News Flash

CARLTON, Minn. – Carlton County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution declaring Carlton County

in a state of peacetime emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic event effective March 23, 2020 and is adding additional service delivery modifications to protect staff and the public.

These new temporary service modifications will be in effect 8:00 am March 24th until further notice

During this time, we will continue delivering many of our services through alternate means and will be working to design new ways of delivering services that currently depend on face-to-face contact.

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COUNTY COURTHOUSE SERVICES

The Carlton County Courthouse is closed to the public except by appointment.

Auditor/Treasurer’s Office  

Property Taxes  (218) 384-9125

• Tax statements will be mailed around the end of March
• Taxes are not due until May 15^th, so there is plenty of time to make your payment
• Please avoid paying in person
• You can mail your payments, pay online, or by phone.  Details about these options are on the county’s website under Parcel Information and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) or by calling 218.384.9125
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Real Estate Transactions  (218) 384-9127

• In-person transactions are discouraged unless absolutely necessary
• Please call 218.384.9127 first for information
• There may be delays depending on staffing limitations
• E-Recording transactions should be minimally affected
• Mailed documents may be held for 2-3 days, then handled as usual and returned by mail
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Accounts Payable and Vendors

• Contingency plans are in place and payments will continue
• Care will be taken to ensure payments to the most vulnerable are made as quickly as possible
• Delays are possible, as all county departments contribute to the payment process and staffing in all those areas may affect how quickly payments can be made
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Assessor’s Office  (218) 384-9142

• All physical inspections of property for valuation and appeal purposes is being temporarily suspended.
• Homestead application processing on site will be temporarily suspended.   Please call or email and an application can be filled out, sent via mail or electronically, signed and returned without a in person visit.
• All normal services will be performed via phone or email, this includes:
• Valuation questions
• Sales verifications
• Homestead requests
• Questions regarding any special programs
• DAV questions and applications
• Website information
• Property records or property detail requests.

Please call the listed number with any other questions or email us by going to the Carlton County Website, under the Assessor Department, select contact the Assessor.

We are working closely with the Department of Revenue (DOR), and our Local Town Boards and City Councils regarding upcoming Local Board of Appeal and Equalization meetings.   At this time we are awaiting direction from the DOR.  We will share more updates with our public when more information becomes available to us.  Be assured we will do our best to accommodate and preserve every property owner’s right to appeal their 2020 valuations as always and hope that this current situation eases allowing some return to regular operations soon. The Assessor’s office and staff thank you for your patience and understanding during these uncertain times.

Economic Development  (218) 384-9597

Although our physical location will be closed, the EDA office is not. For now:

Economic Development team members will work remotely from their homes.

One-on-one meetings that our team normally would take in person will be replaced with phone or video calls.

Email is the best way to reach our team during this time. We will check email regularly during normal business hours.

Mary Finnegan, EDA Executive Director, mary.finnegan@co.carlton.mn.us

Brenda Nyberg, Loan and Grant Administration, brenda.nyberg@co.carlton.mn.us

County Coordinator/Human Resources   218-384-9140

• The office is closed to the public except by appointment.
• Employment applications will be accepted by email or US mail.
• Dennis Genereau, County Coordinator and HR Director, can be reached at any time at 218-576-7654. 

Recorder’s Office 

Real Estate 218-384-9122             

• All documents must be submitted through the mail or through an e-recording vendor click on this link to find the ERERC list of trusted submitters/vendors:
• https://www.mnererc.com/land-records-vendors/
• At this time the office is still processing documents by mail as we receive them.  This is subject to change dependent upon the information provided by the Minnesota Department of Health or CDC for proper procedures for the handling of mail. 
• For researching the public land records:
• Idocmarket.com is the department’s enhanced land records service available 24/7.  Payment is by credit card and various options exist.
• Please check the county’s website for updates.

Vital Records 218-384-9156

• Please refer to the County Recorder Vital Records section of the County website (www.co.carlton.mn.us) for forms.  Some processes can be done through the mail with check.
• Please call the vital records number shown above to consult with the vital records deputy to arrange an in-person visit.  Only the party who requires the service should appear at the counter.  The counter process will be explained to you at the time of your call.

