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Proposed 2010 tax levy is set at $9,571,868 for Houston County
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By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
The Houston County Board set the proposed 2010 levy at $9,571,868 during the Sept. 15 board meeting. County Financial Director Casey Bradley noted that the $9.5 million figure is the maximum the county can levy.
“If during the budgeting process we find we can get by with less money, we can reduce the amount before the final levy is approved in December,” Bradley said. “But, we cannot increase it. We go for the maximum and have the option of reducing the amount after the budgets have been approved.”
The proposed levy is $627,532 (or 7.02 percent) higher than the 2009 levy. Bradley said anticipated expenditures are up 4.33 percent, while anticipated revenues are down 3.05 percent.
The county will spend the next two months laboring over the proposed budgets of the various departments, factoring in the anticipated state aid infusions and arrive at the final 2010 budget and levy by the end of December.
A public hearing on the proposed budget and levy for 2010 has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3 in the commissioner’s room.
In other board action:
Gearing up for H1N1
The board approved the request made by County Human Resources Director Tess Arrick-Krueger for the hiring of three 67-day temporary employees.
One of those employees would serve as a roster day nurse for the flu shot clinic Public Health is scheduling. According to Public Health Nursing Director Deb Rock, she would like to hire Lois Stemper for that position. Stemper worked as a public health nurse for 20 years and knows the routine. Rock felt Stemper would be very valuable during “crunch time,” which Rock felt would be from mid-October through November.
“It appears as if people are only going to need to be immunized one time for H1N1,” Rock told the board. “Testing has indicated people can build up the immunity with just one shot.”
Rock went on to note a public fear exists that people could have an allergic reaction to the shot, similar to what happened during the swine flu outbreak in the 1970s. The new drug has been tested, and health officials feel it is safe.
Rock also requested a roster of on-call nurses be put together in the event an H1N1 outbreak would deplete her staff. The board felt that was a good idea.
The other two 67-day temporary hires were Kirby Rahn to serve as a drop site supervisor on Saturdays, and a law enforcement officer to be named at a later date to fill in when Houston County Deputy Tveiten is called up for active military duty in December.
The board also approved the reduction of hours for Public Health staffer Diane Sullivan from 3.5 days per week to three days per week.
Parking lot ready
Bradley informed the board the parking lot, located just south of TruGas in Caledonia was now ready for use. The county was required by city ordinance to provide off-street parking for the employees who are now working at the County Community Services building (the former Meyer Furniture Store building). Approximately two dozen persons have their offices at the CCS, which includes Public Health, Veteran’s Services and County Extension.
The county and city worked out a drainage plan that would keep stormwater run-off to a minimum. The parking lot was graded so the water will run off to the north and into a ponding area. A second ponding area was located on the west side of the lot, and a third ponding area on the east side.
Bradley also reported a cement entrance pad was poured leading into the parking lot, which should keep stones from the gravel lot from eroding down onto Sunset Blvd.
Waiting on the DNR
County Highway Engineer Brian Pogodzinski told the board the county is waiting for final approval from the Minnesota DNR for a permanent easement request on a road improvement project on County 249 east of Freeburg.
According to Pogodzinski, the county needs just less than one-half acre of land for the project, which will straighten out a hair-pin curve near the Evangelical Free Church. Currently, the church parking lot is across the roadway from the church. When the project is completed, the parking lot will be next to the church.
“We’ve been working on this project for two or three years,” Pogodzinski noted. “When we looked at purchasing the land from the DNR, we were told that could take years, while acquiring the land through a permanent easement should take about a month.”
Pogodzinski added if the county can secure the easement, the project should be completed this fall.
You can contact Charlie Warner at
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