if they were already an
[1:17:49] employee for us.
It's not I have this individual on. The
[1:17:54] only thing I would have to talk to
Daniel about that I would be concerned
[1:17:58] we have a assistant states attorney
right now that it doesn't cause
[1:18:03] conflict. You bring someone on and now
we lose that state's attorney because
[1:18:08] they didn't have this opportunity. I
don't know how if the individual was
[1:18:11] just one year two year because I don't
want to slap in the face the people that
[1:18:16] we have working for us not to be fair to
them also you know. So does it that's
[1:18:21] where I'm saying the snowball effect
because that could that could easily
[1:18:25] happen. You bring someone on and you get
a little bit more money the rule stated
[1:18:30] but the other individual is willing to
come on and take that chance to move up
[1:18:35] in the world right and now you bring
someone on because they have a little
[1:18:38] bit more experience and want to put them
into that. And I believe that's why the
[1:18:43] policy was put in place.
you I mean you guys were here longer
[1:18:48] than me but Jess you were 2019 you know
it's and I believe and that's something
[1:18:54] that I definitely think would have to be
done through HR to get her opinion also
[1:19:01] you know otherwise if we make a decision
today and we don't have her opinion now
[1:19:06] we're are we going above and beyond and
saying we're HR
[1:19:13] some of that's got to still be in
No different when you had to work with
[1:19:18] your department with HR. I know the
sheriff has worked with HR
[1:19:23] » and then they presented it. So that
it's one of those deals like
[1:19:31] and I could talk to HR, get her opinion
and I know he wants us to make a
[1:19:38] decision today, but we want to make the
decision off of what HR gives us also.
[1:19:43] » Right. And what is another two weeks?
We've went four months. What's another
[1:19:50] two weeks? I mean, his answer would have
to go back to the people that are
[1:19:54] interested. Hey,
>> I guess it all depends on how actively
[1:19:58] those individuals that have applied are
pursuing other avenues,
[1:20:02] » right?
>> Well, I think one of them is across the
[1:20:05] hall,
>> right?
[1:20:07] Um, I think they come with a lot of
experience and you know, we can throw
[1:20:13] this back at Jason and ask us, hey, tell
us if somebody came to you with 10 years
[1:20:19] of of roadwork experience on a on a CAD
grader, would you treat them the same as
[1:20:25] somebody new,
>> right? I totally get it.
[1:20:29] » So, that's budgeted money. makes a big
difference if you're not
[1:20:35] » it wouldn't throw them out of budget.
That was the first that [clears throat]
[1:20:37] was the first question I asked. I said,
"Is this going to throw you over your
[1:20:41] budget?" Because we already presented a
limit.
[1:20:44] » Well, and I do think that these
individuals positions have been included
[1:20:49] in this year's budget for next year.
>> Same as like the VSO.
[1:20:53] » So,
>> just where would we where would you
[1:20:57] start? And I think he was asking that's
what he was asking if it was approved
[1:21:03] today to be above the five then that's
where the portfolio would get permission
[1:21:08] from the board to say okay we're going
to go with this.
[1:21:11] » Did he indicate how much higher than a
five or was that up to him and his
[1:21:19] portfolio? That's all he had said and I
said I wanted to bring it to you guys to
[1:21:23] get that approval first because I didn't
want to make a decision and then we come
[1:21:27] in here and I'm trying to answer the
questions to the one of five.
[1:21:33] » Right.
>> I understood he can't hire the the
[1:21:37] person is within the budget he has right
now.
[1:21:41] » Well, with the guidelines
>> with the guidelines of the hiring policy
[1:21:45] » of this hiring policy,
>> right? Yeah.
[1:21:47] » Because they're saying you can only go
to step five.
[1:21:50] And I believe if correct I think was
saying like a $15,000 would be matching
[1:21:57] the individual salary for the one. I
don't know about the other get deep
[1:22:01] conversation because I was like I wanted
to bring it to the commission. I didn't
[1:22:06] want to make that decision on my own
without your guys's approval.
[1:22:10] » I would I my own opinion is we hired to
do that part of our business. I think we
[1:22:17] should have advice on this.
>> Oh, I agree.
[1:22:23] » And then make a decision after that.
>> Um,
[1:22:27] » it's not saying we're not going to make
a decision. It's just we want the advice
[1:22:31] of
that to me is fair.
