New county emergency manager to work off-site

An offer was made to a candidate for the Foster County Emergency Manager position, but the candidate lives in Minot.

The Foster County Commission learned this information at their meeting last week.

During the meeting, held on Tuesday, January 17, commissioner Becky Hagel reported that the candidate they made an offer to has a master’s degree in emergency management, but has never worked in the position.

She also said the candidate has very little grant writing experience, but is willing to learn and take classes.

A motion was passed that the new emergency manager will work off-site in Minot, but will not be reimbursed for her mileage when she has to come to Carrington because she would essentially be driving from home to work.

In other business:

• The board heard from Kyle Schroeder of the Foster County Fair Board. He attended the meeting to ask about a contract and bills for mowing, that the fair board recently received.

He said the contract was from 2018 and there were five years of previous bills for mowing.

Commissioner David Utke told Schroeder that the county did not follow through with the contract and never clarified to the fair board about the contract or the past bills.

Hagel said she told auditor Ellen Roundy to send the contract and bills to the fair board.

After some discussion, a motion was passed to only charge the fair board for mowing in 2022.

• The board heard from Bob Erickson, who attended the meeting to dispute over-paying taxes on some of his property by $150 per year, for the last 15 years.

Foster County Tax Equalization Director Karen Evans explained that even though it may have been a county error, the North Dakota Century Code only allows the county to go back two years for a property tax refund.

Evans said she will take a look at what happened with the error.

• A discussion occurred about the public health office.

Hagel said Foster County Public Health Nurse Lisa Hilbert is having trouble finding a replacement for the nurse in her office that left the position.

She said the problem is the pay scale. She said nurses are hard to find, and they can make more money at other facilities.

Hagel suggested increasing the wages to the top of the pay scale, and if that isn’t enough to get some applicants, then they don’t know what else to do.

During the discussion, commissioner Scott Beumer asked if the nurse has to be an RN.

Hagel said she would do some research about it.

• The board passed a motion to approve the additions to the snow removal policy that Utke suggested.

• It was announced at the meeting that the Prairie Dog funds arrived for the county.

• The board received the proposed amendments to the ambulance building.

• Roundy asked the board if they could purchase a new lap top for the emergency manager as the old lap top is eight years old. Motion passed.

• Utke brought up a discussion about getting a new mower for the Juanita Lake Park. No action was taken.

• Finally, Utke said he spoke to FirstNet and Dakota Central about rerouting calls for the road department. No action taken.