--------- Well, welcome everyone to the excuse me to Tuesday March 24th uh board of commission. Um we will call the meeting to order. Uh we have one addition to the agenda and that is a
request approval to submit application for congressional direct funding for the West Central Regional Juvenile Center and the nonsecure juvenile facility. Is there a motion to approve the agenda with the addition?
>> Mr. Chair, so moved. Second. >> We have a motion second. Is there any discussion? Any other discussion? Any other discussion hearing? None. Motion is approved. We have a consent agenda with an
approval to fill a vacant part-time custodial position. Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? >> Mr. Chair, so moved. >> There a second. >> Second. >> Any other discussion?
Any other discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. Are there any uh citizens to be heard? There's no one in the audience here. Anybody online, Steve? >> Nothing, Mr. Chair.
>> We'll move on. Uh approval of payments of bills and voucher. >> Mr. Chair, I'll make a motion to pay the bills and vouchers. >> Second. >> We have a motion. Second. Any other discussion? Any other discussion? All in favor say I.
>> I. >> I. And we have the approval of the minutes for March 10th, 2026 and March 17, 2026. >> Mr. Chair, do you want those in separate motions or one motion? >> I think one is fine. >> I'll make a motion to approve the
minutes from March 20 March 10th and March 17th of 2026. >> Second. >> We have second. Any other discussion? Any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor say I. >> I. Approved.
We're under 835 requests approval to appoint Michael Buttonhoff to the Klay County Extension Committee. And here's Cecilia. >> Welcome. >> Good morning. Thanks for having me this morning. Um
you should all have a package in front of you with Michael Bentonhov um as our new uh recommended from the CEC uh new uh committee member. So we're just seeking approval to approve um Michael for a three-year term.
>> I'll just make a quick comment. Uh I don't know Michael myself, but I certainly know his family out in the sin area and and as we read his uh resume, his background I think is just a perfect fit for what we do. Yeah, his background
for working at the on the fair board uh I think it just gives us another end and uh of doing our business in a good order. So, any questions for Cecilia?
>> Mr. Chair, I'll make a motion to appoint Michael Buttonoff to the Klay County Extension Committee. >> Second. >> Okay, we have a motion second to appoint Michael Buttonoff to the committee extension committee. Is there any other discussion?
Any other discussion? Hearing none. All in favor say I. I >> I >> opposed. Motion passes. Thank you. Any other words wisdom? >> Um just so you know before we bring these individuals in front of you, we
vetted them in different ways. So this process has gone through the 4 federation. Um we had a few people that were interested. So Michael made it out of that and then we brought it to the RC for approval before we brought it here. So >> um just so you know that we've um done
our due diligence before bringing it here. Yeah. Well, thank you so much. Look forward to working with them. >> Yeah. Excited. I think Are we up next? Yes. Okay. >> Call my troop to come on in.
Wonderful. We have a great group. Our next thing on the uh uh agenda today is the annual department update for the Klay County Extension Service. Thank you. Um this is our annual
departmental update for um our extension office and um before we get started, I would just like for individuals to just introduce themselves so you know who's sitting in front of you before we go into our presentation. Hi, I am Jill Petri and I am the
horiculture educator here in Klay County. Hi, I'm Martha Wheeler and I'm a recently graduated master gardener volunteer. >> Hi, I'm Monica and I am a 4 member.
>> Um, I'm Monique Stelzer. I'm the 4 youth development extension educator in Klay County. >> I'm Amelia Lanswork. I'm also a Klay County 4 extension educator. >> I'm Jen Erdall, support staff Klay County. >> All right, I'll kick you off this
morning. Um, thanks for letting us come in today, talk a little bit about our department update um with Klay County Extension. Um, as you're aware, Klay County UN or the Klay County government partners with the University of Minnesota to bring researchbased education and hands-on learning right here to Klay County residents. Um
whether those people are looking to grow healthier gardens, strengthen their families, their communities, or to explore youth programs, or to expand their knowledge in agriculture, Klay County Extension is here to meet those needs. Extension's mission is to be accessible
to everyone in the county, to connect people with practical solutions and resources, and to build individual skills and strengthen communities. connecting citizens with knowledge, tools, and support to create meaningful change at home, at work, and across our communities.
Um, you did just meet all of us, but briefly, the four of us that are um part of the MOA agreement that are placed in the Klay County office are Amelia Lansburg, Jennifer Erdall, Jillian Patri, and myself. I'll turn it over to Jill to kind of
talk about the next piece. >> All right. Thank you. The University of Minnesota Extension delivers two programs here in Klay County. Um, ANR agriculture and natural resources and 4. The scope of programming and services
available in the county depends on the program selected and the level of local investment. Extension connects university research with real world needs in the county providing residents with practical education and skilluing
opportunities by supporting extension stakeholders help translate education that pro improves decision-making develops future leaders and creates communities that are better prepared to address local challenges and opportunities through extension
programs. research-based knowledge turns into action creating lasting benefits for the people, businesses, and communities we serve. Okay, so I'll start us off with the 4 side of things. So, um, did you all know that over half of Gen Z and Gen Alpha
feel that they are not prepared or are failing at their life goals? Today's youth face real challenges. Many aren't prepared for life after high school and struggle with loneliness or other negative feelings. Youth must develop the necessary skills to thrive in a future where 85% of jobs haven't even
been invented yet. Our program helps youth build skills, gain confidence, and instills the mindset for youth to succeed in their career life and in their community. This manifests through 4 programming, leadership opportunities, and real life experiences. For our partners, this means that youth who are
part of 4 leave ready to live healthy, productive, and engaged lives. This leads to higher post-secondary readiness, community sustainability, workforce skill development, and higher levels of health and wellness. Next, we or yeah, next slide. Um, but next, we're going to invite Monica
Wilson, one of our own 4 youth members to talk about some of her experiences with Klay County4. Monica is one of our outstanding youth members who is currently serving as a club and federation officer. She's just one example of our youth members stepping into leadership roles and making the most of 4 opportunities.
>> Hi, I'm Monica Wilson. I am in ninth grade in the Blue Eagle Clover's 4H club. I started 4 when I was in second grade. I started my 4 journey showing one pig with my dad and a couple of school art projects as a clover bud. I expanded my interests mainly in pigs but
also in many different fields. This past year at county fair, I showed six pigs, a pair of chickens, art, wood projects, food, and photography. During county fair, I've done many interviews with my animals and static projects, which has helped me learn more about my projects and helped me express my love towards
them. On the state level, I have shown pigs at state fair for three years in a row. State Fair is an amazing experience. I get to meet a lot of new people and make numerous new memories. After eight years of showing pigs, I decided to pharaoh my
own. I fed two of my pigs I had shown last year. It ended up going amazing and I got 16 little piglets. Raising piglets is is not only tons of fun, but they're also teaching me patience and hard work. Along with showing at county and state fair, I went to a livestock judging camp
at the U of Minneapolis campus where I learned how to judge swine, cattle, sheep, and goats. Using my knowledge of animals, I joined a livestock knowledge bowl team and we just recently competed. I am also a part of my club. I started as a pledge leader in my first couple years and soon advanced to club
secretary where I learned organization and responsibility. Soon after I became our club president. I'm now a part of the 4 federation. In the federation, I'm the secretary. Through being the secretary, I'm just now learning all the dedication and hard work that goes into running the entire organization. After
high school, I plan on going to college. In college, I will use all the skills I've learned through 4 and hopefully teach others all I know about agriculture and pigs. For pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to do things I love. It's hard to believe that something that is now a huge part of my life and my biggest hobby all started
with just one pig and smart projects. >> Thank you, Monica. We appreciate you sharing your story today. Um, one of the things that strengthens the local youth for development program is our ability to assess local program conditions and program needs each year. Um, the needs
assessment that we do annually leads to the development of three locally relevant goals that address our program delivery, our growth, and our retention. Um, in 2026, we hope to grow our volunteer base. We hope to increase our retention rates for community club members like Monica and to introduce
STEM learning opportunities for all youth in the county for program both in clubs as well as afterchool programs. Those goals will help us work smarter and to help work us help us work intentionally giving time and support to high-quality programs that meet multiple
accomplishments. Um, one of the current programs that we're working toward right now that'll help us meet all three of those goals is an event called the Project Activity Day. Project Activity Day is a multi-session hands-on project workshop where youth choose three projects to build or create from a menu
of options. Youth attend project activity this year are able to select from a variety of STEM projects such as DNA extraction, homopolar motors, balloon car engineering, wood shelf construction, wood planter construction, micro grown seeds, microgreen seed starting, entomology, and building mouse
trap shooters. Klay County4 has been blessed with a private donation over several years that helped support STEM program delivery across the county. Previously, that financial support was targeted for after-school programs. This year, we're maximizing the Glendon Farms financial support by broadening the
reach beyond our after-school programs to include STEM programming offered during Project Activity Day. This will also help us work towards growing our volunteer base by engaging project activity instructors who become new volunteers in our program. Most importantly, research has proven that youth who engage in the full project
learning cycle with 4, youth who select projects that interest them, compete with those projects, and then ultimately showcase their learning achieve higher levels of engagement, which leads to longer retention in the youth program. In that way, project activity is activity day is more than just a hands-on workshop for young people. It's
a way for adults to become volunteers. It's a way for youth to explore and discover their passions, which ultimately ensures their long-term retention in the local 4 program, which leads to kids who are more likely to live healthy, productive, and engaged lives.
All of that brings me to where we are today and where we're what we're on track to accomplish with our current 4 year. Klay County for 4 currently reaches 300 youth and 13 community clubs and we have more than 200 youth engaged in afterchool programs. We have partnerships in place with all five
public school districts and we have 11 program afterchool sites within the community club program. 46 youth hold leadership roles in their clubs like club officers. Um we have additional youth that hold leadership roles on our countywide committees or on the Klay County 4 federation board. Last fall we
provided leadership and club officer training for 13 new youth officers and eight new volunteers and club leaders. As always, Klay County 4 is open to youth in kindergarten through one year past high school. Um, in 4, those young people do more than, of course, complete the hands-on projects. They'll be
presented with leadership opportunities and clubs at the county level and beyond in the state level when they become healthy, engaged, and productive community members. Because of this, we appreciate the continued support of the Klay County Board of Commissioners, and we support the or we appreciate the support that you provide to the Klay
County for program and the young people that are in Klay County. We're going to turn it over now um to my colleague Jill who share more about the egg and natural resource program. >> If I may, uh I'd like to just interject before we get to horiculture a little bit. I want to come back to what Monica
had talked and uh just congratulations. That's amazing amount of work. Uh what year did you or when did you start into the 4 program? >> I was in second grade. >> Second grade. Wow. Okay. And are there
pigs on your farm already or? >> Yeah, we I have my two SAS that I pharaohed and then there are 16 piglets that are all at home right now. >> Okay. Well, very good. I'm just all the steps you've took are just amazing and
uh I just congratulate you for all that. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. Yeah. Please. >> What genetics are the pigs that you have on your farm? Uh, I have a purebred Duro litter and a crossbreed Durac litter. >> And a bunch of colorful pigs sitting
there. Yeah. Nice. >> Those are always nice to look at. So, >> and then I I do have one question. When you get to the uh um I'm just curious about the livestock knowledgeable that you're part of. Is that a team that's
local or is that a team you're included in uh with others throughout the state? >> It's a local team. It was four of us just from in Klay County. >> Okay. All right. Very good. Well, thank you. Any questions? All right. >> All right. Mr. Chair, Mr. Chair, if I
could, I would want to say too, congratulations to Monica, but also it really helps you good on public speaking. When I was in ninth grade, I was scared to death to talk in front of people. So, you did terrific and really great presentation. So, good job. >> Thank you. >> All right. Yes, we're always impressed
with 4 and um I really enjoy working with them. Um all right, we're going to turn over to agriculture and natural resources here in Klay County. Um, as the agriculture and natural resource educator here in Klay County, I strive to engage with
colleagues, partners, stakeholders, and volunteers to identify resident and community needs and develop lasting solutions. Through community involvement, I work to support and improve local ecosystems by providing education opportunities for residents
and develop partnerships that expand our reach and impact. Um this year as part of Minnesota's 87 extension in every county initiative, Klay County is proud to be featured as a landing page story
highlighting the local impact of extension programming and the power of communitydriven efforts. research are shared. Resources are shared in a variety of ways, including events and programs that encourage community participation, hands-on learning, and
increased awareness of ecosystem health. Partnerships are essential to the success of this work. Some of our valued partners include the city of Morehead, the Lake Egassy Regional Libraries, area schools, CAP LP, um, MSUM,
the NDSU Master Gardeners as well, Barnesville Garden Club, local nurseries, and the Minnesota Master Naturalists. Can change. Yep. One more. It should be Martha, but maybe it's
backwards. All right, her slide isn't in there for some reason. Well, we'll talk about Martha um here. So, um Martha is just finished her internship um this last year. So now this year she is a active
member of our Klay County Master Gardener volunteer program. Um and in her first year last year as an intern she really um jumped into it. So um she is a um
initiated FM Flutterfest. So, if you are not familiar with that, that's a a community initiative to get people involved in pollinator health and just um beautifification of our parks and um other places here in Klay County. Um so,
I will hand it over to Martha and she's going to talk a little bit about how Flutterfest has progressed um and what we're planning on this year. Hi, I'm really grateful to have Jill's leadership. I had a I had a passion and
uh Jill has really supported that and helped it to happen. In 2025, is this one? Yeah. >> In 2025, Klay County Extension Master Gardeners began a fun and educational project to to increase public awareness
of the benefits of native plants. We sought to engage and inform community members about the positive steps that each of us can take. We wanted to share information about conservation and restoration of native habitat to support
invertebrates and birds, the foundation of the food web. We know that native plants require less maintenance than traditional landscaping. They conserve water, stabilize soil to prevent erosion, and protect waterways. They
support um healthy soil and even mitigate climate change. Uh out of the desire to share information and empower citizens, the first annual FM Flutterfest was born in collaboration with the city of Morehead University of
Minnesota Extension and support from the awesome foundation. We organized a delightful event. Um, community members learned about local trees and food crops, uh, native plants, water and soil, and of course, pollinators. That
was the big focus. All this happened in a celebratory atmosphere in Gooseberry Park. We had storytelling, book giveaways, take-home plantings, face painting, beehouse making, music, education about pollinators, and more.
and we even planted a pollinator garden in an area in the park that needed some TLC. Our second annual Flutterfest will take place on June 23rd, 2026 from
5 to 8:00 p.m. at MB Johnson Park. It will be a free family-friendly event um much like last year's. United Prairie Foundation has joined us this year and they will be um joining us along with
community community members in planting a beautiful new garden of deeprooted native plants. Uh this will improve an area of standing water, support pollinators and native wildlife and serve as an opportunity for community
members to learn about things that they can do on their own property. We are thrilled to add United Prairie Foundation and the Minnesota State University Morehead to our list of partners.
In addition to Flutterfest, we're sponsoring a community presentation by Dr. Doug Talamy on June 25th at 700 p.m. at Langth Hall, room 104, 6001 Street South on the MSUM campus. Dr. Talami is
an award-winning professor of entomology and wildlife ecology as well as the author of multiple research publications and books including the New York Times bestseller Nature's Best Hope. His popular presentations have inspired
individuals and communities across North America to take conservation into their own hands. We are very excited to have him come and inspire our community. How many uh people do you expect for the
second flutterfest? >> Um well that's hard to say. Our hope is at no one to 200. >> Okay. >> My big hope would be a lot more but >> yeah sounds amazing. >> Thank you.
>> Yeah. So, this is just one of the really amazing projects that our master gardeners um bring to the community. So, we're really excited um every year to see how we can grow um and connect with everyone and offer um some great
resources. Oh, go back because I haven't done that one because we're missing. There you go. Um, so again, earlier you heard me touch on community engagement and our work with partners to expand our reach. Um, now I'd like to share a bit of more about what local resources look like
here in Klay County. My role focuses on providing technical assistance, supporting master gardener volunteers and facilitating hands-on learning opportunities and offering program leadership. I connect residents with research-based information, train and coordinate volunteers to extend our
reach, and develop programs that reflect community interests and needs. Our programming is designed to support ecosystem health and improvement by offering practical hands-on education in areas such as home gardening, pollinator support, and sustainable land practices
through workshops, demonstrations, and volunteer-led projects like FM Flutterfest. Participants gain experience they can apply directly in their own spaces. Master gardener volunteers play key role in extending
our research by sh our reach by sharing science-based information through events, plant clinics, and community outreach. At the same time, providing technical assistance to residents and partners seeking guidance on horiculture and environmental stewardship.
