3.17.25 – Brainerd Dispatch – Brainerd, MN – By Renee Richardson
After several iterations since it came into being just before Christmas in 1988, the Crow Wing County alarm ordinance was recently repealed. Commissioners hosted a public hearing on the plan to repeal the ordinance Tuesday, March 11.
No one from the public spoke. The original ordinance was slightly amended in 1996 but didn’t have significant changes until March of 2007.
Contributed / Crow Wing County screenshot
Tina Elder, administrative manager with the sheriff’s department, spoke to the board about the ordinance Tuesday.
“In 2007, we had noticed that the original ordinance that was put in place was designed to charge people for false alarms,” Elder said. “We believe that that was unnecessarily onerous on the sheriff’s office to keep track of it, and what we wanted to make sure the citizens understood is that we’re going to respond to your alarm at all times.”
Additional changes were made in 2014.
The ordinance required owners to register security alarms and renew registrations annually.
The idea, the county reported in 2016, was to ensure law enforcement had the most current information on file when responding to an alarm. At that time, there were more than 3,200 properties registered with the county. The fee for new and renewed applications was $20.
In January, Sheriff Eric Klang noted an early concern with the ordinance was to cover the cost of responding to false alarms with home security systems. Klang said with the county’s new records management system, the ordinance would come with an additional cost so he looked at how often it came into play and found no one was charged for that issue. Klang said, when there were many false alarms, they wanted a way to react to repeat calls. Now, he said, they want to remove it from the books and remove the burden on people.
Tuesday, Elder said now fewer people are registering their systems and technology has changed how people keep track of their properties. She said the ordinance no longer serves a public purpose.
“And the overall arching message from the sheriff’s office is we don’t need your registration information in order to be there when you need us, when you call and say that your alarm is going off, we will be there, and we will do whatever we can to help you secure your your family and your property,” Elder said.
Without further comment, the board approved the resolution to repeal the ordinance.
In other business, the board:
Completed an annual performance reviews for Erik Flowers , Veterans Service Officer, and County Administrator Deborah Erickson .
The board recognized Flowers for “continued leadership and focus on improving service, streamlining operations and managing costs for Veterans Services. … His continued efforts in building relationships with the veterans and other agencies in addition to uplifting his team to serve veterans in the County is commendable.”
Commissioners noted Flowers ability to deliver “high quality claims assistance with efficiency and accuracy” for veterans so they receive benefits they earned. And the board noted the review process Flowers included to follow claims as they are processed through the Veterans Administration to identify issues and make corrections saving time and resources. The board stated that should be the state standard.
The board reported it had the utmost confidence in Flowers and his staff and continues to be impressed with him and the support he provides to serving veterans in the county.
The board met in closed session with Flowers and Erickson on Feb. 25. In the annual performance review of Erickson, the board noted her rating was “reflective of highly effective performance. Ms. Erickson has demonstrated exceptional leadership, strategic vision and operational effectiveness.”
The board stated Erickson successfully built relationships throughout the organization and with external stakeholders and her “highly effective communication skills are key to fostering community relationships to enhance county services.”
The board stated Erickson “has quickly become a driving force for progress, setting a high standard for leadership and operational excellence.” Commissioners added her ability to adapt to this new role and focus on the county’s mission in a short period was commendable, which positioned the county for long-term success.
With personnel action, noted the retirement of Therese Norwood, administrative coordinator, on May 30 after more than 35 years with the county. New hires included Tiffany Gilmer, public health nurse; Brandon Christensen, case aide-probation; Silke Jager, customer service specialist with Land Services; Leanna Ruggles, correctional officer. Promotions included: Courtney Veldman, probation agent; Kathy Hartman, planning coordinator with Land Services; Karen Bartholomaus, business analyst with Community Services; Jessica McKanna, case aide, Community Services.