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That one thing was choking for a while. >> Yeah. Okay. >> I've got a I've got a >> No, we'll give it a minute here. >> Okay. our county board me uh meeting to order this morning. If you please stand for the pledge of allegiance.

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I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you.

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>> All right, moving to roll call, please. Beth. >> Sure. Commissioner Benoy, >> here. >> Commissioner Pop, >> here. >> Commissioner Heinen, >> he's absent and excused. >> Commissioner Johnson, >> here. >> Commissioner Gapinsky, >> present. All right, move on to approval or amendments to our agenda. Monty, you

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have any changes? Uh, >> please, as consent item number 14, please add the special road use permit, the just peachy boutique sink at the Mayo Festival and Rice. Please, as consent item number 14, a bit of rearranging if we could, Mr.

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Chair, under 905 administrator, if we could please move the housing trust fund right after the federal update, please. And um as part of the project manager update, I'd like to add a few updates on owner items such as FFE, etc. And those

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are the changes that we have. >> Move for approval, Mr. Chair. >> Okay. Second motion, a second to approve our amended agenda. All those in favor? >> I oppose. That's carried. >> Uh county board meetings are broadcast live and video recorded on YouTube. Please refrain from speaking from the

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audience area and come to the podium so that viewers can hear you. County Board observes Robert's rules of orders for its meetings. So, please obtain the board chair's consent before addressing the county board. Public comments are generally reserved for the open forum segment or public hearings. However, public comment on other agenda items may

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be allowed at the discretion of the board chair. And as we begin today, please turn off your cell phones or turn them to vibrate. Thank you. All right. Open forum. Anyone here, Beth? Okay. Thank you. All right. Move on to our consent agenda. items 1 through 14.

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Move approval. Second. Okay. Have a motion, a second to approve consent agenda items 1 through 14. Any discussion? Any discussion? >> Hearing none. All those in favor? >> Opposed? That's carried. All right,

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we're going to move on to our federal update. I see introduce Megan Knight from Lark and Hoffman. U please uh join us Megan. Hello. >> Good morning, Megan. Megan so much. Good morning, everyone. Thanks for letting me join and participate in your board

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meeting. I appreciate the time. Um, just wanted to give the the board um a quick update on um a flurry of activity that's been going on over the last month and a half. We've had um multiple visits out of Washington DC. We had a um a we

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started off in March with a um a quick visit to talk about our build grant application where we met with Congressman Emmer team and as well as um Senator Smith and Senator Clolobachar and we had some really great meetings where we talked about the merits of the

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build grant for Benton County. And just for a quick just a really quick update, you know, the bill grant is a competitive grant that is um you know every year Department of Transportation identifies a number of grants across the country and it is highly competitive and

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as you know you all have have gone after it for a number of years and um we have not been chosen by the Department of Transportation. So this year we decided to make a really strong efforts with our delegation in order to push our project to the top of the heap as far as their

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their priorities with the with um Secretary Duffy and the Department of Transportation's build build grant um application team. And this last week when Commissioner Kabinsky came out with the um area planning organization for

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the APO, we found out that indeed Congressman Tom Emmer placed Benton County's build grant as his number one priority for the district. >> Oh, awesome. >> So, this is incredibly important and although it doesn't mean that we are guaranteed anything in this process, it

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really does set us up for what could be um a wonderful outcome. So, Commissioner Gabinsky and I were very pleased at this information. We also do know that um Senator Clolobachar as well called Commission um Secretary Duffy to offer

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her support for the project and we know that um Senator Smith's legislative team has had also weighed in on behalf of the project. Just for clarification, all three offices did send letters of support along with our application, but

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these additional touch points are incredibly important, especially when you have um congressmen to secretary level and senators to secretary level. It is exactly what we wanted to happen and so we're really pleased to find that out. Um so that's one one um information

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and and great news I wanted to share. I think the the bill grant will be announced um sometime in the summer, June June or July. So, we'll be anxiously awaiting that announcement. Again, it's highly competitive. So, we

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will wait and see the outcomes, but right now we are lined up for about the best way we possibly could be from an advocacy standpoint. Um, the other good news I wanted to share with the board and for the record is that officially Benton County has made it to the first

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round of the federal appropriations process through the United States House of Representatives. Congressman Tom Emmer went forward with a $7 million request that we put in for um the Mayhew project. I want to highlight this is the

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largest transportation project that Congressman Emmer put forward out of his district. The congressman was allotted um se 20 projects total and our project was his highest amount for transportation which I am really proud

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of the um that outcome for you all. It's a really nice um nice funding level. It's one of the highest amounts that he's put forward for transportation dollars. So, this is something to celebrate and to acknowledge and um to

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to thank Congressman Emmer for his um you know support for our project and moving that forward in the process. Now, just for clarification, this is the first step of many. the the um the committee needs to mark up what they

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call a markup and that's where the the appropriations committee and the transportation, housing and economic development committee will go through each project that each member of Congress submits and they will determine the final price in the house. But um they do there are some agreements set in

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place that typically the numbers are remain the same unless there is an acrosstheboard haircut for all projects. So, we are in very good good positioning right now as those processes continue. We also did submit this the same project

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in the Senate. Um, and we they haven't put forward their projects yet, but we're in good positioning with with acknowledgement in the House and particularly with Congresswoman Emmer's leadership position as the whip of the House. So all in all, really great outcomes so far with a with a short

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amount of time that we've been activated here at Lark and Hoffen Public Affairs on behalf of Benton County and really proud of all the efforts and the time that um the commissioners have spent coming out to DC and it's it's definitely um yielding some great rewards. So with that, I'll take

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questions and happy to answer anything that the the board may have for me. >> Members, any questions for Megan? >> Comments? >> Great job. >> Yeah. Amazing job, >> Mr. Chair. >> Thank you. >> Um I I think Megan's being too uh um

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we'll call it uh Yeah. Yeah. humble because uh without her, I can tell you we would have never got the earmark. >> Mhm. >> Um we were frantically putting that together the last uh probably it was a legislative conference. She called and she's like, "We got to have this in by

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Friday." And I think it was Wednesday, Thursday correct? >> Yeah, I believe so. So without uh without that um and and Megan did and Beth you worked on it a lot. So uh you guys the staff staff got her the

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information she put it together and uh and when we went out there the first time was about a month ago. Commissioner Hein and myself uh that's when we found out uh when we started our meeting that we got put in Emmer's earmarks basically. >> So >> Yep. And Friday that was made public.

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it's listed on his web page and that's where you can see that we're the the largest transportation project out of the sixth district. So, um really really proud of those efforts. Um you know Jared, it was a team effort when we we put the project in. I think, you know, the fact that I was able to work with

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your previous county engineer and knew enough about the Mayhew project and of course, you know, all the surround sound advocacy efforts that that that we do federally as well as my colleagues at the state capital, Grady Horn does for you for um you know, bonding efforts, we

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were able to activate and put forth the project. And I know that um I did talk with Grady this morning and he was sharing the um the news that we were able to secure or make the the short list for Congressman Emmer with your members of the legislature and

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everybody's really excited to see that. But it we know that it takes multiple different opportunities for funding whether it's through competitive grants or appropriations or state bonding funds to get these huge transportation projects accomplished on behalf of your constituents. So really proud of those

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efforts and um excited to to keep on advocating and and working together on on bigger and better projects. Ste >> um Steve Bakowski and Monty, I thank you for my frantic calls trying to get all this stuff because we were we were

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pinched right up against the time frame on that Friday. Mhm. >> So, I was a little bit frantic on trying to make sure that everything was taken care of and and uh you guys came through and and Beth, I appreciate it. And once again, Megan, way too humble for what

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what uh what you've done. We I know uh when we were out there with with uh St. Cloud Stern and stuff like that, I I I have this weird feeling they're looking at Benton County going, "How do you guys rate?" because we are seriously looking at the doorstep of about $22 million.

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That doesn't include the 5 million we got for the extension on 29. That doesn't include the HSIP grants for 750 a piece. So, we're looking almost at $30 million over the last four years potentially.

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>> Megan too, Commissioner Johnson, just want to thank you so much. It was it was really nice to meet you last fall and to you know we were kind of at the beginning of this process then and we see now the results of all that hard work. I I I'd confirm with Commissioner Kapinsky without you we'd be I can tell

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you we'd actually be lost still walking around looking for the room we're supposed to be in. So >> yeah. >> Well, I'll tell you this. I appreciate the accolades. Um you know good projects yield good results and great outcomes. So like I said it's it's our pleasure at Lark and Hoffman to represent Benton

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County. We're really excited about the future and um you know it's just been a pleasure. So we've still got a long road ahead to make sure we we bring this home but um it's you know we've got big things planned, right? So it's going great. >> We look forward to getting it over the finish line. So yeah,

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>> absolutely. And and honestly >> have a ribbon cutting ceremony. >> Yeah. And honestly this board for trusting and and going with it cuz it costs money to go out there. I feel like I've taken residency up there over the last year or so. But uh it's been it's

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it's showing some fruitful um at least on the on the front end here. Um on the other side uh for the for the community, one of the things that we're working on very hard, I I um chair the APO and one of the things that we're trying to do at

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the APO level is to get all local jurisdictions on board with the federal uh lobbyist so that we're pulling the rope all together as central Minnesota versus everybody having their own smaller individual lobbyist. Um, and

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we're making some strides on that. And I'm I'm going to tell you, I think I think after last week out there, there there's jurisdiction jurisdictions going, "Wow, this is really paying off for Benton County." >> Mhm. >> So, I think we're going to make some make some big strides moving forward and

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the lobbyists because there's only so many things you can lobby for at the federal government. I mean, we can't just we can't go get a I'll say a uh a gravel road pave from there. that's going to come out of, you know, lost local option sales tax. But it but for

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these bigger projects, them are the things that we can lobby for um on the on the federal level, a new bridge, stuff like that, like over the Mississippi, things that are that are that are big lifts, but uh it it it takes a lot of time, it takes a lot of

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effort and and a lot of support, but when they come in, they're they're the gift that keeps giving. And for for pe for what pe if people don't know what the plan is on uh CASA one which is county road one in front of the school

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in Sak Rapids that would be a four lane from the firing line all the way to 23 and the development and m and and uh Amanda if you want to jump in but the development that would happen along that area after that not to mention all the

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all the um um safety improvements ments that happen >> roundabouts at each intersection >> and then and then you put in the 29 extension around the high school. It's going to be a development mecca I think out there within 5 years.

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>> So great. Any other comments board Megan? Anything else? >> No, you know I will just continue to keep you all apprised as this moves forward in the markup process and as the Senate process moves forward as well. Um, you know, lots of exciting news and

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and we'll be, you know, anxiously awaiting the Bill Grant um, announcement >> and I know it's a little early, but we're already excited about Minnesota Transportation Alliance coming out in September. So, I'm sure some of us will be out there for that, too. >> Yes. Excellent. And I'll be managing um

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your time when you're out here for that. So, that would be great. >> Well, thank you for joining us today. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you again for all your work. >> Thanks, Megan. >> Yes, absolutely. Have a great day. Have a great rest of the day. >> Byebye. >> Bye. >> All right. uh consider the housing trust fund. Amanda,

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>> good morning, commissioners. That's some really exciting news. That's awesome. If I can beat that, but I'll try. Um uh this morning in your packets, you have a uh policy for the um county

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Benton County Housing Trust Fund. Um, essentially, uh, I'll just give you a little bit of background just to get everybody on the same page. Um, in February of last year, um, Benton County adopted ordinance number, um, 498 establishing a local h local housing

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trust fund. Um, if you recall, it was a it's a permanent permanent renewable funding source to address housing needs across the county. Um that ordinance allows the county to support a range of housing activities including development rehab financing rental

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assistance, and home buyer support. Um so all of those things can be incorporated into um policies and programs within that housing trust fund. And that money um the uh SAHA money, the state affordable housing aid funds that

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come to the county that Benton Economic Partnership manages on behalf of the county. those funds are um already allocated to that housing trust fund um that those funds are being held in a separate account u managed by Benton

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economic partnership and continuing to earn interest each and every day, right? Um so that's what's funding the housing trust fund today. Um the actual ordinance outlines uh key terms such as affordability for housing across the

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county, income thresholds, um eligible recipients, and um it the program aligns itself with Minnesota state statutes for establishing housing trust funds. Um, this program uh that you have in your packet is a new

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program policy to utilize the funds um for the housing trust fund. Okay. Um the draft program guidelines establish the structure for deploying funds through a loan-based model um focused on gap financing for housing development. Now,

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um eligible projects within this program, as you can see, um are new construction, the redevelopment of housing, um including uh associated utility infrastructure and blight removal.

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The loan terms um are up to $200,000 per project uh with interest rates ranging from up to 1% over the actual prime rate uh and a maximum term term of 18 months.

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So um up to 24 months for any de demolition projects that include some rehab of an existing structure. Um, of course, within the housing trust fund, there needs to be affordability requirements. Um, any rental units must

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serve households at or below 80% AMI. AMI for the St. Cloud metro area, which includes Benton County, is $103,200. Um, 80% of that, of course, is 82560.

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So, um, those eligible projects, those rental units must meet those eligibility guidelines. Um any ownership units must be affordable at or below 100 um% AMI. Eligible uses within this program and

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policy are hard construction costs only um utility infrastructure or site related improvements. We're not funding soft costs um or administrative expenses, property acquisition or general operating costs. Okay. So essentially this uh you're familiar with

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the county's revolving loan fund program. This is essentially um a a variation of it um for housing projects specifically. Um the the interest earned through the loans that we make will go back into the fund account and continue

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to fund the program. Um, and a lot of times when projects come to us, especially housing project, um, projects that are affordable, often need, um, some sort of, uh, participation from a local government,

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so city, county, um, in order for them to apply for any, say, housing tax credits or any sort of um, housing assistance through the state or um, federal government. So essentially this

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program helps us establish that as a a program that um developers can can tap into to help make their application stronger. Uh the program actually includes some safeguards and to manage risks uh

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ensuring the broad distribution of funds. No entity may hold more than $200,000 um or more than two open loans at one time. So, all projects require a recorded development agreement with a

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15-year term. Okay. Some of the guidelines outlined in this program and policy is that pre-application um also included in your packet is submitted to Benton Economic Partnership. We review it as an

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eligibility um component as to make sure that their application is complete. um the finance committee within Benton Economic Partnership reviews that um loan and then the full application and review and recommendation is brought to

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in front of the county board um for final approval for funding. >> Amanda, could excuse me, can I interrupt you there quick? I'm just as I look at this and you're going through it, the recommendation is done by the county HA. >> I'm sorry. Yes. >> And then comes the county board. >> Correct. >> Okay. I just wanted to make sure I was

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following you right. Okay. um projects that utilize this funding must com um start construction within nine months of approval. And then um the other uh important note to mention that

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are uh balance in our housing trust fund is roughly $297,370. So, there's really only a couple projects that could potentially utilize the funds as of now. But remember, um those loans that we make will balloon in

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two years um even though they're advertised out further. So, the funds will continue to revolve in that um loan account >> and that 297 is from the last few years of allocations from the state, right? Was like 120 or something and then Okay. Plus interest.

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>> Plus interest. Correct. >> Mr. here. Go ahead. >> Can they um ask for an extension after the two years? >> Um we didn't incorporate an extension in here. I think that would be up to the finance committee, >> right? >> If they needed to do an extension, >> they could come back like I think we've

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had them in the past where they came back and asked for >> similar to the revolving loan fund. Mhm. We can certainly add that actually. >> Okay. if uh and I think our revolving loan fund requires, you know, like if they can't uh refinance or um secure

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additional funds to pay off that loan, they can come in and request a two-year extension. >> So, Amanda, do you just need some consensus and direction or you >> um so motion to adopt something? >> Yep. The motion is to adopt the housing trust fund um program guidelines um for

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this specific loan program. Um, so that's what we're looking at uh the board to to support that >> actual program. >> Mr. Chair, I think you know we want to use the money, >> right? >> Definitely want to get it out. So I would make that motion that we adopt the

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format and >> the policies >> trust fund and the policies for this. >> Okay. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> All right. Motion a second uh to adopt was as presented from Amanda. Any other discussion?

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I was wondering how much work does this cause for BEP? >> Well, um there's always work involved when administering loans, right? Um so, uh the difference between >> um our existing revolving loan fund

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program is that um it it's really no different except for we're the ones that are cutting the check instead of the county because we're administering the funds. And so the payments will go directly back into that um account, that housing trust fund account. Um

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continuing to earn interest. Um so it will be virtually the same. Okay. Yep. Kind of work. >> To your point, Commissioner Pop, probably something we discuss more at budget time when we look at allocations for some of this administrative work >> because these funds can't pay for any

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administrative work. >> Correct. >> All right. Any other discussion? I've got something, but I'll it'll be after this. >> Okay. All right. We have a motion, a second. All those in favor? >> I opposed. It's carried. Thank you, Amanda. >> Thank you. >> All right, Mr. Chair. >> Go ahead.

