| County to charge inmates rent | | Print | |
| Written by LOREN UNDSETH |
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During their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, November 3, the Wadena County Board of Commissioners approved a “Pay to Stay” plan to charge inmates in the County Jail for room and board. Sheriff Mike Carr and Jail Administrator Tom Speed proposed that inmates be charged $20 per day for room and board expenses, plus the cost of all medical and dental expenses they might incur while incarcerated. The daily fee would not be assessed until the inmate was sentenced in court. Inmate billing and possible collections would be handled by a third party, not by the County. Sheriff Carr explained that the arrangement should lower medical and dental costs for the County, because many individuals apparently think they can get medical and dental work paid for by the taxpayers while they are incarcerated. The new charges will go into effect January 1, 2010. The Board also approved quotes for new carpeting and complete remodeling of the booking room in the Sheriff’s Office. The changes are being done as part of the overall remodeling at the court house. Solid Waste Temporary Solid Waste Director Mike Gibson informed the Board that $1,185 had been collected in fines for illegal trash dumping in the county. Names were retrieved from trash that had been illegally dumped at recycling bins, and letters were sent to those individuals giving them 10 days to pay the fines for illegal dumping. Gibson reported that over 200 employment applications had been received by the highway department, and that many of those applicants had asked to also be considered for open positions in the Solid Waste department. The same application form is used in both departments. Highway Department Bid opening for the bridge replacement project over the Partridge River on CSAH 2 will be held December 16 at 10 a.m. Bid results will be reviewed on December 17. Because the project is funded with Federal stimulus dollars, the actual awarding of the project will be done in St. Paul at the Department of Human Rights. The Board approved the retirement of Highway Department employee Jay Baarstad, who worked in Engineering and at the Menahga Shop. Jay has worked for the County for 31 years and will retire effective November 6. Baarstad is taking advantage of an early retirement program the County has in place for the end of 2009. The Board approved extending a leave of absence for Keith Milbradt. The Board approved filling the Maintenance III position by December 1, at no higher than a Step II, with Commissioners Bounds and Miller opposed. The position will be based out of the Menahga shop. Assistant Engineer Jeff Adolfson reported that paving of CSAH 21 (the Twin Lakes Road) in Menahga was completed for this Fall and that final concrete work and turf establishment was underway. The road is expected to be open to traffic by the end of the week. Work on the road will be completed in early Summer 2010, when the final wear course pavement will be laid. The Board approved accepting an interim agreement with Todd County to provide part-time engineer services until March 1, 2010. Todd County will provide an engineer for up to eight hours a day, one day a week on an as-needed basis. Adolfson will serve as Interim Director for the Highway Department. Other Business •Kitchigami Regional Library Director Marian Ridge presented the Board with the 2010 budget proposal for Wadena County. The Regional Library oversees the Wadena Public Library and the biweekly bookmobile stops in Nimrod, Sebeka and Menahga. The County’s cost for the library service will be $90,587, the same amount as 2009. •The Board approved two conditional use permits as presented by Zoning Director Deana Skov. They granted a five-year extension on a permit for a sand and gravel operation for William Lundberg in Red Eye Township, and granted a permit to Lee and Robin Hendrickson of Blueberry Township to allow stockpiling large amounts of fill material. •The Board approved signing an ARMOR Participation plan contract. •Board Chairman Dave Schermerhorn will serve as delegate to the Minnesota Counties Insurance Trust. •The Board approved the West Central Regional Juvenile Center Cooperative Service agreement. |