County board discusses H1N1, water system bonds

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WORTHINGTON — The Nobles County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved the second issuance of bonds for the costs of constructing water improvements to the Lincoln-Pipestone Rural Water System in Nobles and Jackson counties.

The commissioners unanimously approved a resolution authorizing general obligation temporary water system bonds in the amount of $10.41 million.

“The amount of the bond issue is lower than what you had authorized,” reported Rusty Fiefield of Northland Securities. “Essentially $500,000 comes back, so you’re borrowing at a higher rate of interest on a lower amount.”

The interest rate is listed as 3 percent on the resolution, but is effectively 1.25 percent, Fiefield said. The county has a bond rating of AA- (very strong).

An earlier issuance of $8.5 million in bonds for the LPRW expansion project was approved this spring, with the main supply line expected to be completed this year. A water tower is expected to be completed by fall of 2010 as part of the improvements.

The commissioners also received an update on the county’s H1N1 situation.

“We are very busy and neck-deep in H1N1,” said Nobles-Rock Community Health Services Administrator Brad Meyer, who also described the precautions his department is taking at a NRCHS board meeting last Wednesday.

Meyer said it’s not yet clear how much of the vaccine will make it to southwest Minnesota. But if mass distribution of the vaccine does occur, other health service entities may temporarily shut down or reduce their staff to provide enough health workers to inoculate area residents.

“Our area is starting to see some increases in absentee rates in schools, as well as (schools throughout) the state, but we’re not going to be encouraging schools to close because then the kids just congregate somewhere else,” Meyer explained. The virus is now expected to peak in late October.

Sheriff Kent Wilkening said plans have been developed for dealing with inmates if the flu spreads to the jail. Permission has been granted to enter a lockdown situation if the predicted 40 percent of the jail’s staff is affected by the flu, and he reported there are several areas where infected inmates can be segregated.

In other business Tuesday, commissioners:

l Authorized a resolution approving a grant agreement between the Nobles County Sheriff’s Department and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety for a Safe and Sober Grant to be effective through Sept. 30, 2010.

l Approved the 2010 Ditch Maintenance Assessments in the amount of $140,717.

l Re-appointed Jerry Lonneman, Rod Spronk and Joe Weber to a four-year term on the Lincoln Pipestone Rural Water System Board.

l Authorized a trails agreement between Nobles County and the Frosty Riders.

l Authorized a Snowmobile Maintenance Grant agreement in the amount of $40,185 with the State of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for fiscal year 2010.

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