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>> So, getting back to the prior um uh agenda item. Amanda had a lot to do with the extension and the whole planning with the U of M on on that process >> and that went a long ways and and one of the things I forgot to bring up is all

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the things that it takes a it it takes a an army to pull something like what we're potentially pulling off to do. I mean, without you going out, you and Chris went out last year at Transportation Alliance and made that connection with Megan.

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>> Mhm. >> Without that connection, we would have never got the 7 million. >> And now now you look at uh the um uh one of the things we didn't bring up was the grant that that Am or uh Amanda got for the power, right? >> That's another million dollars.

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>> I mean, there's just >> You're right. It takes a >> It takes I I and and one of the things that we preached out there at the f federal level is this is not a grant. This is not a build grant. This is not free money by taxpayers. This will pay

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for itself over the next seven years. And that's what we really really sold home to them is is this isn't just giving us money to do a project. This is something that will refund back to the government tenfold >> over years. >> Someway, somehow. Exactly. So, thank you

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for all your work on that. >> Absolutely. Thank you, >> Mr. Shapinsky. All right, we'll move on to government center project update and owner items. >> Right. >> Morning, Jim. >> Good morning, Mr. How you doing today? >> Great. How are you? >> Good. >> Good. >> So, um like to uh go over we'll start

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out with um some of the financials. Uh currently, we're looking pretty good. Um we've we're still roughly around 6% of our contingency. We have a couple PRs floating around out there that I'm reviewing. Um they don't move the needle very much. They're pretty small. Um so

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we're we're looking good on the budget. Um today we have a um a bid for cabling. Um and then on May 12th I'll be back for a bid on um security and access control. Um, one thing that we should point out

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for the public is that those two bid numbers um are accounted for in the total project cost. Um, they're in the budget. Um, typically those are owner items, but we're bidding those out on behalf of the county. Um, but they are accounted for in the in the monies that

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the the public has seen already. Um, so those bid out today. Um, sounds like we'll hope to have maybe five or six biders for uh cabling, which would be a pretty good turnout. Um, we've had good access. We've had lots of questions, so we're we're pretty confident that um

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that we'll have good coverage on that today. Uh looking at the schedule, um as you can tell, uh we've got um almost all the exterior walls complete with the exception of probably just the entryway. Um on the north side, they're already starting to put up brick and stone

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today. Um the roof on the second floor is complete. Um, so we're going to continue on with uh from the roof down with uh air barrier, brick and stone. Um, and then work our way down to the first floor with that. On the inter,

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excuse me, on the interior second floor, um, we're into framing now. So, we're framing those interior walls and spaces out. So, the interior will start to take shape here real fast. Um, and after that, we can get into um get into rough ends up there.

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On the first floor, the plumbing uh for the underground is complete, which will allow us to move on to slab on grade. Um we're ready now for slab on grade. And so Eric uh he's been doing a great job running the schedule out there. Um he's working with K. Johnson to get them on

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site and and um they walked the site the other day. And so we'll hopefully you'll be seeing concrete trucks out there within uh within a week or two to get that done. So after that, once the framing is done on the second floor, we can move down to the first and just continue on. So things are really

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starting to take shape. I'm pretty happy with where the schedule's at up there. So >> great. >> That's uh pretty much the meat and the bones of it. Unless anybody has any specific questions. >> Any questions, >> Mr. Chair? Go ahead. >> Uh Steve, did did we coordinate the um

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uh conduit coming from the corners of the building? Okay, that's all done. >> Yep. And that's Eric has done a great he's been in communications with the the with the uh all the parties involved in that. So he's communicated that already to them. I think they've been on site to do uh walkthroughs with him as well.

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>> Awesome. >> So Yep. That's all all taken care of. >> And and that'll extend right to the the server room, right? >> Yep. And so we'll be we'll have we'll come in from two corners. >> Awesome. >> And then that'll go to the server room for that. >> Good. Thank you, >> Jim. I appreciate the monthly update and appreciate the every two weeks building

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committee meeting that you bet. >> And so appreciate that. Thank you. >> Yep. And if anything comes up in the meantime, uh, you know how to get a hold of me and I'm always open for questions. Great. Thank you. Have a good day. You guys have a great day. >> Okay. >> Hey, Monty. >> Yeah, please. >> Just a very quick update on a few other owner items. So, uh, fluid, which is

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Becky and Georgia have completed two rounds of meetings with our departments. So, the initial was kind of mark a survey to kind of understand how the work is done. The second was actually visited departments on site to look at how they store uh, things and get a more sense of what those needs are. There's going to be a little bit of a break in

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meetings. Georgia and Becky both have some vacation time coming up. So, the next meeting is going to be May 20th and that's going to be back on site and they're going to focus on two things. Uh storage solutions. There's about eight nine storage rooms in this new building and each one needs its own storage

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solution. Uh so that's going to be the focus of the next mean is really storage and also too they're going to try to understand exactly how many cubes do we need to acquire initially because you know we've talked about there's lots of room for growth. So in some instances we

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shouldn't buy cubes that will set empty for a while. So that they're going to focus on those two things at the next the next meeting. Uh so that's kind of where FF uh furniture is going. The demo cube should show up here in about four weeks. Uh we're going to have the short

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one and then the tall one I think is uh let's see I think this is the tall one, the 74. We're going to set those up out in the the um the garage area of the old highway building in about four weeks. We'll have those and Becky and Georgia actually will be here at a certain day.

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So as employees come through, you know, kind of take it for a test drive, they Becky and Georgia can then get their input and feedback, answer their questions about the cubes. And uh when the cubes uh are taken away, then uh uh

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Fluid is actually going to bring in a bunch of chairs for us to demo. So like boardroom chairs, uh uh meeting room chairs, uh conference room chairs. So that's going to be here in within the next couple months, a lot of demo chairs for us to take a look at. Um also too,

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uh Jeff and I are working on appliances. So we have like a scoping document on all the appliances. So, refrigerators, coffee makers, microwaves, we're going to send that out to vendors in May to get quotes on the cost of appliances. So, that should happen in May. Uh, let's

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see. Otherwise, Jim mentioned the the bid opening on hopefully today we'll make a choice on an AV vendor. Hopefully, I think we're close. Um, hope we've got enough information. We've made reference calls and all the the two AV vendors that we've narrowed it down to

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and that's some good quality information that we'll share with our tech group today and hope they can make that choice. Uh the last one I want to mention is landscaping. So Jeff and I had a meeting with Evan and Brian last week on landscaping. And this is a plan

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we'd like to follow is have a GLT do a landscaping plan that we can send out to landscaping vendors and get their quotes on what it would cost to do this landscaping plan. It doesn't really rise to the the so the bid threshold 175,000.

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So I think we we can go with quotes. So, we like to give a again a plan to vendors and get their their estimates back on what it would take to do the landscaping. As you kind of think about this this site, there really isn't a lot of space to landscape. Um, you know,

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you'll have some side around the front and then the east side. The back will mostly just be seated. There'll be some room for some shrubbery and some trees, but there's really not a lot going on there and there frankly there's not a lot of space to landscape. So again, that's the plan is to get that out to

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some landscaping companies and get their quotes and then make a recommendation to you all on the company we should go with and then at that point then we would ask the landscaping company to work with us on a detailed plan in terms of like okay what kind of shrub what kind of tree and

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then bring that to you all for a final approval on the landscaping plan and I understand according to Jim is we should be prepared to do landscaping this fall. So, questions on some owner items. Any questions at all? >> Thank you, Monte.

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>> Okay. Yeah. Thanks. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Steve, could I check with you quickly first to see are you under the gun time frame? I'm thinking about moving the agenda around just a little bit if you're okay with that. All right. Thank you. Maybe would have Will come up and do an update if that's okay. If you guys

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are ready. >> Willie. >> Yeah. >> Have Willie come up and do Yeah. Morning commissioner. >> Morning. >> Can I connect from here for the PowerPoint? Is that possible? >> So, yeah, it'll it'll disrupt um

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>> go to, but we'll just have to live with it. So, that's fine. >> Yeah, you're good. Perfect. All right. Thank you. >> Morning, Mr. Chair. Morning, commissioners. Um again I'm Willie Swanson uh district supervisor here to give a overview of the probation department here in uh Benton County. So

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I wanted to come and talk about a couple things today. First introduce you to who we are and what we do. Um we've got a total of 10 agents spread across two offices. We have an office across the street at the courthouse and then we have an office just across the river from downtown in St. Cloud where our

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felony agents are. All the misdemeanor work is done out here in Foley. We have four support staff, two in each office. uh myself as the district supervisor and my program director Jared Taber is here today with as well. Overall, we've got

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just under,400 clients. Um we've got 400 felony clients. We've got 70 clients that are on for felony sex offenses. We've got 750 misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor clients and then 90 juveniles that we're currently supervising. And those will be pre-trial

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and regular supervision cases. So, we've got um a fair amount of work that is being done. Um the work that the agents do, and we can get into more detail in the future on this, but it's we work with our clients on obviously the court conditions. So, they have certain

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conditions that they're sentenced with that our agents help them work through and complete. Um we work with them on service coordination, so getting them to treatment programming and mental health programming. And then we do a lot of one-on-one work with our clients where our agents are sitting down with our clients doing cognitive skill work. So

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skill building on deficit areas that target things that would help our clients not come back and get back into the system. So that's the goal is to help people make better decisions moving forward so they don't end up in the jail on supervision and with our office um and making Benton County safer overall.

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That is that is the main goal. To that end, um, we've got some statistics on our local recidivism. So, our clients who complete supervision successfully and move on after one year reaffend at a rate of about 8%. After

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two years, they're reaffending at a rate of about 11%. The DOC average and state average is 15% for probation and then 31% for supervisor release. And those are the clients supervisor release coming out of prison onto our case loads versus the ones being sentenced from

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court. So, I'm pretty happy with our um current stats and our recidivism numbers in Benton County. Uh, and that really is due to the work that our agents are doing with our clients in that one-on-one um cognitive skill area and being connected with them. So, I'm pretty proud of that work that we're

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doing. Um, our agents here are involved in many things outside of the probation office. Um, we've got a BCAT group that meets once a week and that's sheriffs and social services and us combining to work with um, high-fly clients with mental health problems that are in the

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area. Um, we work with the advisory board. We've got agents on the children's mental health collaborative and RJC is our juvenile detention center. There's an advisory board there that we work with. Um, we've got staff on the culture committee and we're starting a domestic violence board. We

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teach some programming in our offices. So, we've got some COG skills groups where clients come in um receive curriculum taught by agents. One of those groups is for domestic violence specific offenders. So, people that are convicted of a domestic violence offense, come in and receive this curriculum. They pay $20 a week for that

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program. And with that money, we're going to start doing some things like making donations to local groups, doing some um engagement with the community, maybe some radio ads during domestic violence awareness month, just to build awareness and hopefully help that um overall in the county as well. So, I

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think we can do some some good things with those those funds as well. Uh overall, and and I'm not asking for money today. I'm not here to do that um or to ask for anything else. But our our budget in the last year, so the state subsidy, the amount that the state gives

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and provides Benton County for these services is just over $1.5 million. Our cost over the last year was 1.4. So overall, our office, the staff, um the office locations, the cars, the IT, all

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that stuff is at no impact to the levy for Benton County um because we're under that budget. So, um I'm really proud of the work we do. I think we have great results and we're doing it for um pretty uh reasonable financial. So, I just wanted to come today and provide just

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that brief update for you. I hope to come um once a year to provide just a mini update. So, I'm not just here asking for money. And if there are any things that you have questions about or things you want to hear about, I'm here. Ask questions now or reach out and I'll come back and and we can tailor the presentation however you'd like it.

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>> All right. Hey, Billy. Any questions from the board? >> We like good news. >> Yeah, we like good news. Mr. Chair, >> Mishbinsky. >> So, a couple years ago, I'm talking to what I call a little bit of a mentor of mine. His name is Jack Swanson. And, uh, it was it was funny because we're

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sitting there talking about you and you were in this and all of a sudden last year at our public saf or earlier this year at our public safety meeting, he's like, "So, does Will work for the county?" He goes, I, "Who are you talking about?" >> Yeah. And it didn't I didn't even draw a line that that was, you know, he was

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your dad. So great guy. So >> if you think his dad was a mentor to you, he ought to have been in my book. >> Yeah, he he's he's been solid to to lean on. So and I'm sure you're following in his footsteps. So thank you for what you do. >> Thank you very much. >> Any questions, board? Anything else? >> Say hi to your dad.

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>> Yeah. Thank you. Appreciate it. >> All right, let's get back on track here and Steve will hear from you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. I have just a few other Thank you. Thank you. Didn't mean to rip that out

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of your hand. Good morning, Mr. Chairman and members of the board. And good morning. >> Congratulations also to county board in Benton County for the success you have there. That's pretty phenomenal. >> Um my first I have several items for

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your consideration today. Uh the first uh request is uh approval of uh the plat for county state 8 highway 2 which is program for reconstruction in uh 2027. Well rightway started earlier even last

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year and we worked through that process. Uh most of the rightway has been acquired. The plat is complete and ready to be recorded. Um, in order to do that, we need the administrator and the chairman to sign the plat. And so we're requesting allow that to happen.

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>> Right. Any questions for Steve on this first item? >> Nope. I >> move commend the people that did it. Is it looks really nice. It's Yeah, I do have some comments a little bit later, but >> yeah, >> I'll move approval. >> Okay, >> I'll second it. >> Okay, motion a second to approve the

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rightway plan for CASA 2. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor I >> opposed. It's carried. Thank you, Steve. Go ahead, >> Mr. Chairman, members of the board. The second item being that Jay Witstock has submitted his resignation as the county

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Benton County surveyor. Um, I'm requesting some direction from the board on how you'd like to proceed with uh uh filling that spot. He'll his term will end uh the end of June. And so we'd like to uh make sure that we don't have a gap

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in there so that things can continue to to work. Um there's a couple options. There's been several uh other surveyors that have expressed an interest in becoming a Benton County surveyor. Uh we also have uh Jay has a deputy county

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surveyor who who works with him currently. So I I would see that probably options would be to extend to the uh to the deputy maybe to the end of his term and then reconsider it or you you think you have we have enough time

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we could uh proceed for RFPs and see if uh there were other surveyors that would be interested in >> Steve what's left of Jay's term >> it'll end in the end of December of this year. Oh >> okay. Well to me it would make sense to >> extend it with the deputy and then it gives us time to go for RFPs if we

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choose to. He's worked on other items for us, right? He's he's worked on on this plat. He's very responsive. I think that Monty had said he >> he's been working on the subdivision of this lot for us, right? >> Okay. Okay. >> Well, that would make total sense. >> Okay. Is there a motion?

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>> I'll make that motion that we extend. >> Okay. >> I'll second it. >> And motion a second to extend uh with the deputy uh surveyor for Witstock Consultants. Is there any other discussion? Again, that would be extending till the end of the year. And maybe we could make a note on the calendar that we have some discussion in

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September October. >> Yeah. >> On whether or not we're going to do RFPs or not so we don't run out of time. >> All right. Any other discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I opposed. It's carried. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, members of the board, uh just a little

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bit of history on this third item. It's an agreement for federal participation in advanced construction. So, uh, the county competitively, uh, uh, was able and successful in receiving some federal highway funds for the reconstruction of

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County State Highway 2. That was programmed in a in a future year. It looked like it was programmed in 2027. And what the county decided to do is is take those funds and apply them to another eligible federal project which

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is County State Highway 3. We currently are set up to open bids on that project on May 8th. So we we've got to that point with the County State Highway 3 project that's being since it's being advanced from the original date of 2027

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to 2026. um we have to upfront the funds and we'd use our county stated highway uh aotment to up up uh pay up the uh for the project on county state highway 3. But we need an agreement so that in the

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future then it's reimbursed us the with those federal funds. That's what this agreement is for. Um, we'll build three this year and then in 27 and 28 we'll get reimbursed uh the federal funds that we were originally set up to receive.

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So, uh there was a a comment from the assistant county attorney. Uh these are pretty standard agreements. They're difficult to change and so um our request is that the board would approve an authorized signature of the agreement. >> Right. Any questions?

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>> Yeah. So you said 27 and 28. Will there be a shortage of funds in there with being we you know because that's a 2027 project. So will we be on a maybe like a cash strapped deal in there at all? We >> we'll be uh for for the county we'll be

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using uh this year our county state a highway account. >> Okay. >> And so we'll have a new aotment then in 2027 of county state aid highway funds for future projects. But then we'll also get a reimbursement for this year. So, we'll actually in 2027

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uh have more funds for additional projects uh that year. >> All right. When you talk about repayment, sometimes you get skeptical. >> Any other discussion or is there a motion? What would you like to do? I'll make a motion to um the agreement

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for federal participation in advance construction >> and authorize the chair and administrator >> and authorize the chair and administrator to sign. >> Okay. >> I'll second. >> Okay. Motion a second. Um any further discussion hearing? None. All those in favor?

