[00:00:04] >> GOOD MORNING. WELCOME TO THE JULY 12TH, [Call Board of Commissioners Meeting to Order: Chair Dranttel] 2022 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING, AND WE START WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. >> >>[NOISE] IN ONE, PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONES OR YOUR TECHNOLOGY AT THIS POINT. OFF-SCRIPT, NOTE THAT. THIS MEETING IS OCCURRING BY MEANS OF INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY HAS ALLOWED BY MINNESOTA STATUTES CHAPTER 13. THE NOTICE IN ZOOM LINK REPUBLISHED THEM IN NICOLLET COUNTY WEBSITE AND ALSO AVAILABLE WITHIN TODAY'S PACKET. AS REQUIRED BY MINNESOTA STATUTES CHAPTER 13 ALL VOTES WILL OCCUR BY ROLL CALL. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. [Approval of Agenda] ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS, CORRECTIONS, OR DIGITAL INFORMATION? WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA. >>SECOND. >>CRYSTAL PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. THANK YOU. >>YES. >>YES. >>YES. >>YES. >>YES. THANK YOU. CALL YOU BY YOUR SISTER'S NAME SO WE'RE GOOD. [LAUGHTER] >>NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. [Approval of Consent Agenda] IS THERE ANYTHING TO ADD OR PULL OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA AT THIS POINT? DO YOU HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? >>I'LL MOVE IT, MADAM CHAIR. >>SECOND. >>THANK YOU. HEARING NO DISCUSSION. CRYSTAL? >>YES. >>YES. >>YES. >>YES. >>YES. >>TURN MY MIC ON. ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC APPEARANCES TODAY? [Public Appearances] SEEING AND HEARING NONE. THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THE SOUTHERN MINNESOTA INITIATIVE FOUNDATION. [Administration] MR. PENNY, WELCOME. >>THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO THE NICOLLET COUNTY BOARD. LAST YEAR, I HAD A CONFLICT, SO ALYSSA, ALL GIN BRANDS FROM MY OFFICE THAT CAME TO MAKE A PRESENTATION ON OUR BEHALF, BUT WE DO APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY EACH YEAR TO GIVE COUNTY BOARDS AND CITY COUNCILS ACROSS THE REGION AN UPDATE ON THE WORK OF OUR FOUNDATION. AS YOU KNOW, OUR FOUNDATION HAS BEEN AROUND 35 YEARS NOW. WE CAME INTO EXISTENCE DURING THE FARM CRISIS OF THE 1980S. THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION, AT THAT TIME, THE LARGEST FAMILY FOUNDATION IN THE STATE. WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO RURAL MINNESOTA WITH THOUSANDS OF FAMILY FARMERS BEING EITHER FORECLOSED OR ARE GOING BANKRUPT. THEY SAW THE EFFECT OF HAVING SMALLER TOWNS IN RURAL MINNESOTA. THEY WANTED TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP. THEY WISELY CREATED SIX REGIONAL FOUNDATIONS COVERING THE 89 METRO COUNTIES IN MINNESOTA, AND ALLOWED THESE FOUNDATIONS TO BE INDEPENDENT AND AUTONOMOUS AND WITH THEIR LOCAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO DETERMINE THE WAYS THAT THEIR RESOURCES COULD BE A HELPFUL COMPLEMENT AND A SUPPLEMENT TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOALS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE REGIONS. WE SERVE AT THE SOUTHERN MINNESOTA INITIATIVE FOUNDATION, A 20 COUNTY REGION IN SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA. WE CURRENTLY INVEST ABOUT FIVE, FIVE AND A HALF MILLION OF RESOURCES INTO THREE PROGRAM AREAS EACH YEAR. WE SPLIT OUR WORK BETWEEN EARLY CHILDHOOD, WHICH WE BELIEVE IS AN IMPORTANT INVESTMENT IN OUR FUTURE WORKFORCE. BECAUSE IF THESE YOUNG KIDS DON'T COME INTO KINDERGARTEN READY TO LEARN, THEY OFTEN NEVER CATCH UP AND THAT BECOMES A BURDEN FOR THEM THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. WE ALSO KNOW THAT CURRENT WORKERS WANT QUALITY CHILDCARE FOR THEIR CHILDREN. OUR INVESTMENTS THERE ARE DESIGNED TO HELP ENHANCE AND IMPROVE CHILDCARE OFFERINGS IN OUR 20 COUNTY REGION. OTHER GROUPS ARE WORKING ON THIS ISSUE JUST AS WE ARE. BUT AGAIN, WE TRY TO BE A GOOD COLLABORATOR, GOOD PARTNER WITH WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING SO THAT COLLECTIVELY, THE SUM CAN BE GREATER THAN THE PARTS. WHAT DO WE DO IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD SPACE? WE PROVIDE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROVIDER TRAININGS AT NO COST TO THESE PROVIDERS. THEY NEED TO GET CONTINUING CREDITS TO KEEP THEIR LICENSURE, TO STAY IN BUSINESS TO BE THE BEST THEY CAN BE. HUNDREDS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD PROVIDERS EACH OR TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR NO-COST TRAINING PROGRAMS SO THAT THEY CAN STAY IN BUSINESS. QUITE A NUMBER OF PROVIDERS HERE IN [00:05:01] SAINT PETER ANNUALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE TRAININGS. WE ALSO DO SOME EARLY CHILDHOOD PROVIDER GRANTS AND WE HAVE PROVIDED SOME OF THOSE GRANTS TO PROVIDERS HERE IN SAINT PETER OVER THE YEARS, WE HAVE AN AMERICORPS PROGRAM AND HAVE TYPICALLY PLACED ONE OF THOSE AMERICORP WORKERS HERE IN ST. PETER TO HELP ESSENTIALLY BE A TEACHER AID. WE ALSO GIVE AWAY ROUGHLY 25 THOUSAND EARLY READER BOOKS EVERY YEAR BASED ON SOME BOOK DONATIONS WE GET FROM AB DOUGH AND CAPSTONE PUBLISHING, BOTH OF WHICH ARE IN NORTH MANKATO. ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE RECEIVED ABOUT $42 THOUSAND WORTH OF BOOKS. THAT INCLUDES SAINT PETER COMMUNITY CHILDCARE, SAINT PETER PUBLIC LIBRARY, SAINT PAUL'S OF ANGELICA LUTHERAN CHURCH, AND JESUS LOVES ME, LEARNING CENTER. THAT'S IN QUICK SUMMARY KIND OF WHAT WE DO IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD SPACE ARE OTHER CATEGORY OF WORK IS ENTREPRENEURSHIP. THAT INCLUDES SOME BUSINESS LENDING WHERE WE DO 25 TO 30 SMALL BUSINESS STARTUP, EARLY-STAGE BUSINESS LOANS EVERY YEAR. SOME OF THE LENDING THAT WE'VE ENGAGED IN IN YOUR COMMUNITY OR IN YOUR COUNTY INCLUDE BLUE HORIZON OR THE RIVER ROCK COFFEE SHOP WHERE I'M GOING TO GO FOR MY NEXT MEETING AFTER I LEAVE HERE. ALSO CORNERSTONE WELLNESS HERE IN SAINT PETER AND UNIQUE HERE AND INK, WHICH IS IN NORTH MANKATO. IN ADDITION, WE HAVE BUSINESS TRAINING PROGRAMS THAT INCLUDES ONE SPECIFIC PROGRAM FOR NEW IMMIGRANT AND MINORITY ENTREPRENEURS. WE ENROLL IN EACH COHORT ABOUT 15 PEOPLE FOR A BUSINESS TRAINING PROGRAM TO HELP THEM GET THEIR BUSINESSES OFF TO A STRONGER START. A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES IN SAINT PETER AND NORTH MANKATO HAD BEEN A PART OF THAT NOLA KITCHEN, ME LINDOW [INAUDIBLE]. IS THAT HOW IT'S PRONOUNCED? GLORIANA'S TWO, THREE OTHER BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN PARTICIPANTS IN THAT PROGRAM BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT THEM TO GET A GOOD FOOTHOLD IN ESTABLISHING THEIR BUSINESS. WE ALSO HAVE SMALL TOWN GRANT PROGRAMS, THE SMALL TOWN PAINT PROGRAMS AND YOU PROBABLY SEE THOSE ADVERTISED IN THE LOCAL PRESS FOR RIBBON CUTTINGS AND OTHER SUCH ACTIVITIES CELEBRATING THOSE GRANTS THAT WE BRING TO THE TABLE. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT DURING THE COVID TIME FRAME, WITH FEDERAL DOLLARS, THE STATE OF MINNESOTA LEANED ON OUR FOUNDATION AND THE OTHER FIVE RURAL FOUNDATIONS TO DISTRIBUTE SMALL BUSINESS RECOVERY GRANTS. WE DID LAST YEAR 46 OF THOSE GRANTS TO BUSINESSES HERE IN YOUR COUNTY THAT ADDED UP TO ABOUT 480,000 DOLLARS. WE'RE JUST COMPLETING ANOTHER ROUND OF GRANTS AND SO THERE'LL BE A HIGHER NUMBER. I JUST DON'T HAVE THE CURRENT NUMBER TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS MORNING BUT IT'S A ROLE THAT WE CAN PLAY IN TIMES OF NEED AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA SAW THAT WE HAD THE SKILLSET TO GET THAT WORK DONE AND WE'RE HAPPY TO PLAY THAT ROLE. ON TOP OF THAT, WITH OUR OWN RESOURCES, WE ISSUED RECOVERY GRANTS AND OTHER ADJUSTMENT GRANTS RELATED TO EARLY CHILDHOOD PROVIDERS TO HELP THEM MAKE THE ADJUSTMENT AT THE FRONT END OF THIS COVID CRISIS AND 19 EARLY CHILDHOOD PROVIDERS IN YOUR COUNTY GOT GRANTS AT THAT TIME. THAT WAS OVER AND ABOVE OUR NORMAL WORKLOAD. TYPICALLY, AS I SAID, OUR BUDGET IS ABOUT 5.5 MILLION A YEAR, BUT THE LAST TWO YEARS IT'S BEEN 15, 16 MILLION BECAUSE WE'RE BRINGING IN THESE FEDERAL RESOURCES TO HELP WITH RECOVERY EFFORTS DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS AND SHUTDOWNS. