Meeting Minutes
Towner County Commissioners
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
May 2, 2023
The Towner County Commissioners met in regular session on May 2, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. in the meeting room of the county courthouse. Chairman Matt Odermann called the meeting to order. Present were Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Doug Berg, Bob Hallaway and Lance Teubner.
Motion to approve the agenda was made by Lagein and seconded by Hallaway. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Motion to approve the minutes of the April 11, 2023 regular meeting was made by Lagein and seconded by Teubner. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Sheriff Hillier stated that they had a prisoner with medical issues that was going to cost the County a lot of money. States Attorney Josh Frey stated the reason we still have the prisoner is because of issues with the State Hospital.
Maintenance Supervisor Bill Voight stated the Sheriffs office would be completed in June. NDTC had cameras installed at the Armory. Voight stated he was working on getting an estimate for contractors to open up the courthouse for a structural integrity observation.
States Attorney Josh Frey went over the rural attorney recruitment program. Towner County was accepted for the program, but it could not be used to retain our current attorney. Motion by Hallaway, seconded by Berg to retain the recruitment program. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Paul Bjornson, KLJ, stated Mikkelsen Aggregates was requesting an extension for BRO-CVD-0048(022), a bridge project by Perth. This is a Federal Aid project and the State is not currently allowing extensions. Motion by Lagein, seconded by Hallaway to deny the extension as per the State’s recommendation. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Road Supervisor Kevin Rinas stated they were working on roads which were in the usual bad spring condition. Kevin Walford, Butler Equipment, stated our new blade would be here in June.
Josh Frey reported that easements throughout the County were inconsistent other than the last two Federal aid projects. Frey reported on a triangle piece left by a removed curve on the hog barn road project. The Commissioners would like to deed the piece back to the farmer. In Frey’s research, he discovered the County did not ever acquire all the property. Frey recommended that the property first be acquired and then sold. Motion by Berg to have Wold determine the acreage of the triangle piece. The motion failed for lack of a second. Motion by Hallaway, seconded by Teubner to have Wold provide acreage for everything we have not acquired. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Jim Gibbens was on the agenda to inform the Commissioners of a meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 4th in Churchs Ferry to discuss the running of the pumps in Devils Lake. The issue was referred to the Towner County Water Board and Commissioners stated they would support the decision of the Water Board.
Longevity pay was discussed. Motion by Lagein, seconded by Berg, to follow the recommendation of the HR consultant and not offer pay based on longevity, but rather merit. Upon roll call vote, Commissioners Teubner, Berg, Odermann, and Lagein voted aye. Commissioner Hallaway voted nay. Motion passed. HR issues were discussed with Commissioners. Commission Chair Odermann will meet with the department heads to discuss the issues.
The VSO office was discussed. Motion by Lagein, seconded by Hallaway to hire the only applicant, Steve Anderson. Anderson is currently working with most of the Veterans. Upon roll call vote, all commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Teubner, seconded by Hallaway to approve gaming site authorization for the Park River Fire Department at the Cando Golf Club. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Commissioners Doug Berg and Bob Hallaway, Kevin Rinas and Joni Morlock were appointed to the RFP interview committee for preliminary engineering for BRJ-0048 (050).
Commissioner Lagein requested money to sponsor Stanley Dick to represent the region at NACO. Motion by Berg, seconded by Lagein to approve up to $1,000 for receipted travel for Dick to attend NACO meetings. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye.
Motion to appoint Jeff Hagler (to replace Troy Senger) to the Public Health Board by Lagein and seconded by Berg. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Hallaway, seconded by Teubner to pay the bills. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
The next meeting was set for June 6, 2023.
The meeting adjourned by motion.
ATTEST:
Matt Odermann Joni Morlock
Commission Chairperson Auditor/Treasurer
SPECIAL MEETING
MINUTES
April 17, 2023
The Towner County Commissioners met in special session (via Zoom) on Monday April 17, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. for the purpose of discussing a resolution in opposition of HB 1040 and support of SB 2239. Present at the meeting were Chairman Matt Odermann, Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Bob Hallaway and Doug Berg. Chairman Odermann called the meeting to order.
A resolution in support of SB 2239 and opposing HB 1040 was presented to the Commissioners. HB 1040 eliminates the NDPERS defined pension plan for any new employees. SB 2239 would allow future legislation to reassess and infuse dollars into the program. Either bill will force County’s to contribute addition funding. A motion was made by Hallaway, and seconded by Berg to approve the resolution. Upon roll call vote, all voted aye. Motion passed.
Matt Odermann Joni Morlock
Chairman Auditor
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
April 11, 2023
The Towner County Commissioners met in regular session on April 11, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. in the meeting room of the county courthouse. Chairman Matt Odermann called the meeting to order. Present were Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Doug Berg, Bob Hallaway and Lance Teubner.
Motion to approve the agenda was made by Lagein and seconded by Teubner. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Motion to approve the minutes of the March 7, 2023 regular meeting was made by Lagein and seconded by Hallaway. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Radio’s for the Sheriff’s department was discussed with Sheriff Hillier. Rotation for purchasing Sheriff’s vehicles was discussed. Sheriff Hillier stated that Stonegarden grant money for equipment was coming to an end and the County would have to purchase vehicles in the future.
Maintenance Supervisor Bill Voight gave the commissioners a quote of $8,000 for the remodel of the second-floor office at the Memorial building. Voight is working with NDTC for the installation of security cameras in the Armory and Courthouse. Voight stated the Sheriff’s office remodel has started.
Road Department Supervisor Kevin Rinas stated the road department has been doing their best with the conditions as they are. Paul Bjornson, KLJ, gave the Commissioners an update on the box culvert project in Monroe and Grainfield Townships.
The Veterans Service Officer position was discussed. Commissioners Hallaway, Odermann and Auditor Morlock were put on the hiring committee to interview potential candidates.
Motion by Lagein, seconded by Berg to approve an Emergency flood declaration for Towner County. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Lagein, seconded by Hallaway to approve a change order for the hog barn road project (SC-4819(063) for the reset of a concrete culvert. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Commissioner Odermann gave an update on the NDPERS bill. Odermann felt NDACO had failed on the issue by sitting on the proposed bills and not doing anything for an issue that will affect hundreds of County employees.
Lindy Berg, NDSU Extension, gave an update on weed spraying. The highway spraying will be contracted and all other roads will be sprayed locally. Motion by Berg, seconded by Teubner to approve Jason Peters appointment to the weed board to replace Roger Copeland. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Berg updated the Commissioners on extension activities.
Mike Britain was on hand to discuss County Parks. Britain stated he had secured a grant with the Game & Fish to replace the concrete ramp at Armourdale. The County was responsible for 25% of the costs. Motion by Lagein, seconded by Berg to approve the contract with the Game & Fish. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Britain discussed putting picnic tables at Snyder Lake. Cameras at Armourdale was discussed.
Sale of a triangular piece of easements along the hog barn road was discussed. There was confusion on what to deed to the land owner. Motion to maintain ownership of 75’ on farm to market roads and 33’ on non-farm to market county roads was made by Berg and seconded by Hallaway. Motion to rescind the previous motion was made by Berg and seconded by Hallaway. All voted aye. Motion passed. Motion by Lagein, seconded by Hallaway to table the issue until further information regarding right away could be obtained. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion to pay the bills by Teubner and seconded by Berg. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
The meeting was recessed at 10:20 a.m.
