By Karen Reisner
At its August 11 meeting, the Fillmore County Board approved a document that details categories and amounts of COVID related expenses. Commissioner Mitch Lentz was not present in-person, but participated via phone.
Fillmore County received a distribution of over $2.5 million of CARES Act funding to be used on COVID related expenses. The document was approved with the understanding that the county board can make changes; it may want to move funding between categories.
Business grants and non-profit grants will be up to $10,000 maximum ($500,000 total for businesses and $200,000 total for non-profits). County Administrator Bobbie Hillery said she will get an approved application form to be considered at the board’s August 25 meeting. The county, working with its EDA, could begin the grant program September 1.
Five-hundred thousand is set aside for school assistance for technology or mental health. Over $1 million is set aside for payroll expenses, PPE/sanitizer, solid waste/recycling expenses, and technology upgrades. Another $175,000 is targeted for the operation of a mobile immunization option, generators, and refrigeration to store vaccines.
Courthouse reorganization
Hillery said moving offices will be a team effort with department heads. The board voted to move ahead with the reorganization plan. Zoning/Feedlot will move back to their old space downstairs. The recorder will move over to where zoning was. The assessor and appraisers will move to the space where the recorder was. Some wiring will need to be installed for the appraiser stations.
Finance will move upstairs with the auditor/treasurer, where the assessor was. Finance Director Lori Affeldt will supervise the staff when Auditor/Treasurer Char Meiners is not in the building. A/T stays in the same location.
EDA director Chris Hahn will move downstairs to the office where finance was.
Offices that serve the public directly had earlier all been moved upstairs to give the public easy access. Space has been an issue, which has led to this reorganization.
Other business in brief
•A resolution was approved designating the official account signers and treasury management signers: those holding the positions of auditor/treasurer and deputy A/T. The resolution also authorized those with the ability to monitor the accounts and every transaction: those holding the positions of finance director and deputy finance director. The board authorized the county administrator to monitor signature cards for any and all accounts.
•Jessica Erickson, director of nursing, explained COVID has made it hard to plan the budget for the future. Beginning her budget review for 2021, she acknowledged that the budget is up over the last year with a total increase of $83,000.
The grant agreement with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Toward Zero Deaths, was approved. The grant is used for traffic safety projects.
The board approved requests for proposals, looking for grants to help with funding for Influenza Vaccine Projects. The projects are to improve vaccination infrastructure to better reach underserved and high risk populations.
•Kevin Olson, Social Services, reviewed the department’s 2021 budget which he said shows a 2.6% increase, or an increase of over $135,000.
•Sheriff John DeGeorge presented his department’s 2021 budget. Jail Administrator Jamie Fenske noted that revenue from state prisoners stopped due to COVID but restarted in May. The current jail population is eight, with four of them from the state. He expects the jail population to go up in the next months as some sentences have been delayed.
•Approval was given to close out the 2019 Wetland Conservation Act (NRBG funds). The county passes this grant to SWCD. The $8,778 grant was totally expended.
Laura Christensen, SWCD, said that roughly 83% of their funding comes from outside sources. Every grant must have an action item. No funds are received if no work is done. Mandates for COVID have affected their work. SWCD is still closed to the public. She said the county’s support is vital. She asked for less than a 1% increase over the county’s normal appropriation.
Commissioner Duane Bakke questioned whether or not the SWCD could qualify for a non-profit loan. Hillery said if someone is ordered to stay home from work due to COVID, the CARES Act funding could be used to reimburse paid time off for an employee.
•Draft changes to the Employee Personnel Records policy were approved on its second reading.
More changes were made to the Announcements, Recruitment and Selection policy. It will be updated and put on the intranet and come back for consideration at the next meeting. Department heads can request a promotion for an employee; an employee can not request a promotion.
•Three driveway access permits were approved. An access permit to CR 117 to a new building site for Tim and Erin Kloempken, section 30, Fountain Township was approved.
An access permit to CR 107 for a new home for Clay Johnson, section 32, Rushford Village was approved.
An access permit to CR 22 for a new home for Nathan Every, section 30, Preston Township was approved.
•Household Hazardous Waste collection is scheduled for October 6 from noon to 5 p.m.
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