Zoning Administrator hire ok'd More from county agenda

The taxation hearing took up the majority of the County Board agenda last week; but the commissioners also: ~ Voted 5-0 to hire Kurt Jensen Schneider, a North Branch resident, to succeed Mary Darragh Schmitz as Environmental Services and Zoning Administrator. She’s retiring the end of this month. Jensen Schneider is serving now in a similar position for Pine County. He has also been Cambridge’s city planner. ~ Were informed the transitioning of the county’s emergency medical services (ambulance) into the Metro Region is a done deal as of January 1, 2013. The Metro Region system already includes Chisago County under its radio and 9-1-1 systems oversight. Isanti County joins Chisago County, in this action withdrawing from the Central MN Emergency Medical Services System Joint Powers Agreement.

~ Heard there’s a number of staff taking advantage of an early retirement incentive, leaving at the end of this month. There will be positions vacated in the county auditor and county recorder/treasurer offices. ~ Learned from the county engineer that traffic study consultants should be responding to requests for proposals to study impacts and routes related to the Tiller sand plant issue. The county and the Tiller company should have a consultant on-board soon. ~ Voted to okay a request officially asking to “advance” money out of the anticipated 2013 state aid account. The county is due about $3.9 million in transportation project aid and the 5-0 vote puts the county on-record that it wants to draw on about $2.48 million of that in order to proceed on priority projects. This is a “placeholder” for budgeting purposes only and doesn’t commit the county to any specific road or bridge projects at this time.

~ The vote was 3-2 on a contract with the City of North Branch to jointly employ a land use planner. Commissioners Lora Walker and Mike Robinson do not support the county’s estimated $45,000 share of all the position’s expenses, being funded 50-50 by the city and county. North Branch’s planner recently left for a job in northern Minnesota and his post has been vacant. The county hasn’t employed a “planner” for several years. The agreement is able to be reviewed after two years.