The meeting was called to order at 11:00 a.m. ICON representative’s Tim Olson, structural engineer and Kyle Kvamme, owner were present to answer questions. Several questions were address and answered at the meeting. Motion to proceed with a structural integrity observation was made by Hallaway and seconded by Berg. Upon roll call, all vote aye. Motion passed.
The next meeting was set for May 2nd
The meeting adjourned at 12:00 p.m. by motion.
ATTEST:
Matt Odermann Joni Morlock
Commission Chairperson Auditor/Treasurer
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
March 7, 2023
The Towner County Commissioners met in regular session on March 7, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. in the meeting room of the county courthouse. Chairman Matt Odermann called the meeting to order. Present were Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Bob Hallaway, Lance Teubner and Doug Berg. Joni Morlock via zoom.
Additions to agenda: County Breakfast, VSO, and County Day in Bismarck. Teubner moved to approve agenda, seconded by Lagein. All commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Minutes approved, per amendment, for the February 2023 regular meeting was made by Lagein, seconded by Berg. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Representatives of Wold Engineering were on hand to discuss current road projects and a change order. Commissioner Hallaway made a motion to approve the change order, Teubner seconded. Upon roll call, motion carried. The county was awarded two structures through the state. Funding will be available in 2025. Wold was unsure if it is 80/20 or 100% funded but suggested the county starts the process now.
After speaking with the State and States Attorney Frey, commissioner Oderman asked for a motion to hire a new VSO officer. Commissioner Berg made a motion to advertise for a VSO officer, seconded by Lagein. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Troy Reemtsma from the American Legion updated the commissioners about what they have been doing the last year. March 26th is the Legion pancake breakfast.
Kevin Rinas stated they had purchased a new truck and they have been pushing snow every day to keep the roads open.
Lori Beck stated all of the FEMA money has come in and Townships could apply for funding by submitting an invoice to the County.
County Breakfast is set for April 14th from 7am-10am at the Towner County Armory.
Facilities manager Bill Voight stated they have been working on the chair lift. The building committee suggests re-evaluating the agreement with the school for the Armory.
Sheriff Hillier stated the metal detector is ordered.
Tax Director Sheri Leas went over the review from the State which stated we had out-dated productivity survey numbers. She presented the new Sidwell contract which would retest the soil sample productivity numbers. Motion by Berg, seconded by Hallaway to approve Sidwell Contract. Upon roll call, motion carried.
Auditor Joni Morlock spoke with HR and he recommended merit pay not longevity pay. Joni polled State counties and three counties responded they have a longevity pay policy. Joni will get a cost of longevity pay breakdown for commissioners.
Zoning permit for Nikolaisen approved by Teubner, seconded by Lagein. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
County day for Legislative session in Bismarck is this Wednesday and Thursday in Bismarck.
Motion by Lagein, second by Hallaway to pay the bills. Motion carried, upon roll call.
Facilities manager Bill Voight joined the commissioners for further discussion on the ICON report about repairs to current Courthouse and new Courthouse.
Next meeting is set for April 11th at 8:00 a.m. with a proposed sit down with ICON at 11:00 a.m.
The meeting adjourned by Teubner, seconded by Hallaway. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
ATTEST:
_______________________________ _________________________________
Cari Hallaway Matt Odermann, Chairman
Deputy Auditor Towner County Board of Commissioners
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
Feb 7, 2023
The Towner County Commissioners met in regular session on Feb 7, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. in the meeting room of the county courthouse. Chairman Matt Odermann called the meeting to order. Present were Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Bob Hallaway, Lance Teubner and Doug Berg. Joni Morlock was on speaker phone.
Additions to agenda: Liquor license for Golf Course and incentive pay for employees. Motion to approve the agenda was made by Lagein and seconded by Hallaway. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Motion to approve the minutes for the January 2023 regular meeting was made by Lagein and seconded by Berg. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Representatives of Wold Engineering were on hand to discuss current road projects.
Kevin Rinas stated the snow plow trucks are in tough shape. Commissioner Odermann asked Kevin to come back with a proposal on a snow plow truck. A bid for a fuel tank was presented. Commissioners gave Kevin the ok to purchase of a new fuel tank. Kevin stated overtime is being used up.
Sheriff Hillier stated they received a new agreement for jailing services in Rolette County. The rates have increased by $10 a day. Motion by Berg to approve the new Rolette County LEC agreement and seconded by Hallaway. Upon roll call motion carried. Commissioner Hallaway asked how the new deputy was working out. Sheriff Hillier stated good but the call volume is down therefore training is difficult.
Commissioner Odermann updated the commissioners on the VSO position. He stated the veterans are being serviced by the VSO in Cavalier County.
Facilities manager Bill Voight updated the commissioners on the construction of the new Sheriff’s office. Water control at the Memorial building is an issue again. The chair lift at the Courthouse is not working and is continuously being repaired. Commissioner Teubner said Mark Brehm will repair it. Offices at the Armory need new carpet, paint and lighting. Voight is gathering quotes for these repairs. A report from ICON was presented for a new Courthouse and repairs of current Courthouse. Voight asked the commissioners to table the ICON discussion and invite ICON for a special meeting once all commissioners have had more time to look over ICON report.
Motion by Lagein and seconded by Teubner to appointed Majusta Kleven to the Mt. Lakes Human Service Board. Motion carried.
Motion by Lagein and seconded by Berg to approve T-Mobile zoning permit. Motion carried.
Motion by Hallaway and seconded by Teubner to declare a snow emergency declaration. Motion carried.
Motion by Lagein, second by Berg to approve an application for a gaming permit and approval of a liquor license for the Cando Golf Course. Motion carried.
NDPERS legislation update given by Odermann.
Employee longevity step program was discussed. Joni Morlock is going to reach out to other counties and our HR department to gather more information for the commissioners.
Motion by Lagein, second by Teubner to pay the bills. Motion carried upon roll call.
Next meeting was set for March 7th.
The meeting adjourned by Teubner and seconded by Lagein. Motion carried.
ATTEST:
_______________________________ _________________________________
Cari Hallaway Matt Odermann, Chairman
Deputy Auditor Towner County Board of Commissioners
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
January 3, 2023
The Towner County Commissioners met in regular session on January 3, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. in the meeting room of the county courthouse. Chairman Doug Berg called the meeting to order. Present were Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Matt Odermann, Bob Hallaway and Lance Teubner.
Motion to approve the agenda was made by Lagein and seconded by Teubner. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Motion to approve the minutes of the December 6, 2022 regular meeting was made by Teubner and seconded by Hallaway. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Reorganization of officers was held. Vice-Chair Lagein opened up nominations for Chairman. Matt Odermann was nominated. Berg moved and Teubner seconded to cease nominations and cast a unanimous ballot for Odermann. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Chairman Odermann opened nominations for Vice-Chair. Dave Lagein was nominated. Hallaway moved and Berg seconded to cease nominations and cast a unanimous ballot for Lagein. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Sheriff Hillier was sworn into office. Hillier presented bids for a camera grant through Homeland Security. ND Telephone Company was low bid. Motion by Lagein, seconded by Teubner to accept the bid and proceed with installation of the cameras. There was concern about the low bid not being the best option, but the grant required low bid be accepted. Upon roll call vote Teubner, Odermann and Lagein voted aye. Berg & Hallaway voted nay. Motion passed.