[1:22:35] » She communicated with
>> So,
[1:22:40] » um, she said that she gave him the
amount the policy would allow. So that
[1:22:46] would be the step five,
>> right?
[1:22:49] » Um and explained going higher would
require board approval.
[1:22:57] » So I do think that it comes down to our
decision.
[1:22:59] » So I mean she's following she's
>> she's following
[1:23:02] » she's following the policy.
>> She's not.
[1:23:07] » She's Yeah, she's she's going by what's
in the handbook.
[1:23:15] So obviously
[1:23:19] » I personally I think there still needs
to be some limitations.
[1:23:24] » Not that you bring someone in the max
scale.
[1:23:29] You know
[1:23:32] » we're leaving it up to Daniel to run his
department.
[1:23:35] » Correct.
>> We're just going to give him a little
[1:23:38] more leeway what we're doing. Right.
>> For the it would be only for these two
[1:23:41] positions. two positions
>> and then once these two positions were
[1:23:45] hired, they would go right back to the
209 hiring policy and proceed to.
[1:23:52] You know, let's say someone quit
tomorrow, you would have to then
[1:23:56] advertise it as the
maximum and stuff, but it doesn't open
[1:24:02] it wide open. And that's something that
him and I have talked about. I said if
[1:24:06] this was okay by the commission, this is
not wide open. It creates problems with
[1:24:13] other departments.
>> Oh, I agree with you. But I mean, it's
[1:24:16] up to the commission.
>> Y
[1:24:20] want to keep the community safe. I guess
we better have somebody in that state
[1:24:24] attorney's office
>> that can handle the cases, the cases
[1:24:28] they're getting.
>> What was the figure he used? How many
[1:24:32] cases above last year he's at?
>> 100.
[1:24:36] » 100. Wow.
Well, you've had a lot of
[1:24:42] problems over the road department too
this year, but it seems like got enough
[1:24:46] help on board seem like they're good
help. They've gotten work done
[1:24:51] and he can hire contractors also,
>> right?
[1:24:54] » I mean,
Daniel's in a different position. He
[1:24:59] can't go contract out to lot services
for this county.
[1:25:06] is our president.
He is not in office. He's
[1:25:12] I'm not 100%.
>> What was your question?
[1:25:16] » Works at home.
>> Our president assistant does not work in
[1:25:23] office. He works
>> No, he's here.
[1:25:26] » I thought we had one that wasn't
>> No, he
[1:25:29] » Oh, didn't know that.
>> Yeah, he did eventually that was in the
[1:25:33] process. He was only doing that until he
that I do know.
[1:25:37] » Yeah. No, that's I didn't know that.
I do know and I appreciate Daniel's help
[1:25:44] and and his time and availability that
he's made for not only myself but I
[1:25:50] think for all the commission um
and some of the advice that he's given
[1:25:57] and some of the problems that maybe
we've created our ourselves or just get
[1:26:04] thrown on our laps. But either way, he's
he he's good at what he does. And
[1:26:09] » yeah, I agree with you.
[clears throat]
[1:26:14] » Oh, I'd hate to limit that availability
of him.
[1:26:19] » Just have him work with HR so that the
pay doesn't
[1:26:27] get out of whack.
[1:26:31] I'd make a motion to go ahead and give
him that leeway to work with HR
[1:26:36] and [clears throat]
provide some
[1:26:39] have her give some guidance
as far as it doesn't get
[1:26:45] too kitty opposite for the lack of
better term. Um,
[1:26:50] [clears throat and cough]
[1:26:54] » I'll second the motion and I'm not
worried about the kill offices just get
[1:26:59] it done.
>> Right.
[1:27:00] » Right.
>> Because it don't matter what the
[1:27:02] sheriff's office is doing if we don't
get it prosperous.
[1:27:04] » Right.
>> And handled the way they're supposed to
[1:27:07] be.
>> Yeah.
[1:27:09] » And we're not doing our job.
So, we have a motion
[1:27:15] for
um Daniel to work with HR
[1:27:22] and move on with the process.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
[1:27:28] And a second.
Any other discussion?
[1:27:33] I'm I'm going to add that I'm really not
in favor of that because we had a HR
[1:27:40] come and try to fix what we did have a
mess in and now we're adjusting again.