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE ONGOING SUPPORT WE RECEIVED FROM NICOLLET COUNTY. ALL 20, THE COUNTIES PROVIDED SOME LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR OUR WORK. WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL UP, LOCAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT IS ABOUT 10 PERCENT OF OUR BUDGET, WHICH MEANS WE'RE BRINGING IN AN AWFUL LOT OF OUTSIDE RESOURCES IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE LOCAL MONEY WE RAISED. BUT WE BELIEVE STRONGLY THAT THE LOCAL SUPPORT IS AN INDICATION OF A PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE UNITS OF GOVERNMENT, EDAS, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR REGION THAT ARE INVESTING AS WE ARE IN THE VITALITY OF THIS REGION. WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO FIELD ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE, BUT THANKS AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE. >> THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. I HAD SEVERAL CLIENTS WITH THE MAIN STREET BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM AND THAT WAS QUITE, LIKE I SAY, SLEEK BUT AN EASY APPLICATION PROCESS ONCE THEY HAD INTERNET. THANK YOU. QUESTIONS FOR MR. PADDY. >> THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING ALL THE AMAZING WORK YOU ALL DID DURING THE PANDEMIC. ANY LONG-TERM LESSONS FROM WHAT YOU ALL DID DURING THE PANDEMIC MOVING FORWARD FOR THE FOUNDATION? >> WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS LONG-TERM LESSON [00:10:04] BECAUSE WE HAVE PLAYED THIS ROLE SEVERAL TIMES THROUGHOUT OUR 35-YEAR HISTORY. BUT WE ARE UNIQUELY POSITIONED IN THIS REGION TO BE AN ENTITY THAT CAN HELP WITH NATURAL OR MAN-MADE DISASTERS. IN THIS CASE, IT WAS FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE BECAUSE WE HAVE THE SKILLSET TO GET THAT DONE. I DON'T THINK I'M SPEAKING OUT OF TURN TO SHARE THAT THE DEED COMMISSIONER BASICALLY SAID, WE NEED YOU FOLKS TO HELP US DO THIS. THERE'S A ROLE WE CAN PLAY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO GET IT DONE AND YOUR ORGANIZATION HAS SKILLSET DO IT. BUT WE WERE RESPONSIVE AT THE TIME OF THE TORNADO HERE IN TOWN ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO. WE WERE RESPONSIVE WHEN A DOWNTOWN FIRE TOOK OUT EIGHT OR NINE BUSINESSES IN MADELIA A FEW YEARS AGO WITH SOME RECOVERY GRANTS THERE. WHEN FLOODING HIT THE RIVER VALLEY ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO, JUST AS I WAS TAKING THIS ROLE AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE FOUNDATION, WE WERE ABLE TO RAISE IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS' TIME 850,000 DOLLARS FROM VARIOUS SOURCES TO RESPOND WITH BUSINESS RECOVERY GRANTS THEN AND WITHIN TWO ADDITIONAL WEEKS, WE GOT ALL THOSE GRANTS OUT THE DOOR TO ABOUT 120 BUSINESSES. WE DO KNOW THAT EARLY MONEY MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. I THINK WHAT IT SUGGESTS TO ME IS THAT WHEN TOUGH TIMES HIT, YOU HAVE TO BE ADAPTABLE AND WE COULD MOVE QUICKLY. FOR THE MOST PART, WE DID THIS WITH OUR OWN STAFF, WITHOUT ADDING A DIME TO OUR PAYROLL BUT WE DID REACH OUT TO SBDC, WE DID REACH OUT TO REACH NINE AND OTHERS IN A PARTNERSHIP TO HELP GET SOME OF THAT WORK DONE. I THINK IT REAFFIRMS TO US OUR MOTTO WHICH IS COLLABORATING FOR REGIONAL VITALITY, THAT WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER, WHAT WELLSTONES WAS SAYING, WHEN WE ALL DO BETTER, WE ALL DO BETTER. I CAN'T THINK OF THAT QUOTE PRECISELY, BUT WHEN YOU WORK TOGETHER YOU GET MORE DONE, AND WE TRY TO MODEL THAT. >> I THINK THAT IDEA OF GETTING NOT JUST A PASS-THROUGH ROLE WITH THE FEDERAL MONEY, BUT DOING IT EFFICIENTLY AND QUICKLY THAT EARLY MONEY, I WOULD NOT HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THE FOUNDATION IN THAT ROLE, BUT KNOWING THAT NOW SEEMS TO BE AN ADDED BENEFIT THAT YOU ALL BRING TO THE REGION. I JUST HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION IF I MIGHT. WE'VE GOT CENSUS FIGURES FROM THE MOST RECENT CENSUS SHOWING POPULATION CHANGES AND POPULATION LOSS IN SOME AREAS IN OUR REGION. AT SAME TIME, JOB FIGURES SUGGEST WE HAVE THREE JOB SEEKERS FOR EVERY 10 OPEN JOBS IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA. I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE FIGURES PLAY INTO HOW YOU ALL PROCEED AND PLAN FOR THE FUTURE. >> ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE CREATED THIS SMALL TOWN GRANT PROGRAM IS THAT WE STILL HAVE A FEW COUNTIES AND THIS 20-COUNTY REGION THAT ARE EXPERIENCING POPULATION DECLINE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF OUR RESOURCES ARE REACHING COMMUNITIES IN THOSE COUNTIES TO HELP THEM BE WHAT THEY CAN BE. WE DON'T DO WORK FOR US, IT'S TOO BIG AN ISSUE FOR US TO HANDLE BUT WHEN YOU DO ENTREPRENEURSHIP, YOU'RE CREATING JOBS THERE. THAT'S THE ROLE THAT WE PLAY IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPACE. WE DO TRY TO COORDINATE AS BEST WE CAN WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING IN THAT SPACE. THERE'S AN ORGANIZATION CALLED COMPREHENSIVE EMPLOYMENT DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATES THAT PROVIDES PART-TIME EDA HELP TO SMALLER COMMUNITIES. IN CITIES LIKE ST. PETER, YOU'VE GOT YOUR OWN EDA SO WE'VE WORKED WITH RUSS WILLY OVER TIME ON A VARIETY OF INITIATIVES. THE WORKFORCE CHALLENGE IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK THE TWO-YEAR INSTITUTIONS ARE DOING A BETTER JOB OF RESPONDING TO, AND HAVING BEEN IN THE LEGISLATURE, YOU MAY SHARE THIS VIEW, MAYBE YOU DON'T. BUT I THINK FOR A COUPLE OF DECADES, THEY DRIFTED AWAY FROM TECHNICAL TRAINING. THEY'RE GETTING BACK INTO THAT. I ALSO SEE A LOT OF INTEREST ON THE PART OF HIGH SCHOOLS TO [00:15:01] RE-CREATE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BUSINESSES THAT EXIST IN THEIR COMMUNITY, AND THE NEEDS THAT THOSE BUSINESSES HAVE FOR SKILLED WORKERS. I THINK WE'RE BEGINNING TO TURN THE CORNER ON PROVIDING THE TRAINING EARLY-ON, EITHER IN HIGH SCHOOL OR AT OUR TWO-YEAR INSTITUTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FACTORIES HAVE THE SKILLED WORKFORCE THAT THEY NEED. AGAIN, OUR ROLE IS ENTREPRENEURSHIP BECAUSE WITH A $5 MILLION BUDGET, WE CAN'T BE EVERYTHING TO EVERYBODY, AND THAT'S THE NICHE THAT WE'VE TRIED TO ESTABLISH. >> ON SOME OF THESE NEW BUSINESSES, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA? WELL, A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES FAIL ACTUALLY. DOES IT LOOK BETTER ON AVERAGE THAN ONCE A WEEK COMPARED TO THE GENERAL? >> WELL, I'M PLEASED TO SAY YES. WE HAVE THE ABILITY WITH OUR LENDING PROGRAM TO LAYER INTO THAT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. IF THEY NEED QUICKBOOKS TRAINING, WE'VE GOT SOMEONE ON STAFF THAT WORKS HAND IN GLOVE WITH THESE BUSINESS LOAN CLIENTS TO PROVIDE THAT. IF THEY NEED SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFF CAPACITY TO PROVIDE, WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONTRACT. LET'S SAY THEY NEED MARKETING OR HOW TO USE THE INTERNET FOR ONLINE MARKETING, WE CAN CONTRACT WITH A CONSULTANT TO COME IN SPECIFICALLY TO HELP THE BUSINESS WITH THAT. THE POINT I'M GETTING AT IS THAT BECAUSE OF THAT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, WE HELP GET THESE BUSINESSES OFF TO A BETTER START AND THEY'RE MORE ABLE THEN TO SUSTAIN THAT BUSINESS GOING FORWARD. WE HAVE A VERY LOW DEFAULT RATE, NO MORE THAN 10 PERCENT, AND EVEN THEN, WE DO HAVE SOME COLLATERAL THAT WE CAN RECOVER. BUT, OUR BUSINESS SUCCESS RATE IS HIGHER BECAUSE EVERY LOAN CAN BE ACCOMPANIED BY SOME TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THAT'S SPECIFIC TO THE NEED OF THAT BUSINESS. >> DO YOU HELP PEOPLE WHOSE ENGLISH IS NOT THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE? >> WE DO. WE HAVE A CONSULTANT THAT WORKS WITH US, AND CAN HELP WITH THOSE LANGUAGE TRANSLATION NEEDS. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK WITH THIS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK IN THE LEGISLATURE. I THINK NATIONAL CONGRESS [INAUDIBLE] TELLING YOU WE'RE PRETTY MUCH RESPECTED BY BOTH PARTIES. >> YOU'RE KIND TO SAY SO, BUT CONGRESS WAS A DIFFERENT INSTITUTION BACK THEN. BUT AS A HISTORIAN, THINGS EBB AND FLOW. THE INABILITY OF CONGRESS TO GET THINGS DONE TODAY IS UNFORTUNATE. BUT THOMAS JEFFERSON ONCE SAID THAT DEMOCRACY IS SLOW, CUMBERSOME, AND INEFFICIENT. BUT IN DUE COURSE, THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE WILL BE HEARD IN THEIR LATE INTO WISDOM WILL PREVAIL, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO BETTER DAYS. >> THANK YOU. >> COMMISSIONER CALLERS. >> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANKS TIM FOR BEING HERE. TIM AND I HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR 40 YEARS NOW. I KNOW THAT I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE'VE HAD HERE AT NICOLLET COUNTY WITH SOUTHERN MINNESOTA INITIATIVE. WE'RE SO GRATEFUL THAT YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION COME TO OUR BOARD TO TELL US WHAT'S HAPPENING, WHAT'S BEEN WORKING. HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF SOUTHERN MINNESOTA INITIATIVE, WHEN THESE PEOPLE SITTING AROUND THESE TABLES AREN'T SITTING AROUND THESE TABLES AND AT YOUR OFFICE IN ALL THE TIME, IF I MAY ASK, DO YOU HAVE A FUTURE PLAN? >> WE'RE AT THE FINAL STAGE OF DEVELOPING OUR NEXT FIVE-YEAR PLAN. WE'RE GOING TO PROVE THAT AT OUR BOARD MEETING ON JULY 20TH. WE THEN WILL SUBMIT THAT TO MCKNIGHT BECAUSE THEY CONTINUE TO BE A GENEROUS FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE WORK WE DO, AND WE'RE ON CYCLE FOR THEM TO RENEW THAT FIVE-YEAR COMMITMENT AT THEIR NOVEMBER BOARD MEETINGS. WHAT WE DID THOUGH IS WE HAD A CONSULTING FIRM, NEWER COMMUNICATIONS, DO FOCUS GROUPS WITH A VARIETY OF SECTORS. FOLKS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FOLKS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN EARLY CHILDHOOD, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE MACULA DIVERSITY COUNCIL, THEY REPRESENT AND WORK ON BEHALF OF THE NEW COMERS TO OUR PART OF THE STATE. THAT HELPED INFORM OUR NEW STRATEGIC PLAN. THE ONE THING THAT I WILL SAY AT THE VERY TOP OF THEIR REPORT BACK TO US, [00:20:02] WAS THAT THE FEEDBACK THEY GOT FROM THESE VARIOUS FOCUS GROUPS WAS KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING. WE HAVE BEEN COMMITTED TO EARLY CHILDHOOD AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR THE 15 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN AT THE FOUNDATION. THE CONSISTENCY OF STAYING FOCUSED IN THOSE AREAS AND BEING A HELPFUL PARTNER, A HELPFUL COMPLEMENT AND SUPPLEMENT TO WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING IN THOSE AREAS HAS REALLY HELPED MOVE THE NEEDLE IN THIS PART OF THE STATE. A BIG PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR NEW STRATEGIC PLAN IS TO JUST STRENGTHEN THE ROLE WE PLAY IN THOSE AREAS OF WORK. BUT, THE OTHER THING WE'RE EMBEDDING IN THIS PLAN IS MORE OF AN EMPHASIS ON OUTREACH AND INCLUSION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONNECTING, ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW POPULATIONS THAT ARE COMING TO OUR REGION, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE RESOURCES WE CAN BRING AND THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THEM ABOUT THEIR NEEDS IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD SPACE AND THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPACE, AND IN SOME RESPECTS, MAYBE HELP TO MODEL FOR THE REGION, HOW TO BE MORE WELCOMING AND MORE SUPPORTIVE OF THE NEW FOLKS THAT ARE MOVING HERE. I ALSO THINK AND I ASK THE RURAL POLICY CENTER, THIS IS MAYBE A LITTLE OFF TRACK, COMMISSIONER CALLERS, I APOLOGIZE IF IT IS, TWO YEARS AGO TO DO A STUDY ON THE COST OF LIVING IN A RURAL. THEY DID AN EXHAUSTIVE STUDY ABOUT THE COST OF LIVING RURAL COMPARED TO METRO. WHAT THEY LEARNED WASN'T A SURPRISE TO ME, BUT I WAS HAPPY TO SEE IT BORNE OUT BY THE NUMBERS IS THAT YOU TYPICALLY MIGHT MAKE A LITTLE LESS IN ANY PROFESSION OR MANUFACTURING JOB HERE IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA, BUT WHEN YOU FACTOR IN THE COST OF LIVING YOUR MONEY AHEAD, AND THAT DOESN'T EVEN SPEAK TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THIS PART OF THE STATE. I'M THINKING THAT ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF COVID WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE FOUND THAT THEY COULD LIVE ANYWHERE AND WORK REMOTELY, THAT COST OF LIVING AND QUALITY OF LIFE FACTOR IS A BIG SELLING POINT FOR OUR PART OF THE STATE, AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO PUSH THAT MESSAGE OUT. I KNOW A LOT OF ETAS AND CHAMBERS ARE DOING THE SAME. THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, ONE OF OUR VERY RECENT WORK IN THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPACE IS LOCAL FOODS. IN ADDITION TO OUR NATURAL BEAUTY IN THIS CORNER OF MINNESOTA, THAT'S BECOMING A BIG PART OF TOURISM FOR OUR PART OF THE STATE, WHETHER IT'S BREWERIES, OR WINERIES, OR A LITTLE FARMER'S MARKET ACTIVITIES, OR STORES LIKE RIVER ROCK THAT SOURCE MOSTLY LOCALLY. THIS IS BECOMING A BIG ATTRACTION FOR OTHER PART OF THE STATE, AND IT'S DRAWING A LOT MORE TOURISM TO THIS AREA. I'M REALLY QUITE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE OF SOUTH CENTRAL, SOUTH EASTERN MINNESOTA, AND I'M PROUD TO LEAD AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S A PARTNER IN ADVANCING THE FUTURE OF THIS REGION. >> I WAS WAITING FOR YOU TO MENTION THE PIZZA FARM. [LAUGHTER] >> WE'RE GOING TO GO THERE THE DAY AFTER OUR BOARD MEETING. ALWAYS EVERY YEAR AT OUR JULY BOARD MEETING, WE DO ONE DAY WHERE WE TRAVEL TO THREE COUNTIES TO EXPERIENCE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THOSE COUNTIES, AND ESPECIALLY TO THE DEGREE THAT THEIR EARLY CHILDHOOD OR SMALL TOWN GRANT OR ENTREPRENEUR INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE. THE DAY AFTER OUR BOARD MEETING ON JULY 20TH, WE'RE GOING TO BE AT THE PLEASANT GROVE PIZZA, NORTH OF WASECA WHICH IS A LONG CLIENT OF OURS, PROBABLY CONSUME SOME HALF PINT THROUGH. THAT IS ALSO A LONG TIME CLIENT OF OURS. WE'RE GOING TO EAGLE LAKE WHERE WE WORKED ON A CHILDCARE SHORTAGE ISSUE, AND HELPED CREATE A COMMUNITY FUND A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. THEN WE MOVE ON FROM THERE TO FREEBORN COUNTY, AND DO SOME SIMILAR VISITS DOWN THERE. I ALWAYS TRY TO BE SENSITIVE WHEN YOU'VE GOT A VOLUNTEER BOARD, YOU DON'T WANT TO EAT UP TOO MUCH OF THEIR TIME. BUT, WE'RE ASKING THEM EVERY YEAR TO GIVE AN EXTRA DAY JUST TO GO ON THESE BUS TOURS. IT IS THEIR FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE THEY CAN ACTUALLY THEN SEE UP CLOSE THE IMPACT THAT SOME OF OUR INVESTMENTS ARE MAKING IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THIS REGION. JOIN US ON THE BUS TRIP. I THINK THERE'S STILL TIME TO SIGN UP. [LAUGHTER] >> THANK YOU. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE. >> WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >> THANK YOU. WE'LL SEND YOU ON YOUR WAY. >> SEE YOU NEXT TIME. >> THANK YOU. