2015 Minnesota County Highway Accountants Association Conference
April 29 – May 1, 2015
Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center, Alexandria, MN
Minutes from the 42nd Annual Conference
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
12:00 p.m. Conference Registration
1:00 p.m. Welcome and Orientation
Karen Langford, Blue Earth County conducted the welcome. New accountants were
introduced and given a coffee mug from the College of Continuing Education.
There were 17 new accountants at the conference:
Kelly Lammon – Itasca County
Kari Moyer – Red Lake County
Angela Lefebvre – Becker County
Courtney Pavek – Lincoln County
Brenda Fischer – Jackson County
Lisa Beskau – Dakota County
Deb Crooks – McLeod County
Patsy Waytashek – Wright County
Kevin Dieger – Benton County
Valeria Nicolaison – Lake County
Cindy Kriesel – Anoka County
George Hardgrove – Hennepin County
Jaime Koob – Pope County – recognized last year
Lisa Peterson – Freeborn County – recognized last year
Julie Huneke – Goodhue County – recognized last year
Cherie Winters – Cottonwood County – recognized last year
Hannah Krenz – Cottonwood County – new office assistant
Abeba Abeba – Hennepin County (did not attend conference)
Amanda Burmeister – Watonwan County (did not attend conference)
Karen spoke to the new accountants about getting to know some of the “seasoned”
accountants at the conference. That the conference was for learning and getting answers
to accounting issues they have encountered.
Karen invited the new accountants to meet the State Aid, Costrite and ACS people and if
any accountants had questions that State Aid would be around all afternoon to answer
questions.
2:00 p.m. Mixed District Roundtable Discussions
Everyone was assigned a number and that number was assigned to a meeting room where
you meet with other accountants outside your District.
3:00 p.m. District Roundtable Discussions
Everyone met with their own District where they discussed the Roundtable questions and
how others in their mixed groups had dealt with the issue in each question.
3:30 p.m. Business Meeting
President, Sarah Olsen called the meeting to order. Sarah thanked the Planning
Committee, District 7 and Kristi Fischer with the University of Minnesota for all of their
hard work to make the 42nd annual accountants conference a success.
Sarah made announcements: Location of the hospitality room.
Colleen Baker, Le Sueur County and Cindy Wenkel, Nicollet County will be selling
tickets for the district baskets. Lana Henrichs, Rock County and Cherie Winters,
Cottonwood County will be selling tickets for the gift card raffle.
Sarah asked if we had any retired or retiring accountants.
Sarah thanked Cindy Wenkel, Nicollet County and the District 7 Planning Committee
members for covering the Vice-President duties this year after Linda Libal, Lake County,
stepped down due to a job change.
Sarah announced that the present executive committee would not be moving up the
sequence and asked if there were any volunteers to replace the positions of President,
Vice-President and Secretary/Treasurer. When she did not get any volunteers she asked
for volunteers for a nominating committee. Fred Edstrom, Anoka County and Francis
Kerber, Carver County volunteered to be on the nominating committee.
Housekeeping Items:
Dinner on Wednesday evening will be from 5-8:30 p.m. in the Lake Café.
District photos will be taken at lunch on Thursday.
Thursday evening banquet will have a cash bar for two hours.
Tina and Lena will be performing after the banquet on Thursday evening.
3:45 p.m. ACS/Costrite Updates (Concurrent Sessions)
Counties broke up into their respective groups for the costing system they are using.
5:00 p.m.
Adjourn
Thursday, April 30, 2015
7:00 a.m.
Breakfast
8:00 a.m. Welcome
Sarah Olsen welcomed everyone to the 42nd annual conference and introduced Kristi
Fischer of the U of M. Kristi went over the contents in our folder and thanked the
executive and planning committees for all of their help this year.
Sarah introduced Dave Robley, Douglas County Engineer.
Dave welcomed everyone to Douglas County.
8:15 a.m. Update from County Engineers
Sarah introduced John Welle, Aitkin County Engineer and President of the Minnesota
County Engineers Association (MCEA)
John talked about the money the association raises is used for scholarships for students
pursuing an engineering degree or a Tech degree. He also talked about the various
committees that the engineers are on, and what the hot topics are for them.
8:45 a.m. State Aid and Legislative Updates
Sarah introduced Ted Schoenecker, Deputy State Aid Engineer, MnDOT
Ted went over State Aid for Local Transportation Updates and Funding Programs.
9:15 a.m. Mock Project – Start to Finish of a State Aid Project
Sarah introduced Candy Harding, Cindy Degener, and Sandra Martinez from State Aid
Finance.
Candy went over how to fill out State Aid pay requests.
Cindy went through the accounting entries for State Aid projects.
Mike Kilanowski gave a quick tour of the SAF website and the updates that had been
made to it.
10:30 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m. Annual Report – A Step-by Step Guide of How to and Why to Compile
this Information.
Sarah introduced Mike Kilanowski, State Aid Finance
Mike and Cindy went through the procedures for completing the Annual Report.
12:15 p.m. Lunch
1:00 p.m. Project Funding Database
Mike Kilanowski, State Aid Finance
Mike went through the process of start up in a new year and the steps from the beginning
of a month to reconciling and closing out the month.
Mike announced that Version 12 is ready to be released. One enhancement in Version 12
will be more funding types available.