Yep. We're missing part of the presentation again. There we go. Yeah. All right. Right now, we're gearing up for another busy growing season, offering residents one-on-one gardening assistance through on-site visits, workshops, and community
events. Our master gardener volunteers will also be active again throughout the summer supporting a variety of programs and initiatives. Um again this year we'll be doing our native plant sale fundraiser um FM flutterfest and our
annual garden tour which will be highlighting gardens in Morehead Dworth England this year. Extension continues to bring research and education to the community through workshops such as winter garden college that happened here in January. um online lunch and learn
webinars and seed starting sessions which provide participants with practical skills for home gardening. I do want to highlight again our one vegetable one community program um which is a partnership between master
gardeners um and others in the community um to bring education um on growing a vegetable this year is pumpkins. Um, so along with our normal programming that we do at the libraries around growing
that vegetable, we're also excited to offer the grow the biggest pumpkin contest in Klay County for youth um, ages 18 and under. So participants will receive the seed as usual, growing instructions, and then we're having some
um, virtual learning opportunities with the Minnesota Pumpkin Growers Association as well. So, we're looking forward to that this year. >> I also want to mention uh I've enjoyed uh reading your weekly articles in the
FM Extra. That takes a lot of work to come up with those every week, >> but >> it's fun. I enjoy it, too. Um I like to research things as well. So, it's >> So, if you have a look for articles, they're very good and you'll learn a lot.
>> Thank you. Okay, so we've talked a little bit about both of our programs separately, but now we're going to move into both of our departments as a conglomerate unit. Um, so we plan to continue partnering across both of our departments to support the community. As a team, we utilize each
other's expertise to um elevate our programming and we'll be working together to assist with things like the county fair, Flutterfest, day camps, and afterchool programs. We're also expanding to include the one vegetable, one community program that Jill just mentioned into our list of partnerships.
Um, this collaboration across extension departments results in shared learning, a stronger community, and local pride. All right. Extension programs create private value for participants, helping individuals gain skills, confidence, and knowledge that they can apply in their
homes, farms, careers, and personal lives. At the same time, they generate public value by strengthening the local economy, supporting agriculture, developing future leaders, and improving quality of life for the entire
community. 4 youth development programs build leadership responsibility and life skills that prepare the next generation of community leaders in Klay County. Agriculture and natural resource programs support informed decision-making, help residents care for
landscapes, protect resources, and support farms and businesses. Extension programming builds social capital by connecting residents, organizations, and volunteers to collaborate and address local challenges together.
Thank you for supporting extension in Klay County. Your partnership and investment help make these educational programs and community connections possible. At this time, we're welcome. We'll welcome any questions, comments, or feedback that you may have.
>> Anyone? >> I just want to thank you for all your continued work. and you know I've been part of your board now for almost three years and the growth that we continue to see the fair the projects your groups
growing and uh throughout the county and and I also have been always encouraged about the uh afterchool programs and how we're connecting with the kids in our uh more cities now so it's great work thank
you very much yeah you had a question Yeah, thank you. All right, next up we have uh Ry Beal and here to request approval to apply for the drug-free communities grant.
>> Good morning, commissioners. I am here requesting just that. um requesting approval to apply for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Drug-Free Communities Grant. It's a five-year grant, $125,000 a year.
Um there's a a staff person that would be part of it. It's largely to build coalitions and continue to to grow coalitions that exist. This would build on the last five years of work with the state level positive community norms
grant in Dworth Glenn and Felton um where there's been lots of education with students um engagement of the community. It would really be building on this. Um this grant is for five years. Certainly federal grants aren't easy to get but we feel like we're in a
strong position to be considered. Um deadline is April 14th to apply and funding would begin on September 30th. >> Any questions for Rory? >> Just a comment. Um Rory and the whole team over there, particularly Jason, has
done a great job with funding we've gotten from a lot of these grants in the past. They have a a very uh DGF a very good program started. So certainly u having said that I I move that uh we
approve public health staff to apply for the drug-free communities grant >> motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Any other discussion? >> Just one comment. Will you let us know if we receive this grant or don't receive this grant? >> For sure.
>> Very good. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Anybody opposed? Hearing none. Thank you, Rory. >> Thank you. Morning. >> Yes. Good morning, board members. Um I'm here with James today uh to discuss a
possibility of of um James uh he has a program of of um taking over a suite 103C in the family service center. So, um, as that, if you're familiar with it, it's it's a 962
square foot, um, small space over by the, uh, mail room just down the hall from James' administration office. So, uh, we've done some, uh, discussing about a program, and I'll let him talk in a minute here, but, um, currently, right now, it's occupied by Birthright,
which is been a long-term partner with us and obviously has a great program. So, I did meet with them a couple different times to discuss what that would look like if they went to an alternate location. Um, they have found something right now and currently their
their leases goes through June. Um, but the the the space that they would like to go to, I think they would like to be out by April 1st, which is pretty quick. Um, as far as uh James' need, I don't think they there would be a vacancy between um them moving out and James
moving in, but um I will let James go through what he's proposing for the space. >> Yeah, morning commissioners. Yeah, the the proposal would be is um right now is the juvenile center expanded quite a bit um would be twoprong for that space. One
would be some um office space, two offices, and then the other thing would be for some specialized programming for some youth and are nonsecure. So, I would go to licensing and request a variance if approved to to use that space. I would get a variance to program
youth in there on a one-on-one. Um, primarily we're looking at um the non-secure youth um that that we tend to get from time to time. Um, we've been saying it for a long time. It's all across the state. There's no placements available for these youth. Um and
there's such a wide variety between the youth of you know their needs. Um especially when you have youth with um um autism spectrum disorder um or you know fetal alcohol syndrome, they they tend
to be overstimulated and not having an individualized space for them to be able to go um and be programmed um is is difficult for them to program basically in an open pod with other youth around and distractions. Um, right now we we do
a pretty good job stabilizing a lot of youth and hopefully they can go somewhere else, but sometimes that stabilization period takes a long time. Um, and it's been stretching into months and months. Um, and we'd like to provide these youth with some additional opportunities other than just
stabilization, put provide them with some growth. And to be able to do that, we would need that that one-on-one space. And this would provide us a great opportunity to provide that that one-on-one space to provide some growth for those youth. >> Is this an area that would be just used
for um education consulting with them or in fact will there be will they still be housed in the part where they're currently at? >> Yes, they would still sleep there, but they would have like a programming space there. So like a classroom. We build
like two little classrooms basically in there um and kind of specialize it to whatever their their needs are at the time. And and um we we would utilize it then so would um we would if the school needs it too for their one-on-one because they're coming down with their
IEPs and stuff like that too that that have different space and different needs. So, um, basically it'd be kind of a a classroom type of a setting that they would be there during the day-ish, um, or periodically throughout the day and then they would sleep back in the
pod. >> Any other questions? Anybody? Nick? >> Yeah. Um, this will be part of the nonsecure >> that that is that is correct. Yes. Um, but there's two office space needs too.
um that would be primarily occupied by a lot of it would be secures needs. So especially when you talk about the the SPS stuff um and the um integrity and compliance issues and stuff that that we like to really wrap
up around the SPS um which is the safety based separation. A lot of that is heavily into some of the office space needs would be um our current trainer and that that other person. Um they're not in their offices all day. Um but they're in their offices maybe about 20
hours a week if that. Um but they do need their own space. Um and in addition currently right now the plan would be is to move the trainers office and the training material to this space. Um and then have Josh move into
um where the trainers office currently is because right now Josh's office is technically in our conference room. So it's it's dueling up as so when we have like you know probation or social services or the courts or professional meetings you know with parents and stuff
like that Josh has to vacate his area. Um and it's and it's not the best too because then Josh can never leave you know confidential stuff out on youth and stuff like that. So, it's um it'll be um it'll be a win-win. It's it's very much needed. We need office space and and
also we need this area for for the non-secure youth that we get from time to time. >> You'll have Well, and I'm I'm somewhat familiar with the with the space. Is there a entrance from the outside uh for the schools?
>> No, it's just one door entrance. Yeah. >> Okay. And that's off the hall now. >> It's off the end of the hallway. Yep. >> Yeah. Okay. And >> just as far as that space too, um there is not really any major fitup needs that come with this because it's already been
kind of redone. I think it flooded a couple years ago and we ended up redoing it anyways. But um and then financially, you know, the the space right now for the family service center enterprise, we have an estimated revenue of $13,227 annually. So, and that would be covered
by your I believe your >> enterprise fund. Yep. >> Enterprise fund. Yeah. So, >> okay. Um, Mr. Chair, if uh if I may, I'd like to make a motion to approve occupancy of suite 103C at the Family Service Center by West Central Regional
Juvenile Center. >> Okay. Thank you. Is there a second? Commissioner Bar seconded. Uh, any other discussion, questions? Just just a little discussion there. This went through the building committee with approval to told them to bring it to the
board once they figured out with birthright. And this does fill a need in the county for office space and our youth to get the extra help that they need. So, >> right. >> All right. All in favor of the motion say I. >> I.
>> I. Anybody opposed? None. Motion passes. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Yep. Hello everyone. Next we have our annual department update of social services, children and family services and behavioral health
and adult protection divisions. >> Morning Mr. Chair, commissioners. I am going to do a lot less talking than I normally do today. So that's >> how about introductions? >> Probably good for everybody. Yes, we'll we'll do introductions first. Um Amy, do you want to start with you?
>> I'm the ongoing supervisor ongoing. >> Michelle Thorall >> and I'm Kirsten Laard. I'm supervisor of behavioral health and adult protective services. >> Just two quick notes before I kick it over to these uh remarkably talented
individuals. Uh number one, Tiffany January is out ill today. Um she really tried, but uh I don't want her to come in when she's sick. So, we'll be covering for um the intake, assessment, and investigations component of child protection. That's what Tiffany January supervisors. And secondly, I saw
extension. I don't know it's going to be as riveting as the hog uh information. We're going to try we're going to try, but high bar to be set there. We will start with our adult and behavioral health unit and Kirsten. >> That set the bar really high right there. So, we'll see what we can do. Um,
so as I said, I'm Kirsten and I supervise behavioral health and adult protection. Um, within our unit, we are pretty unique in that we have three distinct program areas areas. Um, adult mental health, substance use disorders,
and adult protection. Um, so next slide um just shows through adult mental health the services that um our unit provides both voluntary and involuntary services. Uh the voluntary services are
the um rule 79 um adult targeted case management that's down in the lower right. Um we have had some pretty significant changes to that smaller unit within the past couple of months. Um Lori Flores who has been our veteran
rule 79 case manager of 18 plus years has retired. Um her official last day is this Friday. Um, so that in and of itself was a pretty significant change to our unit. Um, next week coming over
from one of from Tiffany's unit, um, Stacy P will be joining our our team. Uh, and we are looking forward to having her come over and join us. Um, and then last July, um, Quinn and I met with all of you to talk about some needs in our
unit and within the community. Um, and graciously you all approved for us to hire a second rule 79 case manager. Uh, so Kevin came over from Amy's unit in November. Um, and he has been a wonderful addition to our team. Um, so I
think moving forward. Uh, Stacy and Kevin, they're going to rock this. So, uh, thank you again for, um, graciously allowing us to hire him. Um it's been it's been um a gap filler in our
community. Um Commissioner Krabangh attends our LAC meeting and he hears every month the wait list um for some of our other uh community providers and so this just kind of filled a need that that we had identified. Um Stacy,
Britney, and Megan make up the rest of our adult mental health team. Um they have been a very cohesive smaller unit for the past seven years. Um and they monitor uh our civil commitments. Um so
that is anyone with mental illness who um poses a danger to themsel or someone else. We work very closely with Mr. Melton and his team um in in um moving forward and identifying individuals that
may need a civil commitment. Um the three of them also um have clients that are placed in the forensic mental health program um located in St. Peter and that consists of individuals that have been committed
um either as sexually dangerous or mentally ill and dangerous. Uh so I think last count we have 13 um individuals that are committed to to that program. Um, and then Stacy and sometimes Britney as a backup also do
level two screenings. Um, and those are pre-mission screenings for an individual who has a mental illness that may need a nursing home placement. So, that's kind of a high overview of what our mental health unit does. Um, the next screen um
talks about our preetition screening um numbers. And so that is anybody that we screen for civil commitment. And so that can be a person with a mental illness. It can be a person with a substance use disorder. Um and over the past couple
years those numbers have gone down. On paper it looks like maybe it's less work, but I'm going to tell you that it is not less work for um Britney and Megan and Stacy. Um so how I view that is the numbers may
show that it's lower. So, one may go less work, there's not as much to do. Really, what's a what that allows uh the three of them to do is to provide a more indepth case management um experience for those individuals that they are
working with under civil commitment. uh they haven't been able to provide that comprehensive case management in previous years because just the sheer volume of cases that we have had. Um so our hope is and hopefully the numbers
will continue to reflect this um when Quinter myself come back in subsequent years is that by being able to provide that comprehensive case management um getting folks hooked up with the appropriate mental health services or services for their substance use
focusing on housing and making sure that they have supportive housing whatever that looks like for the that individual. hopefully downstream. That means that we don't have to work with Mr. Milton's unit on um a continued commitment or a
recommitment or even a new commitment several years down the road by being able to provide some of that upfront in-depth case management. Um we're hoping that these numbers continue to decrease. So, we'll see. Maybe next year
we'll say something else. But today, that's what I'm going to go with. If you're able to provide um those comprehensive services, the hope is that we set people up for support and success in the community. Um and then they won't
need to come back to our team. Um the next slide just shows the numbers of commitments um actual civil commitments. So the first one was the number that we had screened. um this is actual number of commitments um over the
past several years and that's remained fairly consistent and that would also include any rule 20s that we maybe work with the county attorney's office on as well. Um so this slide is my least favorite. Let me ask for the last two. We're seeing I
mean the one we were seeing that downturn here we see a little bit. Is there something um I mean this a positive obviously >> definitely >> but is there something in the community occurring that is bringing those numbers
down the trends or is it uh is that recovering from COVID or whatever? Again, my hope is just setting folks up with the services that they need and and the staff having the
time to do so. Again, in previous years, we just haven't had the time to dedicate as in-depthly as we have in the last year or two. Um, and so I think that's shown that positive decrease. I'm I'm going to look at it as a positive. Um,
other than that, I guess I don't know if there's anything >> specific trendwise, but I'll look for that and I'll back to you. >> Okay, so this slide is my least favorite. Um, but we put it in here um because you all need to be aware of just
some of the costs that we really have no control over. Um, so again, the folks that are are committed as um sexually dangerous, those do not originate with our office or even at the county attorney's office. Um those are
individuals that have served their prison sentence and that have been identified as possibly needing civil commitment. Um and then the attorney general's office files those and then we are notified after the fact um typically
um but nonetheless we still incur those costs of of treatment for them. Um and the DNMC costs as well. So when an individual is placed in um a community behavioral health hospital or at an NOA
um and the team determines that they no longer need that level of care um if a community setting hasn't been identified or it's not available at that particular time. um then the county is paying a
100% of that hospital cost which can be anywhere from 2100 to $2,300 a day and again we don't have a lot of control over that unfortunately. >> Yeah, just a question during this legislative session and and
Mr. Melton may have some input on this too. There is discussion and you never know where to separate the the rumors from the the valid discussion but discussion that some of the uh individuals who were sex offenders who
were sentenced St. Peters are going to be released back into the community >> that I'm going to talk about that in a later slide. >> Okay. I'll I'll >> hold my thoughts on that though. Thank you. >> Yes. Um so then the next slide if there's no other questions about that
one. So in all three program areas we added a slide like this just to show um some of the partnerships that we have um within our unit uh and and just some of the collaboration that um the individual
staff partakes. So again we work very closely with the county attorney's office. We work very closely with our law enforcement throughout the county. Um, we work with jail personnel. Um, again, the local advisory council that
Commissioner Krabangh sits on. There's just a lot of different entities. And this slide really truly only shows those locally within our county. This doesn't show anything um statewide. and the three mental health workers work with
many providers, many different entities across the state of Minnesota in in collaborating and um just that that partnership in in providing the very best service. So this is just kind of a quick snapshot of some of the entities
that we work with here in our local community. So the next division is our substance use disorders. Um, and it just kind of talks about our process here. So, Cheryl, who is um the unit's case aid,
she gets referrals requests for comprehensive assessments. So, she schedules those with Desra and Sheena. They are two LAC's that provide comprehensive assessments. And in 2025, um, we completed 274
um, comprehensive assessments. So that's a pretty good number um for basically one and a halfish staff providing um those assessments. Um from there there may be a recommendation for treatment
coordination. So treatment coordination is basically case management for an individual who has um been identified with a substance use disorder. Um and so we have four staff that do treatment coordination and as of last week um we
have 33 individuals that re were receiving that service and those referrals can be internally. They can come from prisons. We we get them quite often from prisons and we've also been working fairly closely with our detox um
in providing some of that treatment coordination for individuals that that have been um placed at detox. Um, so Sheena and Chelsea, so Chelsea came over from Tiffany's unit last May, so
stealing a lot of people from child protection. Sorry guys. Um, those two also um sit on our DWI court. They participate in that and currently we have 11 individuals or 11 participants
in DWI court. Um Sheena and Chelsea and Josh and Holly also participate in our drug court. Um and we currently have 13 participants. Um Holly is also sitting she's a member of our veterans court team. Um so very active with our
specialty courts. Um Holly, Josh, and Chelsea also do civil commitments for individuals with the substance use disorder. Um and we currently have 10 individuals under civil commitment. um from that some of those individuals when their
commitment ends they may want to um maintain some type of support with the county. So currently we are providing um voluntary case management not available uh treatment coordination but just kind of an overall service. So, we currently
have three individuals there. And then we also work closely with our child protection units um for uh women that may be pregnant and using substances as well. So, we currently have two open cases there um and and coordinating with
child protection. So, that's kind of a high overview again of our substance use and some of the services that we provide um within that team. And again, this slide just shows all of the partnerships. Um, we talked
about our specialty courts, um, working with the jail. Um, one other area I'd like to highlight is, um, working with public health, um, in the school prevention program. So, the positive community norms in the DGF
schools and sources of strength, which I believe is in Morehead, Holly, and Barnesville. um so collaborating with them as well. So again, this just shows on a local level and a state level um just how much time is put into
collaborating um which is pretty huge for our unit. Um and the third um division is our adult protection and that is Tracy and Bane. Um and these numbers again are showing that
consistently we are screening right around 550 um vulnerable adult reports per year. Um and we are screening in to assess those reports pretty consistently
165 170ish over the past two years. Um so what I want to focus in through adult protection is not just the numbers but in the last year and a half year year and a half uh DHS has really changed the
focus of adult protection moving from a very reactive system to hopefully a slightly more proactive system. And so that means they have changed every tool, every assessment that Dne and Tracy utilize um
and have done so over the last year, year and a half. Um and the two of them have handled that very graciously. um it's been a lot thrown at them and um they've been able to to manage that and
still um remain pretty positive which is difficult to do some days when you get thrown in all these new assessments at you um while still trying to um provide the service. So the main goal through
adult protection is making sure that the vulnerable adult is safe and then um preventing any further maltreatment. So that remains the goal of whether we are a reactive or a proactive system. So um again this slide
just shows the collaboration um that we have with law enforcement, the fire department, um our partners across the river and Cass County. We work closely with them because our folks go across the river. Um, and so we work
closely with them as well. Uh, so the next slide is some of the things on the horizon and Commissioner Ebinger, this is what you were getting at. Um so when the department of human services split into
three different entities um from someone who doesn't work with in the division of um children, youth and families, I thought that transition went fairly smoothly. There was a lot of communication and and Amy and Michelle may have something different to say
about that, but I thought it was pretty smooth. There was a lot of announcements um DHS bulletins, different things that came out and when they split and developed um direct care and treatment DCT there there was no communication and
honestly to the point where I think counties were like well that already started like three months ago and there wasn't that communication piece. Um so we have been trying to sift through that because because our team works with both
DHS and DCT. Um I think one of the most significant changes that we have seen is um some of the individuals um that have been committed um as sexually dangerous and and housed at the forensic mental
health program in St. Peter are being provisionally discharged into the community. and the first one occurred. I want to say it was last September. Um, work very closely with Mr. Melton at that point in time because that's something that we hadn't encountered
before. Um, so we have had two individuals that have been um provisionally discharged into the community, not our community. Um, they're both still down in the metro area. Uh, we have a third one that's kind of going through the process now.