Zoning and Environmental Services 218-384-9176

Zoning Office            

• Zoning and Environmental Service’s Office is closed to the public.
• Zoning and Environmental Service’s permits can be found on the county’s website and will be processed via the mail.  Please call if you have questions completing any application.  We can also mail applications to those without internet service.
• Site visits will still be conducted when absolutely necessary.  Residents and contractors should practice social distancing of 6 feet when staff is present on your property.
• Public hearings are suspended until further notice.
• Well water testing is suspended until further notice.
• Please follow Zoning and Environmental Services on Facebook and check the county’s website for updates.

Transfer Station

• Open until further notice.  Regular hours of 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Friday.   Reduced hours on Saturdays will continue until further notice, 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM.   Customers should practice social distancing of 6 feet while visiting the Transfer Station.  This includes interaction with Transfer Station staff.
• No mattresses will be accepted until further notice.
• We encourage our customers to use credit or debit cards when possible.
• Only available for Carlton County residents until further notice.

Recycling

• The City of Carlton and the City of Moose Lake have closed their recycling sheds until further notice.  Check the county’s website under “Recycling in Carlton County” for additional closures as they are posted. 

Probation 218-384-9188

• All Probation Offices Closed to Visitation from the General Public
• No face to face office contacts or visitation by probation clients.
• Bail Studies as usual with the use of video technology as available
• No Group Activity
•  Suspension of Juvenile Work Crews
•  Suspension of STS Crews
•  Limiting/Suspending Technical Violation Warrants on Misd. & GM non person offenses
• Supervisory review and approval for all 36 and 72 hour hold
• Supervisory review on all violations and warrant requests as it relates to felony level offenders
• Suspension of Drug Testing except in exigent circumstances

*Minnesota Sixth Judicial District Court   218-384-9578

• Access to the Carlton, Cook, Lake, and St. Louis County courthouses will be limited to the parties in the case who are participating in the hearing, attorneys who represent those parties, any necessary court staff, and other individuals the presiding judge determines are necessary to conduct the hearing. Representatives of the media are permitted to attend hearings held in courtrooms, coordinated through the Judicial Branch Court Information Office (courtinfo@courts.state.mn.us) at least 24 hours before the time of the hearing.

• Efforts will be made to accommodate remote appearances for every scheduled hearing.

•  The court facility will be closed to the public. For persons authorized under paragraph 1 of this order attending in-person, an established courthouse door shall be used, and persons must identify the hearing or proceeding for which their attendance is required, such as by providing the name of the case or case number. The County shall designate what door or doors shall be used.

• For persons who have other business with the court, eFiling, U.S. Mail, and telephone access will be available. Court administration can be reached at the following numbers: Carlton County: 218-384-9578; Cook County: 218-387-3610; Lake County: 218-834-8330; St. Louis County Duluth: 218-726-2460; St. Louis County Hibbing: 218-262-0105; St. Louis County Virginia: 218-471-7106; and court administration for all locations can be reached at the following email address: 6thdistrictcourts@courts.state.mn.us.

Guardian Ad Litem – Timothy Dipuma (218) 384-9511

• During limited public access at the courthouse, meetings will be by phone-scheduled appointment only.

COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER SERVICES

The CARLTON COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER, including the COUNTY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, is closed to the general public.  There will be limited access to the Law Enforcement Center via use of the lobby phone. 

Attorney’s Office 218-384-9166

• High priority criminal matters will continue to be heard and we will continue to hold bail hearings for person in jail custody. If someone is a victim of a crime, they can call John Parenteau at 218-384-9170.
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• Sheriff’s Office  218-384-3236
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• The Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to your safety.  As usual, we will continue responding to 9-1-1 calls for service and patrolling throughout the County.  For non-emergency calls, a deputy will make telephone contact with you to discuss your report and may take the report over the phone rather than respond to your home.  We will still respond to emergency calls.
• The Sheriff’s Office building will be closed to the public, except by appointment.   We will not be taking in-person reports at our office until further notice.  The Law Enforcement Center does have the lobby telephone that your call will be answered and directed as needed.  Any questions, please call.
• Civil Process—all civil process can be mailed to Carlton County Sheriff’s Office P.O. Box 530 Carlton, MN 55718, emailed to ccso.civil@co.carlton.mn.us , or faxed to 218-384-9183 and will be processed. District Court will continue to be available for Orders for protection and Harassment Restraining Orders.
• Permits to Purchase—Citizens can go to our website for a link to a fillable permit to purchase form.  This can be mailed back for processing or scanned and emailed back to gun.permits@co.carlton.mn.us.  If you live within the City limits of Cloquet or Moose Lake, you will need to contact them as your permits to purchase must be processed there.
• Permits to Carry—you can mail in your permit application, with proof of training and payment.  Your permit will be processed within 30 days and you will be contacted via phone to arrange for pickup.  If you have questions regarding this process or general questions related to your permit to carry, contact the Sheriff’s Office at 218-384-3236.
• Jail—218-384-4560
• Effective March 25, 2020, all inmate visiting hours are suspended until further notice.
• Friends and Family can make payments and purchase phone cards for inmates by calling 800-896-3201 to open an account and make a prepayment to Reliance Telephone or by going to www.reliancetelephone.com for more information.
• Friends and Family may electronically deposit money into inmate accounts via www.expressaccount.com or by mail to Carlton County Jail P.O. Box 530 Carlton, MN 55718
• Bail/Bond procedures:  Call the Jail 218-384-4560 to make an appointment prior to coming to the jail if you are going to be posting bond/bail for an individual incarcerated here.

