$12.4 million allocated for Bemidji Veterans Home
Tue, 08/28/2018 - 1:30pm
admin
By:
Karen Edelbach
The Clearwater County Board of Commissioners met on August 21, 2018.
Beltrami County Veterans Service Officer Scotty Allison came to the meeting to request Clearwater County support for a proposed Veterans Home to be constructed in Bemidji.
In May, 2018 Governor Dayton and the Minnesota State Legislature allocated $32 million in the Bonding Bill for three new State Veterans Homes. Bemidji is one location that meets all requirements for a Veterans Home, and $12.4 million of the amount was provided for a 72 bed facility. The Veterans Home will be built on a 15 acre land donation from Sanford Health across from the Neilson Place in Bemidji, to be open and ready for residents by May of 2021, he reported.
“There is a 6-8 month waiting time for Veterans Homes in Minnesota. This home is State approved, but it still needs to be Federally approved,” Mr. Allison said. “It is in Bemidji's favor that it is in a rural area with no other Veterans Home near.” (The closest one is in Fergus Falls, a more than two hour drive for Veterans.)
“Clearwater County has 700 Veterans, The more we can pledge up front, the less we have to borrow. So this will affect the Veterans here. There are 26,800 Veterans in the 16 northwestern Minnesota counties,” he reported.
Important milestones are that September 10 they must provide their best estimate as to what amount of money the community can provide, such as county and township pledges, and have them in escrow (committed) by March 23, 2019. Beltrami County Commissioners have pledged $1 million in financial support, with some levied; and other donations are over $153,700. All donations receive a 65% donation match from the Federal Government.
“Each Veterans Home is allowed to pick an area of concern or emphasis. Here it is diabetes or Agent Orange. Most Veterans here are Vietnam War Vets,” he said.
The VSO hoped that the Commissioners could get the word out to the local townships who may be able to pledge, and others in the community.
Commissioner Dean Newland said the townships may have a list of things they can pledge to, and they have quarterly Association Township Meetings. Commissioner Illies said he goes to most of the meetings and will be happy to inform them.
Board Chairman Dan Stenseng said, “We want to do something.”
Extension Programs Coordinator Lisa Loegering brought the three year agreement with the University of Minnesota and Clearwater County for providing Extension Programs locally, and employing Extension Staff at the agreed amount of $92,742 for 2019, and an additional 2% for 2020 and 2% for 2021. This includes a (part time) Extension Educator, and 4-H Program Coordinator. County Board Chairman Dan Stenseng was authorized to sign agreement.
Assessor Jamie Freeman was given Board approval to hire Charae Hinrichs as Senior Assessor Clerk effective August 27 at step 1, grade 10, or $14.43 per hour.
Environmental Services Director Dan Hecht received Board approval to erect an additional 600 feet of 8-foot mesh fencing (adding to 600 feet installed in 2017) between the demolition landfill and the adjoining Copley Township garbage collection site, and the adjacent private property, with the purpose of reducing windblown trash (mostly plastic grocery bags) from being blown onto private land used for cattle pasture.
The cost to erect the additional fencing is $3,000 from the proposal by Eric Sather, who will do the installation.
Pine Lake Lot: Lot 41 owned by the County will be designated as a site for the area to deposit organic waste materials. Another option would be to sell the lot.
ES Director Hecht explained that his department is opposed to selling it because it is basically unusable wet land, with no possibility of developing it.
This is as good a use as any for the lot,” he said. “This is a more effective way of using it.”
“We are in agreement with that, but there is a lot of work to do. It is with the understanding that they will be responsible to keep it clean,” Chairman Stenseng stated.
Court Administration received approval to purchase a PA/sound system in the Courtroom for Tierney in the amount of $14,452, which will come from the Building and Grounds account and has a one year premium warranty. There is an extra $480 installation charge for the system.
Commissioner Neal Illies inquired as to why this is county expense, and not a state one. It was explained that there is an agreement that the County is responsible for fixtures in the facility.
Library: The State Library Service certified that the 2019 minimum level of financial support to be provided for operating expenses for public library services is $70,560.
“Clearwater County is way beyond that amount,” it was stated.
County Auditor-Treasurer Allen Paulson received authorization to pay the submitted invoices of $20,506 from the County Revenue Fund, and $8,080 from Nursing Service.
All commissioners were present at the meeting: Daniel Stenseng, Dean Newland, John Nelson, Neal Illies and Arlen Syverson.