Um, so eventually I think that will occur as well. And what that means for us is um I've had several meetings and several discussions with other counties um and with um the executive director of
the forensic mental health program um and and we had to determine what involvement if any the county really had in these cases that once they've been discharged to the community. What we're hearing is direct care and treatment is
solely responsible for the supervision, for all of the care, the coordination, everything. And really the county's responsibility is to pay for where they're living and their services. Um, and so what we have seen through that is
um a significant increase in that cost. And again, it goes back to the one slide um previously that showed that increase. Um when they were in St. Peter at the hospital in that program, there was a
daily rate that was significantly lower than it is now that they're living in a supportive environment in the community under a provisional discharge. So, that is that's been something pretty significant and Quinn and I are going to
continue to monitor that. um because that more than likely will have some significant impacts on our budget. >> Is some sort of not just the cost, which is a consideration, but what kind of
intensive supervision have these people got if they're re released back in the community and are a predatory sex offender? >> That is all being provided through direct care and treatment. And it depends on I think it's a three- tiered system. Um, so it depends on what tier
they're in. Um, initially my understanding is when they are PD into the community. Um, I think they have to meet with the house or wherever the supportive setting that they're living in is staffed. Um, and then my
understanding is they have to meet with the reintegration agent I think four times a week initially. And then as they work through these tiers, which I kind of did a deep dive before I really realized that the county wasn't going to have to provide any of the
supervision. Um, from start to finish, if all things go well, it's a several year process to get from one tier to the next to the third one. Um, if all goes well. So
>> just and and I don't know, Mr. Maybe you've heard are any people getting out of St. Peters. Are there some of them that are failing and are keeping them or is this just a process where we're going to start
filtering people back in? I have no problem with community corrections. I think it's an an advisable deal until you get people that are real genuine risk. >> Right. I I think just what uh Kristen was saying about too. So I mean there's
there's a lot of levels we go through uh what we call SRBs or special review boards. I mean when these individuals are placed into the INSOP program I mean as as uh she stated I think the only correction to that is there is
communication with our office. There's typically these individuals have been in in prison for serious offenses but they're now looking ready to get out and be done with their prison sentence. But as they've gone through done some different um uh
testing and and some other things that go on, if they're determined to be that most serious individual that needs to be in there, um then they can be and ultimately that is the attorney general's office that assists us and then goes through a basically what would
be kind of a mini trial to look to see if they'll be placed in in the MSOP program. In the past, many of the individuals that we've had, we have several that are in there that have been well over 20 plus years that are in in that program. But there, oh, I think
back about 2, three years ago, there were some challenges uh at the Supreme Court level that we're really looking at that no individual had graduated out of that program. And again, it's not a life sentence. It is a uh as Kristen said,
just a a three- tiered system. and looking at seeing if any of those individuals were ultimately graduating from the program and the Supreme Court started to look at and say some needed to be you know why was there no one or is it impossible to get through that
program. So there has been looks at and there have been like we said a couple that have even come out that were Klay County individuals and so as they progress through that it is I mean they have quite a few psychiatrists and and psychologists that are monitoring them
throughout that program that final release I guess that is that big question that I don't know that I understand extremely well what happens you know how much monitoring they have once they're released um but there is still monitoring So I I mean they they
they are going through even you know community monitoring once they're out. I can't say that I know exactly how much that is or what they are eating that kind of thing. >> Is is is our um uh parole officers here are they doing the we have an intensive
supervision component of >> I mean that that's a very much a separate thing coming out of you know prison if they're going in that's a that's a department of corrections. This this definitely is not department of corrections. This is them coming out through from DHS everything else. So
>> into a psychiatric outpatient kind of unit or residential or >> I wouldn't even call it that. I would call it community living. I mean once they've graduated the program they've shown they've made progress typically 10 15 years into it. A lot of times most these individuals and I will say men
because they are all men that are in that program. Typically they're in their 60s 70s so they're less if you will mobile. I mean there's there's a lot of issues but there I mean so I mean the question of having intensive supervision out in the community is definitely
different than what is in that MSOP program without question. It is them graduating to a new level being able to be out in the community. >> Are these people generally lifetime uh registered offenders? So there is a level of of of scrutiny at least at that.
>> Certainly certainly there's yeah registration there is some monitoring. I mean maybe that's probably some questions we could come back to you and get to know what that end type is. I I I can't really answer that because again I'm not on that monitoring part. I'm more on the part of when those
individuals are ready to be released. We have special review boards. The the those panels are talking about it. those psychiatrists are showing what level they're ready to be at. If that's that third or that final tier in the community level
>> and that would be this is totally exclusive of any of the judicial. >> Correct. >> Yeah. >> This is this is after their service and they've done served their time. They have no new criminal offense or any other criminal monitoring. It's because they've gone to there and being
monitored to that program. So part of the development of direct care and treatment um was to focus on these individuals as they're preparing for discharge into the community from the Minnesota sex offender program. Uh that
was one of the main focuses of DCT. Um so through that process um they have hired reintegration agents and and I'm believe they have some type of DOC background um and they are the ones that
are doing that monitoring for DCT um of these and the indivi the two individuals that we have had um discharge. One is in a I want to call it a adult foster care
in St. Peter, right outside of St. Peter um city limits. Um it's not built typically like an adult foster care um this individual is not on a waiver. Um some of these folks that are being discharged into the community, if
they're eligible for a caddy waiver, they're put on a caddy waiver for payment. um some are just going into a housing support type environment. Um and that's where the county then is paying a higher cost for that daily rate. Um so
each provisional discharge looks a little different than the next one depending on what the individual's needs are, what kind of support they need, what kind of services they need, um and and where they're wanting to live as well.
So again, none of the individuals have come back to Klay County. Um, one's in St. Peter and one I think is in I think it's Minneapolis. Um, I'd have to double check, but I think it's somewhere in the metro. So again, they haven't chosen to come back here. Um,
>> well, I'm just our community or another one in the state. Uh, I would just hope and it certainly isn't anything you guys have any control over or even any inside information on, I'd assume, but I hope the screening process is sufficient and
consequences. If somebody gets out, well, I guess there'll be additional charges, but um I just am I'm not an optimist with that particular body of offenders. I I
>> mean they are on a provisional discharge. Um and I have seen um the PDS I mean typically for our folks that are under an MI civil commitment the PD there's like four stipulations that they have to follow. Take your meds
pretty simple things. Um the the two provisional discharges that I have seen there are like over 30 stipulations that have to be met. So it's pretty thorough um in my in my opinion. I think is pretty. So, and if if there's a
reoffense or if they um do not follow their provisional discharge, they will be revoked and sent back to the program. So, >> okay, I feel a little better at having it explained, but >> that is a big change for us. That is something that came up last fall that
was kind of new. Um reached out to Mr. Melton right away and said, "What do we know about this?" because it was something new for our office. Um, so we will continue to monitor that. Um, as much as the county needs to be involved, I think and that's something I've talked
to Quinn about as well is, you know, what what type of involvement should we have or do we need to have? So, we're still kind of working through that as well. Right now, we are financially responsible for them yet. So, that's what we're
>> How many Klay County folks do we have up there? Do you know, Brian? Nine. We had nine to have been discharged. >> Yeah. I I was going to guess somewhere and now >> Yeah, I thought about we had double digits one time and and some have been there pretty long and and others have,
you know, gone through. I think one of the questions or you as the board might know, and I think we've discussed this before, one of the questions that came back those few years ago was the question of whether or not um the program itself was constitutional. That's what really came down to just uh
I think what uh Commissioner Emer said it's difficult to most of these individuals have been long-term sex offenders with multiple multiple not one two more 10 or more uh type offenses. And so that's the question. But the
ultimate question became if if ultimately no one could ever make it out of that program and it was more like a life sentence which we don't just give then the question was whether or not the program would be completely dissolved and all those individuals would be released into the community which is an
extremely worse question when you look at the amount when we have 11 let's say or even now nine but if each county has somewhere around there and they had 80 to 100 people in that program and if all of those were released in the community. That would be the worst result you could
possibly see. And so certainly they're doing a lot of monitoring with these individuals, a lot of work. Uh it is a long-term program without question. There's this is not a one, two, or some people might have tried to apply even after they got to five years and they're
not likely making that as they move through those tiers uh to be released anytime soon till they know that they've they've hit benchmarks. And so there is a lot of monitoring to it. I I'd want to assure the the board and the community of that without question. There's a lot
of of monitoring and and watching these individuals when I mean Kristen and her entire perimeter and just as Commissioner Kraov said, you know, when we are looking at the continuum of care that goes on there of all the commitment process, you know, what we're hoping to do is make sure individuals are
stabilized. Some of those numbers all kind of work together across the board. what we're seeing uh reduced hopefully in the jail. So the jail isn't seeing these individuals. We're getting them stabilized. They're not getting out doing other crimes, that kind of thing,
all the way across the board. And then of course the the most serious individuals, these individuals that are are sexual offenders and the ones that are SDP, psycho uh sexual deviant individuals. I mean, they're the people we want in there long term as long as we
can, but the ones that can make it through the program, we obviously have to try to work with that. >> Yeah, that's that's a little bit reassuring. It's not great that we have to pay for it, but that's part of what
we we do as a government. So, >> thank you for that. And do you have more? >> I think I have. >> All right. That was a tough ending there. All right. >> Thank you. And and just to add to that, I think one of the two individuals that was provisioning the discharge was in
there for about 12 years. I think from what I remember, so again, this is not like you do nine months worth of treatment and then you're out. It's it's a multi-year process. But yeah, obviously the concern is is that somebody that's out in the community then reaffends and that's probably worst case scenario. So we'll continue to
monitor it and hope for the best. I'm going to kick it over to Amy and Michelle with our child protection update. Okay, good morning commissioners and everyone and thank you for having us. In our children and family services division, we have three units, three supervisors. Tiffany January, who's a
supervisor of intake and assessment, myself, who's the supervisor of ongoing case management, Michelle Thorall, who's the supervisor of ongoing child protection case management and children's mental health. Within that those units we have two intake workers,
eight assessment workers, 14 case managers and five case aids. Um services we provide to the community are receiving abuse and negle neglect reports from the community. Arrange for emergency out of home placements due to
safety. Conduct child protection investigations and assessments. Provide child protection and child welfare case management. um voluntary and court-ordered supervised contracted children's mental health services including um contact or
excuse me supervised contracting children's mental health services including the village Lutheran social services Lakeland mental health solutions Rainbow Bridge and conducting mandated reporter training in the
community and in the schools. So for our intake and assessment data, bear with me, this is not my uh area of expertise, but in 2025, our intakes, our overall intakes were down 2,153
from 2024. Our child protection intakes, which include malreatment reports, were up in 2025 at 1,622 from 1,595. and our overall cases that were opened
up were increased um from at 406 from 305. So in 2025 56% of the cases opened were closed without referring to case management. In previous years we have seen the number of cases referred for
case management much lower indicating more families needing sustained interventions. Mhm. >> So, the types of maltreatment that are being screened in um is listed up there. Um neglect particularly tied to
substance use continues to be the primary reason for our screened in reports. Um reports can contain multiple um allegations of malreatment, sometimes several. So, the numbers aren't going to um equal a 100%. Um but primarily we are
seeing that neglect of substance use um followed by physical abuse and sexual abuse. So in 2025 we had 146 unduplicated youth in out ofome placement. Unduplicated means each child is counted once in the
year regardless of how many out ofome placement moves occurred. In 2016, we had 292 children in placement. In 2025, that number was down to 146. That's a 50% decrease over 9 years. We are
placing substantially fewer children than we were less than a decade ago to our team getting out there, creating safety plans, engaging family members, community members, and developing safety plans to keep kids in their home.
So where are these children that are in out of home placement? Um the primary location of children and out of home placement remains with non-relative foster care homes and our teenagers who primarily are placed at West Central
Regional Juvenile Center due to the lack of foster care homes for adolescence. Um followed by that we do the next highest placement um setting is our pre-adoptive kinship homes followed by relative foster homes.
>> Is the foster care number uh is it stable or is it still going down or >> it continues to we've continued to see a decrease in it every year. So, >> um, so in regards to our state and
federal measures in 2025, in regards to relative foster care, the performance standard is 35.7% and Klay County came in at 54.8%. We had been on a performance improvement plan for several years in this area and
were able to get off that performance improvement plan. Again, our workers getting out there right away, identifying grandparents, aunts and uncles, relatives, significant relationships to those children, and placing those children in those settings.
Um, our monthly face-to-face caseworker visits, meaning our caseworker is getting out into the community, whether it's here in Klay County or wherever the child might be placed and getting those face-to-face monthly visits. Um the performance standard is 95% or greater
and in uh 2025 we met that goal at 97.2%. Um timelines to initial contact the performance requirement is 100%. we met that goal or excuse me our um
score at that goal was 91.7% but they don't actually measure that goal until or put you on a performance improvement plan unless you're 90% or lower. So we still actually were in compliance with that measure. Um, as far
as maltreatment reoccurrence, the performance standard requirement is 9.1% or less and we came at 5.9% in 2025. So, we wanted to talk a little bit about prevention services. We know prevention
is key to uh keeping uh families and children out of our child protection system. Um and we're really able to provide a lot of these prevention services through the contracts that we hold with um some of our um mental health providers. So we wanted to highlight a couple of those areas. Um
one of the things that I think has had a really big impact on our work is um our family group decisionmaking process and our wraparound services. We contract with the village for those services um and lakes crisis center in Detroit Lakes. Those are really front-end case m
we refer to family group decision-making so families can be in the driver's seat of their own plan and we've seen a lot of success and reunification happen or uh placements prevented from being able to offer those things early on in the case. Um so we're really grateful for
that partnership. Um our family skills and inhome therapy contracts that we have with LSS and the village. um inhome workers are really hard to find and so we're really grateful that they've been able to keep people in those positions. We do sometimes see weight lists but yet
they're trying to work through those weight lists pretty quickly to get those services um in with these families to keep them keep these children in the home. um our parent support outreach program. Uh we also contract with the village. That is a program that we refer out any screened out child protection
reports and then they do outreach to the family trying to prevent them from coming back into our system. So those are some really big items that we put money into. We have contracts for and we've really seen success in trying to keep our numbers down and out of home placement numbers down.
