February 2, 2010 Regular meeting minutes

Minutes of the Board of Ward County Commissioners

February 2, 2010

 

The regular meeting of the Ward County Commission was called to order by Chairman Christianson at 9:00 a.m. with Comms. Fjeldahl, Erickson and Nybakken present.  Also present were Auditor/Treasurer Smestad, Engineer Dana Larsen and State's Attorney Roza Larson.

 

Moved by Comm. Erickson, seconded by Comm. Nybakken to approve the agenda with additions. Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Nybakken, seconded by Comm. Fjeldahl to approve the minutes of the January 19, 2010 regular meeting. Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Smestad presented the bills.  It was recommended that $20 in service fees be added to the amount for airfare for the Recorder’s office for a total of $433.40 and that the payment to Main Electric in the amount of $277.03 be held as it is a Highway Department expense.  Moved by Comm. Erickson, seconded by Comm. Fjeldahl to approve the Social Welfare bills of $34,442.46 and the amended regular bills totaling $322,160.33. Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Interim State Fair General Manager Renae Korslien then appeared to give an update on the North Dakota State Fair.  She provided copies of their annual report and thanked the County for their continued support.

 

Chief Deputy Bill Hunt appeared regarding a traffic safety non-match grant which will provide $12,000 for the Sheriff’s office to purchase in-car video cameras.  Moved by Comm. Erickson, seconded by Comm. Nybakken to authorize the Chairman to sign the contract.  Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Highway Engineer Dana Larsen appeared to present several items.  First was Ackerman-Estvold Engineering’s Project Concept Report (PCR) for the Northeast Bypass.  Moved by Comm. Erickson, seconded by Comm. Fjeldahl to authorize the Chairman to sign the Executive Decision page with the additional wording “The decision to proceed with bidding and construction of the project will be contingent upon the availability of federal funds, like those from the TIGER grant.”  Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Next, Larsen requested approval for purchasing two computers.  Moved by Comm. Nybakken, seconded by Comm. Fjeldahl to authorize the Highway Department to purchase two computers from Dell.  Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Finally, Larsen presented a letter from ND Department of Transportation regarding the microsurfacing of County Road 6.  Moved by Comm. Fjeldahl, seconded by Comm. Erickson to authorize the Chairman to sign the right of way certification and utility certification letters.  Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

City of Minot Assessor Kevin Ternes appeared to present an application for abatement.  Moved by Comm. Nybakken, seconded by Comm. Erickson to approve the abatement for US Properties Group (Minot, LLC), MI 34690 010 001 0, West Dakota Acres Lot 1 Block 1, reduce the 2007 true and full value from $4,376,000 to $4,180,000.  Roll call vote: Comms. Nybakken, Erickson and Christianson voted yes; Comm. Fjeldahl voted no; motion carried.

 

Director of Tax Equalization Mike Vendsel then appeared.  It was moved by Comm. Erickson, seconded by Comm. Nybakken, to approve the following a full and complete copy of which is available in the Auditor/Treasurer’s office: 7 applications for abatement or corrections of errors of assessment; 2 properties owned by a tax exempt entity and need to be removed from the tax roll; 2 properties had data input errors when entered into the assessing software; 1 property escaped assessment for 2009; 6 properties had errors made on property splits for 2009 and need to be removed from the tax roll; 4 properties need to be added to the tax roll for 2009 due to split errors on properties; 7 properties qualify for the two year new construction exemption; 5 qualified for the disabled veterans exemption; 5 qualified for the homestead credit exemption; 2 mobile homes shown to be in below average condition and valuation adjustments are necessary; 2 mobile homes are not hooked to utilities and need to be removed from the tax roll; 1 mobile home was removed and destroyed. Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Erickson, seconded by Fjeldahl, to approve an application for plat approval for Logan Heights Subdivision Being Outlots 16, 17 and 32 and a Vacated 40’ Frontage Road All in Section 14-154-82, Sundre Township with a variance to allow the road length in the subdivision to be longer than county regulations for dead end streets.  Current regulations limit the length to 500 feet and Mr. Kraft wishes to go beyond that length.  Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Vendsel then provided an update on the Vangard software conversion.

