Process begins to change two county positions to appointed positions

by April Scheinoha
Reporter

The Pennington County auditor/treasurer and recorder positions may soon be appointed positions. At its meeting Tuesday, Nov. 24, the Pennington County Board began the process to potentially change those positions from elected to appointed positions.

Jennifer Herzberg serves as auditor/treasurer. She was appointed to serve the remainder of Ken Olson’s term after he retired this summer. Julie Hansen serves as recorder.

Under Minnesota statute, counties may change those positions to appointed positions. “The majority of counties in Minnesota have done this,” said County Board Chairperson Darryl Tveitbakk.

In separate resolutions, commissioners approved agreements with Herzberg and Hansen pertaining to the potential change. Those agreements will become null and void if County Board chooses not to move forward after a public hearing pertaining to the potential change.

County Board then approved a possible resolution pertaining to the change. County Attorney Seamus Duffy explained that the resolution needs to run in The Times for two consecutive weeks. The county is then required to hold a public hearing. County Board approved holding that hearing Tuesday, Dec. 29 at 5 p.m.

After the public hearing, commissioners may consider the change at that evening’s County Board meeting or a future meeting.

If the process moves forward, Herzberg and Hansen would remain elected officials until their terms end Dec. 31, 2022. Then their positions would be appointed positions.

Erik Beitel, county emergency management director, provided an update on the county’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funding. The county initially received $1,784,000 in CARES Act funding. Four local government units – Rocksbury Township, North Township, Smiley Township and the City of Thief River Falls – provided an additional $118,120.90 that they were unable to spend. Those entities were then required to provide the remainder to Pennington County.

Of that amount, Pennington County spent $1,249,349.33 in grants to businesses, nonprofit organizations and the Goodridge School District. The district received a $24,960.29 grant, which was approved at the County Board meeting that evening. District officials have constantly contacted county leaders to seek additional funding, said Beitel, who noted the district has hired a nurse and employed other mitigation efforts to keep the school open to in-person learning as long as possible.

Pennington County also spent $652,771.57 in COVID-19 expenses related to its own departments. Major expenses came from Inter-County Nursing Service and the Emergency Management Department, where some salaries could be included.

Commissioners commended Beitel and the county’s CARES Act Committee for their work.

Joe Hedrick, manager of the Thief River Falls Regional Airport, provided an update to commissioners.

Hedrick reported that Denver Air Connection has made the vast majority of its flights. Only two flights were cancelled since the airline took over in June. Two October flights were cancelled due to weather in the Twin Cities.

Hedrick had provided an update on cargo shipments out of the airport at the Thief River Falls City Council meeting a week earlier. That update can be read in last week’s edition of The Times.

County Board approved appointing Scott Waldal to a three-year term on the Airport Authority Board. Waldal succeeds Nancy Tofte, who is resigning from the board at the end of the year.

County Board and City Council must approve lay members to the Airport Authority Board. City Council approved Waldal’s appointment at its meeting Tuesday, Nov. 17.

County Engineer Mike Flaagan provided an update on the Enbridge Line 3 replacement project. He expected that work on the Pennington County leg would take place from December to January with that section potentially wrapping up in mid-January.

Commissioners approved a petition for the cleaning of County Ditch 73 as Flaagan sees fit. The one-and-a-half mile section includes parts of Hickory and Star townships. Flaagan said the system currently has about $2,600. He anticipated a full cleaning would cost $9,000.

County Board approved rescheduling its last County Board meeting in December. That meeting will now be held Tuesday, Dec. 29 at 5 p.m. at the Justice Center. The meeting was originally scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 22. Postponing the meeting will enable County Board to approve late end-of-the-year bills.

The next County Board meeting is scheduled Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. at the Justice Center. The meeting will be held at that time since County Board will hold the Truth in Taxation hearing later that evening.