Clerk of Court Kendall Brehm updated the Commissioners on the State taking over the Clerk of Court systems. The NDACO has taken a stand against the bill. Motion by Lagein, seconded by Hallaway to approve a resolution in opposition to a bill that moves the services to the State. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
A triangle piece of property acquired by the County for a road project on the hog barn road was discussed. The owner would like to be able to farm the piece. The States Attorney recommended we sell the piece back to the owner if he wants to farm it. Commissioners agreed to sell it for what we sold the easement for ($3,000 per acre).
Appointing a Mountain Lakes Human Service Board Member was tabled.
Motion to appoint Matt Odermann to the North Central Planning Board by Lagein, seconded by Hallaway. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Hallaway, seconded by Berg to approve the purchase of a sound system with ARPA funds for $33,850 plus wiring. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Rent of the Commissioners room was discussed.
Year-end budget numbers and amendments to the budget were reviewed with the County Auditor. Motion to approve amendments as recommended by the County Auditor by Teubner, and seconded by Berg. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion to pay the bills by Teubner, and seconded by Lagein. Upon roll call vote, all commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
The next meeting was set for February 7th.
The meeting adjourned by motion at 10:25 a.m.
ATTEST:
Matt Odermann Joni Morlock
Commission Chairperson Auditor/Treasurer
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
December 6, 2022
The Towner County Commissioners met in regular session on December 6, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. in the meeting room of the county courthouse. Chairman Doug Berg called the meeting to order. Present were Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Matt Odermann, Bob Hallaway and Lance Teubner.
Motion to approve the agenda was made by Lagein and seconded by Teubner. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Motion to approve the minutes of the November 1, 2022 regular meeting was made by Odermann and seconded by Hallaway. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Troy Reemtsma, American Legion Commander, updated the Commissioners on a remodeling project in the Legion room. Reemtsma inquired about renting office space in the Memorial building. Hiring a Veterans Service Officer was discussed with Reemtsma.
The Veterans Service Officer position was discussed. Motion by Hallaway, seconded by Lagein to appoint Commissioner Odermann as the interim VSO until someone is hired. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Sheriff Hillier stated his new hire would be starting mid-December. They are still looking for one more officer. Hillier would like to offer a $2,500 retention bonus to his current officers as the labor shortage has greatly affected his department. Motion by Lagein, seconded by Odermann to offer a retention bonus of $7,500 in total to current officers due to the department being short handed for 18 months. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Maintenance Supervisor Bill Voight stated ICON had been here to measure the courthouse and they were coming back to meet with department heads to determine space requirements for a new courthouse. They will also be assessing the current courthouse to determine what it will take to make the building handicapped assessable. The building committee will discuss the Legion renting the office in the Memorial building. Renting the Commissioners room was discussed and referred to the building committee.
Road Supervisor Kevin Rinas was on hand. There is a triangular piece of land located within the County easement on the hog barn road project. The farmer was wondering if he could farm the land. The Commissioners discussed if they should sell or give the property to the farmer, or just let him farm it. The issue was tabled and the States Attorney will be consulted as to the legality of the issue. Rinas and Lori Beck stated 2022 FEMA is being finalized. Replacing bridges in Towner County was discussed.
Lindy Berg, NDSU extension agent, was present. Berg stated all the Townships were sprayed for weeds using County employees and only the highways needed to be contracted. Roger Copeland retired from the weed board and Berg is looking for a replacement. Lindsey Kennedy gave an update on 4H program events. Berg also updated the Commissioners on extension program events.
Clerk of Court Kendall Brehm presented a quote for new cushions for the courtroom. The quote would be submitted under the Courthouse Facilities Grant in which the State pays 75% of the costs. Motion by Hallaway, seconded by Odermann to submit the application. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Rhonda Allery, Mountain Lakes Human Service Zone, was on hand to give the Commissioners an update on social services. Allery stated the labor shortage has hit her department hard. Appointment of a Towner County community member was discussed.
Jessica Tagestad, Wold Engineering attended. Commissioner Lagein questioned if approaches on farm-to-market roads could be lowered to the height of the road to prevent snow build up.
Motion by Lagein seconded by Teubner, to deed foreclosed property to the City of Cando. All Commissioner voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Odermann, seconded by Hallaway to approve an abatement of taxes for 2020 and 2021 to a citizen claiming a Homestead Credit. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Lagein, seconded by Odermann to approve an abatement of taxes for 2022 to a citizen claiming a Disabled Veterans Credit. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Teubner, seconded by Odermann to approve a zoning permit for David Klier and Michelle Chauvin. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Odermann, seconded by Teubner to approve a resolution adopting a cafeteria plan for Towner County for 2023. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Lagein, seconded by Hallaway to transfer $85,364.45 from FEMA 2017 to County Road. Upon roll call, all voted aye. Motion passed.
Purchasing a sound and video system for the Commissioners room was discussed. Auditor Morlock will get a cost estimate.
Setting up a water district for the southern portion of the County for the purpose of funding bridges was discussed.
Motion by Odermann, seconded by Hallaway to pay the bills. Upon roll call, all vote aye. Motion passed.
The next meeting was set for January 3, 2023.
The meeting adjourned by motion.
ATTEST:
Doug Berg Joni Morlock
Commission Chairperson Auditor/Treasurer
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
November 1, 2022
The Towner County Commissioners met in regular session on November 1, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. in the meeting room of the county courthouse. Chairman Doug Berg called the meeting to order. Present were Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Matt Odermann, Bob Hallaway and Lance Teubner.
Motion to approve the agenda was made by Odermann and seconded by Hallaway. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Motion to approve the minutes of the October 6, 2022 regular meeting was made by Lagein and seconded by Hallaway. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
A farmer in Coolin Township used a scraper in the ditch on County right away and removed dirt. This action was done on a recent federal aid project and is in direct violation of the ND Century Code. Motion by Odermann, seconded by Hallaway to send a notice of encroachment which gives the farmer 20 days to fix it, or the County will fix it and invoice the farmer. If the farmer doesn’t pay the invoice the amount is put on his taxes. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Maintenance Supervisor Bill Voight went over the ADA compliance report. There were minor infractions including a sidewalk crack, a curb not painted blue and a door which stays open during the election is hard to open.
Sheriff Hillier met with Border Patrol about the Stone Garden Grant. The new grant is mainly for border patrol and not for equipment. Hillier is still trying to get bids for the camera grant.
Motion to approve gift certificates for employees by Lagein, and seconded Teubner. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Road Supervisor Kevin Rinas stated he had ordered a new pickup. Rinas stated they had tried out a John Deere blade. Buying a 10,000-gallon gas tank for the Cando shop was discussed.
Motion by Odermann, seconded by Teubner to approve a zoning permit for Travis Ozbat. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Lagein, seconded by Hallaway to pay the bills. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
The Veterans Service Officer position was discussed. Working with another County coming to Towner County at least one day a month was discussed.
Appointing a Towner County representative to the Mountain Lakes Human Service Zone Board was discussed. Greg Westlind is resigning. Names will be brought to the next meeting.
The County Auditor stated that the City of Cando had approached her to cover Auditor duties for the City of Cando. Motion to approve the County Auditor assuming interim City Auditor duties for 6 months with reimbursement going to the County if County time is required by Lagein, seconded by Teubner. Upon roll call vote, Commissioner Teubner, Lagein and Berg voted aye. Commissioners Hallaway and Odermann voted nay. Motion passed.
