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Commission decides on district redraw, community service position

By Sue Sitter - | Nov 27, 2021

Sue Sitter/PCT Pierce County Commissioners Ashley Berg, left and Dave Migler review a map of the county shown by County Auditor Karin Fursather.

Pierce County Commissioners voted unanimously in a special meeting Thursday, Nov. 18 to approve a redrawn map of county districts.

In the special meeting, commissioners chose from three different options to distribute population numbers more evenly over the county districts represented by five county commissioners.

Attorney Galen Mack also attended the meeting to offer advice to the commission.

The option the commissioners chose shifts three city blocks in District 2, represented by Commissioner Michael Christenson, into District 1, represented by Commissioner Mike Brossart.

District 4, on the south side of Rugby, was redrawn to include Meyer Township, located adjacent to the southwestern edge of the city. Commissioner Terry Hoffert represents the district.

Submitted Graph Commissioners approved a district map that places three city blocks of District 2 into District 1. The new map also adds Meyer Township to District 4. The map designates the Pierce County Courthouse as the polling place for each district on the map.

In other business, commissioners discussed an opening for a community service worker for the county. Karin Fritel, clerk of district court, has handled duties for the position, which has been open for several months.

Commission Chair Dave Migler asked the board if hiring a person for the position was necessary since the clerk of court tracked community service hours.

Migler said he had spoken with Tanya Wheeler, the county’s human resource consultant about whether Pierce County should keep the position or eliminate it. “She said, ‘Nobody does community service anymore,'” Migler told the board.

Migler asked the board for their opinions.

“We just gave some hours last week for community service,” said Mack, who serves as state’s attorney for Pierce County.

Migler said Commissioner Ashley Berg had met with a person interested in the job.

“There are some cases that we used to (give community service hours to) that aren’t available anymore,” Mack acknowledged. “For example, alcohol violations – those are infractions now and first offenses for marijuana, those are infractions. Those used to get a fair amount of community service, but there’s no community service for them.”

“But,” Mack added, “there’s still a need and a use for community service, in my opinion.”

“With some you can say, ‘Go to jail,’ or you can say, ‘Do something to be productive for society and go help out and do some community service. Put back into the community,'” Mack said. “That’s the general concept.”

Berg said she had interviewed the candidate interested in the community service job together with a commissioner from McHenry County and one from Bottineau County. The commissioners had not offered the job to the candidate.

Commissioners discussed the terms of the position including pay and benefits. They agreed to keep the position rather than eliminating it.

Commissioners also discussed future meetings. Their next regular meeting will take place Dec. 7 at 8 a.m. in the Pierce County Courthouse.