So, some of the updates in child protection, um, MAFA, you I'm sure Quinn has talked about that here, maybe you've heard of it, maybe not, but, um, we anticipate this will have a, a very big impact on our work. Um, this law is going to expand January 1st, 2027.
There's still a lot of things that are some moving pieces to it, but it essentially is going to require social services agencies to provide active efforts to African-American families. Um, similar to the CH Indian Child Welfare Act, um, our motivational
interviewing requirement for our our child protection case management staff, I think I talked about that here last year. It's a very intensive training that they have to go through. They have to upload videos every quarter and for fidelity monitoring. So, it takes a lot
of time out of their day-to-day work, but we are able to capture revenue from them doing that for the work that they're doing with the families. So, we're excited to see where that will go in the future. Um, the mandatory offering of voluntary services for attendance-based concerns
this year. Um, I think was January one or I don't know when it when it rolled out. Do you know? >> Okay. Okay. So um social services is required to offer voluntary services to a child who meets criteria um for
truency basically um where before we were not required we could screen and we had discretion now we are required to um do that and I think that speaks to why we've had more um open cases um as far as um the delinquency age is changing
from 10 to 13 as of August 1st 2026 Six, we will be mandated to offer services to a child who's committed a delinquency crime. We do anticipate that will impact our case loads. We're just unsure of how, but we would imagine it's going to increase our assessments and some case
management in that area as well. So, some of the challenges in child protection, um, you know, one of the most significant challenges continues to be that access to those high level behavioral health services, the QRTP, PRTF, hospital level of care. You've
heard us say that we sound like a broken record, but it does continue to be uh, one of the main challenges that we see. You know, the the the needs of the youth that we're seeing is increased and the availability of displacements just have not kept pace with that. Um, we're also
seeing workforce challenges, workforce challenges across providers, which impacts availability of inhome services and supports to the family. If we didn't have the contracts that we had, I think we would be in a much different position, but they also struggled to keep staff in those positions. So, um,
but we do have a close relationship with them, meeting with them regularly, and they do a really good job of getting people into the homes as quickly as possible. um our we ourselves have had difficulty in staff retention. I think you Kirsten alluded to it, but I think
we've had eight staff turnover this year in child protection. So there's the training that is needed before they can take a full case load is very extensive. So you know you have people working having to work a case load and a half to cover for the people who aren't able to
take those full cases or if there's a vacancy and the work is really stressful and hard. So we do a lot to try to um keep everybody above the water. Um >> may I ask are the colleges are they
bringing in a pretty good potential workforce for this area? You know, there there is a a child welfare scholar program at MSUM. Just MSUM >> or and no, just MSUM.
>> But we've seen not as many people reach out for internships the last year or two. Um, we were in a position too when we were short staffed that we didn't feel like we were in a position to take interns. So, I don't know if because we didn't take anybody for like a year,
maybe that um played into that. We're not sure. So, I don't know. >> But we continue to do a lot. We have a lot of staff who go and present at um the colleges all the time, just kind of recruiting, getting the word out there about the county and >> friend of mine, right? >> Yeah. Yeah.
>> Okay. >> Yep. >> Oh, and then from a placement perspective, there continues to be a shortage of foster care homes. Amy alluded to that already. Um but especially for those older youth um you
know we we continue to see housing be a barrier for families and affordable um child care as well. So, some of our successes for child protection in 2025, um, as far as um, permanency for
adoption successes, we had 10 adoptions in 2025 and nine transfers of permanent legal and physical custody to relatives or kins. We also reunified with the help of family group, a child with a non-custodial parent in the state of New
Mexico. Um, we had one youth who was placed in West Central Regional Juvenile Center for 1,384 days who required who actually we had some attempted placements prior to or during that time frame that failed, but
we finally were able to move him out um into the community into an established group home and we're and he's having success. Um, we continue to work closely with the county attorney's office on the finalization of adoptions. Average days from filing an adoption petition to an
adoption is 28 days. So, our partnership with that has really moved those kids quicker to permanency versus those families having to go out and seek um private counsel. Um, we've also increased the number of children placed with relatives and kins and are no
longer on a performance improvement plan, which is a great thing in our world. So >> Amy's downplaying the the PIP that we were on forever. Apparently all it took was I needed to get out of being a supervisor and then Amy and Michelle and Tiffany took care of it. So it's super
happy to see because we always have the attitude that if kids can't do well with their moms and dads, they should be with family. So to see not only hitting that benchmark, but to crush that benchmark, basically what that measures is the amount of days all kids in foster care
spend with a relative. So to see 54% of all of the days of every child that's in foster care, 54% of those days were with relative placements is heartwarming and awesome and something that they measure us well for. So awesome job to you guys there.
>> I just want to thank you and your staff for all your work, your dedication, passion that I see and and uh it's so complex. I mean, right? and and uh we do
the best we can do and we're certainly uh here to support you. So, thanks again. Any other comments? >> Yeah, thank you. Why don't we take a five minute break? All right, we're back. We'll go to our
addition to the item today for request approval to submit application for congressional uh directed funding for the West Central Regional Juvenile Center and the nonsecure juvenile facility.
Uh thank you, Mr. Chair. As this board is certainly aware, you've put a lot of time and energy over the last several years at looking at increasing the level of care that we just heard about uh from social services and the needs of our youth uh specifically uh into uh to both
a psychiatric residential treatment center uh and also a non-scure juvenile facility. Uh and so uh as you've worked hard over the last several years down in St. Paul to to to receive funding. We've been successful uh in and providing
receiving some funding from DHS uh in regards to transferring uh funds uh transferring the the current juvenile non-secure facility into a psychiatric residential treatment facility. And our focus now is uh how to to to receive the 20 $28 million of a new facility. So,
we're always looking for any opportunity in addition to uh to state funding and local dollars to to to build that program. And so, uh we've had some discussions from from the congressional uh directed spending. Uh we've applied for different grants throughout the
years, whether that's been the water district, our withdrawal management detoxification facility. Uh and so uh what I would have before you this morning would you consider to put requests before uh Senator Clolobashar and Senator Smith uh are taking applications. I appreciate your
willingness uh uh to put this on the agenda this morning. Uh we have been watching watching these applications closely. Uh the the applications came out Friday after our deadline. Uh and uh and the deadline is this Friday. Uh so I
left a short window. And so uh the request before you this morning would be to submit uh an application in the amount of $5 million uh for uh for each uh Senator Kolashar and Senator Smith. Uh and uh I would yield for any questions.
>> I'll just add last week I talked to Tina Smith or Senator Smith's assistant uh Jordan and uh um talked to him about this application. he knows we're interested and and uh he said that
between Senator Smith and Clubar they kind of bring the two together and then they talk about them together. So yeah, I think it's good opportunity. >> Mr. Sure. >> Yeah. I'll just I'll make a motion to
approve submitt for congressional directed funding application uh for the west central regional juvenile center nonsecure juvenile facility. >> I'll second that. >> Thank you. So motion by commissioner, second by commissioner.
There any other discussion? Any other discussion? Hearing none. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Anybody opposed? No. Thank you. >> Yes. >> All right. Committee reports and uh any
other discussions? Start with you, Commissioner Ever. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh Thursday the 19th, um I virtually attended the rethinking mental health and substance misuse coalition meeting.
Um had a very good presentation by Jennifer Ilitch of First Link. uh looking at the uh 988 extension uh for suicide intervention
and the 211 resource navigation which covers everything from mental health issues to food uh support uh requests or locations they can go to. Uh it can also uh be used to notify
mobile mental health uh from that in this area is uh uh supported by Lakeland um for dispatch of people when they're in mental health crisis. Um
Annabelle uh def uh default did a good substance use session. Um there's a listing or listening session uh at MSUM now that or MState I'm sorry
um that they're conducting right now getting an idea on substance use thoughts and perspectives of students and uh some of the some of the results are getting from those surveys. please.
And that uh that completes that. Uh later that day, I attended Chamber of Commerce uh civics on tap at Swing Barrel. They had uh six of us local elected officials and it's kind of a
roundt thing where we had citizens there. We went from table to table. every 12 minutes they moved us and it was really it was both fun and it was informative I think for us the elected officials that were there and I think we
were able to provide some insight to the citizens we were talking to kudos to the chamber as always they do a great job and u that completes my report >> thank you commissioner there
Last Tuesday evening, I went to the Klay County Planning Commission where we heard uh two requests for an inter one well one request for an interim use permit amendment right outside of Holly. It would be the CJ what is it the JC's
um in the JC what is it called here? Let me just bring it up real quick. That'll be CJ's boarding right outside of Holly. They wanted to go from 25 animals up to 80 animals to be housed
there at any given time. And that that amendment passed to their interimm use permit. And then we also heard one from Glendon Rod and Gun Club, a request for anal use permit amendment for their hours of operation sitting out
there in Glendon. That one also was approved. And that one was they were asking for space for our sheriff's department and law enforcement agencies in Klay County so they could shoot at night so they can get that type of training done which they have to do at least once a year. So we approved that
amendment as well. And then also we had a little bit of a 2025 Minnesota DNR groundwater areas of concern report. We went over that and we also had a planning commission appointment
recommendation to the county board that will be coming here in the near future. Then yesterday I went to the wild rice watershed one watershed one plan meeting up in Ada where we went over the FY23 and FY25
financial reports. And we also we last last November we were talking about a tracking talked about tracking how we track all the reporting and all the projects that are going on and we approved a database
to track that it would be MS4front and B spreadsheet is uni unanimously passed it. Houston engineering puts that on so we'll be able to track all the projects we do there for watershed one watershed
one plan we also agreed to send in the application for FY27 at just over $2 million for that application and we also had a report on the 2025
projects and our next meeting would be November 30th and that's what we discussed at that and that is all my reports chair. >> Thank you. Well, I was gone um last meeting. So, my reports will start back
on um the uh 11th, March 11th, that Wednesday. Uh I joined Commissioner Mojo and I were as part of the Morehead and Detroit Lakes area day at the Capitol. Uh Commissioner Mojo uh reported on that
last week. Um again, uh the chamber does a fantastic job. It's good to have our connections with all of our representatives and u um you know express the needs that are needed here
and we need uh in our area. Uh on Friday the 13th that was part of my weekly uh PRTF nonsecure bonding strategy group. Uh that discussion had a lot to do with the few days that we had just been um at
the capital uh whether it was at AMC or the chamber and our strategies moving ahead to make sure we keep uh getting a chance of bonding money for the new nonsecure. On the 16th uh I was part of the Klay County Association Townships.
we were all there and that's been reported already. On um uh the 17th I flew to Washington DC to be part of a um with two other small delegations from uh CAP LP and uh
joining in Washington the Minnesota group and at a national uh uh gathering. Um that was the 18th through the 20th uh at the conference. Our main point, the main one was making sure that Congress
uh kept funding our con uh community uh service block grants. Um we look in pretty good shape for those. They're so important because that's how fle flexible spending that we have uh in our budget
uh that all cap agencies have and not all cap agencies have a head start but they do have other programs and these programs in just example what we do here in Klay County with those flex funds is the rule being part of the rural bus
routes and then also adult uh um supervisor out in um uh senior supervisor I'm sorry throughout the county uh we met with um u staffers from Michelle Fishbach really it was a very
good conversation that and that was mainly about senior services and then we also met in person and with staffers with uh Senator Sher Clolobachar and uh Senator Smith in their offices again both are very supportive of work that um
community action partner has done for years. Uh that evening uh we had a virtual meeting of the uh again back to our local CAP LP we had our board of directors meeting uh that was uh very
well um almost everybody on the board and our committees was at it. So maybe we should do virtual more often. I don't know. Anyway, it went went very well. We did we had done our executive director's
performance review for our ex uh for our director um uh Lori Schwarz and u um and her with top grades she did uh we went
for grants for the FM area foundation um and other there were u one two three just four other grants uh that are all part of little subsidiary groups and
opportunities for grants uh that we can work through CAPLP and those are all being applied for and I would hope we'll get um mainly that's what I want to say about that meeting
and let's see conference flew back I'm good I'm here. >> I had one. >> Yeah, please. >> Yesterday, I also received in the mail the the mailer from the West Central Regional Water District. So, those are being mailed out to the county land
owners. So, just so everybody's aware that they will be receiving those in the next couple of days if they have not received it already. >> Yeah, thank you for mentioning that. What was it? 19,000. >> Yes, that for the districtwide. >> Yeah. >> And that public hearing will be on Well,
not public the court date is April 17th. So, just so everybody's aware, those will be on those. >> All right. Thank you. >> It's not junk mail. >> Yeah. And Minister uh Larson. >> Uh thank you, Mr. Chair. Um after board meeting last week, I met with Sheriff
Empty and Mr. Melton in regards to the upcoming uh shotgun rifle ordinance discussion that we'll be having on April 7th. Uh that afternoon participating in a regional administrator uh meeting. a lot of impact a lot of discussion on the
impacts of paid family medical uh from a staffing standpoint uh and also talked about the legislative session. Uh on the 18th our strive group met and we continue to uh prepare for our intra governmental retreat that's coming up.
Uh on the 18th also uh continued to do some work with DHS. Uh we have in regards to our $1.2 $2 million uh for funding for the PRTF transformation. Uh they they're working on the contract, but also they've
extended uh they've also then extended our ability to use those funds through June 30th of 2029. And so uh we're excited about that, not having to go back to the legislature to ask for additional funding. Uh on the 18th, I
talked with Mr. Melton on several county issues. Uh on later in the week, I worked on an anticipation of the item today uh knowing that there's was potentially going to be a short window. Worked on the uh congressional directed spending application uh last week and
then again for a good portion of yesterday. Hope to have that turned in uh by Wednesday uh end of the day Wednesday. Uh had department head evaluation preparation. Also, I spoke with Sheriff. Uh he'd received
notification from Chief Helmick of the Morhead Police Department that our our law enforcement uh deputies are now no longer going to be allowed to have access uh to the gun range in North Morehead uh for cons safety concerns. Uh
and so our sheriff uh has reached out to uh the Glendon Gun Club to make sure that we have access. But I I know that from Sheriff Empt's standpoint, we've had some discussions at the building committee uh even went back to last year about uh about the potential uh need of
this in the future. And so I there'll be more to come on that. Mr. Mr. Larson, if I can just add to that. Um just a little perspective for us. I shut that range down as chief of police
15 years ago, somewhere about that. Um the R were rounds leaving the range over the burm landing in the compost area where employees were. We put a big wall up on top of the burm and uh that
addressed the uh issue temporarily and 15 years has passed and we've not had any progress on that. I really think the area uh the sheriff Burrquist, late Sheriff Burrquist, and I went out and
looked at the area around the demolition re uh uh landfill. Yeah. Area. It can be used and it's a good location. It's close
enough in to where uh people that are working in the city can get there. I think we're going to have to do this on our own from the sounds of it. And I just want us to be prepared for it. This is not going to be a cheap uh effort, but it's going to be a
necessary one. It's one way overdue. So, I'm just open to us being creative and figuring out how it be done. I know the sheriff's on top of it, but this is going to be an issue and it's something we need to get for absolutely essential
for law enforcement. I think just a couple more things. Uh yesterday morning then I participated the AMC uh le first AMC legislative update um from Matt Hillgart and and many of the other staff at AMC. Uh kind
of got the purview of the first uh first month or so at at uh at of this session. Uh again, the big deadlines are coming for the bill drops uh here over the next week and a half and so uh a lot of focus there. Yesterday talking with
Commissioner Krabanhoff on a series of issues uh with him being in Washington DC, met with Quinn on a personnel matter uh and also had ongoing conversation with Sheriff Empt. Last thing again just for our citizens, next week, Tuesday is our fifth Tuesday and so we will not be
meeting on the 31st. Our next meeting will be April 7th. Okay, that concludes >> at 5:00 PM. That concludes my report. >> You didn't have anything? >> Okay. >> No, no, sorry about that.
>> Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you. You caught me off guard. Um, on Tuesday, uh, March 17th, we had a safety committee meeting, went over the quarterly accident report. Um, severe weather awareness week is April 13th through the 17th with a tornado
drill on Thursday, April 16th. Uh, we talked about the exposure control plan and bloodborne pathogens. And then, uh, talked a little bit about the safety training program uh, and fire extinguisher training. I also had on that day the board of
adjustment and planning commission board of adjustment. We had two requests for variances. One was pulled at the last minute and uh um Commissioner Bear covered the planning commission already. Wednesday the 18th uh we had a strive
for excellence meeting, discussed leadership training and upcoming manager retreat. Had a discussion with Jesse on the benefits coordinator on some grid placement for the assistant jail administrator. Worked on some union negotiations data. on the 19th
uh sat in on a meeting with MC uh and a presentation from Improv, which is a a contracted company through MC to help us with UKG issues and I had a meeting with Melissa on some personal issues. Uh on
Friday the 20th uh started working on some of the budget process and then on Monday um I also listened in on the AMC legislative update and then had some discussions with Steve Quinn, Justin, and Jesse on some personnel multiple
personnel issues. That concludes my report. >> Thank you. Second chance, Brian. All right, Sarah. >> All right. Anything else? Anybody >> hearing? None. We're adjourned. Part: 2
Well, welcome everyone to the excuse me to Tuesday March 24th uh board of permission. Um we will call the meeting to order. Uh we have one addition to the agenda and that is a
request approval to submit application for congressional direct funding for the West Central Regional Juvenile Center and the nonsecure juvenile facility. Is there a motion to approve the agenda with the addition?
