by Jeanne Larson

At its April 21 meeting of the County Board of Commissioners at the Public Works Building in Sandstone, the Pine County Board discussed a recommendation of the Personnel Committee to eliminate the part-time Emergency Management Coordinator position now held by Gene McClain and have the Sheriff assume the role of Homeland Security Emergency Management Director. It was also recommended that the Chief Deputy be made HSEM Coordinator. This move would save the county approximately $30,000 yearly, according to the personnel committee. County Coordinator Mark LeBrun explained that in the past, Dean Dronen was the HSEM director as well as being in charge of Veterans' Services for the county. This was later split into two part-time positions, with McClain taking the

role of HSEM director and Dronen continuing to serve in Veterans' Services. In discussing what direction the county should take now, LeBrun said that he felt it was a good idea to move HSEM to the Sheriff's Department. Commissioner Steve Hallan said that he had been defending the HSEM position longer than anyone else, and he still thinks that it's important. But he added that he understands budgetary issues. Commissioner Steve Chaffee said that his only concern would be that such a move might put an undue burden on the Sheriff's Department. Chief Deputy Steve Ovick told Chaffee that the duties could be divided up among personnel. Speaking before the board, McClain pointed out that some of the grants he has gotten for the department have brought in $60,000 of equipment for the county. He said this is more than the county has in the budget for EM funds. He also told commissioners that he has been working hard to save money for the county by getting regional grants. He mentioned a 3-year grant program similar to the COPS program to get funding for management. Dronen told board members that he felt the county would be better off with a full-time HSEM director than with people from the Sheriff's Department splitting up the duties. "I think if you divide up duties among Sheriff's Department personnel, you'll lose a lot in grants," he said.

Asked what emergencies pose the biggest danger to the county, McClain replied that it was from fires and possibly tornadoes. LeBrun asked, "Do we need 32 hours a week for this position? My opinion is 'no.' The Sheriff's Department should know what equipment we need." He also opined that the county has a lot of emergency equipment now that it never uses. A motion was made to eliminate the HSEM Director position and to have those duties taken over by the Sheriff's Department. Motion was carried by a vote of 4-1 with Hallan voting nay.

The board also took action on another recommendation from the personnel committee: to continue with the Coordinator/Engineer position through the coming year and possibly through next year, hiring an Assistant Engineer in 2010. In discussion, Commissioner Doug Carlson said he was proud of the work that Mark (LeBrun) has done for the county. Hallan remarked that we are a big county with lots of roads, and if the money comes through and we start doing lots of road projects again, we can't do them with a part-time engineer.

The board heard an annual report presentation by CEO Barbara Chaffee of the Central MN Jobs and Training Services. The Central MN area includes eleven counties: Pine, Kanabec, Chisago, Isanti, Mille Lacs, Sherburne, Wright, McLeod, Meeker, Kandiyohi, and Renville. According to Chaffee, their offices have had a "tsunami" of people coming in because of job loses. "When the economy goes south, our business goes north," she explained. She said that Jobs & Training Services have had to hire new staff to take care of the extra work load. Statistics for Central Minnesota show that Pine County had an unemployment rate of 14.8% in January of 2009. Only Mille Lacs County at 15.4% and Kanabec County at 17.9% had higher rates than Pine in the 11-county region. She told the board that their offices had the cleanest audit that they've had in 10 years. Their staff had done an amazing job. Commissioner Carlson, who serves on the Central MN Jobs and Training Services Committee said that he feels it is a real privilege to serve on the committee.

In other business: the board unanimously approved a residential recycling program for tires, appliances, mattresses and electronics. Under the program, residents of the county would be charged for recycling, but at only at half the rate of non-residents of the county. Appliances would cost $4 for county residents ($8 for non-residents); small RV tires, $.50; automobile tires, $2; light truck tires, $7.50; box spring/mattress, $6.50; general electronics, $1.50; TV's/computer monitor, $4. Residents can recycle items any day during business hours at the ECSWC Transfer Station, 33198 County Hwy 61, Hinckley, MN, just east of the I-35 exit 180 (Mora/Hwy 23). Proof of county residency for the discounted costs would be required.

The board approved special no fee ten month timber sale extensions for three parties requesting them.

The board then approved some policy and procedure handbook revisions for county employees concerning paid time off.