Response slow to list of tax delinquencies

Perhaps as a sign of economic times, Crow Wing County didn't receive an immediate response after publishing a list of tax delinquents.

Auditor Deborah Erickson said normally that there is a flood of payments in the mail immediately after the delinquent taxpayer list is first published in February. Not this year, Erickson said. The list names people who are tax delinquent for the first time and have a judgment filed. Names are then crossed off for those who make payments and the list is published a second time. The county is preparing the second list now.

Erickson said they are not noticing a higher delinquency percentage than in the past, but rather that people aren't rushing in to make their payments this year. Erickson said she doesn't believe there will be a significant affect on the levy. Erickson said the county historically has a 98 percent to 99 percent collection rate of all taxes levied.

In other business, the board:

Agreed to extend dog ordinance services to the cities of Crosby and Crosslake through 2008. The county previously discontinued service to the cities as the ordinance was originally aimed at townships. Letters have been sent to townships to see which ones want to be included.

Agreed to remove two old cement ramp slabs that have slipped into deep water, creating a boating hazard on Jones Bay in Pelican Lake.

Apportioned the $1,016,127 tax-forfeited surplus revenues from 2007 with money divided by statute: $200,000 to parks; $308,063 to the building fund; $203,225 to the county general fund; $203,225 to schools; and $101,613 to cities and townships.

Agreed to send a letter to the Minnesota Department of Corrections in support of continued funding for Sentence to Service programs. The STS crews, of inmates, work on numerous projects in the community and give inmates a chance to repay the community and earn hourly wages to put toward their fines.

Learned the county's potential savings in not shipping leachate - or water and snow melt that runs through landfill waste - in the last 10 years is between $125,000 and $250,000 a year for a total savings of $1,850,000. Leachate previously was shipped off site until the county began a management system. The county recirculates the leachate through the landfill cells, which Doug Morris, waste management director, said provides an additional benefit and savings by settling waste and reducing airspace in the landfill cells, meaning more waste may be added before a cell is filled to capacity. The county generates about four million gallons of leachate per year.

Heard residents have been mailed coupons redeemable for items destined for the county landfill on Highway 210.

Agreed to increase the landfill operator's contract by $44,000 to address an increase cost in fuel.

Approved a proposal by JA Sales, Jay Andolshek of Crosslake, for a three-year agreement to place an ATM on the county campus. JA Sales will maintain the ATM while the county provides a phone line and electrical hook-up needed for the service.

Approved appointments of Rick Adair and Elizabeth Pfingsten to the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport Commission, Ron Brusven to the Community Health Services Advisory Committee, Shawn Fletcher and Roger Roy to the Lands and Forestry Advisory Committee and Joseph Hampl and Kenneth Svee to the Thirty Lakes Watershed District Board of Managers. Commissioner Rosemary Franzen was opposed, saying Rick Johnson should have been appointed to the Thirty Lakes board.

Planned to meet from 1-4 p.m. April 4 for a geographic information system demonstration and discussion of the historic courtroom, where the commissioners meet.

Planned to interview finalists for the land services director on April 1.