Board, DNR to sponsor informational meeting on undeveloped roads, lakes

BACKUS Cass County and Minnesota DNR will sponsor an informational and training meeting for township officers and the public on undeveloped platted roads ending in lakes at 1 p.m. Dec. 5 at the land department building in Backus.

The county board decided recently to allow each township the first opportunity to accept ownership of such roads in their township. Then the county will decide whether to accept ownership of any remaining roads. The DNR is expected to accept ownership of any remaining.

Nov. 20, Cass County Board voted to seek a DNR grant to further research shorelines around lakes in the county to consider whether to begin intra-lake zoning on some lakes in the county. If approved, this grant would fund geographic information system research of pilot project lakes.

The county board will consider after all information has been collected whether to implement intra-lake zoning on some county lakes. That would give different zoning classes to different shores on a single lake, dependent upon how sensitive the shore area is deemed to be if developed.

After a Nov. 13 special closed annual performance evaluation meeting, the board issued statements Nov. 20 that Administrator Robert Yochum, HHVS Director Dorothy Opheim, Auditor-Treasurer Sharon Anderson, Building and Grounds Supervisor Tom Emery, Chief Financial Officer Larry Wolfe and Environment Services Director John Sumption have achieved the requirements for their positions.

The commissioners referred to environmental services department a letter from Minnesota State Archaeologist Scott Anfinson indicating the state archaeological office might be able to provide the county with information about areas of the county where archaeological sites are known to exist, enabling the county to cut the 2006 ordinance requirement for archaeological investigation on all new plats to only those in areas where remains are most likely to be found.

The board approved resolutions supporting a Cass County Economic Development application for a grant to provide a loan to Ridgeline Manufacturing at Pillager. If approved, the funds could result in a revolving loan fund for new and expanding businesses in the Pillager area.

Ridgeline will manufacture aluminum docks, lifts, canopies, lakefront stairways and other aluminum products to market through distributors in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The company hopes to employ 11.5 full-time equivalent employees within one year at wages ranging from $12 to $19.23 per hour.

Yochum reported the county completed installing a roof over the former jail outdoor recreation area at a cost of $242,844 or about $7,000 under budget. Some state inspections and certifications will be needed before the area can reopen as a prisoner holding area, he said.

Cass County zoning permits reflect the slowing housing trend this year. The 462 land use permits issued the third quarter this year for new buildings and sewer systems are down about 40 from last year and down 100 from 2005.