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By sharpening their pencils and adjusting straight premium fees and health savings/reimbursement account contributions, the Chisago County Board managed to decrease the proposed property tax levy, last week.

With Commissioner Jim Swenson attending on the Internet, the Board action  cuts the maximum levy by over a full percent. Instead of the maximum set in September close to a six percent baseline increase, the Board expects to meet in December and adopt a tax levy hike closer to four percent for 2027. 

The budget anticipated a 30 percent hike in health insurance costs but the “hybrid” plan adopted unanimously last week, for 204 county employees who did not opt for union-provided insurance,  was described by Commissioner Marlys Dunne as “incredible.”  

She added that the adopted insurance line item becomes 8.7 percent more,  compared to the expected 30 percent and commended county administrator Chase Burnham, Human Resources department leaders, and the county’s insurance consultant for cobbling together a reimbursement “layer” that, along with the Health Savings Account, keeps premium hikes low.  It also is commendable how staff worked on maintaining Blue Cross Blue Shield policy offerings that existing employees prefer.

FYI....One of the hot button issues during this summer’s strike was an alternative Teamsters Local 320 policy that drew 120 employees away from the county-offered plan. The ramifications of splitting this worker pool turned out to not be as disastrous as feared.

In other matters:

The Environmental Services Director reported that in September alone the county processed 504 construction permits— a record high in his career he noted.

Also noted in the zoning department report: the planning commission has a floodplain ordinance revision up for action November 5.  The county commissioners then act on the recommendation at a subsequent regular meeting.

With no stated reason Commissioner Swenson was the sole no vote as the Board renewed a professional services contract with ICS.  The firm first developed a “facilities plan” for the county structures and when the probation spaces were recently remodeled it oversaw the floor plan and actual project.  The action contracts the county to use ICS for five years. This carried no budgetary impact.

A public hearing was scheduled for adopting revisions to the county “dangerous dog” ordinance.  The goal is to have cities also adopt the same language so all the animal control services and law enforcement are working under the same rules.  The new verbiage addresses costs for care and keeping of seized animals more clearly and spells out the process better. 

The public hearing is November 4 at the Board room at 7 p.m.

A “dangerous dog” is defined as one that inflicts bodily harm on a human being without provocation on public or PRIVATE property, or kills a domestic animal while off the owner or custodian’s property,  or its owner has received notice the dog is potentially dangerous  following a threatening incident.

The revisions to the joint powers agreement for the East Central Regional Library Board were adopted 5-0. It was last updated in 2010 and now addresses some electronic financial questions, and non-payment of support, how to add a member county and other bylaws.

The extended access pilot project at the Wyoming Giese Memorial Library branch has been going well. In a report from the ECRL Director Carla Lydon the Sunday usage has been especially popular (Wyoming is unstaffed Sundays) and the remote access participants used the system 90 percent of the available hours.  On only 25 of the 252 extended access days so far has the library seen zero access.

If you would be interested in using the Wyoming branch for extended access talk with 

The ECRL installed access systems and had patrons register to be able to be on-site before and after regular library hours. There are self-checkout machines and computer- printer-scanner uses allowing for research, personal work/study and children' s educational inventory for those cleared to use the special extended access. 

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