[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6468055,"mediaKeyId","5782841-33a50b07563c6540253d1ce0307e0640","parentId",5782841,"title","County warns of Davis-Bacon change order on jail pod project; space needs, coroner office and architect study discussed","audioSeconds",359,"startMs",3525440,"endMs",3885005,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5782841-33a50b07563c6540253d1ce0307e0640&start=3525&end=3885","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5782841-33a50b07563c6540253d1ce0307e0640/thumbnail_3525440.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6468055/Cass-County/North-Dakota/County-warns-of-Davis-Bacon-change-order-on-jail-pod-project-space-needs-coroner-office-and-architect-study-discussed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468055-9631f8e1da1772931aee47f38e6875f4/orig.mp4?Expires=1775022563&Signature=lYKL3bL3uv3mkQGYGTk8zUk3TdXn7fNfgNcLYpFHY0zAVh2xEmwVO8ioPs2bpKFSOM9g5FUKbHULDOKcPrDwaAeh3Ynooow0qs0ZiHsqXRDNYVtm746jLgGRj9BkKOXGkENiD04097KiZJhocr2yJLPGPK-PiH~4-0KQiVadJ3tfDNdD0B3IFtu-4nUojDgVff4pvbadM9nLfK3jNiOX9P9oOsZJuVc4M4LqGuW31qAqteAax5CqTB9sEGfnURmUvOHfe-ubGWJqq0PA1NAYHU2~~K07n3~jafkrBJxhytU-Weo~LQgmqcHsSxs0FxdF3sh~awsjR0gR8Z5XkvBshA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cass County, KS","date","2025-09-16T01:11:06.877Z","article","County administration updated commissioners on several facilities matters, saying the county expects a change order tied to Davis-Bacon prevailing-wage requirements as the jail pod addition project closes out and discussed space needs for the coroner and emergency management as well as plans for an architect agreement for a space-needs study.

On the jail pod addition, staff said Davis-Bacon prevailing-wage requirements for federal work were not included in the original RFP, requiring contractors and subcontractors to recalculate pay and leading to a pending change order. County staff said they are still totaling amounts and plan to present a consolidated change-order request once all contractor figures are complete. Officials estimated contingency and outstanding items could be significant; one staff member said some line items are close and one contractor-specific item could be a six-figure sum, while a preliminary total close to $1,000,000 was discussed as a possible upper bound.

In a separate facilities discussion, staff said the county has been negotiating with the City of Fargo about additional space in the Fargo Cass Public Health Building for the coroner and potentially emergency management, noting the county historically paid a pro rata share for remodel costs and performs an annual utility and insurance true-up. Staff said they aim to reach a cost-per-square-foot agreement that is reasonable for local-government partners and not a commercial rate.

Staff also said they expect to bring an architect agreement with JLG for a space-needs study to the Oct. 6 meeting (noting careful review of contract format and amendments to better protect the county than prior agreements). The presenter said the AIA contract format had been recommended with targeted amendments and that staff had worked closely with the state's attorney’s office on contract language.

No formal votes were held on these items; commissioners asked clarifying questions and staff said they would return with firm change-order numbers and a proposed architect agreement.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Group A Rotational Meeting 9/15","oneSentenceSummary","County staff told commissioners the jail pod addition closeout will include a change order tied to Davis-Bacon prevailing-wage requirements that were not in the original RFP, and warned total contractor adjustments could be substantial.","taxTitle","Cass County, North Dakota","taxId",2734,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6468060,"Water Resource District reports multiple drain reconstructions, levee and diversion work",676,2399855,3076295,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5782841-33a50b07563c6540253d1ce0307e0640&start=2399&end=3076","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5782841-33a50b07563c6540253d1ce0307e0640/thumbnail_2399855.jpg","/articles/6468060/Cass-County/North-Dakota/Water-Resource-District-reports-multiple-drain-reconstructions-levee-and-diversion-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468060-ada73bda2649a6ea596935037b226cd5/orig.mp4?Expires=1775022563&Signature=H6hps-zOjwHuZVCCKqI5LgSdQZLPd6vS0dC-ILJ3mJII1lyHwC6WBOgP~TleJxihjErwig3ZQ-UK-~OyUlxeoH-0wkYokK4dA1vsAEenXFR~F1EbCtNjhGBEkmtGAO6twO8dbTezieL0fUyw-yv5AiEU~~Zw-D~gNsUhHg1k50GIFeasakyg-MZ7F3trK4VAXrjGLUIxiVO9ltM4haIZJc5HaGhy23vSzeMA6LyvS7GMUSXbIkYFUTASUDxqtjoFQH2XhmD1w8y8Q3ETa7dGPkg-~1m5pG7fqv8dDsInNT4Oz0YaWtsdWGhoPTXbP6OjAtiJO9HfjEkHScrmUher8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Water Resource District representative identified as Melissa presented an update on active and planned drainage and flood-control projects across multiple districts, describing channel-liner replacement, slide repairs, diversion transitions and levee work.

