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   SALEM TOWNSHIP — Cass County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Mike Paulus presented an application request for the revolving loan fund at Tuesdays commissioner’s board meeting.

   Paulus informed the board of the recent purchase of the Lakeview Inn motel in Walker by KNE Breilly Townhomes, LLC and their remodeling plans. The future plans for the property are to remodel the current thirteen unit building into fourteen units with ten of the units being one bedroom long term rentals and the other four units as short term rentals, three of which will be studio units and one three bedroom unit. KNE Breilly Townhomes is requesting $150,000 from the revolving loan fund to assist in the almost $1 million project.  

   Paulus informed the board the Cass County Economic Development Corporation finance committee of the board had already approved the application and was now requesting approval from the Cass County Commissioners. Commissioner Bob Kangas made the motion to approve the application with Commissioner Scott Bruns seconding the motions. All members approved the motion unanimously.

   The board also heard an update from Jamie Richter, Cass County Health Human Veterans Services (HHVS) Public Health Planner, regarding the opioid settlement. Recently the opioid settlement committee met and discussed the community process for opioid settlement fund applications. Slight changes were made to the application and the committee recommended the board approve the revised application. Richter also shared with the board the current balance in the opioid account is approximately $520,000 with anticipation of another $470,000 this year. This funding is not state funded money, but is actually money counties are receiving as part of the settlement from a lawsuit against the pharmaceutical companies, which Cass County will be receiving a total of $3.3 million over 18 years.

   Richter also shared with the board that Cass County saw fifteen deaths related to overdose in 2022, eleven of those being Cass County residents. The other four deaths were residents of another county or state but the death happened within Cass County. Also, this number does not account for deaths of Cass County residents that may have occurred outside the county.

   Commissioner Rick Haaland made the motion to approve the Opioid Settlement Fund Application as amended, the Cass County Opioid Abatement Strategies by Sector Guide, the Press Release Opioid Settlement Fund Application as amended, and the Cass County Opioid Settlement Application Scoring Guide and to allocate up to $50,000 for medications related to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder from June 19, 2024, through December 31, 2024. Kangas seconded the motion and all members approved the motion unanimously.

   Brian Buhmann, HHVS Director, brought the updated Statewide affordable Housing grant application before the board for approval. Cass County has been allocated state funding to develop and preserve housing within our jurisdiction to keep families from losing housing and to help those experiencing homelessness find housing. Currently the county has received $112,000 in funding for 2023 and is expecting to receive an additional $112,000 for 2024 by the end of the year. Buhmann recommended a maximum grant amount be placed on applications in order to assist more applicants. As of now it is unknown if the county will continue to receive this funding. Commissioner Jeff Peterson made the motion to approve the grant application with a maximum of $50,000 to be requested, however if the board does not receive many requests they can award more if they see the application worthy. Kangas seconded the motion and all members approved it unanimously.

   In other business, the county board:

   • Declined the proposal from the City of Backus for the Bi-Cap building and engage WSN regarding a plan to remodel portions of the Law Enforcement Center including the lower level for evidence storage as part of the capital needs assessment for the courthouse.

   • Approved a contract with the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service to allow the county to enter the Chippewa National Forest (CNF) property and construct a crushing pad as well as put up a 10,000 cubic yard gravel pile for use on county gravel roads at no cost to the county in exchange for grading improvements to the access road and the crushing pad. CNF has also agreed to allow the county to get future gravel in addition to the 10,000 cubic yard at a royalty price of $1.25/cubic yard.

   • Approved replenishing the fund balance assigned for Compensated Absences by $299,000 from General Fund unassigned fund balance to bring the balance back up to 80% of the 2023 year-end compensated absences liability. 

   The next meetings are as follows: Commissioner’s board meeting, 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 2 at the boardroom in the courthouse annex in Walker and commissioner’s board meeting, 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 16 at City of East Gull Lake, 10990 Gull Point Rd., East Gull Lakes.

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