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS PROPERTY AND PUBLIC SERVICES, [Property Services] [00:25:05] AG BMP, LOW INTEREST LOAN PROJECT. GOOD MORNING, PETE. >> GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. BEFORE YOU, I HAVE A REQUEST FOR CONSIDERATION FOR ATTACHING THE LEAN TO A PARCEL THAT UTILIZE THE AG BMP LOAN PROGRAM FOR A SEPTIC TANK REPLACEMENT. THIS IS THE FINAL STEP IN THE AG BMP LOAN PROCESS. THE AMOUNT OF THIS LEAN IS $7,190. >> THE RESOLUTION IS WITHIN THE PACKET. DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION? >> I'LL MOVE. >> I'LL SECOND. >> QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FOR PETE? >> MADAM CHAIR, WHAT IS THE INTEREST RATE FOR THESE? >> LESS THAN THREE PERCENT. >> THANK YOU. >> ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE. CRYSTAL, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. >> COMMISSIONER [INAUDIBLE]. >>YES. >> COMMISSIONER CALLERS. >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER HENLEY. >> YES. >> YES. THANK YOU, RESOLUTION PASSES, THANK YOU. >> CAN I ASK A QUESTION AFTER THE FACT? >> SURE. >> DO WE HAVE ANY FAILURES ON THIS PROGRAM THAT YOU KNOW OF? >> WE HAVE, JUST ONE. >> OKAY. >> COMMISSIONER LUCKY, THERE HAS BEEN, I BELIEVE, ONE IN THE 30 YEARS THAT THE COUNTY HAS BEEN ADMINISTERING THE LOW-INTEREST LOAN PROGRAM, SO IT'S A VERY HIGH SUCCESS RATE FOR THE COUNTY AND FOR THE RESIDENTS. >> THANK YOU [INAUDIBLE] [OVERLAPPING] >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS THE COUNTY ATTORNEY UPDATE, GOOD MORNING. [County Attorney Update] >> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. JUST A COUPLE OF UPDATES, WE ARE STARTING TO HAVE MORE IN-PERSON COURT HEARINGS AS WE'RE EVOLVING MORE TOWARD A HYBRID APPROACH TO APPEARANCES AS DICTATED BY ORDERS OF THE SUPREME COURT FOR BOTH CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CASES, CONTINUING TO BE VERY BUSY WITH A MULTITUDE OF ISSUES THAT COME BEFORE, TO THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ON A WEEKLY BASIS. ALSO IN THE PLANNING STAGES FOR A NUMBER OF FAL COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT WILL BE PARTICIPATING THAT FOCUS ON YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE WOULD NOTE, AN EVENING COMMUNITY EVENTS HERE IN SAINT PETER ON SEPTEMBER 14TH WITH COREY GREENWOOD THAT IS BEING SPONSORED BY AQUA, THAT WILL ADDRESS YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A COMMUNITY EVENT IN THE EVENING WITH A FREE MEAL SPONSORED BY THE SAINT PETER AMBASSADORS AND SAINT PETER LIONS CLUB, AND SO THERE WILL BE MORE INFORMATION COMING OUT ABOUT THAT. THE EXCITING PART ABOUT THAT IS OBVIOUSLY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE, ASK QUESTIONS, AND HEAR ABOUT WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO STUDENTS DURING THE DAY, BUT THERE WILL ALSO BE A NUMBER OF TABLES AVAILABLE IN THE ATRIUM OF THE HIGH SCHOOL FOR FAMILIES TO GET ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY RESOURCE INFORMATION AT THAT EVENT. THEN WE ARE BUSY STARTING UP WITH THE FRIENDS OF LEARNING BACKPACK, SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE, WHICH ACTUALLY DOVETAILS INTO WHAT MR. PENNY INDICATED ABOUT ENSURING EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS FOR STUDENTS AND HAVING THE SCHOOL SUPPLIES THEY NEED TO START OFF THE YEAR RATE IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT FOR BOTH THE STUDENTS AND THE TEACHERS, SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO USE THEIR OWN FUNDS TO PROVIDE THOSE SUPPLIES FOR STUDENTS. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. NEXT CENTER AGENDA IS CHAIR'S REPORT. [Chair’s Report] IT HAS BEEN A VERY QUIET COUPLE OF WEEKS. THERE WERE NO FUN ROAD TRIPS WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY THIS TIME SO [LAUGHTER] COMMISSIONER, [Commissioner Committee Reports] COMMITTEE REPORTS, COMMISSIONER HACK? >> I HAVE NOTHING AT THIS TIME. >> THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER LEPKE. >> I DID ATTEND THE SOIL AND WATER REGIONAL MEETING IN LENKETO. I HAD INTERVIEWED TRAINING WITH BONNIE CHRISTIANSEN, JUST A HALF-HOUR ZOOM MEETING WHERE THE INTERVIEWS WE WERE GOING TO DO FOR THE 4-H EDUCATOR. I DID ATTEND A TREAT CARE CLINIC, THAT THE EXTENSION SERVICE PUT ON AND SAINT PETER HE AND MANDY WAS THERE FOR A BRIEF PART OF IT. DID THE 4-H INTERVIEWS UPSTAIRS IN A REALLY HOT ROOM ON THE THIRD FLOOR ON THURSDAY, AND THERE WAS THREE CANDIDATES, BUT ONE DROPPED OUT BUT WE HAD TWO VERY EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT CANDIDATES AND I HOPE WE HAVE ONE OF THEM AS A 4-H PERSON. I ATTENDED THE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL MEETING LAST NIGHT AS A MEMBER OF THE, WHAT ARE WE ON? [OVERLAPPING] [INAUDIBLE]. >> THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER MORROW. >> I ATTENDED A DITCH DISCUSSION, WENT TO A REGIONAL MEETING ABOUT HIGHWAY 22 AND A POTENTIAL BIKE LANE ALONG IT, AND DISTRIBUTED FOOD AS PART OF FRESH FOOD FRIDAY, WHICH WAS AN AMAZING TURNOUT AND A LOT OF KIDS HANDING OUT FOOD THIS TIME. [00:30:03] >> GOOD BECAUSE THEY STRUGGLED FOR VOLUNTEERS. >> YEAH. [OVERLAPPING] >> IT'S A LOT OF WORK GETTING IT BUSTED FROM PALETTES TO INDIVIDUAL PORTIONS SO IT'S A WONDERFUL PROGRAM. >> IT ISN'T THAT THEY HYPED THE KIDS WHERE BUNCH OF THEM CAME, IT WAS FANTASTIC. >> COOL, THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER CALLERS >> THAT I'M SURE I'M ON THE SAME PAGE AS YOU WERE, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS A VACATION FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS. >> THANK YOU. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS COMMISSIONER MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES. [Commissioner Meetings & Conferences] >> THERE IS NOTHING FOR THE JULY OR AUGUST, JUST KEEPS IN MIND THAT SEPTEMBER IS THE NEXT AMC DISTRICT OR EXCUSE ME, AMC FAL CONFERENCE AND THERE'LL BE MORE INFORMATION COMING OUT AS IT'S AVAILABLE, BUT A REMINDER NEXT WEEK ON THE 19TH IS THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT HEAD AND THE WORKSHOP AND THEN ON THE 26TH IS THE REGULAR SCHEDULED BOARD MEETING IN THE NORTH MANKATO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TOUR IN THE AFTERNOON AT 2:30. >> THANK YOU. NEXT IS TO APPROVE THE PREDIUMS AND EXPENSES, DO WE HAVE A MOTION? [Approve Per Diems and Expenses] >> TABLED. >> SECOND. >> FURTHER DISCUSSION. ALL THOSE IN, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. >> COMMISSIONER [INAUDIBLE] >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER WANG. >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER HACK >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER CALLERS >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER JENNER. >> YES. THEN A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE BOARD MEETING. >> MOVE TO ADJOURN. >> SECOND. >> CRYSTAL [LAUGHTER]. >> OH MY GOSH, YOU GUYS ARE SO FAST. COMMISSIONER LUCKY. >> YES. >> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MORROW? >> YES. >> HACK. >> YES. >> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MORROW. >> AGAIN? [LAUGHTER] COMMISSIONER CALLERS. >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER JENNER. >> YES. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> ALL RIGHT. WE WILL COME BACK FOR THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY AT 9:55. THANK YOU. [Call Drainage Authority Meeting to Order: Chair Dranttel] IT IS 9:55 AND WE CAN CALL THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY MEETING TO ORDER. WE CAN AT LEAST GET THE PRELIMINARIES OUT AND THE BALANCE OF THE TECHNOLOGY CAN START WORKING. FIRST ON THE AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. >> SO MOVED. >> SECOND. >> CRYSTAL, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. >> COMMISSIONER HACK >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER MORROW >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER LUCKY. >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER HACK >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER CALLERS. >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER JENNER. >> YES. THANK YOU. