Hill County Commission approves board reappointments

The Hill County Commission announced at the commission’s weekly business meeting Thursday that seven members of local boards and commissions whose terms recently expired were being reappointed to their positions.

Hill County Commissioner Diane McLean said Debbie Vandeberg of the Havre-Hill County Historic Preservation Commission, Mischelle Fisher and John Bania of the Tourism Business Improvement District Board, Pete Kuhr of the Hill County Weed District Board, Mary Barger and Steve Sapp of the Zoning Board of Adjustments and Erica McKeon-Hanson of the Hill County Health Board have all been sent letters confirming their reappointment.

These reappointments have filled half of the open board positions the commission is looking to fill, with three positions on the Great Northern Fair Board, two on the zoning board, one on the weed board and one on the Hill County Park Board still open.

McLean said the commission has conducted interviews for candidates for the fair and park boards.

She said the commission is also conducting 11 interviews to fill the county’s two extension agent positions next Thursday, which has necessitated that the commission move its weekly business meeting to Wednesday next week.

The commission also approved a resolution to create a budget to receive and disperse more than $1 million through the Local Government CARES Reimbursement Program.

The program provides funds to local governments that have incurred significant cost because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hill County Commissioner Mark Peterson thanked everyone involved in the process of obtaining the funds for their time and effort.

The commission also approved a contract with Kubl Group to upgrade the control panel and cameras in the Hill County Detention Center.

Peterson said this upgrade is much-needed and was a long time coming.

The commission also awarded Facility Improvement Corp. the project to install new security cameras in the Hill County Courthouse as well as adding locking mechanisms to some of the buildings outer doors.

McLean said that company’s bid was chosen from four that were submitted to the county.

Hill County Commissioner Jake Strissel said the bid selected offered the most bang for the county’s buck.

The commissioners also approved a three-year extension of the warranty on a county server.