Sentence to Serve crews save county money
Work in first quarter of year was equivalent to $18,980 labor, 207 jail days
WALKER -- Six women and 38 men worked on Cass County Sentence to Serve crews the first quarter this year.
They worked a total of 3,796 hours, saving the county the cost of 207 days they otherwise would have spent in jail.
Their work was equivalent to $18,980 labor. While working, some STS crew members worked off $500 worth of fines owed the court.
They performed 1,054 hours of labor for townships, 919 hours for cities, 760 hours for the federal government, 674 hours for non-profit agencies, 319 hours for the county, and 35 hours each for the DNR and school districts.
Auditor-Treasurer Sharon Anderson reported to the county board on Tuesday that Cass earned $249,508.82 interest income on general fund investments the first quarter this year. Only $162,500 had been anticipated in budget projections.
Earnings on road and bridge funds were $18,603.39. Those for health and human services funds were $19,044.78. Both ran more than budget projections.
Douglas Glassmann, collections officer, reported he collected $45,054.80 in delinquent funds people owed social services and the courts the first quarter this year.
The commissioners voted to authorize the highway department to provide technical assistance to May Township for a bridge replacement this summer of Seven Mile Creek.
They denied three applications from citizen groups seeking to change the name of their road. The board had set a policy in February 1999 against considering road name changes after Dec. 31, 1999.
People who pay tree growth taxes instead of property tax will see their rate rise significantly for acreages forested with pine, aspen and birch.
This valuation increase reflects higher prices loggers have been paying the county for stumpage they buy from county owned and managed parcels.
The board authorized transferring $100,000 to begin the process to sell bonds for constructing the social services building addition and begin design plans.
After the bonds are sold, Administrator Robert Yochum said the general fund will be repaid this amount. Evenson Dodge Inc. will be retained to prepare the bond sale.
The county will accept a donation of 4.9 acres of wetlands adjacent to county administered land in Powers Township. None of the neighboring property owners are interested in owning the parcel, Yochum said.