Enbridge staging area put on hold

Neighbors on the Bromfield Road in Atkinson Township voiced concerns about a proposed Enbridge staging yard at the Carlton County board of commissioners regular meeting Tuesday. The Atkinson town board’s approval of Enbridge’s use of the road for access and the Carlton County planning commission’s clearance for the yard site had seen little public input until now.

Alex Omar has property on road which has been leased by Enbridge for the staging yard and has a proposed access road about 500 feet from County Road 61 off Bromfield. The proposed use of the Omar property was part of a three-year permit request that could allow truck traffic 24 hours a day during the height of construction of a new pipeline. Atkinson Township had given its approval for the use of Bromfield at its Monday, Oct. 12 meeting.

Northern Natural Gas has been doing some line work during the summer. Residents feel the noise and disruption from that work has been tolerated because of its short duration. Activity at the Enbridge construction yard for a three-year period is a concern.

“Such activity would impact a peaceful neighborhood,” said Robert Calhoun. “We have not chosen to live on the Bromfield Road and be affected by a construction zone.” The group of about half a dozen people from the Bromfield Road area asked for another hearing to voice their concerns.

Zoning administrator Heather Cunningham said that there were no phone calls or letters to her office after letters were sent to any residence and landowner within a quarter-mile of the construction yard site and no input was given at the planning commission hearing after official notice was published in the local newspapers.

Cunningham urged the board to be cautious. “We have followed process and no concerns were voiced until the last few days,” she said. “Please do not delegitimize a process we use regularly and I believe is fair. If there are issues, let Enbridge call for a meeting to address these issues.”

Enbridge responded that their firm will meet with each of the affected parties on an individual basis and a county commissioner and an Atkinson Township official can be included.

After hearing concerns over the weekend and at the meeting Tuesday, commissioner Mark Thell motioned to table the decision until the October 26 meeting “until all the input is in from the township and the people affected.” The motion to table passed with only commissioner Thomas Proulx abstaining without comment.

Insurance shopping

Justin Kroeger of Gallagher Benefit Service reported on the progress the county’s insurance committee has made in the last three years. Kroeger heads that committee and negotiates directly with the insurance companies to get the best coverage at the most reasonable price. The committee is made up of county administration and union representatives to get input from all parties.

The average medical cost savings for the years 2018 to 2021 is $280,562. Dental savings for 18 months is $35,600. Total life and accidental death/disability savings for the last four years is $60,000.

Kroeger said the committee has studied whether the county should begin a self-insurance program, but it has been decided that this move is not advisable at because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In other board business:

County Engineer JinYeene Neumann was given the authority to charge $85 per sign for any new 911 signs that are installed. Sign replacement with the landowner installing the sign will be at a lower price.

The Carlton County Highway Department has been working with the Minnesota Department of Transporatation to establish a detour using County Road 123 Four Corners Road and County Road 120. Work will be done on the intersection of Minnesota highways 73 and 210 in Cromwell this next season. Truck traffic will take another route.

Approval was given for a shutoff valve installation at the Barnum shop involving the sewer line from Barnum. It has been known for some time that the septic system for the old shop had failed. The only other alternative to hooking up to the Barnum sewage system would have been to install large holding tanks. So much water is used for cleaning the county equipment that a tank system would require pumping out every two weeks and be quite costly.