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>> I opposed. It's carried. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, members of the board. Then the final item uh is for a project that we are sponsors for the city of Rice. It's the uh Rice Railroad crossing trail project

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that was bid in 2025. The the bids had come in substantially higher than what the engineers estimate was and the city had requested that the bids be rejected which they were. Then this spring again they they they

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made some minor changes, but they also uh with this were bidding this in a in a in a more uh an easier accomplishable uh bid time frame >> and so bids were received. They continued to be in excess of what the

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original engineers estimate was. Part of why some of that doesn't get changed is because if you you make changes, you um you end up having to go through the federal process. And so they went to rebid obviously that we have a better

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time frame laid out saved almost $50,000 from the last time it was bid. >> Um the city council uh considered the project last night and provided the resolution. They concur in the award. uh that and recommend that the board would

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make that award. Um and so that is our request that we would uh that the board would authorize award to the lowest responsible bidder and we'd proceed with establishing a contract with them. >> And that's because that's under a city of 5,000. Correct.

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>> Right. It has to be routed through the county because >> through the county and we've done other projects like that. >> Correct. >> And that was our original intent. >> Yeah. Right. >> All right. Any qu Go ahead, Commissioner P. I'll make that motion that we um award um whatever the city council Rice

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did last night and I I'll second it. Any other discussion? Any other discussion? >> I just have one quick question just for clarification for the public. So, this is at no cost to the county. It's just running through the county because of

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the size of the city, >> right? federal funds. Federal funds either run through a county or a city over 5,000 population. And these if a township would be eligible for a project or a small city, they have to enter an agreement with a with the county. And we

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handle the funds. The state funds it through us. It's the only way they can compete for those those dollars. >> And Steve, are counties eligible to receive some administrative costs on that or >> not. would have to you know the engineering costs and those type of

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things are not eligible. Um Benton County appears and so do most counties provide that gratus to these small cities if you do that work for them. >> Right. >> Um without charging them if you did it would be in the agreement what they would that they would have to >> kind of like we have to do the bridge work in townships.

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>> Correct. >> Yeah. Okay. All right. Any other discussion? >> Hear none. All those in favor? I opposed. >> That's carried. >> That's all. Mr. could I could we catch you just for a quick update. Would you be willing to share I know you and I have had conversation a brief update on the city of Gilman discussion with their

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city engineer. I know that you met and just inform the board of maybe where things are at in Gilman. >> Um tomorrow actually we're going to meet with the general contractor go over the punch list. We met with two council members and the city engineer. And just

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like any project, I guess it's built kind of towards the end of the season, there are there's a punch list of uh items that the general contractor has to correct. There's been some concrete panels that were cracked. Uh there's some weak weak spots within the pavement

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that'll have to be cut out, repaired before the wear course goes down. There's cleanup in the city that has to take place. We went through those with the the two council people and the engineer. I think at the end of it we we uh were in agreement with what needed to be done. Um and it actually ended on

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fairly decent note. We uh we're we're moving forward and once restrictions come off, I believe that the general will want to get this uh done pretty quickly. >> Sure. Okay. Thank you for that update. Commissioner Pensky, do you have a question? >> Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um Steve,

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just you've been doing this a long time. In light of hearing some of these dollars that potentially could come to the city, what's your thought on that? What I mean, do you see this happen a lot out there or >> the the dollars you're getting for the county? It's phenomenal. That's to say.

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Yeah, that is uh that is really phenomenal for, you know, Benton County is it's a rural and urban. It's kind of a very unique county. Um, so you have some of those things going for you, but to accomplish that uh the way you have

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is going to be a huge success as this all comes into into furation. Yeah, you you really deserve a all of you a pat on the back. >> Thank you. It it's definitely been uh a lot of a lot of uh and Steve, I gota I

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got to say um we appreciate you more than you can even though I think we we say it every time we see you, but you stepping in has been a a godsend. So >> yeah, it's been a challenge. I appreciate >> no way we can commi can get convince you

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to retire. I know that question's asked every time, but truly in in looking at everything that you've accomplished in the time that you've been here is absolutely amazing. Um,

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great. >> I really appreciate the accolades, but I have to say those those folks out at public works are phenomenal. >> Okay. >> You your your your employees out there have really worked hard to to get this isn't me, it's them. >> Okay. and the build guidance.

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>> I I pro provide a little input once in a while, but uh you know that build grant and the work I I have to I I kind of am reluctant to say any name, but Adam Richie what he put into that to get that in and all of the work uh that that he

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did with that and this is going to be that part of the success of that. He really needs a lot of credit. >> Thank you for ch Thank you for the update. >> Thank you very much. >> Thanks. >> All right, Sheriff Good morning, bishops. Morning. Morning. >> Well, as I mentioned, I think last time

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I was at this podium, we've reached the time of year where uh we take a moment to pause and say thank you to many of the people in public safety. And I'm before you today to uh seek approval of a proclamation for National Correctional Officers Week in Benton County. Every

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year the first full week in May is set aside to honor the the men and women that work in our nation's jails and prisons. So that will be May 3rd to May 9th of 2026. Uh the folks that we have here in Benton County and across the nation, they do

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they do very difficult job working in uh as you can might imagine a difficult environment uh with some people that don't want to be there and uh are there because they have some behavior issues. So, uh, it's it's a very challenging job and we're terribly terribly grateful for

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the people that we do have in our facility. The work that they do every day to, um, keep each other safe, to keep our inmates safe, to keep them securely behind the walls and following the rules is truly remarkable. Um, working 24/7, dealing with some, as I

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said, very challenging people, it it speaks volumes for the quality of the folks that we have over there. And um I think they're very definitely deserving of a week where we stop and say thank you to them every year.

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>> Thank you, Commissioner Kapinsky. >> Thank you for that. I I I I think we could I mean, not taking any light off of them guys, but the board is very challenging and I too have behavioral issues. They're just a different different kind. >> We're not recognizing your issues. But

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I'm going to I I I can't say enough about the correctional officers and what they're put against both from the state level, judicial level. I mean, they're they're tasked with a lot of things that are mandated and um they got my full

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support. I mean, anything public safety is is in is got 100% of my support. So with that, I'll make a proclamation to uh make this um this week uh the dates aren't in >> third to the 9th of May.

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>> The 3rd through the 9th of May uh as correction week. >> I'll second it. Any other discussion, >> comments, discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? I opposed. It's carried. Thank you, Sheriff. >> Y thank you and we appreciate the

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support. Uh, next item is the annual report. It's been a number of years now that I've stood before you and give you an annual rundown of what's gone on in the sheriff's office. So, one last time,

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I'll I won't read the whole thing because I'm sure you've had some fascinating moments reading through the entire thing, but I would like to pick out a few highlights. Um, I think the biggest highlight from this year's annual report is that we seem to have

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hit I'm perhaps we've hit kind of a new normal. Uh, there's been a lot of volatility that's happened over the last five years with with all the things we've all had to deal with with uh the pandemic and and kind of the challenges to public safety and and the change

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that's been injected into our system through all these u all these events in our society. And I I think that we've maybe all taken a breath and have kind of moved into a nor new normal. And I'm hoping that as the uh as the data

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continues to build here, that trend is going to be identified as uh more of a stable presence here. One of the good pieces that I can report uh is even though we've reached well

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this new normal that we've reached appears to be uh a positive one for Benton County because our crime rate and our number of crimes while it remained virtually unchanged in 2024 like many of these statistics I'm going to go over

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that's maintaining our uh stance of a 74% decrease in the crime and crime rate since 2017. >> And that I I think that's a remarkable uh statistic and it speaks very well again of the team that we have over here at the sheriff's office. Um they do a

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remarkable job every day in every aspect of our our work. One of the challenges that we're seeing is even though we're seeing a reduction in crime, um some of the interpersonal conflict continues to be uh among the top five most reported

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crimes, specifically domestic assault continues to kind of stay on that radar and and be something that I find troubling. We uh we continue to work with folks like um like Willy's group that does some work with domestic

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assault and doing our best to put out messaging and and kind of hopefully change that tide of uh of domestic assault and see if we can't make Benton County a little bit safer in that regard. Uh one of the other challenges of course that we're facing this year as we faced

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over the last probably five to six is finding good people to be part of this team. Um it is it is remarkably challenging to uh to find the people that meet the standards that we think Benton County deserves and uh we

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continue to work away at it and it just places an emphasis on how important it is to keep the people that we have and how much we appreciate the folks that are here. So we continue to work on meeting that challenge. We'll move through the report and just

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kind of highlight division by division as the report is organized that manner. So, I'll start out with the public safety answering point or our PAT. That's the first point of contact for most people with public safety when they're calling 911 or calling our non-emergency line because they need

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some help. Um, our PAP not only answers 911 calls that come in through the entirety of Benton County, but also the administrative lines for our office, the Foley Police and Fire Department, the Rice Police and Fire Department, and the

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Sock Rapids Police and Fire Departments. So, they're very busy over there. Anytime that they get a call, we document that, of course, because that's what we do. and we document that on something called an initial complaint report or an ICR. So in 2025, the our

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Benton County PAP generated 25,963 ICRs. That was 666 more than in 2024. Uh the busiest time in the PAP was from 1:00 p.m. to 1000 p.m. And Fridays and Wednesdays were the

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busiest days of the week. >> May through October were were the busiest months in the PAP. 71 calls a day. >> Moving on to the civil process and warrant division. Uh these are two duties that are statutoily assigned to the sheriff's office. In 2025, we

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received 869 requests to serve civil process papers. That was 37 fewer than in 2024. And for the year 2025, we had 1,114 arrest warrants that were presented to us, and that was five more than in 2024.

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Uh, the next division I'd like to touch on is the patrol division. This is obviously our most visible division. Um, what people most people think of when they talk about the sheriff's office is the deputies out there in the marked cars and uniforms driving around. Um, in

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2025 13,614 ICRs were assigned to our units within the patrol division. That was 110 fewer than in 2024. of those traffic stops accounted for the single largest category. The next five

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most uh off often uh done activities by the patrol division was assistance to the public and other agencies, medical emergencies, suspicious activity reports and animal related incidents and finally alarms.

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The five most reported crimes to our office in 2025 in order were harassment, theft, domestic violence, fraud, and illegal dumping. Um, you know that there's a lot missing there. So, we're proud that there isn't more violent

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crime in there. We're very happy that even burglary was down. So, that's some good news. Uh, the majority of the ICRs assigned to the patrol division happened between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Fridays were the bus busiest day

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and Sundays were the least busy day. July, August, and September were our busiest months in the patrol division. Uh, move on to talk just a little bit more about crime and crime rate in Benton County. So whenever we talk about

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the crime rate to compare that to statewide statistics, we're a year behind because of the way the state publishes the crime data. Our group A crime rate in Benton County in 2024, the number was 1,52

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crimes per 100,000 people. To put that in perspective, according to the 2024 BCA uniform crime report, Minnesota's overall crime rate that year was 3,793 crimes per 100,000 people. And that

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represents a our crime rate as being 72% lower than the statewide average. >> That's huge. >> We have data for 2025 for Benton County's crime rate. It went up just a bit at 1,074

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crimes per 100,000 people. Um I don't have the again the data statewide for 2025, but I'm I'm very satisfied that we're remaining at this very low level of crimes and crime rate within Benton County.

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Moving on to our investigative division. Uh this is a division that we tasked with doing longer or more complex investigations, felony levels, that type of thing. We have uh we have a lieutenant, two investigate two detectives, and two deputies assigned to

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the violent offender task force here along with a an investigative aid. In 2025, there are 109 cases assigned to the investigative division. That's one more than 2024. And of those 109 cases,

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91 were cleared. That's a very remarkable clearance rate of 83%. Um, they do a fabulous job getting to the bottom of the things that are assigned to them and it is that's a remarkable statistic out in this report as well.

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Our members on the violent offender task force were very busy. Uh they continue to work on on drugs and and gangs in Benton County and the surrounding area that is part of part of the votive. In their work, they're seeing that

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methamphetamine continues to be the most commonly reported drug in the area. Fentinel continues to make inroads towards uh towards that crown, however, and remains a growing threat. But methamphetamine still is the king.

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In 2025, our investigators took just over 1 kilogram of methamphetamine off the street along with over 760 fentinel pills, over 50 gram of fentanyl powder, about 1/3 a gram of I'm sorry, 1/3 a

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kilogram of cocaine, six firearms, and about $4,500 in cash associated with controlled substance. In 2025, there were 10 search warrants served in Benton County by the Violent

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Defender Task Force Unit. Moving on to the jail division, in 2025, the jail had an average daily population of 39.28 inmates. That was an increase of 2.8

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uh ADP, average daily population units compared to 2024. So over 2025, the jail booked in 1,468 inmates, which was 58 fewer bookings than in 2024. However, the average length of an inmate

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stay in 2025 was up to 17.7 days. That's an increase of almost nine more days compared to 2024. So we booked in fewer people, but they stayed longer in our facility, and that generated the slightly higher average daily

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population. Uh we even though the state has made some improvements at their efforts to deal with the mental illness crisis that we have uh we still continue to see massive amounts of unserved and

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underserved people with mental illness in this state. Uh and unfortunately many of them end up in our jails. um they engage in nuisance behaviors and end up committing low-level crimes, get arrested, and they don't have the wherewithal to

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bail out. So, they end up in our jail. Um and they contribute to kind of that challenging environment that our detention officers have to deal with. Uh they can be unpredictable. They can engage in violent and and and

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selfharming behaviors. So until the state actually is serious about tackling this issue and increasing the capacity in in the system that they operate where these people are supposed to be, we're going to continue to struggle with that. In an effort to kind of make the to in

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an effort to make the jail more fiscally responsible, we do charge some fees and collect those. We charge um a booking fee, a work release fee, and a daily boarding fee for those who are convicted. In 2025, we collected $27,56

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in those fees. Additionally, when we have it, when we have the excess capacity, we will house for other facilities. In 2025, we collected over just over $62,000 in revenue for prisoner boarding

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in the jail. Our volunteers are also a big part of our mission over there and it's appropriate that you know we're talking about this during National Volunteer Appreciation Week. Uh we have our mounted patrol

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unit. That's a group of citizens that are dedicated to horsemanship and putting their skills to use to help us with things like security, search and rescue. um they they do many many hours of training and many many hours of

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details for us. In 2025 as the number that they worked was 457 hours for our office. We also have a group of citizens who volunteer to be reserve deputies. These are nonsworn uh members of the community who step forward and assist us

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when we have need for things that are appropriate for a non-reserved person such as traffic control or some uh security at the fair, that type of thing. In 2024, the 11 volunteer members of the reserve deputy performed a total of 199 hours of uh

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volunteer service. And finally, under volunteers, we have approximately 80 individuals who volunteer in the jail. These volunteers uh run programs. They are responsible for all the things that

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go into our jail to help keep people from coming back. Reduce that recidivism rate, give them some job skills, some life skills, and basically uh keep them busy and occupied in positive fashion. Those 80 individuals in 2025 performed

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1,214 hours of program work in the jail. So, we're very, very grateful for all of those folks who come in and help us out. Part of our mission here is to reach out to the public and to be proactive.

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One of those programs that we use is the DARE program. In 2025, 476 students in six Benton County schools were presented with the DARE curriculum. We also have our police activities league program that runs in the summer.

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This program allows children aged 5 to 15 to come out in a park, play with some our staff in a in a relaxed manner, do some crafts, engage in some sports, build that rapport, and

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hopefully generate some some trust and some goodwill within the community to to make that partnership stronger. We also annually host youth snowmobile and youth ATV certification courses which are very well attended.

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Crime prevention continues to be a focus of our office and we use our social media platforms on um on Facebook on X and Next Door to distribute that information uh seek help from the public uh give information on crime prevention

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and safety. uh we've had good success, especially when we're putting up a picture of a person maybe that we want to talk to or uh have has a warrant, that type of thing. The public is very responsive to that and we're very grateful for that. And additionally, we

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continue to partner with Benton County Herald and they graciously allow me to write a once monthly crime prevention and safety column. Um, so that's my highle summary of our annual report and I'd be happy to answer

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any questions that the board may have. Thanks, Sheriff. Any questions? >> Mr. Chair, one um and I think Troy, we've talked about this before, but I know that um I mean

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to offset the cost of of low I mean low volume people in the jails or whatever. Uh uh federal and state inmates is is there a lengthy process to go to that?

