SEPTEMBER 04, 2012 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

Minutes of the Board of Ward County Commissioners

September 4, 2012

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

 

Moved by Comm. Christianson, seconded by Comm. Gruenberg to approve the agenda with corrections. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Nybakken, seconded by Comm. Erickson to approve the minutes from the August 15, 2012 Building Space Needs Special Meeting and the August 21, 2012 regular meeting. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Devra Smestad presented the bills. Moved by Comm. Christianson, seconded by Comm. Erickson to approve the 2012 Social Welfare bills of $43,762.30 and the regular bills totaling $209,971.88. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Acting Social Services Director Cleo Berven introduced the new Social Services Director Sylvestina Annan.

 

Highway Engineer Dana Larsen appeared. Larsen discussed the speed limit and road restrictions on a section of County Road (CR) 8. Moved by Comm. Christianson, seconded by Comm. Nybakken to authorize the Highway Department to load restrict County Road 8 from County Road 19 east to County Road 23 and reduce the speed limit from 65 mph to 55 mph. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Larsen presented to the Commission the Farm to Market Plan that was presented at a hearing this spring. Moved by Comm. Erickson, seconded by Comm. Gruenberg to approve the following 5 year Farm to Market Plan:

Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Christianson, seconded by Comm. Erickson to select Houston Engineering to perform the construction engineering for the following projects: Project 1 CER-5153(058), CER-5137(054), CER-5139(052), and CER-5146(055) (Burlington Bridge, Boy Scout Bridge, Logan Bridge, and Sawyer Bridge; Project 2, CER-5132(058) (Bakers Bridge on CR 8), and authorize the Chairman to sign the Construction Engineering contract. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Larsen presented the proposed contract with EAPC for the building improvements at the Ward County Highway Department. Moved by Comm. Gruenberg, seconded by Comm. Christianson to approve the contract with EAPC for the improvements to the Highway Department Building. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Larsen updated the Commission on the 55^th St by-pass project.

 

Emergency Manager Amanda Schooling appeared. Schooling presented an application for a build and retain grant. Moved by Comm. Christianson, seconded by Comm. Erickson to approve and support the application made with the City of Minot, and Amanda Schooling, Ward County Emergency Manager, on behalf of the County, to the Housing Rehabilitation and Citizen Retention Grant and authorize the Chairman to sign a letter of support. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Jail Commander Penny Erickson appeared. Erickson presented information about a vending company that would like to assist in maintaining the Jail Commissary. Moved by Comm. Nybakken, seconded by Comm. Erickson to approve the contract with TurnKey Corrections. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Sheriff Steve Kukowski appeared. Moved by Comm. Christianson, seconded by Comm. Erickson to approve the budget amendment in the account in 001-5901-420-4019 (radio, uniform, and services) in the amount of $7,668.00 to be covered by a grant deposited into the General Miscellaneous account to cover the purchase made of two in-car cameras. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Christianson, seconded by Comm. Erickson to approve the budget amendment in the account #001-5901-420-1000 (salaries) in the amount of $12,322.41 to be covered by a grant deposited in to the General Miscellaneous Account  to cover special events. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Move by Comm. Erickson, seconded by Comm. Christianson to approve the Ward County Jail to purchase inmate lockers in the amount of $3,578.00, funding the purchase from the Jail’s Commissary Fund. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Gruenberg, seconded by Comm. Nybakken to approve application for the purchase of 2 search/rescue, and transport all-terrain vehicles with the Energy Infrastructure and impact grant in the amount of $48,334. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Erickson, seconded by Comm. Gruenberg to accept the grant of $1,000 from Wal-Mart and authorize a budget amendment to the Sheriff Office Equipment Fund from the General Miscellaneous Fund. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Captain Bob Barnard appeared. Barnard updated the Commission on the status of the body transportation to the State Coroner’s Office. The two local funeral homes have agreed to rotate monthly to assist in the transportation to either Bismarck, for a fee of $450, or to Grand Forks, for a fee of $650. If neither of the funeral homes are available, Community Ambulance will do the transports at the agreed upon above stated fees.

