County Coordinator Bobbie Vickerman presented a timeline for the 2020 budget discussion at the board’s June 18 meeting. Departments will begin to prepare their budgets and submit them to Vickerman by July 29.
During August and early September the board will consider preliminary departmental budgets. Vickerman said she hopes all budgets will be before the board by the end of August. The board will adopt the preliminary 2020 budget and tax levy payable in 2020 on or before September 24. A public hearing on the budget will be held in late November or in December. Before December 31 the final 2020 budget and levy will be adopted.
Vickerman said she will plug in a 2.5% cost of living increase and an estimated 18% increase in health insurance in early budget calculations.
Citizens input
Bonita Underbakke, Holt Township, invited commissioners to an event to be held at Niagara Cave on July 18 from 3:30 to 7 p.m. The topic is “Farming in Karst Country: Soil Health, Caves, and Underground Streams.” The field day is put on by the Land Stewardship Project and co-sponsored by the Bishop family. A cave tour and dinner is included in the ticket price. For more information and to RSVP contact Shona Snater, LSP (507) 523-3366 Space is limited to 65 people.
Other Business in Brief
•A request to advertise the CSAH 5 reconstruction project in Wykoff was approved. The project will include new curb and gutter and sidewalk.
•Approval was given to relocate the Economic Development Authority (EDA) office into the Zoning/Feedlot Office for Taxpayer Services access on the main floor.
•Approval was given for an access permit for a new driveway to an existing building site for Judith Tieman, Section 30, Bloomfield Township. The building site has been split from another parcel; the current driveway went with that parcel.
•There was a first reading and discussion of a new employment policy and a new announcements, recruitment, and selection policy. Both will be brought back at the next meeting for a second reading.
•The resignation of Matt Schultz, intermittent deputy, effective August 5 was accepted with thanks for 19 years of service.
•Kristina Kohn, Human Resources, made a request to proceed with a Request for Proposals for health benefits through the benefits consultant. We want to encourage him to get us the most value for our dollar. The RFP was approved.
She also requested to proceed with RFP for ancillary benefits though the consultant. These would be 100% employee paid and include life, disability, dental, and vision insurances. The RFP was approved.
•Donald Hanson was hired as a full-time temporary employee in the Sanitation Department as of June 19 for up to 3 months.
•The resignation of Kari Schultz, public health nurse, was accepted with thanks for 7.5 years of service effective June 13.
A second posting was approved for an RN due to the Schultz resignation. Another posting was currently out.
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