[3:09] meeting. Uh I will call it to order. Uh
[3:12] welcome and thanks everyone for coming.
[3:15] Uh roll call will indicate all five
[3:18] commissioners are present. Uh please
[3:20] rise for a moment of silence and the
[3:22] pledge of allegiance.
[3:36] I aliance to the flag of the United
[3:40] States of America and to the republic
[3:42] for which it stands. One nation under
[3:45] God, indivisible, with liberty and
[3:48] justice for all.
[3:56] » [snorts]
[3:56] >> Okay, our first item is the agenda.
[3:59] » Okay, our first item is the agenda.
[3:59] There is one addition. We'll call it M3
[4:02] and put it under administration. Does
[4:04] that work, Mike?
[4:05] >> Sure.
[4:06] » Sure.
[4:06] >> Okay. Uh with that, if there are no more
[4:10] » Okay. Uh with that, if there are no more
[4:10] additions or
[4:13] uh corrections to the agenda, I'm
[4:15] looking for a motion.
[4:16] >> So moved.
[4:17] » So moved.
[4:17] >> Thank you, Commissioner Clark.
[4:19] » Thank you, Commissioner Clark.
[4:19] >> Thank you, Commissioner Johnson. Any
[4:21] » Thank you, Commissioner Johnson. Any
[4:21] further discussion? Seeing none, all
[4:24] those in favor signify by saying I.
[4:26] >> I.
[4:27] » I.
[4:27] >> With your microphones on.
[4:30] » With your microphones on.
[4:30] Motion carried. Uh, next up is a consent
[4:33] agenda item. You can see there is 13 of
[4:37] those. Uh, is there anybody wishing to
[4:41] pull anything or have a discussion on
[4:42] any of those 13 items?
[4:44] >> I'll move the consent agenda, Mr.
[4:46] » I'll move the consent agenda, Mr.
[4:46] Chairman.
[4:47] >> Okay. Thank you, Commissioner Bertram.
[4:49] » Okay. Thank you, Commissioner Bertram.
[4:49] >> With one quick question. Okay.
[4:51] » With one quick question. Okay.
[4:51] >> Second.
[4:52] » Second.
[4:52] >> Thank you, Commissioner Clark. Uh,
[4:54] » Thank you, Commissioner Clark. Uh,
[4:54] question to you, Commissioner Bertram.
[4:56] >> E1. Uh, what district is Scott from on
[4:59] » E1. Uh, what district is Scott from on
[4:59] the dairy advisory committee?
[5:00] >> He would be in yours.
[5:03] » He would be in yours.
[5:03] >> Okay. Wasn't sure it wasn't identified,
[5:05] » Okay. Wasn't sure it wasn't identified,
[5:05] so I didn't.
[5:06] >> Yeah, he lives uh northeast of Eden
[5:09] » Yeah, he lives uh northeast of Eden
[5:09] Valley.
[5:09] >> Got it. Thank [snorts] you.
[5:11] » Got it. Thank [snorts] you.
[5:12] >> Okay.
[5:13] » Okay.
[5:14] Any other discussion on the consent
[5:15] agenda?
[5:17] Seeing none, all those in favor signify
[5:19] by saying I. I.
[5:20] >> I. Opposed.
[5:22] » I. Opposed.
[5:22] >> Motion carried.
[5:24] » Motion carried.
[5:24] Just to uh for the general public, this
[5:29] past pay period, there was what $85
[5:32] million that the county had put out. So,
[5:36] I mean, it's there's a lot. You know, we
[5:39] get a we get to view the
[5:42] uh payments that are made. uh they send
[5:44] out a list to us and and most of it was
[5:47] the property tax the settlements on the
[5:51] first half.
[5:53] All right. So the first item on our
[5:56] agenda is public works.
[6:04] » Good morning commissioners.
[6:06] >> Morning Chris. So item F1 in the agenda
[6:09] » Morning Chris. So item F1 in the agenda
[6:09] starting on page 130 in your packet is
[6:12] to award a construction contract to
[6:14] Design Electric. This project
[6:17] SP073070-032
[6:21] is our rural intersection lighting
[6:23] project. There are 10 intersections
[6:25] throughout the county that have
[6:26] identified uh having a need to be lit
[6:29] for uh increased safety at those
[6:31] intersections. Um we received two bids.
[6:35] Design Electric was the low bid, but
[6:38] they're significantly over our estimate.
[6:40] That's why I wanted to take some time
[6:41] today to talk about this a little bit.
[6:44] Uh we had estimated it to cost about
[6:47] $230,000. The low bid was $44,317.
[6:53] So that's a 75% almost 76% over our
[6:57] estimate. So what's happening here? Um a
[7:01] couple things. One thing, our estimate
[7:04] might have been uh a bit low. This is a
[7:06] type of project that we do not construct
[7:09] every year. In fact, the last time we
[7:11] did a similar project was four years ago
[7:14] in 2022. And to put that in perspective,
[7:18] back then um the bids came out to be
[7:20] about $27,000
[7:22] per intersection for very similar
[7:25] things. You put up two poles kind of
[7:27] diagonal from each other on the
[7:28] intersection. Now we're looking at
[7:31] $40,000 per intersection uh for this
[7:34] type of lighting. So that's a 50%
[7:37] increase in just four years of costs.
[7:39] Before putting on the agenda, we did
[7:41] reach out to the low bidder to get some
[7:43] kind of insight on why uh these costs
[7:47] were what they are. And basically the
[7:49] response was everything's higher. Labor
[7:51] [snorts] is higher. Copper is almost
[7:53] twice the price it was per foot four
[7:56] years ago. Steel is more. the [snorts]
[7:58] grass seed is more expensive. The
[8:00] controller cabinets where all the
[8:01] electrical circuitry is, uh, he said
[8:04] those are specifically are three times
[8:06] the cost that they were [snorts] when
[8:08] this was a similar project was last bid
[8:10] in Sterns County. Um, so, uh, that tells
[8:15] us that it was a fair bid. It just
[8:17] that's what it is. U, the next lowest
[8:19] bid was over $500,000, which would have
[8:22] been 117%
[8:24] increase over our estimate.
[8:26] This project is receiving um federal
[8:29] funds. Um it's receiving um about 80%
[8:34] well based on our estimate about 80%
[8:36] federal funds.
[8:38] And we had set aside about $27,000 or so
[8:42] of local money levy dollars to go to
[8:45] this. But based on this low bid, we
[8:48] would need an additional $144,317
[8:51] of levy uh to to fund this project if we
[8:55] award it. [snorts] The good news is we
[8:58] have other levy funded projects that we
[9:00] already awarded construction costs or
[9:02] construction contracts to this year that
[9:04] have come under what we are budgeting.
[9:07] One project in particular, County Road
[9:09] 161, was part of our countywide
[9:11] resurfacing project. We had budgeted
[9:14] that to be $850,000
[9:18] and the bids came in at $613,000.
[9:21] So that right there that had a pro uh
[9:24] that right there saved us $236,664
[9:27] of levy. So we have additional levy that
[9:31] was budgeted for construction this year
[9:33] that uh savings from other projects that
[9:35] could cover the overage on this project.
[9:39] >> [snorts]
[9:39] » [snorts]
[9:39] >> With that being said, it is still my
[9:41] » With that being said, it is still my
[9:41] county highway engineer recommendation
[9:43] is go ahead and award a construction
[9:44] contract to design electric for this
[9:47] rural intersection lighting project.
[9:51] >> Thanks for that update, Chris. Uh wishes
[9:53] » Thanks for that update, Chris. Uh wishes
[9:53] of the board,
[9:56] [clears throat]
[9:56] Mr. Chairman,
[9:57] >> Commissioner Bertram.
[9:58] » Commissioner Bertram.
[9:58] >> Uh Chris, you know, obviously that I
[10:01] » Uh Chris, you know, obviously that I
[10:01] think that caught all of our eyes uh
[10:03] when it comes in over uh over uh the bid
[10:06] comes in that much higher. Have we done
[10:08] anything to recruit other potential
[10:10] biders? I mean, typically if something
[10:12] comes in that much higher, we rebid it.
[10:14] Um, I would assume there's been a
[10:17] discussion on that or a thought about
[10:19] that.
[10:19] >> Yeah, that is always something that we
[10:21] » Yeah, that is always something that we
[10:21] consider. Um, you know, our bidding
[10:23] process is a sealed bid process. We
[10:26] advertise it um on the county website.
[10:28] We have an online bidding. We had a n
[10:31] number of plan holders. Some of them
[10:33] were material suppliers and stuff. uh
[10:35] and so yeah we received two bids. So we
[10:38] always consider when it comes to
[10:39] overestimate should we rebid it. In this
[10:41] case the volatility in the market uh
[10:44] especially steel supplies even though
[10:47] it's required to be domestic foreign
[10:49] steel is going up as well foreign metals
[10:52] which drives the cost of domestic
[10:54] materials up as well. We felt like there
[10:56] was probably a greater risk or even if
[10:59] we rebid it again in the future by the
[11:01] time we rebid it we're not going to see
[11:02] any reduction in price. Uh, one other
[11:05] alternative to rebid it is do we cut
[11:07] something from the project? And when we
[11:09] look at the 10 intersections, it's
[11:11] really it was really difficult to
[11:12] determine which intersection was more
[11:14] important than the other to sacrifice
[11:16] one to get a lower bid price. So, yeah,
[11:19] that's always a consideration, but all
[11:21] things considered, uh, um, I'm still
[11:23] recommending we should probably go
[11:24] forward with this at this time.
[11:26] >> And, Mr. Chairman, just maybe we should
[11:28] » And, Mr. Chairman, just maybe we should
[11:28] think about like recruiting in the
[11:30] future when we do this a year from now
[11:32] to see if there's other folks that might
[11:35] be interested in getting involved in
[11:36] this because that certainly probably
[11:38] would help to some degree.
[11:39] >> Yeah, we we and to these type of
[11:42] » Yeah, we we and to these type of
[11:42] projects, traffic signal, electric
[11:44] lighting, the biders are a lot less than
[11:46] we see on typical other road
[11:47] construction projects. So, if we could
[11:49] find other biders out there, we could
[11:51] benefit from that in the future.
[11:55] Okay.
[11:56] Commissioner Clark,
[11:58] >> I'm going to make a motion to approve. I
[12:00] » I'm going to make a motion to approve. I
[12:00] certainly share uh I think we all
[12:01] probably share the concerns uh the
[12:03] Commissioner Bertram brought up, but
[12:05] also, you know, in talking to you, I
[12:07] mean, it doesn't seem like this is going
[12:08] to go down and there is only so many
[12:12] potential biders at this point anyways.
[12:14] So, clearly safety is paramount.
[12:19] » Okay, we have a motion. Do we have a
[12:21] second?
[12:22] >> Second. Thank you, Commissioner Johnson.
[12:24] » Second. Thank you, Commissioner Johnson.
[12:24] Any further discussion?
[12:28] Seeing none, all those in favor signify
[12:30] by saying I.
[12:30] >> I.
[12:31] » I.
[12:31] >> I.
[12:32] » I.
[12:32] >> Opposed. Motion carried.
[12:34] » Opposed. Motion carried.
[12:34] >> All right. Thank you.
[12:35] » All right. Thank you.
[12:35] >> That's all I had for the agenda unless
[12:36] » That's all I had for the agenda unless
[12:36] there was any questions. I'll step aside
[12:38] then.
[12:38] >> Okay. Any questions for Chris?
[12:40] » Okay. Any questions for Chris?
[12:40] Otherwise, thank you.
[12:43] [snorts]
[12:43] >> Okay. With that, uh, we will recess our
[12:45] » Okay. With that, uh, we will recess our
[12:45] regular meeting and open the human
[12:47] services board meeting. Morning,
[12:50] Melissa.
[12:54] All right. Good morning, uh, Mr. Chair,
[12:57] Commissioners, Melissa Huberty. I'm the
[12:58] human services administrator. There's
[13:00] only one item on the human services uh,
[13:02] regular agenda today, and it's H1 on
[13:05] page 133. Um, so what we're going to do
[13:09] is present today that we've had the
[13:11] largest transformation in Minnesota's
[13:13] child welfare system in [music] decades.
[13:15] That's happening right now. So, this is
[13:17] exciting that we're all living through
[13:19] this right now. Um the good news is is
[13:21] that it's not only a focus on prevention
[13:24] but a requirement of prevention
[13:26] activities. Um so we're going to go
[13:28] through that as well as the impacts of
[13:30] some of major uh systemic and legal
[13:34] changes, legislative changes in the
[13:37] Minnesota child welfare. It's the
[13:39] Minnesota African-American
[13:41] Family Preservation and Child Welfare
[13:43] Disproportionality Act, which we've been
[13:45] calling the act to shorten it, as well
[13:47] as the changes in age of delinquency and
[13:49] some other changes at the federal level
[13:51] that we felt we should do information
[13:53] sharing now because these changes are
[13:55] going to significantly impact uh
[13:57] services at the county level as well as
[13:59] county budgets. Um, so I have with me
[14:01] today um, one of our six human services
[14:04] directors, Nick Henderson, and I'll let
[14:06] him um, introduce his team and take it
[14:08] from there.
[14:11] >> Good morning, Commissioner or Good
[14:12] » Good morning, Commissioner or Good
[14:12] morning, Mr. Chair, commissioners. Um,
[14:14] Nick Henderson, human services director
[14:16] of the family and children's division.
[14:18] Um, as Melissa stated, we are here to do
[14:19] a presentation. I will ask my supervisor
[14:22] team who has joined me, three of our
[14:24] seven supervisors in family and
[14:25] children's to introduce themselves, and
[14:26] then we'll go ahead and get going.
[14:30] Good morning, Mr. Chair. Good morning,
[14:31] commissioners. My name is Jenna Laterno.
[14:33] I supervise our children's mental health
[14:35] team.
[14:37] >> Good morning, Mr. Chair and
[14:38] » Good morning, Mr. Chair and
[14:38] commissioners. I'm Michael Hein and I
[14:39] supervise the child protection unit D,
[14:42] which is the intake, after hours, and
[14:44] rapid response.
[14:46] >> Good morning, Mr. Chair, commissioners.
[14:48] » Good morning, Mr. Chair, commissioners.
[14:48] My name is Shannon Ericson, and I
[14:49] oversee the prevention unit.
[14:52] >> All right. Well, Mr. Chair and
[14:54] » All right. Well, Mr. Chair and
[14:54] commissioners, we appreciate this
[14:55] opportunity to discuss these important
[14:57] changes with you this morning. Um, there
[14:59] are several significant child welfare
[15:01] reforms that will impact Sterns County,
[15:03] the state of Minnesota, and potentially
[15:04] the entire United States. When most
[15:07] people think of public safety, they
[15:08] think of law enforcement, emergency
[15:10] public safety systems,
[15:12] community corrections, and emergency
[15:14] response. However, the child welfare
[15:16] welfare system is a critical component
[15:18] of our public safety system. Every day,
[15:21] child protection workers make difficult
[15:23] decisions involving the safety of
[15:25] vulnerable children, the rights of
[15:27] parents, and the stability of families.
[15:30] The work we do helps prevent abuse,
[15:32] neglect, and reduce future involvement
[15:34] in the juvenile and criminal justice
[15:36] systems, and strengthen families and
[15:39] strengthen families before a crisis
[15:41] arises. Unlike many other public
[15:43] systems, child welfare carries a unique
[15:45] level of accountability. Our workers are
[15:48] expected not only to make the best
[15:49] decisions possible with the information
[15:51] available at the time, but also
[15:53] demonstrate they have made sufficient
[15:55] efforts to prevent harm, preserve
[15:57] families, and achieve positive outcomes.
[16:00] These expectations are evaluated hours,
[16:03] days, weeks, months, and even years
[16:06] later against the standards that
[16:08] continue to evolve. It's also important
[16:10] to acknowledge the increasing complexity
[16:12] of the families we serve,
[16:14] including higher rates of mental health,
[16:16] substance use disorder, trauma
[16:18] histories, housing instability, poverty,
[16:21] and poverty related stressors. At the
[16:23] same time, we continue to face
[16:24] challenges related to limited or delayed
[16:27] access to appropriate services,
[16:29] workforce shortages, and gaps in
[16:31] community- based resources. In addition,
[16:33] system outcomes are influenced by the
[16:35] values, beliefs, biases and practices
[16:38] and approaches of multiple system
[16:39] partners, including schools, law
[16:41] enforcement, courts, attorneys, guardian
[16:43] at items, and our service providers.
[16:46] Each of which plays an important role in
[16:47] how our families experience the system
[16:49] and the timeliness and consistency of
[16:51] supports that they receive. Today,
[16:53] Minnesota is undertaking the most
[16:55] significant child welfare reforms we
[16:57] have seen in decades. These include the
[16:59] age of delinquency change, the Minnesota
[17:01] African-American family preservation and
[17:03] child welfare disproportionality act,
[17:05] the federal family first prevention
[17:07] services act, and finally the federal
[17:10] the newest federal initiative known as a
[17:12] home for every child. Each of these
[17:14] reforms is re rooted in one common goal.
[17:16] improving outcomes for children and
[17:18] families by preventing system
[17:19] involvement whenever possible,
[17:21] strengthening family preservation
[17:23] efforts, reducing disparities, and
[17:25] ensuring children have a safe, stable,
[17:27] and permanent home. These changes will
[17:29] require significant adjustments to our
[17:32] practices, staffing, service delivery,
[17:34] technology, community partnership, and
[17:36] the resources we utilize. Our goal today
[17:38] is to provide an overview of these
[17:40] changes, discuss the opportunities, and
[17:42] they present and help you understand the
[17:44] impacts they'll have on our county and
[17:46] our ability to continue to protect the
[17:48] children and families in our community.
[17:50] So, a little bit of an overview for
[17:52] today. Um, we will go over give a broad
[17:55] overview of the family first prevention
[17:56] services act, talk about the act, uh,
[17:59] the Minnesota age of delinquency change
[18:01] which goes into effect August 1st. the
[18:03] newest initiative which Minnesota signed
[18:04] on to at the end of June, I believe it
[18:06] was June 28th, a home for every child.
[18:09] And then finally, understanding the uh
[18:11] impacts and budget implications. One of
[18:13] the things that I think is important to
[18:15] note as we talk about this is child
[18:17] welfare reform has really been something
[18:19] that has been happening for five decades
[18:21] at the federal legislature and it has
[18:22] been a bipartisan. When I went back and
[18:24] looked at all of the different uh law
[18:26] changes that have occurred over the
[18:28] years, um it has been bipartisan. It was
[18:31] about 50/50. 50% Democrats, 50%
[18:33] Republicans that uh were involved in uh
[18:36] child welfare reform starting back in
[18:38] 1978 with the Indian Child Welfare Act
[18:40] and then moving forward uh to 2018 with
[18:43] the Family First um family or the Family
[18:46] First Preservation Services Act. So, I'm
[18:49] going to turn it over to General who
[18:52] will begin um talking about Family
[18:54] First, which began in 2018.
[18:57] >> Good morning again. Uh, Families First
[19:00] » Good morning again. Uh, Families First
[19:00] was a or is a federal child welfare
[19:03] reform that came into um play in 2018.
[19:06] Minnesota did not implement this until
[19:08] September 30th of 2021.
[19:11] The family's first um preservation
[19:15] services act represents one of the most
[19:16] significant changes to child welfare
[19:18] funding um that we've had in decades.
[19:21] Historically, federal funding was
[19:22] primarily available after a child
[19:24] entered into foster care. And now
[19:27] counties and states are able to capture
[19:29] some of those monies um before the child
[19:32] enters into care.
[19:34] Legislation or this legislation reflects
[19:36] a national shift towards strengthening
[19:38] families and preventing child
[19:40] maltreatment whenever it's safe to do
[19:42] so. Some key things are not all states
[19:45] are able to draw down these prevention
[19:46] funds um as it requires approval of
[19:49] their prevention plan. Um Minnesota does
[19:51] have an approved plan. However, um there
[19:54] are limitations with that. As of right
[19:56] now, parents as teachers and
[19:57] motivational interviewing are the two
[19:59] approved programs that we are able to
[20:01] use.
[20:02] Title 4 E prevention funds in Stern
[20:04] County. We have two um motivational
[20:07] interview trained trainers within our
[20:10] family and children's division. Um and a
[20:12] majority of our staff are trained in
[20:14] motivational interviewing. Uh the
[20:16] exception to that would be our new hires
[20:18] who have been here six months or less um
[20:20] as they're doing other training. Um
[20:23] overall Minnesota's having some
[20:25] difficulty in drawing down some of these
[20:26] funds because the um only people who can
[20:30] um draw those funds are the child
[20:32] protection case managers and that is our
[20:34] area of highest turnover across the
[20:36] state. Um so not it's proving
[20:39] challenging to draw those those funds
[20:41] down.
[20:42] Um underneath families first, kinship
[20:44] care is prioritized because children
[20:46] generally experience better outcomes
[20:48] when they can remain connected to the
[20:50] family and community. Uh residential and
[20:52] congre um placements have more
[20:55] restrictions, require additional
[20:56] justification and oversight.
[20:59] Uh research consistently shows that
[21:01] children do better when they can safely
[21:02] remain with their families. Early
[21:04] intervention often prevents crises from
[21:06] escalating to the point of removal and
[21:08] families first provides an opportunity
[21:10] for more of those family based services
[21:12] and those long-term um outcomes. Um the
[21:16] law reflects a broader movement that
[21:18] you'll hear us talking about today
[21:20] towards prevention and similar changes.
[21:25] This leads us into the act which is the
[21:27] Minnesota African-American Family
[21:29] Preservation and Child Welfare
[21:31] Disproportionality Act. we've shortened
[21:33] it to just the act. Um, this will be
[21:36] going into effect on January 1st of
[21:38] 2027.
[21:40] This legislation is representing a
[21:42] significant practice shift for all
[21:44] Minnesota counties. The law is intended
[21:46] to address the disproportionate
[21:48] involvement of African-American children
[21:50] and other over representative
[21:52] populations in the child welfare system.
[21:55] Counties are increasing
[21:57] increased service demands, staff
[22:00] workload, documentation requirements,
[22:02] costs associated with meeting the active
[22:05] effort standards.
[22:07] Active efforts will require agencies to
[22:09] do more than just offer services.
[22:11] Counties must actively assist families
[22:13] in accessing and engaging services.
[22:16] Um while the implementation details
[22:19] continue to develop, the counties are
[22:21] preparing for substantial financial um
[22:23] costs with this.
[22:27] Some key requirements of the act. We
[22:30] must provide active efforts including
[22:32] safety plans to keep children safely at
[22:34] home. Support reunification when removal
[22:37] occurs.
[22:39] Emergency removals, foster care
[22:41] placements, and termination of parental
[22:43] rights are limited to prevent
[22:44] unnecessary family separation.
[22:47] There will be mandatory cultural
[22:49] competency training for all child
[22:51] welfare professionals and this includes
[22:53] our case workers, supervisors, judges,
[22:56] guardian at item attorneys. And lastly,
[22:59] there will be an annual review of the
[23:01] child welfare data to identify over
[23:03] representation across race, culture,
[23:05] ethnicity, income, and disability.
[23:12] All child protection cases going forward
[23:15] or when the act goes into play um will
[23:18] have to take rigorous sustained action
[23:20] to keep children safely with their
[23:21] families and avoid out of home
[23:23] placements.
[23:25] We will build trusted network chosen by
[23:27] the family to help create and carry out
[23:29] safety plans. Ensure the plan directly
[23:32] addresses the allegation and includes
[23:34] needed economic supports when neglect is
[23:36] involved.
[23:37] We will involve families with
[23:40] continuously uh planning decisions,
[23:42] selecting services and their providers.
[23:45] We will also inform families how they
[23:47] can report their concerns to DCYF for
[23:49] any non-compliance with the act.
[23:54] right now um the initial guidance from
[23:56] the state um is that the
[24:01] we're only going to implement implement
[24:03] [clears throat] the race and ethnicity
[24:04] portion um of this this for the first
[24:07] two years and then the state is going to
[24:09] do some studies and determine um other
[24:12] areas of disproportionality.
[24:15] Um so that is where we are right now. Um
[24:18] >> Mr. Chair commissioners, before we move
[24:19] » Mr. Chair commissioners, before we move
[24:19] forward, I think it is important to note
[24:21] um we have been hearing a lot of
[24:23] different conversations from the parent
[24:24] attorneys around the state. So, the law
[24:26] was written to implement that uh
[24:28] disproportionately represented children
[24:30] or race, culture, ethnicity, disability
[24:32] status, and low-income socioeconomic
[24:34] status. Um when the state gave their
[24:36] guidance, they did indicate that they're
[24:38] going to do a two-year study on the
[24:39] disability status and low-income
[24:41] socioeconomic status to determine
[24:43] disproportionality or what factors
[24:45] determine disproportionality. One of the
[24:47] things that we saw with the early
[24:49] implementation of the act uh in Henipin
[24:51] and Ramsey County as they were the early
[24:53] implementers of this law is that there
[24:55] was some legal challenges that did come
[24:57] forth. We do um anticipate because the
[25:00] law is written in the way that it um
[25:03] enacts the disability status and
[25:04] low-income status that the delay that
[25:07] the state is proposing through their
[25:09] guidance uh to all of the counties will
[25:11] be a legal challenge um that we will
[25:13] anticipate. We have even heard some of
[25:15] those rumblings here in our county.
[25:20] » I'd like to take an opportunity to
[25:21] explain in greater detail the difference
[25:23] between reasonable efforts and active
[25:25] efforts. For many years, child
[25:26] protection agencies have been required
[25:28] to make what's been considered
[25:29] reasonable efforts to prevent out of
[25:31] home placement and reunify families.
[25:33] Under the law with the act, the standard
[25:35] shifts to active efforts beginning
[25:36] January 1st of 2027. Active efforts will
[25:40] require a higher level of engagement by
[25:41] our social workers and our agency.
[25:43] Rather than simply providing a referral,
[25:45] a worker will need to assist with
[25:47] scheduling an appointment, coordinating
[25:48] services, addressing barriers such as
[25:50] transportation or child care, and
[25:52] maintain ongoing contact with families
[25:54] and providers. This approach is intended
[25:56] to increase family engagement, improve
[25:58] service participation, and reduce
[26:00] disparities in child welfare outcomes.