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS THE CONSENT AGENDA. >> I MOVE APPROVAL. >> SECOND. >> COMMISSIONER MORROW. >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER CALLERS. >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER HACK. >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER LUCKY >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER JENNER. >> YES. THANK YOU. NOW, PUBLIC APPEARANCES FOR THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY. HEARING AND SEEING NONE, WE CAN GO ON TO THE CONTINUED COUNTY DITCH 79 PUBLIC HEARING ON THE FINAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. JACKIE, GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. ALL RIGHT, SO TODAY IS A CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING FOR COUNTY DITCH 79, IT WAS CONTINUED FROM JUNE 22ND. IT'S FOR THE FINAL ACCEPTANCE AND THE LEVY FOR THE CLOSE OUT OF THAT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. SO AT THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING, THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY ASKED ISG TO PUT TOGETHER A PROPOSAL FOR THE LEVELING OF THE BERM ON MR. CORDECES PROPERTY. THIS WOULD INCLUDE THE ALLOCATION OF THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THESE REPAIRS. TODAY, MR. ADAMS FROM ISG IS HERE TO PRESENT FOR ISG. THEN IF THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY APPROVES THE FINAL ACCEPTANCE REPORT, I WILL BE ASKING THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY TO APPROVE IN MOST BY MOTION THE LEVY TO THE LANDOWNERS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE PROJECT AND OTHER MAINTENANCE COSTS SINCE THE LAST LEVY IN THE AMOUNT OF $231,943.54. >> THANK YOU. MR. ADAMS, YOU'RE HERE ON BEHALF OF ISG? >> I AM, YEAH. THERE'S A LETTER THAT CHUCK SHARED WITH ME YESTERDAY. I BELIEVE HE'S PASSED IT ON TO VIEW, OR I CAN JUST PROVIDE A SYNOPSIS. >> I THINK A SYNOPSIS IS FINE. >> OKAY. >> THANK YOU. >> GENERALLY, AS WE RESEARCHED HOW WE ARE WHERE WE ARE TODAY. BASICALLY, A RECOUNT OF WHAT WE DISCOVERED WHEN WE WERE GOING BACK THROUGH THE RECORDS ON THIS. THE ORIGINAL PLANS AS BID. IF YOU CAN SEE THAT OKAY, [00:35:02] AS THE PROJECT WAS BID AND AS IT WAS DISCUSSED AT THE PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING, WHEN THE NEW DITCH WAS CONSTRUCTED, ALL OF THE SPOILS WERE GOING TO BE HAULED TO THE WEST ONTO THE GIZA KEY PROPERTY AND PLACED IN THIS ORANGE AREA. I DON'T HAVE THE BACKGROUND MYSELF AS TO WHAT THAT DISCUSSION WAS, BUT AT THE PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING, IT WAS REQUESTED BY THE LANDOWNERS THAT WE NO LONGER BEAR THE EXPENSE TO MOVE THAT MATERIAL OUT THERE. IT WAS TO BE PLACED ON THE COURTS' PROPERTY, WHICH IS WHERE IT WAS ULTIMATELY PLACED, AND THERE WAS A COMMENT FROM MR. CORTEZ OFFERING THAT RATHER THAN BURNING IT ALL UP IN THE BUFFER, THAT IT COULD BE SPREAD OUT AS FAR INTO HIS PROPERTY AS WE SAW FIT. ON AUGUST 3RD, WHICH IS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THAT, WAS WITHIN A WEEK OF THAT PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING, I BELIEVE. THIS PLAN WAS ISSUED AS A PLAN OF ADJUSTMENT. YOU CAN SEE THAT THE SPOILS WERE NO LONGER LOCATED ON THE GIZA KEY PROPERTY AS REQUESTED AND DISCUSSED AT THE PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING. THEY ARE NOW BEING SPREAD OUT ALONG THE BUFFER, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, SPREAD OUT INTO THE COURT IS PARTIALLY AS FAR AS WE FELT APPROPRIATE. THAT PLAN ADJUSTMENT WAS ISSUED TO CONSTRUCTION THAT WAS FOLLOWED. WE HAD SITE MEETINGS IN I BELIEVE, DECEMBER 10TH, WITH HENRY FROM THE COUNTY, LOOKING AT THE WAY THINGS WERE LAID OUT. ALL PARTIES AGREED THAT IT MET THE PLANS, IT LOOKED APPROPRIATE. THERE WAS ANOTHER SIDE MEETING ON DECEMBER 22ND, OF 2020, DISCUSSING THE SAME THING, ALSO DISCUSSING SOME ADDITIONAL GRAVEL MATERIAL THAT NEEDED TO BE PLACED ON THE PRIVATE DRIVEWAY BECAUSE THAT WAS USED UNAUTHORIZED. ALL PARTIES OF THAT MEETING, TO MY RECOLLECTION, AGREED THAT THE PROJECT WAS CONSTRUCTED CORRECTLY PER THE PLANS FOR THE AGREEMENT. THEN THE SITE WAS LEFT BASICALLY UNTOUCHED FOR ALL OF 2021 WHILE WE WAITED FOR GRASS TO ESTABLISH. NO COMPLAINTS WERE BROUGHT UP AT THAT POINT. [NOISE] WE FLEW THE SITE WITH THE DRONE MULTIPLE TIMES, INCLUDING AFTER SOME RAIN EVENTS. DIDN'T NOTE ANY PONDING OR PULLING WATER. AFTER WE OBSERVED THAT THE GRASS HAD GROWN TO THE 77 PERCENT ESTABLISHMENT AS THE PLANS WERE, FOR THE SPECIFICATIONS REQUIRED, WE RECOMMENDED CLOSING THE PROJECT OUT, AND THEN THAT LED US TO THE FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, FINAL HEARING WHERE MR. CORTEZ EXPRESSED THE CONCERNS OVER WHAT HE WITNESSED TO BE SOME POPPIN' WATER IN HIS YARD AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE HERE TODAY. I BELIEVE YOU'VE GOT A MEETING WITH CHUCK PRIOR TO THIS AND WE WERE TO LOOK INTO THE BACKGROUND AND THEN PROVIDE A PROPOSAL. I DO HAVE A PROPOSAL. [NOISE] WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER A PLAN SETS TO REGRADE THE COURTS' PROPERTY BUT ESSENTIALLY JUST ELIMINATING THE BERM AS REQUESTED. THE BASIS OF ISD'S I GUESS, OFFER IN THIS SCENARIO IS WE FEEL BASED ON THE RECORDS OF WHAT'S ALL TRANSPIRED AND HOW WE ARE WHERE WE ARE TODAY, THAT THIS IS NOT EXACTLY OUR RESPONSIBILITY, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY WILLING TO HELP OUT AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT THE LANDOWNER IS SATISFIED WITH THE END RESULT OF THE PROJECT. IT APPEARS WE'VE GOT A LITTLE OVER $2,000 WORTH OF WORK IN PROGRESS THAT HASN'T BEEN BILLED FOR THIS PROJECT, AND THEY WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE A LITTLE BIT OF CONSTRUCTION OVERSIGHT TO BID THIS OUT, OR WARRANT A CONTRACT TO A BETTER OVERSEE THE REST OF THE WORK THROUGH COMPLETION. CHUCK'S OFFER WAS WE WOULD JUST WAIVE THOSE FEES AND THEN ABSORB THAT. THAT WOULD BE OUR CONTRIBUTION. HE SAID THAT MANY COSTS PROCEEDING WOULD BE THE WATERSHED AS OPPOSED TO ICE. [NOISE] ANY QUESTIONS? [00:40:04] >> MR. LUCKY. >> ON THAT DECEMBER 22ND MEETING, I WAS THERE. I DO NOT REMEMBER TALKING ABOUT THE BURN OR THE GRADING AT THAT TIME, BUT YOU WERE THERE, RIGHT? >> CORRECT. YES. >> THE MAJOR ISSUE WAS, IT WAS DECEMBER 22ND, THERE WERE STOLEN THE FORECASTED CORTICES DRIVEWAY WAS A MESS. >> THAT WAS THE MAIN REASON FOR THE MEETING. YES. >> YEAH. SO IT COULD HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED BUT I DIDN'T REALLY DON'T REMEMBER IT. MAYBE IT WAS MORE BEFORE OR AFTER I WAS THERE. I WAS WONDERING THAT NEED HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT SETH, THAT YOU COULD SHARE? >> NO, I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO TALK WITH NAME CORRECTLY THIS MARINE, BUT IN PAST CONVERSATIONS, I BELIEVE HE SAID THAT THE BURN WAS DISCUSSED. >> IT WAS DISCUSSED. OKAY. THAT IF IT WAS THAT I WAS THERE, I DON'T REMEMBER BUT WHAT DOES SYNOPSIS WAS IT LATER. >> I THINK GENERALLY, AS I RECALL THE CONVERSATION, IT WAS CENTERED MORE ON CONCERNS HE HAD WITH THE ELEVATION OF THAT ROCK OVERFLOW AND THEN THE BERM WAS BROUGHT UP. AS I RECALL, THE DISCUSSION BASICALLY WENT THAT THERE WAS CONSTRUCTED FOR THE PLANS. WE'VE SURVEYED IT. IT HAS POSITIVE DRAINAGE. >> THAT IS ALREADY KNOW THE COURT HAS SPENT ONLY. >> YES. >> CORRECT. >> COMMISSIONER MORROW, YOU'RE THINKING? >> OH, I HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT I'M GOING TO WAIT UNTIL WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE PUBLIC. >> OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER THINGS TO ADD, MR? >> NOTHING FURTHER TO ADD, NO. THANK YOU. >> ADAMS? AT THIS POINT, WE CAN OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF THE MEETING TO INVITE PUBLIC COMMENT. