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Topic
| Link/Article
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| http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/trails_waterways/ohvraplan/update.html
| Editorial
| http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=58219§ion=opinion | Editorial
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Our view: Good ol’ boy business as usual at St. Louis County
Duluth News Tribune Published Wednesday,
January 16, 2008
The good old boys of St. Louis County just can’t seem
to get over it: In November 2006, County Attorney Alan Mitchell ran an
uninspired-at-best campaign and, facing a challenger for the first time in 28
years, lost.
The voters had to be wrong, some County Board members seemed to indicate when
they immediately considered offering Mitchell a $75,000-a-year, four-year
consultant deal. Supposedly, he was the only person in the county qualified
enough to negotiate health-insurance contracts. Never mind that newly elected
County Attorney Melanie Ford offered to handle the responsibility, which clearly
was under the purview of her and her staff.
Mitchell went away that time. But yesterday, still apparently unwilling to
run county government without their man Mitchell, commissioners voted to name
him interim county administrator. The current administrator, Dana Frey, isn’t
even gone yet. He leaves for a new job in Bosnia next month.
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| MITCHELL: Why can't the County Board
take steps without him? | Mitchell was one of four
candidates considered for the interim post — and the most qualified, according
to the commissioners who supported him. They hadn’t planned to divulge the
identities of the others, but in open discussions yesterday, the names emerged:
former county Sheriff Gary Waller and deputy administrators Gary Eckenberg and
Lisa Potswald.
Granted, Mitchell has extensive knowledge of the county, and he has strong
management skills. But how he would be more qualified for the job than the
current deputy administrators is a bit of a puzzler.
Less puzzling is the political stress his presence back in the boardroom
could provoke. And it’s no puzzle at all that hiring Mitchell for the interim
spot would cost more than temporarily elevating Eckenberg or Potswald, who
already are on the payroll.
If the contract being negotiated with Mitchell comes anywhere near the about
$130,000 he used to make as county attorney, it could be as if Mitchell never
left, or as if he got the consultancy he was being considered for earlier.
And that’s something that would seem to suit a few old-boy county
commissioners just fine.
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=58257§ion=news
Board backs Mitchell; critics foresee friction
Duluth News Tribune Published Wednesday,
January 16, 2008
The St. Louis County Board voted Tuesday to negotiate a
contract with former County Attorney Alan Mitchell to become interim county
administrator.
If a successful contract is negotiated, Mitchell would take over for outgoing
administrator Dana Frey, who is leaving Feb. 8 to take a position in Bosnia.
Frey has held the post since April 2004.
The board voted 5-2 for Mitchell. He was the only candidate among four
applicants forwarded to the full board from a board workshop on Monday.
While the process was supposed to remain anonymous, open discussion Tuesday
revealed the other candidates as former St. Louis County Sheriff Gary Waller,
current deputy administrator Gary Eckenberg and current deputy administrator
Lisa Potswald.
Supporters said Mitchell was the best-qualified for the job, noting he has
extensive knowledge of the county and proven leadership and management
skills.
But critics say the appointment will deepen rifts in county government that
have bubbled over since Mitchell lost his bid for re-election in November 2006
by 88 votes to Melanie Ford.
“I still have something to offer the County Board and the people of St. Louis
County,’’ Mitchell said Tuesday. He did not attend the board meeting.
Mitchell said he has been enjoying retirement but that he wants to remain
active until his wife retires as Hibbing police chief in coming years.
While an amendment was defeated that would have placed a deadline of July 31
on Mitchell’s service, Mitchell and county commissioners said it was unlikely
Mitchell would apply or be accepted as the permanent county commissioner.
“I’m completely happy with that, whether it’s 60 days or six months. It’s not
my intention that this become permanent,’’ Mitchell said.
It’s not clear when the County Board will take up the search for a full-time
replacement for Frey. Eckenberg said no timetable has been set to fill the
position permanently. In the past, the board has used both internal human
resources staff and external candidate search companies to fill the post.