 

Recorder Betty Braun appeared. Moved by Comm. Gruenberg, seconded by Comm. Erickson to terminate the allocation of $.25 per copy page and all sales of bulk record fees to the preservation fund, affective September 1, 2012, and resume distribution of the allocated funding to the general fund. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Director of Tax Equalization Mike Vendsel appeared.  Moved by Comm. Christianson, seconded by Comm. Nybakken to approve the following applications for abatement and/or correction of errors of assessments:

The following has provided paperwork and qualifies for the two year new construction credit:

The following homes have sold and no longer qualify for the two year new construction credit; values are prorated from the sale date:

The following have provided documents and qualify for the disabled veteran’s exemption:

The following no longer qualify for the veteran’s exemption due to sale of property:

Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Planning and Zoning Administrator Amber Turnquest appeared. Moved by Comm. Christianson, seconded by Comm. Erickson to approve the plat request submitted by  Derek & Heather Tredt Davis for the following described property: Outlot 2 being a portion of Outlot 1of the SE ¼, Section 25-156-85, Foxholm Township, contingent upon the property owners removing the trees in the right of way, thus complying with the set-back. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Christianson, seconded by Comm. Nybakken to approve the following plat request submitted by Darwyn & Laurel Kleven for the following described property: Cedar Ridge Crossing SW¼ of Sec. 10-156-84, Kirkelie Township, contingent upon the implementation of a storm water management plan. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

States Attorney Roza Larson appeared. Moved by Comm. Nybakken, seconded by Comm. Gruenberg to approve the request for donated leave for a staff member going on maternity leave. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Auditor/Treasurer Devra Smestad appeared.  Smestad presented the 2013 Preliminary Budget to the Commission. The following adjustments were made to the first preliminary budget:

·         18% over 2012, unless less was requested for 2013, for Historical Societies, Economic Development Groups, and Water Resource Board;

·         Departments did individual adjustments;

·         Salaries were adjusted as followed: Grades 1 – 40 changed from a 10% increase to a 9% increase and Department heads increased at 7½%.

All adjustments to the budget totaled $1.65 million.

 

Highway Engineer Dana Larsen appeared and answered any questions for all of the Department Heads. Comm. Nybakken stated that the Department Heads were being very unselfish for taking 7½% instead of the 10%. He also congratulated all of the departments for working so diligently to get the changes made and working so well together. Comm. Fjeldahl commented on the retention of employees and how by approving the preliminary budget as presented, we would be adjusting some of the employees take home pay to less.

 

Moved by Comm. Christianson, seconded by Comm. Gruenberg to receive and file the 2013 Preliminary Budget as presented. A discussion session began. Comm. Nybakken spoke in regards to the adjustment in the Sheriff’s budget and the reduction of one officer. Human Resources Administrator Colleen Houmann appeared to answer questions about employee evaluations. Linda Anderson appeared from the Library Board and commented that the Board and all of the Library employees just do not want to see their take home (net) pay reduced. States Attorney Roza Larson appeared and cautioned the Commission that any decision they make now must be published correctly for the hearing. Clarification about publication was discussed. Moved by Comm. Nybakken, seconded by Comm. Erickson to amend the motion to adjust the Library budget to reflect employee salary increase of 9% and the Department Head salary to 7½% instead of the flat 5% initially submitted by the Library Board. Roll call vote: Comm. Nybakken, Erickson, and Christianson voted yes; Comm. Gruenberg and Fjeldahl voted no; motion carried. Roll call on amended motion: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Gruenberg, seconded by Comm. Nybakken to receive and file the following correspondence: Sheriff Kukowski – Monthly report; ND Dept. of Commerce – Acquisitions and Demolitions; ND DOT – ER projects; C. Erickson – Cloud Seeding; ND DOT – Award contract bonds. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Gruenberg, seconded by Comm. Erickson to approve the raffle permit application submitted by Minot Y’s Men’s Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Nybakken, seconded by Comm. Erickson to approve the following Duplicate Warrants: Tessa Peterson $40.00, Hiddenwood Township $1,052.97, Michelle Demchuk $47.86 and Northern Tier Federal Credit Union $10.00. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Nybakken, seconded by Comm. Gruenberg to authorize Ward County to be the applicant agent for the Community Ambulance in the 2 grant applications they are submitting to the Energy Infrastructure and Impact Office. Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

Moved by Comm. Gruenberg, seconded by Comm. Nybakken to approve the following payroll amendments:  Marisa Haman – Auditor/Treasurer – Property Tax Clerk (Level 15); Kathleen Melby – Sheriff’s Department – Office Assistant (Level 11); Janet Gregory – Library – Library Assistant (Level 10); Trina Cooper – Sheriff’s Department – Correctional Officer (Level 16); Ronald K Turner – Social Services – Emergency Temporary (Level 23); Tanya Triplett – Social Services – Human Svc Program Admin. IV (Level 26); Sylvestina Annan – Social Services – Director V (Level 34). Roll call: all voted yes; motion carried.

 

 At 10:59 a.m., with no further business, the meeting was adjourned. 

 

ACCEPTED AND APPROVED THIS 18th DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2012.  

s/ John Fjeldahl –Chairman, Ward County Board of Commissioners

ATTEST: s/ Devra Smestad - Auditor/Treasurer, Ward County