[26:03] While the goals are positive, active
[26:04] efforts will require a significant
[26:06] amount of additional staff time,
[26:09] increased service availability, enhanced
[26:11] documentation, and potentially
[26:12] significant financial investments by
[26:14] counties. Counties are still awaiting
[26:16] additional guidance from the state
[26:17] regarding the implementation
[26:19] expectations, definition, and compliance
[26:22] requirements. We anticipate the
[26:24] estimated cost increase per family could
[26:26] increase between 30% to 100% and could
[26:29] double our staff um time spent on each
[26:32] family. So, I'd like to provide a a
[26:34] caveat or a short story to help really
[26:36] kind of paint the picture of what this
[26:38] might look like. If we're working with a
[26:40] family who has a housing um issue,
[26:42] they're homeless or their current
[26:43] housing arrangement is not working out
[26:45] for them. In a reasonable effort, we
[26:47] would provide the family a list of
[26:48] housing resources, check in with the
[26:51] family a couple of weeks later, see if
[26:52] they were able to find an apartment on
[26:54] said list. They might say, "We're having
[26:56] a difficult time with a damage deposit."
[26:58] And then we'd work to potentially um
[27:01] help them with the damage deposit. That
[27:03] would be a reasonable effort. In an
[27:04] active effort situation, we would we
[27:07] would follow up with the family. Um we
[27:08] would make those phone calls with that
[27:10] family. We would call the landlords. We
[27:12] would call the companies with them.
[27:13] Let's say they found three apartments
[27:15] that had openings that fit their
[27:16] family's needs. We would drive them to
[27:18] see those apartments. We would help them
[27:20] fill out the apartment application. We
[27:21] might pay the the the $30 application
[27:24] fee. We might look for resources to
[27:27] furnish the apartment. We might
[27:29] transport them to the food shelf to get
[27:30] their first groceries um opportunity. Um
[27:33] and we also may assist with a damage
[27:34] deposit. So, as you can see, it's a
[27:36] significant difference between
[27:38] reasonable efforts and active efforts
[27:39] and what our staff are going to be
[27:41] required to do um come January 1st.
[27:44] >> Mr. Chair, commissioners, just to be
[27:45] » Mr. Chair, commissioners, just to be
[27:45] clear, this is required starting January
[27:48] 1st. And so, it will um the first year
[27:51] it'll be at least half of our cases and
[27:53] I believe the second year nearly all of
[27:55] them.
[27:56] >> And and this for clarification and this
[27:59] » And and this for clarification and this
[27:59] this isn't just the ethnicity race part.
[28:02] This is everybody. anybody who fits into
[28:04] the category of disproportionality. And
[28:07] let's face it, child welfare is a
[28:09] poverty situation largely. And there are
[28:11] many disproportionate groups and they're
[28:13] not just race and ethnicity, but for the
[28:15] first year starting January 1, they're
[28:17] going to zero in on race and ethnicity.
[28:19] And thereafter, it'll be all the other
[28:21] groups as far as we know, which will
[28:23] cover all of our cases. So the the the
[28:26] active efforts that um she's describing
[28:29] we will have to do basically on at least
[28:31] half the cases maybe a little more than
[28:33] half starting January one and then the
[28:35] next year on all of them.
[28:36] >> Wow. It's basically handholding.
[28:39] » Wow. It's basically handholding.
[28:39] >> Yes. Yes. Significant um support
[28:42] » Yes. Yes. Significant um support
[28:42] wraparound services with families. Yes.
[28:45] >> Okay. Thanks. One of the important
[28:47] » Okay. Thanks. One of the important
[28:47] pieces, Mr. chair and commissioners that
[28:48] I'd like to highlight with that is the
[28:50] ultimate goal is to keep the children
[28:52] connected to their families, the
[28:54] children connected to their communities,
[28:55] which will hopefully reduce some of the
[28:56] traumas and reduce some of our auto home
[28:58] placement impacts.
[29:03] So, the act is going to be a large shift
[29:06] for us. Um the the other large shift
[29:08] which starts August 1st is the law
[29:11] regarding the age of delinquency which
[29:13] has been raised from 10 years old to 13
[29:16] years old. The goal of the legislation
[29:19] is to ensure younger children receive
[29:22] developmentally appropriate
[29:23] interventions rather than juvenile
[29:26] justice involvement.
[29:28] Counties expect increased demand for
[29:30] family services, children's mental
[29:32] health services, school partnerships,
[29:35] and community supports.
[29:38] The change shifts responsibility from
[29:40] the juvenile justice system toward child
[29:43] serving systems and prevention focused
[29:46] interventions.
[29:47] Additional resources and service
[29:49] capacity will be necessary to
[29:51] effectively respond to the needs of
[29:53] youth and families impacted by this
[29:56] change.
[29:58] Currently, our local partners have been
[30:00] meeting for the last few months uh
[30:02] looking at the impacts of this law and
[30:04] how we will respond as community
[30:06] partners and that has included county
[30:09] attorney's office, human services, law
[30:12] enforcement, our medical community and
[30:14] therapeutic community among others
[30:16] including judges and guardian at items.
[30:19] This approach to address this change
[30:22] will take a multiple dis disciplinary
[30:25] approach and while we will be working
[30:28] together on these cases we do expect
[30:31] there will be some strained situations
[30:33] that will impact this process. Currently
[30:37] uh children that engage in serious uh
[30:40] crimes um have the option of going to
[30:44] secured detention for a period of time.
[30:46] that option will no longer exist for
[30:49] children between the ages of 10 and 13.
[30:52] Some uh examples that we've experienced
[30:55] here in Sterns County that will no
[30:57] longer uh be eligible for delinquency or
[31:00] detention are uh three examples. One, a
[31:04] 12-year-old child who brings a gun to
[31:05] school that law enforcement will
[31:08] respond, but that will be a large human
[31:10] services child welfare approach. uh
[31:13] working with partners to figure out how
[31:14] to keep that child in the community
[31:16] safe. Another example, 11-year-old child
[31:19] who sexually assaults a peer at school.
[31:22] Um so we'll be working together again
[31:23] with community partners to figure out
[31:25] how to keep that child in the community
[31:27] safe. We see a lot of situations with uh
[31:31] assaults in the within the family system
[31:34] and we anticipate situations with a
[31:35] younger child who perhaps assaults a
[31:38] sibling or uh stabs a parent with a
[31:40] knife. Uh these are situations that have
[31:43] happened. So we anticipate additional
[31:46] time with our after hours staff working
[31:48] with law enforcement, safety planning,
[31:51] trying to connect with that family,
[31:53] friends, neighbors to identify places
[31:55] for children to be safely um as we look
[31:58] at implementing those additional
[32:00] community- based services for children.
[32:03] Mr. Chair and commissioners, just a few
[32:05] things on this. Um we looked at the last
[32:06] 5 years data in regards to information
[32:10] or referrals that the county attorney's
[32:11] office had received and each year the
[32:13] children that were between the age of 10
[32:16] years and uh 12 years and 364 days of
[32:20] life um were were between 40 and 65
[32:24] children per year that were estimated to
[32:26] be in there. and there was over 25 uh on
[32:29] an annual basis that were estimated to
[32:31] be of the felony level of offenses that
[32:33] were served in that capacity. Um,
[32:35] [snorts] you know, from our officer's
[32:37] standpoint, it does leave um some angst
[32:39] and anxiety in regards to if we get a
[32:42] 12-year-old who brings that firearm to
[32:44] school, how will we ensure that the
[32:46] community is safe without some of the
[32:48] restrictive opport or restrictive
[32:50] resources that we're utilizing the other
[32:52] systems? And to be clear, those more
[32:54] severe crimes, we did go to the
[32:56] legislature this year, made a good uh
[32:58] case for trying to carve out the most
[33:00] egregious crimes for the 10 to 13 year
[33:02] olds. We weren't successful this year,
[33:04] but I do believe there's momentum for
[33:06] making change in the next legislative
[33:08] cycle. So, we do agree with this largely
[33:11] with the misdemeanor crimes and the
[33:13] lower crimes, but with those very
[33:14] serious crimes, what will happen now is
[33:16] when something very very serious
[33:17] happens, it's mostly with the
[33:19] 12-year-olds, but let's say something
[33:21] very, very serious happens, murder, um,
[33:23] a very big assault or something like
[33:26] that. Now, Nick's group in child welfare
[33:29] and social workers will need to do that
[33:31] instead of Becky's community corrections
[33:33] area being able to do anything about it.
[33:35] and um community corrections has more
[33:38] levers um in terms of securing
[33:40] juveniles, then Nick will have none of
[33:42] those resources.
[33:47] All right, the next piece that we're
[33:49] going to talk about is the a home for
[33:51] every child and that's putting the PIP
[33:53] on a PIP. So um every year u the states
[33:56] across the United States go through a
[33:58] child and family um review process um
[34:01] that is conducted by the feds who come
[34:03] on site um in all of the states and I
[34:06] can tell you that for the last 20 plus
[34:08] years no state in the United States of
[34:10] America has passed the child and family
[34:13] services review. Um, so this was our
[34:15] opportunity where our federal partners
[34:17] at the Administration of Children and
[34:19] Family Services have said there's got to
[34:21] be something wrong with this process and
[34:23] we need to do something different. Um,
[34:25] so they started rolling out basically
[34:27] the opportunity for counties to or
[34:29] states to elect into a new initiative
[34:33] that is being put on by the
[34:34] Administration of Children and Families.
[34:36] On on June 28th, the state of Minnesota
[34:39] signed on to a home for every child, uh,
[34:42] which is the new initiative. Um this
[34:44] action responds to the state's child and
[34:46] family services review performance
[34:47] improvement plan um that the state has
[34:50] been on for 20 plus years. It was
[34:52] another it's another unfunded mandate
[34:54] that pushes early intervention and
[34:56] prevention. One of the things that we do
[34:57] hope um I had an opportunity recently um
[35:00] to meet with some of our federal
[35:01] partners and part of the shift will also
[35:04] be an ability hopefully for us to
[35:06] continue to expand our prevention
[35:08] services and draw down those title 4E
[35:10] prevention services um through the um
[35:13] child welfare um gateway which they have
[35:16] the list of approved services. So
[35:18] they're really pushing for states to
[35:20] take on more um buy in more and invest
[35:23] more in those prevention services in a
[35:25] hope that they can draw down more of
[35:26] those prevention funds. So as stated
[35:28] earlier, we receive a lot of that title
[35:30] 4E federal funding when children go into
[35:32] auto home placement for reimbursement
[35:34] and the goal will be that we actually
[35:36] will be able to seek reimbursement for
[35:37] some of the services on the front end.
[35:39] And I think as we all know and the
[35:41] University of Chapen Hall um has
[35:43] demonstrated through some of their
[35:44] research investment on the front end I
[35:47] believe their study is that it's three
[35:48] times cheaper to invest on the front end
[35:50] than it is for the deep end services. So
[35:53] oftentimes if we're engaging with a
[35:55] family that is receiving uh therapeutic
[35:57] services oftentimes covered by insurance
[35:59] if not covered by insurance is about
[36:01] $200 per hour. and out of home placement
[36:04] costs uh can range anywhere between $440
[36:07] per day all the way up to $2,300 per day
[36:10] per child in the family.
[36:13] Um there are four goals um with this
[36:15] that the state has identified and so the
[36:17] state of Minnesota works with the
[36:19] federal partners and then they'll um
[36:20] because we're state administered uh
[36:22] county delivered or county administer or
[36:25] [snorts] state state run county
[36:26] administered if I can say it right um
[36:29] system here in Minnesota um the state
[36:31] will work with the feds and then we'll
[36:32] pass it down to the counties but there
[36:34] are four goals with it and one is to
[36:36] continue to improve casework practice
[36:38] and accountability enhance family
[36:39] engagement relationships and shared
[36:41] decision-m ensuring that the families
[36:43] ultimately have a voice and that is not
[36:46] the system partners who are telling them
[36:47] what they need uh because I think our
[36:49] families know what's best improve
[36:51] permanency planning and placement
[36:53] stability and then finally advance an
[36:55] equitable prevention focused and
[36:56] culturally responsive system
[36:59] real quick just to continue moving
[37:01] through here a home for every child is
[37:03] there is a bulletin through the
[37:05] administration of children and families
[37:06] it's technical bulletin 14 which gives
[37:08] the new guidance in regards to the
[37:10] initiative it talks about the priority
[37:12] areas is from the federal government.
[37:14] And then the key expectations, their key
[37:15] expectations is that we have one foster
[37:17] home available for every child in care.
[37:19] Right now, the estimated national
[37:21] average is uh there's 59 children uh for
[37:24] every foster home that is available in
[37:26] the United States. So, one of the goals
[37:27] is expanding that service. And one of
[37:30] the greatest ways that we can expand
[37:31] that is by uh placing children with
[37:33] their relatives and with kin and being
[37:35] able to license them. And then finally,
[37:37] the counties must expand prevention
[37:39] efforts and our foster care capacity,
[37:41] which we have been focusing on for
[37:42] several years.
[37:47] This next slide shows a snapshot of the
[37:50] numbers from 2025 for the family and
[37:52] children services division. Uh I wanted
[37:55] to point uh the last bullet there, the
[37:57] total number of individuals served. So
[37:59] that shows the number of families that
[38:01] we are working with uh throughout the
[38:03] year. You can see the different [snorts]
[38:05] levels of service there from child
[38:07] protection, children's mental health,
[38:08] our licensing of child and foster care
[38:11] families, um as well as uh children who
[38:14] are in the 18 to 21 year range receiving
[38:18] services to help them in early
[38:19] adulthood. And uh we also have a few
[38:22] other very um creative initiatives with
[38:25] the uh juveninal community action team,
[38:27] parent support outreach, rapid response.
[38:30] So within this um the percentages as we
[38:34] talked earlier about the act and the
[38:35] focus on reducing uh disparities for uh
[38:38] people of color in the system currently
[38:40] based on the 2025 numbers in the child
[38:42] protection and child welfare cases 53%
[38:46] of the individuals identify as people of
[38:48] color 17% identified as black and 23%
[38:53] identified as two or more races. Now the
[38:56] goal of the act is to reduce disparities
[38:59] as well as prevent uh unnecessary
[39:01] placement of children out of the home.
[39:04] We have seen a steady decline 7% per
[39:07] year less children experiencing out of
[39:10] home care on pace for a larger decline
[39:12] in 2026. We've seen a trend of less
[39:16] children entering care than exiting
[39:18] [clears throat] care. So we are making
[39:20] progress toward that goal but uh a lot
[39:23] of work yet to be done.
[39:26] As Michael had previously stated, we do
[39:28] have a number of creative um in
[39:30] innovative services that we are working
[39:31] to implement. Um a number of those
[39:33] services um are spread amongst our
[39:35] individual units and are also um across
[39:38] multiple divisions. Um I would like to
[39:41] highlight our internships. So that is an
[39:42] incredible recruitment tool for us. Um
[39:45] we will have three that will start in
[39:46] the fall. Uh SCSU, St. Kates, and
[39:49] Morehead. So, um, continue to be an
[39:51] internship, uh, place of choice for for
[39:54] a lot of these young students, which is
[39:55] really cool, um, to be able to train
[39:57] them and and grow. Um, goodness knows
[39:59] it's very difficult work and sometimes
[40:01] very difficult for, um, us to attract,
[40:03] um, individuals that that want to do
[40:05] this great work. So, um, we feel really
[40:07] excited about the internships that we've
[40:08] been able to have um, because I do think
[40:11] it's it's helped a great deal.
[40:16] the implementation of all of the
[40:17] requirements that you've heard about
[40:19] will increase demands on staff uh
[40:21] resources and our child welfare system
[40:23] in general. Um the state required
[40:24] training now exceeds 121 hours per
[40:27] employee. To put that into perspective,
[40:29] that's like a semester of college um for
[40:31] these uh individuals when they come to
[40:33] work for us. That's an extensive
[40:34] training um protocol that they're
[40:36] required by the state um to ensure that
[40:38] they've had that type of training. And
[40:40] I'll just add also the training that's
[40:42] currently available, unless it's
[40:43] changed, you can correct me if I'm
[40:44] wrong, Shannon, but um it is not
[40:46] currently offered in central Minnesota.
[40:48] So that means we also have to pay for
[40:50] our staff to go far away, spend the
[40:52] nights, several nights at like very
[40:54] frequently to pass their college level
[40:56] course over months. It is not offered in
[40:59] our area. So it's very expensive
[41:01] >> and it's required.
[41:02] » and it's required.
[41:02] >> Mr. Chair, commissioners, just to
[41:03] » Mr. Chair, commissioners, just to
[41:04] explain where those locations are. They
[41:05] are the Twin Cities, Duth, Detroit
[41:07] Lakes, and Marshall, Minnesota.
[41:10] And it's several days at a time each
[41:12] month. So it's sending staff mileage,
[41:16] hotels
[41:18] gone. They're out of the workforce also.
[41:20] So wait, go ahead. Sorry. Thank you.
[41:23] >> Yeah, it is extensive training um that
[41:25] » Yeah, it is extensive training um that
[41:25] staff are required to do. Um the complex
[41:28] cases frequently require coordination
[41:29] among multiple workers across a variety
[41:31] of units and divisions, increasing time
[41:33] and resources needed to achieve um
[41:35] positive outcomes. At the same time,
[41:37] statutory changes prohibit secure
[41:39] detention for youth under age 12 in
[41:40] these cases, limiting placement.
[43:05] must address the needs of the entire
[43:07] family. Not just the child who came to
[43:09] our attention. It is of the entire
[43:11] family. So includes mom, dad, brother,
[43:13] sister and at times if relatives are
[43:15] caring for them, aunt, uncles,
[43:17] grandparents and fictive kin. Some of
[43:20] the things that I think are important to
[43:22] note is that oftentimes if a family is
[43:25] coming through the family and children's
[43:26] door versus the delinquency system per
[43:29] se, um security detention costs $440 per
[43:32] day and for us to find a crisis
[43:34] placement, not have that child enter
[43:35] through the doors and be cared for here
[43:37] in the county administration building.
[43:39] Uh previously referred to as Nick's
[43:41] Pretty Good Daycare, um the cost for
[43:44] those crisis services are anywhere
[43:45] between $800 and $1,300 per day to serve
[43:48] those children. Active efforts, as we've
[43:50] stated before, will be required in all
[43:51] of these cases. And then those children
[43:53] who are under the age of 13 who enter
[43:55] our system, active efforts will apply to
[43:57] them uh if they are a disproportionately
[44:00] impacted youth beginning January 1st,
[44:02] 2027. There will be increased funding
[44:04] for community- based services, increased
[44:06] funding for group homes and non-secure
[44:08] placements because we cannot utilize
[44:10] secure placements. Additional staffing
[44:12] capacities may be of consideration, and
[44:14] then new technology to hopefully help us
[44:16] close a service gap and communication
[44:18] gap. I think everybody is well aware of
[44:20] the blue screen presentations that have
[44:21] happened in different areas and our
[44:23] state antiquated systems which lead to
[44:26] as we have increased documentation
[44:28] efforts and requirements with all of our
[44:30] system partners will be an additional
[44:32] burden. I just want to give a quick
[44:33] story on this. The other day Melissa
[44:35] called me asking me a quick question
[44:37] about a family. I said Melissa let me
[44:38] share my screen with you and show you
[44:40] how long this takes. I had to navigate
[44:42] three screens which would be three
[44:44] panes. So if you were on the internet
[44:45] basically three clicks through the
[44:47] internet. It took me 17 minutes just to
[44:49] figure out the address of where this
[44:50] individual lived.
[44:55] And with that, uh, we appreciate your
[44:58] time today, commissioners, and we will
[45:00] be open to any questions that you may
[45:02] have.
[45:03] >> Okay. Well, thanks for the presentation.
[45:05] » Okay. Well, thanks for the presentation.
[45:05] Um, I have kind of have one off the
[45:07] get-go here. You know, this is great,
[45:10] but this seems like the second half.
[45:13] Who's is there another group that's
[45:16] dealing with the first half which to me
[45:17] would be helping the parents either find
[45:21] employment uh you know raise themselves
[45:24] up to maybe prevent some of this?
[45:28] >> Um Mr. Chair, I think that's a great
[45:31] » Um Mr. Chair, I think that's a great
[45:31] question. Um you know that's where the
[45:33] prevention efforts come in where
[45:34] hopefully we can utilize some of those
[45:36] resources on the front end. There are a
[45:37] lot of community based services who are
[45:39] out there working with these families.
[45:41] And then also when they do come to the
[45:42] attention of our office, even if we
[45:44] don't screen them in, that is one of our
[45:46] goals is that we would be referring them
[45:48] to the services to hopefully support
[45:49] them before they would fully enter
[45:51] through the system.
[45:52] >> Okay. Thanks, Commissioner Johnson.
[45:54] » Okay. Thanks, Commissioner Johnson.
[45:54] >> Thank you, Mr. Chair.
[45:57] » Thank you, Mr. Chair.
[45:57] Um, I think the whole community deserves
[46:00] to offer you a big thanks for the work
[46:03] that you do, you and your staff. This is
[46:05] a heavy lift and most people aren't
[46:08] thinking about it on a regular basis.
[46:10] It's hugely important. Um, a couple of
[46:13] specific questions. One is, um, on page
[46:16] 139 mentions case review. I know there
[46:18] was discussion about whether or not the
[46:20] state would do that or or the county
[46:21] would do it. What's the decision on
[46:23] that?
[46:25] >> Go ahead,
[46:26] » Go ahead,
[46:26] >> Mr. Chair, Commissioner Johnson. That
[46:29] » Mr. Chair, Commissioner Johnson. That
[46:29] decision has not been finalized yet and
[46:31] actually will come out in the final
[46:32] guidance from the state. there is still
[46:34] a strong legislative position that the
[46:36] state will conduct those reviews in
[46:38] conjunction with the county so that we
[46:40] would assist them with any information
[46:41] that is missing. Um the state is the one
[46:44] who does have the systems to and the
[46:46] technology to be able to conduct those
[46:48] case reviews as they do in many other
[46:50] areas and so the hopeful ultimate
[46:52] outcome is that the state will take that
[46:54] on.
[46:54] >> Yes. And that would save us a little bit
[46:56] » Yes. And that would save us a little bit
[46:56] of time and effort. Um, you talked about
[46:59] expanding
[47:01] [snorts] um, foster care um,
[47:06] victim uh, kin or relatives?
[47:10] [clears throat] This may be silly, but
[47:12] is is there a way to recruit is there a
[47:15] way to vet more and more people and get
[47:18] people in the community interested in
[47:19] doing this kind of work?
[47:22] Mr. Chair, Commissioner Johnson, we're
[47:24] actually in the middle of a very strong
[47:25] recruitment effort right now. We are
[47:27] working with Town Square Media as well
[47:29] to get the information out there, tell
[47:31] the story of our foster parents and
[47:33] recruiting. We actually, it has been
[47:34] kind of a successful adventure over the
[47:36] past several months with our licensing
[47:38] department. Uh we have licensed seven
[47:40] new foster homes, which is a huge
[47:42] increase for us here in Sterns County.
[47:44] Um over the past several months, we also
[47:46] have worked with our communities of
[47:48] color. Um and one of the important
[47:50] pieces of that being is that we do have
[47:52] the um requirement from the state with
[47:54] the act to have culturally responsive,
[47:56] culturally available homes uh to the
[47:58] children that we serve. So we did work
[48:00] with uh local organizations in the
[48:02] community um to also recruit foster
[48:04] parents there. Um and those uh were also
[48:07] very successful events. Um, one of the
[48:08] areas that we don't have, um, you know,
[48:11] we don't have a lot of foster providers
[48:13] of color and, um, we actually were able
[48:15] to recruit, um, three foster providers
[48:18] of color recently, which was a huge
[48:20] success for us and, um, they have been a
[48:22] great asset to joining our team and
[48:23] being a resource.
[48:24] >> Yeah, congratulations. That's great. Um,
[48:27] » Yeah, congratulations. That's great. Um,
[48:28] in terms of all this staff education,
[48:31] other agencies like the technical
[48:34] college and SCSU are struggling to
[48:38] increase their strength and presence in
[48:40] the community. Is it possible to work
[48:42] with with colleges and universities
[48:45] locally
[48:47] to establish curricula that would would
[48:51] cover the needs of your staff relative
[48:53] this to the state requirements? Does
[48:55] that make any sense?
[48:58] >> Commissioner Johnson or Mr. Chair,
[49:00] » Commissioner Johnson or Mr. Chair,
[49:00] Commissioner Johnson, um I think that's
[49:02] a a wonderful idea. The Child Welfare
[49:04] Training Academy is the um group who
[49:07] puts on our training and that is
[49:08] associated with the University of
[49:10] Minnesota. I think that you make a very
[49:11] valuable point though of how could we
[49:14] connect to bring those resources here.
[49:16] We have St. Cloud State University, we
[49:17] have the technical college, we have St.
[49:20] Ben, St. John's. Um and u so we have
[49:23] many resources here locally Rasmmanson
[49:26] um many resources here locally where I
[49:28] think that that could be a good
[49:29] partnership and that's certainly
[49:30] something that we could carry forward uh
[49:32] to the state.
[49:33] >> I think the community would be willing
[49:35] » I think the community would be willing
[49:35] to help you with that whether it's
[49:37] center care or greater St. Cloud some
[49:39] other agencies throughout the community
[49:41] because I think it'd be really important
[49:43] to cut the costs to make it more
[49:45] efficient and to have the program be
[49:48] local you know that would be really
[49:50] helpful. Um, you guys presented a lot of
[49:54] information. Um, and I missed this. I
[49:57] think Jenna, you talked about um,
[50:00] drawing down funds and a relationship
[50:02] between that and staff turnover and I
[50:05] didn't quite understand that.
[50:10] » I'll I'll try to do a short and sweet
[50:12] version.
[50:12] >> Okay. Thanks. Um, so we're able to
[50:16] » Okay. Thanks. Um, so we're able to
[50:16] receive some funding for the work that
[50:18] we do through Title 4 E prevention
[50:20] funds, but that requires that they've
[50:22] meet they've met some standards that go
[50:24] with that, some training standards. Y
[50:26] >> um, and right now the only workers when
[50:30] » um, and right now the only workers when
[50:30] they're fully trained and fully eligible
[50:32] to click the button to get us some
[50:35] funding are the child protection case
[50:37] managers. So, our licensing workers, our
[50:40] children's mental health workers, um
[50:42] they're not eligible to draw down those
[50:45] funds even though they're doing some
[50:46] tremendous work with the families as
[50:48] well. We're hoping that will change in
[50:50] the future. Um but right now that is the
[50:53] Minnesota standard
[50:54] >> and what would cause it to change?