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS OR WAS ANY SUBMITTED? >> NOTHING WAS SUBMITTED. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. >> IS ANYONE JOINING US VIRTUALLY? >> NO. >> NO. OKAY. HEARING AND SEEING NONE, WE CAN CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF THE PUBLIC HEARING. >> MADAM, CHAIR. >> COMMISSIONER, MORROW. >> MS. GOEBEL, I'M LOOKING AT A LETTER DATED JULY 12TH, 2022 FROM ISG THAT WE RECEIVED. DO WE KNOW HAS MR. CORTEZ CONTACTED US? DO WE KNOW WHETHER MR. CORTEZ HAS SEEN THIS LETTER? >> HE HAS NOT CONTACTED US AND THAT LETTER WE JUST RECEIVED LATE YESTERDAY BY EMAIL. >> WELL, I KNOW. THE LETTERS DATED TODAY? >> TODAY. YEAH. BUT CHUCK DID SEND OUT BY EMAIL LATER IN THE DAY YESTERDAY. >> MR. MILLS, DO WE KNOW WHETHER MR. CURTIS HAS SEEN THIS LETTER? >> I'M ADAMS. I'M SORRY, ADAMS. I APOLOGIZE. >> NO. IT'S OKAY. I DON'T BELIEVE SO BECAUSE I WAS COPIED ON THE EMAIL FROM MR. BRANDEL YESTERDAY, SENDING IT TO CHUCK AND COUNTY STAFF. I KNOW HE'S HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH MR. CORTEZ, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S AN EMAIL. >> THAT I'M SURE MR. BRANDEL DID SAY AFTER TALKING TO ME YESTERDAY LATE MORNING THAT HE WAS GOING TO TRY TO CONTACT MR. CORTEZ. >> MADAM CHAIR, I'M GOING TO EXPRESS A LITTLE FRUSTRATION. >> GO AHEAD. I'M GOING TO FOLLOW YOU. >> THIS IS A LETTER DATED TODAY. WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER MR. CURTIS HAS ACTUALLY RECEIVED THIS LETTER OR WHETHER HE'S READ THIS LETTER OR WHETHER HE AGREES WITH THIS LETTER. IT'S AN UNFORTUNATE THE LETTER WOULD BE SENT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON ELECTRONICALLY DATED TODAY FOR HEARING AT 10 O'CLOCK TODAY. THIS LETTER SUGGESTS THAT ALMOST $5,000 WOULD BE NEEDED ON ISG'S ESTIMATE. I DON'T KNOW WHO'S BEING EXPECTED TO PAY THIS AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE'S AGREED TO PAY THIS OTHER THAN ISG SAYING IT WILL NOT BUILD SOME TIME IT WOULD OTHERWISE COULD BILL. DO I HAVE THAT UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, MS. COPE? >> I WOULD LIKE AFTER YOUR EXPLANATION, WHEN I READ THE LETTER, I WAS ANTICIPATING THAT ISG WAS GOING TO PICK UP THE COST ON THE GRADING PORTION OF IT AND NOT THE SEATING. BUT AS YOU EXPLAINED IT, IT SEEMED A LITTLE DIFFERENT SO COULD YOU CLARIFY THAT? >> THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING AS CHUCK EXPLAINED IT TO ME YESTERDAY AS I READ THE LETTER, IS THAT THAT WOULD BE THE WAY THAT ISG WOULD COMPENSATE FOR THE GRADING IS BY NOT BILLING FOR OUR TIME. WE ALREADY HAVE OVER $2,000 WORTH OF WHIP THAT WOULD BE BILLED AND WE WOULD HAVE ADDITIONAL COSTS TO ADMINISTER CONTRACTS, [00:45:04] BID THE PROJECT, CONSTRUCTION OVERSIGHT TO SEE IT COMPLETED. CHUCK'S OFFER WAS TO WAIVE THOSE COSTS. >> BUT NOT PAY FOR THE GRADING PORTION OF IT? >> CORRECT. >> OKAY. >> I'M SORRY. ISG, THE LETTER SAYS IS PROPOSING TO COVER THE GRADIENT COSTS. >> THAT'S WHAT I READ IN THE LETTER. THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING BUT YOUR EXPLANATION WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.K >> YEAH, THERE'S THE STATEMENT IN THE SECOND TO LAST PARAGRAPH ISG IS PROPOSING TO COVER THE GRADIENT COST OF THE PROJECT BY NOT BILLING FOR UNBILLED TIME ACCRUED TODAY, AS WELL AS YOUR MEETING TIME TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT. >> YEAH, MADAM CHAIR, I'M SORRY. PLEASE STOP ME, BUT I REMAIN UNCLEAR ON THE SECOND TO LAST PARAGRAPH WHAT THAT MEANS. ISG IS PROPOSING TO COVER THE GRADIENT COST OF THE PROJECT BY NOT BILLING FOR UNBILLED TIME ACCRUED TO DATE, AS WELL AS REMAINING TIME TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT AND BID THE ADDITIONAL WORK. THIS SHOULD MORE THAN COVER THE GRADING EXPENSES TO MOVE THE BERM. THE LETTER ALSO SAYS IN THAT SAME PARAGRAPH, IT'S ISG'S OPINION THAT SEATING COSTS SHOULD BE A DITCH SYSTEM COST. IN PART BECAUSE GRADING OF THE SPOILS WOULD HAVE CAUSED MORE DISTURBANCE TO THE COURT AS PROPERTY IF IT WERE DONE ORIGINALLY. I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND THAT SENTENCE. >> ESSENTIALLY, IF THE SPOILS HAVE BEEN GRADED FLAT ALL THE WAY INTO THE COURT AS PROPERTY WHICH TO OUR UNDERSTANDING WAS NEVER THE AGREEMENT, YOU WOULD HAVE HAD MORE DISTURBED SQUARE YARDAGE OR ACRES OF LAND THAT WOULD HAVE HAD TO BEEN SEATED AND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PAID EITHER AS A CHANGE ORDER OR AS A COST OVER AND THEN THE CONTRACT AS ADDITIONAL SEATING. WHAT HE'S SAYING IS WE'LL PAY FOR THIS GRADING BY NOT INVOICING FOR OUR TIME, WHICH IS ITS CREDIT, ITS EXPENSE TO THE SYSTEM THAT OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE BEEN INCURRED IF WE HAD BILLED FOR IT. BUT THEN THE SEATING EXPENSE, HIS STATEMENT IS THAT WOULD BE PAID FOR BY THE DITCH SYSTEM. >> LOOK, I GUESS MS. COBURN, HERE'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND AND MAYBE YOU AND I ARE STRUGGLING TOGETHER. MY UNDERSTANDING WAS WE HAVE MINUTES THAT WERE READ AT THE LAST MEETING FOR HEARING IN WHICH MR. BRANDEL SAYS THAT THEY COULD DO THE PROJECT THE WAY THAT MR. CORTEZ HAD ASKED. DO I HAVE THAT RECOLLECTION, CORRECT? >> CORRECT. >> THE PROJECT WAS ALREADY, COMMISSIONER [INAUDIBLE] TO USE YOUR TERM, IT WAS MOBILIZED. THERE WAS EQUIPMENT OUT THERE AND THEY DIDN'T DO WHAT MR. BRANDEL SAID THEY WERE GOING TO DO. >> CORRECT. >> NOW SOMEBODY'S BEING ASKED TO PAY FOR MOBILIZATION OF EQUIPMENT THAT HAD BEEN OUT THERE. I UNDERSTAND THE SEATING PART. LITERALLY THE SEATING PART. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE MOBILIZATION PART. THE EQUIPMENT WAS OUT THERE AT THE TIME, BUT NOW SOMEBODY, AND I'M STILL UNCLEAR FOR NEWSLETTERS GOING TO BE EXPECTED TO PAY LET'S SAY 2,200 AT LEAST. THE LAST SENTENCE OF THE SECOND PARAGRAPH, [NOISE] 2,220 BEING SEATING WITH MOBILIZATION BEING [NOISE] INCUBATED WITH BOTH. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND ISG IS SAYING YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BILL FOR SOME TIME. WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT. WHAT AMOUNT IS ISG PROPOSING TO COVER? >> WE ESTIMATE THAT THE COST OF THE GRADING WOULD BE $2,220. OBVIOUSLY, WHEN WE BILL THIS OUT, THAT NUMBER COULD BE LARGER THAN THAT. IT COULD BE SMALLER THAN THAT, BUT THAT WOULD BE THE AMOUNT THAT WE CURRENTLY ESTIMATE, THE GRADING PORTION OF THIS WILL COST. WE'VE ALREADY GOT AT LEAST THAT MUCH IN TIME TO BE BILLED. CHUCK IS SAYING, ALL THE TIME WE HAVE BILL OR THAT WE COULD BILL CURRENTLY PLUS ANYTIME GOING FORWARD, WE WOULD JUST NOT BILL. >> UP TO A MAXIMUM OF $2,760? >> NO, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S THE CASE WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO INVOICE FOR ANY OF OUR TIME FOR YOU GOING FORWARD. [00:50:02] >> [NOISE] I WANT TO GO BACK TO AUGUST 3RD WHEN THERE WAS A PLAN ADJUSTMENT ISSUED. SO THE PLAN ADJUSTMENT WAS ISSUED TO DO WHAT MR. CORTEZ WANTED AND NO ONE DID IT [NOISE]. IT WASN'T COMMUNICATED TO MOLANEL, OR IF THIS PLAN ADJUSTMENT HAPPENED, WHY ARE WE IN THIS SITUATION? >> THE PLAN ADJUSTMENT WAS ISSUED AS WE UNDERSTOOD, MR. CORTEZ WAS REQUESTING. THERE WAS NOT A STATEMENT TO OUR RECOLLECTION TO SPREAD THAT MATERIAL ALL THE WAY INTO HIS YARD AS HE'S NOW REQUESTING. THE STATEMENT WAS THAT WE WERE WELCOMED TO SPREAD IT FARTHER INTO HIS YARD SO AS TO AVOID A LARGE BERM. YOU CAN SEE IN THAT PLAN ADJUSTMENT THAT THE SPOILS ARE SPREAD INTO HIS YARD A WAY QUITE A BIT FURTHER THAN WE TYPICALLY WOULD. THAT PLAN ADJUSTMENT WAS FOLLOWED BY MOLANEL. >> MADAM CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION TO MR. ADAMS. CAN YOU REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THERE'S ROOM FOR ADDITIONAL COSTS THAT WE HAVEN'T PAID YOU? >> YEAH, I DON'T DO THE BILLINGS MYSELF. I APOLOGIZE. CHUCK IS SAYING THAT WE HAVE COSTS FOR THE. I WOULD ASSUME IT'S TIME TO PREPARE THE CLOSEOUT PACKAGE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ALL INVOLVED, BUT HE'S SAYING THERE'S $2,000 A LITTLE OVER $2,000 LEFT TO BE BILLED IT HAS NOT BEEN [NOISE] BILLED. >> OH, TO BE BILLED. CURRENTLY, AT THE CLOSE OUT OF THIS PROJECT, ISG HAS OVEREXTENDED THEIR FER, THE FINAL ENGINEER'S REPORT ESTIMATE BY $17,492. AS ORIGINALLY ESTIMATED AT ABOUT 74,000 AND WE ARE CURRENTLY AT 91,000, ALMOST 92,000. IT'S ALREADY OVER THE ESTIMATE? >> MR. ADAMS, MADAM CHAIR I APOLOGIZE. MR. ADAMS. