County supports current service level at Ranier Post Office

The board met Tuesday with Ranier Mayor Ed Oerichbauer to discuss a plan presented by postal officials at a meeting Wednesday to reduce the Ranier Post Office window hours from eight hours to four hours Monday through Friday. The change will go into effect sometime in March or April.

The meeting was presented as a way to gather public input, but instead was an announcement of the plan to reduce hours. That generated frustration among residents and local officials, who said the process was flawed.

In addition, just 269 surveys were sent to Ranier’s newly annexed population of 605 residents. Oerichbauer said the International Falls Post Office has not changed the addresses of the newly annexed residents to Ranier.

Oerichbauer said the concern about reduced hours spreads across the county. He noted that a list found on the postal service websites indicate that post offices in Big Falls, Birchdale, Littlefork, Mizpah and Northome are also scheduled to see reductions in retail hours available to the public. He pointed at the post office in South Falls, which is not listed for a reduction of hours.

Commissioner Rob Ecklund said he was disappointed in how the Ranier meeting was handled and said postal service representatives were unprofessional and unprepared. Commissioner Mike Hanson said he’s experienced similar disappointments at other meetings on area post offices.

Commissioners also asked Oerichbauer to keep them informed of the Ranier addressing issue and said they would host a meeting to discuss the concern if needed.

Meanwhile, the board gave Oerichbauer, who did not seek reelection, a round of applause for handling some very difficult and challenging issues during his tenure as mayor.

In other business Tuesday, the board agreed to provide an additional $25,000 to the local Airport Commission for its 2013 budget. As the county jointly owns the Falls International Airport with International Falls, the two entities normally provide the same level of funding to the airport’s annual budget.

The commission had sought an additional $44,000 from each entity, bringing each government to a $260,000 contribution for 2013. Each government provided $215,000 this year.

“I don’t think we can afford it,” said Commissioner Wade Pavleck, a member of the airport commission. “And I get a sense the city can’t either.”

Pavleck said the additional contribution is not sustainable.

Board Chairman Brian McBride said the airport is the lifeblood of the community and its economic development efforts.

“We need to fund it, but the question is at what level,” he said.

County Administrative Director Teresa Jaksa told the board that the commission’s budget includes substantial increases in certain areas of the operational budget. And, she noted, the project budget increased, in part, because the local share for Federal Aviation Administration funding increased from 5 percent to 10 percent for the Falls airport. Meaning that with $100,000 local money, the airport could tap into $1 million of FAA funding for 2013.

Pavleck said the commission is considering long-term funding options that would achieve the goals, including capital improvements and planning for a new terminal.

“The reality is the airport needs improvements and the city and county fund most everything,” said Jaksa. “I look forward to renew we can tap into for the future to put into project development.”

The board revoked county state aid highway designation on County Highway 13, north of Big Falls, and designated the status to portions of County Roads 77, 14, 79, all west of Littlefork, and County Roads 98, near Ericsburg, and 107, near International Falls.

The change in designation allows the county to upgrade its highway system to a large degree using state aid money.

“Some upgrades will cost in the millions,” said Hanson, “especially with bridges and this will now be paid through state aid dollars. Otherwise, we’d never be able to do it.”