[1:27:47] I'm not saying he doesn't have a need. I
don't mean that at all. But
[1:27:54] » no, but but to work but to work with her
>> so that he's he's not
[1:28:06] » he's not picking and choosing
the dollar amount
[1:28:11] » correct me
>> so that you're stay
[1:28:14] that's what you were getting at that
>> you know
[1:28:17] » there's still limitations
>> right
[1:28:19] » that he has to get finalized HR. He
can't just go out and say you're going
[1:28:22] to start at step 30. I'm just using
example 30 steps but
[1:28:32] » you know because of what she put
together
[1:28:36] » because of the 20 step or the 20 what
whatever she
[1:28:41] » and I think
>> and it does say in here if it was to go
[1:28:46] » shall not to exceed step five unless
it's approved by us
[1:28:50] » right
>> so there was that built in if there's
[1:28:53] There's obviously a something out there
that it could be adjusted by
[1:29:00] » I just wanted to make sure Daniel knew
it was only the two positions so that
[1:29:05] this doesn't.
[1:29:13] » Yes.
>> Question.
[1:29:15] » Go ahead.
>> No need to vote.
[1:29:23] question.
>> So, we have a a motion. We have a
[1:29:27] second.
[1:29:31] Um, roll call, please.
[1:29:35] » Hold.
>> Nay.
[1:29:37] » Fred.
>> Yes.
[1:29:40] » Brown. Hi. Bulk.
>> Hi.
[1:29:55] Motion carries.
[1:29:59] Moving on to unfinished business. I
think the fence or slew discussion is
[1:30:05] basically at the appeal.
My opinion is we should just leave it at
[1:30:09] the appeal
until we get something back from there.
[1:30:14] I think Daniel gave an update to the
water board this morning that they're
[1:30:18] thinking the November 12th and 13th for
the administrative law judge to hear the
[1:30:24] case be at Bismar um and we'll get a
hearing notice here shortly with and
[1:30:32] then we're going to take um our SVPs
for so we can kind of give them a head
[1:30:38] count so we have a proper size group. So
those that are in attendance have the
[1:30:44] ability to sit and attend the hearing in
person.
[1:30:49] So but we should know that and we'll get
that word out to everybody when when the
[1:30:55] administrative law judge
makes that final determination on the
[1:31:00] date and times.
[1:31:03] » I [snorts] don't know. Is that going to
be available to
[1:31:07] team or something to watch?
I would imagine it would be I think it's
[1:31:13] scheduled to be at the Department of
Water Resources. They do all their
[1:31:17] meetings via teams.
Um
[1:31:22] and it it shouldn't be a closed hearing
at all.
[1:31:28] So
[1:31:34] » any chance that it be 20 below that
morning?
[1:31:38] » Hey [laughter]
[1:31:42] I had to get that in there. No,
[laughter]
[1:31:45] » I'm not picking on you.
>> Fairly scheduled blizzard.
[1:31:51] » We got a lot of hot weather, so I
imagine it's going to go the other way
[1:31:54] pretty soon, right? Stranger things
happen.
[1:31:59] » Don't average yourself. So,
>> that's right. So I think we leave that
[1:32:04] just on the table
>> until we get this appeal and then
[1:32:09] » certainly the process
>> until we know what's going to happen
[1:32:11] with the appeal. It's kind of hard to
make any other decisions,
[1:32:15] » right?
>> We're all good with that.
[1:32:19] » Leave it tabled. Uh 2027 budget
um can be had.
[1:32:25] » Yep. There's
[1:32:29] » Yep. the Lake Region Heritage Center.
[1:32:35] Um
[1:32:39] they get like a quarter a quarter mil
>> and this was already fixing. This was
[1:32:44] already
>> Yep. I already figured it in.
[1:32:46] » Now you're getting the paperwork. So the
seat
[1:32:50] » and then the other one is um I always
provide you with the utilities.
[1:32:57] Um and then I did um like a column at
the end to show like increase decrease
[1:33:05] um the
you know the assessed value for I mean
[1:33:15] and I you know looks pretty good
utility wise. I mean,
[1:33:26] it usually goes the the other direction,
but
[1:33:36] so that's done. So then
>> So the increase is what's black.
[1:33:40] » Y decreases what?
>> Decreases red. Yeah.
[1:33:46] Yep.
