At the January 10 Fillmore County board meeting, Wayne Stenberg, Semcac executive director, reported on the non-profit organization’s efforts to help people “achieve their goals of self-reliance and independence.” Semcac offers over 25 programs from transportation, to Head Start, to Senior Dining, to energy assistance and weatherization, to family planning to name just a few.
Semcac currently provides services in seven southeast Minnesota counties with limited services in four additional counties. It was established in1966. Last year, Semcac services were aided by over 1,700 volunteers. Stenberg said they help us do what we do each day. Head Start and Senior Dining are two of the largest programs.
Volunteer drivers provided nearly 3,000 rides for 161 Fillmore County residents to get to medical and dental appointments. Stenberg stated we continue to look for volunteers. This program is one of the programs that allows individuals to stay in their homes.
Head Start has been proven to work for children and their families. Head Start’s priority is at-risk families. For every $1 invested in Head Start, taxpayers save $18 per child through reduced spending on remedial services, lower school drop out rates, and fewer requiring state assistance. The program was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965. Head Start currently serves 323 children and works closely with school districts. The only site in Fillmore County is Fillmore Central in Preston. This site serves families throughout the county. Seventy-seven children and their families were educated at the Head Start Center in Fillmore County during 2016. Funding for the program has been flat for several years due to the sequester and Congress’s continuing resolution. Early Head Start and Head Start help to prepare children to enter kindergarten.
A warehouse was built in Rushford by Semcac in 2016 to house buses, for storage, and for a staging area for the weatherization program. Semcac buses, Rolling Hills Transit, assist people with no other means of transportation. Anybody can ride the bus.
The Senior and Caregiver Advocacy program helps seniors and helps them stay in their homes. Eighty-nine seniors and/or care givers in Fillmore County received assistance to identify needs and were helped to make informed decisions.
Semcac food shelves are located in Rushford and Preston and served 501 households.
Semcac funding totaling about $12 million includes federal, state, local, private, and other sources.
Bluff Country Housing and Redevelopment Authority partners with Semcac when possible. Stenberg pointed to the rehab of Vesterheim Apartments and the rehab of 15 homes in Preston through the Small Cities Program. BCHRA works to leverage grant opportunities to help provide affordable housing in Fillmore and Houston Counties.
Root River One Watershed, One Plan
Donna Rasmussen, SWCD administrator, and Jennifer Ronnenberg, Water Management coordinator, updated the commissioners on the progress of the plan. On December 14, the plan was approved by Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR). The Root River One Watershed, One Plan policy committee unanimously approved the plan on December 19. The plan now goes to 13 governing boards for their consideration: Dodge, Fillmore, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, and Winona county boards and SWCDs and the Crooked Creek Watershed District.
It has been a two-year process up to now. Fillmore County’s Local Water Management Plan expired December 31 and will be replaced by the Root River One Watershed, One Plan. The commissioners unanimously approved a resolution to adopt and implement the plan. The other governing boards will also be deciding whether to adopt the plan. Commissioner Duane Bakke noted the next step is the planning and implementation phase. He hopes to see some funding out of this legislative session to implement the plan.
The county board approved the Root River One Watershed, One Plan Joint Powers Agreement (JPA), which had been unanimously recommended for approval by the policy committee. The agreement has been reviewed by a county attorney from each county.
State Veterans Cemetery
Rob Gross, Supervisor, gave an update on the State Veterans Cemetery in Preston. The cemetery is fully operational and fully staffed. All staff members with the exception of Gross are residents of Fillmore County.
One-hundred and sixty-nine burials were completed in the first year of operation. Feedback from the area has been positive. Local contracts have been set up with local businesses. Thirty-eight, based on current residency, were interred from Fillmore County. There have been multiple burials where a loved one was moved to this location, the oldest one being from 1976.
Gross praised the support given by veteran organizations in Fillmore County. He thanked the Fillmore County board for taking the first step to make the cemetery possible, the donation of the land. Gross also thanked the board for banning hunting on the county farm land that borders the cemetery.
Other business in brief
• Human Resources officer Kristina Kohn began a discussion concerning the staffing structure of the Solid Waste Department. Building maintenance supervisor Terry Schultz is currently acting as the Solid Waste Department head. He admitted the extra responsibility has overwhelmed him. Kohn said Schultz is good at managing people, but needs someone to be responsible for the day to day reporting activities. It takes someone to be there day to day. Schultz said there is a lot of training involved for certification, adding he can’t give 100% to both positions.
Kohn maintained Schultz has done a great job with the transition, adding Ron Gregg has been a resource for him during this period. Gregg administrated solid waste as part of his previous position in another county. Gregg had made an offer to take on the Solid Waste Department earlier. Commissioner Marc Prestby asked if his offer was still on the table. Gregg said his plan showed all that the department does. No action was taken this day.
• County Recorder David Kiehne gave his 2016 compliance report. He said we are in compliance with recording requirements and typically there is a four-day turn around time.
• Renewal of the annual AutoCAD Civil 3D design software with the addition of one licensed user as requested by County Engineer Ron Gregg was approved. The total cost for the renewal and addition of one licensed user was $4,667.61.
• Approval was given of the Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center contract for 2017. Social services manager Neva Beier acknowledged the cost was up about 5% over 2016. The center serves 61 kids and 20 adults from the county.
Approval was given of the Zumbro Valley Health Center contract for 2017. This center now sees 26 Fillmore County residents.
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