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Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=ccKw-sm-kis

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Amy, the Grand County Sheriff's Office program. Is that a just uh to cover the deputy's time and wages and materials? Is that what's going on there? >> Pull these all up. Now, >> maybe we should just go through the

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list. >> You want to go through them one at a time? That helpful? We should. >> And my intention was, like I said, to get here a couple minutes early and have them all pulled up on my screen. So, hold on here and I can pull them up um one at a time. And I don't know if I can screencast too

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or not. >> Okay, so that one um yeah, here again is for $8,955. I guess my question is that that would just go right back into the sheriff's budget then. >> Yeah. Right. Well, >> should we use it? >> They're the separate budget. It's not in

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the operations, >> but anyway, it'll cover the deputy's time. >> That's that's good. So, the Herman Norcross fitness center, that's actually for the physical building or for what's in it. >> That would be for what's um

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>> fitness equipment. >> Yeah. So starting at the top of the list, should you just do you just want to work down and maybe just say who the applicant was, the amount and any notes you have on what the task force

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the you know discuss and that might help them. Yes. Let's just start back up about productive alternatives. Um did we did was there any specific question I can pull up the board or the task force meeting? Yes, that's good. So, they asked for $5,000

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and the task force is recommending that they get approved and the conversation that I remember about that one was to help because there's guidelines that we can that this money can be spent for. And in their application, they indicated that

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50% of the individuals that they serve h also have a substance use disorder. So, it's my understanding and Amy once you're pulled up, you can obviously take over, but um it's to help make the connections for those people to community resources.

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>> I got a question, Mr. Chair, and this is for Amy, too. Is region for South, do they pair up with grant dollars going in there as well? So there's more than just just this these funds. >> Say again one more time. These do these >> region four south is there any revenue

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coming out of that for productive alternatives? >> That question I cannot answer. Um they they requested, you know, in all five counties, um in $25,000 in Douglas, um $4,000 in Pope, uh 3,000, excuse me,

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$12,000 in Douglas, $4,000 in Stevens, 3,000 in Pope, 5,000 in Grant, 1,000 in Traverse. Um you know, it's a four unit bed. Um at least 50% of those they serve. um they state have a substance use disorder of

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some kind. Um they are connected to you know many different facilities and insurance and community providers. Um they re they talked about like the primary care primary care therapy, psychiatry, housing, sports.

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um uh looking at their specific budget and again this is being there is a uh we did ask let me just scroll down here um they do have um so it obviously would be

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salaries and then contractual services but they did not put in this application but we didn't ask this as well too how that how productive alternative is received taking the rest of their dollars as well. So, and if that's important to you all, I can absolutely

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ask that. But >> just >> yeah, >> I just thought maybe it was all talked about, sorted out and this was a recommended award >> and you know, >> coming out from you guys. >> Yeah. And um >> because they have additional revenue.

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>> They do. Um, and in some of these applicants when we had our task force meeting as well, um, some of them just flew right through and there was like little to no conversation and some we really had a lot of conversation about. Um, I should state out as well too, there were five applicants, um, five

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proposals that we received where they wanted funding from all five counties that were not local this time. Um, when I say not local, Arizona and Texas and from all over. Um so uh any more conversations on productive

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alternatives or questions? Another important point I think is to note Grant County had $105,000 to allocate and the task force doesn't um pick an amount to award. It's what they ask for in the

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application. It's discussed and voted on. So, yeah, that one was $5,000. And then the DARE program, the request was $8,955 and and that funds the DARE program in Grant County that covers all three

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schools and that's being recommended as well. And then the next one is the Grant County Sheriff's Office Wellness Program. The ASP was $7,950. Um and

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uh that is for the um mental health side, the mental health resources for the staff and the sheriff's office and training. And what and training and training The next one was the Herender Press

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School District, the fitness center. They asked um for more than what the task force recommended and maybe you can refer to your notes for that. Yeah, I wanted to share just a little bit about um the specific project as um some of the work that we've been working with

