By MaryHelen Swanson

If approved on July 20, a 17-page ordinance addressing methamphetamine issues will give Chisago County a leg up on eliminating one of the biggest threats to area welfare.

The ordinance deals with declaration of a site as a chemical investigation site, medical guidelines for assessing the health status of exposed persons, law enforcement notices to the public, public health and child protection authorities and notice of chemical investigation site as public health nuisance to owner and occupants of property.

Medical protocols for children found at meth lab sites is a part of this ordinance.

Mary Jo Chippendale, formerly with the county's Health and Human Services department, sent a letter of support for this ordinance. She was involved in the early planning and drafting of the ordinance. She noted that the ordinance does not complete work dealing with methamphetamine, and that the county will need to continue its efforts in prevention, education and treatment.

She also noted that it will be important for ongoing interagency and interdisciplinary efforts. She gave the ordinance a big thumbs up.

Other areas covered in the ordinance are notices filed with property record and motor vehicle records, property owners and occupants responsibilities including costs and opportunity for recovery, and special assessments to recover public costs.

Additionally, the ordinance addresses issues surrounding waste generated from cleaning up clandestine drug labs.

The two-week hold-up on adoption of the ordinance is to address Commissioner Ben Montzka's concern that farmers owning large acreage, say 300 acres, should not be held accountable for costs or liabilities because, as he said, it is not reasonable to expect a farmer to know what is happening on all of those acres.

Montzka said he does support the ordinance, and that it makes sense.

He provided wording of a clause protecting property owners, specifically large-acreage farmers which will be reviewed before the next meeting.

Commissioner Lynn Schultz wondered how the county would notify property owners of their responsibilities with regard to the ordinance.

The ordinance will be on the July 20 agenda.

In other business, the county board:

ï approved Sharon Lundeen as interim Chisago County Recorder. Moosey said "she has been an honorable and outstanding member of the Chisago County staff and will perform admirably during this interim period."

ï heard a request from Montzka to have a policy put in place to deal with situations where an elected official is investigated.

Commissioner Rick Olseen noted that the investigator in the recent county attorney case highlighted the fact that Chisago County does not have a code of conduct policy for personnel and he thought policy should be revised to address the issue. Montzka said the board would have to approve such a policy, reminding everyone that the county attorney is not the employer in that office, the board is, the same as any other office of an elected official.

ï appointed Olseen and Schultz to serve on the committee to study the building issues for HHS.

ï approved the job description for a grantwriter to work for all county departments. The position will be filled this year.

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