At the county board’s December 13 meeting, commissioners passed a resolution urging the legislature to pass a new funding formula and significant appropriation in the upcoming 2023 legislative session. The Association of Minnesota Counties Community Supervision Work Group has urged all 87 counties to give their support.
Community supervision such as probation, supervised release, and intensive supervised release is a fundamental part of the criminal justice system. When the state decided it should be delivered through a state/county partnership, the state was to provide significant funding to counties to operate local programs.
Minnesota has become the state with the lowest level of corrections funding per capita in the nation since the legislature has not upheld its promise to provide adequate support. Tom Jensen, director of Fillmore County Corrections, said this funding has historically been an issue in Minnesota. The Board of Directors of AMC has voted to support a new funding formula that provides counties with needed resources to keep communities safe.
Approval was given to continue providing Victim Services office space for an Olmsted County employee in the courthouse as requested by Olmsted County. The space will be provided for Fillmore County Victim Services paid for with a DFO grant acquired by Olmsted County that runs until October 2023. Fillmore County will apply for its own grant in February to cover the cost of Victim Services starting October 2023.
Approval was given for a Marco lease contract to provide Community Corrections with a copy machine.
There was a long discussion about providing a stipend for a personal phone for two Community Corrections agents and one office staff person, as opposed to providing an official phone for county business use only. County Administrator Bobbie Hillery explained the cost will be about the same for each option. Chairman Mitch Lentz maintained that employees working in departments where there is sensitive information should use an official phone. Official phones are already used by social services and sheriff office employees. No action was taken this day.
Other business in brief
•Emergency Manager/Deputy Don Kullot and Sheriff John DeGeorge discussed the required updating of Fillmore County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan. The updated plan has to be in place for the county to be eligible to receive Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants. Federal dollars pay for 75% of the $52,000 cost to update the plan. Fillmore County is responsible for the other 25%. The county will cover its 25%match ($13,093.65) with in-kind manpower time. A resolution was adopted accepting the federal grant and consenting to the agreement with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management in the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
•DeGeorge reported the nine-year-old jail transport van’s transmission has broken down. He requested authorization to lease/purchase a Dodge Durango which could be used both as a transport van and as a squad vehicle. A previously ordered Chrysler Town and Country through Enterprise Fleet Management was canceled. Approval was given to go ahead and order the Dodge Durango. DeGeorge added they will have to repair the transmission on the current vehicle in the interim.
•Approval was given to recognize December 14 as Health and Human Services Worker Day.
•Approval was granted for a conditional use permit for an auction house for Enos and Emma Hershberger, section 18, Canton Township, as recommended by the Planning Commission. There are two conditions: off-road parking and bathroom facilities must be provided.
•County Engineer Ron Gregg reported four bids had been received for a concrete overlay project on CR 25. The engineer’s estimate was $3,382,462.57. The lowest bid submitted by Croell, Inc. in the amount of $2,937,288.38 was accepted. It was 13% lower than the engineer’s estimate.
•Gregg requested a public hearing be scheduled to update the Transportation Option Sales Tax Project Designations. Local Option Sales Tax funding was intended to help fund three-digit roadways and bridges. Commissioner Marc Prestby asked if all three-digit roadways are in good condition. Gregg said we are catching up on three-digit road projects. There was more discussion about lack of state funding for county state aid highways forcing counties to spend local dollars. Commissioner Duane Bakke commented that the legislature failed to pass a bonding bill last year. A motion was passed to set a public hearing sometime in 2023. Prestby voted against. Prestby doesn’t want the LOST program to be used to backfill state funding.
•A $5 bid submitted by Matt Rahlf was the only bid submitted to buy the existing Arrival and Departure building at the Fillmore County Airport. The sale of the building was advertised in the Fillmore County Journal for two weeks. Gregg said the sale of the building will save the county $17,300 in demolition and removal costs.
•Abby Borden was hired as a replacement Child Support Officer, effective January 9.
•Approval was given for the purchase of an upgraded version of IFSpi at a cost of $7,500 from Avenu Insights & Analytics, LLC.
•Approval was granted to continue ambulance subsidies for both Preston EMS locations, Preston and Lanesboro, as requested by Preston EMS for 2023.
•Approval was granted for a number of agreements and addendums for social services with Family Service Rochester, Inc., Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center, Zumbro Valley Mental Health Center, and Workforce Development with Minnesota Department of Human Services for Diversionary Work Program and Minnesota Family Investment Program.
•The county board will meet next on December 20.
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