Auditor-treasurer, Heidi Winter, presented the warrants and ditch bills – all were approved. She then shared the 12-month CD new investments purchased on July 3, 2019 through MAGIC tallying $976,000.
Winter also presented a request for a tobacco license for the new Dollar General Store being built in Fulda. This was approved.
Additionally, approval was given for a change order request for Sundquist Park restroom project in the amount of $5021 for material and labor for dirt work.
Travis Radke, ditch inspector, shared one request for ditch repair – JD 14, Cameron 33. This was approved.
Commissioners Gunnink shared the new Plum Creek director resigned – actually before she had even started. Apparently, the gal decided to stay with the school instead of taking the director job. Gunnink explained one of the requirement is to have a masters in library science and very few actually are pursuing this type of degree.
Bill Loonan and Mark Loosbrock from the Lismore Cooperative Telephone Company, spoke to the board in requesting funds for the broadband project. A sub-committee has met and Loonan posed the question to the board as to the results of this committee’s findings. Amy Rucker, spoke on behalf the committee which consisted of James Jens, Thomas Burke, Dennis Welgraven, and Amy Rucker initially met to see if the county could assist in the project. They then brought Heidi Winter, auditor-treasurer, into the discussion. Rucker reached out the Lismore Telephone Company to see what the potential financing gap might be with them responding $200,000. According to her, a lengthy discussion took place with the possibility of using revolving loan fund dollars to assist in the project. If they used $200,000 towards this project, the fund would still have $75,000 left to put towards a future project. She mentioned there also was the potential for $150,000 in loans over a 2-year period as well. This is possible, according to Rucker, even if the county isn’t receiving appropriations to the loan fund. Rucker reminded the group, the only concern that this may be setting a precedent and this should be kept in mind should something come up down the road. Commissioner Jens shared the group knew of three different companies that may also be looking for this type of help. Rucker said the group had reached out to Doug Dawson who had done a broadband feasibility study in 2018. In his opinion, he felt the request from Lismore Telephone was a reasonable since it would be covering approximately 40% of the county.
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