2021 budget on docket for County Commission

The Eddy County Commission is getting a start on the 2021 budget. On Monday, July 6, the commissioners met with several county entities to hear their proposed budgets.

State’s Attorney Ashley Lies’s budget of $63,036 covers the salaries for Lies as well as a part-time legal assistant. This is a $10,350 decrease from the previous year, and some of the most notable line items reduced in this budget are paper and supplies. Lies explained that new technology allows her to utilize electronic methods for preparing court documents and archiving records, ultimately reducing the costs for printing and paper.

The budget for Emergency Manager Jess Earle came in at $11,808, also significantly lower than previous years. While the budget primarily covers Earle’s part-time salary, she noted there are several projects for which she has sought out grant funding, including GIS online software and a door lock security system for the courthouse. She did note that an L-shaped desk would enhance her office space at the courthouse.

County Auditor Patty Williams submitted her budget totaling $58,636 to keep the office running. Additional funds include necessary travel and lodging and well as organizational dues. The budget for commissioners included a modest allocation of funds for travel, dues, and miscellaneous, as well as the salaries, making for a total budget of $49,088.

Rob Johnson of the Lake Region Law Enforcement Center paid the commission a visit to present a new cost-sharing formula for the upcoming fiscal year. Towner County decided not to renew its contract with LEC last fall, resulting in a projected loss of $338,000 in 2021. Therefore, they are turning to member counties to help carry the burden of the cost.

The cost-share formulas apply to the LEC re-entry center, 911 services and corrections, or jail keep. On average, the correctional facility houses 68 inmates a day, which is far below the max capacity of 105.

The daily cost for counties to pay for an inmate to be kept at LEC has increased from $75 to $80. The bill for Eddy County totaled $17,278 for 2021, which comprises 5.39% of the cost-share. The cost-share total was calculated per county, based on criteria such as the number of phone lines and the number of 911 calls.

New business came to the floor in regard to the CenDak chemical building in Sheyenne, which is advertised for sale on bids. Commissioners agreed that additional space was needed for storing the county’s blade. Commissioners discussed considerations such as location as well as the slope of the interior concrete. The ideal shop would be 40-by-60 feet. Chair David Gehrtz volunteered to get a bid for erecting such a building. Commissioners will review the information and decide whether to bid on the chemical building at the next meeting.

State’s Attorney Lies reported on some research she had conducted regarding the possibility of burials taking place at an old cemetery west of New Rockford on Highway 15. The question arose after an individual approached a commissioner asking if it would be possible to be buried at this abandoned cemetery. Lies reported that according to the North Dakota Department of Health, human burials must take place in a registered cemetery. She also relayed the criteria the Department set in terms of what it means for a cemetery to be abandoned, such as overall condition, recognizability of the cemetery, and ability to identify graves. This particular site, near 60th Ave, is occupied by a small number of deceased in a tiny plot surrounded by lilac bushes. The commission expressed concern about this individual’s request, as many headstones have been eroded over time or overgrown, making it difficult to confidently identify a potential gravesite. A motion was carried to not allow future burials in that site.

Corey Longnecker of the Eddy County Weed Board paid the commissioners a visit regarding the still vacant position on the board. Ideally, they are seeking a candidate who can process the paperwork associated with spraying and be actively involved with the public as well as coordinating “bug days.”

A bug day, as it turns out, is a special event for landowners looking to reduce the presence of leafy spurge on their property. Personnel from the weed board and other volunteers collect these spurge-eating insects, such as flea beetles, then use them as biological control. The flea beetles feast on the spurge.

Longnecker did note that Melinda Martin of rural New Rockford had offered her services in terms of filing paperwork, but was clear in stating she was not able to do much more than that, as she already has a full-time job. The commission passed a motion to hire Martin on an interim basis in order to comply with the demands of the paperwork.

Commissioner Glenda Collier has been in contact with the North Dakota Department of Transportation to discuss the possibility of getting a traffic sign installed just south of town. This traffic sign would call for the prohibition of the use of air brakes. The Department informed her that in order for a sign to be installed, there must be an ordinance in place that can be enforced. Collier will speak further with the city as well as the sheriff’s department and revisit the topic in August.

Budget discussions will continue on Thursday, July 16 at 8:30 a.m. Budgets are due by August 10.