At the June 24 meeting of the county board, Jessica Erickson, director of nursing, asked the board to consider new office structures to improve operational needs in her department.
Erickson said additional revenues from state and other sources could offset costs of the upgrade so there would be little or no effect on the department’s budget or levy.
Three quotes were detailed. Haakenson Electric submitted a quote in the amount of $5,147 to add circuits and outlets. Hiller Commercial Floors will replace the 20-year-old carpet at a cost of $18,067. Beckley’s Office Products will provide new structures for the department at a cost of $52,183. The upgrades were approved as presented using funding which has been secured.
Performance Measures
County Administrator Bobbie Hillery reviewed the results of the 2024 Performance Measures. The county has participated in the state program since the legislators created the Council on Local Results and Innovation in 2010. The county gets 14 cents per capita, or about $2,000 for its participation. Commissioner Mitch Lentz noted the county doesn’t participate for the money, but for transparency. The results of the Performance Measures for the previous year are presented at the Truth in Taxation hearing in December.
There are 27 possible performance measures offered by the state that any participating county can choose from. To participate a county must plan on including at least 10. Commissioners spoke in favor of continuing to participate in the program in order to show accountability to the public.
Fillmore County has been including 13 measures in past years. After some discussion, it was decided to drop two: percentage of low birth weights, and dollars brought into county for veterans’ benefits. It was decided to add four additional measures for a total of 15. The additional four measures include crime rates, the percent of adult offenders with a new felony conviction within three years of discharge, the average bridge sufficiency rating, and the percentage of children where there is a recurrence of maltreatment within 12 months following intervention.
County Engineer Ron Gregg noted the county has 469 bridges and each of them has its own sufficiency rating. Commissioner Duane Bakke said they will need to use an average rating for the bridges.
A resolution was adopted to participate in the Performance Measures Program for 2026. The list of 15 performance measures for 2026 was approved.
Other Business in Brief
• Approval was granted for Jason Marquardt, veterans service officer, to apply for the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. This is a federal grant. Marquardt said they had applied unsuccessfully for the grant a couple of years ago; there is a two-year grant cycle. No match is required for the grant. The grant will allow the VA to provide resources toward community-based suicide prevention through outreach, suicide prevention services, peer support groups, counseling, and emergency assistance. Marquardt said it will help bridge gaps in the service. Approval was given to apply for the grant program.
• One sealed bid was submitted in the amount of $3,100 for the Ford F-550 that was no longer usable. The bid was accepted.
• Approval was granted to purchase a replacement F-550 at a cost not to exceed $49,900 plus tax. The county is looking to buy a used 2016 F-550 diesel truck with 77,000 miles on it from Midwest Sales in Spring Valley. The funding for the purchase is to come from a reserve fund for equipment.
• Approval was granted for the lower of two bids submitted by Minnowa Construction, Inc. in the amount of $143,995 to replace an existing bridge on CSAH 38 with a used 12-foot by 4-foot precast concrete box culvert. The replacement will be paid for with local option sales tax funds.
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