Resolution passed seeking Drought Disaster Relief Assistance in Clearwater County for 2021
Tue, 06/29/2021 - 2:55pm
admin
By:
Karen Edelbach
The Clearwater County Board of Commissioners met on June 22, 2021 to hear from Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD), Environmental Services, changes to the personnel policy, and conduct the Board of Equalization meeting.
Chester Powell, Program Technician for SWCD brought a Resolution of Recognition of 2021 Drought Disaster Relief Assistance.
"This is to show recognition of need for relief due to drought conditions, and I am looking for Board input," he said. "It will then be sent to the FSA and National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Board members were in agreement that this is a very important issue.The 2021 growing season has been significantly dryer than average and with the just .6 inch of rain recently, they recognize it is not enough to sustain forage producers will result in a hardship due to a lack of sellable goods, and to raise and feed livestock for Clearwater County producers.
"Therefore, we are asking for disaster aid and money for lost cattle from Federal programs."
They recognize the need of financial relief for these producers in response to the drought conditions. A motion for the Board members to sign the resolution was made by Commissioner John Nelson, seconded by Commissioner Neal Illies, and was passed.
A Resolution to Submit, Adopt and Implement The Mississippi River Headwaters Watershed Comprehensive Management Plan was also passed, submitting to the One Watershed One Plan to a 60 day comment period, and Clearwater County will approve submission of the plan to the Water and Soil Resources Board. The County is still able to withdraw from the Plan.
If no major changes are made by BWSR, then the SWCD accepts the Plan.
Environmental Services Director, Dan Hecht brought two motions regarding the Pine Lake Township solid waste collection site. One is to authorize expenses of approximately $4,000 for the purchase of fencing materials including mesh fence, wire, posts and accessories necessary for construction of litter fence. The second is to authorize expenses of approximately $3,500 for labor and equipment rental necessary for construction of litter fence. Both motions were approved by the Commissioners.
The Board accepted the quotation from More Than a Carpenter of Bagley in the amount of $1,043 for materials and labor for installation of a door at the Demolition Landfill property.
Sheriff, Darin Halverson was authorized to sign the Joint Powers agreement, along with the Board Chair, with the State of Minnesota Department of Corrections for the Sentence to Serve Contract for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 in the amount of $31,322.
County Auditor Allen Paulson brought motions for the modification or revising of many sections of the Personnel Policy, which were passed.
Paulson was authorized to pay the submitted invoices of $221,412 for the County Revenue Fund and $10,096 for the Nursing Service Fund. "We haven't been in the negative for the past seven years," he stated.
Zoom meetings will be available for one more month, after which it will be as needed.
The meeting was adjourned to conduct the Board of Equalization Meeting, covered in a separate article.
All Commissioners were present at the meeting: Mark Larson, Mark Titera, Dean Newland, John Nelson, and Neal Illies.