Fillmore County Children’s Mental Health case workers made their first presentation to the county board at the August 1 meeting. The county terminated its contract with Hiawatha Valley Mental Health in Winona on May 1. The county now provides children’s mental health services.
The Fillmore County Children’s Mental Health team includes caseworkers Ashley Greden, Andrea DuCharme, and Kelli Jo Krenzke and the lead social worker Stephanie Mensink. The services are designed to help a child with severe emotional disturbance and the child’s family in obtaining mental health, social, health, vocational, and recreational services. The team does its best to coordinate with appropriate local services.
Each of the caseworkers already have several active cases along with assessments in progress. The team will reach out to schools and to youth to make them aware of the resources available for mental health concerns. Schools need to know the options available for young people who need these services.
If in immediate danger, call 911; if in crisis, but not immediate danger, call 24/7 crisis line at 1 (844) 274-7472 or go to emergency room; or if concerned about your mental health but not in crisis contact social services at (507) 765-2175.
Hemp/THC Ordinance
An application for county on-sale and off-sale hemp-derived products was approved for Luis Hummel, 5th Sun Gardens LLC. He will lease a space on the first floor at 201 Parkway Ave. N., Lanesboro.
Attorney Brandan Borgos, Borgos Law PLLC, spoke during the Citizens Input portion of the meeting. He thanked the board for approving his client’s application. He added he has been working on cannabis policy for years. Hummel also thanked the board. Caleb Lauritsen-Norby also spoke, noting he was a business owner in Lanesboro and a proponent of rural economic development, good government and personal freedom. This application approval will provide an opportunity to bring more dollars into Lanesboro.
Draft amendments were then discussed regarding the county’s ordinance. The ordinance will regulate the sale of non-intoxicating cannabinoids, edible cannabinoid products, hemp-derived products and lower potency hemp edibles.
Brenda Pohlman, public health educator, and Jessica Erickson, director of nursing, worked on the draft to update definitions and to clarify the group of products covered. County Attorney Brett Corson explained the county eventually will be registering companies in the county rather than licensing them. The state will not license until 2025.
Corson said we need to start with education as the statute is complicated. Pohlman added the state will require compliance checks each calendar year for businesses. Corson expects the county will be responsible for enforcement.
Borgos provided some recommendations to improve on the redraft of the ordinance. Corson suggested he discuss the ordinance further with attorney Borgos and bring a revised draft back to the next board meeting on August 8.
Other business in brief
• Heather Broadwater, auditor/treasurer, reviewed the proposed 2024 budgets for the auditor/treasurer, data processing, and elections. The A/T budget increases were mostly due to health insurance costs. Data processing increases are due mostly to higher maintenance fees and the 2024 election budget increases are typical for a presidential election year. Broadwater noted on November 7, 2023, there will be some special elections for some school districts. Also, voting rights for felons that are not incarcerated will be restored as of June 1.
• Fillmore County Community Corrections director, Tom Jensen presented his department’s 2024 budget. The largest increase is due to health insurance. He pointed out that there will be a net savings of about $240,000 in 2024 as compared to 2022 when the county was still a member of Dodge-Fillmore-Olmsted Community Corrections.
• Corson presented his budget for the attorney’s office. The only changes for 2024 are related to employee wages and health insurance.
• A rezoning application by Andrew Miller, Spring Valley Township, from Agricultural to I-1 (General Industrial District) was approved unanimously. The Planning Commission had recommended approval with the condition that the portion to be rezoned be surveyed. The survey shows the portion to be rezoned is 4.12 acres. Zoning Administrator Cristal Adkins noted there had been a lot of questions at the Planning Commission. The parcel is within one-half mile of town (less than one-quarter mile). Commissioner Duane Bakke said the city did not comment on the application. The property now zoned Industrial will be used as a lumberyard. Commissioner Mitch Lentz said his only concern was the back side of the rezoned parcel and possible future uses of that portion which could have remained in pasture.
• Facilities maintenance supervisor, Terry Schultz presented two bids to repair damage to the EIFS (exterior insulation finishing system) on the outside of the courthouse and to repaint the courthouse. The lower bid submitted by Haugerud Painting & Drywall, Inc. in the amount of $36,800 was approved.
Two bids had been submitted for sidewalk repairs at the courthouse. The lower bid submitted by Storelee Cement & Masonry in the amount of about $2,620 was approved.
• Approval was granted to close a low interest bank account and to reinvest those funds and bond funds into CDs with interest rates over 5%.
• Paybook #3 for the jail project totaling $55,267.52 was approved for Construction Manager, Contegrity Group.
• Shelly Topness was hired as a Community Corrections agent, effective September 1.
• Approval was granted to advertise for a replacement paralegal.
• Timothy Rasmussen was promoted from sheriff’s deputy to administrative sergeant, effective August 1.
• The resignation of Chad Rasmussen, part-time jailer, was approved after seven months of service, effective August 3.
• The county board will meet next on August 8.
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