And the bottom portion, the bottom
[1:33:50] portion is what is like taxable value
and the top portion is just it is a
[1:33:58] fixed um their terminology is it's
called it's just a fixed tax.
[1:34:06] Um
so that's just
[1:34:10] » because you get taxed.
>> Yeah, that's just what they'll pay.
[1:34:15] Any
[1:34:21] questions
[1:34:25] on where we're at with the budget?
>> So then the next meeting I'll have I'll
[1:34:30] have all the
all of the paperwork and everything with
[1:34:37] utilities.
>> So we have
[1:34:42] another meeting in September. When's the
final final for the
[1:34:50] budget?
>> October.
[1:34:52] » October. So, we'll have this next
meeting,
[1:34:56] » this preliminary budget hearing
>> and then we have one more meeting after
[1:35:01] that unless we
>> unless you have a special meeting. Yep.
[1:35:05] » We're tracking.
>> Yep. Well, there's any questions after
[1:35:09] the next meeting and we would have a
special meeting so that we can make the
[1:35:14] decision.
>> So, possibility of two meetings prior to
[1:35:19] making a decision is kosher with that.
Just want to make sure that we're all
[1:35:27] tracking. The
>> budget has to be in place by the first
[1:35:29] meeting in October.
>> That's when it has to be decided.
[1:35:32] » What date is that?
>> October 7th. I think it is October 7th.
[1:35:43] » So I would say if if you don't have any
questions today, you're looking at
[1:35:48] something, please get what can be
>> so that we can have it up next meeting
[1:35:53] with questions,
concerns, so that can [snorts] be
[1:35:57] deciphered and then
we can't make it this year and then we
[1:36:02] have one special meeting. We have to
before our plan.
[1:36:12] Everybody hears I'm getting heads
nodding.
[1:36:15] » Yes.
>> Yes.
[1:36:21] » That's not nodding. So that's why I'm
not trying to call you out on you.
[1:36:26] » No, I'm just looking at my calendar.
>> October 6.
[1:36:31] » So October 6 would be the
final final
[1:36:36] Yeah,
[1:36:43] » second meeting September is is
>> I I think
[1:36:50] » Yeah, because I don't know there's like
a week and a half in there,
[1:36:53] » right?
>> Just because it's a long month.
[1:36:58] » So, we're all good there.
Moving on to
[1:37:03] the approval or new business would be
approve the subdivision ordinance. I did
[1:37:09] talk to Daniel on this. This was all
looked at.
[1:37:13] [clears throat] He said it looks good to
go. It's just up to us.
[1:37:25] I I look through I didn't see anything
out of
[1:37:28] ordinary.
[1:37:35] We had talked about this last bill, last
meeting. Grant this is still draft
[1:37:42] basically today we have made saying yes
this is what we would like to move on
[1:37:48] with or not.
>> I I think so I think this is I think
[1:37:55] it's a good document.
Um, I think putting this in place the
[1:38:00] sooner would be beneficial.
>> So, do we want Daniel or the is it the
[1:38:08] board or Daniel that would produce the
final draft since this is the draft?
[1:38:12] » That's the planning.
>> So, the planning could bring us a final
[1:38:17] draft and then vote on it.
>> Well, I think this is the ordinance that
[1:38:23] we're be approving,
>> right? Okay. Yeah. So, yeah.
[1:38:28] They just they just left this because we
>> to see what the
[1:38:35] » So what we what we probably want to do
is appoint a a code administrator
[1:38:42] and I don't know that's something that
they're planning on contracting with the
[1:38:47] city with or
>> well that's that's something they
[1:38:53] » or run that through um the assessor
office and that was something that we
[1:38:58] had meeting
>> but we needed to know
[1:39:04] exact numbers so we know when we're
doing our budget
[1:39:09] » that it's in
>> right
[1:39:10] » and I believe there wasn't a month set
for that it was just are we going with
[1:39:15] Steve or how we working with it and I
believe when we were talking to Steve he
[1:39:20] would have liked it where us in the city
are
[1:39:26] My
>> was But wasn't that on the
[1:39:31] » building
permits?
[1:39:33] » That was right.
>> Yeah.
[1:39:40] » So subdivisions
would be us
[1:39:44] » and basically we would use Steve for
that also.
[1:39:48] And the amounts were on the
preliminary for that.
[1:39:53] » Yeah.