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our community members as well is um and and I think this is where the conversation the task force specifically had around this was um there have been um there has been some data that both the school and the students in the community has been looking at pertaining to the Minnesota student survey which is

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a survey that's done every three years and looking at questions like do youth feel the community cares for to um looking at the mental health of the youth and substance substance use youth of the youth. And what they did is they did some we're calling them mapping sessions and that's where um the data is

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brought to the youth and um and then there's there's questions that are asked about like specifically you feel the community doesn't care for you or um um lower rates of mental health is then what what might we do in that community to increase some of this? And I think

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we've talked about this before and like you know, Commissioner Johnson, I know we've been at some community meetings where we brought the youth and the data there. And so this specific project the school has been working on came directly from um again going into the community

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and asking the community what what um what some needs we might have, some things for students to do and some needs for the community can that the community can do. And so this opportunity not only just benefits the school, but it's also available for the community to use as

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well. So I think the question that somebody had was, is it for the actual building? No, the building's there. Yeah, it's for the resources >> to put inside of it for families. You know,

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any questions on that one though or do you remember what their full ask was just for reference for the commissioners? >> Yes, I do. Let me just pull it right up. Um um well, it was 17. >> It was the Okay. Yep, that was the last.

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Yep. Um, moving down then, um, is the common Prep Academy, which is a school that is technically located in Denmos County, but their school census does have, um, students from, um, PCO and Grant County as well. And, um, so that's why there

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was a little bit of an ask here. I can tell you, I'm going to pull up that application. Um, I would like you to just know what the conversation was in Douglas County for that one specifically. um because that's where the largest ask was. So the large the um the total ask

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for that project was $50,000 $50,840,000. In Douglas County, the ask was for $46,000686. And then in Grant and Pope, they had a reciprocal ask of $2,637. And um I can tell you that in Douglas

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County uh they are recommending funding I need to scroll down here of about $18,000. Let me pull it up to be to be exact here. Um in in the budget,

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scroll down here. There um yep, it was $18,000 that's being recommended in Douglas County. Um not that full amount. Uh the budget is for salaries um and benefits is for a licensed school counselor that they are requesting $20,000 for. And so looking at just

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doing some math, they're going to recommend funding for 80% of that. the rest of um their budget was some contracted services for um um one of them was it's called the horse horse whispering program and it was um and

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then and then doing some trips to the Minnesota zoo and and then some operating supplies for archery trap um school dances clubs and field trips and um in Douglas County specifically I think if we totaled up all of the asks

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it was almost $2 million of asked. So, they did need to make some decisions there. So, the Douglas County um opioid task force has recommended funding only the licensed um school counselor part of this application. >> So,

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>> you said 80% 18 is not 80. That'll math out. >> Correct. Correct. 80% of the 20,000 for the 20,000. >> They're not recommending funding like the horse whisper and all of those activities. They don't have funding to go there. Are they definitely?

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Yeah. So, it's not 80% of that 50 of the total ass. The Grants County task force when they recommended fully funding that, they did not have a conversation about where they would want those specific dollars to go

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to. So there's a I I think Tina, correct me if I'm wrong here, but it's a little if if we looked at their um budget. Um, >> the conversation that the task force had is we have Grant County um, constituents

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who have children that go to this school and and we awarded the $2,637 kind of based on the amount of students that attend this specific school. Um

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and again using the um requirements of what the funding the opioid funding can be spent on. They meet the requ it it meets the requirements. Mhm. I'm just pausing for a minute as well and I don't I I

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if just because I'm not sure if Kalen Prep then might have some questions or if you might have requests as well as a recommendation of where you want that finding to specifically go because Douglas so specific where they are

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spending those dollars to go to. So, what you're asking is does the board want it to go towards the school counselor or is the board okay with it going to some of the other projects that were outlined in the application for students? And again, the request was $2,637.