Southeast Cass projects included a large Drain 10 reconstruction and concrete channel-liner replacement on Twelfth Avenue North (near Cisco), and planned reconstruction of Drain 21 between Twelfth and Nineteenth Avenues NW to protect a sewer force main. The district also began a diversion transition project on Drain 50 and is conducting geotechnical study and mitigation work in neighborhoods with erosion or sewer infiltration concerns.

Maple River staff are moving forward on multiple drain projects aided by a cost-sharing program from the state Department of Water Resources that pays 60% for certain “convenience” projects. The presenter said the Davenport levee project is awaiting an operations and maintenance agreement with BNSF Railway, and low-head dam mitigation and emergency action plan updates are in progress. Rush River projects include transition connections to the diversion channel and bridge replacement work coordinated with the highway department.

North Cass is considering several smaller drain projects but faces funding constraints because district budgets are limited while construction prices rise. The Sheldon Ring Levee (Shelton/Sheldon neighborhood) is under construction with county flood sales tax funding and is expected to be complete this fall. The presenter said some projects rely on weather and timing; she displayed photos of ongoing work and said close coordination with municipalities and the highway department was ongoing.

No formal action was taken; commissioners and staff asked clarifying questions about encroachments, utility permits and coordination with Fargo, West Fargo and the Department of Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for potential 100% construction cost-share on eligible projects.","The Water Resource District (Southeast, Maple River, Rush River, North Cass) briefed commissioners on a series of drain reconstruction projects, channel-liner replacements, low-head dam mitigation, and levee and diversion projects; several items have state or federal cost-share support and some work is weather dependent.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6468065,"Tax equalization office plans staffing, contract changes as Horace growth strains county capacity",879,1334710,2214340,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5782841-33a50b07563c6540253d1ce0307e0640&start=1334&end=2214","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5782841-33a50b07563c6540253d1ce0307e0640/thumbnail_1334710.jpg","/articles/6468065/Cass-County/North-Dakota/Tax-equalization-office-plans-staffing-contract-changes-as-Horace-growth-strains-county-capacity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468065-a53e6474aa1bb13a3009a76cb6314451/orig.mp4?Expires=1775022563&Signature=jHAYTqzFbBSaDer2pv8mi1SYE9kynCfpOa58graSONbtr3Al2MumLd6Hxb32t-Yvd7cNrcVzFgXXBBbsTC-0~Ey~8~5ZWZb0bIDpNDJGAEAkv~Ieo1CiqB~cDhfmXU144k-iw3wEiOl6NMUVVs5auhehYkW394rDMfYOMmFYGHAcYLwIQcrKdWbUj7YkrhLf~tVpBvHX4mQDDRZTTnU8A9tXkuQBGjqBONpmF8KDuoQtfVd3jqrVuSStLIjgqD8555bKmHRI6w30hnVJ5NyP7zQa8m3G3wmtoziQ5HD1fHrmjB9Izjg6jkQKpsFJX1v9TSLh~-K-jj~WXxsaF0Q7AQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The county tax equalization office told commissioners it will onboard a new tax appraiser on Oct. 6, intends a lighter reassessment year to prioritize staff training and presented a new fee model to collect more revenue from growing jurisdictions.

The presenter said the office will initially assign the new hire to residential assessment work and later consider shifting existing staff into commercial appraisal roles. The office indicated it may hire another position by 2027 to meet rising workload. The presenter said their proposal replaces a flat contract fee with a model based on a percentage of a jurisdiction’s true and full assessed value, so higher-value jurisdictions would pay more.