>> Because when we're talking subdivisions,
[1:39:56] it's probably stuff that you and Steve
would have to I'm looking at Jason right
[1:40:01] now.
>> Yeah. I went to the meeting.
[1:40:13] » I guess
with the draft here, we can
[1:40:18] Make a motion to go ahead and approve
the draft estimated.
[1:40:24] » We have a motion and we have a second.
You want to do a roll call for this or
[1:40:28] just
[1:40:32] » We'll do a roll call.
>> Roll call, please.
[1:40:35] » Okay. His
>> hi.
[1:40:38] » F.
>> Yes.
[1:40:40] » Brown.
>> I ful
[1:40:42] » I. Motion carries.
Guess the only other thing to decide
[1:40:47] then is
with Steve and we can talk about that.
[1:40:52] Make sure you guys look at that
>> so that
[1:40:55] » y
>> we can decide we're going to go with
[1:40:58] that.
>> Thank you.
[1:41:01] » Visitors delegation
anybody
[1:41:07] portfolios. Anybody got anything their
portfolios?
[1:41:15] What's that? Garland.
[1:41:20] » Visitors.
[1:41:25] » Can you come to the mic, please?
[1:41:39] » From Dro Township. I'm looking for a
little clarification.
[1:41:44] When you guys did this Fox Lake Mercy
drain, did are you having did that have
[1:41:53] to go through the state too?
[1:41:58] » Yeah.
>> Fish and wildlife.
[1:42:03] » Mostly fish and wildlife. No problem
with the state though.
[1:42:08] Why is the state giving you problems
on this fence or a slope? because Fox
[1:42:14] Lake went into a a another drain that
goes into that is already established.
[1:42:21] Fencers didn't have a doesn't have a
drain out of it and so be creating a new
[1:42:27] one.
>> You can use existing but you can't
[1:42:30] create new is what they're saying.
>> Okay. Then well that brings up another
[1:42:35] question. I'm looking at the snag and
clear that you're doing
[1:42:40] and
I don't know
[1:42:47] seem like I'm not getting the
maybe you can clarify it for me
[1:42:54] under the snag and clear
any question as to whether the board is
[1:43:00] maintaining a natural water course and
or constructing a drain or
[1:43:04] reconstructing maintaining existing
assessment drain must be resolved by the
[1:43:10] state by the department of water
resource. Now, is that the state
[1:43:15] department of water resource?
I would assume so. Right. Right.
[1:43:22] So, when do
I ask that question? The way you guys
[1:43:28] have been running the snag and clear now
[1:43:34] the water board brings over
as for
[1:43:40] they present the snag and clear to the
county
[1:43:45] and
in that
[1:43:49] when they do it then they
have their whole board there and approve
[1:43:55] the drain.
[1:43:58] the last couple times I've been here.
>> It's not to approve a drain. It's
[1:44:03] approved to clean out approve the snag
and clear.
[1:44:08] » And then they presented
>> of the existing drain. It's not to
[1:44:12] create a new one.
If not to create new drain.
[1:44:17] » So when do I when do I present the
question about whether this is a water
[1:44:22] course or is it a drain?
[1:44:27] Well, at their meetings when they're
determining whether or not that
[1:44:31] qualifies as standing clear and that's
what they leave up to their engineer
[1:44:38] to to make that determination.
>> So you're you're asking where do you
[1:44:44] address it? I think the Yeah,
>> you would address it to them first,
[1:44:47] correct, Jeff?
>> Yeah,
[1:44:49] » you would you would address the water
boarding
[1:44:53] firm. the engineering firm.
>> But it but it has it has to be
[1:44:58] presented.
It has to be approved by them and they
[1:45:03] don't approve it till they come over
here.
[1:45:06] » They they do public hearing.
They they've had public hearing on this.
[1:45:12] » So why are they coming
>> send out letters? Why are they coming to
[1:45:16] the county commission meeting and then
approving their snag and clear
[1:45:22] and then you guys immediately approve it
afterwards? Because they, this is my
[1:45:27] understanding is when they come here to
do this to approve, they do a public
[1:45:32] hearing and then they approve after uh
the public gets to talk and then that's
[1:45:39] when they approve or not approve and
then it moves to us after that. So
[1:45:45] they're doing all three in one is my
understanding. Right, Jeff?
[1:45:50] » Right. County Commissioner.
[1:45:54] » I realize that, but it doesn't.
