The Koochiching County Board of Supervisors approved the creation of an Island View Rainy Lake Basin Sewer Committee Tuesday, along with approving the contracting of an engineering firm to carry the project forward.
The board considered the urgency of conducting an aerial survey in the early spring before the leaves are back, under advisement of Dale Olson, County Environmental Services technician. The contour mapping reaches under 2 feet in elevation and is essential for preliminary engineering in the project grant application process.
The grant applications could not get off the ground without the mapping and the initial investment, said Olson.
The board authorized the environmental service director to enter into an engineering contract with MSA Professional Services to begin a comprehensive facility plan inventory and to assist with funding applications for the project.
The MSA contract would be negotiated to within $30,000 which would come from the County Environmental Trust Fund. The board agreed that the county would not move forward with the $400,000 project should grant funding not be found.
Commissioner Wade Pavleck said the project is consistent with sustained growth. He said that it would reduce or eliminate the number of septic systems along shoreline in the project areas, and that developers don’t want to come in until the sewers are in place.
The board also approved the creation of the Island View Rainy Lake Basin Sewer Committee, however, the membership would be considered at the next board meeting.
The board approved a Mizpah demolition hauling contract to Waste Management and Friend’s Garbage to conduct roll-off canister site work.
The board approved bids for three steel and aluminum culvert projects to Constech Construction Production. It awarded three concrete culverts projects to Cretex.
Susan Congrave, director, Koochiching County Health Department, presented a request to apply for a Statewide Health Improvement Plan grant. It would go along with applications in six other partnering health departments in Cook, Lake, Carlton, St. Louis, Itasca and Aitken counties.
Congrave said the SHIP project goal is to help people live longer, better, healthier lives by reducing the burden of chronic disease, with a proven, long-term prevention strategy using health education.
The project promotes non-motorized walkways to encourage biking access to recreational facilities. Other focus areas include health assessments, tobacco use (especially in young adults), obesity, nutrition, exercise, breast-feeding practices, maternity care, and prenatal, birth and postpartum care.
Congrave said the two-year renewable project would include the Littlefork-Big Falls School District and implement tobacco-free policies at all post secondary schools.
She said the likelihood of the grant approval is positive, given the good collaborative history of the seven-county partnership that covers a third of the state in northern Minnesota.
Commissioner Charles Lepper was concerned about the possibility of the county having to take over responsibility for salaries and projects should funding suddenly end, and that counties would need to pick up the slack for programs and the salary of a health educator.
Congrave said the Minnesota Department of Health would reduce the number of approved grants rather than scale down project budgets if cuts occur during the current legislative cycle. She said the legislature is behind the project and it serves the long-term best interests of the county health and economic development with reduced costs in health care.
The board voted to allow the SHIP grant application and to revisit the nurse educator position in the future.
In other business, the board approved a 2009 liquor license to Sha Sha Resort; and approved commissioner attendance at an April 23 biomass marketing workshop in Hermantown; and a May 23 leadership training seminar at Rainy River Community College.
A first quarter report from the Koochiching Community Development Association was heard. Paul Nevanen and Ed Oerichbauer reported that it distributed $12,050 in funding to five projects: the Northome Area News, Northome Kids Plus, City of Mizpah, and the Big Falls Fire Department. A project of Shirley Nelson is awaiting a signed agreement.
The KCDA is currently reviewing five more projects.