[50:58] » and what would cause it to change?
[50:58] >> I'm not entirely sure. I know that
[50:59] » I'm not entirely sure. I know that
[50:59] there's talks. I believe Nick, you might
[51:01] have more information, but uh uh Mr.
[51:04] Chair, Commissioner Johnson, in in
[51:06] regards to the changes that are
[51:07] occurring. Um, that has been one of our
[51:09] biggest advocacies to the Department of
[51:11] Children, Youth, and Family Services is
[51:13] that prevention work doesn't ultimately
[51:15] begin with our case managers. Case
[51:17] manager means that we have identified
[51:18] the point that the family needs case
[51:20] management, longerterm services being
[51:22] offered by our offices. And so, the
[51:24] state right now is looking at refining
[51:26] their plan. And so, that plan has to
[51:28] then be resubmitted to the federal
[51:30] government. Um I think there's some
[51:31] clarification perhaps that could also
[51:33] occur between the state of Minnesota and
[51:35] the federal government on that I think
[51:37] that it could apply um to the other
[51:39] areas. So one of the largest areas for
[51:41] us that we come into contact with
[51:43] families initially is at the
[51:44] investigation or assessment stage. So
[51:46] that's when Michael Heinen's unit
[51:48] receives that initial call of a child
[51:50] protection report and we're going out to
[51:52] assess the family. That's really where
[51:54] those services are needed. That's where
[51:55] the um heavy lift begins for our agency.
[51:58] And so we are advocating that to the
[52:00] state of Minnesota right now. And uh in
[52:02] my last conversation with them actually
[52:04] last week there is a strong momentum for
[52:06] that plan to be changed so that we can
[52:08] draw those funds down earlier. One of
[52:10] the things I really want to give a kudos
[52:11] to our department on uh in the entire
[52:14] state of Minnesota. We are the only
[52:17] agency with all of our staff who have
[52:19] been here 6 months or more to have them
[52:22] fully trained in motivational
[52:23] interviewing. Um Henipin County, Ramsey
[52:26] County have done a great job. um in
[52:28] their amount of staff and it's actually
[52:30] one of those things where the state is
[52:31] looking to us to say how did you guys
[52:33] get the buy in from your staff to be
[52:35] successful with this
[52:36] >> and that's one of those programs in
[52:37] » and that's one of those programs in
[52:37] which is required in order to draw down
[52:40] the federal funding you have to have
[52:42] them trained on that so it's hard to um
[52:44] get providers also generally I'll say
[52:47] generally to fit the federal guidelines
[52:50] so that we can use their services and we
[52:51] can draw down the federal funds it is
[52:53] never simple in human services in terms
[52:56] of financing so
[52:57] >> thank for answering the questions and
[52:59] » thank for answering the questions and
[52:59] thank you for the work. I mean, I can't
[53:01] say that enough. Thanks,
[53:03] >> Commissioner Clark.
[53:06] » Commissioner Clark.
[53:06] [clears throat]
[53:06] >> Thank you. Actually, building off of
[53:08] » Thank you. Actually, building off of
[53:08] what Commissioner Johnson was just
[53:09] talking about, I've been thinking
[53:11] something similar. I mean, besides the
[53:13] fact that it's kind of crazy that the
[53:14] state isn't offering any of the training
[53:16] locally given all the places you just
[53:18] brought up, right? Um but uh SCTCC and
[53:23] SCSU have really embarked on a new array
[53:27] of pathways and thinking about what
[53:30] potentially could be a next cohort. Um
[53:33] whether it is providing credentials that
[53:36] could be stackable working on
[53:38] technology. I was thinking about all the
[53:40] changes right the motivational
[53:42] interviewing talk about what's happening
[53:44] with your internships. there could be a
[53:46] great way
[53:47] >> to be expanding recognizing how hard it
[53:50] » to be expanding recognizing how hard it
[53:50] can be to make sure that the demand is
[53:52] such uh that they can have um steady
[53:56] class sizes. But there's some cool
[53:58] opportunities within customization. And
[54:01] part of the reason why I was bringing up
[54:02] the public ones is it gives the
[54:04] legislature yet another reason to
[54:06] actually be, you know, working and
[54:09] providing those those funds. But we we
[54:12] do have a lot of blessings with higher
[54:14] ed around us. And we have trainers,
[54:16] right? We have people who already know
[54:18] how to do all of this. And let's face
[54:20] it, once we finally get past the green
[54:22] or the blue screens, there's a whole lot
[54:24] more training there that's going to need
[54:26] to be done. Uh so just wanted to at
[54:29] least uh reinforce that piece of it. uh
[54:34] as well as what you all do is just
[54:37] amazing and our turnover is less than
[54:39] some places but the stress, the burnout,
[54:42] the challenges. You did such a great job
[54:45] talking about um reasonable and active
[54:48] efforts. One of the things to me as you
[54:51] were talking and been thinking about
[54:52] this a bunch is we got a bunch of areas
[54:54] where there isn't housing, where there
[54:56] isn't other opportunities. So you can be
[54:58] being as active as you want. You may or
[55:00] may not be able to help a family find
[55:03] find it. So getting the resources that
[55:06] we need, getting the legislature to be
[55:08] uh more reasonable and what expectations
[55:11] are and speeding up SSIS and the new
[55:14] version is going to be key to all this
[55:16] happening. So please thank your
[55:18] colleagues, too. I mean, it's just it's
[55:20] pivotal. So thank you.
[55:23] >> Mr. Chair, Commissioner Clark, if I can
[55:25] » Mr. Chair, Commissioner Clark, if I can
[55:25] add one thing real briefly. Um, you had
[55:27] mentioned staff turnover and that is a
[55:29] highlight that I'd like to highlight
[55:30] here in Sterns County. While the number
[55:32] may seem high, the national average for
[55:35] turnover in particular with child
[55:36] protection case managers is anywhere
[55:38] between 20 and 40% depending on the
[55:40] agency and the jurisdiction that has
[55:42] served in Sterns County and the Family
[55:44] and Children's Division. Our turnover as
[55:45] a whole, um, last time that we had
[55:47] received the numbers was 11%.
[55:52] » Mr. chair. That's that is certainly
[55:53] something to celebrate and
[55:54] [clears throat] it's just going to get
[55:55] harder for people.
[55:59] » Any other comments? I one quick question
[56:02] on guardian at lightum. Does the county
[56:06] license them or who license?
[56:08] >> Mr. Chair, um the guardian at lightems
[56:10] » Mr. Chair, um the guardian at lightems
[56:10] is a state-run program. So the state is
[56:12] the one who oversees the program. And
[56:14] then are they um how do they come about
[56:18] as far as being part of the Sterns
[56:20] County,
[56:23] >> Mr. Chair? Um the guardian items are
[56:25] » Mr. Chair? Um the guardian items are
[56:25] appointed in the child protection cases.
[56:27] So anytime that a child is removed from
[56:29] the home or the family becomes court
[56:31] involved um they are automatically uh
[56:33] appointed a guardian at item. They can
[56:34] also be appointed in other matters. Uh
[56:37] so if a family is going through a
[56:39] divorce or custody case, a guardian item
[56:40] can also be appointed by the court in
[56:42] those matters. Good and several other
[56:43] opportunities.
[56:44] >> All right. Thanks. Any
[56:47] » All right. Thanks. Any
[56:47] Commissioner Perski?
[56:48] >> Mr. Chair, uh first of all, thank you
[56:51] » Mr. Chair, uh first of all, thank you
[56:51] folks for your work. Thank your staff.
[56:53] Uh there's a lot of faces out there
[56:56] we're not seeing that are out there on
[56:58] the battlefield doing these things. This
[57:00] is not pretty business. Uh I've got page
[57:04] and a half of things I've written down.
[57:07] Uh but
[57:11] you know, we're not the immediate
[57:14] solution to this. The the problem we
[57:16] have is across the nation. The problem
[57:18] is across the world. It's poverty, it's
[57:21] affordability, it's housing, its wages,
[57:23] its nutritional needs, its violence, its
[57:26] abuse. And we're not just going to make
[57:29] that go away by putting people out there
[57:31] and trying to face it. It's it's
[57:34] something in the system and
[57:37] across the board things have got to
[57:39] change to make things better for these
[57:41] families so that they can afford a place
[57:43] to live that they can put afford to put
[57:46] uh food on the table and they can keep
[57:48] their kids in school and they have a
[57:51] safe place to live. Okay. Uh on January
[57:55] 1, the light switch isn't going to just
[57:58] come on and we're going to be able to
[57:59] solve these problems. It's going to
[58:02] take, you know, a lot of work and it's
[58:04] going to take some time to get these
[58:06] things realized. Um I it's it's
[58:11] overwhelming, but we're going to have to
[58:13] face it. Um what I'm concerned is,
[58:17] are we going about it the right way? Are
[58:20] we just putting a band-aid on it? We we
[58:22] know we talk about wishful thinking.
[58:24] Yeah, we don't we want to keep
[58:25] [clears throat] the child in the home,
[58:27] but if the child's threatened by one of
[58:30] the parents or the other parents or
[58:31] another sibling, how do we make that
[58:33] safe for them? How do you do that? You
[58:35] You're talking out of both sides your
[58:37] mouth about wanting to keep them in that
[58:38] environment, but that environment is not
[58:41] what's best for that child.
[58:43] I'm not giving us an a solution. I'm
[58:46] just talking about the problem. And I I
[58:49] wish I had better answers, but we we've
[58:52] got to do more. And and maybe across the
[58:56] departments though, too, we can do more.
[58:58] That it's just not your burden. You
[59:00] know, we in the criminal justice system,
[59:01] we can do more. Maybe in affordable
[59:04] housing, we can do more. Uh
[59:07] finding these folks, some working with
[59:08] the school districts, we can do more.
[59:11] But, uh I I I I it's it's overwhelming.
[59:14] And again, starting January 1, we're not
[59:16] going to be able to turn on on a switch
[59:18] and be able to address these problems
[59:20] and have all the answer. Maybe we need
[59:22] to take a look also as as how we're
[59:24] doing it and and and how effective we
[59:26] can be with the people that we have. And
[59:28] these again, the people that are on the
[59:30] front line, you can very much understand
[59:32] their burnout because of the things that
[59:34] they face when they go into a home or
[59:36] what when they talk to a a belligerent
[59:39] parent or uh one of the clients that's
[59:42] dropping the fbomb every other word on
[59:43] them and maybe being violent with them.
[59:45] That's tough stuff to see. But again,
[59:48] hope hopefully amongst ourselves, the
[59:51] school districts, the county, city, we
[59:53] can maybe make some improvements. I'm
[59:55] I'm sorry, that's all I got to say.
[59:56] >> Mr. Chair, Commissioner Persky, if I can
[59:58] » Mr. Chair, Commissioner Persky, if I can
[59:58] just add one thing. One, I really
[1:00:00] appreciate your comments and to your
[1:00:02] comments that you've alluded. I think
[1:00:03] we're very very fortunate here in Sterns
[1:00:05] County and central Minnesota with all of
[1:00:07] our partnerships. We have I I believe
[1:00:09] from the family and children's end, we
[1:00:10] greatly appreciate our partnerships with
[1:00:12] law enforcement, uh with Centricare,
[1:00:15] with the Central Minnesota Mental Health
[1:00:16] Center, with all of our local uh
[1:00:18] providers who are here locally.
[1:00:20] Everybody comes together and responds.
[1:00:22] And when we think about the age of
[1:00:23] delinquency and we pulled together our
[1:00:25] first meeting with all of our system
[1:00:27] partners, we met in room 499, had a big
[1:00:29] square up set up in that room and we had
[1:00:32] to pull more chairs in. So the community
[1:00:34] did did come together and I think from
[1:00:36] the family and children's end um
[1:00:38] gratitude to all of our system partners
[1:00:40] who come together when we make that
[1:00:42] difficult call to say we have a child
[1:00:44] that doesn't have a home right now. Can
[1:00:46] you help us out? There's always somebody
[1:00:48] who's willing to step up. When we have
[1:00:50] children that are acting out that are
[1:00:52] physically aggressive and um you know
[1:00:54] are being separated from their parents,
[1:00:55] our law enforcement partners come to the
[1:00:58] call. locally here recently. Uh the
[1:01:01] Sterns County Sheriff's Department
[1:01:02] assisted us in a in a critical situation
[1:01:05] and actually provided transportation
[1:01:06] assistance. They didn't transport the
[1:01:08] child, but they followed us all the way
[1:01:10] to Detroit Lakes, Minnesota to ensure
[1:01:11] the safety of our staff and those
[1:01:13] children were um you know, made it to
[1:01:15] their destination when there was a lot
[1:01:17] of risk with it. So, I think you make
[1:01:19] some very valid points and I appreciate
[1:01:20] you bringing those forward.
[1:01:24] >> Mr. Chairman, um it's too depressing to
[1:01:26] » Mr. Chairman, um it's too depressing to
[1:01:26] talk much about it. I I wrote down a lot
[1:01:28] of questions. I'll share some of those.
[1:01:29] But it's so unfortunate that this is all
[1:01:32] societal driven. I mean, this is not 50
[1:01:35] years ago this didn't exist. I mean, and
[1:01:38] people have a hard time if you haven't
[1:01:40] been exposed to it or you haven't uh
[1:01:43] either directly or indirectly have a
[1:01:45] hard time getting their arms around
[1:01:46] this. But when we say that a fourth of
[1:01:48] our residents are on some kind of
[1:01:50] assistance, people find that hard to
[1:01:52] believe. Um, and you know,
[1:01:55] [clears throat] uh, when you talk,
[1:01:57] Commissioner Perski, you know, who's
[1:01:58] going to solve this? Government's not
[1:02:00] going to solve it. This is
[1:02:01] communitydriven,
[1:02:03] family driven, societal, and, um, yeah,
[1:02:06] [snorts] it's overwhelming. It's
[1:02:08] depressing. Uh, when I hear that there's
[1:02:10] 800 kids in the St. Thought School
[1:02:12] District that are homeless, it's hard
[1:02:14] for me to comprehend that. I believe it
[1:02:16] because that's the information we're
[1:02:18] given, but I just can't believe it
[1:02:21] because I don't see it. and and I do
[1:02:23] believe it, but how unfortunate. Um, and
[1:02:26] it just makes me count my blessings that
[1:02:29] I grew up in a family structure the way
[1:02:32] uh I did and a lot of us did, but that's
[1:02:35] not always the case. And some of this is
[1:02:38] been a evolution of spiraling down of
[1:02:40] people not being involved in the
[1:02:42] community, not knowing their neighbor,
[1:02:43] not going to church. um all those things
[1:02:46] start tearing apart the family structure
[1:02:49] and um falls on our doorsteps and I I
[1:02:53] I'm a little shocked that all this
[1:02:55] happens with are such uh active
[1:02:58] participation with AMC and NO and all
[1:03:01] those things and you know that we we do
[1:03:03] have the ears of a lot of the
[1:03:04] legislators and federal and state
[1:03:06] legislators with the county uh
[1:03:08] involvement that you know people then
[1:03:11] sit down and say okay how's this going
[1:03:13] to work out what is you You said
[1:03:15] something about reasonable versus
[1:03:16] active. Uh again, what's reason? We
[1:03:20] aren't going to solve this. You know,
[1:03:21] getting to Commissioner Persky's point
[1:03:23] again, we're not going to solve this. I
[1:03:25] mean, we're it is a band-aid, but and of
[1:03:27] course, as you all know, the system does
[1:03:29] get used by people who are in a in a
[1:03:34] divorce situation where they're going to
[1:03:35] pit one parent again. Some of it is very
[1:03:38] legitimate, very unfortunate. Some of
[1:03:40] it's being manipulative as far as trying
[1:03:42] to make accusations to do and you got
[1:03:44] that widespread of how many cases did
[1:03:47] did you identify how many cases you
[1:03:49] have? If you did, I missed it. I'm
[1:03:51] sorry,
[1:03:52] >> Commissioner Bertram. Depending on the
[1:03:53] » Commissioner Bertram. Depending on the
[1:03:53] case numbers um specifically, we did
[1:03:56] serve just over 3,200 individuals. Um I
[1:03:59] just looked at the numbers um and and
[1:04:01] don't hold me to when I say this number
[1:04:03] and I can certainly provide it to you.
[1:04:05] Um but we had over 600 um active um case
[1:04:09] management cases and those are just case
[1:04:11] management cases because our numbers
[1:04:12] come in in in different ways. Uh they
[1:04:14] come in through intake and assessment.
[1:04:16] Uh so that's where we conduct an
[1:04:18] assessment investigation. So we
[1:04:19] determine does it meet the criteria of
[1:04:21] our uh 106 pages I believe of our child
[1:04:24] protection screening guidelines that we
[1:04:25] have to memorize. Uh if they meet that
[1:04:27] criteria that we screen them in, we
[1:04:29] investigate them. Uh meet with the
[1:04:30] families, determine what are their uh
[1:04:32] risk needs. So we kind of do a risk
[1:04:34] needs assessment and then um ultimately
[1:04:36] if they have a need for longerterm case
[1:04:38] management that's where we get into the
[1:04:40] cases and that's 600 cases. Now the
[1:04:42] cases don't identify exactly the number
[1:04:44] of individuals because they're all based
[1:04:46] on family size. We have family sizes
[1:04:48] that raise from you know from a mother
[1:04:50] and f or a mother or father and a child
[1:04:52] um all the way up to I think the largest
[1:04:54] family system that I've seen so far in
[1:04:56] my time is 12 children. Uh I believe two
[1:04:59] mothers and three fathers in that family
[1:05:01] system. So
[1:05:04] >> talk about societal. [snorts]
[1:05:07] » talk about societal. [snorts]
[1:05:07] [sighs]
[1:05:08] >> So that was a lot of information that we
[1:05:10] » So that was a lot of information that we
[1:05:10] presented today. We'll be back on August
[1:05:11] 4th for a work sessions. So questions
[1:05:14] that you have, you can think about this
[1:05:16] and we'll be back to answer those
[1:05:18] questions or talk more about this
[1:05:19] situation specific to the budget process
[1:05:21] as well the next board meeting.
[1:05:24] >> All right.
[1:05:24] » All right.
[1:05:24] >> Thank you, Chairman. I did have I've
[1:05:25] » Thank you, Chairman. I did have I've
[1:05:25] just thought of it. Uh, so was this was
[1:05:28] this one I know and we've heard about
[1:05:30] this for so long because we've been told
[1:05:32] to contact lead. Was it like one
[1:05:34] straight up vote for it or against it?
[1:05:36] What was how
[1:05:39] who voted for it? Who voted against it?
[1:05:40] I'd like to see that. Uh, if it was a
[1:05:43] straight up
[1:05:44] >> one issue, one bill kind of a vote.
[1:05:47] » one issue, one bill kind of a vote.
[1:05:47] >> Uh, Mr. Chair um and Commissioner
[1:05:49] » Uh, Mr. Chair um and Commissioner
[1:05:49] Bertram, I believe it was,
[1:05:52] um not a straightup vote. [laughter]
[1:05:56] Um I believe the chairs of the committee
[1:05:58] though were very strong and held a lot
[1:06:00] of power if I'm not mistaken and were
[1:06:02] unmovable on this. So, it didn't matter
[1:06:04] that there was a lot of and I even think
[1:06:06] bipartisan concern. This was not a one
[1:06:08] side party or the other side of the
[1:06:10] party. It was an all-out battle and I
[1:06:12] believe the chairs of the the the
[1:06:14] committee held strong no matter what the
[1:06:16] feedback was and some of you were
[1:06:18] involved in that. I think um so correct
[1:06:21] me if you have more information but it
[1:06:23] was not a straight up vote. Oh no.
[1:06:25] [laughter]
[1:06:25] >> And when I say straight Mr. Chairman
[1:06:27] » And when I say straight Mr. Chairman
[1:06:27] when I say who voted for it who voted
[1:06:29] against it and again some of this stuff
[1:06:31] are are issues in some areas and less of
[1:06:35] issues in other areas. And of course,
[1:06:37] it's always that attitude of we're going
[1:06:39] to fix this statewide, not understanding
[1:06:41] that the regions of the state are very
[1:06:43] different. And you know, at what point
[1:06:46] do we say that's enough or yes,
[1:06:48] >> you know, whatever. But that that's what
[1:06:50] » you know, whatever. But that that's what
[1:06:50] I'm trying to get at. But uh there there
[1:06:53] had to be uh and again I didn't follow
[1:06:55] it and maybe Matt can help with that.
[1:06:57] But what actual was was the vote that
[1:07:00] kicked this all in and who voted for it
[1:07:01] and who because again that
[1:07:03] accountability
[1:07:04] >> does need to again if I'm going to try
[1:07:06] » does need to again if I'm going to try
[1:07:06] to fix something in this area. I'm not
[1:07:08] just going to
[1:07:10] >> uh go to somebody on the street and say
[1:07:12] » uh go to somebody on the street and say
[1:07:12] let's have a cup of coffee and let's
[1:07:13] come up with something. I'm gonna sit
[1:07:14] down with folks like you and saying and
[1:07:16] certainly you guys Nick and Melissa, but
[1:07:19] you guys who really really are dealing
[1:07:21] with that's where I'm going to go and
[1:07:23] say, "Okay, how do we fix this? What do
[1:07:25] we do?"
[1:07:26] >> Yeah.
[1:07:26] » Yeah.
[1:07:26] >> And of course, that obviously didn't
[1:07:29] » And of course, that obviously didn't
[1:07:29] happen here. May have happened in Ramsay
[1:07:32] or Henipin. Didn't happen here to the
[1:07:35] degree that it should have. Otherwise,
[1:07:36] we wouldn't be dealing with this.
[1:07:38] Generally, I would say most people
[1:07:39] agreed with the value of the law, but
[1:07:41] not how it was going to be implemented
[1:07:43] and certainly not how it was resourced.
[1:07:45] So, the big battle was over. We all I
[1:07:47] think generally people agreed to do
[1:07:48] this. We all agree we should do
[1:07:50] prevention, but people did not agree on
[1:07:52] that. They didn't resource it. We don't
[1:07:54] have the providers. The reality on the
[1:07:56] street is we don't even have the
[1:07:57] providers to provide these services that
[1:07:58] we're now being required to have
[1:08:00] involved in cases. So, it was more
[1:08:02] around those arguments, not around the
[1:08:03] value of the law. So agreement around
[1:08:06] value, not around resourcing it.
[1:08:07] >> And I would say, Mr. Chairman, that
[1:08:09] » And I would say, Mr. Chairman, that
[1:08:09] easily 98% of the people in insurance
[1:08:11] county don't know this is going on,
[1:08:12] don't understand this. [snorts] You
[1:08:15] know, even if they're part of the
[1:08:16] system,
[1:08:18] they may not care that it's costing what
[1:08:21] it's costing to do this and uh you know,
[1:08:23] because they see themselves as victims
[1:08:25] or whatever. And of course, in the
[1:08:27] societal numbers that don't need by the
[1:08:31] grace of God these services and never
[1:08:33] will, you know. So, it's it's just a
[1:08:36] cesspool of
[1:08:38] >> issues.
[1:08:41] » Okay. [laughter]
[1:08:42] >> Well, thanks thanks for the
[1:08:43] » Well, thanks thanks for the
[1:08:43] presentation. Uh, it's greatly
[1:08:45] appreciated and we appreciate the staff
[1:08:47] and the time and effort you put into um
[1:08:51] helping the individuals that basically
[1:08:54] fall underneath your
[1:08:56] headings to take care of. You know,
[1:08:59] hopefully something comes about at the
[1:09:01] next session to kind of clear some of
[1:09:03] the mud up in the air. So,
[1:09:05] >> and make the load a little lighter to to
[1:09:08] » and make the load a little lighter to to
[1:09:08] lift.
[1:09:08] >> Yeah. Thank you.
[1:09:09] » Yeah. Thank you.
[1:09:09] >> All right. Thank you. Thank you.
[1:09:12] » All right. Thank you. Thank you.
[1:09:12] >> Okay. With that, we'll close the human
[1:09:14] » Okay. With that, we'll close the human
[1:09:14] services board and reconvene the regular
[1:09:16] county board. Is everybody okay if we
[1:09:18] run the public hearing before we take a
[1:09:20] break?
[1:09:21] >> Yep.
[1:09:21] » Yep.
[1:09:21] >> Okay.
[1:09:22] » Okay.
[1:09:22] >> Okay. So, we do have a a short um
[1:09:25] » Okay. So, we do have a a short um
[1:09:25] PowerPoint that Sarah and Jeff will go
[1:09:27] over and then of course open the public
[1:09:29] hearing and go from there.
[1:09:35] [clears throat]
[1:09:36] >> Good morning, Commissioner. Sarah O,
[1:09:38] » Good morning, Commissioner. Sarah O,
[1:09:38] finance director in the auditor
[1:09:39] treasures office.
[1:09:41] >> I'm Jeff Swson, the accounting
[1:09:42] » I'm Jeff Swson, the accounting
[1:09:42] supervisor in the auditor's treasures
[1:09:44] office. And
[1:09:45] >> we should have a presentation that's
[1:09:46] » we should have a presentation that's
[1:09:46] coming up about the fee schedule changes
[1:09:48] that we'd like to talk about this
[1:09:50] morning. So, we have a short
[1:09:51] presentation where Jeff will go over the
[1:09:54] uh proposed changes that the department
[1:09:56] and the auditor treasures office and the
[1:09:58] budget committee have all seen. Uh we
[1:10:00] will go through those changes briefly
[1:10:02] and then we'll request that you open the
[1:10:03] public hearing and uh take public
[1:10:05] comment on that.
[1:10:08] So, just to uh remind each of you, we go
[1:10:10] through this process every year and each
[1:10:12] year we we pick a quarter of the county
[1:10:14] departments to review their fees. This
[1:10:17] year the review was done in depth on the
[1:10:20] attorney's office, human services and
[1:10:22] parks, but we also allow all departments
[1:10:25] to come forward if they have fee changes
[1:10:27] that they feel are um reasonable or
[1:10:30] needed within their areas. And we had
[1:10:32] some of those come forward as well. So
[1:10:34] Jeff gets all that information from the
[1:10:36] departments. He looks at the average
[1:10:38] cost to provide the service and then we
[1:10:40] weigh that with the public private
[1:10:43] benefit of the service and uh kind of
[1:10:45] look at some comparable counties and
[1:10:47] such to see what's reasonable. So I will
[1:10:49] turn it over to Jeff to talk through
[1:10:51] those proposed changes.