Commissioner Keith Nelson of Virginia said the board should use the interim
period to look closer at whether to make major changes in how county government
operated, such as considering moving to a county manager or other form of county
administration.
Mitchell, 62, was first elected county attorney in 1978 and ran unopposed for
re-election six times until he was defeated by Ford. Mitchell’s presence again
within the county courthouse in Duluth could make for some uncomfortable moments
as he’ll sit across the board room from Ford.
But Ford said she harbors no ill-feelings toward Mitchell or his supporters.
Mitchell said likewise.
“I wish Alan Mitchell well in his new position and I’m sure he’ll do a good
job,’’ Ford said.
“That’s all long behind me,’’ Mitchell said.
Others said hiring Mitchell was a return to the divisive politics that have
split the board in recent years. Sam Haddad of Duluth, a county public works
employee, said the move was another sign of disrespect toward Ford, whom he
claimed has been repeatedly disrespected by several commissioners.
Others suggested that Mitchell’s presence will diminish efforts to put
complaints of sexual harassment behind the County Board. They noted that
Mitchell declined to pursue allegations of sexual harassment on female employees
by County Board members, while Ford moved ahead with the cases.
Mitchell, by then out of office, then represented Commissioner Steve Raukar
of Hibbing against the allegations.
Haddad said the two internal candidates, Eckenberg and Potswald, were just as
qualified as Mitchell and that their appointment could have saved the county
thousands of dollars.
“Let’s not spend money we don’t have,’’ Haddad said.
Other residents who gave public comments said it was an indication the board
remains unwilling to accept the will of the voters in 2006. But County
Commissioner Mike Forsman of Ely disagreed.
“It had nothing to do with that election. It’s trying … to find the right
person to lead St. Louis County into the future,’’ Forsman said.
Commissioners Peg Sweeney and Steve O’Neil of Duluth voted against offering
Mitchell a contract. Commissioners Dennis Fink and Bill Kron of Duluth, Raukar,
Forsman and Nelson voted yes.
The county administrator is responsible for the general supervision of county
departments, institutions and agencies. The directors of 12 departments report
directly to the administrator. The position also oversees many of the 1,970
county employees and helps the seven commissioners set the county’s $334 million
budget.
The position is expected to pay between $101,000 and $135,000 in 2008. |
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| County Administrator
| DULUTH — A six-person county subcommittee has narrowed the choice
for an interim administrator to four people — two candidates currently
within the county and two who are not.
“I would hope that any candidate for an interim administrator would
have first-hand working knowledge of St. Louis County immediately. I
think we should expect the candidate chosen to have a working
relationship of all departments both in a professional and casual
basis. The person should know the internal workings of county
government, have broad knowledge of St. Louis County and most of its
policies,” said County Board Chairman Mike Forsman, who is a member of
the subcommittee.
Forsman abided by an agreement of all on the subcommittee to not release any names at this time on the final four candidates.
However, there has been speculation that one of the two candidates
not currently in county government but with extensive knowledge of its
workings is former County Attorney Alan Mitchell of Hibbing, who had
more than 20 years of experience in that position before being defeated
in 2006 by current County Attorney Melanie Ford.
The interim position is needed because current Administrator Dana
Frey has accepted a U.S. government position in Bosnia. While he
doesn’t leave until February, Forsman said it’s important to get
someone in the position as soon as possible. “We need to have someone
on board relatively quickly to take over the reins of the county,” he
said.
The board will hold a workshop meeting in Duluth Monday to discuss
the issue. It will then hold its board meeting Tuesday and a final
decision could be made.
“We need to decide no later than our Jan. 22nd meeting ... and I’d be happy if it was earlier,” Forsman said.
