Chisago County confirms contract with Teamsters

The agreement includes a one-time longevity bonus of $250 per year of service for each employee. It also involves adoption of the Baker Tilly 105% wage scale with only a few exceptions. Cost of living adjustments of 2% for both 2024 and 2025 also are included. There also were a few additions to contract language involving overtime and compensatory time.

According to the information provided by the county, the new contract – which is retroactive to Jan. 1 – will not affect the county’s budget for 2023.

The Teamsters voted to approve the new contract on Tuesday, Feb. 28, and the county commissioners unanimously approved the new contract at their March 1 meeting.

“I’m glad to say we have agreements with every bargaining unit except one, which is going to go to arbitration,” County Administrator Chase Burnham said. “And we have one other [unit] where we’re waiting to hear from their agent, but it’s [a unit with] two people.”

Groundwater grant application approved

The commissioners addressed a request by the county’s Environmental Services/Zoning Department to pursue a grant offered by the state called the Replacing Failing Septic Systems to Protect Groundwater Request for Proposals.

The grant, which was launched by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, looks to address septic systems that pose a threat to public health or safety by failing to protect groundwater.

The commissioners unanimously authorized the county’s ESD Water Resources and Sanitation staff to pursue a grant for $200,000 that will not require matching funds from the county.

Recycling and composting grant amended

Kurt Schneider, the county’s environmental services director, asked for changes to a grant the county received for a household hazardous waste facility in North Branch.

“We successfully received a $251,000 grant from the state on this project, and we got a very favorable construction bid that for $130,000,” Schneider said. “We’d like to utilize some of the available grant dollars to install an automatic gate opener and make some minor changes to the fencing around the rear and other traffic and routing signage.”

Schneider noted that the additions would not exceed $31,000 in cost, leaving $60,166 in grant funds available.

“I do expect a second change order, as we get ready to operate the facility, to acquire solid waste containers and other operational needs,” Schneider said.