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And know that all the um all the all of the items in their budget do meet the eligibility of how the dollars can be spent. So, Any thoughts? >> Any thoughts or we just want to keep

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going down here for a minute or >> keep going down? >> Okay. Um the next one was um the skate or grant. Um the recommended award was $25,000. Um this project seeks uh to create the a state a skate skate park prevention and

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recovery hub um and a permanent community design. Um this initiative addressed the lack of accessible third spaces in our community. Third spaces refers like our first space refers to our home. Our second space reser refers to either our

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school or work site. and the third spaces, sort of the places we hang out socially outside of those. Um they recommended funding at $25,000. Um but they did the um the task force did quite

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talk quite a bit about um uh requesting that this group also does uh reciprocally put up signs reminding patrons and individuals who attend there. This is a drug-free space um as well and that it was also funded through

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the opioid. >> Yes. Greg, >> it's a Nashville. pull up that applicant application. >> Mr. Chair, I got a question. So, the phase one construction. Okay. And how many phases did they put

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that in the app or >> So, actually the total amount requested was 52,221 to98. So, it is not um recommending full funding. I'm going to just scroll down to the the budget Nord plan here. But there the component one um phase one um

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is the fiscal infrastructure. So, construction of this is um free public accessible skate park on a site already secured in Ashb. Um uh this grant will fund phase one construction activities including site

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prep, grading, drainage, utility prep, concrete infrastructure, materials, and initial construction labor. Um these improvements establish the foundation necessary to complete the full skate part and position. Um component two is ongoing programming and harm reduction

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resources. Um it has already been delivering community program through annual events and outreach. Um this grant supports building on that and expanding the work. The skate park will um serve as a permanent um visible anchor for a year round

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programming. Um, I don't know. Tina, would you recommend me back up too and just talk a little bit about how this all started? I don't know. >> I don't know if that's necessary plus of the time. Okay. >> But, um, I guess just a statement that

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this is this nonprofit was started by family who suffered a death of opio from opioids. And, um, they also do other fundraising for this. that was a big part of the task force discussion is you know are they just coming for grant but um I believe they had a big they do a

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big brace kind of fundraiser um and so it's family driven but it is a nonprofit established nonprofit and um the phase one the recommended amount is to help them with the infrastructure to get the park up and going

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>> I know they they worked on you know that that boy died I don't know probably eight nine years ago but They're uh they're always working for the betterment of people, I guess. You know, they uh

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they're pretty dedicated group, that's for sure. So, I don't think that's a bad idea. Okay. So, number seven. >> Number seven is the the treatment court. And this one was a multi- uh $10,000

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um to continue um working with the treatment court that does serve this community. Um, I do need to just state that this was a multi- um this was a multi-county project as well. Um, Traverse County recommended full funding. Uh, Grant County recommended

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full funding, but Stevens County did not recommend funding. >> Um, I do and I think an important note to this one is is the question was asked if this doesn't get spent by the courts, the money goes back into Grant County's pot. So we don't lose it. If if it they

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don't if they don't have people um participating in drug court throughout the year, that money will come back to the Grant County pot of opioid funds for consideration for the next round. And really all the dollars are reimbured anyway. So you have to spend the dollars

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to receive the dollars for Grant County. Um the next one is Western Prairie Human Services. They're Safe Generations. Um and um this is administered by Western Prairie Human Services. This is a multi-county grant. It was fully recommended for funding for Poke County,

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Grant County, and Traverse County with like no, there was like no really discussion about it. It was just right off the bat fully recommended. And um and then the last project was the Wheaten Wheaten Herman Norc across the

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softball fields >> which is located in Grant >> which is located in Grant County but they did ask for for dollars from Travers County as well which was fully recommended and it's already been secured. It >> says right here it's in week >> that's what I read yesterday.