Clerk of Court Kendall Brehm was on hand to talk about the upcoming courthouse facilities grant. Suggestions of opening a wall in the jury room, new juror chairs, re-upholster benches in the courtroom, and paint and carpet were made. Brehm will get quotes for the next meeting. ARPA funds could be used for the match.
Jessica Tagestad, Wold Engineering, entered the meeting after looking at the damage done by the farmer in Coolin Township. She stated the issue would affect Federal funding and needed to be put back to how it was. They would get estimates of the damage.
The Commissioners questioned Kevin Rinas about purchasing gravel for Townships. Rinas suggested the gravel only be hauled contractors approved by the County in order to control reimbursement. Motion by Odermann, seconded by Teubner to purchase 40,000 yards from the Wolford pit and 40,000 yards from the Kring pit. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
The next meeting was set for December 6, 2022.
The meeting adjourned by motion at 11:25.
ATTEST:
Doug Berg Joni Morlock
Commission Chairperson Auditor/Treasurer
SPECIAL MEETING
MINUTES
October 03, 2022
The commissioners met in special session on Monday, October 3, 2022 at 11:45 a.m. at the Bismarck Convention Center, 315 5th St., Bismarck, ND for the purpose of meeting with the local government division of the ND Department of Transportation to discuss Federal aid road and bridge projects. Those attending were Paul Benning and Bryan Fuchs of the NDDOT, Wold Engineering representatives, Towner County Commissioners David Lagein, Matt Odermann and Doug Berg, and Towner County Road Superintendent Kevin Rinas. Future road and bridge projects were discussed with the NDDOT stating that Towner County is borrowed out on funding for the next 4-5 years. A speed study was questioned for County roads with the NDDOT stating that speed studies were only done for safety issues and NOT dynamic loading issues. It was the opinion of the NDDOT that the dynamic load issues could be dealt with by County resolution, but the NDDOT recommended the Commissioners confer with the States Attorney regarding the issue. The meeting adjourned at 12:00 p.m.
Doug Berg Joni Morlock
Commission Chair Auditor/Treasurer
SPECIAL MEETING
MINUTES
September 21, 2022
The commissioners met in special session on Wednesday, September 21, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. in the Commissioners room at the Towner County Courthouse, 315 2nd St, Cando, ND for the purpose of discussing preconstruction issues for bridge project BRO-CVD-0048(022). Those attending were Chris Beggs and Brian Bennes of the NDDOT, Justin Lorenz of Mikkelson Aggregates, Paul Bjornston of KLJ, Towner County Commissioners David Lagein, Bob Hallaway and Doug Berg, and Towner County Road Superintendent Kevin Rinas. The meeting adjourned at 11:42 a.m.
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
September 9, 2022
The Towner County Commissioners met in regular session on September 9, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. in the meeting room of the county courthouse. Chairman Doug Berg called the meeting to order. Present were Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Matt Odermann, Bob Hallaway and Lance Teubner.
Motion to approve the agenda was made by Lagein and seconded by Hallaway. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Motion to approve the minutes of the August 2, 2022 regular meeting was made by Odermann and seconded by Teubner. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Sheriff Hillier stated he had hired a new office deputy and she would start next week. A grant for a new camera system was discussed. The grant came in $7,000 over budget and Hillier is taking the additional amount out of his budget. Hillier is struggling to get the required 3 bids in order to move forward with the project. Hillier stated he had a very busy week dealing with an unfortunate incident and had been forced to deal with press from all over the country. Stonegarden funds were discussed. Hillier stated the area director of the Stonegarden program told him they would be no longer funding equipment and mainly funding wages.
Maintenance Supervisor Bill Voight presented a bill for services from 2017 that had not been paid because an invoice was never received. The Commissioners acknowledged it and stated the services were received and should be paid.
Jessica Tagestad, Wold Engineering, was on hand. The County Federal Aid worksheet was discussed. Two bridge projects were added. Starting another road project near Hansboro in 2025 and future road projects to submit for Federal aid was discussed. Motion to approve 2 work order changes on the hog barn road project (SC-4819(063) by Lagein, seconded by Odermann. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Tagestad said the hog barn road was almost completed and just waiting for final gravel. Motion to approve the County Road Maintenance Policy as the previous policy had not been signed by Odermann, and seconded by Lagein. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Lagein, seconded by Odermann to pay the bills. Upon roll call vote, all voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion to approve zoning permits to Sean Cose and Kyle McConnell by Odermann, seconded by Lagein. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion to approve Dave and Jannel Lagein as ND State Fair delegates by Teubner, seconded by Odermann. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Motion by Odermann, seconded by Teubner to deny an application for abatement for Ed Walters. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners vote aye. Motion passed.
Commissioner Berg went over resolutions being put forth by the NDACO Commissioners Association.
The next meeting was set for Thursday, October 6, 2022.
The meeting adjourned by motion.
ATTEST:
Doug Berg Joni Morlock
Towner County Commission Chair Auditor/Treasurer
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
August 2, 2022
The Towner County Commissioners met in regular session on August 2, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. in the meeting room of the county courthouse. Chairman Doug Berg called the meeting to order. Present were Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Matt Odermann, Bob Hallaway and Lance Teubner.
Motion to approve the agenda was made by Lagein and seconded by Teubner. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Motion to approve the minutes of the July 6, 2022 regular meeting was made by Odermann and seconded by Lagein. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Sheriff Hillier stated the Corday event went well. Hillier stated he has had several noise complaints about the Rock Lake Bar. Hillier stated they were still down an officer and would be shorthanded when school starts due to the school resource officer not being available for shifts.
Building Maintenance Supervisor Bill Voight presented an estimate from ICON for an assessment of the existing courthouse adding an elevator and to develop a cost estimate to build a new courthouse. A discussion was held about doing a complete ADA assessment of the courthouse. The purpose of the study is to decide whether to put extensive repairs into the current courthouse structure or if it would be cheaper to build a new one. Motion by Teubner, seconded by Odermann to hire ICON to assess the courthouse building including all ADA issues and develop a cost estimate for a new courthouse building for a cost not to exceed $15,000. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Jessica Tagestad, Wold Engineering, was on hand to discuss a project estimate being submitted to the NDDOT for the hog barn road project (SC-4819(063). Towner County is responsible for 20%. Tagestad stated the project is going well.
Road Superintendent Kevin Rinas brought up a bridge in Monroe Township which needs four 96’ culverts. The County will pay for the culverts, but the Township will have to pay for the dirt work as previous policy dictates. The culverts will be placed according to a hydrology study done by Monroe Township.
Motion by Lagein, seconded by Hallaway to approve the minutes of the July 15, 2022 special meeting. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Lindy Berg, NDSU Extension Agent, was on hand to go over her budget items. Berg filled in Commissioners on crop improvement and state fair awards. The weed board budget was discussed.
Motion by Odermann, seconded by Hallaway to approve the pledge of assets report. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Lagein, seconded by Odermann to approve a 2022 FEMA Fund. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
The financial audit of Towner County was discussed. Auditor Morlock was concerned about the timeliness of the last audit done by the State Auditors Office, as well as them not coming on site to do the audit. Motion by Lagein, seconded by Odermann to pursue hiring Eide Bailey for the 2021-2022 audit. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Odermann to open a treasury portfolio with Bravara Wealth, seconded by Teubner. Upon roll call vote all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Odermann, seconded by Teubner to pay bills. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
The preliminary budget was discussed in itemized detail. Motion by Odermann, seconded by Hallaway to approve the preliminary budget. Upon roll call vote, all voted aye. Motion passed.
