Posted 2/28/01 County Board holds on attorneyís request By MaryHelen Swanson County Attorney Ted Alliegroís request to return the Victim Witness Program secretary to a full-time position at the county board meeting Feb. 21 fell on the table for more study. Alliegro presented a lengthy discourse on how the position could be increased with no additional levy dollars and why it was needed. In addition, he presented a complete report of the workings of his office since being appointed to the position six months ago. The secretary position was to be cut entirely in the 2001 budget, but in the final moments of 2000 it was restored half-time. Alliegro says full-time is necessary. But there are fears by some commissioners that there will be a continual draining of county reserves to cover positions such as this. Others wonder how, if Alliegro uses ìfoundî money to fund it this year, it would be funded next year. Commissioner Mike Robinson, speaking as a full-time union member, said he didnít think the position would break the county. And when it was tabled, Commissioner Bob Gustafson, who voted against tabling, said it should have been addressed that day. The board was in fair amount of agreement that they should not micromanage the attorneyís office and should let Alliegro work things out on his own. In other business, the commissioners: ï Approved a seven-year tax abatement for Recycling Technology Solutions of Rush City owned by Anita Lind with a $60,000 cap and payback at $8,571/year. RTS will construct a 20,000 sq. ft. facility in Rush Cityís industrial park. ï Moved to place a moratorium on conditional use permits for communication towers for six months from Dec. 6, 2000 and moved to extend the moratorium on land use approvals for transmission lines for another six months beginning Feb. 21. ï Approved the purchase of a new bus for the Heartland Express at a cost of approximately $58,000. The cost share is 10 percent local and 90 percent federal. ©Post Review