BEMIDJI -- With officers from various law enforcement agencies present, the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution affirming its support of those who carry a badge.
County Board Chair Keith Winger had requested for a resolution be brought before the commissioners and read the full document before action was taken.
"The men and women of our nation's law enforcement agencies wear their uniforms with honor, dedication and integrity as they protect and serve their communities," the resolution states. "These uniforms have made them targets by those who seek to kill or injure law enforcement officers simply because of their profession and commitment to duty."
The resolution adds that the national law enforcement family is mourning the recent loss of officers including Aitkin County, Minn., Sheriff's Investigator Steven Sandberg and that the citizens of the county stand with the families of those who have lost loved ones in the line of duty.
After the resolution was read, citizen Larry Zea, a supporter of the resolution, approached the podium to explain why the document should be approved.
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"We have a real problem in our society today with a lot of our citizens having no respect for authority. Whether it's in the schools with students not respecting teachers or with our law enforcement officials," Zea said. "Hopefully this will take care of some of that."
In his comments, Commissioner Joe Vene said, "we owe our law enforcement a debt of gratitude that is immeasurable. When they run into danger to protect and serve, we need to support them fully."
The resolution was approved.
An additional item was added to the board's consent agenda to set a public hearing for changes to the county's solid waste service fees.
The county currently collects fees charged to both residential and commercial properties and are used for the solid waste program. The recent pattern for the county has been to adjust those fees every four years, having done so in 2008 and 2012.
According to Beltrami County Administrator Kay Mack, the expenditures for the solid waste program will total $15,923,061 over the next four years. If the county were to continue with the current fees, though, total revenue over a four year period would be $14,811,960.
Because the current revenue doesn't cover the future costs, staff is recommending for service fees to be raised for both residential and commercial properties by 9 percent. This will result in revenue for the county reaching $15,998,528 over the next four years.
If the fee increase were to be approved, it would result in residents paying $11 per month rather than the $10 per month they currently pay for services.
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The public hearing for input on the fee increase was approved as part of the consent agenda and will take place on Dec. 1 with notices being published 10 days prior.
During the board's work session before the regular meeting, Beltrami County Engineer Bruce Hasbargen discussed County State Aid Highway 57, also known as Sumac Road. Currently, the road is gravel and requires about $6,500 per year for maintenance.
After hearing from Hasbargen as well as citizens who live near the road, the board suggested that the County Engineer meet with Mack to discuss how possible reconstruction and bituminous surfacing projects could fit in a five-year plan.