The next meeting was set for Thursday, Sept 8th.
The meeting adjourned by motion.
ATTEST:
Doug Berg Joni Morlock
Towner County Commission Chair Auditor/Treasurer
SPECIAL MEETING
MINUTES
July 15, 2022
The Towner County Commissioners met in special session on Friday, July 15, 2022 at 12:00 noon for the purpose of discussing issues with the hog barn road project SC-4819(063). Present at the meeting were Chairman Doug Berg, Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Lance Teubner, and Bob Hallaway. Also present were Wold Engineering. Chairman Berg called the meeting to order.
Jessica Tagestad, Wold Engineering, stated there was a request from one of the land owners adjacent to the project to lower a culvert on the southern intersection of the project running NE to SW by 6” to provide more slope to avoid current ponding in the SW corner. Owners upstream, stated if the ditch was cleaned out, it would not pond anymore. Bruce Gibbens stated that they would survey, clean and maintain the ditch needed at their expense. A person farming the land downstream questioned if they would benefit by this cleaning and if it would backup in culverts downstream. The downstream owner was also concerned about his current crop. Motion by Hallaway, seconded by Teubner to lower the culvert 6” as requested. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Jim Gibbens also discussed another culvert and ditch in the project with Wold Engineering. Another easement would be needed to complete that request to make the ditch wider. Gibbens stated he would agree to the easement at no cost to the County. Wold questioned if anymore approaches were in an area of the project.
The meeting adjourned by motion at 12:59 p.m.
Doug Berg Joni Morlock
Chairman Auditor
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
July 6, 2022
The Towner County Commissioners met in regular session on July 6, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. in the meeting room of the county courthouse. Chairman Doug Berg called the meeting to order. Present were Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Matt Odermann, Bob Hallaway and Lance Teubner.
Motion to approve the agenda was made by Odermann and seconded by Lagein. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Motion to approve the minutes of the June 7, 2022 regular meeting was made by Teubner and seconded by Hallaway. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Sheriff Hillier stated the camera grant had been approved. He was waiting to hear on the metal detector grant. Hillier stated all but one vehicle in a string of vehicle thefts had been recovered. So far, six juveniles had been linked to the thefts. Hillier stated he had 3 extra officers for the weekend of the Corday fund raiser.
County roads were discussed with Road Supervisor Kevin Rinas. Bids were opened for a new blade. There was one bid from Butler Machinery Co. for $421,199.60. Motion by Lagein, seconded Hallaway to purchase the blade at the bid price. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Motion by Odermann, seconded by Hallaway to order a snow wing for the blade at a cost of $25,205. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. The estimated arrival date for the blade and wing is July of 2023.
Mike Britain, County Parks, was on hand to update the Commissioners on County park activities. The Commissioners told Britain to order 16 more feet of dock for Snyder’s Lake.
Emergency Manager Lori Beck stated Cavalier County wants to increase the Towner County contract. A plan was put into place to gradually (over 3 years) increase the contract to a total of 10% of Cavalier County’s administrative costs.
Motion by Odermann, seconded by Teubner to support the water tower repair project for the City of Bisbee. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Lagein, seconded by Odermann to pay the bills. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Odermann, seconded by Hallaway to approve a contract with the City of Cando to perform tax assessing duties for the City of Cando. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
The 2019-2020 audit report was reviewed and discussed. Motion by Lagein, seconded by Odermann to approve the 2019-2020 audit report. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
The missing applications for absentee voters were discussed. The County Auditor mailed the applications to active voters in April, but people in the Bisbee, Egeland and Rock Lake precincts did not receive them. Vote by mail was discussed. In November the County Auditor will mail applications to active voters in the Bisbee, Egeland and Rock Lake precincts again.
Budget and salaries were discussed. The Sheriff was called down to discuss some of his budget items. Motion by Hallaway, seconded Odermann to increase wages by 5% for 2023. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Using surplus general funds were discussed. Possibilities included courthouse structural repairs, handicapped accessibility of the courthouse, and paying off equipment.
The next meeting was set for August 2, 2023.
The meeting adjourned by motion.
ATTEST:
______________________________ ________________________________
Doug Berg Joni Morlock
Towner County Board of Commissioners Towner County Auditor/Treasurer
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
June 7, 2022
The Towner County Commissioners met in regular session on June 7, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. in the meeting room of the county courthouse. Chairman Doug Berg called the meeting to order. Present were Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Matt Odermann, Bob Hallaway and Lance Teubner.
Motion to approve the agenda was made by Odermann and seconded by Hallaway. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Motion to approve the minutes of the May 3, 2022 regular meeting was made by Odermann and seconded by Lagein. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Motion to approve the April bills was made by Lagein and seconded by Odermann. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Sheriff Hillier stated the Sheriff’s department was working on grants, drug patch and scram bracelet training.
Maintenance Supervisor Bill Voight stated the heat pump at the Armory should be installed this week, except for the electrical hookup. The courthouse window project will start next week. Voight stated a cast iron pipe in the Memorial Building was leaking and had been fixed. The building committee had met with ICON Engineering to discuss courthouse building issues. ICON stated the main issues are with the foundation, but the building is in good shape structurally. Tuck pointing wasn’t done properly, so water is permeating the foundation. ICON Engineering will present a cost estimate to fix the foundation.
Kevin Walford, Butler Equipment, presented an extended warranty for the County’s tractor. The warranty was discussed and there was a motion by Hallaway, seconded by Odermann to purchase the warranty for $2,019 for an additional 36 months. All Commissioners vote aye. Motion passed. Walford discussed a new blade with the Commissioners stating if ordered now, would take about a year to receive. Motion by Odermann, seconded by Teubner to advertise for new a blade. All Commissioners vote aye. Motion passed.
Paul Bjornson, KLJ, went over Prairie Dog Funds stating that the buckets looked on schedule to fill this biennium and Counties would receive funding. If buckets fill completely, Towner County would receive almost 1.2 million additional funding for road projects. Reviewing shop drawings for BRO-0048(022) was discussed. Wold Engineering was going to charge for the review. Bjornson stated this was normal industry procedure, as the review was expected to be included as part of the Construction Engineering. A spec regarding the size of the waterproof membrane on the Bridge project was discussed. Commissioners requested that Bjornson work with NDDOT and contractor to resize the membrane to 24 inches which is the current industry standard. The specs on the project state 12 inches.
A farmland rental agreement with Kevin Hettwer was discussed. Motion by Odermann, seconded by Lagein to raise the rate to $40 per acre. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Motion to approve a utility permit for Northern Plains Electric to cross a County road by Lagein, and seconded by Odermann. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Motion to approve a contract with Mikkelsen Aggregates, LLC for bridge project BRO-0048(022), structure replacements near Perth by Lagein, and seconded by Teubner. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion to approve the May bills by Odermann, and seconded by Hallaway. Upon roll Call all voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion to adjourn as the County Board of Commissioners and reconvene as the County Board of Tax Equalization. Tax Equalization Director Sheri Leas discussed a manual level and depreciation level increase to get the residential ratio of 90.2 % which is over the 90% ratio required by the state. Several changes were needed for the commercial ratio including manual level, depreciation level and map factor changes were made to increase the ratio of the Commercial projects to 90.8%. Leas went over the notable changes to the County with the Commissioners. Motion to approve a 2.4 % increase for residential property by Lagein, and seconded by Hallaway. All commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Commercial properties were discussed. Citizens were on hand to contest some Commercial values. Motion to approve a 4.7% increase for Commercial properties by Odermann, and seconded by Teubner. All commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Agricultural values remain unchanged. Motion by Odermann, seconded by Hallaway to accept the late farm resident exemption applications. All commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Motion to approve inundated property as recommended by Leas by Hallaway, and seconded by Odermann. All commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Motion to adjourn as the Towner County Board of Equalization and reconvene as the Towner County Board of Commissioners.
