IRON MOUNTAIN - The Dickinson County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 Monday to fill a full-time position in the county clerk's office that will become vacant in March due to a retirement.
Commissioners Frank Smith and Ann Martin voted no, saying the county should hire a part-time employee to save money.
County Clerk-Register of Deeds Dolly Cook sought authorization to advertise a full-time vacancy, saying a part-time replacement was insufficient.
Smith, however, said the clerk's office could accommodate a reduction because it is no longer handling passport applications.
Board chairman Henry Wender joined commissioners Joe Stevens and John Degenaer Jr. in approving a full-time employee.
Wender said Cook is in the best position to judge her office's needs, just as Sheriff Scott Celello is in the best position to judge his.
"They're elected officials and have to answer to the public," Wender said.
In other action, the county board:
- Heard an update on Michigan State University-Extension staffing from Mike Erdman, the Extension's district coordinator. MSU-Extension will be hiring a new full-time 4-H coordinator who will cover both Dickinson and Menominee counties, primarily working with local clubs. Rebecca Krans, formerly based in Dickinson County, is transferring to Iron County where she is serving as a full-time educator with 4-H responsibilities across the 10-county district. In the past, Dickinson, Menominee and Iron counties were served by full-time 4-H coordinators, but those positions are now half-time. In Iron County, Adrien Broznowski remains the 4-H coordinator, but at half-time.
- Received a report from County Treasurer Lorna Carey on the 2011 interest earned on investments and delinquent property taxes. The county earned $42,069 in interest on investments, down from the $66,300 earned in 2010. Interest rates are down and the county also had less money invested in interest-bearing accounts, Carey noted. The amount of interest on delinquent taxes climbed to $283,521, up from $231,138 in 2010. The majority of delinquent taxpayers are settling their accounts in time to avoid deeding their property to the state, but they are paying their taxes a slower rate than in past years, Carey reported.
- Heard Controller Kay Pascoe report that a full-time employee in the treasurer's office, who recently retired, is expected to return temporarily in a part-time capacity. Her retirement created a full-time vacancy that was filled by the promotion of a part-time employee to full-time. The resulting part-time opening is now expected to be filled for about six months by the employee who had retired. The board asked to be kept informed on the staffing.
- Voted 4-1 to provide a 50 percent reduction in camping fees for up to nine travel trailers at Lake Antoine Park from Aug. 6-17. The sites will be used by Care-a-vanner volunteers who will be working on local Habitat for Humanity projects. Wender voted no. The county has granted similar requests in the past, but this year the housing charity also requested a reduction for a Care-a-vanner group visiting July 16-27. That request was denied, with board members noting July is a peak period for campground use.
- Authorized an easement in the area of Ford Airport to allow We Energies to provide service to Oldenburg Group's storage/garage building on Woodward Avenue, west of Evergreen Court.
- Heard Stevens praise the efforts of the Kiwanis Ski Club and all the volunteers involved in hosting the annual Continental Cup ski jumping tournament at Pine Mountain. "We can't thank these people enough who work out there," he said.
Jim Anderson's email address is janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.