Board of Directors
Bigfork Valley is owned and governed by the Northern Itasca Hospital District, an entity formed under Minnesota statute in 1975. Today the district includes the cities of Bigfork, Effie and Big Falls, 6 organized townships and 6 unorganized townships in Itasca County, and unorganized territory in Koochiching County along Highway 6. Voters of the district are represented by 13 board members, including 2 at-large positions.
The board meets monthly in a public meeting, currently the first Tuesday at 9 a.m. in the board room at Bigfork Valley.
Board Members
- George Rounds, Chair
Stokes Township
Term expires 2020
P: 218-743-3312
E: grounds@arvig.net
A: 40742 Turtle Lake Road
Bigfork, MN 56628 - Dan (Casey) Sursely
City of Big Falls
Term expires 2022
P: 218-276-2330
E: bsursely@hotmail.com
A: 1412 1st Street E
Big Falls, MN 56627 - Tom LaMont
City of Effie
Term expires 2020
P: 218-244-1163
A: 105 Hwy 1 E
Effie, MN 56639 - Dianne Bakke
City of Bigfork
Term expires 2022
P: 218-743-6623
E: getfitbigfork@gmail.com
A: P.O. Box 187
Bigfork, MN 56628 - Linnette Davidson, Secretary
Wirt Township
Term expires 2020
P: 218-659-2737
A: 53081 Davidson Road
Wirt, MN 56688 - Ken Porter
Bigfork Township
Term expires 2020
P: 218-910-0475
A: 38719 County Rd 225
Bigfork, MN 56628 - Marie Lovdahl
Unorganized Townships –Itasca County
Term expires 2020
P: 218-743-3686
E: lovdahl@bigfork.net
A: 34486 County Road 40
Effie, MN 56639 - Meredith Morneau
Itasca County At-Large
Term expires 2022
P: 218-832-3211
E: pinetree45@earthlink.net
A: 41929 Turtle Lake Road
Bigfork, MN 56628 - Greg Cook
Unorganized Townships
–Koochiching County
Term expires 2020
P: 218-244-8044
218-212-1008
A: 11786 County Road 5
Effie, MN 56639 - Matt Huju
Marcell Township
Term expires 2022
P: 218-832-3899
E: mhuju@bigforkvalley.org
A: P.O. Box 123
Marcell, MN 56657 - Heidi Watson, Vice Chair
At Large–Koochiching County
Term expires 2022
P: 218-244-2186
E: heidiwatson525@gmail.com
A: P.O Box 262
Big Falls, MN 56627 - Larry Salmela, Treasurer
Carpenter Township
Term expires 2022
P: 218-780-9712
E: meadlake.larry@gmail.com
A: 22838 Rollercoaster Road
Effie, MN 56639 - Vacant
Pomroy Township
City of Effie
Recurring Meetings:
Recurring monthly board meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month at 9:00 a.m. in the Board Room.
Recurring monthly finance committee meetings are held on the last Tuesday of the month at 3:00 p.m. in the Board Room.
Recurring quarterly governance committee meetings are held at 1:00 p.m. in the Board Room.
2019 Governance Committee Meeting Dates
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the board of directors of the Northern Itasca Hospital District will hold recurring quarterly governance committee meetings at 1:00 p.m. in the board room at Bigfork Valley.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Should a change in a meeting date occur, proper notification will be made.
Special Meetings:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Directors of Northern Itasca Hospital District will hold a strategic planning meeting commencing at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, September 23, 2019 at the Marcell Family Center, 49023 State Highway 38, Marcell, MN.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Executive Evaluation and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Northern Itasca Hospital District will hold a meeting on Tuesday, September 24, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. in the Board Room at Bigfork Valley.
Purpose: annual performance evaluation of CEO Aaron Saude.
As part of Bigfork Valley’s strategic plan, its Board of Directors is researching options for alternative governance models, specifically dual governance. Click here for more information.
Official Notices
Notices and meeting changes are posted to this web-page. If you have questions regarding meetings or meeting minutes, contact us at (218) 743-1772.
The Bigfork Valley Board utilizes the Grand Rapids Herald Review for its official newspaper.
The Bigfork Valley Board set the certificate of proposed tax levy amount at $700,000 for 2020. The final property tax levy for 2020 is due on or before December 30, 2019. Click here for a statement from the Board Chair, George Rounds, regarding the tax levy.