A contract to assess property for the City of Cando was discussed. The Commissioners decided on a rate of 20 percent of costs associated with the assessor’s office plus $50 per parcel actually assessed would be a fair rate. There would be a cap placed on how many parcels the County would assess so the City could budget a set amount. Auditor Morlock will go to the City with the proposal before drawing up the contract.
There was a motion to table the Audit Report until the next meeting.
The next meeting was set for July 6th.
The meeting adjourned by motion.
ATTEST:
_______________________________ _________________________________
Joni M. Morlock Doug Berg, Chairman
Towner County Auditor/Treasurer Towner County Board of Commissioners
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
May 3, 2022
The Towner County Commissioners met in regular session on May 3, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. in the meeting room of the county courthouse. Chairman Doug Berg called the meeting to order. Present were Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Matt Odermann, Bob Hallaway and Lance Teubner. Also present was States Attorney Josh Frey.
Motion to approve the agenda was made by Lagein and seconded by Odermann. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Motion to approve the minutes of the April 5, 2022 regular meeting and April 12, 2022 special meeting was made by Odermann and seconded by Teubner. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Troy Reemtsma, Legion Commander, stated the Legion would like to make a storage closet into another access to the bathroom as the existing entrance goes through a secure gaming area. The American Legion would pay the costs of the project. Motion by Lagein, seconded by Odermann to approve the project. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Building Maintenance Supervisor Bill Voight stated the structural engineering firm would be here today to assess the Courthouse. Voight also stated the windows in the Courthouse would be installed soon, depending on weather.
Sheriff Hillier is working on the border patrol 2023 grant. He stated the grant will cover a new vehicle but not he extra equipment that goes on it. Hillier stated they are still dealing with quite a few mental health issue calls.
Road Supervisor Kevin Rinas stated that with the current weather, there is not much they can do except mark closed road. Rinas stated any culverts over 36 inches would not be available until after August due to delivery delays. Emergency Manager Lori Beck stated that FEMA would be available for County and Township roads as there is substantial damage and the Governor had declared an emergency. Road damage and conditions were discussed.
Motion by Lagein, seconded by Hallaway to approve a resolution to accept the low bid on BRO-0048(022) to be awarded to Mikkelsen Aggregates LLC for $1,026,321.45. Upon roll call vote, Commissioners Teubner, Berg, Hallaway and Lagein voted aye. Commissioner Odermann voted nay. Motion passed. The Consultant Interview Committee presented their recommendation of KLJ Engineering, LLC to be contracted as the construction engineering firm for BRO-0048(022). Two firms were interviewed. KLJ Engineering received a score of 421 and Wold Engineering received a score of 420 out of a possible 480. Motion to accept the recommendation of the committee and contract with KLJ Engineering was made by Hallaway, and seconded by Teubner. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Odermann, seconded by Hallaway to approve a resolution to adopt the Towner County Hazard Mitigation Plan as approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Odermann, seconded by Hallaway to approve a resolution declaring Towner County a state of emergency due to snow and rain. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
The County Commissioners discussed the City of Cando assessor situation. The current assessor for the City, Jerry Ratzlaff, has resigned. The Commissioners discussed the possibility of the County taking over the assessment duties for the City of Cando. County Auditor Morlock would attend a City Council meeting.
Towner County Housing would like to contract with Ramsey County. The Housing Board asked that the County acknowledge the contract in the County minutes of record.
Motion to approve deeds of foreclosed properties from the County to the respective Cities and previous owners by Lagein, and seconded by Odermann. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion to pay election workers $12 per hour was made by Teubner, and seconded by Odermann. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Election applications, which were mailed 2 weeks ago, have not been received by residents in the northern part of the County. The County Auditor will check with the post office and start a campaign through the paper, Facebook and the County website promoting the applications for those who want to vote by mail.
Cash rent of County land to Kevin Hettwer was discussed. The rate is currently at $30 per acre and the three-year contract is up at the end of this year. Commissioner Lagein will talk with Hettwer to negotiate a price.
Applications for ARPA funds were discussed at length. Motion by Odermann, seconded by Hallaway to commit $116, 451 of ARPA funding for the Radio SIRN project. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye, motion passed. Motion by Lagein, seconded by Odermann to commit $11,951 of the ARPA funding to be used to install an HVAC in the extension meeting room. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Motion by Odermann, seconded by Teubner to allocate $48,500 of the ARPA funding to be used to purchase a County pickup for the road department. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Motion by Odermann, seconded by Lagein to allocate $36,240 to the Emergency Manager for the purchase of a vehicle. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
The next meeting was set for June 7.
The meeting adjourned by motion.
ATTEST:
_______________________________ _________________________________
Joni M. Morlock Doug Berg, Chairman
Towner County Auditor/Treasurer Towner County Board of Commissioners
SPECIAL MEETING
MINUTES
April 12, 2022
The Towner County Commissioners met in special session (via Zoom) on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. for the purpose of approving the placement of a measure to levy mills for the Towner County Hospital on the June ballot. Present at the meeting were Chairman Doug Berg, Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Lance Teubner and Matt Odermann. Chairman Berg called the meeting to order.
Auditor Morlock presented the Commissioners with a petition from the Towner County Hospital District bearing 384 valid signatures. This was sufficient for the Commissioners to approve putting a measure on the June ballot asking the voters to approve a mill levy for the District. Motion by Odermann, seconded by Teubner to put the measure on the ballot as requested by the Hospital District. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Commissioner Hallaway entered the meeting in time to register his aye vote. Motion passed.
Doug Berg Joni Morlock
Chairman Auditor
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
April 5, 2022
The Towner County Commissioners met in regular session on April 5, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. in the meeting room of the county courthouse. Chairman Doug Berg called the meeting to order. Present were Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Matt Odermann, Bob Hallaway and Lance Teubner.
Motion to approve the agenda was made by Odermann and seconded by Lagein. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Motion to approve the minutes of the March 8, 2022 regular meeting was made by Lagein and seconded by Hallaway. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
NDSU Extension Agent Lindy Berg was on hand with estimates from Peterson Construction for digging in water lines to the weed shed. Motion by Lagein, seconded by Odermann to approve up to $14,500 out of ARPA funding for the water project with any additional funding being taken out of the weed fund. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Berg updated the Commissioners on May extension events including a bike safety and babysitting clinic. Berg also stated she was involved in a podcast and a poultry publication. Commissioner Lagein updated the Commissioners on Bergs review stating it went very well.
Maintenance Supervisor Bill Voight stated doors in the Auditors office were installed and finished. Voight stated he was working on the windows in the Courtroom and Auditors office. He was also working with structural engineers to come and assess the building as approve at a previous meeting.