>> Mr. Chair, so moved. Second. >> We have a motion second. Is there any discussion? Any other discussion? Any other discussion hearing? None. Motion is approved. We have a consent agenda with an
approval to fill a vacant part-time custodial position. Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? >> Mr. Chair, so moved. >> There a second. >> Second. >> Any other discussion?
Any other discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. Are there any uh citizens to be heard? There's no one in the audience here. Anybody online, Steve? >> Nothing, Mr. Chair.
>> We'll move on. Uh approval of payments of bills and voucher. >> Mr. Chair, I'll make a motion to pay the bills and vouchers. >> Second. >> We have a motion and second. Any other discussion? Any other discussion? All in favor say I.
>> I. >> I. And we have the approval of the minutes from March 10th, 2026 and March 17, 2026. >> Mr. Chair, do you want those in separate motions or one motion? >> I think one is fine. >> I'll make a motion to approve the
minutes for March 20 March 10th and March 17th of 2026. >> Second. >> We have second. Any other discussion? Any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor say I. >> I. Approved.
We're under right 35 requests approval to appoint Michael Buttonhoff to the Klay County Extension Committee. And here's Cecilia. >> Welcome. >> Good morning. Thanks for having me this morning. Um
you should all have a package in front of you with Michael Bentenhov um as our new uh recommended from the CEC uh new uh committee member. So we're just seeking approval to approve um Michael for a three-year term.
>> I'll just make a quick comment. Uh I don't know Michael myself, but I certainly know his family out in the Sabin area and and as we read his uh resume, his background I think is just a perfect fit for what we do. Yeah, his
background for each working at the on the fair board uh I think it just gives us another end and uh of doing our business in a good order. So, any questions for Cecilia?
>> Mr. Chair, I'll make a motion to appoint Michael Buttonoff to the Klay County Extension Committee. >> Second. >> Okay, we have a motion second to appoint Michael Buttonoff to the committee extension committee. Is there any other discussion?
Any other discussion? Hearing none. All in favor say I. I >> opposed. Motion passes. Thank you. Any other words wisdom? >> Um just so you know before we bring these individuals in front of you, we
vetted them in different ways. So this process has gone through the 4 federation. Um we had a few people that were interested. So Michael made it out of that and then we brought it to the RC for approval before we brought it here. So >> um just so you know that we've um done
our due diligence before bringing it here. >> Yeah. Yeah. Well, thank you so much. Look forward to working with them. >> Yeah. Excited. I think Are we up next? Yes. Okay. >> Call my troop to come on in.
Wonderful. We have a great group. Our next thing on the uh uh agenda today is the annual department update for the Klay County Extension Service. Thank you. Um this is our annual
departmental update for um our extension office and um before we get started, I would just like for individuals to just introduce themselves so you know who's sitting in front of you before we go into our presentation. Hi, I am Jill Patri and I am the
horiculture educator here in Klay County. Hi, I'm Martha Wheeler and I'm a recently graduated master gardener volunteer. >> Hi, I'm Monica and I am a 4 member.
>> Um, I'm Monique Steltzer. I'm the 4 youth development extension educator in Klay County. >> I'm Amelia Lanswork. I'm also a Klay County 4 extension educator. >> I'm Jen Erdall, support staff Klay County. >> All right, I'll kick you off this
morning. Um, thanks for letting us come in today talk a little bit about our department update um with Klay County Extension. Um, as you're aware, Klay County UN or the Klay County government partners with the University of Minnesota to bring research-based education and hands-on learning right here to Klay County residents. Um
whether those people are looking to grow healthier gardens, strengthen their families, their communities, or to explore youth programs, or to expand their knowledge in agriculture, Klay County Extension is here to meet those needs. Extension's mission is to be accessible
to everyone in the county, to connect people with practical solutions and resources, and to build individual skills and strengthen communities. connecting citizens with knowledge, tools, and support to create meaningful change at home, at work, and across our communities.
Um, you did just meet all of us, but briefly, the four of us that are um part of the MOA agreement that are placed in the Klay County office are Amelia Lansburg, Jennifer Erdall, Jillian Patri, and myself. I'll turn it over to Jill to kind of
talk about the next piece. >> All right. Thank you. The University of Minnesota Extension delivers two programs here in Klay County. Um, ANR agriculture and natural resources and 4. The scope of programming and services
available in the county depends on the program selected and the level of local investment. Extension connects university research with real world needs in the county, providing residents with practical education and skill building opportunities. By supporting
extension, stakeholders help translate education that pro improves decision-making, develops future leaders, and creates communities that are better prepared to address local challenges and opportunities through extension programs. research-based
knowledge turns into action creating lasting benefits for the people, businesses, and communities we serve. Okay, so I'll start us off with the 4 side of things. So, um, did you all know that over half of Gen Z and Gen Alpha
feel that they are not prepared or are failing at their life goals? Today's youth face real challenges. Many aren't prepared for life after high school and struggle with loneliness or other negative feelings. Youth must develop the necessary skills to thrive in a future where 85% of jobs haven't even
been invented yet. Our program helps youth build skills, gain confidence, and instills the mindset for youth to succeed in their career life and in their community. This manifests through 4 programming, leadership opportunities, and real life experiences. For our partners, this means that youth who are
a part of 4 leave ready to live healthy, productive, and engaged lives. This leads to higher post-secondary readiness, community sustainability, workforce skill development, and higher levels of health and wellness. Next, we or yeah, next slide. Um, but next, we're going to invite Monica
Wilson, one of our own 4 youth members to talk about some of her experiences with Klay County4. Monica is one of our outstanding youth members who is currently serving as a club and federation officer. She's just one example of our youth members stepping into leadership roles and making the most of 4 opportunities.
>> Hi, I'm Monica Wilson. I am in ninth grade in the Blue Eagle Clover's 4H club. I started 4 when I was in second grade. I started my 4 journey showing one pig with my dad and a couple of school art projects as a clover bud. I expanded my interests mainly in pigs,
but also in many different fields. This past year at county fair, I showed six pigs, a pair of chickens, art, wood projects, food, and photography. During county fair, I've done many interviews with my animals and static projects, which has helped me learn more about my projects and helped me express my love
towards them. On the state level, I have shown pigs at state fair for three years in a row. State Fair is an amazing experience. I get to meet a lot of new people and make numerous new memories. After eight years of showing pigs, I decided to pharaoh my
own. I fed two of my pigs I had shown last year. It ended up going amazing and I got 16 little piglets. Raising piglets is is not only tons of fun, but they're also teaching me patience and hard work. Along with showing at county and state fair, I went to a livestock judging camp
at the U of Minneapolis campus where I learned how to judge swine, cattle, sheep, and goats. Using my knowledge of animals, I joined a livestock knowledge bowl team and we just recently competed. I am also a part of my club. I started as a pledge leader in my first couple years and soon advanced to club
secretary where I learned organization and responsibility. Soon after I became our club president. I'm now a part of the 4 federation. In the federation, I'm the secretary. Through being the secretary, I'm just now learning all the dedication and hard work that goes into running the entire
organization. After high school, I plan on going to college. In college, I will use all the skills I've learned through 4 and hopefully teach others all I know about agriculture and pigs. For pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to do things I love. It's hard to believe that something that is now a huge part of my life and my biggest
hobby all started with just one pig and some art projects. >> Thank you, Monica. We appreciate you sharing your story today. Um, one of the things that strengthens the local youth 4 development program is our ability to assess local program conditions and
program needs each year. Um, the needs assessment that we do annually leads to the development of three locally relevant goals that address our program delivery, our growth, and our retention. Um, in 2026, we hope to grow our volunteer base. We hope to increase our retention rates for community club
members like Monica and to introduce STEM learning opportunities for all youth in the county 4 program both in clubs as well as afterchool programs. Those goals will help us work smarter and to help work us help us work intentionally giving time and support to high-quality programs that meet multiple
accomplishments. Um, one of the current programs that we're working toward right now that'll help us meet all three of those goals is an event called the Project Activity Day. Project activity day is a multi-session hands-on project workshop where youth choose three projects to build or create from a menu
of options. Youth attend project activity this year are able to select from a variety of STEM projects such as DNA extraction, homopolar motors, balloon car engineering, wood shelf construction, wood planter construction, micro grown seeds, microgreen seed starting, entomology, and building mouse
trap shooters. Klay County4 has been blessed with a private donation over several years that helped support STEM program delivery across the county. Previously, that financial support was targeted for afterchool programs. This year, we're maximizing the Glendon Farms financial support by broadening the
reach beyond our after-school programs to include STEM programming offered during Project Activity Day. This will also help us work towards growing our volunteer base by engaging project activity instructors who become new volunteers in our program. Most importantly, research has proven that youth who engage in the full project
learning cycle with 4, youth who select projects that interest them, compete with those projects, and then ultimately showcase their learning achieve higher levels of engagement, which leads to longer retention in the youth program. In that way, project activity is activity day is more than just a hands-on workshop for young people. It's
a way for adults to become volunteers. It's a way for youth to explore and discover their passions, which ultimately ensures their long-term retention in the local 4 program, which leads to kids who are more likely to live healthy, productive, and engaged lives.
All of that brings me to where we are today and where we're what we're on track to accomplish with our current 4 year. Klay County for for currently reaches 300 youth and 13 community clubs and we have more than 200 youth engaged in afterchool programs. We have partnerships in place with all five
public school districts and we have 11 program afterchool sites within the community club program. 46 youth hold leadership roles in their clubs like club officers. Um we have additional youth that hold leadership roles on our countywide committees or on the Klay County 4 federation board. Last fall we
provided leadership and club officer training for 13 new youth officers and eight new volunteers and club leaders. As always, Klay County 4 is open to youth in kindergarten through one year past high school. Um, in 4, those young people do more than, of course, complete the hands-on projects. They'll be
presented with leadership opportunities and clubs at the county level and beyond in the state level when they become healthy, engaged, and productive community members. Because of this, we appreciate the continued support of the Klay County Board of Commissioners, and we support the or we appreciate the support that you provide to the Klay
County for program and the young people that are in Klay County. We're going to turn it over now um to my colleague Jill who share more about the egg and natural resource program. >> If I may uh I'd like to just interject before we get to horticulture a little bit. I want to come back to what Monica
had talked and uh just congratulations. That's amazing amount of work. Uh what year did you or when did you start into the 4 program? >> I was in second grade. >> Second grade. Wow. Okay. And are there
pigs on your farm already or? >> Yeah, we I have my two SAS that I pharaohed and then there are 16 piglets that are all at home right now. >> Okay. Well, very good. I'm just all the steps you've took are just amazing and
uh I just congratulate you for all that. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. Yeah. Please. >> What genetics are the pigs that you have on your farm? Uh, I have a purebred Duro litter and a crossbreed Duro litter. >> And a bunch of colorful pigs sitting
there. Yeah. >> Nice. >> Those are always nice to look at. So, >> and then I I do have one question. When you get to the uh um I'm just curious about the livestock knowledgeable that you're part of. Is that a team that's
local or is that a team you're included in uh with others throughout the state? >> It's a local team. It was four of us just from in Klay County. >> Okay. All right. Very good. Well, thank you. Any questions? All right. All right, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, if I could,
I would want to say too, congratulations to Monica, but also it really helps you good on public speak. When I was in ninth grade, I was scared to death to talk in front of people. So, you did terrific and really great presentation. So, good job. >> Thank you. >> All right. Yes, we're always impressed
with 4 and um I really enjoy working with them. Um all right, we're going to turn over to agriculture and natural resources here in Klay County. Um, as the agriculture and natural resource educator here in Klay County, I strive to engage with
colleagues, partners, stakeholders, and volunteers to identify resident and community needs and develop lasting solutions. Through community involvement, I work to support and improve local ecosystems by providing education opportunities for residents
and develop partnerships that expand our reach and impact. Um, this year as part of Minnesota's 87 extension in every county initiative, Klay County is proud to be featured as a landing page story
highlighting the local impact of extension programming and the power of communitydriven efforts. research are shared. Resources are shared in a variety of ways, including events and programs that encourage community participation, hands-on learning, and
increased awareness of ecosystem health. Partnerships are essential to the success of this work. Some of our valued partners include the city of Morehead, the Lake Egassy Regional Libraries, Area Schools, Cap LP, um, MSUM,
the NDSU Master Gardeners as well, Barnesville Garden Club, local nurseries, and the Minnesota Master Naturalists. Can change. Yep. One more. It should be Martha, but maybe it's
backwards. All right, her slide isn't in there for some reason. Well, we'll talk about Martha um here. So, um Martha is just finished her internship um this last year. So now this year she is a active
member of our Klay County Master Gardener volunteer program. Um and in her first year last year as an intern she really um jumped into it. So um she is a um
initiated FM Flutterfest. So, if you are not familiar with that, that's a a community initiative to get people involved in pollinator health and just um beautifification of our parks and um other places here in Klay County. Um so,
I will hand it over to Martha and she's going to talk a little bit about how Flutterfest has progressed um and what we're planning on this year. Hi, I'm really grateful to have Jill's leadership. I had a I had a passion and
uh Jill has really supported that and helped it to happen. In 2025, this >> in 2025, Klay County Extension Master Gardeners began a fun and educational project to to increase public awareness
of the benefits of native plants. We sought to engage and inform community members about the positive steps that each of us can take. We wanted to share information about conservation and restoration of native habitat to support
invertebrates and birds, the foundation of the food web. We know that native plants require less maintenance than traditional landscaping. They conserve water, stabilize soil to prevent erosion, and protect waterways. They
support um healthy soil and even mitigate climate change. Uh out of the desire to share information and empower citizens, the first annual FM Flutterfest was born. In collaboration with the city of Morehead, University of
Minnesota Extension and support from the awesome foundation, we organized a delightful event. Um, community members learned about local trees and food crops, uh, native plants, water and soil, and of course, pollinators. That
was the big focus. All this happened in a celebratory atmosphere in Gooseberry Park. We had storytelling, book giveaways, take-home plantings, face painting, bee house making, music, education about pollinators, and more.
And we even planted a pollinator garden in an area in the park that needed some TLC. Our second annual Flutterfest will take place on June 23rd, 2026 from
5 to 8:00 p.m. at MB Johnson Park. It will be a free family-friendly event um much like last year's. United Prairie Foundation has joined us this year and they will be um joining us along with
community community members in planting a beautiful new garden of deeprooted native plants. Uh this will improve an area of standing water, support pollinators and native wildlife and serve as an opportunity for community
members to learn about things that they can do on their own property. We are thrilled to add United Prairie Foundation and the Minnesota State University Morehead to our list of partners.
In addition to Flutterfest, we're sponsoring a community presentation by Dr. Doug Talamy on June 25th at 700 p.m. at Langth Hall, room 104, 6001 Street South on the MSUM campus. Dr. Talami is
an award-winning professor of entomology and wildlife ecology as well as the author of multiple research publications and books including the New York Times bestseller Nature's Best Hope. His popular presentations have inspired
individuals and communities across North America to take conservation into their own hands. We are very excited to have him come and inspire our community. How many uh people do you expect for the
second flutter fest? >> Um well that's hard to say. Our hope is at no one to 200. Okay. >> My big hope would be a lot more but >> yeah sounds amazing. >> Thank you.
>> Yeah. So, this is just one of the really amazing projects that our master gardeners um bring to the community. So, we're really excited um every year to see how we can grow um and connect with everyone and offer um some great
resources. Oh, go back because I haven't done that one because we're missing. There you go. Um, so again, earlier you heard me touch on community engagement and our work with partners to expand our reach. Um, now I'd like to share a bit of more about what local resources look like
here in Klay County. My role focuses on providing technical assistance, supporting master gardener volunteers, and facilitating hands-on learning opportunities and offering program leadership. I connect residents with researchbased information, train and coordinate volunteers to extend our
reach, and develop programs that reflect community interests and needs. Our programming is designed to support ecosystem health and improvement by offering practical hands-on education in areas such as home gardening, pollinator support, and sustainable land practices
through workshops, demonstrations, and volunteer-led projects like FM Flutterfest. Participants gain experience they can apply directly in their own spaces. Master gardener volunteers play key role in extending
our research by sh our reach by sharing science-based information through events, plant clinics, and community outreach. At the same time, providing technical assistance to residents and partners seeking guidance on horiculture and environmental stewardship.