[1:10:54] >> Good morning Mr. Chair commissioners. Um
[1:10:56] » Good morning Mr. Chair commissioners. Um
[1:10:56] well I'll go through each slide here to
[1:10:59] talk about the changes. Um environmental
[1:11:01] services had one little change or just
[1:11:03] changing the name of a fee. Um the next
[1:11:05] one extension is they're removing the
[1:11:07] pressure gauge testing. We got a notice
[1:11:09] from the University of Minnesota
[1:11:10] extension recommending that we remove
[1:11:11] that feed due to liability concerns.
[1:11:14] >> So that's why we're
[1:11:15] » So that's why we're
[1:11:15] >> Good. Good thing that one's getting
[1:11:16] » Good. Good thing that one's getting
[1:11:16] removed because gauge couldn't quite fit
[1:11:19] the gauge spelling.
[1:11:21] [laughter]
[1:11:22] >> Oh yeah.
[1:11:26] » The next one is we'll talk about the
[1:11:27] sheriff's department. The sheriff's
[1:11:29] department is proposing to increase many
[1:11:30] of the civil fees by $10 to be
[1:11:32] comparable with other counties. We
[1:11:34] surveyed other counties and they're
[1:11:35] charging $95 to $120 for the same civil
[1:11:37] process fees. The county was set at 70.
[1:11:40] We're proposing to increase to 80. Those
[1:11:42] increases are anticipated increase
[1:11:43] revenue revenues by about $55,000. We're
[1:11:47] also increasing the hourly wage wage
[1:11:49] rate for deputy services to increase
[1:11:51] with that increased cost or staffing
[1:11:53] costs. And then this is the proposed
[1:11:56] list of changes for the sheriff's
[1:11:58] office. So those are all the civil
[1:12:00] process fees that are going from 70 to
[1:12:02] 80.
[1:12:09] Um the next one we'll talk about is
[1:12:11] human services family and children.
[1:12:13] They're removing two foster care license
[1:12:15] fees and they're reducing the adoption
[1:12:16] study fee. Um the footnote here is
[1:12:19] starting April 1st, 2026, the state of
[1:12:22] Minnesota took over corporate foster
[1:12:23] care licensing and collection of the
[1:12:25] fees. The state charges $2,50 per
[1:12:27] corporate foster care facility and share
[1:12:30] 50% of that fee with the counties. So
[1:12:32] the county should collect 1,025 for each
[1:12:34] license renewal going forward. It's
[1:12:36] anticipated the county will collect more
[1:12:37] in foster care licensing fees than in
[1:12:39] previous years due to this change.
[1:12:45] And the next one is public health.
[1:12:46] They're proposing to increase two fees
[1:12:50] and remove six fees. Um the fees being
[1:12:53] removed were not being charged
[1:12:54] individual clients that were already
[1:12:55] receiving public assistance, which is
[1:12:57] the majority of the public health
[1:12:58] clients. Many of the clients that were
[1:13:00] charged did not pay in collection
[1:13:02] efforts were timeconuming and generally
[1:13:04] unsuccessful. Therefore, human services
[1:13:06] recommends removing the fees from the
[1:13:07] schedule.
[1:13:10] >> Mr. Chairman, that doesn't eliminate the
[1:13:12] » Mr. Chairman, that doesn't eliminate the
[1:13:12] cost of the service.
[1:13:13] >> Correct.
[1:13:14] » Correct.
[1:13:14] >> Uh and again, kind of a step spiral. So,
[1:13:17] » Uh and again, kind of a step spiral. So,
[1:13:17] there's a cost to the service I can't
[1:13:20] pay or won't pay. So, then we remove it,
[1:13:22] which is fine. Then you got the flip
[1:13:24] side of that where people are paying
[1:13:26] what the fee is. And again, it's a
[1:13:28] societal
[1:13:30] spiral. [snorts]
[1:13:31] >> Correct.
[1:13:34] » Correct.
[1:13:34] Um, the next department we'll talk about
[1:13:36] is parks. Parks is proposing to increase
[1:13:38] 12 12 fees, remove four four fees. Um,
[1:13:41] they're updating it facility reservation
[1:13:43] fees to address the increasing
[1:13:45] maintenance costs. Um, they're removing
[1:13:46] some wedding related search charges. Um,
[1:13:49] they're removing the firewood. We no
[1:13:51] longer sell it. They're increasing the
[1:13:52] fine for failing to purchase a vehicle
[1:13:54] permit at Corey Park. And calculating
[1:13:57] fees with the parks is challenging
[1:13:59] because the direct cost for park land
[1:14:00] and shelters cannot be easily measured.
[1:14:02] We know [clears throat]
[1:14:04] um here is the list of the park fees
[1:14:07] that are changing. They're changing the
[1:14:08] shelter permits from 60 to $75 per day
[1:14:11] at the various county parks.
[1:14:17] And then this is the the second section.
[1:14:21] Mr. Chair,
[1:14:22] >> Perski.
[1:14:23] » Perski.
[1:14:23] >> Yeah. Say and then on the on that chart,
[1:14:25] » Yeah. Say and then on the on that chart,
[1:14:25] can we just change that one on the uh on
[1:14:28] the sticker fee? Can you go back next?
[1:14:31] >> You know, see it says, you know, failure
[1:14:33] » You know, see it says, you know, failure
[1:14:33] for parking permit
[1:14:34] >> and it's got one at $10, one at 15. Now
[1:14:37] » and it's got one at $10, one at 15. Now
[1:14:37] they both go to 20. Y
[1:14:38] >> can that just be failure to
[1:14:40] » can that just be failure to
[1:14:40] >> Yeah.
[1:14:41] » Yeah.
[1:14:41] >> on a permit?
[1:14:41] » on a permit?
[1:14:41] >> Yep. I can combine them. Yep.
[1:14:48] Um, if you have any specific questions,
[1:14:50] the departments are here. Department
[1:14:52] directors are here if you have any spec
[1:14:53] specific questions on these fees that
[1:14:55] are being changed. Um,
[1:14:58] and then we need to hold a public
[1:15:00] hearing and then we'd like the board to
[1:15:02] take action and the fees would be
[1:15:04] effective January 1. These fees are
[1:15:07] reflected in the budget.
[1:15:08] >> Okay. Uh with that after that
[1:15:11] » Okay. Uh with that after that
[1:15:11] presentation I will open the public
[1:15:13] hearing.
[1:15:15] Is there anyone here wishing to uh
[1:15:18] address the board in regards to the fee
[1:15:20] changes for the public hearing?
[1:15:24] Anyone here wishing to
[1:15:26] come up to the podium and speak at the
[1:15:28] public hearing?
[1:15:31] Again, anyone here wishing to speak on
[1:15:34] behalf of these changes? Seeing no one,
[1:15:37] I'll close the public hearing.
[1:15:42] discussion board or a motion.
[1:15:45] >> Mr. Chairman, again, uh, nobody knows
[1:15:47] » Mr. Chairman, again, uh, nobody knows
[1:15:47] about this and they're not going to know
[1:15:48] about this unless they have to do one of
[1:15:50] the permits, but it's obviously we have
[1:15:52] to keep up with what our costs are and
[1:15:53] there's nobody can argue that, but uh,
[1:15:57] uh, nobody is aware of this. Uh, and
[1:15:59] that's why we have the public hearing,
[1:16:00] everything. I'm not surprised nobody's
[1:16:02] here. They're they're not affected until
[1:16:04] they go in to buy something and then
[1:16:06] they'll see that it is. And but again,
[1:16:08] we need to do what we need to do.
[1:16:11] >> Maybe a question. Are most of these um
[1:16:14] » Maybe a question. Are most of these um
[1:16:14] the fees like you go to Quarry Park, is
[1:16:16] it posted like when you come in the
[1:16:19] parking fee or is Okay, I see Ben's
[1:16:22] nodding his head. Does that apply too to
[1:16:24] like Two Rivers County Park or
[1:16:28] Sorry, Ben.
[1:16:30] >> [sighs and gasps]
[1:16:31] » [sighs and gasps]
[1:16:31] >> I'm just curious if there was a QR thing
[1:16:33] » I'm just curious if there was a QR thing
[1:16:34] they scan when they come if they didn't
[1:16:35] pay in advance.
[1:16:37] >> Yeah. No. So, Corey Park is the only
[1:16:38] » Yeah. No. So, Corey Park is the only
[1:16:38] park where we have a parking pass that
[1:16:40] is required. Anybody can walk in, bike
[1:16:42] in for free. We have a partnership with
[1:16:43] the Great River Regional Library that
[1:16:45] people can actually check out free
[1:16:46] passes to go to Corey Park. But yes, it
[1:16:49] is posted online. It's posted when
[1:16:51] people come into Corey Park. All of our
[1:16:53] reservation fees for our shelters are
[1:16:54] posted online. Those reservations have
[1:16:56] to be made online or they need to call
[1:16:59] the park office. So,
[1:17:02] >> okay. All right.
[1:17:04] » okay. All right.
[1:17:04] >> Yes, Mr. Chair. Yeah, that's true. And
[1:17:06] » Yes, Mr. Chair. Yeah, that's true. And
[1:17:06] and so we have no other fees within our
[1:17:08] parks. They're open to the public to be
[1:17:10] used. This is just a parking fee that we
[1:17:12] have at Corey Park.
[1:17:13] >> And the other ones are shelter if
[1:17:15] » And the other ones are shelter if
[1:17:15] they're going to have
[1:17:15] >> if they have a shelter,
[1:17:16] » if they have a shelter,
[1:17:16] >> birthday party or something.
[1:17:18] » birthday party or something.
[1:17:18] >> Correct.
[1:17:18] » Correct.
[1:17:18] >> Shelters are free to use. It's just if
[1:17:20] » Shelters are free to use. It's just if
[1:17:20] they want it reserved for them, then
[1:17:22] they we ask they pay the fee. Otherwise,
[1:17:23] if somebody shows up and nobody's in it,
[1:17:25] people can use it. So,
[1:17:26] >> okay.
[1:17:28] » okay.
[1:17:28] >> Okay. Uh, which is Well, I I do have one
[1:17:31] » Okay. Uh, which is Well, I I do have one
[1:17:31] other question. What What percent of the
[1:17:34] sheriff deputies cost is being actually
[1:17:37] recovered at the $80? [snorts]
[1:17:42] » I mean, if you don't know it now, that's
[1:17:44] just the sheriff's office. We didn't I
[1:17:47] didn't analyze their fees this year. I
[1:17:49] mean, dig down with it with their fees,
[1:17:51] but it's probably around, if I had to
[1:17:53] guess, it's 70 80% recovering, but I
[1:17:56] don't know for sure. So,
[1:17:57] >> okay, that just popped into my head when
[1:18:00] » okay, that just popped into my head when
[1:18:00] you were going through them before.
[1:18:02] Okay. Wishes of the board.
[1:18:05] So I'll just remind the board is of
[1:18:07] course fees are one of those things we
[1:18:09] don't necessarily like to do but it is
[1:18:12] uh the person receiving the service or
[1:18:14] the goods is paying for a big portion of
[1:18:17] that and this prevents it from going on
[1:18:19] to the levy. Right. So
[1:18:22] >> Commissioner Clark
[1:18:23] » Commissioner Clark
[1:18:23] >> and Mr. Chair to that for that reason I
[1:18:26] » and Mr. Chair to that for that reason I
[1:18:26] will move approval of the fe these as
[1:18:29] proposed.
[1:18:30] >> Okay we have a motion. Thank you
[1:18:32] » Okay we have a motion. Thank you
[1:18:32] commissioner Johnson for the second.
[1:18:33] Further discussion? Seeing none. Oh,
[1:18:36] Commissioner Johnson.
[1:18:38] >> Um, I just have a comment. I I think the
[1:18:40] » Um, I just have a comment. I I think the
[1:18:40] increases are modest.
[1:18:43] >> Um, if you compare shelter fees for the
[1:18:46] » Um, if you compare shelter fees for the
[1:18:46] county relative to some cities, they're
[1:18:48] quite a bit less. And uh so I think
[1:18:53] we're we're doing well by the the
[1:18:57] members of our community to to be
[1:19:00] moderate in our approach and and
[1:19:03] hopefully you know covering as much of
[1:19:04] the cost as we can in each situation.
[1:19:07] But
[1:19:10] okay, any further discussion?
[1:19:13] If not, all those in favor signify by
[1:19:15] saying I
[1:19:16] >> I
[1:19:16] » I
[1:19:16] >> opposed. Motion carried. Thank you.
[1:19:20] » opposed. Motion carried. Thank you.
[1:19:20] >> Thank you. Uh with that, we'll take a
[1:19:23] » Thank you. Uh with that, we'll take a
[1:19:23] short five minute break.
[1:28:12] All right, we'll call the board meeting
[1:28:15] back in session. Uh, next item is
[1:28:17] administration.
[1:28:18] >> Thank you, Mr. Chair.
[1:28:20] » Thank you, Mr. Chair.
[1:28:20] >> You have the performance measures first.
[1:28:22] » You have the performance measures first.
[1:28:22] You satisfied the requirements with the
[1:28:26] little state program last time by
[1:28:28] passing that resolution. Um, so we
[1:28:31] entered into the state program, get a
[1:28:33] little dollars back for doing that. Um,
[1:28:35] [snorts] but we didn't do the
[1:28:36] fullfledged presentation of uh our
[1:28:39] annual performance measures which are
[1:28:41] many more than what the what the state
[1:28:44] requires. So going to turn it over to
[1:28:47] deputy administrator Jill and you can
[1:28:50] take it from here. [snorts]
[1:28:51] >> Thank you, Mr. Chair, board members. Um,
[1:28:53] » Thank you, Mr. Chair, board members. Um,
[1:28:53] so as Mike said, this was um uh for on
[1:28:57] last uh month's agenda, but moved to
[1:29:00] this one, but we did get that um
[1:29:03] paperwork in time for the um state for
[1:29:06] the OSA office. So, they'll be sending
[1:29:08] us a check here. Um in addition to that,
[1:29:12] we do get levy limit protections if the
[1:29:15] state legislature decides to do levy
[1:29:17] limits. Doing that program prevents us
[1:29:19] from um having to do a levy limit. So
[1:29:22] good thing for us to do. Um so the
[1:29:25] performance measure system has been
[1:29:27] something we've been doing for a number
[1:29:28] of years. It's on our strategic plan um
[1:29:31] to evaluate what measures we're
[1:29:33] collecting. So um in the future this
[1:29:36] presentation might be looking a little
[1:29:37] bit different, but in the board packet
[1:29:40] you had um many dozens of different
[1:29:44] performance measures. This presentation
[1:29:47] um focuses kind of on services to the
[1:29:49] community measures. Um in addition, the
[1:29:53] state program has 24 different measures
[1:29:57] um for which you can submit 10 of those
[1:30:01] 24. Um and so we kind of subbed in some
[1:30:04] different measures this year due to what
[1:30:06] data that we could collect.
[1:30:10] All right. [snorts]
[1:30:11] So we're going to start off first with
[1:30:13] the county attorney's office and Mike is
[1:30:15] here to to pitch hit for attorney
[1:30:18] Kendall.
[1:30:21] Oops. Got the little chair. [laughter]
[1:30:24] I gotta feel like I'm a big boy. Good
[1:30:27] morning. Um, Michael Lee, chief deputy
[1:30:30] county attorney. Janelle sends her um
[1:30:33] regrets. She is enjoying her summer
[1:30:35] vacation. Um, in choosing uh our
[1:30:38] performance measures, the the county
[1:30:40] attorney's office uh is focused on
[1:30:43] measuring how we use the significant
[1:30:44] resources allotted to us to meet the
[1:30:47] county's mission, particularly assuring
[1:30:49] a safe community for all. As you might
[1:30:52] imagine, with the public law firm, uh
[1:30:54] the resources given to us consist mainly
[1:30:56] of personnel uh or attorneys who do the
[1:30:59] work of the office. We do not have
[1:31:01] things, we have people. understanding
[1:31:04] what is taking up their time is
[1:31:05] necessary to ensure uh the resources we
[1:31:08] have are properly directed to meet the
[1:31:09] county's mission. So the measures we've
[1:31:12] chosen provide a glimpse of the work in
[1:31:14] each of our three divisions uh criminal,
[1:31:17] juvenile, and civil. And they kind of
[1:31:18] give an overall snapshot of how we are
[1:31:20] using those resources. Uh the first
[1:31:22] slides that you see come from our
[1:31:24] criminal division who's primarily
[1:31:26] responsible for prosecuting our criminal
[1:31:28] offenses. uh and the most um resource
[1:31:33] intensive activity within that division
[1:31:35] uh is our trial work and you see the two
[1:31:37] slides before you. One shows the number
[1:31:40] of cases that are scheduled or set for
[1:31:41] trial and the number of cases on the
[1:31:43] right that actually do try. As you can
[1:31:46] see the number of cases set for trial
[1:31:48] has returned to basically a precoid
[1:31:50] level. Uh but the percentage of trials
[1:31:52] actually held uh has increased. The
[1:31:55] cases we are trying also look different.
[1:31:58] Law enforcement has new tools, body
[1:32:00] camera, phone searches, uh vehicle
[1:32:03] trackers, and other types of electronic
[1:32:05] data that we just never had access to
[1:32:07] for to before. Uh but with that comes
[1:32:10] additional work. Uh our prosecutors and
[1:32:12] our staff have to review um all of that
[1:32:15] information um before we get set uh and
[1:32:19] uh and are prepared for trial. So, um,
[1:32:24] and that's not a bad thing, uh, because
[1:32:26] as prosecutors, we like all the evidence
[1:32:28] that we can get. More evidence usually,
[1:32:31] uh, is a good thing. But the simple, uh,
[1:32:33] matter is that trying a case today takes
[1:32:36] more time and resources than it did, uh,
[1:32:38] even five years ago. Uh, and there's
[1:32:41] also just one little, uh, snippet on the
[1:32:43] bottom there. Um, kind of something
[1:32:46] that's happened uh, a lot more
[1:32:48] frequently in the last couple of years.
[1:32:49] We've had cases settle on the day of
[1:32:51] trial, which sounds like a good thing,
[1:32:52] but the reality is all the time and
[1:32:55] effort to prepare that case uh still had
[1:32:58] to be uh invested. So, it takes almost
[1:33:00] as much time to prepare those cases uh
[1:33:03] for trial as it does to actually try the
[1:33:05] case.
[1:33:07] Um and with some of those new tools, the
[1:33:10] chart on your left, uh those new tools
[1:33:12] that law enforcement has available, uh
[1:33:15] require additional work on our part. Um
[1:33:17] particularly uh some of those tools
[1:33:19] require additional search warrants. Um
[1:33:21] and we provide 247 uh on call coverage
[1:33:25] uh for law enforcement to call when they
[1:33:27] have legal questions and need to have a
[1:33:29] warrant review because we do review each
[1:33:32] and every warrant that is uh submitted
[1:33:34] to the court before the court gets it.
[1:33:36] Um so you can see from this chart we
[1:33:38] started and we recognize this additional
[1:33:40] work [clears throat] and started
[1:33:42] tracking it in 2024. Uh and you can see
[1:33:45] just based on our pace um for 2026,
[1:33:49] we're going to double the number of
[1:33:50] search warrants that we uh review from
[1:33:53] uh from 2025 to 2026.
[1:33:57] The middle chart um deals with our
[1:33:59] juvenile division and our juvenile
[1:34:01] division handles child protection
[1:34:02] matters and delinquency prosecution.
[1:34:05] uh as the legal adviser to human
[1:34:07] services and child protection cases in
[1:34:08] particular. Uh a lot of our work is uh
[1:34:12] consulting with social workers to assist
[1:34:14] them uh in determining whether to file a
[1:34:16] child protection matter uh or ensuring
[1:34:19] other legal legal requirements are met.
[1:34:21] I think you heard Mr. Henderson talk
[1:34:23] about the 106 page guide that the social
[1:34:26] workers have to fi uh have to uh review
[1:34:29] and be familiar with. we assist them in
[1:34:31] kind of working through um those
[1:34:33] particular cases. Uh and as you can see
[1:34:36] since COVID or 2020, the consults we've
[1:34:39] had uh have nearly doubled. Uh and I
[1:34:43] think as you also heard from uh the
[1:34:45] human services folks with the
[1:34:47] legislative changes, that's only going
[1:34:49] to increase. uh and as they get
[1:34:52] additional if or when they get
[1:34:53] additional staffing those additional um
[1:34:56] uh legislative requirements will require
[1:34:59] them to consult with us more often. So,
[1:35:01] uh it won't be as big a hu uh resource
[1:35:04] drain on us as it is obviously on human
[1:35:06] services. Um but when their work goes
[1:35:08] up, our work goes up as well. And the
[1:35:11] final chart you have there uh is from
[1:35:14] our civil division. Uh they provide
[1:35:16] legal advice to county departments. uh
[1:35:18] they handle civil commitments, child
[1:35:20] support uh amongst other uh duties. Uh
[1:35:24] but the one area that we do pride
[1:35:25] ourselves on is answering requests for
[1:35:27] legal opinions from the departments uh
[1:35:30] and others in the county. Uh we continue
[1:35:32] to encourage departments to ask for
[1:35:34] legal opinions to help guide decisions
[1:35:36] uh that may affect the county's
[1:35:38] liability or simply to understand what
[1:35:40] is or what isn't permitted under a
[1:35:42] certain statutory uh scheme or
[1:35:44] otherwise. uh the number of legal
[1:35:46] opinions requested has doubled uh since
[1:35:49] before COVID and again that's not a bad
[1:35:51] thing. Uh we think it reflects a
[1:35:53] positive movement where departments are
[1:35:55] asking uh for our advice uh or opinion
[1:35:59] to help guide their action. Uh and as
[1:36:01] lawyers we always prefer to be asked on
[1:36:03] the front end before the lawsuit uh
[1:36:05] comes in.
[1:36:08] >> Any questions?
[1:36:12] » Thank you.
[1:36:12] >> Don't see any. Thanks Mike. Right. Next
[1:36:15] » Don't see any. Thanks Mike. Right. Next
[1:36:15] we have the auditor treasures office and
[1:36:17] Ry's going to take those.
[1:36:20] >> So the first one is the uh payment plans
[1:36:24] » So the first one is the uh payment plans
[1:36:24] um quarterly and 10 months and these are
[1:36:28] for current taxes and we continue to see
[1:36:30] a steady increase in those electronic
[1:36:33] tax statements um people getting their
[1:36:35] TNT tax statement and valuation notices
[1:36:39] online and that continues to increase.
[1:36:42] So that makes it more convenient for
[1:36:43] them and also saves us time and money on
[1:36:46] postage and such.
[1:36:50] Um [clears throat]
[1:36:51] so the virtual services is a virtual
[1:36:54] license center. Um we continue to see a
[1:36:56] steady increase in that. We have all the
[1:36:58] services that we can provide online
[1:37:00] online in the virtual license center and
[1:37:04] um we probably have one of the most
[1:37:06] robust websites on that in the state.
[1:37:10] um number assess special assessment
[1:37:12] projects uh continue to go up. So this
[1:37:15] does not include uh the solid waste but
[1:37:18] everything else that comes from
[1:37:19] primarily cities and watersheds. Um so a
[1:37:24] lot of special assessment and a lot of
[1:37:25] dollars there.
[1:37:30] Don't know if we have any more. Thank
[1:37:32] you.
[1:37:33] >> Commissioner Commissioner Johnson,
[1:37:36] » Commissioner Commissioner Johnson,
[1:37:36] >> I can speak on
[1:37:38] » I can speak on
[1:37:38] >> Okay.
[1:37:40] » Okay.
[1:37:40] Commissioner Johnson, go ahead.
[1:37:41] >> Okay, Mr. Chair, thank you. Um Randy, in
[1:37:44] » Okay, Mr. Chair, thank you. Um Randy, in
[1:37:44] terms of quarterly and 10-month tax um
[1:37:47] payment plans,
[1:37:50] >> what is the incidence of delinquency and
[1:37:53] » what is the incidence of delinquency and
[1:37:53] and how much money might that involve?
[1:37:57] So the ones that uh are on those often
[1:37:59] have been doing a escrow and then now
[1:38:02] their mortgage is paid off and so they
[1:38:04] can sign up for that and we take the
[1:38:06] money directly out of their bank account
[1:38:08] so they don't have to do anything. They
[1:38:10] sign up for that automatically and that
[1:38:13] that success rate is very high. We
[1:38:15] rarely see um any sort of mispayment or
[1:38:20] or or in that area. The delinquency I
[1:38:23] can get you some numbers on that. you're
[1:38:26] seeing a little bit of a tick up in
[1:38:27] that.
[1:38:28] >> When it comes to forfeite though, that
[1:38:30] » When it comes to forfeite though, that
[1:38:30] number remains pretty low, less than 10
[1:38:33] a year.
[1:38:34] >> Yeah. In this economy, I was just sort
[1:38:35] » Yeah. In this economy, I was just sort
[1:38:35] of imagining that
[1:38:37] >> delinquency might be increasing and um
[1:38:41] » delinquency might be increasing and um
[1:38:41] you know, think things like Yep.
[1:38:43] >> even taxes are hard on people.
[1:38:45] » even taxes are hard on people.
[1:38:45] >> Yep.
[1:38:47] » Yep.
[1:38:47] >> Randy, was
[1:38:49] » Randy, was
[1:38:50] your presentation different than the one
[1:38:51] that's in the packet?
[1:38:52] >> It is.
[1:38:53] » It is.
[1:38:53] >> Okay.
[1:38:53] » Okay.
[1:38:53] >> Yes. I would say there's [laughter]
[1:38:54] » Yes. I would say there's [laughter]
[1:38:54] there's a lot more pages in here than uh
[1:38:57] what you just went through over there.
[1:38:59] [gasps]
[1:39:00] >> Yeah, Mr. Chair, the um PowerPoint is
[1:39:03] » Yeah, Mr. Chair, the um PowerPoint is
[1:39:04] just a subset of all the different ones
[1:39:06] that are in the packet. We didn't want
[1:39:07] to do um all all the measures. It would
[1:39:11] take a while. [laughter]
[1:39:12] >> Too many.
[1:39:13] » Too many.