Others on the subcommittee are Commissioners Dennis Fink and Bill
Kron, County Attorney Melanie Ford, County Auditor Donald Dicklich and
Sheriff Ross Litman.
o
Bill Hanna can be reached at bill.hanna@mx3.com. To read this story and comment on it online go to www.virginiamn.com. |
| The Messabi Daily News Reports Interim post eyed County Board to fill position Charles Ramsay Last updated: Tuesday, January 08th, 2008 11:14:56 PM
DULUTH — The St. Louis County Board started off 2008 Tuesday with
change at the top — a new chair and vice chair, and a subcommittee to
pick an interim county administrator.
At their annual organizational meeting, in quiet contrast to the
first rowdy board meeting of 2007, commissioners Tuesday approved Mike
Forsman of Ely as board chair and Dennis Fink of Duluth as vice chair.
A subcommittee comprised for now of Forsman, Fink, Commissioner Bill
Kron of Duluth and other elected officials, is expected to meet this
week to consider possibilities for filling in the top administrative
post in county government until a permanent one is approved. A board
workshop Monday at the Duluth Courthouse will deal further with the
topic.
Current County Administrator Dana Frey gave notice last month his
last day of work will be Feb. 11. Commissioners said they want to move
quickly to fill the interim position.
Seemingly in a more congenial mood, compared with some tense
meetings last year, commissioners displayed more harmony in several
areas, particularly on county Planning Commission appointments. Two
women residents who had applied to fill vacancies received preliminary
approval, Sonya Pineo of Tower and Darlene Saumer of Colvin Township.
Diane Wershay of Eveleth was named to fill a spot on the county Board
of Adjustment. Commissioner Keith Nelson said he was concerned about
keeping some gender equality on the panel in nominating Saumer.
Commissioner Peg Sweeney of Gnesen Township said in looking at a
county map on Planning Commission members’ residences, “I’m extremely,
extremely concerned’’ about geographical imbalances as there was just
recently only two persons on the panel who lived south of Eveleth.
“There’s a huge mass of land there that has absolutely no
representation,’’ she said. | County Administrator
| WDIO Reports as Did Mesabi Daily News on 1 11 08 Former County Attorney Alan Mitchell Likely To Be Named Interim Administrator http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/S313476.shtml?cat=10335
|
It
was a close vote on Monday, but the St. Louis County board is backing
former County Attorney Alan Mitchell, as the interim administrator. The
board discussed four candidates at a workshop on Monday. None of the
names were made public at the workshop. But Eyewitness News confirmed
that the two external candidates last week, Mitchell and former County
Sheriff Gary Waller. The other two were internal. One of those people
is Lisa Potswald, who is one of two Deputy Administrators. The other
person's name was not made public.
The commissioners narrowed the field down from the four candidates,
by ranking their top choices. They voted twice, and the final two were
Potswald and Mitchell. In the last vote, five commissioners voted for
Mitchell, including all of the Range commissioners, and Bill Kron and
Dennis Fink, who are from Duluth. Steve O'Neil, of Duluth, and Peg
Sweeney, of Proctor, voted for Potswald.
Mitchell was the County Attorney for 28 years. He was beated by
current County Attorney Melanie Ford, back in 2006. Ford said she no
comment on Mitchell's status as the only finalist, because he has not
officially been voted in yet. That vote will likely take place at
Tuesday's board meeting.
Current administrator Dana Frey resigned his position, effective
February 8th, for a job overseas. The board plans on launching a large
and lengthy search, for his permanent replacement. |
|
DULUTH — A six-person county subcommittee has narrowed the choice
for an interim administrator to four people — two candidates currently
within the county and two who are not.
“I would hope that any candidate for an interim administrator would
have first-hand working knowledge of St. Louis County immediately. I
think we should expect the candidate chosen to have a working
relationship of all departments both in a professional and casual
basis. The person should know the internal workings of county
government, have broad knowledge of St. Louis County and most of its
policies,” said County Board Chairman Mike Forsman, who is a member of
the subcommittee.
Forsman abided by an agreement of all on the subcommittee to not release any names at this time on the final four candidates.