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Is that something Benton County would qualify for? What's the process to get there? >> So, we do currently do housing for state inmates. the the bottleneck here is there's some

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there's some work to administer this program the because these inmates are coming out on a work release program out of the state. So they get towards the end of their sentence and they're allowed to go into a county jail and they're allowed to go out like any other work release individual is find a job if

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they have a job begin working. um administering that takes some time and some bandwidth and that's kind of the the limiting factor right now for us to bring more of those people in. As far as federal inmates, um you know that I'm I

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don't have a p a good pulse on that right now as what it would take to bring federal inmates. Um you know, obviously there's some controversy surrounding that and there there's some some unsettled areas of law. So, I think we'd want to involve uh involve Kathy's

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office and look at that carefully, but you know that that could be something that we would explore. >> Okay. >> Any other questions, comments for Sheriff Commission? >> Yeah. Uh in light of correctional week going um it's not them who don't want

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the people to be put in jail, right? And it's not Cath Kathy's group that they prosecute to the max. It's the judicial system above our local judges that say who goes to jail, who doesn't. Correct. >> Indeed. It's this has been one of my

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frustrations over my tenure as sheriff is that gradually and slowly the state has taken steps to make it uh less likely that people go to jail and stay in jail. We have uh we have the sentencing guideline commission

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that has taken uh taken steps several times over my tenure to reduce bail to make it less likely that people will stay in jail and and change kind of change the rules that that Kathy's prosecutors have to play under um change

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the guidelines for what our judges are able to do. And then you have efforts uh at the state legislature. Um one particular party that sees uh jail as not being the appropriate route and and

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and in passing laws to for example uh change the threshold for uh controlled substance investigations. That was a major shift not too long ago. And yes, the the state and the the the

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governor's office and the legislature continue to make it less and less likely that people are held in jail. >> Yeah. At at our uh last AMC meeting in our public safety committee, we had Commissioner Schnell come in and that was some of the comments that I made to

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him. And until the Department of Correction and the judicial system get on the same page, a lot of these things that are down at the local level can't be fixed. >> So, I would like to see us start pushing up versus waiting for them to push down.

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It It's a lot easier said than done, though. >> I would agree. >> Thank you for all your work. >> Any other questions, comments for the sheriff? >> Thank you, Troy. Right Sandy. >> Well, human services has always got something going on in the news. So, we

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thought we'd give you just a a fairly quick update on some of the the our reactions to the governor's proposals and his budget and some of the things that are about to hit happen for us federally. Um, so I think Janelle is going to go first. She's handing out some new handouts we've gotten since the

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packet needed to go out. Um, but it's just a report on how Benton County is doing. So, I'll let Janelle. Yes. >> Good morning, Commissioner. >> Good morning. >> Um, just wanted to give you an update on the um HR1

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legislation that went into effect July of 25. Um, let's see. There'll be a significant amount of work related requirements. They're figuring out 140,000 motans will have to meet different criteria and the

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changes started in 20 2025 and will continue through 2027. Um the expanded work requirements, it used to be age 18 through 54. They've changed it to

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older than 13 up to 64. um with that requirement, if someone applies for SNAP and then they're in that area or that age range and they don't have another exemption from employment, they have to meet certain requirements

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which basically the workers have to read through the work rules and then there's certain criteria they have to be doing to continue to get SNAP. Right now, if someone those ages apply for SNAP, they're eligible for three months. um

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and out of 36 months and then they wouldn't be eligible anymore. We do have two banked months per person now. So, if they do the three months, they actually get five months and then they're off unless they're doing something that would exempt them.

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Um the thrifty food plan um won't be going up as much for for 27, so there'll be an average of $5 less per household. um per household for SNAP.

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Um and there's exemptions removed. Um the veterans exemption um homeless and youth aging out of foster care was removed. However, Minnesota has chosen to remain exempting people that are homeless.

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And then the bottom one, reduce state flexibility. There's a a few counties that um their unemployment rate is above 10 thou 10%. Um so that is an exemption from the work rules. And then I just wanted to mention um our

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administration fee for Benton County is estimated to be $241,665 county share. And then on the handouts that I gave you, um, just kind of showing the progress that we've made over the past couple

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years with timeliness. We, back in 21, we were at 86.4. Um, then we brought, let's see here. Now, that would be the cash assistance one. That one, um, we've got it up to 88.7,

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and we continue to work on trying to bring those numbers up. There is not any performance improvement plan on that part of it. Um let's see course missed the one.

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Anyway, I was going to mention um we did back in October of 25 we mandated that um our workers schedule all the SNAP appointments within 5 days. So that we're for surely looking at every case for expedited. Um

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and then also with doing that our air rate has come up to like right around 91%. So it's increased or it's decreased over the last three years. >> Any questions? >> Any questions? I have no questions on

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SNAP, but I do have a request because I received a phone call on something completely different. So, >> okay. Do you want to wait till they're done with their presentation or Okay, >> that's fine. >> All right. Anything else? All right. >> Okay. >> Thank you.

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>> Thank you. >> Good morning. >> Good morning. >> I'm just going to give an update on some medical assistance. Um, so I'm going to talk about some of the governor's proposals and then also some HR1 updates. So first on the governor's proposals, I'm just going to run through

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some of the items that were on the proposal. Um, these are some of the items that were proposed to transfer functions from counties to DHS by July 1st of 2028. And I'm just going to go through those and kind of how they

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relate to what we do now. Um, and the amounts that we do for these items. Um, one of them that they were proposing to take on at DHS were data entry of all paper applications um, and eligibility determinations for

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MA for families with children, adults without children, and Minnesota Care. And then ongoing case maintenance of these would go back to the counties. So currently for those um on average per month we see about 19 applications at

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the county. Um and processing time on those really varies depending on the household size and if we have to verify assets. Um so time timelines on those really vary. Um another one was all eligibility functions related to MA for

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people with breast or cervical cancer. Um, and those we see probably a handful a year. Those are pretty minimal. Another one was all eligibility functions related to medical assistance for children receiving Northstar

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adoption assistance and then ongoing casement maintenance on those would come back to the counties. Um, we see probably on average about three per month at the county. Um the next one would be emergency medical assistance and then ongoing case

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man maintenance for those would also come back to the counties. We see on average about a couple per month at the county. And then the last one was um conducting exparte renewals for medical assistance for enrolles who are 65 or

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older, blind or have a disability. So exparte is an automated method for renewing health care that bypasses paper renewals using existing records. So it's kind of a workaround. So certain populations don't have to do that paper renewal.

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Um so it's again it's a workaround. On average over the past six months we've had about 98 cases that were able to follow that exparte process. And then on average that process takes anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes depending on on the

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case. So that was the governor's proposals. The next part I was going to touch on was the HR one medical assistance and some upcoming changes that we're going to see in our area um coming January 1st

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of 2027. And these are additional tasks that would come to our our department for medical assistance. Um, adults without children on medical assistance would are going to have to meet work requirements as a condition for their medical

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assistance eligibility beginning on January 1st, 2027. And this would be a huge increase in work for our staff um and verifications. So, these um these clients would need to meet an exception or complete a qualifying

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activity in the month prior to their application. And they would need to meet an exception or complete a qualifying activity in one of the six months prior to their healthcare renewal. And then another update would be adults

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without children must conduct eligibility re redeterminations every six months starting in 2027. This would also be an increase in work for our staff and this would mean um this would be an extra renewal

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for normal recipients. So this would be going from one to two renewals per year. So that would be basically doubling the work from a normal one annual renewal. So, some of the challenges we're going

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to be facing with these implementations would be awaiting federal guidance, continual new policies, processes, procedures, and system workarounds for staff, tight timelines, limited workforce, and competing priorities, system limitations.

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And we're seeing that these governor's proposals would be challenging if they're taking over a piece of these processes and then peace peacemealing things. and then we would be getting the cases back from the state and then having to answer clients questions after

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they're determining the eligibility and then we're back doing the case maintenance on these cases. Um so some of the takeaways that we're seeing is that the co the governor's proposals are pretty minimal in nature and that they're meant to take away some of the administrative tasks from our

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department. Um, and per DHS, the idea is not to take away capacity from the counties, but to allow us to get other work done due to the administrative piece of it. >> That's what I had for an update. Any questions? >> Go ahead, Commissioner.

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>> Sounds like we're going to be a whole lot busier. >> Sounds like we're going to have an interesting budget discussion come August. Those are the two takeaways from that is that even though the governor's propos some of the proposals would take some work away from us, it doesn't make up for the work that is added to us from

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the federal level. >> So it it isn't a great break for us. And then secondly, this is just one of the major budget issues that I'll be bringing as well. So >> his it's just a proposal as of now, right? >> Yes. the governor's proposal, but the

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$241,000 is >> federal and it's been staying. >> That's for real. >> Yes. >> All right. Any questions? Commissioner Bernite, did you want or Sandy, are you finished with the Okay, Commissioner Bite?

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>> Um, uh, Gerald Ldenbach, who runs the cemetery stuff, called me and, um, somebody called and left him a message. >> I actually talked to him. >> Oh, you have talked to him. And and did you send him a copy of the changes and

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the application so he knows what he's doing? >> I can send him that, but I did get an invoice, but that's separate thing. But um I did talk to him about that. I can send that to him. >> Yeah, cuz he said his board was wondering, you know, how it was changed

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and how it read. So if you can send him a copy of the changes and the application so he has that on file. >> Okay. >> Thank you. Yep. And I was going to mention I did get um I called Langova for those plots and I do have an invoice

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that I'll be getting on to Sandy so that we have some plots available or lots available for those people too. >> Okay. Any other questions? Thank you ladies. >> Thank you. Thank you.

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>> All right, Kathy. Sorry, Jacqueline, you get to sit in a little longer. >> I was saying I thought I thought she was before me. >> Well, good morning commissioners. Um, I was here about two months ago uh with an update with regards to the county attorney's office. Um, I feel like a lot

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has happened in those two months, so I'm here to update you again. Um, unfortunately, since then, we've uh lost another attorney. Uh, we lost James Staley to another county. um they were willing to pay him about $25,000 more a year. It was a much much closer commute.

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Um so he left on April 9th. Um for what it's worth, he indicated that he loved Benton County. He loved working here. It just came down to money. Um so unfortunately, we had him for about a total of five months. Um >> he was wellliked. We got him trained. We got them

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>> working. and that's kind of what happens is we get them to the point where they're very useful to us and then we're kind of a training ground and they go somewhere else. So that was very unfortunate. Um his position is listed. I think it closes this Thursday unless we uh extend it. We do have a handful of

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applicants but only a handful. Um so I'm not sure where where we'll get with that, but we plan to interview in early May. Uh, with regards to our victim assistant coordinator positions, um, I think I explained last time at the end of last year when we were trying to fill

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our vacant attorney positions, we also lost our part-time victim assistant. We kind of decided not to fill that position because the grant for that position as well as our full-time position that Amy Fousey holds um, is it there's going to be some budget cuts.

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we've we've gotten the information that that's headed head headed our way and we're our concern rests with keeping her uh position. Um so these are going to be competitive grants this coming year. We're concerned again about keeping

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Amy's job funded. Um she provides a statutoily mandated service to the uh victims of Benton County. So we we need her position. We usually know how much money they will provide towards Amy's position by summer by the time that we do budgets. Uh we've

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already been told that we will not have that information by the time that we do budgets. It'll be uh likely this fall before we have the numbers of how much money they will provide towards her position. So that's going to make budget time difficult for us because we're not

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going to know how much we have for her position and how much we need to ask from uh the board to supplement that. Mr. Did you have a question? >> Yes. Who come up with this bright idea that they get to go through all budgeting without giving us the information?

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>> Well, it's always been a little bit of a challenge because their budget year is different than ours. So, it's but we at least have always had the numbers of what we expect for the following year by the time that we're doing our budget presentations. Um, I think because of

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the cuts, the competitive grants, the things that they are undergoing, they're just I mean, they're they're doing things now, but from what they've told Amy, we will not know until fall. >> And Kathy, is that position 100% grant funded? >> It is not. I believe that

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I believe that we get 43,000 towards Amy's position, okay, from that grant as of now. We're hoping that maybe by not filling that part-time position and kind of using some strategic ways in our comp

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in our competitive applications to address other issues that they've um indicated are important to them before that we can hopefully still get that amount so that the county is just pitching in the amount that they have in the past. Uh but we just aren't going to

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have that information unfortunately until the fall. So, I don't know where that will leave us at that point. So, >> thank you. >> Um, but we are coming up with strategic ways to to work on that um grant application that Amy's working on. We're getting more attorneys involved to maybe

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beef it up and and hopefully get get them the information they need. Um, so that's where we are with that. Um, the third issue and the most vital at this time is our continued need for additional support staff. Um, you guys

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have heard it from me before. I sent an email out recently. Um, Benton County is extremely underststaffed in this position compared to the other counties in Minnesota. Um, and I'll and I'll say it again in comparison to the other counties in our CA class and comp study,

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there's an average of one support staff per 1.23 attorneys in that whole area. Uh, Benton County's uh, ratio is 1 to4. So, we have two support staff for eight attorneys. So, we're the absolute lowest

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um in all the comparison counties. Um the next lowest to us is Morrison County. They have three support staff for six attorneys. So, they have a 1:2 ratio. So, as I've indicated before, for Benton County to reach the next lowest,

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we would be asking for two more positions. But again, I'm I'm only asking for one. Um but I have been asking for that one for about three years now. And the reason I've been doing that is because I was concerned that the two ladies in our office that carry the load of four to six people

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based on that evidence provided, they're essentially doing four to six people's jobs. Um that they would grow tired of being overworked and lacking the support of others uh to share the workload because we are so understaffed there. They don't feel like they can take time

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off vacation that they've earned. um they c they feel like they are putting us at at in such a tough position when they have medical appointments. Um they have kids, they have things that are going on, but they know it has such an impact when one of them is gone from our

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office because we only have one other person. Um and they also know that when they return after any time off, they're going to be slammed with all that additional work that has sat there while they've been gone. there's never really been an opportunity to cross train um or to learn each

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other's roles because their duties are so their their roles their duties are so expansive right now that there's there's just no ability to do that. There's no personnel to back them up. There's no one else to train in case they need to be gone. Um again, Carrie and Amanda do

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the work of four to six employees. Um and that is supported by the numbers that I continue to to give you. Um, what I have been most afraid of these past few years is losing them because of these unreasonable expectations.

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And as I've told you, my fears are now becoming a reality at this point. Um, so I am desperate at this point in my plea with the county board uh to not let us lose Miss Warner, our parillegal. As I indicated, she is interviewing other places. Um, she is an employee who has

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specialized skill, training, education, and is the only person in our office that can perform the functions necessary to deal with electronic discovery in all of our criminal cases. And that's not her total job. She has a lot of other duties on top of that, but that is such

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an expansive part of our criminal case load. We don't have anyone else that can do that. Um, as I've told you before, the demands um, with this job and specifically with criminal discovery have changed uh, drastically in the last

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3 to 5 years. Legal discovery has become an enormous task with all the electronic discovery we receive on a daily basis. We work with seven different law enforcement agencies. Each does things a little differently and using their technology,

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their software to get the discovery to us. And so not only has the amount of data increased significantly, but the task of retrieving it from law enforcement, getting it out uh to the defense in a timely manner has also become an increasing challenge. Um to

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put it in maybe an easier way to understand, imagine going from a world where you get a few police reports, maybe a couple tape statements from law enforcement to going to a world where every officer wears body camera. So from the moment that they're called out to

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the scene to the moment someone's in custody, they are recording. And that can be five or six hours of video. We also obviously know there's an increasing need for backup. So that becomes three, four, five, six officers

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that respond to a call. They now have, you know, five, six hours of body camera to review. Um, we also have a situation where technology has increased. We take cell phones, we take all electronic

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devices, we're getting search warrants, we're doing what we call data dumps to get that. Um, so just the amount of electronic discovery again has increased tenfold. Um, we have the ability because of social media to get search warrants

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and collect that information. Law enforcement makes connections through cell towers as to where defendants and witnesses have been located. And then of course they look at all of social media, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, IP addresses Snapchats Instagrams

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WhatsApp, Kick, Discord, the it just goes on and on. So again, criminal discovery has exploded. um the one and only person in our office that collects that enormous amount of information, keeps it organized, gets it from all seven agencies, figures out how

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to disclose it to the defense, and gets it to us is Amanda Warner. I can't express to you enough how devastating it would be to lose her. Um the criminal side of of our office is going to come to a grinding halt if we

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lose her. Um Kath. Yeah. >> Go ahead, Commissioner. >> Monty, with with in light of of some of the stuff like she's the only one that does this, would that be something that we could maybe reclassify? >> Um,

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so would the board have the discretion to decide itself what that classification should be? >> Yes, you do. >> Okay. We've of course relied upon our compensation consultant to analyze positions, assign points and consequently the grade. Uh but of course

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um the county board can I believe this position is non-union which gives you you know a little more >> flexibility. So >> I think we need to do something because if we do lose this individual where do we go?

