Posted: 8/3/04
County opens bids for new insurance coverage
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
Houston County commissioners took another step forward in their search for better insurance options for the county and its employees.
Personnel director Tim Comstock opened 17 bids for health, life, dental, and disability insurance coverage at the July 27 county board meeting.
He will now analyze the proposals, with help from with the countyís insurance committee and a consultant from Minnesota Counties Insurance Trust.
The committee will make a recommendation to the board in about a month, Comstock said.
ìWeíll look at those and weigh our options,î he said. ìIím pleased with the results.î Several commissioners echoed that statement.
The purpose of seeking bids is to get the most cost effective insurance options yet get the best results for the county, Comstock said. He initiated the search at the June 22 board meeting.
Library requests money
In other business at the 90-minute meeting, board members discussed a request from Southeastern Libraries Cooperating (SELCO) for funding libraries in Houston County for $101,842. That was the cost to provide service to libraries in Caledonia, Hokah, Houston, La Crescent, Rushford, and Spring Grove in 2003.
Third district commissioner Ann Thompson asked that Ann Hutton, SELCOís executive director, come to a board meeting to talk about the request.
Commissioners said they were concerned about the increased request from last year. SELCO requested $83,097 from Houston County in 2003 and received $64,228.
Winona Controls withdraws
Joyce Iverson, SE MN Development Corporation director, told the board that Winona Controls was withdrawing from the JOBZ program.
Randy Klinski, the Caledonia companyís president, informed the board in a letter that
JOBZ has too many variables for his company, which does mechanical service and installation.
ìI donít think we can risk guaranteeing adding 2 more employees for the next 12 years,î Klinski wrote. He asked that the original tax abatement application be granted. The board voted unanimously to do that. The tax abatement would be for a maximum of $10,000 over 10 years.
Klinski still plans to build a new building in Caledoniaís Industrial Park.
(Editorís note: See page four for a letter from Joyce Iverson that explains the JOBZ program and tax abatement.)
Bridge projects approved
The board approved two bridge projects. Both are federally funded.
ï Van Gundy Excavating of Houston was the lowest of four bidders on a bridge replacement on County Road 5 in Winnebago Valley. The $231,314 project will start around Labor Day, and should take about a month.
ï The replacement of the bridge by Schechís Mill on County Road 10 will be done by Minnowa Construction of Harmony, the lowest of two bids at $877,742. It will take 3-4 months and will start in the middle of August.
County engineer Allen Henke said that the paving of County Road 3 is scheduled to start the week of August 9.
Airport update
The firm of Mead and Hunt was selected by the board on July 20 to submit a proposal to do planning engineering work for the Houston County airport. It came on the recommendation of a county airport committee. Representatives from Mead and Hunt, which has offices in La Crescent and La Crosse, will have to come to the board by August 10 with its proposal, Thompson said.
August 17 is the deadline to apply for federal funds to pay for an Airport Layout Plan (ALP). The ALP will tell what improvements need to be made at the airport. Itís part of the procedure necessary to get federal money to share in the cost of improvements that are needed.
Committee tours jail
Thompson said in her report to the board that she and other jail committee members had toured jails in Algona and Decorah, Iowa. Committee members are doing research in preparation for the building of a new jail in Houston County.
Replacing the jail is a high priority for the board and sheriffís department due to overcrowding and the cost of transporting prisoners to other facilities. Last year Houston County spent more than $100,000 for that.
The present jail, built in 1879, has 14 beds and cannot house females or juveniles.
Caledonia Argus
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