Yep. We're missing part of the presentation again. There we go. Yeah. All right. Right now, we're gearing up for another busy growing season, offering residents one-on-one gardening assistance through on-site visits, workshops, and community
events. Our master gardener volunteers will also be active again throughout the summer supporting a variety of programs and initiatives. Um again this year we'll be doing our native plant sale fundraiser um FM flutterfest and our
annual garden tour which will be highlighting gardens in Morehead Dworth England this year. Extension continues to bring research and education to the community through workshops such as winter garden college that happened here in January. um online lunch and learn
webinars and seed starting sessions which provide participants with practical skills for home gardening. I do want to highlight again our one vegetable one community program um which is a partnership between master
gardeners um and others in the community um to bring education um on growing a vegetable this year is pumpkins. Um, so along with our normal programming that we do at the libraries around growing
that vegetable, we're also excited to offer the grow the biggest pumpkin contest in Klay County for youth um, ages 18 and under. So participants will receive the seed as usual, growing instructions, and then we're having some
um, virtual learning opportunities with the Minnesota Pumpkin Growers Association as well. So, we're looking forward to that this year. >> I also want to mention uh I've enjoyed uh reading your weekly articles in the
FM Extra. That takes a lot of work to come up with those every week, >> but >> it's fun. I enjoy it, too. Um I like to research things as well. So, it's >> So, if you have them, look for articles. They're very good and you'll learn a lot.
>> Thank you. Okay, so we've talked a little bit about both of our programs separately, but now we're going to move into both of our departments as a conglomerate unit. Um, so we plan to continue partnering across both of our departments to support the community. As a team, we utilize each
other's expertise to um elevate our programming and we'll be working together to assist with things like the county fair, Flutterfest, day camps, and afterchool programs. We're also expanding to include the one vegetable, one community program that Jill just mentioned into our list of partnerships.
Um, this collaboration across extension departments results in shared learning, a stronger community, and local pride. All right. Extension programs create private value for participants, helping individuals gain skills, confidence, and knowledge that they can apply in their
homes, farms, careers, and personal lives. At the same time, they generate public value by strengthening the local economy, supporting agriculture, developing future leaders, and improving quality of life for the entire
community. 4 youth development programs build leadership, responsibility, and life skills that prepare the next generation of community leaders in Klay County. Agriculture and natural resource programs support informed decision-making, help residents care for
landscapes, protect resources, and support farms and businesses. Extension programming builds social capital by connecting residents, organizations, and volunteers to collaborate and address local challenges together.
Thank you for supporting extension in Klay County. Your partnership and investment help make these educational programs and community connections possible. At this time, we are welcome. We'll welcome any questions, comments, or feedback that you may have.
>> Anyone? I just want to thank you for all your continued work. and you know I've been part of your board now for almost three years and the growth that we continue to see the fair the projects your groups
growing and uh throughout the county and and I also have been always encouraged about the afterchool programs and how we're connecting with the kids in our uh more cities now so it's great work thank
you very much yeah you had a question Yeah, thank you. All right, next up we have uh Rory Beal and here to request approval to apply for the drug-free communities grant.
>> Good morning, commissioners. I am here requesting just that. um requesting approval to apply for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Drug-Free Communities Grant. It's a five-year grant, $125,000 a year.
Um there's a a staff person that would be part of it. It's largely to build coalitions and continue to to grow coalitions that exist. This would build on the last five years of work with the state level positive community norms
grant in Dworth, Glenn, and Felton. Um where there's been lots of education with students um engagement of the community. It would really be building on this. Um this grant is for five years. Certainly federal grants aren't easy to get, but we feel like we're in a
strong position to be considered. Um, deadline is April 14th to apply and funding would begin on September 30th. >> Any questions for Rory? >> Just a comment. Um, Rory and the whole team over there, particularly Jason, has
done a great job with funding we've gotten from a lot of these grants in the past. They have a a very uh DGF a very good program started. So, Certainly. U having said that, I I move that uh we
approve public health staff to apply for the drug-free communities grant. >> Motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Any other discussion? >> Just one comment. Will you let us know if we receive this grant or don't receive this grant? >> For sure.
>> Very good. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Anybody opposed? Hearing none. Thank you, Rory. >> Thank you. Morning. >> Yes. Good morning, board members. Um I'm here with James today uh to discuss a
possibility of of um James uh he has a program of of um taking over a suite 103C in the family service center. So um as that if you're familiar with it, it's it's a 962
foot um small space over by the uh mail room just down the hall from James' administration office. So, uh, we've done some, uh, discussing about a program, and I'll let him talk in a minute here, but, um, currently right now it's occupied by Birthright, which
is been a long-term partner with us and obviously has a great program. So, I did meet with them a couple different times to discuss what that would look like if they went to an alternate location. Um, they have found something right now and currently their their lease is goes
through June. Um, but the the the space that they would like to go to, I think they would like to be out by April 1st, which is pretty quick. Um, as far as uh James' need, I don't think they there would be a vacancy between um them moving out and James moving in, but um I
will let James go through what he's proposing for the space. >> Yeah, morning commissioners. Yeah, the the proposal would be is um right now is the juvenile center expanded quite a bit. um would be twoprong for that space. One would be some um office
space, two offices and then the other thing would be for some specialized programming for some youth and are nonsecure. So I would go to licensing and request a variance if approved to to use that space. I would get a variance to program youth in there on a
one-on-one. Um primarily we're looking at um the nonsecure youth um that that we tend to get from time to time. Um, we've been saying it for a long time. It's all across the state. There's no placements available for these youth.
Um, and there's such a wide variety between the youth of, you know, their needs. Um especially when we have youth with um um autism spectrum disorder um or you know fetal alcohol syndrome, they they tend
to be overstimulated and not having an individualized space for them to be able to go um and be programmed um is is difficult for them to program basically in an open pod with other youth around and distractions. Um, right now we we do
a pretty good job stabilizing a lot of youth and hopefully they can go somewhere else, but sometimes that stabilization period takes a long time. Um, and it's been stretching into months and months. Um, and we'd like to provide these youth with some additional opportunities other than just
stabilization, put provide them with some growth. And to be able to do that, we would need that that one-on-one space. And this would provide us a great opportunity to provide that that one-on-one space to provide some growth for those youth. >> Is this an area that would be just used
for um education consulting with them or in fact will they be will they still be housed in the part where they're currently at? >> Yes, they would still sleep there, but they would have like a programming space there. So like a classroom. We'd build
like two little classrooms basically in there um and kind of specialize it to whatever their their needs are at the time. And and um we we would utilize it then so would um we would if the school needs it too for their one-on-one because they're coming down with their
IEPs and stuff like that too that that have different space and different needs. So, um, basically it'd be kind of a a classroom type of a setting that they would be there during the day-ish, um, or periodically throughout the day and then they would sleep back in the
pod. >> Any other questions? Anybody? >> Yeah. Um, this will be part of the nonsecure >> that that is that is correct. Yes. Um, but there's two office space needs too.
um that would be primarily occupied by a lot of it would be secures needs. So especially when you talk about the the SPS stuff um and the um integrity and compliance issues and stuff that that we'd like to really wrap
up around the SPS um which is the safety based separation. A lot of that is heavily into some of the office space needs would be um our current trainer and that that other person. Um they're not in their offices all day. Um but they're in their offices maybe about 20
hours a week if that. Um but they do need their own space. Um and in addition currently right now the plan would be is to move the trainers office and the training material to this space. Um and then have Josh move into
um where the trainers office currently is because right now Josh's office is technically in our conference room. So it's it's dueling up as so when we have like you know probation or social services or the courts or professional meetings you know with parents and stuff
like that Josh has to vacate his area. Um and it's and it's not the best too because then Josh can never leave you know confidential stuff out on youth and stuff like that. So, it's um it'll be um it'll be a win-win. It's it's very much need we need office space and and also
we need this area for for the nonsecure youth that we get from time to time. >> You'll have Well, and I'm I'm somewhat familiar with the with the space. Is there a entrance from the outside uh for the schools?
>> No, it's just one door entrance. Yeah. >> Okay. And that's off the hall now. >> It's off the end of the hallway. Yep. >> Yeah. Okay. >> And just as far as that space too, um there is not really any major fitup needs that come with this because it's already been kind of redone. I think it
flooded a couple years ago and we ended up redoing it anyways. But um and then financially, you know, the the space right now for the family service center enterprise, we have an estimated revenue of $13,227 annually. So, and that would be covered
by your I believe your >> enterprise fund. Yeah. >> Enterprise fund. Yeah. So, >> okay. Um, Mr. Chair, if uh if I may, I'd like to make a motion to approve occupancy of suite 103C at the Family Service Center by West Central Regional
Juvenile Center. >> Okay. Thank you. Is there a second? Commissioner Bar seconded. Uh, any other discussion, questions? >> Just just a little discussion. This this went through the building committee with approval to told them to bring it to the
board once they figured out with Birthright. And this does fill a need in the county for office space and our youth to get the extra help that they need. So >> all right, all in favor of the motion say I. >> I.
>> I. Anybody opposed? None. Motion passes. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Y Hello everyone. Next we have our annual department update of social services, children and family services and behavioral health
and adult protection divisions. >> Morning, Mr. Chair and commissioners. I am going to do a lot less talking than I normally do today. So that's >> How about introductions? >> Probably good for everybody. Yes, we'll we'll do introductions first. Um Amy, do you want to start with you?
>> Amy, I'm the ongoing supervisor ongoing. >> Michelle Thoral >> and I'm Kirsten Mard. I'm supervisor of behavioral health and adult protective services. >> Just two quick notes before I kick it over to these uh remarkably talented
individuals. Uh number one, Tiffany January is out ill today. Um she really tried, but uh I don't want her to come in when she's sick. So, we'll be covering for um the intake, assessment, and investigations component of child protection. That's what Tiffany January supervisors. And secondly, I saw
extension. I don't know it's going to be as riveting as the hog uh information. We're going to try. We're going to try, but high bar to be set there. We will start with our adult and behavioral health unit and Kirsten. >> That set the bar really high right there. So, we'll see what we can do. Um,
so as I said, I'm Kirsten and I supervise behavioral health and adult protection. Um, within our unit, we are pretty unique in that we have three distinct program areas areas. Um, adult mental health, substance use disorders,
and adult protection. Um, so next slide um just shows through adult mental health the services that um our unit provides both voluntary and involuntary services. Uh the voluntary services are
the um rule 79 um adult targeted case management that's down in the lower right. Um we have had some pretty significant changes to that smaller unit within the past couple of months. Um Lori Flores who has been our veteran
rule 79 case manager of 18 plus years has retired. Um her official last day is this Friday. Um, so that in and of itself was a pretty significant change to our unit. Um, next week coming over
from one of from Tiffany's unit, um, Stacy P will be joining our our team. Uh, and we are looking forward to having her come over and join us. Um, and then last July, um, Quinn and I met with all of you to talk about some needs in our
unit and within the community. Um, and graciously you all approved for us to hire a second rule 79 case manager. Uh, so Kevin came over from Amy's unit in November. Um, and he has been a wonderful addition to our team. Um, so I
think moving forward. Uh, Stacy and Kevin, they're going to rock this. So, uh, thank you again for, um, graciously allowing us to hire him. Um it's been it's been um a gap filler in our
community. Um Commissioner Krabangh attends our LAC meeting and he hears every month the wait list um for some of our other uh community providers and so this just kind of filled a need that that we had identified. Um Stacy,
Britney, and Megan make up the rest of our adult mental health team. Um they have been a very cohesive smaller unit for the past seven years. Um and they monitor uh our civil commitments. Um so
that is anyone with mental illness who um poses a danger to themsel or someone else. We work very closely with Mr. Melton and his team um in in um moving forward and identifying individuals that
may need a civil commitment. Um the three of them also um have clients that are placed in the forensic mental health program um located in St. Peter and that consists of individuals that have been committed
um either as sexually dangerous or mentally ill and dangerous. Uh so I think last count we have 13 um individuals that are committed to to that program. Um, and then Stacy and sometimes Britney as a backup also do
level two screenings. Um, and those are pre-mission screenings for an individual who has a mental illness that may need a nursing home placement. So, that's kind of a high overview of what our mental health unit does. Um, the next screen um
talks about our preetition screening um numbers. And so that is anybody that we screen for civil commitment. And so that can be a person with a mental illness. It can be a person with a substance use disorder. Um and over the past couple
years those numbers have gone down. On paper it looks like maybe it's less work, but I'm going to tell you that it is not less work for um Britney and Megan and Stacy. Um so how I view that is the numbers may
show that it's lower. So, one may go less work, there's not as much to do. Really, what's a what that allows uh the three of them to do is to provide a more indepth case management um experience for those individuals that they are
working with under civil commitment. uh they haven't been able to provide that comprehensive case management in previous years because just the sheer volume of cases that we have had. Um so our hope is and hopefully the numbers
will continue to reflect this um when Quinn and myself come back in subsequent years is that by being able to provide that comprehensive case management um getting folks hooked up with the appropriate mental health services or services for their substance use
focusing on housing and making sure that they have supportive housing whatever that looks like for the that individual. hopefully downstream that means that we don't have to work with Mr. Milton's unit on u a continued commitment or a
recommmitment or even a new commitment several years down the road by being able to provide some of that upfront in-depth case management. Um we're hoping that these numbers continue to decrease. So we'll see maybe next year
we'll say something else. But today that's what I'm going to go with. If you're able to provide um those comprehensive services, the hope is that we set people up for support and success in the community um and then they won't
need to come back to our team. Um the next slide just shows the numbers of commitments um actual civil commitments. So the first one was the number that we had screened. Um this is actual number of commitments um over the
past several years and that's remained fairly consistent and that would also include any rule 20s that we maybe work with the county attorney's office on as well. Um so this slide is my least favorite. Oh >> let me ask for the last two we're seeing
I mean the one we were seeing that down here we see a little bit. Is there something um I mean this is a positive obviously >> definitely >> but is there something in the community occurring that is bringing those numbers
down the trends or is it uh is that recovering from COVID or whatever? Again, my hope is just setting folks up with the services that they need and and the staff having the
time to do so. Again, in previous years, we just haven't had the time to dedicate as in-depthly as we have in the last year or two. Um, and so I think that's shown that positive decrease. I'm I'm going to look at it as a positive. Um,
other than that, I guess I don't know if there's anything >> specific trendwise, but I'll look for that and I'll come back to you. >> Okay, so this slide is my least favorite. Um, but we put it in here um because you all need to be aware of just
some of the costs that we really have no control over. Um, so again, the folks that are are committed as um sexually dangerous, those do not originate with our office or even at the county attorney's office. Um those are
individuals that have served their prison sentence and that have been identified as possibly needing civil commitment. Um and then the attorney general's office files those and then we are notified after the fact um typically
um but nonetheless we still incur those costs of of treatment for them. Um and the DNMC costs as well. So when an individual is placed in um a community behavioral health hospital or at a NOA
um and the team determines that they no longer need that level of care um if a community setting hasn't been identified or it's not available at that particular time um then the county is paying 100%
of that hospital cost which can be anywhere from $2,100 to $2,300. $ a day and again we don't have a lot of control over that unfortunately. >> Commission. >> Yeah, just a question
during this legislative session and and Mr. Melton may have some input on this too. There is discussion and you never know where to separate the the rumors from the the valid discussion but discussion that some of the uh
individuals who were sex offenders who were sentenced St. Peters are going to be released back into the community >> that I'm going to talk about that in a later slide. >> Okay. I'll I'll >> Good question. >> I'll hold my thoughts on that though. Thank you. >> Yes. Um so then the next slide if
there's no other questions about that one. So in all three program areas we added a slide like this just to show um some of the partnerships that we have um within our unit uh and and just some of the collaboration that um the individual
staff partakes in. So again, we work very closely with the county attorney's office. We work very closely with our law enforcement throughout the county. Um, we work with jail personnel. Um, again, the local advisory council that
Commissioner Krabanov sits on. There's just a lot of different entities. And this slide really truly only shows those locally within our county. This doesn't show anything um statewide. and the three mental health workers work with
many providers, many different entities across the state of Minnesota in in collaborating and um just that that partnership in in providing the very best service. So this is just kind of a quick snapshot of some of the entities
that we work with here in our local community. So the next division is our substance use disorders. Um and it just kind of talks about our process here. So Cheryl, who is um the unit's case aid, she gets
referrals requests for comprehensive assessments. So she schedules those with Desra and Sheena. They are two LAC's that provide comprehensive assessments. And in 2025 um we completed 274
um comprehensive assessments. So that's a pretty good number um for basically one and a halfish staff providing um those assessments. Um from there there may be a recommendation for treatment
coordination. So treatment coordination is basically case management for an individual who has um been identified with a substance use disorder. Um and so we have four staff that do treatment coordination and as of last week um we
have 33 individuals that re were receiving that service and those referrals can be internally. They can come from prisons. We we get them quite often from prisons and we've also been working fairly closely with our detox um
in providing some of that treatment coordination for individuals that that have been um placed at detox. Um, so Sheena and Chelsea, so Chelsea came over from Tiffany's unit last May, so
stealing a lot of people from child protection. Sorry guys. Um, those two also um sit on our DWI court. They participate in that and currently we have 11 individuals or 11 participants
in DWI court. Um Sheena and Chelsea and Josh and Holly also participate in our drug court. Um and we currently have 13 participants. Um Holly is also sitting she's a member of our veterans court team. Um so very active with our
specialty courts. Um Holly, Josh, and Chelsea also do civil commitments for individuals with the substance use disorder. Um and we currently have 10 individuals under civil commitment. um from that some of those individuals when their
commitment ends they may want to um maintain some type of support with the county. So currently we are providing um voluntary case management not available uh treatment coordination but just kind of an overall service. So we currently
have three individuals there and then we also work closely with our child protection units um for uh women that may be pregnant and using substances as well. So we currently have two open cases there um and and coordinating with
child protection. So that's kind of a high overview again of our substance use and some of the services that we provide um within that team. And again, this slide just shows all of the partnerships. Um, we talked
about our specialty courts, um, working with the jail. Um, one other area I'd like to highlight is, um, working with public health, um, in the school prevention program. So, the positive community norms in the DGF
schools and sources of strength, which I believe is in Morehead, Holly, and Barnesville. um so collaborating with them as well. So again, this just shows on a local level and a state level um just how much time is put into
collaborating um which is pretty huge for our unit. Um and the third um division is our adult protection and that is Tracy and Dne. Um and these numbers again are showing that
consistently we are screening right around 550 um vulnerable adult reports per year. Um and we are screening in to assess those reports pretty consistently
165 170ish over the past two years. Um so what I want to focus in through adult protection is not the numbers, but in the last year and a half, year, year and a half, uh DHS has really changed the
focus of adult protection, moving from a very reactive system to hopefully a slightly more proactive system. And so that means they have changed every tool, every assessment that Dane and Tracy utilize
um and have done so over the last year, year and a half. Um and the two of them have handled that very graciously. Um it's been a lot thrown at them and um they've been able to to manage that and
still um remain pretty positive which is difficult to do some days when you get thrown in all these new assessments at you um while still trying to um provide the service. So the main goal through adult protection is
making sure that the vulnerable adult is safe and then um preventing any further maltreatment. So that remains the goal of whether we are a reactive or a proactive system. So um again this slide just shows the collaboration
um that we have with law enforcement, the fire department, um our partners across the river and Cass County. We work closely with them because our folks go across the river. Um, and so we work closely with them as well. Uh, so the
next slide is some of the things on the horizon and Commissioner Ebinger, this is what you were getting at. Um so when the department of human services split into
three different entities um from someone who doesn't work with in the division of um children, youth and families, I thought that transition went fairly smoothly. There was a lot of communication and and Amy and Michelle may have something different to say
about that, but I thought it was pretty smooth. there was a lot of announcements um DHS bulletins, different things that came out and when they split and developed um direct care and treatment DCT there there was no communication and
honestly to the point where I think counties were like well that already started like three months ago and there wasn't that communication piece. Um so we have been trying to sift through that because because our team works with both
DHS and DCT. Um I think one of the most significant changes that we have seen is um some of the individuals um that have been committed um as sexually dangerous and and housed at the forensic mental
health program in St. Peter are being provisionally discharged into the community. and the first one occurred. I want to say it was last September. Um, work very closely with Mr. Melton at that point in time because that's something that we hadn't encountered
before. Um, so we have had two individuals that have been um, provisionally discharged into the community, not our community. Um, they're both still down in the metro area. Uh, we have a third one that's kind of going through the process now.