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>> That's exactly what I've been thinking is keeping me up at night. It's it's we we can't lose we can't afford to lose her. >> And in all honesty, I'm just speaking for myself. As much as I I know where the budgets are going to be coming in at, I think we need from my standpoint,

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I I don't want to add additional people, but I don't think we have >> So, Mr. I guess I would just ask you to consider countywide consequences of when you make a decision here. >> If you have other departments where an employee is potentially interested in leaving and we know that they may Yeah.

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>> You know, do we extend that that to other departments as well? >> Yeah. >> So, I just ask you to think about those consequences on a countywide basis. >> Yep. >> The nice thing is is this is a non-union position, >> right? >> And it's true, >> Kathleen. Would it take if you had to

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hire bring somebody new in, is it going to take one and a half people to do this job? >> Oh, or more? >> Or more? >> Or more. I the fear I have too is I mean just the training that would have to go on between her and someone else to get

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them even close to up to speed to to do this would be immense. And I don't know if we're even going to have that time if she decides to leave. So it's it's not it's not just her qualifications, her education, her skills. It's her being familiar with being here for as long as

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she has. I mean, the the sheriff's office in Sak Rapids PD are now doing a new it's called Tyler programming system security. You guys have probably heard about it. She's been going to meetings to try to work with them to figure out how this is going to go back and forth.

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>> So, she's part of she's part of, you know, figuring this out with law enforcement. Without her, I I just I don't know where we will be. >> Kathy, what I'm hearing though, this isn't just a salary issue for this person. There's it's a lack of support and work.

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>> It is I mean honestly my my requests are many. It's one to get another person so that the two of them can take off without it completely crippling our office when they need to. It's to give

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her an increase in pay um so that we can compete with these other places that are that have multiple multiple support staff where she's going to have that support. She's going to have an increase in pay. She's gonna have a place that offers 90% insurance rates and they're

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getting a 4.25 bump this next year. So, she's she doesn't want to leave Benton County. She likes Benton County, but um she's a mother and uh she's looking at, you know, >> the challenges we face as we saw and where your your attorney that left went

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to a county that we would never be able to compete with, >> right? >> And that's the challenge some of it. So >> yeah. >> Anyways, Commissioner Princy, do you have something else? >> No, I think Monty was going to >> I'm Yeah. >> Is this something that we could we could send over to DDA as much as I

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>> really don't? >> Well, these positions were reviewed in 25 and and DDA did not recommend a change then. So um you know they always also too look at internal equity. So there were so this position is grade six. The other position is also grade

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six. So for example, if you increase this one, there might be, you know, would you want to look at the other position too to maintain internal equity? >> But internal equity only goes if this is the only person that's doing the electronic portion of things.

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>> I would think that there's a apples and oranges comparison. >> I I was surprised that it did it didn't get bumped up when we did the DDA. I mean, the the information that we provided in there, but there wasn't a way to appeal that. I what I understood

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is you can only appeal what's the description, not actually what level they put you at. >> Um because I mean she is a parallegal besides having the two-year uh associates degree, she has a parallegal certificate. Um so I mean technically she should be at a higher level than

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most the administrative assistants or executive assistants and that's not to slight Carrie in any way because she's also doing the work of two people, three people depending on the numbers that you look at. So, she's also in that same boat, but um this specifically came up

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with Amanda and is a a large concern. >> Now, Kathy, do you have it in your budget this year if you added a position now to cover that to the end of the year? >> I No, I I doubt No. >> The cost would be about 92,000 for

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another grade six position. About 92. That includes a health insurance, family health insurance. Have we been short an attorney also since the one that just left or not? Have you been full staffed? >> We were fully staffed for five months, >> Mr. Chair. I think

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>> in the last, you know, five or six years. >> Which do you think is more important to get additional staff or to bring Amanda up, you know, or bring the pay up? >> I think they're they're both very very important. Um, I mean, I I assume that

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I'm going to be hearing from her that she's going to be offered this other position and I I don't know what they're going to offer her. So, maybe maybe pay is going to be paramount. But, I mean, as you know, for the last three years, I've been barking up the same tree. I mean, again, we're we have two support

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staff where everyone else has double, triple, quadruple that. Um, so there is there is a a quantifiable need for it. Monty. >> So, I I guess if the goal is to try and keep this employee, you'd almost have to potentially set our pay structure aside

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and and really ask the question, what's it going to take to keep her? And whatever it takes, we'll basically decide where she would land on our pay grade. In other words, you go to Tessa, Tessa's going to look at, you know, her external market, so on so forth, you

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know, our 15 comparative counties, internal equity, and so on. that probably won't get you the goal you're trying to reach if that's to keep this person. And it sounds like our competition is our good neighbor to the west. Um

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so you may just have to set aside our current pay structure and say okay what's it going to take to keep this person if you're willing to do that. >> Pinsky do you have comments? >> Good neighbor Sterns or >> St. Cloud. >> St. again I I just would urge caution in

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departing from the pay the pay structure the pay methodology that we follow. Uh I you know I understand sometimes we've made exceptions due to extreme circumstances.

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>> Yeah. Well, and and just my thoughts on this. I mean, you can turn around and offer her whatever she's asking for, and if they don't get the staff over there to to help with the work, that pay isn't

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going to mean >> Yeah. >> I mean, if I'm being quite honest, I mean, you you you can't pay somebody more money and then expect them to do triple the work. That doesn't work that way either. >> Yeah. >> And since I've been on the board, this

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position, this extra position has been asked for. So my thought process in this is yes, I would also like to keep that person and maybe we need to look at reviewing

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the title of that position. >> And I don't personally think we need to spend money on DDA to do that. I think we can give that to our internal HR department to come up with that conclusion for that and bring it back to

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the board. Um, but I do think that we need to we stand to lose as a county a lot more if we do not bring staff staffing up to at least help out with everything that's over there. And to be

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honest, >> and to be honest, the ramifications are big here because I mean, if we if we can't get this discovery and we can't get our job done, that means criminals are released. That means public safety is put in jeopardy. Benton County citizens are not getting what they need.

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This this is the criminal part of the job that I mean, public safety should be our paramount concern. I'm I mean I'm not >> Do we have a parallegal over there that is actually labeled a parallegal?

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>> Well, she is a parallegal. >> That is the job title. That is the job title. Y >> that is but yet it's lumped in with the executive assistants I believe it's called or executive administrators. >> It's called executive assistant, right? Grade six. Yeah. >> In the LA um I think I wanted to make

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sure I heard you right. In the last 5 years, you've been fully staffed for 5 months. >> Is that right? >> I'd have to go back and look specifically, but as you know, that one position was open for close to three years, and now it's been a while since then. So, I don't know if it's quite

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five years, but it's it's been a long time >> since we've been >> Where does that money that's under budget, if they're not fully staffed, go just back in the general fund? >> It does. Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. It helps build reserves as well. >> Yeah. And and if you can recall last

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summer when I when I came before you to make this request, I had the am I mean we we saved close to $400,000 with the lack of money we were paying towards attorneys in my office because of uh being short staffed and I had all the stats and numbers at that time.

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>> So Mr. Again, I I think again if your goal is to try and keep the person, one option is you simply authorize Kathleen to negotiate with employee whatever might be necessary to to retain her here. I don't think it's probably worth to send to DDA and

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>> is I I think I can predict what you're going to get. >> Yeah, >> it would probably be basically the same. >> It's it's very scary to do that because we set a precedence. But on the other side, do we I mean, do we just let this individual walk?

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>> Right. But we're trying to solve a problem that I think is going to monument. And if some if somebody else says the me too me too stuff, we sit up here and we can say no, this is not what we want. >> Yeah. >> This maybe doesn't meet the qualifications.

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I mean it looks frank the four of us sitting up here today are saying that this is urgent this is something that we got to get done and if somebody else department head comes before us I have no problem say no no no go away because we're not interested >> sure we won't be the most liked people

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in around but we have to pick and choose our battles I think guys >> I I agree >> and this is a battle that I don't think according to Kathleen that I want to go down to have to replace plus maybe add another person and get the lack of the experience. I

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>> Monty, just the 92,000 was the cost of the additional staff, >> correct? >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Did you have something else? I I I I think we would have to deal with the 92,000 at budget time to but I think

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we'd have but I I I as much as I hate to say it, I mean we she's proven that we are way way way low on this on the the on staffing levels. >> Well, >> and we've asked her to come in and just explain this because not only does it

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explain it to us, it explains it to the public out there that is listening too. To your point, Commissioner Kapinsky, and I agree at budget time, but budget time is not till August, >> right? >> And I do think we have the ability to adjust our budget on the fly. >> Yeah. Oh, absolutely. >> So,

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>> I think we got to do something. >> I mean, I don't know if we're going to if we're going to approve the position, I think it gets approved and doesn't wait till budget time. It's just my opinion. If if we're going to approve the position, well, >> I agree. >> Because it gonna take some time to get got to get filled, too. And by the way,

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what's the chances of filling it? any idea? >> I I don't know. It's going to take it's going to take some time. And what I what I'm hoping for is if if we can if we can get Amanda to stay with knowing that we are going to be hiring some help and

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maybe boosting her pay or her level or whatever it is, if we can get her, then we can work on some cross trainining um so that we have others with those same capabilities. So, so hypothetically then, is it appropriate if the board were to approve the addition of the new

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position and ask Kathy to have a discussion with her >> about that and have her come back to what that discussion is? I I I don't think we can say, "Yeah, we're going to pay her whatever she wants because she might not go to St. Cloud then." You know what I mean? >> Got to have some type of idea,

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>> right? >> Would Would I be able to come back and say, "This is what her >> offer was. Are we able to match that? I'm sorry. What was Kathy's question? What was your question? >> Or would we be be able to say, you know, could I come back to the board and say they're offering her this? Can we match

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that with the hopes that she would stay versus >> What happens if we were to set like a like a twoperson little committee >> about it >> to work with um uh Sandy? >> Sandy >> or I'm sorry, Susan. Susan. >> Yeah. I I I would agree with that. I

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mean, >> yeah. I just don't know. And I think that she needs HR needs to be involved. >> But I think it's got to come with more more than just the money. It's it's a title. The reason we're doing it is because this individual handles all the electronic

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>> data communication, all electronic evidence, which is paramount to where everything is going. Everything's technology these days. Well, and the thing is is that that's why I said I think Susan needs to be involved in this >> and maybe it's a lead parallegal

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versus a parallegal. >> You know, maybe there's a title change because of what that is. That's again to make sure that we are being fair straight across the board um with the county. I would like to have our HR

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department lead director involved in this. >> Yes, I I couldn't agree more. >> So, could we look at two potential options then? I mean, I think we need to answer Kathy, we're going to approve that position or not and when. To me, if we're going to approve it, it should get approved. get approved

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>> and then we can set up a subcommittee to meet with HR and administrator and Kathy and >> figure a potential out for a change. >> I I I will I will go first if you don't mind. >> As much as I I'm not and the positions aren't against you or anything like that

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or your department and we've been very steadfast on not approving positions, everything like that. Um but in this case, I will tell you in August I would vote for it. And if I'm going to vote for an August and we want to do something here, I'm

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I'm I'm good with doing it now. >> To your point, Commissioner Pop, it doesn't it you know, does it set a precedence? Potentially. >> Every situation can be >> But we can handle it when it comes. >> Right. If it comes. >> If it comes. And I I'm a little little caution on putting it towards Susan

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because then all the department heads are going to go to Susan that we need to look at this and pretty soon you know then she has to come and say this. Um I think >> well but I think to your point though too is this is a particular situation where we're giving that direction to include her in this situation.

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>> Include her in the discussion >> in this situation. >> Right. in this situation only that you know we don't want to see multiple people coming to Susan to >> the other thing is is Kathleen does have three years of background of asking for this too

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>> right >> plus the data to prove it >> and I believe uh Carl Schmidt asked for it the year before as well >> yeah he did so so the motion right now to approve a a another position

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Okay. >> So, just for clarification, uh, uh, the current parallegal is grade six or you have the exe executive assistant grade six that I don't know which one would seem to make the most sense, Kathy, the parallegal or executive assistant position

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>> to list. You mean to to put out there to list or what? >> Well, if you if you're to recruit, what would you want to recruit for? A parallegal or an executive assistant? I mean, ideally a parallegal, but right now it's kind of I mean, the way we

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treat them, they're one and the same. Um, but they have, you know, Amanda has this special skill that she's developed through >> Yeah. >> through working with us this many years and dealing with electronic discovery. Um,

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>> any any support staff is going to help us out. I think regardless of what we call them, we're going to try to cross train so that >> I think where Monty's going is the the scale or what they >> Well, I mean, they're both grade six.

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So, um I I suppose when the dust settles on this, the parallegal might be higher, >> right? I mean, and yeah, >> might be higher than the executive assistant. So, that's kind of why I'm thinking we probably should decide then really which of the two. >> Mr. Chair, I have a question.

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>> Go ahead. So, if we hire an assistant um and it's labeled as that, does that assistant have the capabilities to go through parallegal stuff to upgrade themselves if that's an option

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>> if they have that parallegal uh education and certification? Yes. >> And can they do that on their time if they're hired as that assistant person? >> I I believe they can. I believe I can. >> I mean,

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>> well, first of all, we don't we only have a motion. Is there a second? So, we can continue. Okay. Thank you. >> So, just so I'm clear, the motion and the second is to add an additional executive assistant position at the roughly $92,000 range. Grade six. >> Grade six. Yeah.

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>> Okay. Is there maybe there's some way we could tweak that that this person in question could be raised up and then we bring somebody else in so that we can justify maybe some additional compensation for her.

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>> Don't try let's not try to bring them in at the same level. There's there's so many my head's going spinning right now because I'm sitting here going my my background on this or or where I'm coming from is if we lose this person,

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we don't just put her department in a bad situation. We put our county and our our people in bad situations if criminals are are let go or not prosecuted properly. So, we've got that we got that public safety side of things. Plus, if somebody does leave,

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let's just say this individual leaves and all this work gets put on attorneys. Then all of a sudden, attorneys are flying out of there. >> We've got that going on. >> As educated as the attorneys are in my office, I can only think of one that could even think about doing what she's doing. I I don't have that. I I just

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think the the risk versus the the reward here is I mean even even if these individuals get put at a little higher level or something like that you look at it what's it going to cost to rehire retrain

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>> and then to find the people all while we keep this other staff going and criminals being prosecuted and going through the system. I just think we we're setting our county up for major failure. And I think that's where Commissioner Pop, you're right. I think that's where we can sit up here as a

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board and go, uh-uh. There was way different circumstances here. >> I think and we just got to hold the ground on that because you know, you know, you know as well as I do. It's probably going to happen that you went outside the DDA and you did this and you did that. It's probably going to happen. So, we just have to get up here and

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that's this is how it's going to be. and we ain't, you know, we got to see real merit what she's presenting to us. >> And I'm all I'm all for the conversation with the existing employee and seeing what it takes >> without the conversation of it's an open checkbook and that we're just going to

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make it happen, >> right? >> You know what I mean? >> So, clarify that the motions on the floor is to ask Kath the question. So, you okay with it being an executive assistant recruitment? >> Absolutely. Because that person can come under. We can Amanda's position can be the one that we look to elevate because

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she has specialized. >> But that's your first motion on the floor. Yeah. >> Okay. So, and and I think for clarification, let's keep it clean and we'll address that and then we can come back what we're going to do. >> Any other discussion on the addition of the executive assistant position? >> Just a question because I know that we

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go on a tiered schedule and Monty said this is a grade six that we're bringing this in. Now, is it a possibility because we've had issues with people coming, we train them, and all of a sudden they up and leave. Can we bring a

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new person in at say 69,000 versus the 92,000 on a one-year trial and then after or even after budget where we can just say that you

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know if this works out and you're here for the long term then it moves to that grade six position. Is that an option? the actual salary is only um low >> 60 thou thou thou thou thou thou thou thou thou thou thou I the nanny is like 25,000 that is health insurance right

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yeah it's because I I mean Amanda's rate right now is at 64 66 somewhere in there >> except one is around 30 bucks an hour or something like that >> so the the rest of that is all the insurance and everything else >> that's full package price >> okay >> then I was misunderstanding

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>> okay any other discussion on the executive assistant addition and that would become become effective immediately, I assume, is your motions. >> Yes. >> That okay with you, Commissioner Pinsky. Okay. Any other discussion? >> Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I >> oppose. It's carried. All right. Now, do

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we want to set up a subcommittee? What's your thought process on dealing with the >> I definitely want to look at it. I mean, >> I think we should look at it. I'd support looking at it. Is there any volunteers? >> I'll volunteer. >> I'll volunteer. >> Okay. Commissioner Benoy, Commissioner Kapinsky can meet with Monty and Kathy Susan. have a discussion and see where

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this is going to lead us and bring a proposal back >> one way or the other. >> We all need to meet with the person that we're having this discussion about. That's an option to >> Sure. Could I ask could I ask Kathy? So, are we able to get from I'm sorry,

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what's her name again? >> Kathy. >> Amanda. >> No. >> Oh, Amanda. Sorry. >> Apparently, we're not >> struggling with Kathy. Kathleen either. >> No, we're good. >> Who are you? Yeah, >> we have the same issue. >> Are we going to be able to to to ask

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her, you know, um what she might be getting offered by the competitive employer? >> I don't think we can. >> Yeah, I believe she would. Y Okay. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Is that legal? >> I think so. >> Or maybe the question is what it takes.