EXTENSION / CHESTNUT STREET BUILDING SERVICES

The Carlton County Extension/Chestnut Street building is closed to the public except by appointment only.

Community and Family Initiatives Department  (218) 384-4284

Office is closed to the public

All trainings, group activities, client intakes and events are cancelled until further notice

All non-mandated services are temporarily discontinued

At this time, most department staff are working remotely. Please call the number listed above or email us by going to the Carlton County Website, under the Community and Family Initiative’s Department; select the “contact us” button.

Extension Office  (218) 384-3511

• Extension Office is closed to the public
• All 4-H  and group activities are cancelled
• All Extension face to face meetings and trainings are cancelled  until further notice

At this time, most department staff are working remotely. Please call the number listed above or email us by going to the Carlton County Website.

COMMUNITY SERVICES BUILDING 

The Carlton County Community Services Building remains open; however, some services are temporarily closed to the public, including the CareerForce Center and the Motor Vehicle Registration Office. The Veterans Services Office is closed to the public except by appointment. 

PUBLIC HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES (218) 879-4511

The health and safety of the community and our staff continues to be our priority. For this reason, the following is our plan during this time:

• Lobby and service windows are open
• When possible, please call for services instead of coming into the office
• Meetings with service providers are available by phone or by telepresence (on screen face-to-face)
• General number 218-879-4511. Please call for any service need.

MOTOR VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSING (218) 879-5951

• · Closed to in-person transactions
• · Limited services including renewals by mail and drop-off and dealer transactions will continue
• · Call ahead at 218.879.5951 with questions about your renewals
• · Deadlines for Real ID have been extended and will be announced by the federal government soon

VETERANS SERVICES   (218) 499-6838

• Office is closed to face to face contact. (NO IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS)
• Telephone calls accepted and encouraged.
• Please call (218) 204-0693 (DAV Northeastern Transportation Network) for transportation to a VA Medical Center.

*Please note that veterans exposed to Agent Orange, Gulf War Undiagnosed Illnesses, Gulf War Burn Pits, Heart Conditions, and Diabetes can have a much greater chance of getting sick from COVID-19 (Coronavirus). By limiting public contact, we can keep you, the veteran, and your family safer as we all work hard to fight this invisible enemy. Thanks for your military service and limited public contact understanding.

TRANSPORTATION BUILDING SERVICES

Land Department  (218) 384-4287

• The Transportation building is closed to the public, except by appointment.

Transportation Department  (218) 384-9150

• · Transportation Building is closed to the public.
• · Moving and Utility Permits will be handled through the online permitting found on our website http://www.co.carlton.mn.us/193/Policies-Permits

Please call the number listed above or email us by going to the Carlton County Website, under the Transportation Department; select “contact us” button if you have any questions or concerns that need to be addressed.

COUNTY PUBLIC MEETINGS

The County Board plans at this time to hold the regular Board meetings currently scheduled for April 14^th and 27^th, but the manner in which those meetings will be held may be subject to social distancing or other Coronavirus related restrictions.  The Committee of the Whole meeting scheduled for April 7^th is cancelled.  Please check the county website’s “County Office Update” and “News Flash” areas for the most up-to-date information, as the situation is very fluid and will continue to change. 

Further Information:  Please be aware that a number of county related meetings have been postponed or cancelled due to Coronavirus concerns.  Carlton County will continue to provide information as it becomes available. More information about changes to our services can be found on our website www.co.carlton.mn.us.