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Koochiching County board approves routine claims, personnel items, grants and purchases (votes at a glance)
Summary
At its March 24 meeting the Koochiching County Board approved routine claims, two seasonal liquor licenses, a deputy retirement, personnel referrals, remote-work policy changes, grant applications and several procurement actions; the full board recorded votes on multiple items, mostly unanimous.
The Koochiching County Board handled a slate of routine and administrative items March 24, approving claims, personnel actions, grant applications and procurement authorizations.
Key votes and outcomes
- Agenda amendments and approval: board approved agenda changes (deletions and additions) 5-0.
- Minutes: approved minutes of the March 10, 2026 meeting 5-0.
- Claims: courthouse claims of $157,071.52 and highway claims of $23,318.14 were approved 5-0.
- Seasonal liquor licenses: licenses for Oft Hegenmeister Management Inc. d/b/a Island View Lodge and Shay Shay LLC d/b/a Shay Shay Resort were approved 5-0.
- Retirement and personnel referrals: the board approved the retirement of deputy Gary Jensen, effective April 28, 2026, and referred all backfill requests to the personnel committee for review (motions carried unanimously).
- Resignation changed to retirement (COBRA eligibility): the personnel committee recommended, and the board approved, changing a prior employee’s resignation to retirement to allow extended COBRA coverage; staff said there was no county fiscal impact (vote 5-0).
- Remote-work policy: the board approved an amendment adding an ‘occasional remote worker’ designation that allows director discretion for ad hoc remote work; vote 5-0.
- Congressional directed spending application (A9): board authorized submission of an application for federal directed spending related to a county emergency training and storage facility; staff noted the program’s population-match rules and estimated a local match requirement if awarded; motion passed 5-0.
- Expiring COVID-19 funds (billboards): public health staff received approval to spend roughly $36,770 in expiring federal COVID-19 funds on billboard placements promoting the Credible Minds platform; staff said state approval was obtained; vote 5-0.
- Tax-forfeit repurchase applications: board approved repurchase of listed tax-forfeited parcels where former owners have paid delinquent taxes and penalties; motions carried.
- Noxious weeds notice: annual notice for publication (statutory requirement by May 15) was approved.
- Transfer station spotter trucks: environmental services staff received authorization to buy two spotter trucks for transfer-station operations and to sell three old trucks as surplus. Staff requested a not-to-exceed amount; the transcript showed truncated numeric values ($71.07) that appear to represent $71,070 as the total not-to-exceed purchase price for the two trucks; the board approved the purchase 5-0 (see clarifying details for numeric ambiguity).
- Ray’s solid-waste canister site: staff was authorized to solicit bids and accept a reasonable best bid to prevent service interruption; board instructed staff to notify the board if a bid substantially differs from current costs.
Public comment: no members of the public spoke at the meeting. The board adjourned after completing business.
Full meeting minutes and the official agenda packet list item-level motions and recorded votes; the board recorded nearly all votes as unanimous during this session.