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>> Yeah. >> You know, it's up to the employee. The employee can disclose whatever she wants. I mean I >> I don't think we should discuss it publicly what no that's why the committee >> right but she could disclose whatever she wishes to yeah you know so and I guess >> it should be public information we

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should be able to go out and look >> sure with what they're >> and I my thought process on the way >> we bet they're serving wage >> my thought process on the subcommittee too and all of you is there be a recommendation one way or the other coming back >> exactly >> so it's addressed >> okay

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>> and I imagine probably sooner rather than later, too. Right. >> Right. I I believe she has an interview on Thursday. >> Okay. >> And that's the one I'm most concerned about. Not that there isn't others out there but >> Sure. >> Um >> Okay. Any other questions, comments for

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Kathleen? >> Thank you. >> Thank you very much. I greatly appreciate it. This is >> very important. >> All right. Good luck. >> Thanks. >> All right. Uh, I'm going to turn our board meeting over to our, uh, community

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health board vice chair, Commissioner Benoy. >> Um, I'll call the Baton County Community Health Board uh, meeting to order with a note of everyone present except for um,

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Commissioner Heinen who is excused. Um, Jacqueline, any additions, changes, or anything to the agenda? >> No changes to the agenda. >> Madam Chair, I'll move for approval of the agenda presented. >> Second.

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>> I have a motion and a second. All in favor, please say I. >> I. Motion carries. Um there's a consent agenda item for

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meeting minutes for March 17th. >> Move for true approval, Miss Madam Chair. >> I'll second. >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> I. >> Comm uh consent agenda items approved.

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>> Jacqueline. >> All right. Well, good morning. Morning. >> Um I just have a few items today. Our first item on the agenda is to consider an epicare link agreement between our community health board and centric care. Ultimately this agreement is really for

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continuity of care and services between mutual patients or clients that we have. Um mostly will be utilized in our client-f facing programs. Um so looking at like our public health nurses, our women, infants and children programs primarily. Um along with our DPNC uh

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unit staff. Um, side note, it is also National Home Visitors Week. So, I just wanted to announce that as well for our family home visiting nurses and we celebrated public health week last week. It sounds like administrative professionals day is tomorrow. Um, anyhow, our agreement with Centric Care

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um you're just looking for approval so that we can get that going and get our uh staff access to the information that they can utilize. >> Move for approval, Madam Chair. >> I'll second. Any further discussion? I just have a quick question. This is

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basically so that you can share information with like Centricare and some of the clients that you already have here. This is at no cost to the county. >> No cost to the county. Um it's more so that our staff can utilize information that centerare has. So it would be if we

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have a client that's mutual between the two of us, um that we can access information that they have a need to know for their job responsibilities. Okay. >> All in favor say I. I. I. Motion carries. >> All right. U my second agenda item is a

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contract agreement with WhiteBox Marketing. Whitebox Marketing is the same um group that we utilize for the Benton County branding. We would like to utilize that for our central Minnesota Alliance work. Um just to recap on our central Minnesota alliance. I did just bring a couple of visuals on the slide

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here. Um, part of our responsibility underneath the local public health act is to identify what our local priorities are and we do that through our comm community health assessment and community health improvement plan. So that's part of our statute and then in addition to that we also have to um

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align with the areas of public health responsibilities. So these are the areas that are in statute in addition to completing a community health improvement plan. Um public health responsibilities is also part of statute. So those um blue boxes that are on the screen basically those are the

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skills that our staff have to have in order to carry out the areas which are the green circles um on the top of the slide that align with the statute areas of public health responsibility. Um so ultimately what we're looking for is to utilize white box marketing um to

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expand the capacity of our central Minnesota alliance work which is how we do our assessment um and our improvement plan u that we adopted. The plan that we have right now is 25 through 2028. Um, if you recall, we had applied for the state innovations funding through the

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Minnesota Department of Health. Benton County was the grant recipient, but supporting our central Minnesota Alliance work that we do in partnership with Benton, Sherburn, Sterns, and Centric Care. Um, we're ultimately um in a role similar to like a fiscal host um

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in receiving those funds. We wrote the grant to support the work of our alliance work. Um these are the areas that we are working on for 25 through 28. The the three circles there um community connection, stability, and access. And there's just some examples on the bullet points of what that could

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look like. That's not an exhausted list, just an example. Um with Whitebox Marketing, they will be doing some things to um some videos for us. Um work on some templates that we can utilize. um really more of like a professional services contract and certain ways of um

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doing some of the branding work, marketing, um creating some additional templates that we then don't need to have staff working on to create. So, for today, really just looking for approval of our contract with WhiteBox Marketing. We'll be utilizing our state innovations grant that we received. That's a

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$400,000 per year grant to support the CMA. Um this would be budgeted underneath that and it's already been approved with the state to do so. So, >> Jacqueline, um, logo development, those type of things, brand style. How much of this is duplicate from us just

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rebranding? Yeah. >> Um, so this is the the Central Minnesota Alliance brand. So, it is I don't have it on Well, actually, it's that little handshake on there. So, it's really revitalizing the Central Minnesota Alliance branding using their grant funds for that. So, it's the the logo that we have for the collaborative. So,

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kind of think similarly to like we have our First Steps collaborative that has its own brand. Um, it's that brand that we're looking at, not our Benton County local brand. >> Mr. Chair, >> Commissioner Pensky, >> I am not going to lie. I I'm I'm probably not going to be real popular

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here, but I look at $4ome,000 for branding. >> Yeah. >> I I'll tell you this. I I'm done spending grant money on >> and and not I mean I look at $4ome,000 to white box. They rebranded

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the whole airport regional airport for $8,000 in St. Cloud. >> Yeah, that's true. >> So, it's not just the logo. So, if I can clarify, um on the list, if you go to page 11 in your packet, it's it's looking at refreshing our brand, but in

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addition to that, it's videos. It's it's those marketing campaigns. >> And I was going to get to the video real quick because I don't know that I spending I think it was roughly $6,000 on a video of a day in the life of a

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healthcare. I I'm sitting here going, "Holy cow, we we're looking at doing that with schools and everything like that to to to to do that for our other departments." I I look at that's a lot of money. Well, and and and that was

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going to be my point into this, too. I mean, we're paying an outside agency and whether it's grant funding or it's levy dollars, it's still taxpayer money. >> Yeah. And so

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I mean why why can't we utilize the high schools that have programs to for marketing and those kinds of things and they have projects they have to do to graduate. Same with technical college.

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They have a marketing department where those kids have to go through the marketing part. Why can't we utilize those funds to keep them local and still help our pe

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the people in our community? >> I think we could certainly explore that. I think the you know the the purpose of the state innovations grant is infrastructure building. So when the the central Minnesota alliance applied for that grant, it was because we had a regional group um that has been doing

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really innovative work. Um we're we're pretty unique in that we have um a community health planning process that stretches over multiple areas and geographic locations. I think we're the only one that utilizes a health care system in our planning process as well. Um the purpose of our integr innovations

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fund is an infrastructure building grant. The the purpose is to build your capacity in that grant and this was one of those areas um in building the infrastructure for that group. you know, we don't have a staff that's been assigned. Um, we've been sharing that

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role. And so, if if we didn't if we don't have this entity do that, um, you know, that's certainly our our community health board decision. Um, however, we were looking to utilize this service um to develop new plan templates and new

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committee report templates and documents that our committees can use. Otherwise, it falls back to staff and each of our agencies doing that work. um which it the purpose of the grant like I said was to expand the ability for us to be able >> on that you're you're talking because it's statutoily

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um required >> this our community health improvement plan and our community health assessment is statutoily required the grant that we received was to expand the work that we're doing in our regional group that completes the improvement plan and the assessment we have a lot of publications

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that go out we do um you know in some of these different slides you know this this this is kind of the framework that we utilize But we are working with many different sectors, many different entities to complete our public health work under our plan. Um the things that are in here, we were looking to help

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expand that. So you know, for example, the the logo that we have right now, it was created in Microsoft Word probably back in I don't know when I was worked for Sterns County in public health, it was it was probably two years before that. So I'm looking back to 2018ish. Um

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it doesn't have the ability to overlay on documents. It's very restrictive. So, we were looking for that to be refreshed, keeping the same brand but just updated. Um, those templates and those other documents in there, those were things that we would be utilizing in all of our different committees

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across our central Minnesota alliance. So, the only comparison I have really is like our first steps collaborative. We have different documents that we utilize and we have a brand because our community gets to know the brand. Um, they know that that's the public health entities and center care across this region um when we're putting those

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publications out. So the the purpose of this contract was to help us build capacity and infrastructure and then utilized those documents in the years to come. Certainly I could reach back out to WhiteBox and let them know that these rates are too high if that's something that we want to do. Um but I do want to

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just just a refresher. It's not only Benton County. This is the grant that we wrote to support the CMA. Um so while we're the person who's holding the grant, we are the grant holder and the recipient. This is supporting the regional work. Um, so this was something we looked at as a region. Um, so I will

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I can bring this back to our process manager group for the central Minnesota Alliance, see if there are other options that we want to explore. But I will tell you in the past we have been peacemailing this together through staff time from each of our agencies. And it is a pretty big burden on our on our staff.

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>> So just on that point so I'm clear, >> if this doesn't this grant money doesn't get spent, >> we lose it. >> It's still going to happen >> because staff's going to have to do it. Well, we would just end up going with the documents we have and continue to just piece mail it together. You know,

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again, the purpose of the grant, the state innovations is a infrastructure building grant. The whole goal of the grant that we wrote was to build our infrastructure, build our capacity. Um, and this was going to that the grant that we had proposed hiring those two

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positions under the regional data analyst and the regional CMA program manager. Um, we paused hiring those positions this year. Um and we decided to contract those out in the meantime. Um and then in doing so also had planned to do some of this basic infrastructure

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work so that when we do move ahead um to hiring those two positions, these things exist. Um really was just looking to build upon what we have and and have better publications moving forward. >> This 400,000 is it every year for three years or is over three years? >> So that grant was um it's a two-year

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grant. >> Yep. >> Yep. And we had um during year 1, we did not spend hardly any of our funds during year 1 primarily because we were looking for contracting those professional services out. We did not recruit and put those positions um on the Benton County side. We ended up contracting that

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because we were working on an agreement um a community health board agreement between Benton Sherburn and Sterns before we did any kind of shared staffing position. So that has been on hold while we've been working on that document. Um, so in the meantime, we were planning on contracting out these different components so that we could

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get them done. Um, utilize the grant funds because the purpose of the grant was to build capacity in our central Minnesota alliance. And then moving into future years, um, that grant has an opportunity to renew for two additional years. So year 1 and year two, um, we

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have till June to spend year one funds down and then we have an additional year two which we can spend until June of 2028. Um and then coming like September, October, we have an opportunity to apply for two more additional years of funding. Um the amount I it maybe could

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be subject to something different, but from what we have right now, it's 400,000 per year. So we would be looking at two additional years of funding in renewals. Um in addition to that, um I had mentioned the regional um the regional um data models that are that

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the state is designing. There is a funding source that we would be looking at to sustain this indefinitely under um the Minnesota Department of Health has put out proposals for the regional data funding and that is the the um grant that we would look at for the years

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post. Um we would be able to apply for both. We could have the state innovations while that's running. Again, it's just an infrastructure building grant. So, it's a short term because it's to build the capacity. It's to do what you're doing and do it better. It's to to expand the work. And then we would be looking at the regional data funding

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um of being our data hub. >> Can we take just a breath real quick? >> Yeah. >> Because I'm really confused. >> Right. Um just >> you lost me a few minutes ago, but I'm sitting here going I thought it was a three-year contract because you went through 26 or through 29.

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>> Two year. It's a two-year state innovation fund, but you can spend the funds. >> Have the opportunity to $400,000 a year. This is where I have a real problem with the state going, we're giving $400,000 a year in grants for things like this and

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it and I mean there's real no I mean we got to I'm just confused to be quite honest. It it just seems like there's money being spent that >> Yeah. >> How much of it's mandated? >> Well, our community health improvement plan and community health assessment is

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part of statute. That is our areas of public health responsibility. But what does this grant do to So it it's it's I I'm kind of getting going down a road of like the homeless. You build it, they will come. >> They will come.

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>> And I'm like the do they want us to keep building this department up so that more money comes or because it seems like a lot of the money that Department of Health gets is all grantfunded. >> So again, >> we can call it grant funded but you, me,

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we all pay for it, >> right? We we do. It's everybody's taxes that pay for it. It might not be coming out of local levy, >> but every grant that's written, whether it's state or federal, comes out of every single person's pocket. >> Yeah.

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>> So, the community health Go ahead, Monty. >> Go ahead, Monty. >> Uh Jacqueline, did uh the group the the Alliance, did they receive quote some other marketing companies in addition to White Box? >> We could look at other companies. We chose the one um that Benton County had utilized and that's why we You said you

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did look at other companies. >> No. >> Oh, okay. >> No, we chose white box marketing just as there was >> you may recall Troy Troy used white box for all of his >> as well. >> And that was that was paid for with his public safety aid, you know, for recruitment videos. >> What did we spend on rebranding? Do you

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know? >> I'm sorry. I don't remember off top of my head. >> I don't recall. >> 50 grand. >> Oh, not even anywhere close. No, no, no. >> I I'll look it up and get back to you. I won't give you a wrong number. It wasn't anywhere close to 50,000. No. No. Pinsky that they did the airport for 8,000

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bucks. It looks like it's a grab. How much can we get? >> And again, ours was just those images, you know, the the lettering. It wasn't videos and stuff like that. >> Would it be helpful if we just had another opportunity to maybe talk about what the Central Minnesota Alliance does

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because I would hate to have uh it sounds like maybe there needs to be more information about the understanding essentially a community health improvement plan that drives the work of everything we do in our department. Um it is the the document that we utilize. It is hundred some pages long. Um there

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is a lot of work that goes into completing an assessment. There are multiple committees. It is data work. We have data analysts, our staff that are working on that. We have the assessment between electronic um surveys. We have partner assessments and work with

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community partners that go into this. Um it is not um it is not small in any means. our our advisory group for this is all different partners in the community between um the central Minnesota Alliance group and members. So um I don't know if it would be helpful

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to maybe have further discussion. Certainly I can bring it back and say that this is higher than what um we we are >> well I just look at we're spending 11 thou 11% of that grant on rebranding >> but I will say >> if it's only for two years I think the

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key is rebranding not just you know >> rebranding but building those templates and doing those videos to talk about what we do we know that that's needed um I will tell you we had Tina work on the day in the life of public health videos as an Americanore member that project took her almost a

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I don't have staff capacity where we could assign someone to help us do this. Um it is it is a lot of a lot that goes into that. I you know we know that that takes time. Um you know we're small. We we only have >> Where do the other counties come in? >> Well again this grant was written to

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support the central Minnesota Alliance. >> We're just the fiscal agent. >> They're just the host of the grant. So I'm I'm coming here from the group to say this is you know we had decided on three contracts to contract those positions out for this first year again because kind of making a logical

520
02:25:36.080 --> 02:25:51.439
decision on looking at um you know what does our funding models look like sustainability look like um getting that those joint powers collaborations agreements in place before we were to hire a position at Benton County. Um,

521
02:25:51.439 --> 02:26:08.479
>> now when this grant goes away, those positions go away too. >> So that's where I was talking about the regional data funding. So the the plan and the in the joint collaboration agreement and with that position would be to utilize the state regional data funds to support that position ongoing.