Jessica Tagestad, Wold Engineering, stated that the box culvert project by Perth, BRO-0048(022) was to be bid on April 8th. She recommended moving the completion date to next year due to delays in shipping of the culverts. Motion by Odermann, seconded by Teubner to extend the completion date to August 6, 2023 for project BRO-0048(022). All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Tagestad stated all the contracts were in place and a preconstruction meeting would be held soon for the hog barn road project SC-4819(093). An interview committee for hiring a construction engineer for the box culvert project was needed. Commissioners Hallaway and Teubner, Road Superintendent Kevin Rinas, and Auditor Joni Morlock were appointed to the committee. The interviews were scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on April 21st. Motion by Lagein, seconded by Odermann to approve a temporary full-time position for the road department through the end of the year. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Sheriff Hillier stated he is frustrated with the availability of potential hires. Hillier stated he was looking for 10-15 extra people for a motorcycle rally charity event being held in Cando in July. The event will pay for the staffing. Hillier stated he had dealt with several juvenile issues in Bisbee. Hillier also stated they would be getting a vehicle with Stone Garden grant dollars.
A conference call was held with Dylan Kintish, US Dept. of Health and Human Services. Kintish informed the Commissioners of services available by the department, and offered contact information if services were needed in the future.
Commissioner Odermann updated the other Commissioners on the status of the County Veterans Service Officer.
Motion by Lagein, seconded by Hallaway to approve a resolution declaring a snow emergency for the winter of 2021-2022. All Commissioners voted aye, motion passed.
Motion to approve a gaming site authorization to the Park River Fire Department to hold gaming at the Cando Golf Club was made by Odermann, and seconded by Teubner. All Commissioner voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion to approve a zoning permit to Scott Lindbo was made by Teubner, and seconded by Odermann. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion to approve a lease to purchase a 2017 Challenger MT555E Tractor was approved by Odermann, and seconded by Hallaway. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Odermann, seconded by Teubner to approve a funding agreement for Clerk of Court services. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion to approve the bills by Odermann, and seconded by Teubner. Upon roll call, all voted aye. Motion passed.
ARPA fund applications were discussed. A packet with the applications along with a rating sheet for each application was distributed to each Commissioner. Commissioners would rate each application and turn in at the May meeting. The Auditor would then compile the information and it would be discussed at the June meeting.
The next meeting was set for May 3, 2022.
The meeting adjourned by motion.
ATTEST:
_______________________________ _________________________________
Joni M. Morlock Doug Berg, Chairman
Towner County Auditor/Treasurer Towner County Board of Commissioners
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
March 8, 2022
The Towner County Commissioners met in regular session on March 8, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. in the meeting room of the county courthouse. Chairman Doug Berg called the meeting to order. Present were Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Matt Odermann, Bob Hallaway and Lance Teubner.
Additions to the agenda included, +fuel bid from Legacy, approving an election polling location, and the nomination of a Social Service representative. Motion to approve the revised agenda was made by Odermann and seconded by Lagein. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Motion to approve the minutes of the February 8, 2022 regular meeting was made by Lagein and seconded by Odermann. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Sheriff Hillier updated the commissioners on the security grant. He stated the grant is only for cameras. A meeting with Boarder Patrol was had for the 2022 grant. No new applications have been received for the open Deputy position.
Bill Voight let the commissioners know the same leak in the roof had appeared again at the Armory.
Jessica Tagestad from Wold Engineering updated the commissioners on the projects in Towner County. Motion to approve the low bid from R J Zavoral & Sons Inc. of $1,707,904.60 for the hog barn road project SC-4819(063) by Lagein and seconded by Odermann. Upon roll call vote, all commissioners vote aye. Motion passed. Jessica stated the two box culverts east of Perth BRO-0018(022) are scheduled to be bid on April 8, 2022. Tagestad stated if the County wished to use Federal dollars for construction engineering on the project, the RFP process would need to be completed.
Kevin Rinas and Larry Halverson presented the Commissioners with a list of graveling projects that HB 1505 funds could be used for. They had prioritized the projects and had listed 12 projects which would require over 1.7 million dollars in funding. HB 1505 funds collected are just over $700,000. Motion by Lagein and seconded by Odermann to approve the top three projects amounting to 26 miles of gravel and approximately $598,000 plus administrative costs. Upon roll call vote, all commissioners vote aye. Motion passed. Motion by Lagein, seconded by Teubner to approve Legacy’s bid for fuel at .10 less than the days posted price. All commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Rinas stated snow plows are in the process of being repaired.
Odermann made a motion to approve a 6-year lease agreement with Bravera Bank to purchase a new blade and it was seconded by Hallaway. Upon roll call vote, all commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. A discussion was held concerning a tractor which is currently under a lease program with Butler. The lease expires in 2022 with a balloon payment the County is unable to pay. Motion made by Odermann and seconded by Teubner to refinance the tractor with a new 6-year lease through Butler. Upon roll call vote, all commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Motion by Odermann and seconded by Hallaway to sell a 2014 Caterpillar 140 M3 AWD to Butler for $127,000. Upon roll call vote, all commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Commissioner Odermann recognized States Attorney Joshua Frey for receiving the Northern Plains Children’s Advocacy Center’s “Every Day Hero Award” for his work with children victims and their families.
Rhonda Allery and Kristi Hoistad from Mountain Lakes Human Service Zone were present to update the commissioners on the benefits Towner County residents are receiving. Kristi stated there is a need for foster homes in the County as there are only three foster homes in Benson, Ramsey and Towner County. Motion by Lagein and seconded by Odermann to appoint Doug Berg to the Mountain Lakes Social Service Zone Board. All commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
The City of Bisbee submitted a Certification of Significant Community Support to purchase a new tractor. Motion to approve by Odermann and seconded Teubner. All Commissioners vote aye, motion carried.
Motion by Teubner and seconded by Odermann to approve one wellness check, per year, for all benefited employees that desire the service through Towner County Public Health. All Commissioners voted aye, motion passed.
Motioned by Lagein and seconded by Hallaway to approve the Cando Golf Club Charity Gaming Permit. All commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Motioned by Lagein and seconded by Odermann to approve the Armory, in Cando, as the polling location for the upcoming election. All commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Motion by Odermann, seconded by Teubner to pay the bills. Upon roll call vote, all commissioners vote aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Lagein, seconded by Hallaway to proceed with the RFP process for construction engineering for project BRO-0018(022). All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
The next meeting was set for April 5th, 2022.
The meeting adjourned by motion.
ATTEST:
_______________________________ _________________________________
Cari Hallaway Doug Berg, Chairman
Deputy Auditor Towner County Board of Commissioners
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
February 8, 2022
The Towner County Commissioners met in regular session on, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. in the meeting room of the county courthouse. Chairman Doug Berg called the meeting to order. Present were Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Matt Odermann, Bob Hallaway and Lance Teubner.
Commissioner Lagein added the City of Rock Lake to new business on the agenda. Motion to approve the agenda was made by Odermann and seconded by Lagein. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried
Commissioner Berg called upon an error in the minutes from January. Error will be corrected and signed at March meeting. Motion to approve the minutes of the January 4, 2022 regular meeting was made by Lagein and seconded by Teubner. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Lindy Berg from NDSU Extension and Towner County Weed Board was present. She stated a new trailer and spray unit had been purchased for the Weed Board. Walker’s Lawncare LLC contract was cut from $30,000 to $15,000. Cheryl Stutz is now the new foreman of the Weed Board and she will be spraying for the townships this year. ARPA application was presented for water for the Highway Shop and the Weed Shed.
