The Sherburne County Board has a new member.
Tuesday, at its first meeting of the year, the board welcomed its newest Commissioner, Raeanne Danielowski, who filled the seat of former Commissioner Ewald Petersen.
The first order of business was the swearing in of the county’s newly-elected officials. Along with Danielowski, Judge Walter Kaminsky administered the oath of office to Commissioner Felix Schmiesing, County Attorney Kathleen Heaney, County Auditor/Treasurer Diane Arnold, County Recorder Michelle Ashe and County Sheriff Joel Brott.
The board then selected its chair and vice chair, with those positions going to Commissioner Tim Dolan and Commissioner Felix Schmiesing, respectively.
Those same two commissioners were sworn in as chair and vice chair of the county’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) and the Regional Rail Authority.
The board also welcomed newly-appointed Judge Karen Schommer to serve on the 10th Judicial District.
She replaces Judge Sheridan Hawley who has moved his chambers to Stillwater.
Judge May Yunker said Schommer comes to the 10th District from the criminal division of the U.S Attorney’s Office.
The board’s first vote of the year was to award the bid for the official county newspaper. The results were the same as in 2018, with Elk River Star News selected to publish the county’s financial statement, delinquent tax list and commissioner proceedings. The Citizen-Tribune Newspaper was awarded the bid for alternate publication of financial statement.
NorthStar Link Funding
The board approved the master funding agreement for 2019 NorthStar Link bus service operations.
Public Works Director Andrew Witter said Mn/DOT, Sherburne, Stearns, Anoka and Hennepin County's Regional Rail Authorities (RRA) have agreed to continue providing funding to St. Cloud Metro Transit for the NorthStar Link commuter bus service between St. Cloud and Big Lake.
MnDOT will cover 80% of the annual operating costs and the counties’ RRAs will provide the remaining 20%. Sherburne County’s contribution is about 40% of the counties’ RRAs share ($37,604) and is part of the 2019 Sherburne County RRA budget.
With former commissioner Petersen no longer on the board, the commissioners spent about 30 minutes reviewing more than 50 committees and discussed which commissioners would be representing the county on those committees.
Commissioner Danielowski took over a good part of former commissioner Petersen’s appointments and a few others. They are: AMC Ag & Rural Development Policy Committee; AMC Transportation Policy Committee; Greater MSP; Hwy. 25 Corridor Coalition; MnDOT District 3 Area Transportation Committee (ATP); MnDOT Region 7W Transportation Policy Committee; Options Board of Directors; Planning Advisory Commission; St. Cloud Area Wide Planning Organization (alternate); Sherburne County Economic Development Authority; Tri-County Action Programs (Tri-CAP); Tri-County Regional Forensic Lab (alternate); Tri-County Solid Waste Joint Powers Board (alternate); Waste Management Advisory Committee.
