County board elects Bodie chair for 2010

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The Carlton County Board elected Commissioner Marvin Bodie as its chair for 2010 during its annual meeting on Tuesday. Bodie has represented District 2 on the board for four years and most recently served as chair of the Committee of the Whole for 2009.

Commissioner Gordon Aanerud will serve as the board’s vice chair as well as chair of the Committee of the Whole for 2010, and Commissioner Tom Proulx was elected vice chair of the Committee of the Whole.

In other organizational business for 2010, the board unanimously voted to hold its regular meetings at 8:30 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month and its adjourned sessions at 4 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month. Meetings of the Committee of the Whole, which consists of commissioners, department heads, and township and transportation representatives, were set for 4 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month in the meeting room of the Carlton County Transportation Building on Old Highway 61.

The board elected to hold the meetings of the Carlton County Board of Equalization as well as the Board of Review and Equalization for unorganized townships at 6 p.m. on June 22 and 3 p.m. on June 28 in the courthouse board room. All of the meetings are open to the public.

In accordance with state statute, commissioners also set the minimum salaries to be paid to incoming elected county officials for the terms beginning in January 2011. Included are the offices of sheriff, auditor/treasurer, attorney and commissioners. Commissioner Ted Pihlman offered a motion to set the minimum salary for each at 80 percent of the amount being paid to current office holders to allow for variables in experience and qualifications. The board unanimously approved the motion.

The board accepted the low bid from the Arrowhead Leader of Moose Lake to publish the county’s legal proceedings for 2010.

In other business to come before the board, commissioners accepted the resignation of Darwin Chester as airport manager of the Moose Lake Airport. Assistant Airport Manager Randy Cichy of Sturgeon Lake will assume Chester’s responsibilities.

Roger Avery was appointed to represent District 4 on the Extension Committee.

Commissioner Ted Pihlman offered a resolution to contact the state departments of public safety and transportation, asking them to consider putting some controls on the brightness of headlights being installed in some of the newer vehicles. The board endorsed the resolution.

County Economic Development Director Pat Oman asked the board’s approval to re-apply for a redevelopment grant in support of the county’s proposed community services building in downtown Cloquet. He explained an earlier application submitted in October 2009 was unsuccessful but added the grant application process was recently reopened for a brief period of time. The board approved moving ahead with the re-application.

Oman also updated the board on the progress of the county’s land development plan for property it owns just off Highway 210 and Old Highway 61. He said last year funds were budgeted for such things as an aerial survey of the property and wetland delineation, and plans for 2010 include environmental work and the purchase of land for an access road to the gravel reservoir on the property.

Finally, Oman distributed copies of the county’s newly published marketing folders and explained how they will be customized for individual communities and used not only to promote tourism but also distributed to business prospects who express interest in the county.

Oman said part of the county’s 2010 marketing plan will also include quarterly summit meetings among representatives of the county’s major manufacturers as well as biennial meetings among financial institutions to share challenges, prospects, and mutual opportunities.

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