County labor talks stall

Carlton County employees in AFSCME Local 2750 have been working without a contract since it expired Dec. 31, 2018.

Negotiations began in August 2018 with mediation services in the fall. After a mediation session Nov. 27, the Carlton County board of commissioners — through their negotiation team — presented its final offer. In late winter, the AFSCME county workers voted to not accept the proposal. The Carlton County board of commissioners sent a letter to the union March 22, notifying it that the board had determined the negotiations were at an impasse.

It appears health care funding for retirees has been the sticking point.

Rebecca Bosanko, vice president of AFSCME Local 2750, addressed the board at its May 14 regular board meeting. She said the union has specific proposals for resolving the retiree health insurance concern. She called on the board to reconsider the vote declaring the impasse and return to the negotiating table.

At the end of interviews for a new Economic Development director and completion of a few more agenda items, the county board met in closed session and decided to instruct the negotiations team to go back for another try at an agreement with the union negotiation team.

In other matters Tuesday:

•Bids were accepted for County State-Aid Highway 21, better known as the Swede Lake Road, southeast of Cromwell, for reconstruction this summer. KGM was the low bidder at $947,375.15, which was 53.24 percent below the engineer’s estimate. Right-of-way purchase and tree removal have already been completed.

“We are glad that this is going to be done,” said local retired road contractor and Cromwell area resident Lawrence Lundin. “Patch jobs have been done on the roadway for decades and the base of the old road is filled with stumps and poor roadbed material. Now we see some progress.”

• Board members approved an expansion of Dresel’s Aggregate pit activities on the Verna J. Carlson land at 4177 Kolosky Road, Moose Lake. The pit will cover 7.13 acres with berms created to screen pit activities from neighboring dwellings and no closer than 85 feet from Kolosky Road.

Sunset Memorial Cemetery is in the vicinity. The neighbors were concerned that the gravel pit equipment would make too much noise during funerals and memorial events. One of the stipulations for the permit was to limit noise during those periods. Also, a hot mix plant will not be located on that site.

• Dave Lee, Carlton County Health and Human Services director, received approval for a new five-year lease at $2,448 per month for Southern Carlton County Family Center activities in Moose Lake. Almost an extra 1,500 square feet will be used at the facility with the WIC clinic, Toes R Us toenail trimming service, and the Minnesota Family Investment Program orientation moving in. The additional space will go over the current operating budget but part of it is federally reimbursed.

• Land commissioner Greg Bernu reported that the May 9 timber auction totaled nearly $220,000 in timber sold. One tract was not bid on and most were bought as appraised. Aspen came in at $27.81/cord. Bernu felt that huge stockpiles of wood products throughout the area dampened the bid levels of some of the loggers who participated. Sappi Fine Paper bought half of the timber sold.

• The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has not yet decided whether Enbridge can draw water from Chub Lake for dust control and testing completed pipeline sections. There is still concern that doing so would introduce Eurasian watermilfoil and infest water bodies. The Chub Lake Association has expressed concerns about contamination, heating of the lake, fish kill and location of water discharge.

Most spring road restrictions have been lifted from county roads now. Spring breakup has been more severe than in the last 10 to 15 years. Five-ton restrictions continue on County roads 129, 132, 135, 144, 156, and the south end of CR 21.