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>> Yeah the softball field is in Wheaten. Um but uh uh it's we have users from this community use. Yeah. >> And it was also brought to our attention

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that this project um um is much larger than um the monies that they're requesting from from Traverse and Grant counties. But they needed to secure these dollars to then be able to see receive the much larger grant that they're getting.

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So, those are the um grants that are on um your plate to be um considered. And um since the dollars do sit with Grant County, um do you have any questions on do you need any more information on anything

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specifically to make these decisions at your next board meeting? So >> the one thing >> I got an answer from cash on the region four question only for people I asked her any region

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for hers or self money go into the CSU unit int only for people who stay there and insurance doesn't cover the state typically crisis budget pays first but AMHI has a line item for it too we have also helped give some money for

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trainings to their staff. So, there is some support from Region Force Health. >> Thank you, Commissioner Johnson. I figured there was something coming that direction. >> Yeah. >> And so, we have of the 1056 $618,000

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with what these, you know, the total from these application is $98,172. So that would give 7,496 to roll over to the next round of um of applications. So the recommended amount

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isn't the full amount of opioid opioid funds that are available. And I would say also I mean yes yes we have these open periods but do as they do sit with the county here as well if in the next period of time too if there's an you know information they want to ask some

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scholars for something related they're there any other questions for me I apologize I was organizing on August 18th for action Okay, >> great. >> Thanks, Amy. >> Thank you.

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>> Okay. Yeah, not yet. We're just wait for 9:00 to come. It's always which is the longest two minutes. against all I don't

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I didn't look. I just know there's nothing done today. I got to go through storm water inspection. It's 9:00. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation

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under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Okay. So, before every commissioner meeting, we have the public comment uh portion. Um, anybody can stand up and

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on their mind. It's uh you get three minutes and uh there's uh there's really no place for handouts or anything like that, but the board the board is it's just a listening deal. So, we're going to listen to what you have to say. So,

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is there anybody here today that wants to say anything uh with in regards to a public comment? >> Yeah, I guess I do. Uh I just about the hunting rates on Pineriidge Park.

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We talked about it last year and uh we're you were receptive about opening it back up to hunting. You did open up the the park which that was just a misinterpretation of the of the

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ordinance. I'd like you know to keep it all the same. I've heard that you guys want to keep it uniform. I'd like it all to be just like uh the ADP park and open up the park the

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same way. It's been open for hunting for probably as long as the park has been there. Uh I've been hunting it for 50 years and I don't know why it got changed, but for some reason it did. So, I'm hoping that

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I can put my kids on out there like uh we have been my kids are little before that. My father-in-law out there. So, I know you guys you had special committee for that. Is that right?

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Well, there's a I know the planning commission was looking at an ordinance uniform. >> And when does that mean I mean am I invited to that or >> there's a public hearing and the public

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hearing will be at the next meeting August 18th at 10:00 a.m. and it'll be in the paper this coming week and it'll be online but everyone is welcome to that public hearing. >> And who are all the members of that committee? Does everyone know their representative

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from their district? >> Marker represents district three. >> I don't currently >> there's an opening. >> Yeah, I think Darren Gross is on it for

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me. Yeah. Bob's Bob >> Bob Grover from Ash >> and Leby's on it for for our area. >> All right. Well, this was discussed last year. I I don't know why we can't put it back the

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way it was. So, that's really all I have to say. >> Okay. Thank you, Steve. Is there any other public comment? Okay. Hearing none, uh, we'll call for the approval of the agenda. I do have one change. We want to put the Grand

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County Sheriff's Office up at 9:55 in front of the Grand County Public Safety Committee. So, is there any other changes to uh to the agenda? Hearing none, I'll call for a motion to approve the agenda.

