Clean-up days planned

Annual spring clean-up days are right around the corner in Crow Wing County.

Douglas Morris, county solid waste coordinator, told the Crow Wing County Board Tuesday residents living in east Brainerd may go to Harrison Elementary April 28 to get rid of their garbage, such as mattresses, broken furniture and tires. The Pequot Lakes Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a clean-up day also on this day.

All residents are able to drop off their garbage May 5 at the Wal-mart parking lot in Baxter. This clean-up is being sponsored by Kiwanis.

Crosby residents' clean-up day is May 19 at the city garage.

Morris said Crow Wing Township is working on having a clean-up day for the area.

Morris also said the Household Hazardous Waste Facility will be open the second Saturday and Wednesday of the month starting in May. In the winter the facility is open by appointment only.

In other county business, the county board:

Approved a Select Committee on Recycling in the Environment Fund for $6,750 for Pequot Lakes.

Authorized the sheriff's department to apply for a boating supplemental grant for $18,000 to pay for increased patrol on county lakes.

Authorized the sheriff's department to hire four interns at $6.50 an hour and three seasonal workers for the boat and water area.

Approved the 2000 annual weed report. On township road right-of-ways, 66 miles of noxious weeds were mowed and 28 miles were sprayed; on city road right-of-ways 10 miles were mowed and 40 miles were sprayed; on counties road right-of-ways 60 miles were mowed and 28 were sprayed; and on county parks' road accesses, two acres were mowed and one acre was sprayed.

Approved a cooperative contract agreement with the DNR and Eller & Sons Trees Inc. for hand planting services for this spring. The county plans to plant trees in Fairfield, Mission, Pelican, Crow Wing and Fort Ripley townships.

Approved an addition to the county fee schedule. Residents who want to buy a forest management plan book must pay $25.

Awarded a bid to Jolene Kellerman to conduct septic system compliance inspections for Portage-Crooked Lakes.Kellerman will earn $40 for each inspection.

Approved an application for cancellation of forfeiture due to an administrative error. Roy Luukkonen, county auditor, said the owners of the building of the application were not notified and the county was not aware that a portion of the building sat on the property. This action will reinstate the taxes and title registration to the owner, said Luukkonen.

Supported a letter from the Minnesota Department of Revenue to have it perform any or all acts on behalf of the county to collect the taconite production tax arising under the state statute from the LTV Steel Mining Co.

Herlofsky asked the board to consider a new letterhead design for the county. The logo included pine trees along the shoreline with a sun setting.

Luukkonen said from a historic perspective that the current logo has been in place long before 1981 and that he supports the existing logo. He also stated that the logo being proposed is similar to Baxter's logo.

No action was taken on the logo.