Commissioners to bond for jail, courthouse improvements

By MaryHelen Swanson
If the sale of $720,000 in bonds goes through later this month, the county will be fixing up the courthouse and jail buildings and paying for the work for the next 10 years.
The Chisago County commissioners approved proceeding with a bond sale at the May 7 meeting.
A Minnesota statute allows the county to issue general obligation bonds for courthouse improvements without a hearing or election provided the total principal amount does not exceed .0403 percent of the current taxable market value.
In Chisago Countyís case, according to financial consultant Carolyn Drude of Ehlers and Assoc., that total principal amount is $1,091,847.
Another Minnesota statute allows the county to issue general obligation bonds for jail and other law enforcement facility improvements if the debt service is not more than .89671 percent of the taxable market value or in Chisago Countyís case, $2,620,161.
Drude also apprised the commissioners that Senate and House legislation introduced this session would limit special levies for bonds in 2004 and 205 by local governments unless projects are in progress and can be ìgrandfathered inî under certain circumstances.
She said the countyís bond counsel, Lynn Endorf of the Dorsey & Whitney law offices, feels Chisago County will be exempted if the bonds for jail and courthouse improvements are sold prior to June 1.
The bond sale is expected to take place May 28.
Proceeds from the sale are to be used to do tuck point work and replace bricks on the courthouse building, to repair and replace steps, re-roof portions of the Government Center, to re-carpet the main hallways on all levels, provide a stand alone air-conditioning unit for the Sheriffís office, to change ceiling, lights, heating, ventilating and air-conditioning in the old courthouse and to provide additional security for the holding cell elevator.
At the jail, improvements will be made to the parking lot, air conditioning in the jail phone room, to replace the existing air conditioning unit for the main jail, to add a new boiler, an in-line booster pump for circulating heating supply and to replace a water heater.
The building improvement projects were recommended by the countyís facilities committee. Commissioner Rick Olseen is a member of that committee.

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