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>> So, Commissioner adds >> Okay. Bill Bill made the motion and Troy Johnson seconded it. Uh any further discussion hearing none, all in favor signify by saying I. I oppose. Same sign. Motion carried. Approval of the

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minute uh meeting minutes. >> I'll make a motion to approve the minutes. >> Okay. Motion has been made by Troy Johnson. Do we have a second? >> I'll second it. >> Okay. Doyle Spear seconds. Uh any further discussion hearing? Hearing none. All in favor signify by saying I.

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I. >> Oppose. Same sign. Motion carried. Approval of the warrants. Mr. Chair, I'll make the motion to pay the bills. Okay, we have a motion. Do we have a second? >> Second by Kenny. Any further discussion?

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Hearing? None. All in favor signify by saying I. I. >> Oppos. Same sign. Motion carried. Okay. US Fish and Wildlife Service habitat easements. >> Morning fisher. >> Morning. >> Morning. That's a rain last night. I

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see. >> Yeah, it was always a good thing. >> Morning. I'm Nathan Baylor, realy specialist for US Fish and Wildlife Service. This is Neil Powers. We're based out of Birds Falls. And today we are here to request

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certification of two habitat easements for living in Grant County. Uh this is in accordance with the procedure agreement with US Fish and Wildlife and the Minnesota DNR. The two habitats we have uh one with

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Mark Lane in Pall Township which is approximately 29 acres and then the other Lawrence Township with the Common Swift family trust which is about 238 acres. Both these

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would be need to be surveyed still to get the final acreage. They both allow paying after July 15th. the land owners are still responsible for pay paying property taxes and for weed control, things like that. They're not open to public hunting.

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Um, and these would provide habitat for waterfall or other wildlife. Do you have any questions on this? >> So, when they when they put that into those easements, uh, is that a just a 100year thing or is it for >> permanent?

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>> Permanent. Okay. So they can hay it in these two. There's a whole bunch of different programs, right? Yeah. >> When they go into >> Yeah. They have have different options for retaining grazing or versus paying rights or both. And these these two land owners often for just retain their hat

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rights. >> Mr. Chair, I got a question. So it isn't after August 1st that they can, right? They can hand it at any time. >> After July 15th. >> It is the 15th. Okay. There's still some value left in some of the at that point.

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So the the grasses out there then are they a specific type of grasses or they can't like plant alalfa, right? >> Not ala but it's just it's something cut bale. >> Yeah, there will be some restoration work done as far and each is sight

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specific u as far as replanting if if needed and and restoring wetland that may be out there. Okay, maybe you shouldn't know this, but I got to ask it since I've done under the recommended action motion. It says

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asking the board to consider 80,619 requests for when approving. >> That was a mistake. In the board packet, an email went out on Friday. >> Oh, that's that correction. Yeah. Oh, >> thank you. See, I didn't know it.

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I had the same question. Yeah. those. Well, are we you looking for a motion to approve? >> Do we do them separately or >> I've seen some do them separately and some do

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>> we can we can that work? >> I would make a motion to approve both Mark Lane and we have a motion on we have a motion. Do we have a second? Second. Second by Bill. Uh any further discussion?

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Hearing none. All in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Oppos. Same sign. Motion to carry. >> And Mr. Chair, uh appreciate being before the board this morning. Uh in past years, we've extended an opportunity to the commissioners to have an opportunity for a field tour. It's a

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great opportunity to ask some of questions about our programs, the work that we do, the purpose, kind of the behind the big green curtain type of an approach. Uh we've typically tried to set that up for a half a day tour. Uh we'll get out, see three or four

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different project sites. Um we try to do some that are complete, some that are in uh some degree of of uh restoration, so you can kind of see the work in progress, if you will. >> I'd like to extend that opportunity to the board again for this year if you're

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interested. I'm hoping that a lot of our really hot days have passed and uh maybe we'll have some nice weather here uh latter August or the first part of September if that's something of interest to the board. >> I know we did it two years ago. >> Mhm.

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>> I think so. I I wouldn't mind doing that. >> Or any other board members would want to go or >> I think I would like to go if it fits my schedule at some point. So I'm a busy guy so there's a lot to go on.

