WASHINGTON

Following approval of revisions to the job description, the Washington County Supervisors Tuesday approved county employee Kyle L. Evans as the county’s information (IT) Assistant Director, effective Feb. 22, with wage change from $30.50 to $39.75 hourly. The cost of going from assistant IT Administrator (sheriff) to Assistant IT Director (county-wide) will be divided 75.5 percent from the sheriff’s budget and 23.5 percent from the IT budget. Pay rate increase to $41.30 July 1.

During the meeting, the board was told that the assistant position will become the director one following retirement of the current director. The approval provides for a transitionary period.

In a related issue, the board also approved an agreement for a writing proposal with Tri-City Electric Company, Davenport, to update data cables for the county courthouse offices, at a cost of $64,655, to be completed before summer of this year. Tri-City has also done the telephone updating for county communications.

As with the previous action, the board unanimously approved a service agreement between the county and Dakota Minnesota and Eastern (DBA as Canadian Pacific railroad) in regard to the realigning of Dogwood Avenue and filling in an underpass (part of the McCain’s Landing improvement project). The county will pay for county services and the railroad for Canadian Pacific services.

County Engineer Jacob Thorius noted that work will include lights and gates for the track crossing. Cost for the county services was set at $30,000. Thorius also noted that the agreement is “a pretty standard one” that expires December 31,2025. However, he added it can be terminated at any time by the county.

In other business, the board was asked by the EMS Advisory Board to alter the 15-member group to allow for a five-member quorum since it has had problems reaching the required seven. The change would allow for “making more headway,” and to provide a report to the county.

After further discussion, the board was asked to go from an interim to regular director for the ambulance service, as a means of providing leadership. The board agreed to further discussion and it will be an agenda item next week.

The board approved transferring General Assistance responsibilities to HACAP after learning that in a number of cases services from GA and HACAP involve the same people. The transference would maintain the same budget, depending on what changes may occur at the state level.

The board approved classification changes for Joshua Laws, ambulance medic, and Stephen Swaffer, ambulance EMT, from full-time to casual part-time, effective March 1.

The board approved the fiscal 2023 Secondary Roads Five Year Program, as amended, regarding projects, priorities and funding.

The board discussed the provision for road use and decommissioning of turbine windmills in the proposed countywide wind energy ordinance, noting that residents have talked with board members about some concerns, especially regarding what would happen to equipment after decommissioning, the rights of private property owners to have their own, and the need for a public meeting to provide details of the plan and the regulations. The board agreed that a work session is needed and will have the setting of one as an agenda item next week.

The board learned that there is progress regarding a new communications tower in Wellman and that an agreement with Wellman Telephone is close to being signed. The original tower was destroyed by a tornado last March and negotiations for a replacement and possible second tower have been ongoing.