 

Social Services Administrative Staff Officer Cleo Berven appeared to present various items discussed at the Social Service Board special meeting.  Moved by Comm. Fjeldahl, seconded by Comm. Erickson to accept the resignation of Social Services Director Dan Richter, approve the position description and advertise the position immediately; and approve the hiring process with initial screening performed by the Social Service Board, final interviews by a joint board of Social Service and Ward County Commissioners, and hiring done by the Commissioners.  Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Smestad then presented items to the Board.

Moved by Comm. Nybakken, seconded by Comm. Fjeldahl to receive and file the following correspondence: City of Minot – annexations; Ackerman-Estvold Engineering – 6th Street SW underpass; SRF Consulting Group – transit storage facility; Souris Basin Planning Council – ND Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program changes.  Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Fjeldahl, seconded by Comm. Erickson to approve duplicate warrants for the following: Duane Brekke in the amount of $1,815 and Ryder Historical Society in the amount of $4,400.  Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Erickson, seconded by Comm. Nybakken to approve the following: application for raffle permit from Sunnyside Elementary on 2/5/2010 to 3/5/2010 with prizes totaling $890, and application for event permit from Minot VFW Club Post 753, Inc. for Sunday opening on 2/7/2010. Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Erickson, seconded by Comm. Nybakken to authorize the Chairman to sign the 2010 contracts with Lake County Historical Society, Carpio Development Corporation, DeSour Valley Development Corporation, Kenmare Community Development Corporation #2 and Makoti Threshers Association.  Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Fjeldahl, seconded by Comm. Erickson to approve the Souris Basin Planning Council 2010 Joint Powers Assessment in the amount of $18,814.40 and 2010 Mileage Assessment in the amount of $100.  Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Christianson, seconded by Comm. Erickson to receive and file the 2009 report from the Ward County Building Inspector.  Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Nybakken, seconded by Comm. Erickson to approve the following budget transfers: $9,552 from General Fund (001) to Park Fund (179) to replace the amount taken out of the 2009 interim fund and $33,633 from Emerson Fund (428) to General Fund (00168004194004) to offset a portion of the demolition expenses.  Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Smestad then notified the board of appointed committee members whose terms are expiring in April 2010.  She was directed to contact those with terms expiring to ask if they would serve another term and to advertise for the open committee positions.  Patrick Murphy appeared to comment on the Weather Modification board.  Moved by Comm. Fjeldahl, seconded by Comm. Erickson to set a public hearing during the March 3, 2010 meeting to re-authorize the Weather Modification board.  Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

State’s Attorney Roza Larson then appeared for comment on changing the Social Service Board meeting time.  Moved by Comm. Erickson, seconded by Comm. Nybakken to change the meeting time to the following: the Social Service Board will meet on the third Tuesday of each month following the Ward County Commissioners meeting but no earlier than 10:30 a.m.  Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Erickson, seconded by Comm. Nybakken to direct the Auditor/Treasurer to purchase equipment for the new IT Administrator to include a laptop with docking station, cell phone and some basic tools.  Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Nybakken, seconded by Comm. Fjeldahl to approve the following applications for payroll amendments: Jason Blowers – IT Administrator – Auditor/Treasurer – Level 26; Melissa Mosser – Office Assistant III – Social Services – Level 9; Heather Deaton – Social Worker III – Social Services – Level 21.  Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

State’s Attorney Roza Larson then appeared to notify the Commissioners that the courthouse improvement grant has been approved.  Smestad noted that Ward County will pay for the work and then be reimbursed for 75% of the cost.  Moved by Comm. Nybakken, seconded by Comm. Fjeldahl to accept the grant and authorize moving forward on the bid for wireless from SRT.  Roll call vote: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Erickson, seconded by Comm. Nybakken to adjourn the meeting at 10:27 a.m.  All voted yes.

 

ACCEPTED AND APPROVED THIS 16TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2010.

 

s/ Jerome Gruenberg

Vice Chairman, Ward County Board of Commissioners

 

ATTEST:

s/ Devra Smestad

Auditor/Treasurer, Ward County