New commissioners Rodney Bounds and Ralph Miller used their commissioner reports during the Wadena County Board's first meeting of 2009 to express their thoughts on the county's financial situation and communication in the courthouse.
Bounds suggested the board have a working meeting so commissioners can get to know each other and set some goals. The county is in a very bad financial situation, he said. Each commissioner could look at setting one or two goals for the county to reach this coming year.
"I want to strive for some goal [and] see if we can reach it," he said.
Miller said he has visited the courthouse often because his wife, Rosalie Miller, is employed in the auditor's office. Through talking with people he senses there has been a lack of communication between the county board and the departments, he said.
This problem probably necessitated the hiring of Mike Gibson as the county's human resources consultant, Miller said, when a lot of these issues could be resolved by commissioners. He will not be a stranger to his liaison responsibilities, he said. He has a feeling that the relationship between the board and subordinates has been lost.
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His comments are not intended to be a criticism of the previous board, he said.
Commissioner Bill Stearns reminded Miller that the liaison position is not a "boss/employee" relationship and commissioners don't want to micromanage departments.
Earlier in the meeting Bounds requested the addition of an item called "other" to the agenda to allow for commissioners to bring up subject matter not on the agenda. Other boards have this opportunity, he said. "Other" would not be used to discuss major items. Those would placed on the agenda, Bounds said.
The board asked Auditor/Treasurer Char West to look into the legality of adding "other" as a standing agenda item.
