Security issues
The board reviewed a Safety and Security Evaluation. The board knew of past security issues and has since moved Corrections Agent Cathy Rockman to the Human Services building to provide her with a secure entrance.
Other security issues revealed in the report require slight changes in operations of the courthouse.
The security consultant advised installing security cameras in hallways, moving waiting areas, altering dropped ceilings that could be used for weapon hiding, security locks on more office doors, jury room monitoring, installing bulletproof material in benches used by employees in courtroom, adding more side desks in the courthouse, installing cameras in the courtroom, locking doors during court recesses and installing security locks on judgesÕ chambers to avoid walk-ins.
Rural address signs
County Engineer Mark Sehr came to the board meeting with an update on rural signing progress.
Sehr, Sheriff's Office representatives and postal employees attended a meeting to consider all aspects of rural addresses for 911 purposes.
Sehr said, "I think we learned about some things we weren't aware of."
The county will number streets and avenues, giving rural residents more identifiable addresses. These addresses will be mapped for 911 emergency use, but mail carriers are also affected.
Postal workers suggested numbering avenues and streets exclusively with either odd or even numbers. They said many people leave the "street" or "avenue" off addresses, and making numbers correspond to either direction would eliminate confusion.
Wildung suggested incorporating an "R" for Rock County into the addresses so delivery people know which county a mailing goes to in cases where addresses border other counties.
The addresses will likely be designated and mapped for 911 before the signs are installed. Residents will be notified of their new addresses and the Post Office will allow a grace period for subscription and other correspondence change of address notification.
Community daycare
The Luverne Community Economic Development Corporation notified the county, city and school that it is turning the community daycare issue back to the three entities.
The LCEDC has reached an impasse with Dan Dunham on the community daycare issue. The tax abatement for providing a daycare space is approaching the December 2001 due date, so the LCEDC is backing out.
The issue is whether Dunham is meeting his end of the bargain by simply providing a vacant area for daycare use within his City Center apartment complex.
The LCEDC maintains that he is supposed to make the space ready for daycare, a cost of about $180,000 to Dunham. But he says that by providing the space, he is meeting his end of the bargain.
A meeting with the city, county and school boards will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 12, in the school library to discuss community daycare.