(Spirit Lake)– The Dickinson County Board of Supervisors today (Tues.) approved amendments to articles for the Board of Adjustment, changing the words “abstractor certificate” to “zoning certificate” as it pertains to conditional use and zoning applications. It will result in the county’s informational technology department performing mapping services. The services are needed to meet a requirement to notify neighboring landowners in the event of some sort of proposed zoning change. County Zoning Administrator David Kohlhaase told the supervisors the service had been done in the past by a local abstractor…
“The reason why we used to do it that way is because we didn’t have an I-T Department and we didn’t want the liability and so that’s why they did it and that cost just continued to grow and rise. So we’re going to work out a cost with the I-T Department and I feel we’re just going to get a better product and for a lot less cost which is a setback to the applicant to pay.”
The supervisors also today (Tues.) set August 4th as the date for a public hearing on a proposal to re-finance bonds issued in 2012 and 2013 for projects at the hospital. The hospital at the time used the county’s borrow capacity to pursue the bonds. The supervisors and trustees of Lakes Regional Healthcare both recently voted to proceed with the refinancing after learning of a substantial savings through lower interest rates.
There was also discussion during today’s (Tues.) Board of Supervisors meeting about the possibility of proceeding to the 3rd phase of reopening the courthouse, which basically would take away limitations on the number of people that would be allowed at a given time in the facility. Masks, shields and social distancing would still be required. Supervisor Kim Wermersen said he feels it’s time consideration be given to the final stage of the reopening. He says he feels the various departments are ready…
“They’re prepared to go to phase 3. The backlog is going to be the Treasurer’s Office and that’s probably something we’ll have to have a plan for them. They’ll have to be involved in that plan. But I think overwhelmingly you’re going to hear get ready for phase 3. So I think we have to be prepared at some point soon because that’s one part of it is them; the other part of it is the court system can’t do anything until we’re at phase 3.”
Supervisor Chairman Bill Leupold said he wants to hear from the committee in charge of the county’s COVID-19 response efforts as well as department heads before taking any action on whether to proceed to the next phase.
