County prepares for sales tax kick-in

Carlton County voters approved it, but paperwork and state bureaucracy means collecting the voter-approved half-cent sales tax money to support the construction of the Justice Center won’t begin until spring.

In November, Carlton County voters overwhelmingly accepted a half-percent sales tax to pay for the $66 million jail and courts facility being constructed in Carlton. But purchases and services of goods in the county will not see the added tax until April 1.

Auditor/treasurer Kevin DeVriendt received approval to proceed with the necessary paperwork at the Carlton County board meeting Monday, Nov. 28.

The law adopted by the Minnesota state legislature in 2021 requires a hearing for special sales and use tax ordinances, and the board approved a hearing for 4:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at the Transportation Building.

The half-cent sales tax increase will be in effect until $60 million is collected or 30 years have passed. The county’s sales tax will rise to 7.875 percent, from 7.375 percent, with the application of the new half-cent addition. In Cloquet, the sales tax will increase to 8.875 percent, including the addition of a half-cent approved by voters for improvements to the city’s hockey arenas and Pine Valley recreation area.

Related to construction of the Justice Center, county coordinator Dennis Genereau said an insurance underwriter had questioned whether $25 million was enough to cover the building during construction. The building is in a flood plain, the underwriter said, and $109,000 more in insurance costs would have to be paid.

Zoning administrator Heather Cunningham contested the new complex was not in a flood plain. The board took no action and instructed Genereau to explore options.

Cemetery

In other county news, roughly 20 residents, plus the Blackhoof Township board, attended the meeting to request county action on the “green burial” cemetery, Loving Earth Memorial Gardens, on Pioneer Road.

Property owners near the cemetery asked the county board to send a request to the cemetery’s board of directors seeking to negotiate with adjoining landowners about concerns.

County attorney Lauri Ketola said the board could make a request that is not binding. Cunningham said she would write a letter that could be presented to the board for approval at the next meeting.

Blackhoof Township has taken no action on the cemetery, town board chairman Mike Salzer said.

“We would not be in this mess if the cemetery board of directors had just followed their posted guidelines and worked out a plan with the affected landowners,” Salzer said.

The cemetery owners issued a letter to Blackhoof Township in October, saying: “We did our due diligence and are fully within our rights. We ask only to be left to do our work on our land, quietly and peacefully.”

Additional items

• Cloquet attorney Mike Miller is taking over the duties of attorney Rex Laaksonen representing parents in Children in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS), Termination of Parental Rights (TPR), Long Term Foster Care (LTFC), and Transfer of Legal and Physical Custody (TLPC) cases.

Miller was appointed by the District Court in November and will serve through next year. DeVriendt said the chief judge raised the hourly rate for the services from $80 to $130 per hour.

Carlton County Health and Human Services will continue to handle Cook County’s child support cases, too. Carlton County receives some excess revenue after paying for staff time. The collaboration started in 2014.

• Cunningham got board approval to extend the contract for Afterlife Electronics in removal, transporting, and disposing of hazardous materials from appliances collected at the transfer station.