522
02:26:08.479 --> 02:26:23.280
>> Yeah, >> Mr. Chair, uh, I'm sorry, Madam Chair, my apologies. Let me suggest this. I think we probably owe it to ourselves to to get multiple quotes because that's pretty typical when you have a project you get, you know, you go to several

523
02:26:23.280 --> 02:26:40.640
vendors and you get a quote. You get a sense of, you know, is this number reasonable or, you know, you see what other vendors will quote. I think too, if you bring it back, you probably want to ask Jacqueline to invite members of the alliance to come back >> and talk about what they do. You can see who they are. Um, so hear more from I

524
02:26:40.640 --> 02:26:56.000
think you call it the um community health. I'm sorry, the central Minnesota alliance. >> Minnesota Alliance. Yes. >> Invite some folks from that group here. But I I think probably you should get multiple >> Madam Chair >> quotes, right? >> I could Jacqueline, what's the timeline on using these funds?

525
02:26:56.000 --> 02:27:11.920
>> Well, the funds that I was allocating for this project, we had given them a date to try to get majority of the work done by June so we could utilize the first year funds. Um, so this would end up going into our year two funds if it's not. Um, >> my personal experience, you know, White

526
02:27:11.920 --> 02:27:28.479
Bucks does really good work. >> They do. >> It comes at a premium price. >> It does come at a premium. Um, >> but this is exactly what I said down there is government, this is before our meeting, government is is in this spend mode like

527
02:27:28.479 --> 02:27:44.560
>> either use it or lose it. and everybody jumps to using it so they don't lose it. But >> well, >> even if it's at a premium. >> Yeah. And if I can just add again, you know, we were supported through this state innovations funding because we were doing something in innovative and

528
02:27:44.560 --> 02:28:01.520
that's why re we received the funding is so that we could expand the work that we were doing. Um so these were just going to help us be the tools to help us continue to do the work we're doing, but to make it better and to expand it. So it's not necessarily a use it or lose it. Do we have timelines and deadlines to spend grant funds? Absolutely. Um and

529
02:28:01.520 --> 02:28:16.880
we definitely want to utilize them. We can get a lot of work done in one year with with funding. >> My my frustration, and this doesn't just lie with with your department, it's it's just state funding in general. I'm so sick and tired of the mandates that come

530
02:28:16.880 --> 02:28:32.160
down, but then they have all these grants that we can give people to expand their departments >> and and do better for the community. But we all know at the end of the day it comes with a cost to the taxpayers. >> It does.

531
02:28:32.160 --> 02:28:49.359
>> And and people forget the the fact that these grants are all paid by all of us. And I'm getting tired of paying the taxes in Minnesota. >> It's hot. They're high. And and as a board, we get blamed. I was just blamed the other night for our taxes being

532
02:28:49.359 --> 02:29:04.880
outrageous. And I'm sitting here going, >> "You guys got to watch. A lot of this is pushed out on us, but it and we have to facilitate it, but it comes down to when are we going to start making a stand on

533
02:29:04.880 --> 02:29:20.880
these grants and stop accepting them and do and don't be afraid of Sterns accepting it. Don't be afraid of Henipin accepting it. We're doing our fiscally responsible job of saying, "I'm done paying these taxes. I don't want the money. Mhm.

534
02:29:20.880 --> 02:29:37.280
>> I want to I want to take and and give them grant money back, but stop doing the mandates on us, too. The push down mandates. >> Well, >> yeah. That's the only way we're going to stop the snowball going down the hill. >> Yep. It's a very double-edged sword. >> It is. >> It is. It is.

535
02:29:37.280 --> 02:29:52.960
>> We're so scared of >> somebody else is going to get it if we don't take it. So, that's what keeps this evil >> cycle going. >> Cycle going. Correct. Well, and and my thing with the white box, I mean, I'm I'm not saying that what you're doing

536
02:29:52.960 --> 02:30:08.720
isn't necessarily important, but what I'd like to see if we are at least usually utilizing grant funding that we are doing that locally to be able to help out other people like the tech college, like the Foley High School,

537
02:30:08.720 --> 02:30:26.399
like the Sock Rapids High School. All of these places have like marketing type stuff. They have projects they have to do and and we can help our our local community keep those dollars here by doing some of that, which is what Kora

538
02:30:26.399 --> 02:30:42.240
decided to do with all their videos and stuff was to contact one of the school districts to do each departmental videos through that which then in turn the the student learned >> and they're in charge of a project and

539
02:30:42.240 --> 02:30:58.240
and it and it helps. So, I mean, and there's so many other things that I think as a county, not just necessarily in community health that that can be utilized. I mean, I sit

540
02:30:58.240 --> 02:31:14.960
on the RSVP board. There's tons of people out there willing to volunteer even at the local county level. you know that that we need to utilize that so we're not forking out all kinds of money if we've got people who are willing to step up to

541
02:31:14.960 --> 02:31:31.680
the plate to volunteer for instance Sherburn County they're person they meet the minute they walk into their building is a volunteer >> so you know >> I'm just saying that that I'm not against this I am just I think there's

542
02:31:31.680 --> 02:31:47.920
possibly better ways that we can do I understand our staff is is strapped. But this is also a collaboration between kind of like our first steps is >> but some and and I don't want it to sound like I'm coming down on on you because this is not just your

543
02:31:47.920 --> 02:32:03.520
department. This is a lot of this is state level all these grants come available but are we sometimes getting strapped for time because we take on a lot of these grants? >> Oh yeah. Can I can I do a little bit of

544
02:32:03.520 --> 02:32:19.920
context? Um, I don't have it on my on this computer. I wish I would have brought my laptop, but you know, our Minnesota Department of Health funding is different than something like the Department of Human Services, for example. We have these areas of fun of public health requirements. So, on the screen is the

545
02:32:19.920 --> 02:32:36.640
areas of public health responsibility. That is what is in statute. We have mandates, but they're different in the sense that the state of Minnesota and and the public health departments at the local health level have a shared responsibility in shaping health and in ensuring health and protecting health.

546
02:32:36.640 --> 02:32:52.800
What the state does is they receive funding whether it's through the state budget or the federal budget and they share that funding with the local government level. So different than some of the other departments in the sense that they're saying this is the requirement in statute. here is the funding that we have allocated to do

547
02:32:52.800 --> 02:33:09.760
this work and here is the funding that your county is receiving to do this work. So when we talk about those grants, unfortunately we've talked with the state about changing the language because they call it a grant project agreement, but essentially what it is is it's meeting these areas of public health responsibility. So a lot of our

548
02:33:09.760 --> 02:33:26.080
grant project agreements are allocations from the state to do this work. They're called grant project agreements because the state is granting it to us, but it is the funding to do the work that we're doing. So, you know, if we didn't have the SHIP grant and we didn't have the FEP grant and we didn't have RSG and we

549
02:33:26.080 --> 02:33:41.520
didn't have, you know, all these other ones that are um provided via allocations, then we would be coming up with that at the local level. Um, I we just sent out some numbers and I'm I'm blanking on what it was for 2025 end of year, but I think only like was it 17%

550
02:33:41.520 --> 02:33:56.800
of our department budget is actually levy funded. Um, the rest of that funding is coming through these allocations for us to do the work. Are there some competitive grants that we do? Yes. State innovations, the one that I'm talking about right now, that was a request for a competitive grant to

551
02:33:56.800 --> 02:34:13.200
expand the work that we were doing because we know we needed to to get these things in place. um we need that capacity. We have to do a community health plan that is required. Um that drives the work of our department. If we do it alone, I would say it's more costly um than when we do it with a

552
02:34:13.200 --> 02:34:28.800
region because right now we're we have shared capacity. We we are able to utilize other analysts from other counties because of this and vice versa. Um we benefit the most because we're the smallest in the the smallest player in the in our regional group. Um, so yeah,

553
02:34:28.800 --> 02:34:45.600
>> I just I I I don't want to correct you, but I'm going to correct you. I get that 17% >> is on our levy. >> Mhm. >> But so is the other 83. >> Mhm. >> Because it comes from the state and we all pay it. >> That's why Minnesota is the highest one

554
02:34:45.600 --> 02:35:00.319
of the highest tax. >> Exactly. We're one of the highest places to leave. >> Maybe, just maybe, if we get the change in administration and change of control, then we're going to go away. >> Yeah. It's something's got to change because I mean I don't know.

555
02:35:00.319 --> 02:35:15.520
>> I I would I would suggest that we go back and get like Monty said a quote another quot or two to see if we can even get one, >> you know, and maybe along lines of what Commissioner Benite suggested explore some other >> Yeah. >> academic options, I believe. Is isn't

556
02:35:15.520 --> 02:35:31.439
court going to look to the tech college? Is the tech college where they're going to go? >> Uh no, actually wasn't. Uh they were going to talk to Sak Rapids Rapids and Foley >> and Foley High School. >> Oh, okay. >> Matter of fact, I think Cory Zimple was involved in that and

557
02:35:31.439 --> 02:35:48.560
>> Yeah. Yeah. And well, I know there's there's other marketing firms in the St. Cloud area that you could certainly get quotes from right? >> Uh I guess it's also you could contact the these these other opportunities as well. I think you got to kind of weigh before >> what's the product you're trying to get?

558
02:35:48.560 --> 02:36:04.160
Can you get that product from this source? And that's the only hesitation. I mean, again, happy to go do any research that we need to do. I I'm happy that we'll we'll allow some time to think about it and maybe talk about it. But

559
02:36:04.160 --> 02:36:20.560
>> yeah, you just I I guess, you know, it'd be nice to find out, you know, from the other counties what their um take on this or what their involvement is because it seems like because we're the fiscal you, our staff is kind of

560
02:36:20.560 --> 02:36:35.680
leading it. >> Well, not necessarily. I'm just bringing I'm bringing the contract, but yes, we would we'd be contracting it out the way that those I think we might just need another meeting. We're going to take up a lot of time today. Um the way that this works really is we have committee

561
02:36:35.680 --> 02:36:51.439
structures. Um we have committee leads and then every county and centric care has their staff on that committee. So it typically it's you know two people from each agency that makes up the committee. Um this funding was to support the full regional work. Um and so yes I am the

562
02:36:51.439 --> 02:37:07.680
one here but we also retained we retain 15% of the grant funds indirectly that we can charge up to for the administration of the grant. Um, in addition to that, we have my staff time. When I'm working on the grant, I can bill my staff time to that grant. >> Mr. Chair, so make this one last

563
02:37:07.680 --> 02:37:22.960
suggestion to to Jacqueline is that you have this whole basket of things you want done. Well, maybe it'd be appropriate for the really sophisticated graphics to be done by someone like White Box, but then maybe someone else would do the videos. >> So, I don't necessarily think it's got

564
02:37:22.960 --> 02:37:38.960
to be an all or nothing. >> Sure. >> Where sort of one entity does everything. >> Yeah. Maybe you can break it apart a bit. >> Yeah. And part of what they were going to do >> parcel some of the work out to different sources. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Part of what we had asked White Box about was the ADA requirements coming to local counties. Yeah.

565
02:37:38.960 --> 02:37:55.439
>> Um that's a heavy lift. And so we were going to have them look at the colors and the the the social media, the formats, the Excel spreadsheets, the PowerPoints, the templates like to meet that comp. So again, my point is maybe the students can do some of it the work, >> but then maybe you need a white box or a

566
02:37:55.439 --> 02:38:11.359
white box like company to do some of the other parts, right? >> So I think from my st myself, I I need to know more of what this alliance does. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. >> I really do. >> Right. >> So they should you should bring some

567
02:38:11.359 --> 02:38:27.439
representatives back to a future meeting perhaps. >> Yeah. >> Right. Yeah. And I think this alliance should go to all the boards >> like we do when we bring our plan like we we we have presented it. I think the hard part is we have so many things and there's so little time and so it's hard

568
02:38:27.439 --> 02:38:42.000
I think you know to give you >> present to our board have you? >> Yes. Yep. You guys are approved the plan and we talked Yep. We we do talk about it. We have it in our newsletter. We bring it up. Really everything we do is under this plan in addition to these areas and statute.

569
02:38:42.000 --> 02:38:58.240
>> I remember approving the plan. Yes, >> but I don't remember people from the alliance come. >> Oh, having members come. That's probably, I guess, maybe true because we typically all try to go to our boards the same day for plan approvals, but Okay. Yeah, >> but I'm happy to have members come or we'd even, you know, if you guys want to

570
02:38:58.240 --> 02:39:13.120
come to a meeting, we can have you come to a meeting, too. >> Um, you know, there's certainly components there that we could do more engagement on. Essentially what the group is is it's the group that writes our community health improvement

571
02:39:13.120 --> 02:39:28.479
plan and our community health um assessment that completes that assessment and we do that every three years. Um and we pro we're probably on our fourth or fifth iteration of doing that um together. Like I said it's been since 2018 or prior um because I was

572
02:39:28.479 --> 02:39:45.200
doing it on this alliance when I was at Sterns County in a different way. So yeah, >> madam madam chair, I think with all the discussion that's happened, I'm going to move to uh table the contract agreement with White Box Marketing until Jacqueline can get us addition additional information. >> I'll second that.

573
02:39:45.200 --> 02:40:01.200
>> Uh all in favor say I. >> I. >> All right. The uh white box marketing agreement has been tabled. Um >> okay. So, the last agenda item that I have is a contract with Placebased

574
02:40:01.200 --> 02:40:17.120
Media. This is for a um campaign that it would be educational around cannabis and substance use. Um again, this would be um this is prior approved by the Minnesota Department of Health. This campaign has been utilized in other counties to date. Um it's called

575
02:40:17.120 --> 02:40:33.040
Speaking of cannabis campaign. Um it would be located throughout various hightraic areas in our county. Um gas stations, smoke shops, schools. um for example and would run for 7 months. Includes various different components um that are outlined in the contract

576
02:40:33.040 --> 02:41:05.040
agreement as well. This would be through our cannabis and substance use prevention funding. Bard any questions? Uh, Madame Chair, so Jacqueline, just for terminology sake, so cannabis funding versus is it grant dollars

577
02:41:05.040 --> 02:41:21.280
again? >> No, it's Yeah, cannabis and substance use prevention. >> Yeah, that was an agreement. >> Grant project agreement that we received from the state. Yep. Right. >> Yep. >> To do substance use work and cannabis prevention work. >> So the state legalizes cannabis and then we go out >> and then we get grant dollars to go

578
02:41:21.280 --> 02:41:37.760
>> to prevent it. I just I'm so concerned. >> I mean, we want the state wants the money off the tax, >> but we're going to put out billboards and go into places that sell it. >> Why? I mean, >> it's legal. How can we I mean,

579
02:41:37.760 --> 02:41:53.359
>> you know, our focus is really on that targeting the youth. A lot of youth work through that grant. Um, >> you know, as you heard Troy speak earlier, substance use is a massive issue in our county. It came up in our community health improvement plan. um a couple slides ago here where it's an

580
02:41:53.359 --> 02:42:08.960
area that we're working on. All of these things combined um you know again I I just want to bring up some of these slides again because I you know remember public health we are oftentimes the mobilizers. We are the group that is corelling different partners and entities together to help make the

581
02:42:08.960 --> 02:42:23.920
biggest reach that we can. And we do that through a lot of different ways. We try to reinforce through education in person, through things that you see, through the environment, um lots of different tactics, um to make sure that people have the information that they

582
02:42:23.920 --> 02:42:38.880
need. And we do that by working with all of these different partners out in the community. We don't just do the work alone. Um so some of these campaigns are are doing just that. It's showing information in different places and in different ways so that people are seeing it and it's reforining the messaging

583
02:42:38.880 --> 02:42:54.080
that we're doing. Yeah, >> I'm just I'm so frustrated with our state right now. I mean, we legalize something and we give a bunch of grant money to go against it and teach people not to do it, but yet it's legal when they get to a certain

584
02:42:54.080 --> 02:43:10.640
>> I I I'm I'm just dumbfounded on >> on everything. And I I I'm not I'm I know it's your guys' department and I I don't mean to be like that, but you you look at all the money and we're one county. >> Yeah. Look at all the other money that's going on.

