Per diems OK'd for park panel

Members of the Crow Wing County Lands Recreation Committee will now be paid a per diem for the meetings they attend.

The Crow Wing County Board Tuesday agreed to pay the appointed members on the committee. In February, the commissioners discussed not paying the per diem.

Chairman Ed Larsen said this committee is like all the county committees where a per diem is paid so it would only be fair to be consistent to all committee members.

The 13 appointed members will each earn $50 a meeting, plus mileage. The money will be taken out of the general fund and next year money will be transferred out of the tax-forfeited land fund to pay the fees.

The committee will have its first meeting at 5 p.m. Monday in the social service building meeting room 1. The committee will review the forest management plan along with a general discussion. The meetings will be conducted by Peter Herlofsky Jr., county administrator, and Thomas Cowell, county land commissioner.