Oct. 19—GRAND FORKS — The Grand Forks County Commission addressed shortcomings at its juvenile facilities, the financial impact of bond sales and a parking improvement study among other items at its bi-weekly meeting on Tuesday.

Anne Wuollet, senior managing consultant at PFM Financial Advisors LLC, requested the approval of the sale of limited tax capital project fund bonds. The bonds, which will be sold to eight different buyers, comprise $32,765,000, structured around a repayment schedule of seven mills annually from the commission's capital project fund.

Wuollet also said Moody's, a credit rating agency, upgraded the commission's rating to an Aa1, one level below the highest rating given to long term bonds of Aaa.

Bridgie Hansen, juvenile detention administrator for Grand Forks County, expressed concern about the lack of shelter care capacity at the county's existing juvenile facility. A reimbursement grant of approximately $800,000, funded through June 2023, would provide temporary improvements until a proposed facility designed to house juveniles in all stages of care — shelter, attendant and delinquent — is completed.

One of the more pressing needs at the juvenile detention center is the lack of egress windows, which allow for escape in the event of emergency.

According to Hansen, egress windows must be lowered to 40 inches from the ground for safety purposes. The building's granite facade complicates this requirement, as it would have to be removed in order to lower the windows.

Another issue, according to Hansen, is overcrowding at the county's facilities for juveniles in attendant and shelter care.

"There are kids that are being picked up with no place to go," said Hansen. "These are not offenders, these are kids in situations they have no control over and need to be taken care of."

Tom Ford, the county's director of administration, weighed the merits of two different parking improvement projects in Grand Forks. One would entail demolishing the downtown parking ramp and building a surface lot containing 250 spaces at a cost of $3.3 million. The other would add $2.4 million in renovations to the existing ramp.

Citing an independent study, Ford advocated against building the surface lot, on the grounds that the project would require purchasing land in addition to its $3.3 million price tag.

Although the commission did not take definitive action in favor of either project, Commissioner Tom Falck stressed the need for foresight concerning parking availability downtown.

"We have to think 20 years down the road," said Falck. "If our county has 90,000 people instead of 70,000, we're going to need more parking. I know the city has been concerned about us eliminating parking."

In other news from the Tuesday meeting:

* County Finance and Tax Director Debbie Nelson reviewed a list of properties for sale at the county's minimum price. An $800.86 property in Larimore was added to the list. The commission also approved the advancement of six pending eviction orders.

* County Engineer Nick West petitioned the commission for approval of approximately $2 million in road repairs, necessitated by flooding in spring 2022. The county has already received some of this aid in the form of a disaster assistance fund from FEMA. West said the request has been reviewed by the state's attorney, but the project needed commission approval as well. West's request was approved unanimously.

* Kate Goldade, family health team leader at Grand Forks Public Health, outlined efforts the department is undertaking at local schools to ensure a healthy and productive learning environment. Some of these initiatives include onsite COVID and influenza immunization clinics, supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of students and designing programs aimed at vaping cessation.