[1:39:13] >> Certainly, if the questions on any of
[1:39:14] » Certainly, if the questions on any of
[1:39:14] those, I'm always available. So,
[1:39:16] >> okay. Thank you,
[1:39:18] » okay. Thank you,
[1:39:18] Shelley. Good morning.
[1:39:20] >> Good morning. Shelley Benson,
[1:39:21] » Good morning. Shelley Benson,
[1:39:21] environmental services director. um your
[1:39:23] favorite topic right issuing permits. So
[1:39:27] one of the things I think is is always
[1:39:29] interesting is how long does it take us
[1:39:31] to issue those permits and so we have
[1:39:33] started uh looking at that data and in
[1:39:36] the commercial industrial uh sphere what
[1:39:39] we're seeing is that the complexity and
[1:39:43] the time it takes has gone up uh for
[1:39:45] those days to issue. So, we're at even
[1:39:48] though we only had 19 last year, we had
[1:39:51] it took us 53 days on average to issue
[1:39:54] those. And that's because of the
[1:39:55] conditional use permit process because
[1:39:57] that we include that time um as well in
[1:40:00] there. Um the good news is the
[1:40:02] residential permits have gone down. So,
[1:40:05] even though during our peak time of the
[1:40:08] year, like now it's approximately 21
[1:40:10] days to issue a permit, on average, uh
[1:40:14] last year it was seven. So peak times is
[1:40:18] a little different than than our average
[1:40:21] uh over the [snorts] course of the year.
[1:40:23] Um and then permitting compliance.
[1:40:25] >> Shel, can I just ask on that the
[1:40:27] » Shel, can I just ask on that the
[1:40:27] residential one that that's just where
[1:40:31] >> the county is in charge, correct? If a
[1:40:34] » the county is in charge, correct? If a
[1:40:34] township has their own planning and
[1:40:35] zoning, that's a different
[1:40:37] >> right. Anything with a T any township
[1:40:39] » right. Anything with a T any township
[1:40:39] permits, [snorts] those are we don't
[1:40:41] track their days. We just get them and
[1:40:43] and uh record them so that they're all
[1:40:46] in the system so that if you go to the
[1:40:48] land services page, you can look it up
[1:40:50] online to see a township permit or a
[1:40:52] county permit. Uh but we don't track
[1:40:54] those days uh to issue.
[1:40:56] >> Thank you.
[1:40:58] » Thank you.
[1:40:58] >> And then permitting compliance. Um so
[1:41:01] » And then permitting compliance. Um so
[1:41:01] anything that falls within the scope of
[1:41:03] land use uh requires us to look at the
[1:41:05] statute. We have 60 days to issue a
[1:41:08] permit. We don't use those 60 days. Um
[1:41:12] very very rarely do we do that.
[1:41:15] Occasionally on certain conditional uses
[1:41:17] or um interim uses we'll have to extend
[1:41:21] those time frames to that 120 days, but
[1:41:24] most of the time we're we're getting um
[1:41:26] permits issued. But this is about
[1:41:28] compliance with that law, the 1099 and
[1:41:31] making sure we're doing things within
[1:41:32] that time frame. Um not just permits
[1:41:36] fall within that uh wetland compliance.
[1:41:39] So getting out to a site, making sure
[1:41:41] all those rules are met, uh feed lot
[1:41:43] compliance. So again, there's a lot of
[1:41:46] things that fall within the uh 1599
[1:41:49] requirements. And so this is the number
[1:41:52] of activities we had last year um was
[1:41:54] down a little bit, but the good news is
[1:41:56] we had compliance with everything that
[1:41:58] included variances and cups and the you
[1:42:01] know the processing of all of those uh
[1:42:04] permits and applications.
[1:42:07] >> Mr. Chair Shel. Then also with that
[1:42:10] » Mr. Chair Shel. Then also with that
[1:42:10] 60-day notice, often times it's it's not
[1:42:12] our issue. Often times it's the person
[1:42:15] that wants an extension and we grant
[1:42:17] them the extension because they're not
[1:42:19] prepared to move it forward. So,
[1:42:20] >> right. Yeah. So, our first um we make
[1:42:23] » right. Yeah. So, our first um we make
[1:42:23] sure the an application's complete in
[1:42:25] the first 10 days and then we have 60
[1:42:28] days once it's complete to issue that
[1:42:30] permit. We can extend it that 120 days
[1:42:34] for our own purposes, but often it is an
[1:42:36] extension uh request of a land owner
[1:42:39] because they haven't completed some part
[1:42:41] of a process, gotten the proper um storm
[1:42:44] water management is one of those areas
[1:42:45] where it sometimes it takes longer.
[1:42:47] Engineering of any sort or survey work.
[1:42:50] So those are things that often um
[1:42:53] instead of us denying something, they
[1:42:56] they put an extension or wave their
[1:42:58] their time frame. So we have that as
[1:43:01] well.
[1:43:04] » Mr. Chair,
[1:43:05] >> Commissioner Johnson.
[1:43:06] » Commissioner Johnson.
[1:43:06] >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Shelley, on the
[1:43:08] » Thank you, Mr. Chair. Shelley, on the
[1:43:08] the 53 days for the number of commercial
[1:43:11] industrial permits, you said it was
[1:43:13] pretty much a function of the the cup
[1:43:16] process.
[1:43:18] What What is it about that process that
[1:43:20] causes the the increase in length of
[1:43:23] time to get the permit? We are required
[1:43:25] to have Commissioner Johnson um
[1:43:28] public hearings. So we have to notice in
[1:43:31] the newspaper the newspaper is a day uh
[1:43:34] not a daily but a weekly. So we have to
[1:43:36] publish a week almost a week in advance
[1:43:39] for the paper. Then we have to have the
[1:43:41] two weeks. So it's almost three weeks of
[1:43:43] notice that add to the time and then the
[1:43:46] application goes in front of the
[1:43:47] planning commission. They do their
[1:43:49] hearing and then it comes to the board.
[1:43:51] and there's typically 12 days between
[1:43:52] our planning commission and our county
[1:43:54] board. So, it's all the timing for the
[1:43:57] process. Um, [snorts]
[1:43:59] by statute, we're required to hold
[1:44:01] public hearings on certain types of
[1:44:02] applications. So, that's what that
[1:44:05] that's what those times are.
[1:44:08] Um, I understand what you just said, but
[1:44:10] but if I look at previous years, um, the
[1:44:15] numbers significantly different, and
[1:44:17] that's kind of where I was going. Has
[1:44:19] something changed?
[1:44:20] more recently besides calendaring things
[1:44:25] and
[1:44:25] >> the good the interesting part about that
[1:44:27] » the good the interesting part about that
[1:44:27] some of those were things that were
[1:44:29] actually occurring a commercial property
[1:44:31] right so a commercial uh construction
[1:44:33] permit on a commercial property doesn't
[1:44:36] require a cup or a you know an IUP so if
[1:44:41] if it's just a zoning question I have a
[1:44:45] commercial property and I want to build
[1:44:46] a building I just come in the door I ask
[1:44:48] for it I don't have to go through the
[1:44:50] the longer process and we had more of
[1:44:52] those actually in 2023.
[1:44:55] Um quite a few.
[1:44:57] >> So it's the type of permit that people
[1:44:59] » So it's the type of permit that people
[1:44:59] are applying for.
[1:45:00] >> So the zoning district and the permit
[1:45:01] » So the zoning district and the permit
[1:45:01] type.
[1:45:02] >> Thank you.
[1:45:02] » Thank you.
[1:45:02] >> But if they're in the agricultural
[1:45:04] » But if they're in the agricultural
[1:45:04] district, most of those are commercial
[1:45:06] or not commercial. So that they are uh
[1:45:08] require conditional use or an interim
[1:45:10] use permit.
[1:45:11] >> Sure.
[1:45:11] » Sure.
[1:45:11] >> So
[1:45:11] » So
[1:45:12] >> thanks.
[1:45:12] » thanks.
[1:45:12] >> That's the difference. Yeah.
[1:45:13] » That's the difference. Yeah.
[1:45:13] >> Thank you.
[1:45:16] » Thank you.
[1:45:16] >> Thank you, Shelley.
[1:45:18] » Thank you, Shelley.
[1:45:18] Okay. So, next we have Highway with
[1:45:20] Engineer Bird.
[1:45:22] >> All right. Exciting. Does anybody love
[1:45:24] » All right. Exciting. Does anybody love
[1:45:24] graphs as much as I do? [laughter]
[1:45:26] >> Uh, so there's a lot of things I can
[1:45:29] » Uh, so there's a lot of things I can
[1:45:29] tell you about these graphs. So,
[1:45:31] starting off there on the left, bridge
[1:45:32] ratings. So, this last uh inspection
[1:45:35] cycle, we identified more bridges that
[1:45:37] meet that threshold uh of below 60 for
[1:45:41] the local planning index. That's what
[1:45:42] LPI stands for. Why that is significant
[1:45:45] is for state funding. uh state funding
[1:45:48] requires your bridge structure to have
[1:45:51] an LPI below 60 to become eligible for
[1:45:54] bridge funding. So, we've seen a big
[1:45:56] jump uh from 3 to 8. Don't be surprised
[1:46:00] if this stays on there for a while
[1:46:02] because funding usually lags three,
[1:46:05] four, sometimes five years to identify
[1:46:07] for uh structures to get replaced. So,
[1:46:11] we'll do our best to try to schedule
[1:46:13] into our our road program, but we always
[1:46:16] like to seek outside funding for these
[1:46:18] structures to replace them. And a common
[1:46:20] source of funding is the the state
[1:46:23] bridge bonding effort. So, each year
[1:46:26] we're we're big advocates for a state
[1:46:28] bonding bill and because that funds a
[1:46:30] lot of bridges across the state. to put
[1:46:32] in perspective, eight structures, that's
[1:46:34] about 3 and a half% of our total number
[1:46:37] of grid structures that we inspect in
[1:46:40] the county. So statewide, it's about 4
[1:46:44] and a.5% of the structures statewide. So
[1:46:47] we're doing a little bit better than
[1:46:48] statewide average on structures, but
[1:46:50] something that we're going to we're
[1:46:52] going to have to work hard to to get
[1:46:53] that number back down to our target. Uh
[1:46:56] the middle chart, very interesting as
[1:46:58] well, our pavement ratings. So that
[1:47:00] yellow bar is our goal. We want to make
[1:47:02] that as high as possible. And the darker
[1:47:04] blue bars uh to be as short as possible.
[1:47:08] So the darkest there on the left bar,
[1:47:10] that's our poor poor pavements. So we're
[1:47:14] we're meeting our our targets for the
[1:47:16] number of miles of road that are poor
[1:47:17] and fair and and exceeding what we want
[1:47:19] to be good and excellent. What's
[1:47:21] interesting is that poor column to get
[1:47:25] those miles of road back to a good or
[1:47:27] excellent would cost more than the roads
[1:47:30] in fair condition and quite a bit more
[1:47:32] than the good and excellent. That's just
[1:47:34] the way road is. The the worse condition
[1:47:37] it is, the more expensive it is to get
[1:47:39] it back to a good good condition. So,
[1:47:41] it's something that we we always work
[1:47:43] hard uh to try to schedule the correct
[1:47:46] action at the right time of the project
[1:47:48] to maximize public funding. So, um, it's
[1:47:51] always a trade-off. Can we afford to do
[1:47:53] a a smaller action this year or do we
[1:47:55] need to delay the project and prepare to
[1:47:57] have a more extensive project that's
[1:47:59] going to cost more sometime in the
[1:48:01] future? So,
[1:48:03] >> Commissioner Bertram,
[1:48:04] » Commissioner Bertram,
[1:48:04] >> can you turn your mic on?
[1:48:06] » can you turn your mic on?
[1:48:06] >> Oh, I'm sorry.
[1:48:06] » Oh, I'm sorry.
[1:48:06] >> Thanks.
[1:48:07] » Thanks.
[1:48:07] >> Uh, do we still have to test our um all
[1:48:10] » Uh, do we still have to test our um all
[1:48:10] the bridges, even the federal like the
[1:48:12] freeway bridges? Do my memory is that we
[1:48:16] have to review all those. Is that
[1:48:18] accurate?
[1:48:19] >> Yes. So there's um depending on the type
[1:48:22] » Yes. So there's um depending on the type
[1:48:22] of structure, not all of them get
[1:48:23] inspected every year. Um some a lot of
[1:48:27] them now in in Minnesota a bridge
[1:48:29] structure is anything that has a span of
[1:48:31] 10 ft or greater. So that could be if
[1:48:34] you have two six foot diameter culverts
[1:48:37] next to each other. We inspect those as
[1:48:39] like a bridge structure, but that may be
[1:48:41] on a a longer inspection cycle up to
[1:48:44] maybe four years sometimes. Um and then
[1:48:46] as the life of that structure progresses
[1:48:48] and the condition decreases you may have
[1:48:51] to inspect it more frequently. So we
[1:48:53] inspect uh uh anything well I shouldn't
[1:48:56] say that
[1:48:59] there there are some criteria for
[1:49:01] example a county road over the
[1:49:03] interstate we don't inspect that because
[1:49:06] most often mindot owns that structure
[1:49:09] and then they're inspecting that even
[1:49:11] though it carries a county roadway. But
[1:49:14] um for most intents and purposes, if
[1:49:17] it's carrying a county road over a
[1:49:19] stream, um we're inspecting that. We're
[1:49:22] also responsible for inspecting township
[1:49:24] bridges. Um although we're not
[1:49:26] responsible for the maintenance,
[1:49:27] [clears throat]
[1:49:28] in statute, it says the county highway
[1:49:30] engineer is responsible for the
[1:49:31] inspection. And then we have an
[1:49:33] obligation to share that inspection
[1:49:34] [snorts] report with the townships um
[1:49:37] each year with the of the structures
[1:49:39] with recommended maintenance actions if
[1:49:41] anything's identified needing to repair.
[1:49:44] >> Does that answer your question?
[1:49:45] » Does that answer your question?
[1:49:45] >> Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[1:49:47] » Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[1:49:47] >> Okay.
[1:49:49] » Okay.
[1:49:49] Um and then uh the far right uh table
[1:49:52] there uh cost per mile, you'll see a
[1:49:55] steady increase and then COVID happened
[1:49:57] in 22. We seemed uh we seen postcoid
[1:50:00] material prices take a big jump whether
[1:50:02] that was supply chain issues or
[1:50:05] everything. It just seemed materials is
[1:50:07] what c led to the increase in cost per
[1:50:09] mile those years with a slow decrease uh
[1:50:13] over the next subsequent years. Uh last
[1:50:16] year we were about $9,600
[1:50:21] per mile for maintenance. So that's not
[1:50:23] down to below precoid cost per mile.
[1:50:26] Precoid we were about $8,900 per mile of
[1:50:29] maintenance. So will we ever see precoid
[1:50:32] prices? I don't know. But um I maybe
[1:50:35] we'll see it to level out over the next
[1:50:37] uh couple years there.
[1:50:39] >> Joe advance slides.
[1:50:41] » Joe advance slides.
[1:50:41] >> Mr. Chair,
[1:50:42] » Mr. Chair,
[1:50:42] >> Mr. Chair.
[1:50:44] » Mr. Chair.
[1:50:44] Okay. Yeah. Chris, does um that
[1:50:46] maintenance cost does that in involve
[1:50:48] snow removal? So is that seasonal as
[1:50:50] well then?
[1:50:51] >> Yeah. So that any kind of maintenance
[1:50:52] » Yeah. So that any kind of maintenance
[1:50:52] activity, snow removal, mowing of
[1:50:54] roadside ditches, pothole patching,
[1:50:56] striping, um, uh, resurfacing less than
[1:51:00] two inches, uh, those kind of things.
[1:51:02] So, uh, spraying for weeds within our
[1:51:05] rideway. So, any kind of maintenance
[1:51:06] activity, it doesn't include
[1:51:08] construction projects.
[1:51:09] >> Okay. So, I mean, that would be
[1:51:11] » Okay. So, I mean, that would be
[1:51:11] significant depending upon sanding, ice,
[1:51:14] or salt.
[1:51:16] >> Yeah.
[1:51:16] » Yeah.
[1:51:16] >> And then obviously fuel and overtime as
[1:51:18] » And then obviously fuel and overtime as
[1:51:18] well. So,
[1:51:19] >> that's correct. You know, my experience
[1:51:21] » that's correct. You know, my experience
[1:51:22] has kind of showed sometimes when we
[1:51:23] have a mild winter, there's this big
[1:51:25] belief that, oh, we must be saving a lot
[1:51:26] of money because we're not throwing out
[1:51:28] salt and sand on the roads. We're not
[1:51:30] burning as much diesel, which is true,
[1:51:32] but the reality of it is there's other
[1:51:35] maintenance activities that end up
[1:51:36] taking up. What I've seen is sometimes
[1:51:38] those years we ended up having more
[1:51:40] pothole patching than we did in a
[1:51:42] winter, more of a typical winter, or
[1:51:44] maybe we're doing more crack filling.
[1:51:46] Um, so maybe we save some, but it's
[1:51:49] maybe not as much as we would anticipate
[1:51:51] by not having to plow snow all winter.
[1:51:54] There's something interesting in the
[1:51:55] highway world.
[1:51:55] >> Commissioner Johnson.
[1:51:56] » Commissioner Johnson.
[1:51:56] >> Uh, Mr. Chair, thank you.
[1:51:59] » Uh, Mr. Chair, thank you.
[1:51:59] Um Chris,
[1:52:02] given the volatility of the price of oil
[1:52:05] in 26 now,
[1:52:07] >> are are we seeing increases in
[1:52:09] » are are we seeing increases in
[1:52:09] maintenance costs and will we be
[1:52:11] projecting increases
[1:52:14] into 20 into the 27 budget?
[1:52:17] >> Um yeah, good question. We have seen
[1:52:20] » Um yeah, good question. We have seen
[1:52:20] fuel prices increase um uh but we've
[1:52:25] seen fuel consumption not be as high as
[1:52:27] we have in previous years.
[1:52:29] For us, it gets really difficult because
[1:52:33] [clears throat] we have like two snow
[1:52:34] seasons in a calendar year. So, we had
[1:52:36] the first half of this year be
[1:52:38] relatively mild and fuel consumption was
[1:52:41] probably lower than average. But, we
[1:52:44] need to remember we could start be
[1:52:46] plowing snow in November. What does
[1:52:48] November and December going to look
[1:52:49] like? Uh, it's really difficult this
[1:52:52] time to kind of predict where our fuel
[1:52:54] consumption is going to be and where
[1:52:55] those prices are going to be right now.
[1:52:58] So, we did see a slight increase in salt
[1:53:00] prices. That's something that's
[1:53:02] interesting. Um, you know, April May
[1:53:05] year, we're putting in a quota to the
[1:53:07] salt suppliers of what we're going to
[1:53:09] purchase and we lock in a price per ton
[1:53:11] and we've seen a slight increase in
[1:53:13] price per ton at that time of year
[1:53:16] >> um for the previous year. So, we have a
[1:53:20] » um for the previous year. So, we have a
[1:53:20] and we we put a quote of like we I don't
[1:53:22] remember off the top of my head the
[1:53:24] number of tons, but we say we're going
[1:53:25] to commit to purchasing this many tons
[1:53:27] and we're obligated to purchase at least
[1:53:29] 80% of that uh before next end of next
[1:53:33] April of 27. So, that's where we have
[1:53:36] some leeway after the first of the year.
[1:53:38] Um if budgets are tight or we're over
[1:53:42] and we don't purchase much salt, but
[1:53:45] we'll just have to evaluate that at that
[1:53:46] time.
[1:53:47] Thank you,
[1:53:48] >> Commissioner Perski.
[1:53:49] » Commissioner Perski.
[1:53:49] >> Mr. Chair, yeah, Chris, since we're
[1:53:50] » Mr. Chair, yeah, Chris, since we're
[1:53:50] talking about snow removal and winter
[1:53:52] maintenance, uh, back when I was on the
[1:53:54] council and in Mayor in Sartell, we
[1:53:57] always had a snow event was5 to $8,000
[1:54:01] for the city. Do you have the estimate
[1:54:04] general rule of thumb for the county
[1:54:06] what a snow event usually is? Um well,
[1:54:09] okay, if you allow me to b uh borrow
[1:54:12] from my previous experience, uh in
[1:54:14] neighboring county, it was about uh
[1:54:17] 25,000 per snow event. In this county is
[1:54:20] about four times as large. So,
[1:54:23] >> okay.
[1:54:23] » okay.
[1:54:23] >> Uh I don't know if that that holds too
[1:54:25] » Uh I don't know if that that holds too
[1:54:25] or if we have gained some efficiency,
[1:54:27] [snorts]
[1:54:27] economy of scale there. So, when you
[1:54:30] talk about labor, fuel prices, the
[1:54:32] cutting edge is iron, the materials that
[1:54:34] you're throwing out, it adds up rather
[1:54:36] quickly. And if the snow is on the
[1:54:37] weekend, we're paying overtime.
[1:54:39] >> Yes. Correct. Yeah.
[1:54:41] » Yes. Correct. Yeah.
[1:54:41] >> Okay. Which
[1:54:42] » Okay. Which
[1:54:42] >> it's not going to happen the next couple
[1:54:44] » it's not going to happen the next couple
[1:54:44] of days.
[1:54:45] >> We got to plan our snow snow events.
[1:54:47] » We got to plan our snow snow events.
[1:54:47] [laughter] Yeah. Um Yeah. And and
[1:54:51] [snorts]
[1:54:52] you can't always look back at the number
[1:54:55] of days he had precipitation. Um even
[1:54:57] though we didn't have precipitation, was
[1:54:59] wind a factor? Did we send have to send
[1:55:00] trucks back out? even though we didn't
[1:55:02] have precipitation, did we have drifting
[1:55:04] and we had to go clear roads again.
[1:55:06] [snorts] So, um it's not always a direct
[1:55:09] correlation between the number of days
[1:55:10] of precipitation to what our snow
[1:55:12] removal costs are.
[1:55:14] >> Yeah.
[1:55:17] » Um well, since we're talking about that
[1:55:19] on the right side of this slide, uh snow
[1:55:20] and ice removal times, there's our
[1:55:22] targets for um our roads. We kind of
[1:55:25] break them down to three different
[1:55:26] categories based on traffic volumes. And
[1:55:29] this is something that we strive on. You
[1:55:32] look at the time there and obviously
[1:55:34] we're prioritizing the higher volume
[1:55:35] roads and try to uh put more uh trucks
[1:55:39] and equipment to those and get those
[1:55:41] cleared sooner than some of our lower
[1:55:43] volume roads. As we try to gain
[1:55:46] efficiencies, there is a point of
[1:55:48] diminishing returns as roads get more
[1:55:52] and more traffic on them. You know, our
[1:55:54] plow trucks will get clogged up in that
[1:55:57] traffic. So there, I just wanted to
[1:55:59] preface it. There gets to be a point
[1:56:00] where we're not going to gain any more
[1:56:02] efficiencies as the road becomes higher
[1:56:05] higher volume traffic because we're
[1:56:06] stuck in the same traffic that everybody
[1:56:08] else is driving in. So as we continue to
[1:56:10] try to be more efficient and get those
[1:56:12] times down, um there's only so much that
[1:56:15] we can do with the traffic that we're
[1:56:16] on. Jumping to the left side of this
[1:56:19] slide, uh our road program, and this is
[1:56:22] something I'll admit, I'm going to just
[1:56:24] take this on the chin. this year um did
[1:56:26] not get a new 5-year road program
[1:56:28] adopted by July 1st and and that's just
[1:56:31] a big reason for me being new. Um we
[1:56:34] look at a lot of data to determine what
[1:56:36] roads need to be uh reconstructed or
[1:56:39] resurfaced or or what have you and
[1:56:43] scheduling that like I mentioned earlier
[1:56:44] trying to do the right action at the
[1:56:46] right time of the roadway. and I just
[1:56:49] needed time to look at that data and
[1:56:50] kind of pick which roads need to be done
[1:56:53] um in the fifth year. Another thing we
[1:56:56] try to strive for too is having all of
[1:56:57] our large projects have the bid openings
[1:56:59] by June 15th. There's one rather large
[1:57:02] project that's programmed for this
[1:57:04] current year and that's the traffic
[1:57:05] signal upgrades on Cass 75 through St.
[1:57:09] Joe uh and Way Park St. Cloud. That's a
[1:57:13] that's about a $5 million project and
[1:57:15] we're receiving about $3.9 million of
[1:57:17] federal funding. Um once again due to
[1:57:20] the vacancies and me coming on board uh
[1:57:22] that design schedule just not did not
[1:57:24] progress as it should have and we have
[1:57:27] final plans now that have been submitted
[1:57:29] to the state for review. We're hoping
[1:57:31] for a September bid opening on that
[1:57:33] project that will allow the contractor
[1:57:35] to order materials over the winter and
[1:57:38] start uh constructing those new signals
[1:57:41] uh next spring along 75. Um
[1:57:44] >> and Mr. Chair, we we'll be talking about
[1:57:46] » and Mr. Chair, we we'll be talking about
[1:57:46] the 5-year program at the August meeting
[1:57:48] when we have a work session on the
[1:57:50] highway budget.
[1:57:51] >> Yeah. So, that's where we're at on that.
[1:57:54] » Yeah. So, that's where we're at on that.
[1:57:54] One one quick question side note. Um,
[1:57:58] has has the county ended up hiring you a
[1:58:01] weed inspector yet or egg inspector?
[1:58:04] >> Uh, [laughter]
[1:58:05] » Uh, [laughter]
[1:58:05] no. Um, and um, it was interesting. We
[1:58:07] were warned that if we didn't hire
[1:58:09] somebody by June, our phones would be
[1:58:11] ringing off the hook. And sure enough,
[1:58:12] that happened. So,
[1:58:14] >> okay.
[1:58:14] » okay.
[1:58:14] >> Um,
[1:58:15] » Um,
[1:58:15] >> all right.
[1:58:16] » all right.
[1:58:16] >> So, we're that position got re-evaluated
[1:58:19] » So, we're that position got re-evaluated
[1:58:19] u after the vacancy and and that's where
[1:58:21] it is right now. We're we're hoping to
[1:58:23] get that advertised here pretty soon.
[1:58:25] Um, I've learned that our weed
[1:58:27] inspector, uh, Mr. Dunning, did a lot
[1:58:29] for this county and a lot for our
[1:58:31] partners in the county that it's going
[1:58:33] to be tough to fill, but um, we'll be
[1:58:35] optimistic and hopefully we have that
[1:58:37] filled by by the fall.