Um, so eventually I think that will occur as well. And what that means for us is um I've had several meetings and several discussions with other counties um and with um the executive director of
the forensic mental health program um and and we had to determine what involvement if any the county really had in these cases that once they've been discharged to the community. What we're hearing is direct care and treatment is
solely responsible for the supervision, for all of the care, the coordination, everything. And really the county's responsibility is to pay for where they're living and their services. Um, and so what we have seen through that is
um a significant increase in that cost. And again, it goes back to the one slide um previously that showed that increase. Um when they were in St. Peter at the hospital in that program, there was a
daily rate that was significantly lower than it is now that they're living in a supportive environment in the community under a provisional discharge. So, that is that's been something pretty significant and Quinn and I are going to
continue to monitor that. um because that more than likely will have some significant impacts on our budget. >> Is some sort of not just the cost, which is a consideration, but what kind of
intensive supervision have these people got if they're re released back in the community and are a predatory sex offender? >> That is all being provided through direct care and treatment. And it depends on I think it's a three- tiered system. Um, so it depends on what tier
they're in. Um, initially my understanding is when they are pdied into the community. Um, I think they have to meet with the house or wherever the supportive setting that they're living in is staffed. Um, and then my
understanding is they have to meet with the reintegration agent I think four times a week initially. And then as they work through these tiers, which I kind of did a deep dive before I really realized that the county wasn't going to have to provide any of the
supervision um from start to finish, if all things go well, it's a several year process to get from one tier to the next to the third one. Um if all goes well. So
>> just and and I don't know, Mr. Maybe you've heard are any people getting out of St. Peters. Are there some of them that are failing and are keeping them or is this just a process where we're going to start
filtering people back in? I have no problem with community corrections. I think it's an advisable deal until you get people there are real genuine risk. >> Right. I I think just what uh Kristen was saying about too. I mean there's
there's a lot of levels we go through uh what we call SRBs or special review boards. I mean when these individuals are placed into the INSOP program I mean as as uh she stated I think the only correction to that is there is
communication with our office. There's typically these individuals have been in in prison for serious offenses but they're now looking ready to get out and be done with their prison sentence. But as they've gone through done some different um uh
testing and and some other things that go on, if they're determined to be that most serious individual that needs to be in there, um then they can be and ultimately that is the attorney general's office that assists us and then goes through a basically what would
be kind of a mini trial to look to see if they'll be placed in in the MSAP program. In the past, many of the individuals that we've had, we have several that are in there that have been well over 20 plus years that are in in that program. But there, oh, I think
back about 2 three years ago, there were some challenges uh at the Supreme Court level that we're really looking at that no individual had graduated out of that program. And again, it's not a life sentence. It is a uh as Kristen said just a a a three- tiered system and
looking at seeing if any of those individuals were ultimately graduating from the program and the Supreme Court started look at and say some needed to be you know why was there no one or is it impossible to get through that program. So there has been looks at and
there have been like we said a couple that have even come out that were Klay County individuals and so as they progress through that it is I mean they have quite a few psychiatrists and and psychologists that are monitoring them throughout that program that final
release I guess that is that big question that I don't know that I understand extremely well what happens you know how much monitoring they have once they're released um but there is still monitoring So I I mean they they they are going through even you know
community monitoring once they're out. I can't say that I know exactly how much that is or what they are eating that kind of thing. >> Is is is our u uh parole officers here are they doing the we have an intensive supervision component of
>> I mean that that's a very much a separate thing coming out of you know prison if they're going in that's a that's a department of corrections. This this definitely is not department of corrections. This is them coming out through from DHS everything else. So
>> into a psychiatric outpatient kind of unit or residential or >> I wouldn't even call it that. I would call it community living. I mean once they've graduated the program they've shown they've made progress typically 10 15 years into it. A lot of times most these individuals and I will say men
because they are all men that are in that program. Typically they're in their 60s7s so they're less if you will mobile. I mean there's there's a lot of issues but there I mean so I mean the question of having intensive supervision out in the community is definitely
different than what is in that MSOP program without question. It is them graduating to a new level being able to be out in the community. >> Are these people generally lifetime uh registered offenders? So there is a level of of of scrutiny at least at that
>> certainly certainly there's yeah administration there is some monitoring I mean maybe that's probably some questions we could come back to you and get to know what that end type is I I I can't really answer that because again I'm not on that monitoring part I'm more on the part of when those individuals
are ready to be released we have special review boards the the those panels are talking about it those psychiatrists are showing what level they're ready to be at if that's that third final tier in the community level
>> and that would be this is totally exclusive of any of the judicial correct. >> Yeah. >> This is this is after their service and they've done served their time. They have no new criminal offense or any other criminal monitoring. It's because they've gone to there and being
monitored to that program. So part of the development of direct care and treatment um was to focus on these individuals as they're preparing for discharge into the community from the Minnesota sex offender program. Uh that
was one of the main focuses of DCT. Um so through that process um they have hired reintegration agents and and I'm believe they have some type of DOC background um and they are the ones that
are doing that monitoring for DCT um of these and the indivi the two individuals that we have had um discharged one is in a I want to call it a adult foster care
in St. Peter, right outside of St. Peter um city limits. Um it's not built typically like an adult foster care. Um this individual is not on a waiver. Um some of these folks that are being discharged into the community, if
they're eligible for a caddy waiver, they're put on a caddy waiver for payment. Um some are just going into a housing support type environment. Um and that's where the county then is paying a higher that daily rate. Um, so each
provisional discharge looks a little different than the next one depending on what the individual's needs are, what kind of support they need, what kind of services they need, um, and and where they're wanting to live as well.
So again, none of the individuals have come back to Klay County. Um, one's in St. Peter and one I think is in I think it's Minneapolis. Um, I'd have to double check, but I think it's somewhere in the metro. So, again, they haven't chosen to come back here. Um,
>> well, I'm just our community or another one in the state. Uh, I just hope and it certainly isn't anything you guys have any control over or even any inside information on, I'd assume, but I hope the screening process is sufficient. and
consequences. If somebody gets out, well, I guess there'll be additional charges, but um I just I'm not an optimist with that particular body of offenders. I I
>> mean, they are on a provisional discharge. Um, and I have seen um, the PDS, I mean, typically for our folks that are under an MI civil commitment, the PD there's like four stipulations that they have to follow. Take your
meds, pretty simple things. Um, the the two provisional discharges that I have seen, there are like over 30 stipulations that have to be met. So, it's pretty thorough. Um, >> in my in my opinion, I think it's
pretty. So, and if if there's a reoffence or if they um do not follow their provisional discharge, they will be revoked and sent back to the program. So, >> okay, I feel a little better about it at having it explained, but
>> that is a big change for us. That is something that came up last fall that was kind of new. Um reached out to Mr. Melton right away and said, "What do we know about this?" Because it was something new for our office. Um so, we will continue to monitor that. Um, as
much as the county needs to be involved, I think, and that's something I've talked to Quinn about as well, is, you know, what what type of involvement should we have or do we need to have? So, we're still kind of working through that as well. Right now, we are
financially responsible for them yet. So, that's what we're >> How many Klay County folks do we have up there? Do you know, Brian? >> Nine. We had nine to have been discharged. >> Yeah. I I was going to guess somewhere. >> Yeah, I thought about we had double
digits one time and and some have been there pretty long and and others have, you know, gone through. I think one of the questions or you as the board might know and I think we've discussed this before, one of the questions that came back those few years ago was the
question of whether or not um the program itself was constitutional. That's what really came down to. just uh I think what uh Commissioner Eber said it's difficult to most of these individuals have been long-term sex
offenders with multiple multiple not one two more 10 or more uh type offenses and so that's the question but the ultimate question became if if ultimately no one could ever make it out of that program and it was more like a life sentence
which we don't just give then the question was whether or not the program would be completely dissolved and all those individuals would be released into the community, which is an extremely worse question when you look at the amount when we have 11, let's say, or even now nine. But if each county has
somewhere around there and they had 80 to 100 people in that program and if all of those were released in the community, that would be the worst result you could possibly see. And so certainly they're doing a lot of monitoring with these individuals, a lot of work. Uh it is a
long-term program without question. There's this is not a one, two, or some people might have tried to apply even after they got to five years and they're not likely making that as they move through those tiers uh to be released anytime soon till they know that they've
they've hit benchmarks. And so there is a lot of monitoring to it. I I'd want to assure the the board and the community of that without question. There's a lot of of monitoring and and watching these individuals when I mean Kristen and her entire perimeter and just as Commissioner Kraov said, you know, when
we are looking at the continuum of care that goes on there of all the commitment process, you know, what we're hoping to do is make sure individuals are stabilized. Some of those numbers all kind of work together across the board. What we're seeing uh reduced hopefully
in the jail so the jail isn't seeing these individuals. We're getting them stabilized. they're not getting out doing other crimes, that kind of thing, all the way across the board. And then, of course, the the most serious individuals, these individuals that are
are sexual offenders and the ones that are SDP, psycho uh sexual deviant individuals. I mean, they're the people we want in there long term as long as we can, but the ones that can make it through the program, we obviously have to try to work with that.
money. >> And you know, that's that's a little bit reassuring. It's not great that we have to pay for it, but that's part of what we we do as a government. So, >> thank you for that. And do you have more?
>> I think I have. >> All right. That was a tough ending there. All right. >> Thank you, Chris. And and just to add to that, I think one of the two individuals that was provisioning the discharge was in there for about 12 years, I think, from what I remember. So again, this is not like you do nine months worth of
treatment and then you're out. It's it's a multi-year process. But yeah, obviously the concern is is that somebody that's out in the community then reaffense and that's probably worst case scenario. So we'll continue to monitor it and hope for the best. I'm going to kick it over to Amy and Michelle with our child protection
update. >> Okay. Good morning commissioners and everyone and thank you for having us. In our children and family services division, we have three units, three supervisors. Tiffany January who's a supervisor of intake and assessment, myself who's the supervisor of ongoing
case management, Michelle Thorall who's the supervisor of ongoing child protection case management and children's mental health. Within that those units we have two intake workers, eight assessment workers, 14 case managers and five case aids. Um services
we provide to the community are receiving abuse and negle neglect reports from the community. Arrange for emergency out ofome placements due to safety. Conduct child protection investigations and assessments. Provide child protection and child welfare case
management. um voluntary and court-ordered supervised contracted children's mental health services including um contact or excuse me supervised contracting children's mental health services including the village Lutheran social
services Lakeland mental health solutions Rainbow Bridge and conducting mandated reporter training in the community and in the schools. So for our intake and assessment data, bear with me, this is not my uh area of
expertise, but in 2025, our intakes, our overall intakes were down 2,153 from 2024. Our child protection intakes, which include malreatment reports, were up in
2025 at 1,622 from 1595. and our overall cases that were opened up were increased um from at 406 from 305.
So in 2025 56% of the cases opened were closed without referring to case management. In previous years we have seen the number of cases referred for case management much lower indicating more families needing sustained
interventions. So, the types of maltreatment that are being screened in um is listed up there. Um neglect particularly tied to substance use continues to be the primary reason for our screened in
reports. Um reports can contain multiple um allegations of malreatment, sometimes several. So, the numbers aren't going to um equal a 100%. Um but primarily we are seeing that neglect of substance use um followed by physical abuse and sexual
abuse. So in 2025 we had 146 unduplicated youth in out ofome placement. Unduplicated means each child is counted once in the year regardless of how many out ofome placement moves occurred. In 2016, we
had 292 children in placement. In 2025, that number was down to 146. That's a 50% decrease over 9 years. We are placing substantially fewer children than we were less than a decade ago due to our team getting out there, creating
safety plans, engaging family members, community members, and developing safety plans to keep kids in their home. So where are these children that are in out of home placement? Um the primary location of children and out of home
placement remains with non-relative foster care homes and our teenagers who primarily are placed at West Central Regional Juvenile Center due to the lack of foster care homes for adolescence. Um followed by that we do the next highest
placement um setting is our pre-adoptive kinship homes followed by relative foster homes. >> Is the foster care number uh is it stable or is it still going down or
>> it continues to we've continued to see a decrease in it every year. So um so in regards to our state and federal measures in 2025 in regards to relative foster care the
performance standard is 35.7% and Klay County came in at 54.8%. We had been on a performance improvement plan for several years in this area and were able to get off that performance improvement plan. Again, our workers
getting out there right away, identifying grandparents, aunts and uncles, relatives, significant relationships to those children and placing those children in those settings. Um, our monthly face-toface caseworker
visits, meaning our caseworker is getting out into the community, whether it's here in Klay County or wherever the child might be placed, and getting those face-toface monthly visits. Um the performance standard is 95% or greater
and in uh 2025 we met that goal at 97.2%. Um timelines to initial contact the performance requirement is 100%. we met that goal or excuse me our um
score at that goal was 91.7% but they don't actually measure that goal until or put you on a performance improvement plan unless you're 90% or lower. So we still actually were in compliance with that measure. Um, as far
as maltreatment reoccurrence, the performance standard requirement is 9.1% or less and we came at 5.9% in 2025. So, we wanted to talk a little bit about prevention services. We know prevention
is key to uh keeping uh families and children out of our child protection system. Um and we're really able to provide a lot of these prevention services through the contracts that we hold with um some of our u mental health providers. So we wanted to highlight a couple of those areas. Um one of the
things that I think has had a really big impact on our work is um our family group decision making process and our wraparound services. We contract with the village for those services um and lakes crisis center in Detroit Lakes. Those are really front-end case m we
refer to family group decision-making so families can be in the driver's seat of their own plan and we've seen a lot of success and reunification happen or uh placements prevented from being able to offer those things early on in the case. Um so we're really grateful for that
partnership. Um our family skills and inhome therapy contracts that we have with LSS and the village. um inh home workers are really hard to find and so we're really grateful that they've been able to keep people in those positions. We do sometimes see weight lists but yet
they're trying to work through those weight lists pretty quickly to get those services um in with these families to keep them keep these children in the home. um our parent support outreach program. Uh we also contract with the village. That is a program that we refer out any screened out child protection
reports and then they do outreach to the family trying to prevent them from coming back into our system. So those are some really big items that we put money into. We have contracts for and we've really seen success in trying to keep our numbers down and out of home placement numbers down.
