The Wright County Board of Commissioners met for the county’s organizational meeting.
The first order of business was selecting its officers, and the board voted unanimously for Commissioner Mark Daleiden from Dist. 3 to serve as chair for 2018. Dist. 3 covers precincts 1A, 2A, and 3 in the City of Otsego, the City of Dayton and Precinct 1B in the City of St. Michael.
Commissioner Darek Vetsch (Dist. 2) was chosen as vice chair. He represents the City of Clearwater, Clearwater Twp., the City of Monticello, Monticello Twp., Silver Creek Twp., the City of Maple Lake and precincts 1A and 1B in Maple Lake Twp.
Per Diems
After a 10-minute discussion, the board voted to have a two-tiered system for paying per diems to non-elected officials.
Commissioner Vetsch said members of some boards put in more time and should receive compensation above the standard $50.
He said people on the planning commission and the board of adjustment sometimes have a thick set of documents to review to prepare for their meetings, which can sometimes last more than four hours.
“We have quality people on the planning commission and the board of adjustment,” he said. “I want to be able to retain them. And I want them to do a diligent job with the pre-work involved.”
Commissioner Charles Borrell agreed.
“We’ll get documents that are like reading books, and you don’t come in five minutes before the meeting and read them,” he said. “Those are all read on their own.”
Borrell said the meetings shouldn’t be cut short just to save time and pay a lower per diem.
“If somebody wants to get heard, we want them to be able to have their voice heard,” he said, “and we don’t want to be cutting them off for some arbitrary time sake.”
The board voted to pay a per diem of $50 for less than four hours and $100 for meetings or events that last more than four hours. Vetsch said it should only affect a few meetings a year.
Salaries
The board set the minimum salary for elected department heads at $91,540.80. Those positions include sheriff, auditor/treasurer and county attorney, all of which are up for election in 2018.
Other Business
In other action the board:
• Approved a payment of $6,868.83 to the law firm of Madden, Galanter & Hansen, LLP for labor relations and personnel services;
• Approved filling a vacant position in Health & Human Services;
• Approved filling vacated positions of IT Senior Developer and Telecom Specialist in the Information Technology Dept.;
• Approved filling a deputy position in the sheriff’s dept due to the retirement of Deputy Richard Halverson;
•Approved retaining Kevin J. Casserly and Paul G. Bakken to perform appraisals for tax court valuation appeals;
• Appointed Eric Heurung as county agricultural inspector;
• Appointed Michael Young as county drainage inspector for 2018;
• Awarded the bid for the county’s official newspaper to the Herald Journal.