>> I I understand what you're saying,
[1:45:59] Garland. You're asking why they don't
approve it prior, and I think it's
[1:46:03] because they're doing the public
hearing, hearing from the public, and
[1:46:08] then they're approving
and then we're approving after that. So
[1:46:13] that we both So both entities hear from
the public and it's not
[1:46:21] dragging it out, if you want to call it
that.
[1:46:23] » But first, they have to get their
assessment approved.
[1:46:29] That's what they send out the letters to
the people saying that it was approved
[1:46:35] by their engineer and then they're
bringing it after the letters are
[1:46:40] getting sent out and that's when they
have the public hearing. And then after
[1:46:44] they hear from the public, then that's
when they make their
[1:46:47] » That's when they send a letter out to
the people that are
[1:46:50] » prior to them coming.
>> No, but they they send it out prior to
[1:46:54] the public hearing
>> prior. That was all done prior to them
[1:46:58] coming here.
>> People will know what it's going to
[1:47:00] cost.
>> Yeah, I would assume that, but they
[1:47:08] » if it's worth it, if it's worth it to
them, that's what
[1:47:12] » it's worth it to them. But uh the
adverse impact
[1:47:18] these u
[1:47:22] well I guess I'd want some more
clarification on whether it's a water
[1:47:26] course or not. A lot of these snag and
clears
[1:47:32] don't look like what it's termed as a
snag and clear under the administrative
[1:47:38] code.
under the minister clothe and snake and
[1:47:42] clear is to remove all fallen trees and
assorted debris
[1:47:48] associated debris
and what I what I've looked at
[1:47:56] is not not that they've
they've uh
[1:48:02] Morris and Dr. where they installed
three three culberts
[1:48:08] and lowered them probably. [laughter]
>> There's no culberts involved in stag and
[1:48:13] clear.
>> I'm kidding me.
[1:48:16] » Let's take a ride out there. I'll show
you.
[1:48:19] » Well, if it is, it's not funded through
the snag and clear project.
[1:48:24] It's under the road authority that would
be under that
[1:48:29] where that culbert would be placed.
[1:48:35] Nobody's been out to look
>> on the snag and clears.
[1:48:39] » Yeah.
>> Yeah, I've been out to look.
[1:49:00] 18 inch cover gets replaced with a 3-ft
culvert
[1:49:04] and the 18 stays there,
but the 3ft is about a foot and a half
[1:49:09] lower than the original
[1:49:14] Pardon?
[1:49:19] » Yeah.
>> About a quarter mile from the terminal.
[1:49:33] » 24.
[1:49:38] So the 36 in is just there. The
local.
[1:49:55] » Does that answer your question, Garland?
>> Not really.
[1:50:01] I don't know if you guys know you know
the concept of a closed basin. How can
[1:50:06] you take water
from the fence or slope non-navigable
[1:50:12] water
transfer it into the devil's reservoir
[1:50:19] and make it navigable water
and it impacts
[1:50:26] few hundred people there too? Do you
have fully dement? Do you are you
[1:50:32] condemning more land
using that domain?
[1:50:38] But what gives
this board the authority to transfer
[1:50:46] water from one
closed subbasin
[1:50:52] into another subbase or into another
basin?
[1:50:57] It goes nowhere.
[1:51:03] You can't relocate water in a closed
basin where you're not going to
[1:51:09] adversely impact someone else.
Does that sound rational?
[1:51:17] And that's why this uh the fencer slooh
is in an appeal.
[1:51:22] » Pardon?
>> That's why the state obviously has said
[1:51:26] no to the fencer slooh. Yeah.
>> And
[1:51:32] that's where we're at at the issue that
we're at right now.
[1:51:37] » It's in a appeal process. There's
nothing happening.
[1:51:42] » So you're you're representing the rights
of the people around Fster Slooh
[1:51:50] above and beyond rights of the people in
the devil's
[1:51:54] » sitt sitting here today garland. I don't
think anybody on this board is trying to
[1:52:00] » remove water from anybody on the um
personally I think it's more to remove
[1:52:07] water to save a road
>> infrastructure.
[1:52:10] » Infrastructure I don't think
>> What about the infrastructure?
[1:52:15] » Yep.
>> At the bottom
[1:52:21] you [clears throat] been west of 20.
They looked at the roads out there.