Kevin Walford, from Butler, let the commissioners know the motor grader was delayed but it is in route. The lease for the tractor is up in August. Kevin Rinas and Kevin Walfors will discuss the options of refinancing it or buying it out-right.
Sheriff Hillier stated Devils Lake, Ramsey County and Benson County shared with our Sheriff Department the Drone program services they offer. Benson County Canine brought their canine to Towner County to explain the program. Sheriff Hillier stated they are still in the discussion stages of if they would utilize a canine. Sheriff Hillier stated they haven’t received any applications for the open Deputy positions. He mentioned Cavalier County just put an ad out and their starting wage and benefits are better than Towner Counties. He said there are tons of counties and cities hiring. AARP application was discussed. The department application includes premium pay of the 5-law enforcement officers, portable metal detector, red dot sights & weapon mounted lights for rifles. Sheriff Hillier asked for signage at the front door stating all bags are subject to search. Sheriff Hillier stated stops have been down and he believes that is due to the cold weather. Commissioner Hallaway asked where the new security system grant was at. Sheriff Hillier said he will check into it. Commissioner Berg brought up over-load permits.
States Attorney Joshua Frey was present and said the state is looking at making all Clerk of Court positions State positions. There was discussion on mental health services.
Bill Voight, Maintenance Supervisor, stated the grant for new windows for the Commissioner room was approved. The County’s percentage for the windows is 25% which is roughly $8,000.00. Motion to purchase the windows for the grant was made by Lagein and seconded by Odermann. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried. Voight presented an estimate for new windows for the Auditors office. The building committee recommended going forward with the windows in the Auditors office. Motion to purchase the windows for the Auditor’s office was made by Odermann and seconded by Lagein. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Application for Zoning permit from Wes and Ashley Lunde was presented. Motion to approve by Hallaway and seconded by Lagein. All commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
City of Bisbee submitted a Certification of Significant Community Support to purchase a new pick-up. Motion to approve by Teubner and seconded Odermann. All commissioners vote aye, motion carried.
Commissioner Odermann made a motion to approve the funding for the Clerk of District Court services from State of North Dakota Office of State Court Administrator. The motion was seconded by Hallaway. All commissioners voted aye, motion carried
Motion by Lagein, seconded by Hallaway to approve the Golf Course Liquor License. Commissioner Teubner was excused due to conflict of interest. Commissioners Berg, Hallaway, Odermann and Lagein voted aye, motion carried.
Motion by Odermann, seconded by Teubner to pay the bills. Upon roll call vote, all commissioners vote aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Odermann for a deadline of April 4th, 2022 for ARPA applications. Commissioner Berg called for a second. The motion died for lack of second. Motion by Hallaway for a deadline of April 1st, 2022 for the ARPA applications and seconded by Teubner. All commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Commissioner Lagein stated the City of Rock Lake will be submitting a letter of support for the speed limit to be reduced due to the restricted view on the west entrance, Eller Ave, to Rock Lake.
Auditor Morlock requested the transfer of funds from the General fund to the Road Department fund in the amount of $488,056 and from the General fund to the County Agent fund in the amount of $31,852 as budgeted. She also requested to transfer funds from the Weed Board to the General Fund in the amount of $63,665 as also set forth in the budget. Motion by Hallaway and seconded by Odermann to approve the transfers. Upon roll call vote, all commissioners vote aye. Motion passed.
The next meeting was set for March 8th, 2022.
The meeting adjourned by motion.
ATTEST:
_______________________________ _________________________________
Cari Hallaway Doug Berg, Chairman
Deputy Auditor Towner County Board of Commissioners
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
January 4, 2022
The Towner County Commissioners met in regular session on January 4, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. in the meeting room of the county courthouse. Chairman Doug Berg called the meeting to order. Present were Vice Chairman David Lagein, Commissioners Matt Odermann, Bob Hallaway and Lance Teubner.
Motion to approve the agenda was made by Odermann and seconded by Lagein. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Motion to approve the minutes of the December 2, 2021 regular meeting and the December 23, 2021 special meeting was made by Lagein and seconded by Odermann. All Commissioners voted aye, motion carried.
Vice-Chair Lagein opened up nominations for Chairman. Doug Berg was nominated. Odermann moved and Teubner seconded to cease nominations and cast a unanimous ballot for Berg. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Chairman Berg opened nominations for Vice-Chair. Dave Lagein was nominated. Odermann moved and Teubner seconded to cease nominations and cast a unanimous ballot for Lagein. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Sheriff Hillier stated he had put an order in for 2 new computers. Hillier stated he was trying to get the Sheriff’s office on a rotation schedule for equipment. End of year stats were given to the Commissioners. The Commissioners questioned how and when calls were made. Mental health issues the department deals with were discussed. A policy on employees reporting violent issues to the Sheriff was discussed.
States Attorney Josh Frey stated the opioid case was settled. He doesn’t know if or when the County would see any money from the settlement. Frey stated he was working on the letters involving road right-of-way infringement.
Emergency Manager Lori Beck described the IPAWS program which is a reverse 911 system and an emergency notification system. Motion by Odermann, seconded by Hallaway to approve the IPAWS participation plan. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Commissioner Odermann questioned how much the radios were going to cost for the emergency responders to become compliant with the SIREN program. Beck stated the radios would cost the responder units approximately $2,000 per radio. The Commissioners had previously discussed helping with those costs.
Wold Engineering recommended the bridges in Maza Township should not be repaired and should be replaced. The rough estimate to repair the bridges was $530,000 for the west bridge and $380,000 for the east bridge. These estimates were given providing that no other conditions were uncovered, which was unlikely. The Water Board was also present for the discussion. There were no representatives of Maza Township present. A delineated watershed area was discussed. The map showed all water flowing into the area involving the bridge.
A grant application for HB 1505 funds was discussed. The County had several bridges that are in need of replacement. Wold Engineering and Road Superintendent Kevin Rinas recommended the County apply for bridge numbers 119-37.0 and 101-06.1. These 2 bridges had the lowest rating and highest amount of traffic, which was a criteria for the grant. Motion by Odermann, seconded by Teubner to follow the recommendation and apply for grant funding under HB 1505 for the two bridges. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Jessica Tagestad, Wold Engineering, presented the plans for project for BRO-0048(022), two bridges in Monroe and Grainfield Township. Tagestad reviewed the project with the Commissioners. Motion by Odermann, seconded by Hallaway to approve a utility relocation permit for Northern Plains related to the project and wave the permit fee. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Gary Larson was present and wanted to express his opinions to the Commissioners.
The Commissioners discussed a threat made to the road department by a citizen. The Commissioners referred Rinas to the Sheriff’s department to report the incident.
Motion by Odermann, seconded by Teubner to pay the bills. Upon roll call vote, all commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Motion by Odermann, seconded by Hallaway to approve the resolution for the Cafeteria plan. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
A bonus for a previous employee was discussed. Motion to not pay the bonus by Hallaway, seconded by Odermann. All Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed.
Amendments to the 2021 budget were reviewed. Motion by Odermann, seconded by Lagein to approve amendments as recommended by the County Auditor. Upon roll call vote, all Commissioners voted aye. Motion passed. Auditor Morlock presented a year end financial report to the Commissioners.
The next meeting was set for February 8, 2022.
The meeting adjourned by motion.
ATTEST:
_______________________________ _________________________________
Joni M. Morlock Doug Berg, Chairman
Towner County Auditor/Treasurer Towner County Board of Commissioners