The discussion focused on Horace, a fast-growing city that the presenter said accounts for roughly one-third of the county’s assessed value while representing about one-quarter of parcel accounts. Commissioners and staff discussed thresholds and timing for when a municipality must petition to operate its own assessing office; the transcript referenced Century Code and earlier rotational minutes but did not identify a firm statutory threshold for taking over local assessing duties. One participant said Century Code requires policies for special assessments when a jurisdiction reaches 10,000 residents, but the transcript did not establish an automatic assessor threshold tied to population or assessed value.

Commissioners urged early outreach to Horace and other jurisdictions to coordinate staffing and contracting decisions; one commissioner suggested a round-table with Horace to get longer-term growth projections to inform the county’s hiring plan. The presenter said the office is revisiting contracts for 2026 and expects to recoup roughly $50,000 of increased mailing costs through revised agreements, but said contract terms remain open.

No formal vote or motion was taken during the discussion; commissioners and staff agreed to follow up with additional meetings and consultations with the state and the county attorney’s office where needed.","Tax equalization staff announced a new appraiser hire starting Oct. 6, said this year will be a light reassessment focused on staff training, and proposed contract-model changes for city and township assessing work as Horace’s growth increases county workload.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6468070,"Cass County IT reports Duo rollout, SharePoint migration and rising business-email compromise incidents",1234,113245,1347410,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5782841-33a50b07563c6540253d1ce0307e0640&start=113&end=1347","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5782841-33a50b07563c6540253d1ce0307e0640/thumbnail_113245.jpg","/articles/6468070/Cass-County/North-Dakota/Cass-County-IT-reports-Duo-rollout-SharePoint-migration-and-rising-business-email-compromise-incidents","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468070-c19fc2e3adfe17278c515e90dfa5b04f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775022563&Signature=bm960dNP0JqFJncl2a5~yB-EHVP4iP-1Thd-eXjss0P6ilaZNrnEGEiCitl9BfVUYXPR8-BSOZmEeSsn9oZcBfAD3hvZdS8i0IEWUTDkbh9KGwhFEygyfRDxWxIyEiOsiyny15Nd72-H2cWK5Qe-eYbGXeogKzMnR1K1jzYlluMLKNIAvpqs21dbgIu71tepGA0hhPuHLsRmiDqM3xYkjZalDRUmVe6w1jUfX08e9DciKeiIOHurMhoOGbUcAiMWl07YK~1QhwZvbUJiC74FLldZsAQeIm6p9el0X8dESz~bRNi2ccEUvHFx~n-Ivm7ZXT-tY~8Wit-ZY1bUGasJDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County IT staff gave a progress update on multiple information-technology projects, telling commissioners the county has completed a large-scale printer refresh, nearly finished a multi-factor authentication rollout, migrated Human Services files to a modern SharePoint and is testing new phone and in-vehicle hardware for law enforcement.

The presentation said the county has renamed and secured every printer and copier, moved those devices to an isolated network, and tightened security settings. IT reported a 99% completion rate on the Duo multi-factor authentication rollout, with the remaining accounts assigned to employees on medical leave or personnel who rarely come in. Staff said decommissioning the AD FS server (used since 2014 to authenticate offsite email and VPN connections) is the next step now that Duo is widely deployed.

Officials said decommissioning AD FS will remove one attack surface that enables brute-force attempts on accounts whose email addresses are long-known. The IT presenter said such brute-force attacks consist of automated “dictionary” password tries and that removing AD FS will reduce vulnerability points.

Staff also described a migration of roughly a quarter-million Human Services files off a SharePoint instance dating to 2011 to a modern SharePoint during Labor Day weekend; the presenter said the work took about 21 hours and improved file structure and security. A hardware refresh for 2025 is complete and Windows 11 deployment is underway, with under 20% of endpoints remaining and full automation of the rollout.

On telephony, IT is evaluating cloud-based phone systems and headsets for most users and physical handsets for areas such as the jail. The presenter said licensing models differ (concurrent calls, per-user, per-extension) and the county is testing vendors and hardware. Law-enforcement antenna and in-vehicle equipment purchases have arrived and are being installed by Mid States for patrol vehicles.