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU DON'T DO BILLING. IS THIS PROJECT BEING BILLED FOR YOUR TIME TODAY? >> NO, IT WOULDN'T BE. >> I'M SORRY. >> NO, IT WILL NOT BE. >> WERE MR. BRANDEL'S APPEARANCE LAST TIME? >> MY UNDERSTANDING IS NO, IT WILL NOT BE. >> IS THAT BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THIS UNBILLED TIME OR YOU'RE JUST NOT GOING TO BILL US? >> NO, IT'S CORRECT. IT'S BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THE UNBILLED TIME. >> SO IS THE CLOCK RUNNING [BACKGROUND] RIGHT NOW AND THEN ISG SAID BUT WE WON'T BILL YOU FOR IT? >> YES. >> FOR ALL COMMISSIONERS, PLEASE JUMP IN. I DON'T WANT TO BE THE ONLY PERSON HERE BUT MR. ADAMS, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE NOT, I'M TRYING NOT TO TREAT YOU AS THE MESSENGER WHO HAS TO CATCH EVERYTHING. BUT HERE'S WHAT I'M FEELING. THERE WERE WE HAVE MINUTES THAT SHOW THAT ISG AGREED THAT THERE WOULDN'T BE THE BERM THAT IT WOULD BE SPREAD OUT. THAT THE PROJECT IS BEING BILLED FOR TIME TO GET ISG TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. AND ISG'S RESPONSE IS, OKAY, WE WON'T BILL YOU FOR THE TIME IN THESE MEETINGS TO ADDRESS A PROBLEM THAT WAS CREATED WHEN ISG DIDN'T DO THE BERM THE WAY THAT THEY HAD SAID THEY WOULD DO IT WITH MR. CORTEZ. I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE SEATING PART. I GET THAT PART. BUT THERE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A MOBILIZATION COST AND IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THIS TIME COST FOR THESE MEETINGS HAD THE PROJECT BEEN DONE CORRECTLY AT THE BEGINNING. FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, DO I MISUNDERSTAND THAT? >> I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. >> YEAH. BASICALLY, YOU'RE BILLING IS FOR YOUR SCREW-UP. >> IS IT OKAY IF I RESPOND? >> YEAH. >> I THINK WHAT THE LETTER IS TRYING TO EXPLAIN OR WHAT I'VE TRIED TO REITERATE THIS MORNING IS ISG'S STANCE IS THAT THIS WAS NOT A SCREW-UP. THAT THE PLAN ADJUSTMENT FOLLOWED WHAT WE UNDERSTOOD TO BE AGREED UPON AT THE MEETING. THE CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTED IT AS THE PLAN ADJUSTMENT DIRECTED, AND THERE WAS A LONG PERIOD OF TIME BOTH DURING CONSTRUCTION WHERE MR. CORTEZ WAS ON-SITE WATCHING THIS BE BUILT. OBVIOUSLY, HE CONTINUED TO OCCUPY THE LAND FOR THE NEXT YEAR. NOTHING WAS BROUGHT UP. WE DON'T HAVE ANY RECOLLECTION OF OR ANY RECORD OF ANYONE SAYING NO BERM WE WERE JUST TOLD YOU COULD SPREAD THE MATERIAL OUT. >> BUT JUNE 30TH, MR. BRANDEL AGREED TO FIX IT OF 2020. [00:55:01] WE HAVE THAT DOCUMENTED IN MINUTES. >> I APOLOGIZE. I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT PERSONALLY. >> JUNE 30TH, WE BROUGHT THAT TO HIS ATTENTION AT THE LAST MEETING FROM THOSE MEETING MINUTES. >> THE STATEMENT WAS NO BERM? >> [OVERLAPPING] SUGGEST THAT WE HAND MR. ADAMS A COPY OF THE MINUTES? >> SURE. >> COULD WE TAKE A FIVE-MINUTE RECESS TO CHECK ON IF YOU HAVE UNAVAILABLE? >> YEP, I HAVE IT RIGHT HERE. >> SORRY [INAUDIBLE] . [NOISE] >> MR. CORTEZ WAS PLEASED WITH THIS AND WAS CONFIRMED THAT HE WOULD LIKE THIS FILL AND SPREAD OUT EVENLY AS POSSIBLE AS FAR OUT AS THEY NEED TO GO, AND THEN HE ALSO INQUIRED ABOUT THE SLEW, IT LOOKS LIKE. I CAN GET YOU A COPY OF THOSE. >> WE HAVE A FIVE-MINUTE RECESS WHILE THE COPY IS BEING MADE IN. >> WE NEED TO BRING THE MEETING BACK TO ORDER. >> END OF OUR RECESS. MS. COPE HAS PRESENTED MR. ADAMS THE MEETING NOTES. >> [INAUDIBLE] DID WE PROVIDE THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 30TH, 2020 MEETINGS? >> YES, I DID. I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE CORRECT DATE. YES, JUNE 30TH OF 2020 WAS PROVIDED TO MR. ADAMS. >> THANK YOU. >> IT'S MY RECOLLECTION, AT LEAST LOOKING IN THE MINUTES OF OUR MEETING FROM LAST TIME, MADAM CHAIR, THAT OUR MINUTES SAY ALSO IN THE RECORD WAS MR. BRANDEL REPLYING THAT THIS "WOULD BE FINE WITH HIM AND IT SHOULD BE FINE WITH MELLOW TRACKING." DO YOU SEE THAT, AND I DON'T HAVE THE MINUTES IN FRONT OF ME FROM 2020, BUT THAT'S WHAT MS. COPE, THE MINUTES SAID? >> [OVERLAPPING] YES. CAN YOU REPEAT THAT QUESTION. WELL, SORRY. >> I THINK AT LEAST IN WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US IN OUR PACKET TODAY, THAT THE JUNE 30TH, 2020 MINUTES, MR. CORTEZ HAD QUESTIONED THE FILL ALONE TO DITCH AND ASKED TO, FLATTEN IT OUT AND GO OUT AS FAR AS NECESSARY. THE NEXT SENTENCE IN OUR MEETS SAY, ALSO IN THE RECORD WAS MR. BRANDEL REPLYING THAT "THIS WOULD BE FINE WITH HIM AND IT SHOULD BE FINE WITH [INAUDIBLE] TRUCKING?" >> CORRECT. >> THAT'S IN THOSE 2020 MINUTES? >> YEAH. >> WE'VE KNOWN FOR TWO YEARS THAT THAT WAS THE UNDERSTANDING. I'M NOT ASKING YOU. I'M JUST OBSERVING THE THING. >> MADAM CHAIR, ON THE SERVICE COMMENTS. I MEAN, IT'S IMPLIED THAT THERE SHOULD BE GRIEVED THAT THE WATER DOES NOT STAND THERE. THAT AND WHAT THIS ALL STARTED FROM. WHEN WAS IT? EARLY SPRING? WHEN THE WATER WAS NOT RUNNING INTO THE DITCH. WATER GOES DOWNHILL, IT DOES. >> WELL, I THINK SOME OF THE ISSUES WITH POOR DRAINAGE TO THE SPRING IS THAT THINGS WERE STILL FROZEN. THERE WAS SNOW, GROUND WAS FROZEN, WATER COULDN'T NECESSARILY FLOW TO THE RIP RAP DITCH, SO I THINK THAT WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM CAUSING THE STANDING WATER OUT THERE. I DON'T KNOW. SINCE THEN IF MR. CORTEZ HAS HAD STANDING WATER SINCE SNOW MELTED AND THE FROST CAME OUT. THE DATE HASN'T INDICATED IF THERE HAS BEEN STANDING WATER SINCE, SNOW AND ICE MELTED AND THINGS COULD DRAIN. I'M NOT QUITE SURE IF THIS IS A PERPETUAL PROBLEM OR NOT. >> MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO JUDGE WITH OUR SPORADIC RAIN. >> IT'S BEEN EXTREMELY DRY. I MEAN, AT LEAST IN THE MAIN CATO AREA OVER SIX INCHES BELOW NORMAL IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS SO THAT I'M SURE IT'S DEFINITELY DRY. >> OKAY. >> MR. GREENWOOD, JUST TO BE CLEAR. IN JUNE 2020, MR. CRANDELL SAID THIS WOULD BE FINE WITH HIM AND IT SHOULD BE FINE WITH [INAUDIBLE] TRACKING TO FLATTEN IT OUT AND GO OUT AS FAR AS NECESSARY REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THERE'S STANDING WATER. THAT WAS THE UNDERSTANDING TWO YEARS AGO. [01:00:01] >> YEAH. >> MADAM CHAIR, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. ADAMS AGAIN AND FOR THE BOARD. IN REVIEWING THE PAY UP FOR [INAUDIBLE] TRUCKING AND YOUR COMMENT ABOUT YOUR PLAN ADJUSTMENT ABOUT NOT PUTTING THAT FILL ON MR. GIZI KEY'S LAND, AND THEN IT WAS FINE TO STAY ON MR. CORTEZ'S LAND. WOULD HAVE THAT BEEN A CHANGE ORDER OR SOME SORT OF COST SAVINGS FROM THE ORIGINAL BID? THAT WAS BID BECAUSE IT WAS BID TO MOVE THAT FILL INTO MR. GIZI KEY'S PROPERTY, WHICH WOULD HAVE POTENTIALLY COST MORE THAN LEAVING IT ON MR. CORTEZ'S PROPERTY. I DIDN'T SEE A CHANGE ORDER OR WHAT THAT COST-SAVINGS WAS THERE BECAUSE THAT COST-SAVINGS MAYBE POTENTIALLY WASN'T BUILD AND WOULD BE TO COVER THE COST TO DO IT CORRECTLY. >> SURELY, I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS BEHIND THAT. I TOOK DR. CHUCK IN LOOKING INTO WHAT LED TO THAT DECISION. I DON'T REMEMBER TELLING HER THAT IN FRONT