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>> Very good. Uh what I would suggest uh assuming that others are also interested in attending as well uh we'll just work with the board coordinator and uh and we'll I'll throw out a few dates that might be of interest to the group. Is

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there a particular day of the week that would work better than others? >> Probably not two days. Well, when on Wednesday, what are you thinking? Like September sometime? >> I'm thinking early September. >> Okay. >> So,

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>> yep. Look for a Wednesday in early September. >> I think your best bet is to try to do it after a board meeting in the afternoon. >> Okay. >> I think that's what we've done in the past. >> Certainly, I can do that. Okay. >> Otherwise, with committees to try to

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find an open day for all five, it gets to be So very good. Okay. All right. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Appreciate our time today. I'll send you a copy. >> Okay, we're a little ahead of time, but

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let's uh go forward. >> That's all right. >> So, I got kind of a slew of things there. There's four of them. Um first one and the second one kind of go together. They both kind of got a solid waste side of things. Um Tina and I

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originally had kind of picked out a work session time a couple months back, but then there's some other things that popped up, so we just shuffled it kind of into a board item. Um it's kind of a brief update. It shouldn't be much. is that we are working towards all those fifth updates that we talked about the

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last time in November which I did attach that in the board packet the work session sheet we talked before including a modernization sheet that I sent out to all the cities and folks after I had met with them a couple of times over the last couple of months and then give them

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kind of a here's where we're at here's where we're going here's the wise and when and what we're trying to line up timewise and dollar-wise and all those type of things. So, um, there's a couple cities that have some questions. There's kind of some lingering issues out just

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from, well, why didn't things happen sooner or time wise or why is there such a discrepancy between the two? We're working through some of those. We're trying to get them all the info they need and this going to take a little bit more time. So, um, and then we've been

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working pretty diligently with Mina, especially being over there on getting some info out to the public, uh, using the website and social media to try to get a bunch of very precise stuff out so that way people know what's going on. And then, uh, on my side, I've been

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starting to monkey with the ordinance and some of the same issues we see in the recycling side that we've seen in the solid waste stuff that we're trying to correct now. So that's kind of the update and if you have questions I can try and answer them but that's kind of

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the quick and dirty on that one. >> Anybody have any questions? If not, then I'll kind of go to the other piece of the solid waste, which is um you'll see it's that solid waste transfer station recycling agreement that we have with Stevens County. So, in

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August of last year, Pope Douglas over in Alex started taking all of our curbside and our drop site uh coping golden material and it was kind of like a trial to see how it go over there. It was kind of their first stab at it. And then we were waiting to see how the

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contracts worked out with Pope Douglas and dollar wise and those and see how they compared to where we sent them before which was in cloud down there in Hutch. Um now that we worked through basically a full year and then Pope Douglas has kind of given their what the

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next year price will be. We're pretty confident that we're going to stick with going with Pope Douglas. They have a good recovery rate. They're very pleased with material we're sending to them. We have a pretty low contamination percentage. So, it uh would be best for us to get out of this uh recycling

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agreement we have with Stevens County. The reason we had this agreement was it was too much of a direct hall. We couldn't go right from here down to Hutch. We had to come here to Stevens County site there in Morris and they blended all of our stuff and Stevens County stuff together and loaded it in

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the semi-trailers and then make it worthwhile. Drove it down. Well, for the last oh year or so, we really haven't had to do that because of Pope Douglas, but we've been paying for that same space or ability to do that on the back side in case things with Pope Douglas didn't go the way we thought they were

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going to go. And now it's pretty clear it's going to. So, I talked to Rebecca over there in S County now that their director has retired and she said, "Yeah, is she over there for them either or she has that we were looking to do this?" And

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she said the agreement says like 60 days. She said they they'll wave that as soon as they get it. They'll just stop all stuff like that. So be looking for a motion to uh send in the resolution. >> So second.

