The HVAC project at the courthouse will be 90 percent completed by the end of the week, building official Chuck Wenthold told the county supervisors at their June 1 meeting. The old boiler has been completely removed and work on the roof installing chillers for air conditioning is completed.
County attorney Thomas Laehn had told the supervisors a jury trial is scheduled for June 16. Wenthold said the HVAC crew would have only “quiet work” to do by that date. Wenthold also said he had met with the contractors concerning a sentencing scheduled for Friday afternoon, and that they had agreed no work would be done at that time to assure no interference with the sentencing.
Mike Holden reported the Multicultural Family Resource Center board has completed its mission statement and is working on an action plan. Director Sarah Huddleston has sent out reminders of pledges due.
The supervisors approved the appointment of Mary Pedersen, ARNP, to the county board of health effective July 22. She will take the position of medical director held by Dr Thomas Fagg, who is retiring that same day.
The supervisors approved Addie Deal as a Mahanay Maestro for the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower.
The board then, serving as trustees of drainage district 101, held a public hearing on proposed repairs requested by a landowner.
DD 101 is west of Scranton, with 1,200 feet of drainage tile the Union Pacific right-of-way. There are 10,000 acres and 300 landowners in the district. The old clay tile is blocked by tree roots, drainage engineer Jacob Hagen said. Tree roots are a common issue and account for about 40 percent of tile repair across the county.
Hagen suggested placing an 18-inch plastic tile running parallel to the railroad tracks to correct the problem. He estimated cost at $55,000, with each landowner in the drainage district paying a share in proportion to the benefit he/she would receive from the project. Attorney Laehn said there is little likelihood that UP would pay a share of the cost. The drainage trustees took no formal action but agreed to proceed with bid letting during the summer with repair to be done after harvest.
