Koochiching County will move forward with creation of a quarry near Birchdale despite concern about costs voiced by a representative of a local quarry and construction company.
The board this week authorized the purchase at the county-appraised value of $144,000 for 20 acres of county-managed, tax forfeited land on a forestry road off County Road 84.
Rock will be blasted and crushed at the quarry to produce gravel and aggregate material for county road maintenance and projects on an as-needed basis. The board will seek bids for the blasting and crushing part of the operation and county staff have said there is no intention of selling material for other projects.
A conditional use permit was approved earlier by the board.
Debbie Bowman of Bowman Construction reiterated concerns voiced earlier about the project by Carl Bowman, who operates gravel pits and a construction company in the county.
Debbie Bowman said the price of the land should be weighed heavily by the board. She urged the board to spend taxpayer money wisely.
“This is a huge amount of money to invest,” she said of the purchase price of the land. “I just worry about where money will come from.”
In addition, she said the county would be competing against local taxpayers who operate quarries and could provide the same material for county projects.
“Look at the costs,” she urged the board. “We’re all struggling in these economic times.”
She suggested that several local providers would sell the material needed for the county projects at $8 per cubic yard.
“Bowman is in the rock business. We know the cost to make rock,” she said. “I just don’t want you to be hoodwinked.”
She said the county has purchased things it cannot use because of the costs of operation. As an example, she pointed to the former Army Reserve building purchased some time ago by the county, which uses it for storage.
In February, county Engineer Doug Grindall estimated that blasting and crushing would be conducted at the Birchdale site for two months in the first stage of the project, with the gravel pit operating for 20 years or more. About 300,000 cubic yards of material will be excavated and blasted and crushed to create class 5 aggregate.
Commissioner Mike Hanson, who represents the Birchdale area, said the board is acting on advice of staff, who have said the county can create the material it needs for road projects cheaper than it can be purchased from private operators.
He told Bowman that when bids are considered for the blasting and crushing part of the operation, she may give input.
Hanson said the county’s actions to establish the quarry are a “direct benefit to taxpayers,” adding that costs of the material in the next 20 years will likely continue to increase.
County staff have told commissioners that gravel is in short supply in Koochiching.
Pavleck told Bowman that if her company could guarantee an $8 per cubic yard price for the material for 20 years, “we’ll talk.”
In other business, the board agreed to sell 20 acres of tax forfeited land near Effie to Great River Energy, which plans to develop a power line substation. Great River provides power to North Itasca Electric Cooperative.
In addition, the board supported seeking special legislation to allow for the sale of the land to a private owner. The value of the land will be determined by an independent appraiser.
Dale Aukee, Great River representative, told the board that the sale for the $2.5 million to $3 million substation will put the land back on the tax rolls and will provide a more stable source of electricity for residents of the southern part of Koochiching, including the city of Northome.
Hanson, who represents the area of the county where the land is located, said the project has been discussed for about 20 years. He said the substation would benefit the residents of the area. Now, he said, if a storm results in a power outage for that area, residents may be without electricity for four to five days.
On a 3-2 vote, the board set the 2012 salaries for commissioners. The annual salary was set at $13,714, which is a $399 increase. The last increase to the salary was set in 1997. The daily per diem rate was set at $125, which is no change from 2011.
Pavleck and Commissioner Rob Ecklund voted against the motion. Pavleck said he didn’t begrudge fellow commissioners from taking the increase, but said he would not because of the “tough economic times.”
In a unanimous vote, the board agreed to increase by a 2 percent cost of living increase the 2012 salaries of the elected sheriff, attorney, recorder and auditor/treasurer and to provide paid health and life insurance at the same level as 2011. The 2011 salaries were set in July with a 1 percent COLA increase effective July 1.