[1:52:32] We can't even get the cemeteries out
there
[1:52:36] and get our own,
you know, probably has been in the
[1:52:40] family for generations.
[1:52:45] We all know it.
You guys all know it.
[1:52:54] Time for the
state to step up.
[1:52:59] They've got what they want. You got the
Detroit lakes in North Dakota
[1:53:05] and you're protecting the people
downstream.
[1:53:08] And I think we've asked that question to
the state several times that
[1:53:14] we want them to help.
They don't just want we don't just want
[1:53:18] it be put on us to try to make that
decision. We're we the state just like
[1:53:23] you have been.
>> It wouldn't be in Cass County. It
[1:53:26] wouldn't be in Burley County. It
wouldn't be in Grand Forks County,
[1:53:30] but we're accepting it here.
>> I don't think anybody's accepted it.
[1:53:37] Hey, you have forgotten all the battles
we have fought,
[1:53:42] you know, and we continue to fight them
on a daily basis.
[1:53:47] So, [clears throat]
you know, I appreciate your passion and
[1:53:52] but I don't think that what we're
looking to try to improve on Ramsey for
[1:53:58] to to continue to maintain that road is
going to affect anybody adversely
[1:54:06] downstream from it.
If I did think that, I would
[1:54:11] » How could it not? How how will it It's a
very minute part of water.
[1:54:17] » It's very minute, but you keep adding
minute notes upon my notes. It's pretty
[1:54:22] turn turned into what we have now.
>> So, we're supposed to just abandon the
[1:54:27] entire county.
>> No,
[1:54:29] » it's going to affect you.
>> No, but give the people
[1:54:34] at the lower elevation some kind of
options.
[1:54:39] They're doing it in in the Fargo
diversion. They're protecting people
[1:54:44] there.
And we're doing the same thing here from
[1:54:49] protecting people from the flood
downstream
[1:54:52] by projects that
have created a problem
[1:54:58] and that's way out of our hands. You you
know that just as well as we do. We
[1:55:02] didn't all of us sitting here did not
make the decision to hold the water
[1:55:07] where it's after today.
Oh, [laughter]
[1:55:11] you can take the Hammer Sullivan grain.
You can take the Starkweather grain.
[1:55:15] They were all approved locally before it
went to the state.
[1:55:26] And you can take all these snagging
clears and they're approved locally
[1:55:31] before it goes to well, it doesn't go
hasn't gone to the state yet.
[1:55:39] But they all impact
people downstream.
[1:55:44] You take go on your USGS today and
you'll find
[1:55:50] the Edmore crib is putting out
more water than the other four around
[1:55:59] there at the same time.
Today
[1:56:05] Edmore Trib is double digit compared to
Mave Kulie at 1 CFS.
[1:56:16] So we're continuing to do it.
So don't say it it's all the state
[1:56:24] because it's first got approved by the
counties
[1:56:30] county water board
[1:56:35] and it was sent to the state for cost
sharing. Yeah, the state state should
[1:56:40] have
stepped in and said something before
[1:56:45] they're saying it now. I don't know why
they're saying it now.
[1:56:51] But I like to make the case that they've
done it for the last three decades which
[1:56:56] they haven't
completion.
[1:57:04] It's
just unjustness of it.
[1:57:10] People shouldn't be subjected to that.
Not in the
[1:57:16] state water commission. states that land
ownership is a fundamental
[1:57:24] fundamental to our democracy
and it's anything but in the Devil's
[1:57:30] Lake
Reservoir.
[1:57:34] It's not a lake anymore.
I won't take any time. Thank you,
[1:57:40] Garland.
[clears throat and cough]
[1:57:43] Any
[1:57:47] other visitors?
Hearing none. Portfolios.
[1:57:55] Got a message from Paul. Wanted to
remind everybody about North Central
[1:57:59] Planning Council
is having a stake of region three on
[1:58:05] September 10th at Lake Region State
College from 11:30 to 1:30.
[1:58:10] um
cover what uh we heard that six county
[1:58:16] listening sessions housing innovative
projects happening across the region
[1:58:21] wrap up with a legislative panel lunch
will be provided. Please RSVP.
[1:58:29] » Thanks Jeff. Anybody else have anything
from their portfolio?
[1:58:38] hearing none.
Oh, during the meeting today. Thanks
[1:58:44] everybody.