585
02:43:10.640 --> 02:43:26.000
>> See, are these are the only counties that have are doing it right now with these this >> uh I think those are the counties that created >> utilized it first. Yes. >> So I wonder if the state actually did the math to say here's the tax money that's coming in. Here's the grant

586
02:43:26.000 --> 02:43:42.880
money. What do we got left? >> No. >> Why would they >> Why would you do that? >> Because it makes sense, right? Mhm. >> You know, it it to me it's it seems like we're creating jobs. >> We're creating we're we're creating work

587
02:43:42.880 --> 02:43:59.600
>> creating the problem. >> It's it's the same pro problem and then planning commission >> spend money to fix it. >> Approve cannabis and here you guys figure it out. >> Yeah. And now we're going to say let's prevent it >> college marketing department. So, >> oh, I know you guys are just and yes,

588
02:43:59.600 --> 02:44:16.560
and our goal is to make healthy so that they're participating in the economy and their our community is thriving and yes, >> yeah, >> we we handle multiple different >> and I'm not saying at all that your department doesn't do a good job. It's very frustrating to see the state and

589
02:44:16.560 --> 02:44:32.319
local government fighting basically against each other and the state gets a bat on the back because they give out a grant >> and then they put all the all the the local jurisdiction out that we have to

590
02:44:32.319 --> 02:44:48.240
follow or or implement. Look at all the time our staff has put together on trying to figure out cannabis and legalities and what we can do in our counties and cities and everything like that. >> That's I mean that's honestly with our public health department, honestly with

591
02:44:48.240 --> 02:45:03.840
Roxan's department. I mean >> and we talk about our departments being underststaffed. It's because a lot of things come down from above that they look at and I will tell you I know the the the board doesn't want to hear this but I will tell you I've taken two calls

592
02:45:03.840 --> 02:45:20.560
on shotgun and rifle >> now >> and they want to know what's going to happen. >> Mhm. >> What have we made one >> we're we're in the rifle >> I I know but we got to know cuz we got some in shotgun but that's neither here nor there. But there's another state

593
02:45:20.560 --> 02:45:37.520
deal that got sent down to us and >> you guys deal with it >> is this is not only cannabis it's substance abuse too right >> correct >> okay so I mean that's a little bit different >> absolutely substance abuse is I mean

594
02:45:37.520 --> 02:45:54.000
that's the illegal stuff >> and to be fair we didn't have substance use prevention funding we in the past we've always had to utilize our local public health grant and try to find ways to be creative to do the work. So, yes, is there is it a challenge at times because our contract agreements can

595
02:45:54.000 --> 02:46:10.080
sometimes put barriers or kind of guidelines into what you can and cannot work on? Yes. But at the same time, it does give us opportunity. >> Okay. I think with the substant abuse one, I'll move for approval of this one. Okay.

596
02:46:10.080 --> 02:46:27.200
>> I'll second. >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> I. Motion carries. Jacqueline, once again, please tell your team it's not your team or anything. It's >> it's the big picture. >> It's the big picture and it's it's

597
02:46:27.200 --> 02:46:43.279
really irritating me right now. I will say, you know, I don't want to give you one more thing to confuse um everything, but that is part of the direction that we're heading with foundational public health is to try to move away from all these separate

598
02:46:43.279 --> 02:47:00.240
agreements to just saying it's called 21st century public health. They're they're shifting. They're moving. The state is moving towards the direction of here are the responsibilities of public health and rather than giving all these separate, you know, project agreements trying to focus more into these are the areas you must work in. Um, and here's

599
02:47:00.240 --> 02:47:16.399
your sum. >> And then they should fund it. >> So, and and they Yeah. And they do fund primarily most of our That's where I was getting at with most of our department. Sure. Does it come from somewhere? Yes. Um, but we are compared to other departments offsetting our levy with this external state and federal funds

600
02:47:16.399 --> 02:47:33.040
locally. Ma, Madam Chair, just to go go a little bit further on that. I this is when we talk about as as Commissioner Puff said the bigger picture as as we dig more into more things we can help the community out with and everything

601
02:47:33.040 --> 02:47:48.640
like that. It then brings along things like the act >> that we even dial into these things even further that are non man that are nonfunded but mandated. So, um, the we're all going to get to

602
02:47:48.640 --> 02:48:04.080
know this act here real quick in in at the end of the year that is going to be substantial cost to the levy, but it's because I, in my theory, it's because we're dialing into so many other things and we're like, oh, let's let's pick

603
02:48:04.080 --> 02:48:21.040
apart this and now now we got to dig deeper into this one because somebody needs a ride somewhere. >> So, now the county's got to do that. So, we may get grant funding to do some of the work you're doing, but maybe some of the work you're doing >> is actually going into like, oh, now the

604
02:48:21.040 --> 02:48:37.520
now the state's got to fix this. >> Yeah. >> And that gets put down on a local level and at our cost. You know what I mean? >> Well, and again, I mean, I when I talk to some of the local legislators, they need to get rid of the mandate. >> Yeah. Because I'm going to tell you what

605
02:48:37.520 --> 02:48:54.240
what the deal is. Is >> Henipin County is way different than Benton County. The problems they deal with are much different than what Benton County has to deal with and what we have for issues. Now you go with Benton County and you go way up north to a

606
02:48:54.240 --> 02:49:08.640
smaller county and they deal with something totally different. So now you're mandating every single county to do the same thing where Jacqueline in her position is going to know exactly what this county needs, what we're

607
02:49:08.640 --> 02:49:26.880
lacking in, what we need help in, and can better suit our county for that without the mandates. >> Let's start. >> So, >> all right. >> All right. So, we have we have approval and it passed. Great. So, I'm going to

608
02:49:26.880 --> 02:49:44.720
make a motion to adjurnn and go back to the regular county board meeting. >> All right. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you Jacqueline. >> All right. Uh move back to commissioner meeting updates. I think in view of time we can unless something somebody has some really high amount they'd like to speak on on that. Um any uh general

609
02:49:44.720 --> 02:50:00.160
comments, concerns for commissioners? I do I do want to make a comment that um I I do appreciate staff, the county board, all the support on the

610
02:50:00.160 --> 02:50:16.800
federal side of things. Without everybody here, this we couldn't do what we're doing. And I think everybody needs to take a little step back and go, not everything we do is bad. There's a lot of good in what we do. you we broadband

611
02:50:16.800 --> 02:50:32.960
has gotten forgotten about. >> There's there's and we've had I keep going back to this. All the ARPA money for the most part went back to the community right? >> Not many counties can ever say that. >> So, we deal with a lot of lot of stuff

612
02:50:32.960 --> 02:50:49.520
out there and it gets heavy at times and I just I want to commend the board um staff, everybody that helps. So, and and and and I want to even go further on that. our meeting today with with the um was it core >> well coffee with

613
02:50:49.520 --> 02:51:05.200
>> coffee with commissioners >> good >> that was refreshing to me >> oh me >> because it was a conversation >> and we just had it and and people got to you know just talk >> right >> and there was some good things that came out of that today and employees need to

614
02:51:05.200 --> 02:51:21.840
understand we're all we're only as good as we are together >> simple as that and and I respect everything that everybody does and that's why it was so hard for me to say what I did to to um >> Jacqueline Jacqueline because it was it's not their department. It's not

615
02:51:21.840 --> 02:51:37.680
their people. It's everything that gets pushed down from the state and I'm just >> I'm ready to boil. >> My question is how much of it do we really have to do? >> Exactly. >> I don't >> Well, and I think that's what we're going to find out. >> I think what is what do we really have to do or what are we doing because we

616
02:51:37.680 --> 02:51:53.359
want to do it? >> Yeah. >> All right. Committees the whole >> Yes. >> Nothing. Uh there'll be a trip to the capital on May 4th um with Grady Hern again to visit legislators on lobbying. Let's assume for the time being a 9 a.m.

617
02:51:53.359 --> 02:52:09.600
start time, but I'll confirm that later once I get the schedule from Grady. So let's assume 9:00 a.m. uh we'll be leaving from the Lark and Hoffman offices in St. Paul. That's May 4th. >> So you're talking 9:00 a.m. down at >> Yeah, that's right. So, so plan on 9:00

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am arriving at Larkinhoffen offices in St. Paul. Um I also confirm that Superintendent Bergkshire will also be attending this visit to the state capital with us. Yep. Uh lastly, I'm sorry, not lastly, is um next is um we already mentioned this, but we'll get it

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in the record. You're invited to Foundation's 40th anniversary celebration. Uh that's May 13th beginning at 4:30 at um Northern Hollow Winery. Uh they do ask for RSVPs. Is could we have a show of interest in that?

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Commissioner Johnson. >> Yeah. >> What what what day was it again? >> That is May 13th. May 13th. Initiative Foundation 4:30 to 7, I believe. >> What is it? Well, they say pre they say pre-reception at 4:30 and then they

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quote public gathering at 5:30. >> Yeah. >> So, I guess take your pick. We'll we'll say 4:30, but looks like you could show up at 5:30, too. >> Northern Hollow Winery, uh, Commissioners Johnson, Commissioner Pop, Commissioner Benoy, let's just

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register everyone. Um, Beth, uh, also, uh, Steve Bakowski asked if you could have a committee the whole on highway issues. He asked for April 28th. That's a Tuesday, a week from today, April 28th

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out at Highway >> first thing. >> Yes, sir. Yep. >> What's this on? >> Highway issues. >> We we we have the tour set up with uh >> apartments that morning. >> 10:30. At 10:30. >> Yeah. >> Why not have that?

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>> Could you meet with Steve Bakowski at around 8:00 a.m. at a highway on the 23rd? Excuse me. 28. I can't make the 10:30. >> April 28th. >> Yes, sir. >> Yeah. >> Next Tuesday. >> Yeah. >> Yep. Week from today. >> 8:00. >> 8:00. >> Yeah.

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>> At highway. Um I think Steve wants to just kind of review all the projects that are in Hopper and make sure we kind of understand what's going on and talk about his transition. of course as you know he's going to be

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wrapping his time up with this by the end of May. So um u let's see oh also we got to talk about the library. >> Oh yeah. >> So I conveyed to the library executive

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director the board's desire to be on the regular agenda. The response I got was that the library board was going to instead schedule a work session at 4:15 preceding their regular meeting. And the reason I was given was that two

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concerns. They have a they said I heard they have a very packed agenda for that main meeting and they're concerned about going really late. They're concerned about going really late. So that was the alternative I was given. I I sent that out to you all and and some feedback I

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got was that we want to see this as your regular agenda uh beginning at 6:00. I think the concern was that uh if it's at 4:15, there could be folks who can't attend. They can't get there in time. So, I conveyed that back to the executive director and she said she

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would get back to me. That's the last I heard. >> Waiting for her to get back. >> I'm waiting for her to get back to me. I said keep the 415 on your books in case somehow you know the other alternative doesn't work. Um so I'm I'm just sharing that with you all at this point.

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>> Sure. Pop. I got to ask the question. Why is Brandy like who's pulling her strings there? >> She's pretty much in charge. >> She's executive director. >> That's exactly the the 415 was she she

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put it out to all the board members. I see that you could be there at 4:15 to discuss the Benton County deal, >> but is there a good chance that some won't be there? >> Who guided her to do that? >> I I there was the agenda part and I kind of maybe >> I want it on the record.

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>> I I kind because >> so please >> if you go to the six o'clock, sometimes we have people that are there library supporters. >> Yeah. and they come for the open form and then this goes on there and I would I wouldn't recommend we do it at the

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4:15 one. >> So again, I asked Brandy, I said, Brandy, you know, what are the chances all the library board members can be there at 4:15? She said there's possibility some won't because they work, you know, they may work until 5 or 6. >> But but I'm not afraid of the public,

635
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>> okay? Because here's the deal. I'm not from my standpoint, I'm not going against the library. I just wanted to to understand why >> why they want to punish just Foley versus

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>> what they keep saying is we go to we go to Royaltton and we go to St. Cloud, >> right? >> That's the question I want. Don't don't come in here and say we use three libraries >> when when they're only punishing one >> that's that's my >> and I also I would like to know what

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each library is costing. That should not be very >> that that was the discussion at the last meeting. And >> so Mr. Chair, um if the library reports back to me that they want to continue with the 415, will you do you agree that we'll we'll

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go with that? If they have all their board members there because I I don't want I don't want some of their board members that may not understand because it's a relatively new board, >> right? I don't want some of their board members that may not be there but not

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truly understand some of our questions. >> My issue is didn't they already agree that they put us on a meeting schedule? >> They did. >> Yeah. >> So then put us on a meeting schedule and if they want to extend the June to July then get us on the June meeting. >> I don't know. >> Well that that we have to get this

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settled one way or the other because >> the person at the Foley Library has turned in her resignation. Oh, >> if they're going out for to replace her, they got to know if it's going to be full-time or part-time or

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>> not the complete 40 hours. >> They maybe should advertise as part-time with subject to hours of change. I don't know until they get it >> settled. I >> Yeah. So, so it sounds like if if we go with a 415, we want a very high level of assurance that all library board members

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can attend >> and we won't ever we always have some missing at every at every library board. Meaning there's >> probably going to be hard to get that extract that kind of commitment, you know. >> Well, then let's just stay on the >> on the agenda >> on the agenda. Okay. >> I'm really not willing to wait. >> And and that was that was where I left

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it with Brandy is that we we want to be on the regular agenda. And she'd said, "Okay, I have to talk to my board members and I'll get back to you." >> Do all board members? No. Because to me, this seems like and and I'm I'm sorry, Ed, but I'm going to be quite frank. I I

644
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think there's things going on behind the scenes and this stinks to me because the whole board >> the whole board voted >> and said they were perfectly fine with us being on the regular agenda

645
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>> and they they that's what that meeting was left at and all of a sudden lo and behold and and I was even told at that meeting by some of the other people sitting on there that calling a special meeting would cost more money, right?

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And I I specifically said that is not the goal here. The goal here is to make sure that we are are are getting our questions answered that we need to get answered and being on the regular agenda

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was perfectly fine. And that was agreed upon that night by all board members because they all voted on it. And now all of a sudden afterwards we're we're we're having this conversation again for A415.

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I I personally this is my opinion believe that this is to get a couple of people from the library board a subcommittee is 2%. >> No that's not true. >> Well I at the end of the day >> that is my feeling.

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>> She did reach out I know she reached out to all the commissioners. She said, >> "At the end of the day, we're not going to change that board's opinion or their thought process cuz we don't have we don't have the the votes." Simple as that. But we got to make our point.

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>> So, let me do this. I will report back to Brandy that we strongly want to be on a regular agenda shortly after 6. >> Yeah. >> For whatever day that is. I forget now. >> I think it is. >> 19th. >> 19th. >> May 19th. Okay. Yeah. They've known

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about this for two plus months. >> And I'm I'm in agreement with Mr. Johnson. If if they want to push it off another month because they feel that they have over capacity on their agenda, which they already knew we were coming,

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the board did, then if they push it to the next month, then that's their choice to push it to the next month. They like >> No, they won't push it to the next month. they want to um >> this isn't that big of a deal because if it was Brandy would have been here

653
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>> either here or the last month when she went to Sherbert >> but the but here's the biggest problem is even when she took things back to the board what was discussed here was not portrayed at the meeting and I have the meeting agenda so I can read to each and

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every one of you what she was portraying to the board >> maybe what we should do is get our meeting minutes out for that >> and bring it to there and then read what was on the agenda versus what was said.

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And I mean to me when you got staff that isn't portraying what's truthfully being said, they're steering the board >> instead of allowing the board to make decisions. >> Yep. >> So, Mr. Chair, could we get a motion to

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set those comm? >> Can we get a motion for the cows? >> Okay, second. >> All right, get a motion, a second to set the cows as presented. All those in favor? >> I opposed carried. Anything else? >> I would like to bring up one thing. I know that in the past, >> we got one more cow.

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>> When we went down to the cap, um, in the past, um, Chris has done with us. We don't have a specific county attorney or county person over in highway to go with us, but I think it would be a hand out

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if we took the person who we offered assistant to county attorney the ability to go with us. Not necessarily that he has to say anything, but at least get him acclimated as to what the capital is. >> Bring the assistant county engineer. county.

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>> I think letting allowing him to come with on that if he so chooses >> to give him the ability to see what goes on down at the capital. And >> I don't have an issue with that. No >> I'll I'll end. Yeah. >> Commissioner Kinsky. >> Yes. Can It's not too late to add

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another cow, is it? >> Well, you didn't adjourn yet. You can do what you want. >> We got May 1st. Emmer >> 10:30. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We don't want to miss >> Well, for for people that don't know, Mr. Emmer's office, the whip, is coming here 10:30 uh May 1st.

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>> Where at? >> To the boardroom. >> Boardroom. >> Oh, really? Okay. >> What time? >> 10:30. >> 10:30. >> 10:30 May 1st. >> But I would like to see the board here at 10 just to I would say I would place it at 10. >> We should post it as 10. >> Yeah. Okay. So, 10:00 a.m. May 1st.

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County Board. Uh Congressman Emmer visit. >> Yes. Well, we don't know if it's congregation. I know that I know that Taylor Reeves and Shelby Yeah. the local office is coming, but >> are they going to put that out there that they're coming?

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>> I don't know. >> Because sometimes he doesn't want if Emmer's coming, he doesn't want the media to show. >> No. And right now it's >> we do it as a cow, >> right? >> But but if we don't, then we can't we all can't be here. But I mean, you know,

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the time when we met with him, he was certainly not the knowing that >> I was I was told to invite whomever from staff. >> We'll caption federal legislative update. >> Yeah, exactly. >> Okay.

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>> Yeah. >> Be careful on that one, you know. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> I understand it for security and other reasons. >> Well, yeah. Okay. We have a motion. I'll second it to add that to the cow listing. Any other discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? I >> opposed is carried.