07-09-2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

18. r- 19. r- ,-- Commission Minutes--July 9, 2001 2307 PARKING LOT, Purchase aareement Mr. Burdick said a draft of the parking lot purchase agreement was provided to commissioners. If the county purchases the property, the city said the structure may be taken down and the area paved for a parking lot. The house has tenants living in it; however. the property owner will provide proper notification to the tenants. He also provided comments from attorney John Boulger. The total cost of the property is $75,000 and Boulger Funeral Home and First United Methodist Church will contribute $10,000 each toward the purchase. He said an easement agreement is provided and will not be signed until after the purchase agreement has been signed. MOTION, passed Mrs. Schneider moved and Mr. Wagner seconded to approve the purchase agreement and easement agreement with Cass County Government, Boulger Funeral Home, Inc. and First United Methodist Church of Fargo and to authorize the chairman to sign the purchase agreement. On roll call vote, motion carried with four members voting "Aye" and Mr. Meyer abstaining. REGISTER OF DEEDS, Document Preservation Consent Form Register of Deeds Deanna Kensrud said Senate Bill 2173 established a document preservation fund. Three dollars of the recording fee for each real estate document must be placed in the fund to be used solely for record preservation and computerization. She said counties who participate in the North Dakota Recorders Information Network (NDRIN) have been requested to allocate a portion of the fee for maintenance of the central repository. She said $1,800 has been collected for the fund over a 4-day period. She said the fee is to last for three years. County Auditor Michael Montplaisir said the purpose of the fee is to avoid any additional cost to counties. He said 18 counties have responded. Five counties have agreed to a $2.00 fee and nine counties. who do not have computerized indexes. agreed to a $1.00 fee. The remaining four counties do not wish to participate. MOTION, passed Mr. Wieland moved and Mrs. Sorum seconded to authorize the chairman to sign the 'Document Preservation Consent Form' to contribute $2.00 per recorded real estate instrument from the Document Preservation Fund to assist in the maintenance of the central repository/web site. On roll call vote, the motion carried unanimously. 20. BUDGET REQUESTS FOR 2002, Cost of Iivina salarv increase for budaet ourooses County Auditor Michael Montplaisir said department heads looked at the national consumer price index provided by the Department of Labor. which allows for a 3.6% cost of living adjustment (COLA). He said the department heads recommend the commission approve a 3.6% COLA for the 2002 budget. In 2002 with step increases, salaries and benefits will cost $14.3 million and with the COLA increase, the total cost will be $14.8 million. Mrs. Schneider said the COLA increase was based on the regional consumer price index in the past. Mr. Montplaisir said the national figures were available when department heads made their decision. He said the regional figure was 4%. Mrs. Schneider suggested the regional figure be used. Mr. Montplaisir said the cost difference is minimal between the two figures.