OF ME AT THE MOMENT. >> SO YOU'RE NOT QUITE SURE WHICH ONES PAY ITEMS INCLUDED THE HAULING OF THE SPOILS, THE GIZI KEY PROPERTY? >> I CAN PULL IT ON HERE. I CAN LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL. >> I'M SURE YOU'RE HAULING OF THE SPOILS TAKEN OUT OF THE DITCH WAS INCIDENTAL TO ONE OF THESE PAY ITEMS, AND THEN WITH THE CHANGE TO KEEP THE SPOILS NEXT TO THE DITCH BANK ON THE CARD IS PROPERTY THERE WOULD'VE BEEN SOME LESSENING OF EXPENSE ON THE CONTRACTOR'S PART, WHICH SHOULD BE REFLECTED IN SOME TYPE OF REDUCED. >> I DON'T RECALL IF THAT WAS DONE BECAUSE OF THE COST SAVINGS OR IF THAT WAS DONE BECAUSE THE GIZA KEYS REQUESTED THAT MATERIAL NOT BEING SPREAD ON THEIR LAND. I DON'T REMEMBER. I WOULD NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT. >> YEAH. IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW THAT BECAUSE THE CONTRACTOR WOULD IN HIS INITIAL BID, WOULD HAVE INCLUDED COSTS TO HAUL AND SPREAD THAT MATERIAL NOW IT'S NOT BEING HAULED. IT WAS JUST PILE ALONG THE DITCH BANK. THERE WAS SOME EXPENSE THAT FLATTENED. >> PART OF THAT STRIP IN PLACE SPOILED. >> YEAH. SOME WOULD HAVE BEEN IN HERE, SOME REDUCED EXPENSE OF THE DITCH SYSTEM FOR NOT HAVING A HAUL. >> IT'S HALF AN ACRE WORTH OF TOPSOIL, STRIPPING AND PLACING OF SPOILS ON EITHER LOCATION AND THEN IT WOULD BE A LOGICAL COST. BUT I'LL LOOK INTO THAT. >> YEAH. BUT THERE'S HAULING COSTS INVOLVED THERE. >> SURE. >> TO GET IT TO THAT POINT. >> BUT YOU'RE ALSO HAULING MATERIALS FROM THE CLEANING IN THAT STRETCH NEAR THE GIZI KEY'S PROPERTY. NOW YOU'RE MOVING IT ALL DOWN TO THE COURTHOUSE PROPERTY. >> ALL OF THE MATERIAL ON THE GIZA KEY PRACTICALLY WAS ALL TO CORRIDORS. >> ALL WAS SPREAD OUT ALONG. >> WHERE IT IS GOT MORE DIRT THEN NOTHING WAS LEFT. >> AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IS SPREAD OUT ALONG THE BUFFER. BUT ANY EXCESS WAS SPREAD IN THAT AREA, THAT HILLY AREA AS WE HAVE ON THE PLANS. [BACKGROUND] >> OKAY. SINCE WE'RE NO FURTHER THAN WE WERE LAST TIME MEETING. SORRY. THAT'S MY OPINION HERE. >> WELL, MADAM CHAIR, IF I MIGHT DID THE JULY 12TH, 2022 LETTER FROM MR. BRANDEL TO ME IS UNCLEAR AND I DON'T KNOW I CAN PROCEED BECAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHO'S PAYING WHAT AMOUNT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT AMOUNT IS LEFT TO BE BUILT TO THE COUNT OR BUILT BY ISG? I DON'T KNOW IF THAT UNBUILD AMOUNT DEBT CLOCK CONTINUES TO RUN YOUR OWN, MAYBE CLEAR, MS. COPE, YOU MAY BE CLEAR. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS. >> NOW, I'M NOT CLEAR EITHER. I COMPLETELY READ THE LETTER DIFFERENTLY THAN WHAT WAS PRESENTED. >> YEAH IT DOES SEEM TO BE AN ARTFUL DESCRIPTION OF NOT PAYING THE BILL. >> NEXT STEPS, MADAM CHAIR, IT WOULD APPEAR TO ME THAT, UNFORTUNATELY FOR MR. ADAMS, HE'S NOT IN A POSITION TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS OF THE BOARD OR QUITE FRANKLY, ENGAGE IN NEGOTIATIONS AT THE BOARD. AND FOR THAT, I APOLOGIZE TO MR. ADAMS TO BEING HERE TO BE IN THAT ROLE. SO I THINK THE BOARD WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED, BUT TO CONTINUE THE HEARING SOUTH, NOT THE PUBLIC HEARING, BUT THE HEARING ITSELF TO ALLOW FOR MR. BRANDEL TO BE PRESENT, TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS, AND ALSO PERHAPS DIRECT STAFF TO HAVE MORE IN-DEPTH CONVERSATIONS WITH MR. BRANDEL WITH HOPEFULLY MORE TIME TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE RATHER THAN RECEIVING IT THE NIGHT BEFORE THE MEETING. >> THANK YOU. >> MADAM CHAIR, IF I COULD JUST ADD FOR SOMEONE TO COMMUNICATE WITH MR. CORTEZ? [01:05:02] >> CORRECT. >> WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO PUT THAT IN THE FORM OF A MOTION? >> SHOULD THAT BE ISG THAT WOULD BE IN COMMUNICATION REPORTERS? >> I WOULD CERTAINLY REACH OUT TO HIM TO LET HIM KNOW WHEN THE NEXT PUB OR NEXT HEARING OR THE HEARING IS CONTINUED TO ANOTHER DATE, DEFINITELY REACH OUT TO HIM SO HE CAN BE A PART OF THIS. BUT AS FOR PARTICULARS, I WOULD THINK ISG WOULD WANT TO REACH OUT TO THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ON THE SAME PAGE. >> THANK YOU. >> MS. GUPTA, IF WE WERE TO CONTINUE THIS MATTER, WOULD YOU HAVE A DATE IN MIND, OR TO RATHER WE LEAVE THE DATE BLANK IN THE MOTION? >> I THINK WE NEED TO CHECK WITH ISG AND MR. BRANDEL ON HIS SCHEDULE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT HE BE AT THIS NEXT MEETING. I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S AVAILABLE. IF WE TOOK ANOTHER RECESS TO CONTACT HIM ON HIS AVAILABILITY. >> HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO CHECK WITH HIM IN TEXTING? >> I SHOULD BE ABLE TO REACH HIM VIA TEXT MESSAGE. YEAH. >> WE WANT MR. CORTEZ HERE ALSO. >> I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR MR. CORTEZ TO BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS INFORMATION. I DON'T KNOW THAT WORKING TO SCHEDULE A MEETING AROUND EVERYONE'S AVAILABILITY, IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT. THAT BEING SAID, I NOTE THAT IN SCHEDULING I WILL BE NOT HERE FOR THE AUGUST 9TH BOARD MEETING. >> WILL BE VIRTUALLY. >> I WOULD THINK FOR THE PROCESS OF LEVYING AND ALL OF THAT, THE SOONER THIS GETS RESOLVED THE BETTER FOR EVERYONE. >> MADAM CHAIR, IT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION THAT WE NOT CLOSE THE PROJECT TILL ALL THAT FINAL GRADING IS DONE AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME ADDITIONAL TIME TO EXTEND OUT THIS PROJECT BEFORE IT CAN GET CLOSED. >> CAN WE GET A FIVE-MINUTE RECESS TO DETERMINE MR. BRANDEL'S AVAILABILITY? SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN. THANK YOU. >> MADAM COUNTY ATTORNEY, COULD WE MAKE THE MOTION TO SAY IT'S GOING TO BE ON THE 26TH? >> WE COULD AND BENEFIT IF HE'S NOT AVAILABLE, WE MIGHT HAVE TO LOOK AT A DIFFERENT DATE, BUT I THINK WE CAN ABSOLUTELY SET IT. >> I THINK WE NEED TO SET IT BECAUSE IF WE WAIT TO SET IT JUST MAKES IT WORSE. MADAM COUNTY ATTORNEY HELP ME IF I DON'T MAKE THIS MOTION CORRECTLY, BUT I WOULD MOVE TO CONTINUE THIS MATTER TO JULY 26TH, 2022 AT 10:00 AM HERE IN THIS ROOM. IN TERMS OF DIRECTING STAFF, I DON'T KNOW MADAM COUNTY ATTORNEY WHETHER I HAVE TO INCLUDE THAT IN THE MOTION. >> I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE MOTION, BUT JUST INDICATION OF THE QUESTIONS THAT PERHAPS THE BOARD WANTS TO HAVE EXPLORED BETWEEN NOW AND THEN. >> WELL, I THINK WE NEED CLARITY ON THE JULY 12TH, 2022 LETTER FROM ISG. WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT MR. CORTEZ HAS BEEN IN COMMUNICATION. I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE UNBUILD TIME THAT WOULD IS BEING PROPOSED TO BE WRITTEN OFF AND WHAT THAT TIME CONSISTS OF. I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE CHANGE IN THE PROJECT AND HOW LEAVING THE MATERIAL ON-SITE RATHER THAN DISPOSING OF IT MAY HAVE RESULTED IN A SAVINGS THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF THIS MATTER. >> SECOND. >> THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY FURTHER CONVERSATION? >> YEAH. >> CRYSTAL, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. >> COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL? >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER [INAUDIBLE] >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER [INAUDIBLE] >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER [INAUDIBLE]. >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER [INAUDIBLE] >> YES. >> THANK YOU. THIS TIME, IS THERE ANY OTHER BUSINESS FOR THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY? [OVERLAPPING]. >> SECOND. >> COMMISSIONER [INAUDIBLE] [01:10:03] >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER [INAUDIBLE] >> YES. >> COMMISSIONER [INAUDIBLE]. >> YES. >> [INAUDIBLE] >> THANK YOU. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.