So, some of the updates in child protection, um, MAFA, you I'm sure Quinn has talked about that here. Maybe you've heard of it, maybe not, but um, we anticipate this will have a a very big impact on our work. Um, this law is going to expand January 1st, 2027.
There's still a lot of things that are some moving pieces to it, but it essentially is going to require social services agencies to provide active efforts to African-American families. Um, similar to the CH Indian Child Welfare Act, um, our motivational
interviewing requirement for our our child protection case management staff. I think I talked about that here last year. It's a very intensive training that they have to go through. They have to upload videos every quarter and for fidelity monitoring. So, it takes a lot
of time out of their day-to-day work, but we are able to capture revenue from them doing that for the work that they're doing with the families. So, we're excited to see where that will go in the future. Um, the mandatory offering of voluntary services for attendance-based concerns
this year. Um, I think was January one or I don't know when it when it rolled out. Do you know? >> Okay. Okay. So um social services is required to offer voluntary services to a child who meets criteria um for
truency basically um where before it we were not required we could screen and we had discretion now we are required to um do that and I think that speaks to why we've had more um open cases um as far as um the delinquency age is changing
from 10 to 13 as of August 1st 2026 Six, we will be mandated to offer services to a child who's committed a delinquency crime. We do anticipate that will impact our case loads. We're just unsure of how, but we would imagine it's going to increase our assessments and some case
management in that area as well. So some of the challenges in child protection um you know one of the most significant challenges continues to be that access to those high level behavioral health services the QRTP prtf hospital level of care. You've heard us
say that we sound like a broken record but it does continue to be uh one of the main challenges that we see. You know the the the needs of the youth that we're seeing is increased and the availability of the placements just have not kept pace with that. Um, we're also
seeing workforce challenges, workforce challenges across providers, which impacts availability of inhome services and supports to the family. If we didn't have the contracts that we had, I think we would be in a much different position, but they also struggled to keep staff in those positions. So, um,
but we do have a close relationship with them, meeting with them regularly, and they do a really good job of getting people into the homes as quickly as possible. um our we ourselves have had difficulty in staff retention. I think you Kirsten alluded to it, but I think we've had
eight staff turnover this year in child protection. So there's the training that is needed before they can take a full case load is very extensive. So you know you have people working having to work a case load and a half to cover for the people who aren't able to take those
full cases or if there's a vacancy and the work is really stressful and hard. So we do a lot to try to um keep everybody above the water. Um >> may I ask are the colleges are they
bringing in a pretty good potential workforce toward this area? You know, there there is a a child welfare scholar program at MSUM. Just MSUM >> or and no, just MSUM.
>> But we've seen not as many people reach out for internships the last year or two. Um, we were in a position too when we were short staffed that we didn't feel like we were in a position to take interns. So, I don't know if because we didn't take anybody for like a year,
maybe that um played into that. We're not sure. So, I don't know. >> No, we continue to do a lot. We have a lot of staff who go and present at um the colleges all the time just kind of recruiting, getting the word out there about the county and >> friend of mine, right? >> Yeah. Yeah.
>> Okay. >> Yep. >> Oh, and then from a placement perspective, there continues to be a shortage of foster care homes. Amy alluded to that already. Um but especially for those older youth um you
know we we continue to see housing be a barrier for families and affordable um child care as well. So, some of our successes for child protection in 2025, um, as far as um, permanency for
adoption successes, we had 10 adoptions in 2025 and nine transfers of permanent legal and physical custody to relatives or kins. We also reunified with the help of family group, a child with a non-custodial parent in the state of New
Mexico. Um, we had one youth who was placed in West Central Regional Juvenile Center for 1,384 days who required who actually we had some attempted placements prior to or during that time frame that failed, but
we finally were able to move him out um into the community into an established group home and we're and he's having success. Um, we continue to work closely with the county attorney's office on the finalization of adoptions. Average days from filing an adoption petition to an
adoption is 28 days. So, our partnership with that has really moved those kids quicker to permanency versus those families having to go out and seek um private counsel. Um, we've also increased the number of children placed with relatives and kins and are no
longer on a performance improvement plan, which is a great thing in our world. So >> Amy's downplaying the the PIP that we were on forever. Apparently all it took was I needed to get out of being a supervisor and then Amy and Michelle and Tiffany took care of it. So it's super
happy to see because we always have the attitude that if kids can't do well with their moms and dads, they should be with family. So to see not only hitting that benchmark, but to crush that benchmark. Basically what that measures is the amount of days all kids in foster care
spend with a relative. So to see 54% of all of the days of every child that's in foster care, 54% of those days were relative placements is heartwarming and awesome and something that they measure us well for. So awesome job to you guys there.
>> I just want to thank you and your staff for all your work, your dedication, passion that I see and and uh it's so complex. I mean, right? and and uh we do
the best we can do and we're certainly uh here to support you. So, thanks again. Any other comments? >> Yeah, thank you. Why don't we take a five minute break? All right, we're back. We'll go to our
addition to the item today for request approval to submit application for congressional uh directed funding for the West Central Regional Juvenile Center and the nonsecure juvenile facility.
>> Uh thank you, Mr. Chair. As this board is certainly aware, you've put a lot of time and energy over the last several years at at looking at increasing that level of care that we just heard about uh from social services and the needs of our youth uh specifically uh into uh to
both a psychiatric residential treatment center uh and also a non-secure juvenile facility. Uh and so uh as you've worked hard over the last several years down in St. Paul to to to receive funding. We've been successful uh in in providing
receiving some funding from DHS in regards to transferring uh funds uh transferring the the current juvenile non-secure facility into a psychiatric residential treatment facility. And our focus now is uh how to to to receive the 20 $28 million of a new facility. So,
we're always looking for any opportunity in addition to uh to state funding and local dollars to to to build that program. And so, uh we've had some discussions from from the congressional uh directed spending. Uh we've applied for different grants throughout the
years, whether that's been the water district, our withdrawal management detoxification facility. Uh and so uh what I would have before you this morning would you consider to put requests before uh Senator Clolobashar and Senator Smith uh are taking applications. I appreciate your
willingness uh uh to put this on the agenda this morning. Uh we have been watching watching these applications closely. Uh the the applications came out Friday after our deadline. Uh and uh and the deadline is this Friday. Uh so I
left a short window. And so uh the request before you this morning would be to submit uh an application in the amount of $5 million uh for uh for each uh Senator Kashar and Senator Smith. Uh and uh I would yield for any questions.
I'll just add last week I talked to Tina Smith or Senator Smith's assistant uh Jordan and uh um talk to him about this application. He knows we're interested and and uh he said that between Senator
Smith and Clubar they kind of bring the two together and then they talk about them together. So yeah, I think it's good opportunity, >> Mr. Chair. >> Yeah, >> I'll just I'll make a motion to approve
submitt for congressional directed funding application uh for the West Central Regional Juvenile Center nonsecure juvenile facility. >> I'll second that. >> Thank you. So motion by Commissioner Eber, second by Commissioner Bayer.
There any other discussion? Any other discussion? Hearing none. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Anybody opposed? None. >> Thank you. >> All right. Committee reports and uh any
other discussions? Start with you, Commissioner Ever. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh Thursday the 19th um I virtually attended Rethinking Mental Health and Substance Misuse Coalition meeting.
Um had very good presentation by Jennifer Ilitch of First Link. uh looking at the uh 988 extension uh for suicide intervention
and the 211 resource navigation which covers everything from mental health issues to food uh support uh requests or locations they can go to. Uh it can also uh be used to notify
mobile mental health uh from that in this area is uh uh supported by Lakeland um for dispatch of people when they're in mental health crisis. Um
Annabelle uh def uh default did a good substance use session. Um there's a listing or listening session uh at MSUM now that or MState I'm sorry
um that they're conducting right now getting an idea on substance use thoughts and perspectives of students and uh some of the some of the results are getting from those surveys. And that uh that completes that. Later
that day, I attended Chamber of Commerce Civic on tap at Swing Barrel. They had uh six of us local elected officials and it's kind of a roundt thing where we had citizens there. We went from table to
table. every 12 minutes they moved us and it was really it it was both fun and it was informative I think for us the elected officials that were there and I think we were able to provide some insight to the citizens we were talking
to kudos to the chamber as always they do a great job and u that completes my report >> thank you commissioner bear Last Tuesday evening, I went to the Klay County Planning Commission where we
heard uh two requests for an inter one well one request for an interim use permit amendment right outside of Holly. It would be the CJ is it the JC's um in the JC what is it called here? Let
me just bring it up real quick. be CJ's boarding right outside of Holly. They wanted to go from 25 animals up to 80 animals to be housed there at any given time. And that that amendment passed to their
interimm use permit. And then we also heard one from Glendon Rod and Gun Club, a request for analment for their hours of operation sitting out there in Glendon. That one also was approved. And that one was they were asking for space for our sheriff's
department and law enforcement agencies in Klay County so they could shoot at night so they can get that type of training done which they have to do at least once a year. So we approved that amendment as well. And then also we had
a little bit of a 2025 Minnesota DNR groundwater areas of concern report. We went over that and we also had a planning commission appointment recommendation to the county board that will be coming here in the near future.
Then yesterday I went to the wild rice watershed one watershed one plan meeting up in Ada where we went over the FY23 and FY25 financial reports. And we also
we last last November we were talking about a tracking talked about tracking how we track all the reporting and all the projects that are going on and we approved a database to track that it would be MS4front and B
spreadsheet is un unanimously passed it's Houston engineering puts that on so we'll be able to track all the projects we do there for watershed one watershed one plan. We also agreed to send in the
application for FY27 at just over $2 million for that application. And we also had a report on the 2025 projects and our next meeting would be November 30th and that's what we
discussed at that. And that is all my reports chair. >> Thank you. Well, I was gone um last meeting, so my reports will start back on um the uh 11th, March 11th, that
Wednesday. Uh I joined Commissioner Mojo and I were as part of the Morehead and Detroit Lakes area day at the capital. Uh Commissioner Mojo reported on that last week. Um again, uh the chamber does
a fantastic job. It's good to have our connections with all of our representatives and u um you know express the needs that are needed here and we need uh in our area. Uh on Friday the 13th, I was part of my weekly uh
PRTF nonsecure bonding strategy group. Uh that discussion had a lot to do with the few days that we had just been um at the capital uh whether it was at AMC or the chamber and our strategies moving
ahead to make sure we keep uh getting a chance of bonding money for the new nonsecure. On the 16th uh I was part of the Klay County Association townships. we were all there and that's been reported already. On um
uh the 17th I flew to Washington DC to be part of a um with two other small delegations from uh CAP LP and uh joining in Washington the Minnesota
group and at a national uh uh gathering. Um that was the 18th through the 20th uh at the conference. Our main point, the main one was making sure that Congress uh kept funding our con uh community uh
service block grants. Um we look in pretty good shape for those. They're so important because that's that fle fle flexible spending that we have uh in our budget uh that all cap agencies have and
not all cap agencies have a head start but they do have other programs and these programs in just example what we do here in Klay County with those flex funds is the rule being part of the rural bus routes and then also adult uh
um supervisor out in um uh senior supervisor, I'm sorry, throughout the county. Uh we met with u u staffers from Michelle Fishbach. Really, it was a a very good conversation that and that was
mainly about senior services. And then we also met in person and with staffers with uh Senator Sher Clolobachar and uh Senator Smith in their offices. Again, both are very supportive of the work that um human action partner has done
for years. Uh that evening uh we had a virtual meeting of the again back to our local CAPLP. We had our board of directors meeting uh that was uh very well um um almost everybody on the board
and our committees was at it. So maybe we should do virtual more often. I don't know. Anyway, it went went very well. We did we had done our executive director's performance review for our ex uh for our
director um uh Lori Schwarz and u um and her with top grades she did uh we went for grants for the FM area foundation um and other there were u one two three
just four other grants uh that are all part of little subsidiary groups and opportunities for grants uh that we can work through CAP and those are all being applied for and I would hope we'll get
um mainly that's what I want to say about that meeting and let's see conference flew back I'm good I'm here. >> I had one. >> Yeah, please. >> Yesterday, I also received in the mail
the the mailer from the West Central Regional Water District. So, those are being mailed out to the county land owners. So, just so everybody's aware that they will be receiving those in the next couple of days if they have not received it already. >> Yeah, thank you for mentioning that. What was it? 19,000.
>> Yes, that for the districtwide. >> Yeah. >> And that public hearing will be on Well, not public, the court date is April 17th. So, just so everybody's aware, those will be on those. >> All right. Thank you. >> It's not junk mail. >> Yeah. And Minister Larson.
>> Uh, thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, after board meeting last week, I met with Sheriff Empty and Mr. Melton in regards to the upcoming uh shotgun rifle ordinance discussion that we'll be having on April 7th. Uh, that afternoon participated in in a regional
administrator uh meeting. a lot of impact a lot of discussion on the impacts of paid family medical uh from a staffing standpoint uh and also talked about the legislative session. Uh on the 18th our strive group met and we continue to uh prepare for our intra uh
governmental retreat that's coming up. Uh on the 18th also uh continue to do some work with DHS. Uh we have in regards to our $1.2 $2 million for funding for the PRTF transformation.
Uh they they're working on the contract, but also they've extended uh they've also then extended our ability to use those funds through June 30th of 2029. And so, uh we're excited about that, not having to go back to the legislature to
ask for additional funding. Uh on the 18th, I talked with Mr. Melton on several county issues. uh on later in the week I worked on anticipation of the item today uh knowing that there's was potentially going to be a short window worked on the uh congressional directed
spending application uh last week and then again for a good portion of yesterday hope to have that turned in uh by Wednesday uh end of the day Wednesday uh had department head evaluation preparation also I spoke with sheriff uh
he'd received notification from Chief Helmick of the Morehead Police Department that our our law enforcement deputies are now no longer going to be allowed to have access uh to the gun range in North Morehead uh for
cons safety concerns. Uh and so our sheriff uh had has reached out to uh the Glendon Gun Club to make sure that we have access. But I I know that from Sheriff Empt's standpoint, we've had some discussions at the building committee uh even went back to last year
about uh about the potential uh need of this in the future. And so I there'll be more to come on that. Mr. Mr. Larson, if I can just add to that. Um just a little perspective for us. I shut that range
down as chief of police 15 years ago, somewhere about that. Um the R were rounds leaving the range over the burm landing in the compost area where employees were. We put a big wall
up on top of the burm and uh that addressed the uh issue temporarily and 15 years has passed and we've not had any progress on that. I really think the area uh the sheriff Burkquist, late
Sheriff Burrquist, and I went out and looked at the area around the demolition re uh uh landfill. Yeah. Area. It can be used
and it's a good location. It's close enough in to where uh people that are working in the city can get there. I think we're going to have to do this on our own from the sounds of it. And I just want us to be prepared for it. This is not going to be a cheap
uh effort, but it's going to be a necessary one. And it's one way overdue. So, I'm just open to us being creative and figuring out how it can be done. I know the sheriff's on top of it, but this is going to be an issue and it's
something we need to get for absolutely essential for law enforcement. I think just a couple more things. Uh yesterday morning then I participated the AMC uh le first AMC legislative update um from Matt Hillgart and and
many of the other staff at AMC. Uh kind of got the purview of the first uh first month or so at at uh at of this session. Uh again the big deadlines are coming for the bill drops uh here over the next week and a half and so uh a lot of focus
there. Yesterday I talked with Commissioner Krabanhoff on a series of issues uh with him being in Washington DC. Met with Quinn on a personnel matter uh and also had ongoing conversation with Sheriff Empt. Last thing again just for our citizens next week, Tuesday is
our fifth Tuesday and so we will not be meeting on the 31st. Our next meeting will be April 7th. That concludes >> at 5:00 p.m. That concludes my report. >> You didn't have anything. >> Okay.
>> No. No. Sorry about that. >> Okay. Thank you. You caught me off guard. Um on Tuesday, uh March 17th, we had a safety committee meeting. Went over the quarterly accident report. Um, severe weather awareness week is April 13th through the 17th with a tornado
drill on Thursday, April 16th. Uh, we talked about the exposure control plan and bloodborne pathogens. And then uh talked a little bit about the safety training program uh and fire extinguisher training. I also had on that day the board of
adjustment and planning commission board of adjustment. We had two requests for variances. One was pulled at the last minute and uh um Commissioner Bear covered the planning commission already. Wednesday the 18th uh we had a strive for excellence meeting, discussed
leadership training and upcoming manager retreat. Had a discussion with Jesse on the benefits coordinator on some grid placement for the assistant jail administrator. Worked on some union negotiations data. on the 19th
uh sat in on a meeting with MC uh and a presentation from Improv, which is a a contracted company through MC to help us with UKG issues and I had a meeting with Melissa on some personal issues. Uh on
Friday the 20th uh started working on some of the budget process and then on Monday um I also listened in on the AMC legislative update and then had some discussions with Steve Quinn, Justin, and Jesse on some personnel, multiple
personnel issues. That concludes my report. >> Thank you. Second chance, Brian. All right, Sarah. >> All right. Anything else? Anybody? Hearing? None. We're journed.