Posted: 2/22/05
Metal is making a profit for Houston County
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
Houston County is making money recycling metal, environmental services director Rick Frank told the board at its February 15 meeting.
The countyís drop-off site program had a revenue increase of $9,419 in 2004 over 2003 from ferrous material brought to its five supervised sites.
The world-wide market for metal has gone up, Frank said in explaining the positive change.
Prior to 2004, the county was paying a switching fee and not getting any money for its metal. It now receives $20 a ton for ferrous material, Frank said.
Scavenging at the drop-off sites is also under control, second district commissioner Kevin Kelleher added.
Total revenues at drop-off sites increased by $22,485, with $8,026 coming from household fees. Expenses were up $15,486 for 2004.
The information was part of Frankís annual report on the drop-off sites.
Frank said he will visit all city councils in the county, and send letters to townships to update them on the drop-off site report and fee changes. Each county household is charged $2.50 per month for the drop site program. That went up by 50 cents per month this year.
La Crescent bid awarded
In other business at the meeting, the board approved the low bid of $2.3 million to Road Constructors of Rochester to rebuild County Road 29 in La Crescent. The project runs from the intersection of Elm Street and South Third in La Crescent north to the Winona County line. It will include new sidewalks and storm sewers.
Houston County will pay for about $1.6 million, and $700,000 will come from the City of La Crescent, county engineer Allen Henke told the board. He estimated a July completion date.
The board also approved a state bid of $75,940 for a Ford Sterling LT 9500 truck from Boyer Ford of Minneapolis. The total total price tag will be $141,600, county maintenance superintendent Tom Molling told the board. The extra costs are for outfitting the truck with a box, plow, and wing.
Human services reports
After the regular meeting ended, commissioners met with the Houston County Human Services Board. The two groups meet on the third Tuesday of every month at 10:30.
Karen Meier-Binde, Houston County Human Services social worker supervisor, told commissioners that the county had 26 placements of children in foster care, 18 with human services and 8 with court services. She said they are trying to do cost containments, and they came in under budget last year.
Her department is also trying to focus on getting new foster parents. They are working on getting five new families licensed, she said.
Karen Goetzinger, a family worker for the county department of human services, then updated board members on how the Diversionary Work Program (DWP) is going. She appeared with Tami Sheff, a career counselor at Workforce Development, Inc. (WDI) in Caledonia.
People who enroll in DWP can get things like food stamps, health care, and child care, Goetzinger said. They do not receive cash until they set up an employment plan with WDI, she said.
Sheff, whose office is just a block away at 110 East Grove Street, works with the DWP clients to set up the employment plan, and helps with with many types of job skills.
The goal is to get people on their feet without needing to get cash assistance of the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), Goetzinger said. She added that 73 percent of DWP cases are kept off MFIP.
ìItís because of how they work together,î said Bonnie Goetzinger, referring to the county and WDI. Bonnie Goetzinger is the county human services financial assistance supervisor.
ìI applaud you for that,î Kelleher said.
Ann Thompson said that WDI has services for other people too. She said she used it herself to improve her computer skills.
Fifth district commissioner Tom Bjerke was absent from the meeting.
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