Cybersecurity was a major focus. Staff reported an increase in phishing and business-email compromise reports that now account for roughly 30% of daily tickets, some of them false positives triggered by mass emails from outside vendors. The presenter gave two recent examples: a spoofed-sounding principal email that targeted a school point of contact and a LinkedIn job-scam message that linked to a suspicious .shop site. The presenter said attacks are increasingly targeted (“spear phishing”) and warned elected officials and staff to exercise heightened scrutiny of unexpected requests.

IT staff outlined attendance at Wild West Hackfest in Deadwood and described review of multi-factor authentication prompting frequency to balance security and user fatigue. The presenter also said he sits on a state-local cybersecurity grant board; the presenter said the grant program had been renewed after advocacy and that North Dakota had $16–17 million allocated across the state. He reported federal pushback over MS-ISAC (Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center) subscription arrangements and said federal guidance currently discourages states from using grant funds to pay for MS-ISAC subscriptions when run independently.

No formal action was taken during the presentation; commissioners asked clarifying questions about recent high-profile incidents in other jurisdictions and the status of information-sharing services. IT staff said they would pursue regional information-sharing discussions and follow up on grant details.","County IT detailed recent hardware and software upgrades, a near-complete multi-factor authentication rollout, migration of a large Human Services SharePoint and repeated business-email compromise (BEC) attacks; staff proposed decommissioning an older authentication server and described training and grant activity.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6468049,"Cass County recorder reports steady document recording, fraud-guard outreach and retirement notice",134,2202535,2336975,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5782841-33a50b07563c6540253d1ce0307e0640&start=2202&end=2336","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5782841-33a50b07563c6540253d1ce0307e0640/thumbnail_2202535.jpg","/articles/6468049/Cass-County/North-Dakota/Cass-County-recorder-reports-steady-document-recording-fraud-guard-outreach-and-retirement-notice","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468049-c4c6a09ce73f877968150b74988901bc/orig.mp4?Expires=1775022563&Signature=j27iUeQMv5MXGhOBAd2dcJxBlLwuxSFWWuLoAIWAf69Cmt5JBOl271HiA6yvAOEHy~gxsle1oKBo~ArMaYvozPjBALAXt4BpbGfo4~CJ3V9Uz59Eai8L6Ts8TgerW4ahwP96mW5DF8gKAF0ps8lO5gdxx37yW2e30J2ZnKvB-W4LmWMgTFIrJZ3b~bBR79NCOi0zDMye1Tzmzsz-dyQl6kYjbP3nC0lTABYK2InV6EDwtlRLzg8t1UDHiGxTi4XitZfCqiXvM3XQX0-Vb4CGRuI6XNrvfucAELJl2qsMWqxrGVXUB5ZqiaBqdumILHqDTgr0DnO5XuRBy5N~7ZJjkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The county recorder told commissioners the office has recorded 15,729 documents year-to-date, roughly equal to the same point last year, and that e-recordings remain steady at 85% of submissions. The recorder said staff are working on back-indexing older digitized images as time allows.

The recorder also reported presenting on deed fraud at a local senior safety academy and promoted a free fraud-alert product that currently has about 1,200 subscribers. The recorder said outreach and media attention tend to boost enrollment in the fraud-alert service.

The recorder announced a retirement notice; the recorder said their last day will be Feb. 6, 2026 and that they have served about seven years in the present role. Commissioners thanked the recorder for advance notice to allow for transition planning.

No formal actions were taken during the update.","The recorder reported year-to-date recording volumes roughly equal to last year, an 85% e-recording rate, outreach on deed-fraud prevention with roughly 1,200 fraud-guard subscribers, and announced retirement effective Feb. 6, 2026.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County warns of Davis-Bacon change order on jail pod project; space needs, coroner office and architect study discussed

Water Resource District reports multiple drain reconstructions, levee and diversion work

Tax equalization office plans staffing, contract changes as Horace growth strains county capacity

Cass County IT reports Duo rollout, SharePoint migration and rising business-email compromise incidents

Cass County recorder reports steady document recording, fraud-guard outreach and retirement notice