[1:58:39] >> Okay,
[1:58:39] » Okay,
[1:58:39] >> Mr. Chair, usually in in cities it
[1:58:42] » Mr. Chair, usually in in cities it
[1:58:42] defaults to the mayor. So, I'm just
[1:58:44] wondering if it defaults to you.
[1:58:46] [laughter]
[1:58:47] >> I could do it. I did it for the
[1:58:48] » I could do it. I did it for the
[1:58:48] township.
[1:58:50] One thing uh Bob Dunning was good about
[1:58:52] was getting grants for you know noxious
[1:58:55] weed eradication. What's interesting is
[1:58:57] June is also the time frame of when
[1:58:59] those grant applications were due. So me
[1:59:01] and with the help of our environmental
[1:59:04] uh technician we muddled our way through
[1:59:07] a grant application. So hopefully we get
[1:59:09] some funding to do that continue that
[1:59:11] work. Um it just didn't seem like
[1:59:13] something we couldn't wait for that
[1:59:14] position to get filled. Uh, and I don't
[1:59:17] know how good of an application it was
[1:59:19] compared to what we submitted
[1:59:20] previously. We'll see.
[1:59:22] >> That's all right. I just I I just knew I
[1:59:24] » That's all right. I just I I just knew I
[1:59:24] had asked you that once before. So,
[1:59:26] >> yeah. All right. Thanks.
[1:59:28] » yeah. All right. Thanks.
[1:59:28] >> What about the uh your uh financial
[1:59:32] » What about the uh your uh financial
[1:59:32] >> uh position?
[1:59:33] » uh position?
[1:59:33] >> Yeah. Uh we're still still working on
[1:59:35] » Yeah. Uh we're still still working on
[1:59:35] recruiting that. That's been challenging
[1:59:37] and frustrating. There's been applicants
[1:59:39] that we've interviewed, brought in
[1:59:41] second view interviews, liked, and we go
[1:59:44] to the next step with them only to find
[1:59:45] out they've been offered employment
[1:59:47] elsewhere and choose that. So, um, in
[1:59:50] many regards, I feel like we're moving
[1:59:53] faster than what counties normally do on
[1:59:54] these these applicants, but, um, it's
[1:59:58] still been a challenge to to fill that
[1:59:59] position. um those are highly
[2:00:02] soughtafter positions and we're
[2:00:04] competing against private companies for
[2:00:06] for that level of expertise and
[2:00:08] [clears throat] I just um haven't got
[2:00:10] that filled yet. So
[2:00:12] >> okay,
[2:00:14] » okay,
[2:00:14] >> thank you.
[2:00:15] » thank you.
[2:00:15] >> Is it me? All right,
[2:00:19] » Is it me? All right,
[2:00:19] Mr. Chair, we have Melissa Huberty with
[2:00:20] human services.
[2:00:24] » All right, Melissa Huberty, human
[2:00:25] services administrator. The first two
[2:00:27] items um fit in the category of
[2:00:30] notmandated services. So I've been asked
[2:00:32] about that before. Almost all of human
[2:00:34] services is mandated. These first two
[2:00:36] items we're going to go through are the
[2:00:37] community action team and the juvenile
[2:00:39] community action team. They are not
[2:00:41] mandated services, but they're very
[2:00:42] smart because they help pre they're all
[2:00:44] about prevention and they prevent us
[2:00:47] having to move to the deep end services.
[2:00:49] So with the first one, it's the
[2:00:51] community action team. It's a
[2:00:52] partnership with the emergency
[2:00:55] department, centric care, law
[2:00:57] enforcement,
[2:00:59] um, central Minnesota mental health
[2:01:01] center, um, our sheriff's office and
[2:01:04] human services and we still meet
[2:01:06] regularly and we take those very high
[2:01:08] deepend cases that are rotating in and
[2:01:11] out of the system in all of our areas.
[2:01:14] We wrap a team around them and we
[2:01:16] prevent a lot of those most expensive
[2:01:19] services. And so in the first couple
[2:01:21] years of this, we had sort of a control
[2:01:23] group. We knew about with good g a good
[2:01:26] estimate of how often people go to the
[2:01:28] ER, how long they're hanging out in
[2:01:30] jail. Um, and we put a monetary cost to
[2:01:34] that. And so we continue to save quite a
[2:01:36] bit of uh money in the system. And if
[2:01:38] you were at CJCC, our criminal justice
[2:01:41] coordinating committee this morning, uh
[2:01:43] the sheriff's office mentioned the
[2:01:45] community action team, and having a big
[2:01:47] po uh play in terms of helping people
[2:01:50] get out of their jail system a little
[2:01:53] more quickly. So, um the next one is the
[2:01:56] juvenile community action team um that
[2:01:58] we referenced this morning uh when we
[2:02:00] presented on our services. And for the
[2:02:03] first time ever, this is a collaboration
[2:02:06] um with school systems. And we're
[2:02:09] finally getting out more into the rural
[2:02:10] areas. And for the first time ever, we
[2:02:13] have more kids exiting care than we have
[2:02:15] kids entering care. So, we know we're
[2:02:17] doing a good job. We're also no longer
[2:02:20] needing to prioritize these families
[2:02:22] with nine or 10 or 12 children. We can
[2:02:24] get down to the one or two children as
[2:02:26] well. So, having success there. Um
[2:02:29] finally, community safety. This is in
[2:02:31] our community corrections area. Um with
[2:02:34] supervised release, that's parole. If
[2:02:36] for folks who don't know the new
[2:02:37] verbiage, um and probation, we have um
[2:02:40] we're fitting both the guidelines right
[2:02:42] now. It's a 65% at least or above or 85%
[2:02:46] for um felony level no crime within 3
[2:02:50] years. It's measured five years later
[2:02:52] because it's um me the data is collected
[2:02:54] three years after the case is closed and
[2:02:57] then making sure all the court processes
[2:02:59] are processed. So that's that.
[2:03:04] Thank you, Melissa. Um, so next we have
[2:03:07] uh property services. So state law
[2:03:10] requires the review of each taxable
[2:03:12] parcel every 5 years. And so we do a
[2:03:15] fifth of those or 20% of those parcels
[2:03:17] annually um evaluating those properties
[2:03:20] for market value. Um so you can see here
[2:03:23] that our county is ahead of the curve
[2:03:25] when it comes to doing those assessments
[2:03:28] um with almost 100% compliance um or
[2:03:31] 100% evaluation uh ongoing. And then the
[2:03:36] next one from property services deals
[2:03:37] with compliant recording practices. Uh
[2:03:40] so the state requires that real estate
[2:03:43] documents um and records are processed
[2:03:45] within 10 days. You'll see that we
[2:03:47] consistently hit that mark. COVID did
[2:03:50] throw us for a a loop there, but um
[2:03:53] we've recovered to 100% compliance.
[2:03:58] And I'm also going to pitch it for parks
[2:04:01] as well. So you'll see um the data point
[2:04:04] we collect for them are visitors per
[2:04:06] thousand. This is one of those uh
[2:04:08] measures that the state has in their um
[2:04:12] their program. Um, so that number equals
[2:04:16] out to about 700 740,000 people visited
[2:04:20] the parks within 2025. You're seeing a
[2:04:23] significant jump there because we've
[2:04:26] improved our counting. So, um, before we
[2:04:30] had vehicle counters, park staff
[2:04:32] observation,
[2:04:34] um, and now in 2025, we have more
[2:04:36] accurate data using cell phone data from
[2:04:38] the regional parks and trails
[2:04:40] commission. So, we'll probably see um
[2:04:42] good data collection from that in the
[2:04:44] years going forward.
[2:04:48] All right. And now we have uh the
[2:04:49] sheriff's office. And I'll note with um
[2:04:52] the sheriff's data points that um he's
[2:04:55] doing something a little bit different
[2:04:56] this year. So, he's going to tell us
[2:04:58] about his plans.
[2:05:02] >> Uh hello. Yes, we have no information
[2:05:04] » Uh hello. Yes, we have no information
[2:05:04] basically. So, um [laughter] after uh
[2:05:07] well, that's a good plan. So it can only
[2:05:09] go up from there. Um [laughter]
[2:05:11] yeah, after years of doing the kind of
[2:05:13] the same uh performance measures, we
[2:05:15] decided to take a look at different
[2:05:17] things that we're doing in the sheriff's
[2:05:18] office. So uh one uh we're going to
[2:05:21] focus on the dispatch center. Um
[2:05:24] with our new technology with Tyler
[2:05:26] technology, we're able to look at the
[2:05:28] the answering times and the how long
[2:05:30] somebody might sit in a queue and wait
[2:05:32] and those type of things. Uh and we want
[2:05:34] to take a look at that presently. and
[2:05:37] then um probably invoking some AI and
[2:05:40] some technology. We're researching some
[2:05:41] things to maybe bring into the uh uh
[2:05:44] dispatch center next year and see how
[2:05:46] that might improve our services and
[2:05:48] customer service and uh get people to
[2:05:50] the right resources and the right places
[2:05:52] that they need to be um when they call
[2:05:54] our dispatch center. The other uh thing,
[2:05:56] as you know, uh jail programs has really
[2:05:58] taken on a a large uh um footprint in
[2:06:02] our in our jail. We've actually got a
[2:06:04] full-time person now running uh just our
[2:06:06] Ignite program through the National
[2:06:08] Sheriff's Association. Uh I um was able
[2:06:11] to happily report to uh Commissioner
[2:06:14] Clark at our meeting um that we had our
[2:06:16] first um uh person go through and uh and
[2:06:21] uh from the civil commitment side of uh
[2:06:23] we're a part of that uh program right
[2:06:25] now with the grant uh pilot program if
[2:06:28] you would uh to get people um back to
[2:06:30] being able to go to court uh that are
[2:06:32] coming in uh and we're able to do that
[2:06:34] internally. So, we're just taking a look
[2:06:36] at our jail programs and everything that
[2:06:37] we offer. Uh, and as of like the other
[2:06:40] day, I think we have 86%
[2:06:43] uh attendance rate of our inmates
[2:06:45] attending some type of programming,
[2:06:46] whether it's education uh or AA or um
[2:06:50] are trying to get some degrees or
[2:06:52] certifications so that they're uh um you
[2:06:55] know, employable when they get out and
[2:06:56] have a better life when they get out and
[2:06:58] they don't come back to our jail. So, uh
[2:07:00] this is all brand new for us. So we will
[2:07:02] have a basically starting at a a base
[2:07:05] level and by next year when I come back
[2:07:07] and report hopefully we have better
[2:07:09] numbers uh better stats and all
[2:07:11] positivity things.
[2:07:15] >> Good. Thank you.
[2:07:16] » Good. Thank you.
[2:07:16] >> Commissioner Johnson, do you
[2:07:17] » Commissioner Johnson, do you
[2:07:17] >> I do have Steve I have a question for
[2:07:20] » I do have Steve I have a question for
[2:07:20] you and [snorts] it's related to more of
[2:07:22] the detailed lists that I went through
[2:07:25] ear well
[2:07:27] a while back. Um
[2:07:30] I noticed in terms of the programs there
[2:07:32] are a number of uh religiously
[2:07:34] associated ones, faith community
[2:07:36] associated ones, excuse me.
[2:07:37] >> Correct.
[2:07:38] » Correct.
[2:07:38] >> Um are those folks volunteering to do
[2:07:41] » Um are those folks volunteering to do
[2:07:41] those programs or are we soliciting
[2:07:43] people to [snorts] do those programs?
[2:07:44] >> The people coming in to do them or the
[2:07:47] » The people coming in to do them or the
[2:07:47] inmates
[2:07:47] >> the the faith communities themselves
[2:07:50] » the the faith communities themselves
[2:07:50] coming in to do it. is that
[2:07:53] >> so we have something on our website that
[2:07:56] » so we have something on our website that
[2:07:56] uh basically if you want to come in and
[2:07:58] volunteer as an organization you can uh
[2:08:00] when I came in as sheriff uh we had 23
[2:08:03] programs and 20 of them were faith-based
[2:08:04] of some kind or another which makes
[2:08:06] sense because those are the the people
[2:08:08] that will volunteer and will come in to
[2:08:10] try and uh make things better um but we
[2:08:13] had very little on the education side so
[2:08:15] I was set about trying to change that
[2:08:17] over the last few years to kind of equal
[2:08:20] out the religious side of things along
[2:08:21] with the uh educational side of things
[2:08:23] and and since then we've had our some
[2:08:25] GED graduates which we hadn't had in
[2:08:27] about 15 years and uh and uh and
[2:08:30] bringing in the virtual reality and the
[2:08:32] education thing. But yes, the the
[2:08:34] faith-based programs are the ones that
[2:08:36] come in uh um that's where you're going
[2:08:38] to see a lot of you know the volunteers
[2:08:41] for that,
[2:08:42] >> right? And and I appreciate the whole
[2:08:44] » right? And and I appreciate the whole
[2:08:44] list. I mean you're doing a lot of work
[2:08:46] with these inmates through all these
[2:08:48] these programs and I [snorts] appreciate
[2:08:50] that very much. My my my real question
[2:08:52] was is this something we're soliciting
[2:08:55] or are people volunteering? And you said
[2:08:57] they're volunteering to do the work.
[2:08:58] >> Well, they're all voluntary. Uh we don't
[2:09:00] » Well, they're all voluntary. Uh we don't
[2:09:00] go out and go to find churches and say,
[2:09:02] "Hey, do you want to come and do a
[2:09:03] program in our jail, but if they have a
[2:09:05] program or something that uh you know,
[2:09:07] for instance um
[2:09:10] is maybe it's not odd, but we have the
[2:09:11] Menanites come in for a Christmas
[2:09:13] concert um just in December, and they
[2:09:16] offered to come and do that. We it it is
[2:09:18] a little staff consuming just because we
[2:09:20] have to secure everybody, search all
[2:09:22] their stuff as they come in. But uh so
[2:09:24] they they solicited us, I guess, if you
[2:09:26] would. Yeah. Um and volunteered to come
[2:09:28] in, but we're not actively going out.
[2:09:30] But we'll certainly listen to anybody
[2:09:32] that wants to come in. Uh it's just a
[2:09:34] matter of um timing and and how much
[2:09:36] time there is in a day to get programs
[2:09:38] in and done.
[2:09:39] >> Yeah. Thank you so much. Thanks.
[2:09:41] » Yeah. Thank you so much. Thanks.
[2:09:41] >> Yeah,
[2:09:42] » Yeah,
[2:09:42] >> Commissioner Perski.
[2:09:43] » Commissioner Perski.
[2:09:43] >> Yeah, Mr.
[2:09:44] » Yeah, Mr.
[2:09:44] Steve, that online learning has maybe
[2:09:47] really evolved over the last few years.
[2:09:48] I would imagine it gives us quite a few
[2:09:50] opportunities for people.
[2:09:52] >> Yes, we are definitely employing
[2:09:54] » Yes, we are definitely employing
[2:09:54] technology. Uh there's notebooks now in
[2:09:57] the jail that uh the inmates uh you know
[2:10:00] um can do GED all day long if they want.
[2:10:04] For instance, if you want to get your
[2:10:05] high school diploma, maybe
[2:10:06] [clears throat] your night owl, you stay
[2:10:08] up in your cell all night and you can
[2:10:10] take all your courses, you know, right
[2:10:12] in your cell at night. Uh so uh using
[2:10:15] just technology and uh you know the the
[2:10:17] notebooks have been a huge thing for us.
[2:10:20] Uh the virtual reality headsets uh as
[2:10:22] I've mentioned in the past uh um they
[2:10:25] can put those on and manipulate [snorts]
[2:10:27] um tools and uh and u you know get
[2:10:30] certifications uh while it doesn't sound
[2:10:32] like much. They can get certified to do
[2:10:34] say like your basic oil changes and get
[2:10:36] when they get out they're employable at
[2:10:38] say a snappy lube or something like
[2:10:39] that. Um, you know, welding is something
[2:10:42] that we're looking at, uh, bringing in,
[2:10:44] something where they can get a basic
[2:10:45] welding certification. It's not a
[2:10:47] college degree by any means, but it's
[2:10:49] hopefully making them, um, much more
[2:10:51] desirable and employable when they get
[2:10:53] out.
[2:10:54] >> So, yeah, education is uh, and obviously
[2:10:57] » So, yeah, education is uh, and obviously
[2:10:57] we have the the teacher in there and uh,
[2:10:59] and for a long time, we were having
[2:11:01] issues just trying to get them to be
[2:11:02] able to be certified to get their GED.
[2:11:05] We got that through the state in the
[2:11:06] last couple years and we've had, like I
[2:11:08] said, a couple graduates in the last um
[2:11:11] year here that have gotten their GEDs
[2:11:12] while in custody. So, uh, again, just
[2:11:15] hopefully making their lives better and
[2:11:17] being able to get out and be employable
[2:11:19] [clears throat] and, uh, have a better
[2:11:20] life.
[2:11:21] >> Okay.
[2:11:23] » Okay.
[2:11:23] >> Thank you.
[2:11:25] » Thank you.
[2:11:25] >> I'm gonna make sure I can get up.
[2:11:26] » I'm gonna make sure I can get up.
[2:11:26] [laughter]
[2:11:27] >> Oh, one more thing.
[2:11:30] » Oh, one more thing.
[2:11:30] Um, so as as I mentioned earlier, a lot
[2:11:33] of the performance measures that we're
[2:11:35] featuring are all about external ser
[2:11:37] services that we do. Um, but I'll note
[2:11:40] that it is also developing new
[2:11:42] performance measures for this coming
[2:11:44] year to start collecting. And so I think
[2:11:46] next year you'll see some of our
[2:11:48] internal operation performance measures.
[2:11:51] So our last one for today though is
[2:11:53] veteran services.
[2:11:55] >> Good morning, Mr. Chair, commissioners.
[2:11:56] » Good morning, Mr. Chair, commissioners.
[2:11:56] Uh Corey Vasi, uh veteran service
[2:11:59] officer for Sterns County. Uh just a
[2:12:02] kind of brief summary, what what's
[2:12:03] requested of the state or from us by the
[2:12:06] state for this program is the VA
[2:12:08] compensation and pension dollars. Uh
[2:12:11] that [snorts] information comes from the
[2:12:13] geographic distribution of expenditures.
[2:12:15] It's a federal VA uh data point. Uh and
[2:12:18] they changed at the end of last year the
[2:12:20] the schedule of when they will release
[2:12:22] that. So that won't isn't expected to
[2:12:24] come out for 2025 until September of
[2:12:27] this year. Uh but
[2:12:31] [snorts] last year at this time we
[2:12:32] didn't have the 2024 numbers. So now we
[2:12:34] have those for you. Uh it shows $76
[2:12:36] million uh in VA compensation and
[2:12:38] pension dollars. What that includes is
[2:12:41] VA disability compensation, non-service
[2:12:44] connected pension, uh dependency and
[2:12:45] identity compensation, and education
[2:12:48] benefits, uh paid to veterans within the
[2:12:51] Sterns County. Uh so that's money that
[2:12:54] came into into Sterns County from the
[2:12:57] federal VA. Um we've provided additional
[2:12:59] information on here because I think it
[2:13:01] does a better job of demonstrating kind
[2:13:03] of what our office does and and volume.
[2:13:06] Um so roughly 9,000 veterans in Sterns
[2:13:10] County. Um that population does slowly
[2:13:13] decrease each year. Still a large
[2:13:15] portion of our veteran population is
[2:13:17] Vietnam era. Although the OAF uh OEF uh
[2:13:23] veterans, the Iraq Afghanistan veterans
[2:13:25] and first Gulf War veterans are now the
[2:13:27] predominant, you know, uh demographic
[2:13:29] within the veteran community.
[2:13:32] Um,
[2:13:34] one thing I thought I would note, you
[2:13:36] know, the number of unique clients that
[2:13:37] we interact with has stayed pretty
[2:13:39] stable uh, over the last few years. Um,
[2:13:42] those changes uh, fluctuate a little
[2:13:44] bit, probably more to do with just a a
[2:13:47] capacity limit based on staff
[2:13:49] availability um, but is still relatively
[2:13:52] stable.
[2:13:57] » Any questions, Corey?
[2:13:59] >> Thank you. Right.
[2:14:00] » Thank you. Right.
[2:14:00] >> Well, those are our measures for this
[2:14:02] » Well, those are our measures for this
[2:14:02] year. We'll put them online for folks to
[2:14:04] refer to. And with that, I'll pass it
[2:14:08] back to chair.
[2:14:10] >> Okay. Um, Mike, it looks like M2 is up.
[2:14:15] » Okay. Um, Mike, it looks like M2 is up.
[2:14:15] >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes. Uh, this is u
[2:14:17] » Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes. Uh, this is u
[2:14:17] really your first look at the 2027
[2:14:21] budget for this year. And hopefully we
[2:14:23] have that PowerPoint coming up. I will
[2:14:26] um note that the presentation that
[2:14:29] you're going to see today is a little
[2:14:33] is more brief than the first
[2:14:36] presentation in previous years and for a
[2:14:38] couple very practical reasons. One, the
[2:14:40] the property tax data that we would
[2:14:42] normally have is not available yet. We
[2:14:43] don't have a total assessment. We don't
[2:14:45] have the assessment of state of state
[2:14:47] that the state um assesses and appraises
[2:14:51] either. So you don't you won't see that
[2:14:52] part until later in the process. Um
[2:14:56] [clears throat]
[2:14:57] you'll also see that uh that we've
[2:15:00] scheduled some work sessions devoted to
[2:15:03] uh the budget. So you'll have a chance
[2:15:05] to get a little deeper into we've made
[2:15:07] some suggestions for those topics and
[2:15:09] then one meeting that uh that is that is
[2:15:12] open for for your discussion. Um well,
[2:15:15] they're all open, but um we've suggested
[2:15:17] some topics and then hopefully uh the
[2:15:20] executive summary that you see there um
[2:15:22] is pretty thorough uh for this early
[2:15:25] start as well. And um so [clears throat]
[2:15:29] anyway, um we did start early and I want
[2:15:31] to thank the leadership team. Um they
[2:15:33] certainly responded to the changes in
[2:15:35] the process, responded to the earlier
[2:15:37] timeline. Um, and I really want to uh
[2:15:40] give thanks to the budget committee,
[2:15:43] Jill, Sarah, and Randy. Um, I wanted to
[2:15:46] get this budget um, further along this
[2:15:49] year to the point where it was complete.
[2:15:52] And I don't mean ready for approval, but
[2:15:54] I mean complete, pulled together. So you
[2:15:56] have you you you're at a point where you
[2:15:58] can start considering kind of the major
[2:16:00] things that are making up the budget and
[2:16:02] some of the changes that the budget
[2:16:03] committee is recommending and and hence
[2:16:06] some of the changes that you might want
[2:16:07] to make um as the but in the budget as
[2:16:10] well. And we fashioned this a little
[2:16:12] different. Um you'll see the executive
[2:16:15] summary was maybe a little different
[2:16:16] than previous years is really tried to
[2:16:18] focus on what the departments proposed
[2:16:22] and then what and then clearly show what
[2:16:24] changes the budget committee has made.
[2:16:26] So hopefully that came through in that
[2:16:28] executive summary as well. So with those
[2:16:31] uh brief introductions, we'll get into
[2:16:34] it a little bit. You can see the
[2:16:35] timeline here. Um, and you can see that,
[2:16:38] you know, today is your first look at
[2:16:40] it. And then we we suggest that you have
[2:16:42] a work session on August 4th, and that
[2:16:44] would be devoted to the human services.
[2:16:47] Um, because there's a lot of change
[2:16:49] there. Same in the sheriff's office. And
[2:16:51] then, uh, is that date wrong? August
[2:16:53] 25th? Should be 25th. On 25th, um, you
[2:16:57] would see the highway 5-year plan, the
[2:16:59] highway budget, and then, um, the
[2:17:01] household hazardous weight waste budget
[2:17:04] time for that. And then you have another
[2:17:06] one on September 15th that if you want
[2:17:08] to have a work session um just to kind
[2:17:10] of wrap everything up before you do the
[2:17:13] uh preliminary levy on at the end of
[2:17:15] September, you could do that on the
[2:17:17] September 15th. And then of course you
[2:17:19] have a number of meetings before that um
[2:17:21] that would be opportunities to discuss
[2:17:23] the budget if you if you felt that was
[2:17:25] necessary. December 1st, uh, you've
[2:17:28] scheduled your truth and taxation
[2:17:30] hearing and then your final meeting in
[2:17:32] the year is December 15th, which of
[2:17:34] course you would need to adopt the the
[2:17:36] new budget.
[2:17:38] So we at this point things are moved up.
[2:17:41] Of course, those dates at the low at the
[2:17:43] end of that is are are much the same as
[2:17:47] previous years. [clears throat] So you
[2:17:48] can um in the next slide you can see
[2:17:50] where we are today. Um the proposed as
[2:17:53] you as you saw in the in the memo um the
[2:17:56] the budgets as proposed and entered into
[2:17:59] the system um would have resulted in a
[2:18:02] 14.3% increase in the in the in the levy
[2:18:06] and uh through the work that that the
[2:18:08] four of us have done uh in the last
[2:18:11] several weeks um we have this down to a
[2:18:13] 7.14%
[2:18:17] uh increase which again I think is is a
[2:18:19] pretty complete look at where we are. Of
[2:18:21] course, there's changes that uh that
[2:18:23] could be made and and we may learn some
[2:18:25] things as the time goes on here, but I
[2:18:27] think you you have a good look at
[2:18:29] somewhere in the neighborhood of where
[2:18:30] this budget is going to have to be uh by
[2:18:33] the time you adop adopt it. And so
[2:18:35] there's a number of drivers here and um
[2:18:39] I don't think we need to go through
[2:18:40] those necessarily line by line, but you
[2:18:43] know that um we have contracts that are
[2:18:45] 5% increases um that that even if that
[2:18:49] wasn't 5% it would be the bulk of your
[2:18:52] of the increase in coming years if it
[2:18:54] was a smaller number which assuredly
[2:18:56] that will be uh in future years. And
[2:18:58] then you see some of the the human
[2:19:00] services items that you heard about
[2:19:02] today, some of the human services items
[2:19:04] that you're going to hear about at your
[2:19:06] next meeting. Um, and then there's uh a
[2:19:08] number of changes in um some changes in
[2:19:13] revenues. Um, and then re remember we
[2:19:16] levied an extra million dollars uh last
[2:19:19] year and so that that is not, you know,
[2:19:21] that's not included in this levy.
