Koochiching County meets with Littlefork Council on their turf for first time in more than a decade
It doesn’t happen often, but the Koochiching County Board Tuesday left its chamber in the local courthouse behind and traveled to Littlefork — to sit at the table of the Littlefork City Council in City Hall.
With a number of joint concerns opened for discussion, City Administrator Mike Fairchild told The Journal that discussions went well.
“It was kind of them to come down here,” Fairchild said. “It’s great to have that kind of cooperation.”
In addition to Fairchild and Littlefork Council members Loren Lehman, Sandy Heem, Michael Fort and Kevin Sather; and a full set of commissioners, Wade Pavleck, Mike Hanson, Chuck Lepper, Kevin Adee and Brian McBride; were county Administration Director Teresa Jaksa, Environmental Services Director Dale Olson and county Highway Engineer Doug Grindall. Littlefork Mayor Shane Williams was absent.
On the agenda for discussion, were: paving Unorganized Township Road 168; Aspen Street construction and County Road 33 project repairs; wetland issues; the Koochiching Community Development Association; the ambulance and fire hall facilities; and county levy limits for 2011 and subordinate taxing district for the Littlefork Ambulance Service.
UT Road 168
First on the agenda was the paving of Unorganized Township Road 168. The road is both a county road and a township road, and involves properties both within and outside the city of Littlefork.
Several owners of properties along UT 168 — Richard Merkling, David and Vonna Sather, Bonnie Horne and Shelley Williams — also attended the meeting to voice their request that the road be paved.
Fairchild reports that as a result of the discussion, a traffic counter will soon be placed on UT Road 168. At issue is whether the paving project would qualify for state aid for which minimum traffic counts must be met before asphalt surfacing may be considered.
Fairchild pointed out the differing perspectives of the parties involved.
“From Littlefork’s point of view, it’s basically the last un-tarred city street,” he said, adding that Grindall explained that the county has a lot of roads it might pave, if dollars were not an issue.
Aspen Street Construction and County Road 33 Project Repairs
The $250,000 Koochiching County and Littlefork Aspen Street project involves the reconstruction of the portion of Aspen Street from Fourth Avenue to Sixth Avenue and includes the replacement of a water main. The project has been in the works for the last two summers.
The Aspen storm sewer portion of the project cost is approximately $72,000; of which Littlefork contributed $30,000, the remainder paid by the county.
Discussion continued on the topic Tuesday.
The group also discussed a recently approved council resolution granting the county highway department permission to rebuild County Road 33 which falls into Littlefork’s corporate limits.
The council remains anxious for the bidding process to begin, Fairchild said, because County Road 33 is the paved access to the Littlefork Fair Grounds, and the district fair is approaching in mid-summer.
Following Tuesday’s discussion with county officials, Fairchild said a post-construction meeting between himself and Grindall is planned. With no date yet set for bid letting, the project will either be scheduled to be completely finished before the fair, or to begin after the fair — in avoidance of traffic problems during fair attendance.
Wetlands issues
After months and months of gathering information, the Littlefork Council recently passed a resolution to request that the county to be its local governing unit regarding issues surrounding Littlefork’s wetlands.
County Environmental Services Director Dale Olson was present to give an update on wetlands, and Littlefork’s resolution will be presented formally to the county board, with the expectation that it will assume the task.
Koochiching Community Development Association
Whether the KCDA, which has fallen under fire over recent months, should continue, was also a topic of discussion among the Littlefork Council and the county board.
The KCDA, which is managed under the Koochiching Economic Development Authority, is an association for the smaller communities of Koochiching County and is meant to serve economic developmental needs of the areas. Questions by some involved people on whether funding for the organization is being properly used, and whether successes can be tangibly measured, makes the future of the KCDA somewhat wavering.
Fairchild, who is a member of the relatively new association, said the Littlefork Council reported Tuesday its view to the county that the KCDA is an important and useful grassroots organization which should definitely continue.
County 2011 levy limits subordinate taxing districts
Fairchild explained that the recently approved Littlefork Ambulance Service budget which includes costs for its improved facility, and how it affects the county’s 2011 levy limits or state funding, was also discussed.
Fairchild said that however Littlefork’s ambulance budget influences the county’s state aid received, or impacts the city in the final analysis — the council members believe it is prudent to question the impact, and what they might do as a council regarding the issue.
