County board talks infrastructure and hiring new administrator

Big changes are on the horizon for Cook County. Construction on two infrastructure projects are underway, and the Board of Commissioners hopes to select a new administrator before the end of the week.

Infrastructure projects

At their June 10 meeting, the commissioners heard from the county’s bond attorney, who informed them that the bonding process for both the county transfer station project and an addition to the Law Enforcement Center have been completed. This means the county will now have access to funding to move forward with the next phases of those projects.

Interim Administrator Rena Rogers told WTIP that work has begun on some elements of the county transfer station project. That project consists of a large transfer station in Grand Marais, including a sizable building. It also includes establishing a smaller transfer station satellite site in Hovland, and improving an existing site in Tofte. Rogers said the dirt work has begun at both the Grand Marais and Hovland sites. The site on the east end will include minimal building, so once the earth work is completed, Rogers estimated it could be open for operation in July.

In addition to the transfer station project, the county will also be able to move forward with the LEC expansion, now that funding is in place. That project has yet to go out to bid, though Rogers said it will be advertised this week, and interested contractors will have the opportunity to walk through the existing facility on June 25.

Administrator hiring

Interviews for four county administrator candidates begin at 8:30 a.m on Monday, June 16. The county is once again hoping for get feedback from the public following the interviews. This time, the interviews will not be live-streamed, though they will be recorded. Once the final interview is complete, the video will be made available on the county website.

For those who chose to attend the interviews in person, they can fill out a physical feedback form, though there will also be an online version. Feedback can be submitted until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17. On Wednesday afternoon, the commissioners will hold a special meeting at 1:30 p.m. to discuss the interviews, along with any feedback from the public and the county’s Management Advisory Team.

WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Interim Administrator Rena Rogers about the most recent Board of Commissioners meeting. Audio of that interview is below.

Kirsten Wisniewski June 16, 2025