[2:19:24] I'll talk a little bit about about all
[2:19:25] that in a minute. Um and then we just
[2:19:28] wanted to highlight a couple of of
[2:19:30] things that may look a little different.
[2:19:32] One is uh outside agencies. Uh what this
[2:19:35] budget proposes is no change to any
[2:19:37] outside agency funding um except for the
[2:19:41] joint powers agreements which you're
[2:19:42] really obligated by by agreement uh to
[2:19:45] fund. So, you know, I'd point out that
[2:19:48] we have typically um allowed increases
[2:19:52] to uh you know, historical society and
[2:19:54] and the soil and water conservation
[2:19:56] district. It just felt that this year
[2:19:58] with looking at this budget that um it
[2:20:01] wasn't it wasn't a year to increase
[2:20:03] those. Um so, we typically haven't shown
[2:20:07] an increase in the top three there. um
[2:20:09] actually the top four, maybe five, but I
[2:20:12] would point out that it's a little
[2:20:14] different for us to leave the historical
[2:20:17] society and the conservation district um
[2:20:20] at a at a at a level amount.
[2:20:24] Um the next next page shows
[2:20:28] um some areas that we actually are are
[2:20:31] reductions in things we we have done in
[2:20:33] the past. Um, so you know, we've had a
[2:20:35] long discussion uh in this year about
[2:20:38] the the federal lobbying. Um, I think
[2:20:40] that remains to be seen where you want
[2:20:42] to go with that. Um, the new
[2:20:43] administration and you are planning to
[2:20:45] have those discussions. Um, but what we
[2:20:48] had in the proposed budget was $48,000
[2:20:51] and we decided to pull that out. Well,
[2:20:53] 48,000 would have been um what we spent
[2:20:56] in previous years. We also had a little
[2:20:58] increase in the proposed budget that we
[2:21:00] reduced in the in the 2026 budget. We
[2:21:04] had u uh lease agreement money for the
[2:21:08] Melrose Office for Veteran Services had
[2:21:10] a had a trouble troubled time trying to
[2:21:13] find a location for that. Um and again
[2:21:16] since we hadn't started that
[2:21:19] expansion in that service, we thought
[2:21:20] this was a year to not fund that. Um our
[2:21:25] newsletter is something that we've done
[2:21:26] every year um for several years. We've
[2:21:29] reduced it. I think we did four
[2:21:31] newsletters in the first year we did it
[2:21:33] and we reduced it to three and now we
[2:21:35] reduced it to two because the cost uh
[2:21:37] kept climbing and and so it was uh
[2:21:41] getting to be a cost per issue that we
[2:21:44] really wonder if it was worth worth the
[2:21:46] cost and wor worth the staff time which
[2:21:49] a lot of staff time goes into that
[2:21:50] newsletter as well. Um the staff
[2:21:53] reduction extension was already in the
[2:21:55] proposed budget but thought it was
[2:21:56] notable that it that is a reduction in
[2:21:59] uh what we've spent last year. And then
[2:22:01] the remote remote board meeting
[2:22:03] broadcast equipment actually was in the
[2:22:05] proposed um sorry about that but um this
[2:22:09] was not funded in previous years but the
[2:22:11] IT department proposed that they
[2:22:13] purchased some equipment so when we hold
[2:22:15] those remote remote board meetings even
[2:22:17] if that local government wasn't capable
[2:22:19] of broadcasting we could still broadcast
[2:22:22] and we felt in this year that probably
[2:22:24] we could be more mindful about where
[2:22:26] we're going or we just need to be
[2:22:29] accepting that we might have a meeting
[2:22:30] every year that won't necessarily be
[2:22:32] broadcast. So, those just some changes
[2:22:35] that uh we felt we really needed to
[2:22:37] note. Some of them, of course, are not
[2:22:40] huge dollars, but again, notable.
[2:22:44] A big uh area of of uh
[2:22:48] that you heard about this morning is
[2:22:49] some of the changes in human services.
[2:22:51] And you see, we didn't talk about the
[2:22:53] eligibility eligibility portion of that,
[2:22:56] but uh you've heard about that. Um and
[2:22:59] and there's eight people in in this
[2:23:01] proposed budget for that. It'll really
[2:23:04] needs to be a source of discussion in
[2:23:05] the future. And then you see the social
[2:23:07] workers which which we did talk somewhat
[2:23:10] about this morning. Again, remember we
[2:23:12] had a extra million dollars in this
[2:23:15] year's levy. Um as you heard that all
[2:23:17] these changes are occurring
[2:23:20] the first of the year. So, if you wanted
[2:23:21] to prepare for those changes, you would
[2:23:25] be able to use that those contingency
[2:23:26] funds and hire those people in advance
[2:23:28] of January 1st because you also heard,
[2:23:30] you know, how long it takes to train and
[2:23:32] and and and be ready for that. So, um
[2:23:35] that's all left to be decided whether or
[2:23:37] not you would want to do that. The rest
[2:23:38] of these are
[2:23:41] um not on the levy. Um an oper
[2:23:45] operations manager at household
[2:23:46] hazardous waste, which would be through
[2:23:48] the solid waste fund. And then you have
[2:23:50] four positions in the sheriff's office
[2:23:52] which are proposed to be public safety
[2:23:54] aid. Um and we've been using public
[2:23:57] safety aid particularly for dispatches
[2:23:59] in the last couple of years. Um but this
[2:24:01] will be a change to use um the public
[2:24:05] safety aid for a couple of deputies as
[2:24:07] well. And then you saw and you'll see I
[2:24:09] think in a future slide here that uh the
[2:24:13] sheriff's office proposed a number of
[2:24:15] deputies and we really felt like and I
[2:24:18] think and I think the sheriff agrees
[2:24:20] that it might be time to update that
[2:24:22] study that we did in 2017 with the MA
[2:24:26] Center for Public Safety.
[2:24:28] um just to so you so so you all can make
[2:24:32] a plan for the future of where where you
[2:24:34] want to go with um with patrol deputies
[2:24:38] and dispatch as well. And then you have
[2:24:41] uh the transition team u for the for the
[2:24:44] jail. So there were a few more positions
[2:24:48] requested. I can't recall the number but
[2:24:51] uh we didn't fund everything. It was
[2:24:52] yeah it was a small number. Um
[2:24:56] so again the only the only ones that
[2:24:58] would that are impacting the levy in
[2:25:01] 2027
[2:25:02] would be those human services. Of course
[2:25:04] there would be um
[2:25:08] anything that's funded with public
[2:25:09] safety aids. Someday that's going to
[2:25:10] fall on the levy.
[2:25:13] Um then there's a few large um IT
[2:25:18] projects that are noted here. Um and in
[2:25:22] in in and these are all funded with the
[2:25:24] project fund. So we drew we took
[2:25:27] [snorts] those out of the of
[2:25:28] [clears throat] the levy and use the
[2:25:29] project fund which has a 23 that's on
[2:25:32] the next slide 26 million uh balance
[2:25:35] which we transferred into was that last
[2:25:37] year the year before anyway and grew
[2:25:40] that grew that fund just for this
[2:25:42] purpose. Um, and note, uh, there's a
[2:25:45] there's consulting money. The $80,000,
[2:25:49] um, you're going to need to get into an
[2:25:50] analysis of space for for, uh, for
[2:25:54] county employees and what we're going to
[2:25:55] do with the downtown area. Um, and I
[2:25:58] think that, um, I think that that using
[2:26:02] a consultant and and the
[2:26:06] additional capacity in the in in the
[2:26:08] county administrator's office, I think
[2:26:10] you can accomplish that. But I think you
[2:26:12] should have uh some room for consulting
[2:26:15] as you begin to make those important
[2:26:17] decisions. And then I just talked about
[2:26:19] the center for public safety study. We
[2:26:22] had $55,000 put in here. We have a new
[2:26:24] number there. Um just this morning um
[2:26:28] heard from the sheriff um they they have
[2:26:31] a proposal from CPM and it's more like
[2:26:34] $70,000.
[2:26:36] Um, so in this use of the project fund
[2:26:39] is 890,000. If you do that study, you're
[2:26:42] going to be more in the area of 95,000.
[2:26:47] And then it's always important to look
[2:26:49] at your fund balances, particularly this
[2:26:51] year because we're showing in this
[2:26:53] budget a two a use of the human services
[2:26:55] fund balance of $2 million. And we've
[2:26:59] proposed um a plan to reduce that over
[2:27:02] time. So, what what we've suggested is
[2:27:05] is that use $2 million of that strong
[2:27:07] fund balance in 2027 and then drop that
[2:27:11] use by $500,000 a year. And and in a
[2:27:16] quick analysis, um I would suggest that
[2:27:19] you're still going to be within your
[2:27:20] policy of being at between 35 and 50%
[2:27:23] with that fund balance even after you do
[2:27:25] that. the human services fund balance
[2:27:28] has has shown [snorts] a steady growth
[2:27:30] and in that analysis I did um we uh I I
[2:27:35] showed no growth. So I think you'll be
[2:27:37] okay in doing that and if you're going
[2:27:38] to use some fund balance
[2:27:40] to me it makes sense to use it in this
[2:27:42] 2027 budget where you've got some pretty
[2:27:45] extreme increases. Um and then the
[2:27:48] project fund is the other one that's uh
[2:27:49] the most significant use. And then of
[2:27:52] note, um, we have in the solid waste
[2:27:56] fund, um, we have [snorts] consulting
[2:27:58] fees to take a look at
[2:28:01] an expansion of the household hazardous
[2:28:03] waste facility. We've looked at that for
[2:28:06] several years. Um, and I think if you if
[2:28:10] you hire a consultant, decide what kind
[2:28:12] of space you need and get a cost
[2:28:15] estimate, then you can really come to a
[2:28:16] decision on what you want to do there.
[2:28:18] And um I can't remember the number we
[2:28:20] have in there, but any there's a number
[2:28:23] in the budget for consulting fees um out
[2:28:26] of the household hazardous waste fund.
[2:28:28] You can see that with the $10 million
[2:28:30] there you have funds that if you do want
[2:28:33] to expand that facility, you would be
[2:28:35] able to do that with existing funds. Now
[2:28:39] [clears throat]
[2:28:39] I guess that's enough on that. Yeah. Um
[2:28:43] so even even with those use of fund
[2:28:46] balance you can see you're going to
[2:28:47] continue to have healthy fund balances.
[2:28:50] Um [clears throat]
[2:28:52] and the last slide I think we we've
[2:28:53] already talked about um we've we're
[2:28:56] suggesting you this be your schedule for
[2:28:58] the next two meetings. You then you have
[2:29:00] a meeting on September 15th. If you
[2:29:02] wanted to have another work session you
[2:29:03] could. Um
[2:29:06] again you don't have the prop we don't
[2:29:07] have the property tax data. Um we should
[2:29:10] have that in August. Yeah. Soon. Um you
[2:29:15] [clears throat] also don't have the
[2:29:16] second year. We asked department
[2:29:18] departments to look at the sec 2028.
[2:29:22] Um [snorts] just given the time and
[2:29:23] everything and where we wanted to get
[2:29:25] this budget for your look today. Uh we
[2:29:27] didn't have time to do that, but um the
[2:29:29] budget committee and staff are going to
[2:29:30] pull that together at some point in the
[2:29:32] near future. So you can see um what this
[2:29:35] budget and what we think they think at
[2:29:38] that time. um that the 2028 budget is
[2:29:41] going to look like.
[2:29:43] Um
[2:29:46] I know this is my last time presenting a
[2:29:49] budget, but I can assure you I was
[2:29:51] looking to the future as we did this. I
[2:29:53] wasn't looking till Friday [laughter]
[2:29:55] and I really think that the budget
[2:29:56] committee did a a good job of getting
[2:29:58] you where we are today.
[2:30:01] >> Yeah. And I and I think you know by
[2:30:02] » Yeah. And I and I think you know by
[2:30:02] having these extra meetings you know
[2:30:04] will give us time to ask the questions
[2:30:07] you know related to sheriff and human
[2:30:09] services also has you know we'll be able
[2:30:12] to you know get more deep dive you know
[2:30:17] that each of us have questions on
[2:30:19] different things. So so yeah so this is
[2:30:21] a nice early overview of you know what
[2:30:24] you guys are looking at. So
[2:30:29] » all right
[2:30:29] >> Mr. Chairman, Commissioner Burch.
[2:30:31] » Mr. Chairman, Commissioner Burch.
[2:30:31] >> Um, couple things. First of all, uh, I
[2:30:33] » Um, couple things. First of all, uh, I
[2:30:33] got a call yesterday that said, uh, so
[2:30:36] you're going to increase the, uh, the
[2:30:37] property taxes by 7.14%. Well, I had no
[2:30:40] idea what they were talking about. It
[2:30:42] already hit the media before we even got
[2:30:44] a piece of it. So, a little awkward
[2:30:47] packet,
[2:30:48] >> right? But, uh, we weren't given Mr.
[2:30:51] » right? But, uh, we weren't given Mr.
[2:30:51] Chairman, Commissioner Clark, I know
[2:30:53] it's in here. I read the packet just
[2:30:54] like you did. So, getting back, Mr.
[2:30:56] Chairman, to the point. Um so anyway,
[2:31:00] yes, this is a good start. It's still
[2:31:02] high for me. Uh and the one thing that I
[2:31:05] don't think that we've uh address as I
[2:31:07] shared the the last meeting is we really
[2:31:10] haven't looked asked department
[2:31:11] directors what can you cut or move. So
[2:31:14] we need staff and human services. Can we
[2:31:16] be moving some staff from another
[2:31:18] division over to We just automatically
[2:31:21] assume that there needs to be increases
[2:31:23] and we just automatically assume that
[2:31:25] we'll build on
[2:31:27] things. And this isn't a criticism. This
[2:31:29] is a this is a, you know, a suggestion
[2:31:32] that we, as I've shared, and I've done
[2:31:35] this at the city of Payne's old $2.2
[2:31:37] million budget over a three-year period,
[2:31:40] we cut 200,000 10%. Nobody felt a thing.
[2:31:44] Uh, we really zeroed in. We really said,
[2:31:46] "Let's remind ourselves of why we're
[2:31:48] here, what we need to do, water, sewer,
[2:31:50] fire, please." And we did that and we
[2:31:53] accomplished that. So, I do believe we
[2:31:56] don't we haven't to my knowledge I
[2:31:59] haven't seen it where we've asked
[2:32:00] departments to say, "What could you
[2:32:02] eliminate? What could you cut? What
[2:32:04] could you move?" Because on top of
[2:32:06] everything else uh of these things that
[2:32:09] we can't control, what can we control?
[2:32:11] you can't control uh the state federal
[2:32:14] mandates that are coming on, but I do
[2:32:16] believe that you can control we can
[2:32:18] control some things uh that are within
[2:32:20] our means. So that that's something I'd
[2:32:22] like to see. And before we start talking
[2:32:24] about hiring a consultant and everything
[2:32:27] uh with the um hazardous waste, the
[2:32:29] reason we have 10 million in there is
[2:32:31] because the county's been taxing 10% to
[2:32:36] commercial
[2:32:37] uh garbage rates. Uh the board decreased
[2:32:42] that to 8% a couple years ago. So um you
[2:32:46] know just because the money's there that
[2:32:48] is a tax and maybe we should be looking
[2:32:50] at no other county except for Cany
[2:32:53] County adds on to the commercial garbage
[2:32:56] tax. The state tax is 17%. Counties have
[2:32:59] the ability to add on to it which of
[2:33:01] course we've done. No other county in
[2:33:03] the immediate area has done that um
[2:33:05] except for Canyu County. But uh so
[2:33:08] that's something but some of the needs
[2:33:10] that hazardous waste the mattress tires
[2:33:13] you know those are things that before we
[2:33:14] start building buildings we could easily
[2:33:17] in my opinion put storage boxes where we
[2:33:20] could put the products in and haul them
[2:33:23] without having to handle them two or
[2:33:24] three times. So some of those
[2:33:26] conversations before we get too far
[2:33:27] ahead of ourselves might be fruitful. So
[2:33:30] maybe we have a conversation about what
[2:33:32] exactly just because the money is there
[2:33:34] it doesn't mean we need to spend it in
[2:33:35] my opinion. So those are a couple of my
[2:33:39] comments.
[2:33:40] >> Commissioner Johnson.
[2:33:41] » Commissioner Johnson.
[2:33:41] >> Um thank you Mr. Chair. Um I'm
[2:33:44] » Um thank you Mr. Chair. Um I'm
[2:33:44] appreciative of the fact that on August
[2:33:46] 4th and August 25th we have an
[2:33:48] opportunity to have the kinds of
[2:33:50] discussions that Commissioner Bertram is
[2:33:52] talking about. And I I support the idea
[2:33:55] of people coming with ways to maximize
[2:33:58] revenue, ways to decrease expenses, all
[2:34:01] those typical things that one would do
[2:34:02] when when we're tackling a budget. Um so
[2:34:05] I' I'd encourage people to bring all
[2:34:07] their best thinking to those meetings
[2:34:09] and their best ideas so that we can
[2:34:11] accomplish some of the goals that that
[2:34:13] are being spoken of. And I think that's
[2:34:16] kind of why we've set it up that way
[2:34:17] this year is to have us be a little more
[2:34:21] engaged in the process a little sooner.
[2:34:24] >> Mr. Chair, and I'll respond to that as
[2:34:27] » Mr. Chair, and I'll respond to that as
[2:34:27] well. Uh because I don't want us to
[2:34:29] think that because we've seen something
[2:34:31] that's going to be our budget.
[2:34:33] >> I would say that it it's not written in
[2:34:35] » I would say that it it's not written in
[2:34:35] ink necessarily or in stone. maybe in
[2:34:39] pudding because I guess uh I I would
[2:34:42] have a difficult time thinking, you
[2:34:43] know, we're going to put 13 new people
[2:34:45] in human services just rather than
[2:34:48] rethink how we're doing something. Also,
[2:34:50] I have a concern about fund balance and
[2:34:52] spending fund balance. Uh because I and
[2:34:56] Mike, I'm glad you brought up the idea
[2:34:57] about looking at the 28 budget because
[2:35:00] again, if we use that fund balance, what
[2:35:02] does that do for 28? because those
[2:35:05] uh expenditures just don't disappear.
[2:35:08] And then one other comment uh and
[2:35:10] Commissioner Johnson had mentioned about
[2:35:12] planning for downtown. I guess I would
[2:35:14] like to see our board be, you know,
[2:35:16] proactive and and starting especially
[2:35:19] the conversation with removal of the
[2:35:20] buildings here or reuse of the buildings
[2:35:22] down here. City of St. Cloud came out
[2:35:25] with redevelopment plan. I knew nothing
[2:35:28] about it and and I guess I I would think
[2:35:30] that we should be involved with the
[2:35:32] redevelopment plan, at least have an
[2:35:34] idea what's going to happen with our
[2:35:35] campus before the city would come out
[2:35:37] with a plan about what they're doing
[2:35:38] with our campus. So, we need to have
[2:35:40] that conversation and obviously be
[2:35:42] working cooperatively together. So,
[2:35:45] >> Commissioner Clark,
[2:35:47] » Commissioner Clark,
[2:35:47] >> yeah, I too I'm glad for the additional
[2:35:50] » yeah, I too I'm glad for the additional
[2:35:50] time that we're going to have. I want to
[2:35:52] thank the budget committee. You I know
[2:35:54] we're not done. I'm glad we're not done.
[2:35:56] We clearly don't have all the
[2:35:58] information with regards to property
[2:35:59] taxes among other things, but you have
[2:36:02] brought an initial significant step down
[2:36:06] from where I think many counties are
[2:36:08] going to be. Um, and part of it really
[2:36:10] is the federal and the state mandates
[2:36:12] that we don't have a choice about.
[2:36:14] Absolutely.
[2:36:17] I I'm just trying to think of how to say
[2:36:19] this. the amount of innovation,
[2:36:22] creativity, forward thinking, the ways
[2:36:25] to be reducing costs that our staff have
[2:36:28] already done. Just want to applaud you
[2:36:30] because it's significant and people have
[2:36:33] been doing a lot of work. Like I'm
[2:36:36] guessing everybody else, I would love to
[2:36:38] see less human service positions being
[2:36:42] asked for. I'm not sure how we would do
[2:36:44] that just given what the demands of what
[2:36:47] they're asking us to do. I would be
[2:36:49] interested in hearing about a little bit
[2:36:51] more um when we get to our August 4th
[2:36:54] meeting about how you've utilized um
[2:36:59] some of the partnership strategies,
[2:37:01] technology and others to help us reduce
[2:37:03] costs. And by all means, if you can find
[2:37:05] other ways to be reducing budgets, yes,
[2:37:09] please. And [snorts]
[2:37:10] just for all of us, we just need to
[2:37:12] remember how much of this is heavily
[2:37:14] heavily mandated and we're not being
[2:37:17] given a a lot of choice. So I the other
[2:37:20] piece on uh uh uh Commissioner Perski,
[2:37:23] your comments on the fund balance in
[2:37:26] general, I would agree with that. We
[2:37:28] have healthy fund balances right now.
[2:37:30] There's so much uncertainty and both the
[2:37:33] state and the feds, the state
[2:37:34] legislature and even the departments
[2:37:37] have at least acknowledged there's some
[2:37:40] money that needs to be come brought to
[2:37:42] us to be paying for some of the
[2:37:44] mandates. Their budget is going to be a
[2:37:47] mess. So, a real question is how much of
[2:37:50] that's going to be realistic. Uh so for
[2:37:53] me um I appreciate some conservative use
[2:37:57] of those fund balances to help us at
[2:38:00] least um perhaps buy a bit of time to be
[2:38:05] making sure the re the state is
[2:38:06] resourcing what they're requiring us to
[2:38:09] do at a level we're not seeing. So I I I
[2:38:13] would be very concerned if it was a
[2:38:15] significant
[2:38:16] um
[2:38:18] bite of the apple as it were. But it
[2:38:21] looks like you're trying to be prudent
[2:38:23] and very much appreciate how much you're
[2:38:26] thinking about our property taxpayers,
[2:38:29] residential, commercial, apartments, our
[2:38:33] egg, because the mandates that both the
[2:38:36] feds and state are putting on us
[2:38:39] is going to be so harmful to them. They
[2:38:42] need to rethink about how they're paying
[2:38:44] for these services and not go to these
[2:38:46] really very regressive taxes. So look
[2:38:50] forward to the deeper dive on all of
[2:38:51] that. Um including um some of the
[2:38:54] opportunities that I know most if not
[2:38:56] all of us have had uh conversations with
[2:38:59] regard to household hazardous waste and
[2:39:01] where our highway may be going. So thank
[2:39:04] you.
[2:39:06] >> All right. Thank you.
[2:39:09] » All right. Thank you.
[2:39:09] Uh next we have the addition of M3, the
[2:39:13] housing trust board.
[2:39:16] >> Yes, Mr. Chair. um you have a vacancy on
[2:39:19] » Yes, Mr. Chair. um you have a vacancy on
[2:39:19] the housing trust fund board and you
[2:39:23] have three applicants, applicant A, B,
[2:39:24] and C. [snorts] And um in your rankings,
[2:39:28] three of you ranked applicant A as your
[2:39:31] first choice and um two of you
[2:39:35] ranked applicant B as your first choice.
[2:39:39] Um, [clears throat]
[2:39:44] if you want to make an appointment, you
[2:39:47] could do that now. Or if you don't, we
[2:39:49] could.
[2:39:50] >> Mr. Chairman, I'll move that we
[2:39:52] » Mr. Chairman, I'll move that we
[2:39:52] recommend applicant A based on the votes
[2:39:56] um for that position.
[2:40:00] » I'll second that.
[2:40:01] >> Okay. We have a motion and a second to
[2:40:03] » Okay. We have a motion and a second to
[2:40:04] uh approve applicant A for the housing
[2:40:06] trust fund board. Any further
[2:40:08] discussion, Commissioner Johnson?
[2:40:11] >> Um, yes.
[2:40:14] » Um, yes.
[2:40:14] Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um,
[2:40:17] we were ranking, not voting,
[2:40:20] >> is what I thought.
[2:40:22] » is what I thought.
[2:40:22] >> Yeah.
[2:40:22] » Yeah.
[2:40:22] >> Correct.
[2:40:24] » Correct.
[2:40:24] Um I I want to comment that that
[2:40:27] applicant A I think has a passion for
[2:40:30] others particularly in the area of human
[2:40:33] services working with folks with
[2:40:36] disabilities, public health, social
[2:40:38] services, those kinds of things.
[2:40:41] Applicant A would would certainly be of
[2:40:43] value to many of our county boards and
[2:40:46] commissions. And I think we should
[2:40:47] probably find a place for applicant A.
[2:40:51] When I look at applicant B, what I see
[2:40:53] is a person who has a degree focused in
[2:40:56] business management.
[2:40:59] This this candidate also has experience
[2:41:02] in managing deed and Minnesota housing
[2:41:05] grants, budgeting, grant writing,
[2:41:08] program development,
[2:41:10] has been through certification processes
[2:41:12] in the area of project management
[2:41:14] through the U of M, housing stability
[2:41:17] compliance with Minnesota housing and
[2:41:19] workforce development through DED.
[2:41:21] Um, credentials are important
[2:41:25] in housing work. Um, community outreach,
[2:41:30] strategic planning, and housing
[2:41:31] assistance are also some of the
[2:41:33] attributes in candidate B.
[2:41:36] I I personally believe that our county
[2:41:39] workforce and our boards and commissions
[2:41:42] need to begin to look like the larger
[2:41:45] community.
[2:41:47] That view allows for fuller
[2:41:51] representation.
[2:41:52] And I think this is sort of a two-way
[2:41:54] street.
[2:41:56] people apply, but then providing them
[2:41:59] the opportunity for involvement in the
[2:42:01] county requires us to reach out in a
[2:42:05] trusting and welcoming manner.
[2:42:08] When I make decisions, sometimes I ask
[2:42:13] myself three questions.
[2:42:16] What do I want? Why do I want it? And do
[2:42:19] the answers to those questions work with
[2:42:22] my values?
[2:42:25] It's it's not always a perfect system,
[2:42:28] but it helps me to extend my thinking
[2:42:30] and to to try something new and
[2:42:33] different. And it's been pretty good.
[2:42:36] That's how I got here, actually.
[2:42:39] So, I I strongly support candidate B and
[2:42:45] would like us to consider um
[2:42:50] consider that that uh person that
[2:42:52] individual as our appointee. Thanks.