However, there has been speculation that one of the two candidates
not currently in county government but with extensive knowledge of its
workings is former County Attorney Alan Mitchell of Hibbing, who had
more than 20 years of experience in that position before being defeated
in 2006 by current County Attorney Melanie Ford.
The interim position is needed because current Administrator Dana
Frey has accepted a U.S. government position in Bosnia. While he
doesn’t leave until February, Forsman said it’s important to get
someone in the position as soon as possible. “We need to have someone
on board relatively quickly to take over the reins of the county,” he
said.
The board will hold a workshop meeting in Duluth Monday to discuss
the issue. It will then hold its board meeting Tuesday and a final
decision could be made.
“We need to decide no later than our Jan. 22nd meeting ... and I’d be happy if it was earlier,” Forsman said.
Others on the subcommittee are Commissioners Dennis Fink and Bill
Kron, County Attorney Melanie Ford, County Auditor Donald Dicklich and
Sheriff Ross Litman.
o
Bill Hanna can be reached at bill.hanna@mx3.com. To read this story and comment on it online go to www.virginiamn.com. |
|
| http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=58183§ion=News | County Administrator
| Mitchell might return to take top job
John
Myers Duluth News Tribune Published
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Former St. Louis County Attorney Alan Mitchell might
get a new job with his old employer.
Mitchell on Monday was approved by a committee of the St. Louis County Board
to fill the position of interim county administrator.
The full County Board is expected to suspend its rules and vote to approve
Mitchell for the temporary post at their regular board meeting today in Duluth.
Mitchell
would replace Dana Frey, who is leaving after Feb. 8 to take a position in
Bosnia. Frey has held the post since April 2004.
Gary Eckenberg, deputy county administrator, said Monday that Mitchell was
one of four applicants for the interim job who were considered finalists — two
current county employees and two people from outside the county. The other
finalists’ names will not be released, Eckenberg said.
Mitchell’s presence again at County Board meetings could make for some
uncomfortable moments as he’ll sit across the board room from County Attorney
Melanie Ford, who defeated Mitchell in a razor-close election in November
2006.
It’s not clear when the County Board will take up the search for a full-time
replacement for Frey. Eckenberg said no timetable has been set to fill the
position permanently. In the past, the board has used both internal human
resources staff and external candidate search companies to fill the post.
It’s also not clear if Mitchell, 62, will apply for the position permanently.
He was first elected county attorney in 1978 and ran unopposed for re-election
six times until he was defeated by Ford.
Mitchell did not immediately respond to attempts to reach him on Monday.
The county administrator is responsible for the general supervision of county
departments, institutions and agencies. The directors of 12 departments report
directly to the administrator. The position also oversees many of the 1,970
county employees and helps the seven commissioners set the county’s $334 million
budget.
The position is expected to pay between $101,000 and $135,000 in 2008. | Mileage Reimbursement raised to 72.6 Cents per mile
| http://www.virginiamn.com/mdn/?section_id=70&story_id=211788
4 county officials reject extra
mileage pay Increase
goes from 50.5 cents per mile to 72.6 cents Charles Ramsay Last updated: Sunday, January 13th, 2008
10:31:58 PM
|
DULUTH — Four St. Louis County elected officials say they don’t want to
get 72.6 cents a mile reimbursement for travel put on their own vehicles
on county business.
The four — Commissioners Steve O’Neil and Bill Kron of Duluth and Mike
Forsman of Ely, along with County Auditor Don Dicklich — have requested in
writing that they receive the standard 50.5 cents mileage rate proscribed
by the Internal Revenue Service, Chuck Hardtke of the County Auditor’s
office said.
The increased mileage rate was approved Dec. 18 by the County Board for
11 officials, the seven county commissioners, as well as the county
auditor, sheriff and attorney, and county Intergovernmental Affairs
Director John Ongaro, who commutes weekly during legislative sessions to
the Twin Cities and back.
