The Wadena County Board of Commissioners, at their June 18 county board meeting, learned that the sheriff's department has received enough funds from 911 fees to pay for remodeling of the county's dispatch center.

The Wadena County Dispatch Center handles local 911-emergency calls and coordinates responses from the appropriate agency: fire, ambulance, sheriff's department, city police, state police, etc. Telephone users pay a monthly fee to support improvements to 911 public safety call answering.

Jail Administrator Tom Speed and Sheriff Mike Carr Jr. appeared before the board to explain the project and answer questions from commissioners.

The total cost of the project is $46,759. All costs but $736 are paid by the 911 accumulated reserve fund. The $736 is for new carpet. Sheriff Carr said that the existing carpet in the room has been there for at least four years. Since the room is used 24 hours per day, the carpet is in constant use and is worn out.

The commissioners voted to approve spending $736 from the county's building repair fund to pay for the carpet replacement.

Major improvements to the dispatch center will include new chairs that meet requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA); a new, larger counter area with a specially-designed dispatch console to hold the communications and computer equipment, along with shelves and cabinets, monitors, air circulation equipment, intercom station and card reader security system.

The remodeling is expected to begin within a few weeks and be completed by the end of the summer.

In other business, the board --

o SOLD the county's 10-acre gravel pit at a public auction conducted during the board meeting by Auditor/Treasurer Char West. Three qualified bidders attended. The new owners of the gravel pit are Randy Bestul and Dan Lehmkuhl, who paid $4,001 for the property. The minimum bid was $2,000.

o RECOMMENDED that the contract for a federal road project on CSAH 23 be awarded to Knife River Corporation for the low bid of $1,665,947.89. Three companies submitted bids for this project. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights in St Paul will make the final contract award in a few weeks.

o AGREED to hold a special board meeting on June 23 in Fergus Falls and authorize discussions with the Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners on the topic of solid waste operations and cooperation between the two counties. The meeting was arranged by Mike Gibson, management consultant.

o AGREED to consult with the townships in each commissioner's district to find out which townships need new or additional roll-off containers for recyclable materials, and learn how each township arranges for pickup of the materials.

o HEARD a request from Joyce Price, owner of Pine Cove Inn, and prospective buyer Mike Willis, for a reduction in the amount of the annual liquor license and Sunday liquor license, currently a total of $1,800. The board agreed to study the request and decide at the next regular board meeting on July 7.

o HEARD a presentation by Craig Nathan, manager of Rural Minnesota CEP and the Workforce Center, about current employment and unemployment situations in Wadena County. Rural Minnesota CEP and the Workforce Center, located in Wadena, provide a variety of services to people looking for work. The center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. When asked whether there were many job openings in the county, Nathan replied that there were not.

o HEARD a request from Jeff Nardello and Michelle Nels of the Wadena County Agricultural Society (fair board) not to cut 20 percent from their current budget. The board made the cut in May to several organizations that receive county funding as part of their annual budgets, in anticipation of Gov. Pawlenty's unallotment of county program aid funds. Nardello and Nels explained that the ag society had already made contracts for events to be held at the fairgrounds. The board told the two ag society representatives that the cuts had to be made, but the money could be cut from either the ag society building fund or the operating fund. The county board agreed to cut the entire 20 percent ($7,000) from the building fund.

o HEARD an annual report from Bridget Allen of the Lutheran Social Services Caregiver Support and Respite program.

o LEARNED that the Otter Tail-Wadena Community Action Program will apply for a $300,000 grant to serve 60 families in an effort to prevent homelessness in the two counties. Davis Leino-Mills, director of OTW CAP, also told the board that his agency expects to weatherize 100 homes in the two counties this year, for people eligible for energy assistance.

o APPROVED a plan created by Dean Schmidt of WesMinn RC&D to hold a dedication program and place a plaque at the Tree Farm Landing county park in honor of the late John Rife. The dedication is scheduled for August 14. Rife was instrumental in creating the Crow Wing River Canoe Trail in 1963, along with many other local organizations and residents.

o APPROVED the setting of inspection fees for tattoo parlors in Wadena County effective June 18, 2009.

The meeting adjourned at 12:53 p.m. The next regular meeting of the Wadena County Board of Commissioners will be held on Tuesday, July 7, at 9 a.m. at the courthouse.