[2:42:57] >> Okay. Uh further discussion.
[2:43:00] » Okay. Uh further discussion.
[2:43:00] Commissioner Perski.
[2:43:01] >> Uh Mr. Chair, I I candidate B I think is
[2:43:04] » Uh Mr. Chair, I I candidate B I think is
[2:43:04] qualified for perhaps a number of other
[2:43:07] positions again within the county and
[2:43:09] those opportunities would be available
[2:43:12] um to them. So I I and I agree uh
[2:43:16] Commissioner Johnson with uh much of
[2:43:18] what you said. So
[2:43:20] >> Commissioner Clark,
[2:43:21] » Commissioner Clark,
[2:43:21] >> thank you. Um I'm not going to repeat
[2:43:24] » thank you. Um I'm not going to repeat
[2:43:24] all the things that Commissioner Johnson
[2:43:26] just said. I agree with them. They are
[2:43:28] part of what I planned on talking about.
[2:43:31] Um, I have to say I'm I'm becoming more
[2:43:34] concerned that we do not have people
[2:43:38] providing us more information. I felt
[2:43:40] like app uh applicant B was the only one
[2:43:44] to give us significant information about
[2:43:46] themselves. So, I hope that we can get
[2:43:48] more people to give us a bit more about
[2:43:50] their background and why they're
[2:43:52] interested. That would be useful. Um,
[2:43:55] two additional things, uh, I would say
[2:43:59] is that the board already has
[2:44:02] significant representation
[2:44:05] from the non Staint Cloud Way Park
[2:44:08] areas. Um, and we often are trying to
[2:44:12] have some balance between all the areas.
[2:44:15] It's a great group. They in general are
[2:44:17] not looking at any one specific area.
[2:44:19] They're really trying to figure out how
[2:44:21] to do it well. So that is not a comment
[2:44:24] about them. But in replacing um what was
[2:44:27] then citizen Johnson uh with the new
[2:44:29] citizen, I would say that we would be a
[2:44:32] little out of balance or a little more
[2:44:33] out of balance if uh we ended up uh
[2:44:37] going with applicant um A. And then
[2:44:41] lastly, I think that background fits
[2:44:43] very well with supportive housing. I do
[2:44:45] not know if the applicant knows that
[2:44:48] that is not what this I'm a strong
[2:44:51] supporter and advocate for supportive
[2:44:52] housing, but that is not what our
[2:44:54] housing trust fund does. And I would I
[2:44:57] so I put that I needed more information
[2:44:59] if we were going to go any further on
[2:45:01] that. I just want to make sure that
[2:45:03] there was a a deeper understanding about
[2:45:05] what we're actually doing with that
[2:45:06] board. Absolutely. see number of places
[2:45:09] that it looks like uh they would be very
[2:45:11] good.
[2:45:14] » Okay, any further discussion?
[2:45:19] » Not seeing any. Um all those in favor of
[2:45:23] the appointment of I believe it was was
[2:45:28] it
[2:45:29] >> a
[2:45:31] » a
[2:45:31] uh signify by saying I
[2:45:33] >> I
[2:45:34] » I
[2:45:34] >> I
[2:45:34] » I
[2:45:34] >> opposed. Nay.
[2:45:37] » opposed. Nay.
[2:45:37] >> Roll call. Randy.
[2:45:38] » Roll call. Randy.
[2:45:38] >> Commissioner Johnson.
[2:45:40] » Commissioner Johnson.
[2:45:40] >> Nay.
[2:45:41] » Nay.
[2:45:41] >> Commissioner Clark.
[2:45:42] » Commissioner Clark.
[2:45:42] >> Nay.
[2:45:43] » Nay.
[2:45:43] >> Commissioner Perski.
[2:45:45] » Commissioner Perski.
[2:45:45] >> I.
[2:45:45] » I.
[2:45:45] >> Mr. Bertrram.
[2:45:46] » Mr. Bertrram.
[2:45:46] >> Hi.
[2:45:47] » Hi.
[2:45:47] >> Mr. Notch.
[2:45:48] » Mr. Notch.
[2:45:48] >> I.
[2:45:49] » I.
[2:45:49] >> Passes 3 to two.
[2:45:50] » Passes 3 to two.
[2:45:50] >> Okay. Thank you. Passes 3 to two.
[2:45:55] » Okay. Thank you. Passes 3 to two.
[2:45:55] >> All right. Thank you for that. And yes,
[2:45:58] » All right. Thank you for that. And yes,
[2:45:58] I I would agree. Uh more information on
[2:46:01] some of these applications would be
[2:46:03] great. Um
[2:46:06] again,
[2:46:08] you know, for some I think they apply
[2:46:10] because we ask them to. So they figure,
[2:46:12] well, I'm being asked, so they just do
[2:46:14] it quick and easy and simple and don't
[2:46:16] necessarily fill it out much more than
[2:46:18] that because a lot of times some of
[2:46:19] these committees we can't find
[2:46:22] applicants for. But uh yeah, hopefully
[2:46:24] in the future maybe, you know, if they
[2:46:27] call and talk to staff or email, you
[2:46:29] know, we can just ask for more clarity,
[2:46:33] which should help us on various
[2:46:35] appointments because it's nice when they
[2:46:37] put more than one committee that they'd
[2:46:38] be interested in
[2:46:40] >> because then we have the database to
[2:46:42] » because then we have the database to
[2:46:42] use.
[2:46:44] >> Okay, with that being said, uh the next
[2:46:47] » Okay, with that being said, uh the next
[2:46:47] is uh items by commissioners. Uh,
[2:46:51] Commissioner Bertram, would you care to
[2:46:53] start?
[2:46:53] >> Sure, Mr. Chairman. Uh, haven't seen
[2:46:55] » Sure, Mr. Chairman. Uh, haven't seen
[2:46:56] anything on the fair yet. So, if Bill or
[2:46:58] somebody can get that to us on the We
[2:47:00] can make sure that I hope the department
[2:47:02] directors and everybody are filling it
[2:47:04] out and then that we can kind of spread
[2:47:06] ourselves out around that too. It would
[2:47:08] be nice. A lot of community events
[2:47:10] continue to happen. Really is the flavor
[2:47:12] of Cern County to see all these things
[2:47:14] happen throughout the county makes us
[2:47:17] who we are. And um certainly want to
[2:47:19] wish Mike uh well as his last meeting um
[2:47:24] and thank him for everything he's done
[2:47:26] uh for the county and wish him and Susan
[2:47:29] all the best. Um
[2:47:32] >> thank you
[2:47:33] » thank you
[2:47:33] >> as uh they move forward.
[2:47:35] » as uh they move forward.
[2:47:35] >> Thank you, Commissioner Perski.
[2:47:37] » Thank you, Commissioner Perski.
[2:47:37] >> Uh yeah, I had the fair on there as
[2:47:40] » Uh yeah, I had the fair on there as
[2:47:40] well. I'd like to see that sign up, too.
[2:47:41] I want to uh make sure I get a time and
[2:47:43] a date to to get on that. Uh, also,
[2:47:46] Commissioner Clark and I are heading to
[2:47:48] New Orleans. Uh, no is on this week. Uh,
[2:47:52] we, uh, we may, well, we're not going to
[2:47:55] be escaping the heat, but we get to add
[2:47:57] the humidity down there. So, I'm sure
[2:47:59] it's going to be interesting uh, time
[2:48:02] down there, but we both have u
[2:48:04] significant issues we're working on uh,
[2:48:07] uh, with the NACO board. Uh, I got a
[2:48:10] question for Randy. Randy, just
[2:48:11] wondering I'm hoping that the primaries
[2:48:14] are are is going okay as far as uh
[2:48:16] elections are concerned and just
[2:48:18] wondering too also as far as election
[2:48:20] workers and judges uh for the fall. Are
[2:48:23] we in need of folks that could sign up
[2:48:25] or be available to some of the uh
[2:48:28] polling places?
[2:48:29] >> Um elections [clears throat] are going
[2:48:31] » Um elections [clears throat] are going
[2:48:31] fine. Ballots are there. People are
[2:48:33] voting. Um, you know, it always starts
[2:48:36] out with a bunch of people and then we
[2:48:38] get into a little bit of a lull and then
[2:48:40] closer to the election date, the last
[2:48:42] week gets busy again. And yeah, various
[2:48:44] jurisdictions are always looking for
[2:48:46] people, so contact your city or township
[2:48:49] that you live in.
[2:48:50] >> Okay.
[2:48:51] » Okay.
[2:48:51] >> Yep.
[2:48:51] » Yep.
[2:48:51] >> All right. And we haven't pre uh seen
[2:48:54] » All right. And we haven't pre uh seen
[2:48:54] any potential issues or problems with
[2:48:56] upcoming elections as far as you see. Uh
[2:48:59] >> hopefully not. No, I don't see
[2:49:01] » hopefully not. No, I don't see
[2:49:01] necessarily
[2:49:03] >> likely things yet.
[2:49:04] » likely things yet.
[2:49:04] >> Okay. Okay, that's good. And then uh
[2:49:07] » Okay. Okay, that's good. And then uh
[2:49:07] yeah, Mike, your your last meeting too.
[2:49:09] Uh I just want to say thank you very
[2:49:12] much uh for what you've done uh as a uh
[2:49:16] administrator, city of St. Cloud
[2:49:18] administrator here for the county and
[2:49:20] that's impacted the area considerably
[2:49:21] and and across the state. So, thank you
[2:49:24] very much for what what you've done and
[2:49:27] very appreciative of your approach of
[2:49:29] how you've addressed issues throughout
[2:49:30] the county.
[2:49:31] >> Thank you,
[2:49:34] » Thank you,
[2:49:34] >> Commissioner Clark.
[2:49:37] » Commissioner Clark.
[2:49:37] >> Thank you. Um, so on the public service
[2:49:40] » Thank you. Um, so on the public service
[2:49:40] side of this, uh, you a couple of you
[2:49:43] already brought up the fair. I want to
[2:49:45] bring up specifically the milk run, our
[2:49:47] second annual milk run, 5K walk run.
[2:49:50] It'll be on Saturday, August 1st. Uh we
[2:49:53] had 120 people last year on our
[2:49:56] inaugural one of all ages and um uh
[2:49:59] methods of being able to participate. So
[2:50:01] I want to encourage people to uh take a
[2:50:04] look and sign up for that. It's first
[2:50:06] thing in the morning. You can beat the
[2:50:08] heat and you don't actually have to
[2:50:10] drink milk if it's too hot. But uh
[2:50:12] really appreciate the work that the
[2:50:14] dairy folks do on it. Um
[2:50:18] uh when we were talking a little bit
[2:50:19] about human services,
[2:50:22] um some of us got chance to participate
[2:50:24] in mock interviews yesterday with kids
[2:50:27] going into high school or just barely in
[2:50:29] high school. They were incredible. Um
[2:50:32] the things that they were looking at
[2:50:33] doing how they are trying to interrelate
[2:50:38] um if we can figure out a way to partner
[2:50:40] with some of our school districts on
[2:50:41] even getting our pipeline maybe a little
[2:50:43] earlier that would be pretty fabulous.
[2:50:45] Um, but it's heartening thinking about
[2:50:47] the next generation coming after all of
[2:50:49] us. Um, again, thanks to the budget
[2:50:52] committee and all the department heads
[2:50:53] and staff for putting together this
[2:50:56] really complete first look so early. And
[2:50:59] then Mike, I think we could probably at
[2:51:02] least I could spend a long time with
[2:51:04] with thanks and [snorts] perhaps
[2:51:06] beverages are in order uh to be toasting
[2:51:10] you. Uh, when you came in the county was
[2:51:13] in good shape. Our region was in really
[2:51:15] good shape. A lot of wonderful things
[2:51:17] have happened. We have a number of key
[2:51:19] staff that are here from that time
[2:51:21] frame. But you really helped us to move
[2:51:23] to the next level. Obviously, we're a
[2:51:26] complicated place. are really a
[2:51:28] microcosm of the state and
[2:51:32] between our budget and our number of
[2:51:34] staff and all the people and all of the
[2:51:36] different things in place, the
[2:51:37] creativity and innovation that you've
[2:51:41] empowered people and I can tell you feel
[2:51:43] uncomfortable because you can't look at
[2:51:44] me. [laughter] Um, as well as wanting
[2:51:48] the details, right? We need people who
[2:51:50] are the good detail people as well as
[2:51:52] the people who are great at the
[2:51:54] community partnerships. Um, you're gonna
[2:51:58] be missed. I know I'm gonna miss you and
[2:52:01] it's very [snorts] exciting thinking
[2:52:02] about the next chapter for you. We're
[2:52:03] going to be just fine because we've got
[2:52:06] great people here um that'll help us to
[2:52:08] even move to the next place in the
[2:52:10] future. So, thank you.
[2:52:12] >> Thank you, Commissioner Johnson.
[2:52:15] » Thank you, Commissioner Johnson.
[2:52:15] >> Um, I too was thinking about the
[2:52:17] » Um, I too was thinking about the
[2:52:18] election. I voted early. [snorts] Um,
[2:52:21] from a slightly different perspective, I
[2:52:24] was thinking about how we now live in a
[2:52:26] society that is lacking in trust in a
[2:52:29] lot of lot of areas. Um, is suspicious
[2:52:33] in many areas. And as we begin this
[2:52:37] season, I think we need to remind
[2:52:39] people, and we may be doing this, Randy,
[2:52:41] but we need to remind people of the
[2:52:44] safeguards that we have in place,
[2:52:46] whether it's through a little promotion
[2:52:48] on the website or emails or a newspaper
[2:52:51] ad, whatever the case may be. We know
[2:52:54] that our elections are accurate and
[2:52:57] secure here in Sterns County and in
[2:53:00] Minnesota. [clears throat]
[2:53:01] But I think we need to tell the people
[2:53:03] that, and we need to tell them why. I
[2:53:05] think we should talk a little bit about
[2:53:07] voter registration and how the roles are
[2:53:10] updated on a regular basis and where
[2:53:11] that information comes from. [snorts] We
[2:53:14] need to talk about identity
[2:53:16] verification.
[2:53:17] And we could take a few minutes to talk
[2:53:19] about the public accuracy tests that
[2:53:21] occur that that whether they're scanners
[2:53:24] or voting machines or tabulators or
[2:53:26] whatever the case may be that these
[2:53:29] things are reviewed for accuracy. Um,
[2:53:32] and I think it might be good if we just
[2:53:35] kind of had a robust presentation early
[2:53:37] on now and then maybe again in the fall
[2:53:40] to remind people of those things.
[2:53:44] We we we certainly can we we're going to
[2:53:46] be on the radio spots starting next week
[2:53:49] to talk about some of those various
[2:53:51] things. Um, we do have a board
[2:53:54] presentation I believe early September,
[2:53:57] but I mean if you would like,
[2:53:59] you know, primary is not too far away.
[2:54:03] >> I guess that's up to you. We could look
[2:54:04] » I guess that's up to you. We could look
[2:54:04] at,
[2:54:05] >> you know, I'm not requesting anything
[2:54:06] » you know, I'm not requesting anything
[2:54:06] particular, Randy. Okay.
[2:54:08] >> If if we could put something on our
[2:54:10] » If if we could put something on our
[2:54:10] website and somehow communicate with
[2:54:12] people across the county that this
[2:54:14] information is available.
[2:54:16] >> Yeah. Um and then whatever else we might
[2:54:18] » Yeah. Um and then whatever else we might
[2:54:18] do through the public relations people
[2:54:20] or mention of it on the radio as as
[2:54:23] various people are doing that
[2:54:25] >> you know when you think about things
[2:54:26] » you know when you think about things
[2:54:26] like radio readership is about 4% of the
[2:54:29] or listenership excuse me is about 4% of
[2:54:31] the population it's it's not a lot.
[2:54:34] >> Yeah.
[2:54:34] » Yeah.
[2:54:34] >> So we just need to find any way we can
[2:54:37] » So we just need to find any way we can
[2:54:37] to to help with that.
[2:54:39] >> Um but thank you. The last thing I too
[2:54:42] » Um but thank you. The last thing I too
[2:54:42] want to comment about Mike and I'll make
[2:54:44] this short. [clears throat] Um, I was on
[2:54:48] the committee at the city level that
[2:54:50] agreed to hire Mike to be the city
[2:54:52] administrator when we were both boys.
[2:54:56] [laughter]
[2:54:58] It was quite a while ago. And I was very
[2:55:00] excited when I saw him move to the
[2:55:03] county. I was even more excited having
[2:55:06] been elected and having Mike as the
[2:55:08] county administrator.
[2:55:11] So, I'm doubly sad that maybe I was
[2:55:14] [clears throat] the reason he's leaving
[2:55:16] [laughter]
[2:55:18] because I've only met here a short time.
[2:55:21] But, but Mike, I can't say enough about
[2:55:23] you. I have great respect for you and
[2:55:24] for your work, for your integrity, for
[2:55:26] your enthusiasm and honesty that you put
[2:55:29] into everything that you do. And I too
[2:55:31] wish you and Susan uh the best in your
[2:55:35] retirement. Thank you.
[2:55:38] >> Okay. Um, I just have a couple of items.
[2:55:41] » Okay. Um, I just have a couple of items.
[2:55:41] Um, one of them is, uh, obviously
[2:55:43] tomorrow we have interviews for the
[2:55:46] three candidates to replace Mike. And
[2:55:49] then also on Thursday we have the public
[2:55:52] hearing on County Ditch 28. And my
[2:55:56] understanding is that at least three of
[2:55:57] us will be present.
[2:55:59] Um, two will be remote, but there's a
[2:56:03] chance because it wasn't noticed. Um,
[2:56:06] you might not be able to
[2:56:09] participate. I guess we Chad Kale from
[2:56:13] Ricky and I had a conversation
[2:56:15] yesterday. I don't know if Chad has
[2:56:16] mentioned it, but uh Kayla was going to
[2:56:19] research that part of it, but uh so I
[2:56:22] just wanted to kind of put that out
[2:56:24] there that but we have quorum in a room,
[2:56:27] which was the main thing is we'd have
[2:56:29] quorum.
[2:56:30] So So that's uh on the agenda. That's
[2:56:35] Thursday's meeting at 9:00. That's
[2:56:38] strictly a public hearing on county
[2:56:39] ditch 28.
[2:56:42] >> You're actually meeting as the ditch
[2:56:43] » You're actually meeting as the ditch
[2:56:43] authority, not as the county. You're
[2:56:44] meeting as a ditch authority, not the
[2:56:46] county board. Correct.
[2:56:48] >> Yeah. And then lastly, um, we have a
[2:56:52] » Yeah. And then lastly, um, we have a
[2:56:52] resolution
[2:56:54] in regards to honoring Michael J.
[2:56:57] Williams as Sterns County Administrator.
[2:56:59] And I will read that. Whereas Michael
[2:57:02] Williams has dedicated 40 years to
[2:57:04] public service in local government,
[2:57:05] including the past 10 years as Sterns
[2:57:07] County Administrator. And whereas Sterns
[2:57:10] County will continue to benefit from the
[2:57:11] vision and leadership demonstrated by
[2:57:13] Michael Williams for years to come. And
[2:57:16] whereas Michael Williams worked with the
[2:57:18] county's leadership team to establish
[2:57:20] Sterns County's first mission and values
[2:57:23] and implement a strategic planning
[2:57:25] process that strengthens organizational
[2:57:28] alignment and direction. And whereas
[2:57:31] Michael Williams championed one of the
[2:57:33] most transformative infrastructure
[2:57:35] initiatives in county history, helping
[2:57:38] secure more than 60 million in funding
[2:57:41] to provide reliable broadband access to
[2:57:43] nearly every home and business in the
[2:57:46] county.
[2:57:47] And whereas Michael Williams led the
[2:57:50] planning, financing, and development of
[2:57:51] the Sterns County Justice Center, the
[2:57:54] largest capital project in county's
[2:57:56] history. And whereas Michael Williams
[2:57:58] provided sound financial leadership that
[2:58:01] contributed to Sterns County's double A+
[2:58:04] bond rating reflecting the county's
[2:58:06] strong financial position and
[2:58:08] responsible stewardship of public
[2:58:10] resources.
[2:58:12] And whereas Michael Williams modernized
[2:58:14] county operations by establishing the
[2:58:17] property services department through the
[2:58:19] cons consolidation of the assessor's
[2:58:22] office recorder office and land services
[2:58:24] to improve service delivery
[2:58:26] transitioning the county recorder
[2:58:28] position from elected to appointed and
[2:58:31] leading the expansion of the Sterns
[2:58:32] County Service Center to improve access
[2:58:34] to county services by bringing multiple
[2:58:37] departments together under one roof. And
[2:58:39] whereas Michael Williams led Sterns
[2:58:41] County through the unprecedented
[2:58:43] challenges of the CO 19 pandemic while
[2:58:46] ensuring the continued delivery of
[2:58:48] essential county services and expanded
[2:58:50] public engagement through the creation
[2:58:52] of the county newsletter and Sterns
[2:58:54] County's first resident survey. And
[2:58:57] whereas colleagues describe Michael
[2:58:59] Williams as a thoughtful, respectful,
[2:59:02] and effective leader who models
[2:59:04] integrity and humility, promotes
[2:59:07] innovation, and strengthens public
[2:59:09] service through collaboration and
[2:59:11] effective management.
[2:59:13] And whereas Michael Williams is a mentor
[2:59:15] to city and county administrators
[2:59:17] throughout the state of Minnesota,
[2:59:19] receiving the Joel Ree Excellence in
[2:59:21] County Management Award, the Minnesota
[2:59:23] Association of County Administrators
[2:59:25] highest annual recognition for exemplary
[2:59:28] service and leadership in county
[2:59:30] government. And whereas the Sterns
[2:59:32] County Board of Commissioners wishes to
[2:59:34] acknowledge the lasting impact of
[2:59:36] Michael Williams' leadership and his
[2:59:37] decade of dedicated services to the
[2:59:39] residents of Sterns County. Now
[2:59:42] therefore, be it resolved the Sterns
[2:59:43] County Board of Commissioners honors
[2:59:45] Michael Williams for his exceptional
[2:59:47] public service in assuring a safe,
[2:59:49] healthy, vibrant county for all. Be it
[2:59:53] further resolved the board expresses its
[2:59:54] sincere gratitude for this his
[2:59:56] outstanding contributions to the county
[2:59:58] and leadership across the state and
[3:00:01] extends its best wishes to him for a
[3:00:03] fulfilling and well-earned retirement.
[3:00:07] with that. Uh, I also got to say, you
[3:00:10] know, it's kind of been a privilege. I
[3:00:11] was in his chair when he was hired and
[3:00:14] [laughter] I'm in the same chair now and
[3:00:15] he's retiring. So, I don't know if if if
[3:00:18] that's good or bad because then, you
[3:00:20] know, I've been here longer than Mike
[3:00:22] has. But, uh, congratulations again,
[3:00:25] Mike. Uh, wish you and Susan the best.
[3:00:27] And
[3:00:28] >> we do have a few, uh, gifts here for you
[3:00:31] » we do have a few, uh, gifts here for you
[3:00:31] that we'd like to present to you.
[3:00:33] >> Okay. Not sure if [laughter] you care to
[3:00:35] » Okay. Not sure if [laughter] you care to
[3:00:35] say anything first, but
[3:00:36] >> you know, this is this is the part I'm
[3:00:38] » you know, this is this is the part I'm
[3:00:38] not good at. You know, can we go back to
[3:00:39] talking about the budget or something,
[3:00:41] but uh [laughter]
[3:00:43] um you know, I I appreciate the the
[3:00:46] words the two the words are too kind. Um
[3:00:50] I I just do what you all do, what we all
[3:00:53] do is we try to do our best for the
[3:00:55] people of the county. In my case, I try
[3:00:57] to do the best for the board leadership
[3:00:59] team and the people of the county. And
[3:01:01] um my work here in Sterns County, I
[3:01:04] think as I said in my letter to the
[3:01:05] board when I when I uh announced my
[3:01:08] retirement is this has really been the
[3:01:11] the highlight of my career here. So um
[3:01:14] we did have a lot of challenge to work
[3:01:16] through and I forgot some of those that
[3:01:18] are in the resolution but with this
[3:01:20] group we've always come through them you
[3:01:22] know in shining success really. Uh it's
[3:01:25] because of the board it's because of the
[3:01:26] leadership team. It's because of the
[3:01:27] fantastic people that work for the for
[3:01:30] the county. Um,
[3:01:33] and and you all do that. As someone I
[3:01:35] heard today, I think it was the sheriff
[3:01:37] said, you know, we're trying to make
[3:01:38] people's lives better. And that's what
[3:01:40] we're all trying to do. And that's what
[3:01:42] I always said to every incoming um
[3:01:46] [clears throat]
[3:01:47] uh group of employees when they'd come
[3:01:49] to come to orientation, I'd say, I boil
[3:01:51] our mission down to we're trying to make
[3:01:53] people's lives better. And so, thank you
[3:01:55] all for that.
[3:01:56] um you do you've done that as said with
[3:01:58] innovation and with the highest of
[3:02:00] professionalism and uh I'm just thankful
[3:02:03] to have been a part of it and thank you
[3:02:06] very much.
[3:02:07] >> Good and we'd like to present you know
[3:02:10] » Good and we'd like to present you know
[3:02:10] with a small token here. It's public
[3:02:13] service recognition Michael Williams in
[3:02:15] appreciation for distinguished and
[3:02:17] dedicated service to the county of
[3:02:18] Sterns 2016 to 2026.
[3:02:22] behalf of the board.
[3:02:25] [applause]
[3:02:33] » And Mike, we also have a few
[3:02:36] >> Oh, the trivet,
[3:02:37] » Oh, the trivet,
[3:02:37] >> little trivet, [laughter]
[3:02:39] » little trivet, [laughter]
[3:02:39] your years of service. And would you and
[3:02:41] we'll come down here and take a picture.
[3:02:46] [clears throat]
[3:03:26] Okay. And then uh be before I announce
[3:03:29] the adjournment uh we are having a work
[3:03:31] session right after the meeting today.
[3:03:33] So
[3:03:33] >> you are we're going to be in this room
[3:03:34] » you are we're going to be in this room
[3:03:34] but I think we're going to reset it.
[3:03:36] >> Okay. All right. Thank you. And with
[3:03:39] » Okay. All right. Thank you. And with
[3:03:39] that uh we will adjourn the meeting.