A number of county officials “are effectively precluded from using
county-owned vehicles for business-related transportation due to their
required participation in political activities,’’ County Board Resolution
707 of Dec. 18 states.
Up until this year, the county’s practice has been to align mileage
reimbursements with whatever the IRS set, such as 48.5 cents in 2007.
“It’s always been the IRS rate,’’ Hardtke said.
County Board Chair and Commissioner Mike Forsman of Ely said there is a
belief that the standard rate doesn’t cover the total cost of operating a
personal vehicle.
According to information provided by County Administrator Dana Frey and
backed by County Auditor Don Dicklich, the actual cost of operating a
vehicle is at the 72.6 cents a mile rate, Forsman said.
When former County Auditor Gordon McFaul bought a new vehicle in the
1990s, he told Forsman that the costs logged on it, including everything
like insurance, licenses and repairs, “were substantially more than what
he was being reimbursed by the county,’’ Forsman recalled.
The County Board has been looking into trimming vehicles in the county
motor pool, but officials said Tuesday that probably wasn’t going to
happen this year.
The 25,000-30,000 miles Forsman estimates he puts on his vehicles
annually going to meetings and gatherings all over his sprawling Fourth
District — 62 percent of the county, from Kabetogama to Ely, Hoyt Lakes to
north of Chisholm — adds up. “It’s $5,000-$6,000 a year,’’ the 2008 County
Board chair said, “with all the driving I do.’’
Forsman said he will take the lower 50.5 cents per mile rate as he
believes the compensation in place when an official takes office after
being elected is what they should receive. An election “goes back to a
contract with the people,’’ he said.
A former mechanic in the Marines and a current maintenance mechanic
with AcelorMittal Steel on the Range, besides being board chair, Forsman
added, “I do my own work on a car,’’ which keeps his vehicle costs
lower.
o
Charles Ramsay can be reached at charles.ramsay@mx3.com. To read this
story online and comment on it go to www.virginiamn.com.
| Polymet and Sulfide Mining
|
PolyMet opponents win court
victory By Marshall
Helmberger
Opponents of PolyMet Mining’s plans to
use a site near Floodwood for wetlands mitigation have won a significant court
ruling that puts county logging and other activity in the area on hold.
The ruling also voids an agreement between PolyMet and St. Louis County to
allow the mitigation project, an agreement that the county board approved last
year.
District Court Judge Heather Sweetland, on April 17, ruled in favor of an ad
hoc organization of local residents, calling themselves the Wetlands Action
Group, and issued a temporary injunction on any further activity at the site.
The group contends that St. Louis County approved the mitigtion plan and
proceeded with logging and other activities at the Floodwood site before
completion of PolyMet’s environmental impact statement.
According to the court ruling, the county had been warned by the state’s
Environmental Quality Board and the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy
that such approval could violate state and federal laws, which prohibit approval
of a project or portions of a project prior to final completion of the
environmental review process.
Despite the warnings, then-county attorney Alan Mitchell had advised the
board to approve the agreement with PolyMet anyway.
Just days after the county approval, the county land department sold the
timber at the site and the property was logged over this past winter. The county
argued that it had the right to log the county-managed land, because the logging
was not associated with the mining project proposed by PolyMet and was,
therefore, not a part of the environmental review process.
But the judge disagreed with the county’s arguments, and indicated the county
action compromised the environmental review process. The judge also awarded
plaintiffs their court costs and attorneys fees.
“We think it’s a good ruling,” said Bob Tammen, a longtime resident of
Soudan, who was a plaintiff in the case. Tammen said residents in the vicinity
of the Floodwood site are strongly opposed to the mitigation plan and question
the value of wetland restoration in a former wetland that has already been
restored “by nature and the beavers,” according to Tammen.
| Polymet and Sulfide Mining
| Subject: Judge suspends work on wetlands near Floodwood/Wind energy
takes flight on Iron Range/Natural gas pipeline discussed
Judge suspends work on wetlands near Floodwood
Duluth News Tribune Published Friday, April
20, 2007
Work to reconstruct a wetland near Floodwood — planned
to replace wetlands lost if the PolyMet copper mine is built near Hoyt Lakes —
must wait until the mine’s environmental review is completed.
