At the March 5 meeting of the county board, social services manager Wanda Berg explained the request for a shortfall payment submitted by Nexis Family Healing.
The Southeast Regional Crisis Center (SERCC) has been operated by Nexis Family Healing for the last three years. It is located in Rochester and is available 24/7 for mental health crisis intervention. Nexis Family Healing has requested a payment of $17,894.11 to resolve a shortfall related to its first three years of operation. The focus of Nexis Family Healing is to provide mental, emotional, and behavioral services.
County Administrator Bobbie Hillery noted the county is obligated by its contract to pay the shortfall. Berg said the money comes from CREST funding, which is a southeast Minnesota partnership that includes counties, providers and health systems. CREST grant funding is awarded by the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
Berg reported that Fillmore County’s portion of the usage of the Nexis Family Healing service is 4.1%, and the shortfall is proportioned according to the population percentage which is 4.8%.
Fees have not been collected from parents able to help pay for services; this will likely change.
Berg explained the service is intended for a true mental health crisis. Hillery said in the future all counties should receive accounting numbers regularly. Berg said this kind of shortfall should not happen again. The board approved the shortfall payment as requested.
Other Business in Brief
• The 2024 gasoline and diesel fuel bid submitted by Hovey Oil Co. was approved.
• The payment of Paybook #10 totaling $496,222.86 for the jail project per Construction Manager, Contegrity Group was approved.
• At a December 2023 meeting Stephanie Drinkall, representing her family, had requested during the Citizens Input portion of the meeting a name change on the road (341st Ave.) where her family farm is located. The farm is located north of Lanesboro and emergency services had gone south of Lanesboro instead. This created a safety concern.
Hillery said since that time emergency services has switched to Amazon mapping. Commissioner Mitch Lentz said the safety concern has been addressed. Chairman Duane Bakke said this farm is the only address on that short segment. It will only affect this farm and the cost for the name change will be paid for by the Drinkall family. The board approved the name change, as requested, to Farmer Rd. for this one short segment.
• The county board meets next on March 12.
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