The Sherburne County Commissioners Tuesday gave their go-ahead for the Planning and Zoning Dept. to apply for $2 million from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a Recycling Education and Outreach Grant.
The EPA is soliciting applications for grant dollars to inform and educate the general public about recycling, increase overall collection rates and decrease contamination in residential and community recycling programs.
Last year, the county applied for a separate infrastructure grant for a source-separated organics facility. Planner Addison Otto said the two grants have a different purpose.
“The other grant - that’s for purchasing equipment, infrastructure and it can cover constructing a facility,” she said. “This [grant] would cover education and outreach to businesses and residents to get them to participate in the program and would allow us to purchase bins and receptacles so they can contribute to the program.”
Otto said the grant would also cover hiring a temporary employee for program development - someone who could come up with outreach strategies, training and seminars for schools and businesses that generate large amount of food waste.
The goal is to keep organics out of landfills and lower greenhouse gases.
The are no matching funds required. The application deadline is Feb. 16.
ARPA Funding
The board approved ARPA expenditures in the amount of $72,317.50. Of that amount, $22,317.50 is for personal protection equipment (gowns, masks and nitrile gloves) in the jail to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The other $50,000 is for the purchase of a one-ton pickup truck with a lift gate for the parks department. The vehicle must be able to handle a plow blade and pull trail-grooming equipment.
Corrections Appointment
The board appointed the following individuals to serve a two-year term on the Sherburne County Community Corrections Advisory Board (SCCCAB): Citizens Kenneth Asangwe and Mary Jo Cobb; Commissioner Gregg Felber; Corrections: Carter Diers, DOC District Supervisor and J. Hancuch, Sherburne County Community Corrections Director; Education: Nicole Stottlemyre, ISD 728 Coordinator of Prevention and Safety; Judiciary: Judge Walter Kaminsky, 10th Judicial District; Law Enforcement: Sheriff Joel Brott and Steve Doran, Sherburne County Chief Deputy (Alternate); Prosecution: Dawn Nyhus, Lead Assistant County Attorney and County Attorney Kathy Heaney, Sherburne (Alternate); Public Defense: Lisa Hallberg, Sherburne County Chief Managing Attorney; Health & Human Services: HHS Director Amanda Larson, Sherburne County Health & Human Services Director and HHS Planner Jodi Heurung-Dick; Rivers of Hope: Hannah-Ruth Patterson, Executive Director.
Public Works
The board awarded the contract for the construction of the Zimmerman Community Trail from Co. Rd 45 to Co. Rd. 4 in 2023 to New Look Contracting, Inc. in the amount of $196,495.50. There were 13 companies bidding on the project. The engineer’s estimate was $230,115.50.
The board awarded the contract to Design Electric Inc. for the installation of street lights at 23 various county road intersections in 2023 at a cost of $521,577. The other bidder for the contract was Killmner Electric Co., Inc. at $670,400 The engineer’s estimate was $365,000. Public Works will use Local Option Sales Tax revenues to cover the additional funds above the engineer’s estimate.