That’s the order of State District Court Judge Heather Sweetland, who has
ordered St. Louis County to halt work on the wetland project.
The judge’s order includes a temporary injunction banning work at the wetland
site. At least some of the site was logged over the winter, the first step
toward reconstructing wetlands. Work was supposed to begin this summer on
plugging artificial ditches in the area and reflooding hundreds of acres to form
wetlands
Those wetlands would be used to satisfy the legal obligation of PolyMet Corp.
to replace about 1,200 acres of wetlands lost if the company develops a copper
mine and processing operation at the old LTV Steel plant near Hoyt Lakes.
“The applicable statutes and regulations suggest a possibility that the
county may have been in violation of state and federal law in approving the
wetland restoration agreement with Polymet and harvesting the timber on the
wetland restoration site,’’
The suit was filed in December by Wetlands Action group, a loose coalition of
several Northland residents, including Bob and Pat Tammen of Soudan, Leonard and
Lori Anderson of Cloquet and Elanne Palcich of Chisholm.
One year ago, PolyMet and county officials signed an agreement to restore the
wetlands at the site near Floodwood. In all, the county has proposed returning
3,200 acres of drained or partially drained land near Floodwood to full wetland
status. The county would sell rights to the wetlands to PolyMet and other
developers who need to replace wetlands they fill.
James Peters, attorney for Wetlands Action said the judge’s decision is a
major victory.
“They have cleared trees, but not filled in the ditches and disrupted the
existing surface water drainage patterns. The order stops work this summer
on changing the drainage,’’ Peters said, adding that the judge’s order
invalidates the 2006 wetland contract between St. Louis County and Polymet.
St. Louis County is being represented in the case by Lake County Attorney
Russ Conrow because of a conflict of interest. Conrow said St. Louis County
could appeal but that no decision had been made.
Some residents near the proposed Floodwood wetland say the area already has
restored itself to nature after ditches were dug in the early 1900s to drain the
land for farming efforts that eventually failed. Opponents say adding dams and
more water to the site will destroy upland habitat and could flood nearby
private property.
Moreover, opponents of the copper mine say the wetland project should not be
allowed to advance until the proposed mine’s entire environmental impact
statement is complete. They say the mine might not move forward if state and
federal regulators require extensive pollution control efforts, meaning the
replacement wetlands won’t be needed.
Warren Hudelson, PolyMet spokesman, has said that the company has several
other options to satisfy wetland mitigation requirements other than the
Floodwood site. He also said that changes in the footprint of the proposed mine
may end up destroying fewer acres of wetlands than originally planned.
The draft environmental impact statement on the PolyMet project is expected
later this year.
| Code of Conduct
|
The Duluth Budgeteer
gives a thumbs down to the St. Louis County Board prior to the recent
board meeting at which a commissioner put forth a watered down code of
conduct rather than the carefully and professionally crafted one put
forth by the committee assigned to produce a code for the board by the
board.
Since the mention in the Budgeteer, the board tinkered
with the makeshift code and strengthened it at the meeting however
there were several calls in the meeting to go back to the
professionally crafted one. What was passed was probably the best
that could be expected given the board presently seated. Fink, and
Nelson were the strongest opponents to the stronger, professional code,
with Raukar and Forsman also bucking a meaningful code.
When
Commissioners Raukar and Forsman realized that a code was a reasonable
step and found ways to support it they made a huge step forward and are
to be strongly commended.
The commissioner, Nelson, who put
forth the makeshift code, said that two prominent attorneys had worked
on it, however given the gramatical and legal missteps in it and the
lack of protection it offers the County, it seems clear they did not want their names associated with the document, and that may be part of why they went unnamed. Just who these unnamed attorneys are remains an interesting question. |
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