10-21-1996 - Laserfiche WebLink

17. 18. Commission Minutes-October 21, 1996 1529 ABATEMENT APPLICATION, Stephen Madsen property Frank Klein, Director of Equalization, presented a written report on his investigation of abatement application submitted by Stephen H. Madsen. Mr. Klein discussed his recommendation with Mr. Madsen, who did not attend today's meeting. MOTION, passed Mrs. Schneider moved and Mr. Ness seconded that Abatement No. 4028 be reduced to $21,000 for 1996, as recommended by the Director of Equalization. On roll call vote, motion carried unanimously. GANG TASK FORCE, State's Attorney offers investigator position to Sheriff's Department Mrs. Toussaint responded to this morning's letter to the editor in The Forum written by Cass County State's Attorney John Goff indicating his willingness to assign his office investigator to work with the Sheriff on a gang task force. This plan would utilize existing resources and manpower of the two offices. She said the Board has never rejected the idea of a gang task force officer, however, Cass County lacked appropriate documentation and wanted to work within the existing funding mechanisms to do so. Today, the Board is prepared to move ahead with a plan. Contingent upon the drafting of the appropriate job description, Mrs. Toussaint believes the Cass County Board of Commissioners should reconsider its decision regarding a gang officer and move to assign an existing officer to the multi-jurisdictional gang task force; details shall be worked out between the Sheriff and the State's Attorney, the County's chief law enforcement officials. As stated in the "gang task force letter" received last week, written by Fargo Police Detective Paul Laney and Clay County Detective Matt Siiro, Cass County would be the third entity to participate in the gang task force. As the letter indicates, 16 organizations have been contacted for resources and manpower. To date, only Fargo, Clay County and Cass County have elected to participate. Moorhead, West Fargo, Dilworth and other entities have not yet agreed to the plan. Mr. Ness favors assigning an experienced officer, as Fargo and Clay County have done, whereas the original proposal was for a new hire. Sheriff Don Rudnick was present and said he is not opposed to this move, however, he has not visited with the State's Attorney about the time study that was recently completed by the State's Attorney investigator. He said he has not talked to the State's Attorney about the details but was aware that he was writing a letter to the editor of the local newspaper. State's Attorney John Goff said he did advise the Sheriff that he was sending the letter to the editor offering his investigator because he thinks it is too important a need for the county to neglect. He said the City of Moorhead did have someone committed to the gang task force for the summer, and others, including some federal agencies, are working to get authorization to participate. He agreed to work with the Sheriff on the details of puffing someone on the gang task force, whether it be the investigator from the State's Attorney's Office or assigning the investigator to the Sheriff's Department in order for a deputy to serve on the task force. Mrs. Toussaint believes the Commission was open for negotiations, and this is the first that has been proposed.