2:30 p.m.
Break
2:45 p.m. Timely and Accurate Claims Reporting
Karen Clayton Ebert and Kevin Adams, Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust
(MCIT)
Sarah introduced Karen Clayton.
Karen gave some history on how and why MCIT was formed and what MCIT does for
us.
Sarah introduced Kevin Adams, Claims Reporting
Kevin went through filling out the forms to report an injury and that numbers 26, 28, 29
and 30 are the most important line items to fill in on the first report of injury.
4:00 p.m. Ergonomics
Jeff Holubar, Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust (MCIT)
Sarah introduced Jeff Holubar.
He went through correct posture while seated at your workstation, chair adjustments,
proper positioning of your workstation, stretching and exercises that can be done at work.
4:30 p.m.
Adjourn
6:00 p.m. Annual Banquet
Tina and Lena were the evening entertainment.
Again this year each district provided a basket that was raffled off as an additional
fundraiser. The basket raffle winners included: Mark Florence, St. Louis County; David
Lansing, Marshall County; Ann Rodke-Leshovsky, Clay County; Helen Erkenbrack,
Otter Tail County; Brenda Fischer, Jackson County; Pam Hahn, Sibley County; Nancy
Schmidt, Redwood County; Cherie Winters, Cottonwood County.
The Gift Card Raffle winners included: Debbie Klemmetsen, Clearwater County; Marti
Carlson, Lake of the Woods County; Sarah Olsen, Aitkin County; Duane Ruona, Crow
Wing County; Colleen Cunningham, Crow Wing County; Debbie Klemmetsen,
Clearwater County; Sharon Diesen, Roseau County; Sheila Schroeder, Houston County;
Cherie Winters, Cottonwood County; Deb Crooks, McLeod County; Bette Schweer,
Yellow Medicine County; Paul Bakker, Kandiyohi County; Gloria Winkler, Mahnomen
County.
Friday, May 1, 2015
7:00 a.m.
Breakfast
8:00 a.m. Communicating Effectively During Those Critical Moments in Your
Workplace
Josh Lego, Consultant and St. Paul Police Department Commander
Sarah introduced Josh Lego.
Josh talked about having a constructive way of affecting people with the way you
communicate with them.
Develop your own communication style and learn to use your words constructively.
10:30 a.m. Minnesota County Highway Accountants Business Meeting
President Sarah Olsen called the business meeting to order. Thank you to Kristi Fischer
of the U of M for all of the work she puts into our yearly conferences, District 7 Planning
Committee, Executive Committee, District 6 Hospitality Committee and Gloria Winkler,
Historian.
A copy of the 2014 conference minutes was included in everyone’s folder. Cindy Kriesel,
Anoka County made a motion to forgo the reading of the minutes and 2nd by Jamie Finne,
Dodge County. Approved.
The Treasurer’s Report was read by Ronda Olson, Secretary/Treasurer. A motion to
approve the Treasurer’s Report was made by Larry Phillips, Washington County and 2nd
by Fred Edstrom, Anoka County. Approved.
Sarah stated that we no longer have to decide on a location for the next year’s conference
as the location is now determined by the Executive Committee.
New Business:
Nominating new officer’s for 2016 Executive Committee. Fred Edstrom, Anoka County
and Francis Kerber, Carver County were on the Nominating Committee. Fred had
everyone stand up and then asked everyone that held an office before to sit down. Next
he asked all of the new accountants this year to sit down. From everyone left standing
Fred asked who would be interested in being on the executive committee.
Jamie Finne, Dodge County, Julie Huneke, Goodhue County, Larry Phillips, Washington
County and Mark Florence, St. Louis County all volunteered to be on the Executive
Committee.
Fred asked each person what office they would be interested in holding.
Jamie Finne, President
Julie Huneke, Vice-President
Larry Philliips, wanted to run through the ranks
Mark Florence, said he would prefer to wait a year
Since we had three people all interested in different offices, it was voted on by a show of
hands for the 2016 Executive Committee to be as follows:
Jamie Finne, Dodge County as President
Julie Huneke, Goodhue County as Vice-President
Larry Phillips, Washington County as Secretary/Treasurer
Vote passed by unanimous show of hands.
2016 Conference will be April 27-29, 2016 in Duluth.
Planning Committee is District 1, Chair is Mark Lenne, Carlton County.
Hospitality is District 3.
2017 Conference will be Central.
Planning Committee is District 4, Chair is Gloria Winkler.
Hospitality is District 1.
Rhonda Anstine, Hubbard County brought up changing the North, South and Central
boundaries. Many voiced that they would like to table making any changes until next
year at which time there would be a map showing the new boundary changes and
available hotel locations to accommodate our group.
Jamie Finne, Dodge County made a motion to have the new boundaries drawn up and
voted on next year. It was 2nd by Bette Schweer, Yellow Medicine County.
The motion to table new boundaries until next year when there would be a map and
potential hotel locations was voted on by a show of hands. Approved with 31 yes votes
and 16 no votes.
Motion to adjourn by Cindy Wenkel, Nicollet County and 2nd by Larry Phillips,
Washington County.
11:30 a.m. Adjourn
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Moe, Lac qui Parle County
2015 Secretary/Treasurer
Ronda Olson, Chippewa County
2015 Secretary/Treasurer