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>> Okay. U we have a motion and a second. Uh any further discussion? Hearing none. All in favor signify by saying I. >> I post. Same sign. Motion carried. >> Right. Now we're going to flip and go to a different program I manage which is

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the wild conservation act. So about a year ago father did their big uh study on the county to say hey how are you guys doing with all the different uh logistic sides admin side of that law and we passed flying colors. So did the

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soil water office. So all good there. Uh they did note though that we were one of the few counties who had some old agreements between cities that either didn't have them or had some places where the county took over, the cities took over and the recommendation was if the cities wanted us to do it to do it.

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We've already been helping the cities. We just did the same agreement here for uh Barrett in March. So and then the only city left would be Ela Lake. This one is for Herman. They re I reached back out about a month ago and just said, "Hey, I know we talked about it for a while and then there was some

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other things probably got left. Where do you guys want to go with this? Leave it, keep it, whatever it is." Um, it really doesn't change the side of things for the city other than they don't have to do any reporting anymore. They'll still be involved if something does show up in town, still have the same conversations,

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still the same health, all doesn't cost us any more money, any less money. It's all kind of the same. >> Do we need a motion on that? >> Yep. Mr. Chair, I got a question. So you like the city man. Is there a city man that's in charge of all wetlands within the corporate limits of the town?

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>> Uh and Herman, I don't know who Herman is responsible for. I assume the clerk and or the city maintenance is usually they kind of probably tag team it. >> Traditionally, you know that they have the authority. >> They in town here. Uh it's Joey the city. What he does is he calls me and says, "Hey, I have such and such issue

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or question." Then we work together and work through it. when on the call it the technical side. I'm not really a part of that group that's supposed to even do any of the city work because they're their own entity with that. But that's not how we operate because that's not good that they

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>> chances are it's probably the mayor and the city. >> That's my but that is >> they should keep that position. >> Yeah, they're they're nothing will change for them. there control be all this order and yeah I'll still contact the clerk and the mayor if something

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does come up in city work through that looking for a motion so right Troy Johnson moved uh do we have a second spear second any further discussion

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hearing none all in favor signify by saying I oppose Same sign. Motion carried. >> The last one is shifting to county a inspector. So last year was the first year the legislator sent out uh a grant for to fund that position. So we applied

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got about 10,000 bucks. We are just about spent it all here. So that's really good. Uh this is the second round of that. I am planning to apply again as long as the board was okay with doing that. Um it has very minimal requirements, no matching. basically attend a training, submit expenses and

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then uh show that you held the training here locally which we use the township meetings and the city meetings as both those which satisfy the need or just kind of head up that'll be applying again that

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any other question for me. Thanks Ree. Okay, we're a few minutes early, Matt, but we can start First item I have is the Casat 2 and 54 replacement final acceptance. This was a

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project to enlarge the Culver student ditch project that they were doing down there. They did the work last year. They didn't get all seating cleanup done last year. didn't get it done right away this spring, but they finally got to complete it now. So, this would be the board's

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acknowledgement that the contract is complete and we would release the final retaining of 1% to the we just need a motion for accepting the project. I will make that motion, Mr. Chair.

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>> Okay. Do we have a second? >> Second by Doyle. Uh any further discussion hearing? None. All in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> All oppose. Same sign. Motion carried. Okay. The next item is the 2025 highway

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department's annual uh financial document prepared by Tanny Cruz at himself the treasurer's office. I'm sure you guys have gone through every page of this. every financial transaction for the department over 2025.

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I required by statute to submit this to the board each year and I don't know more there is to say about it. It's been approved by myself district state aid engineer and the state a finance director. So it's been gone through and approved. So just

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looking to submit it to the board. Okay. Looking for a motion to accept the union as a member of the highway committee. I will make that motion. Mr. Chair,

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do we have a second? >> Second. >> Okay, we have a second by with you, Troy. Troy Johnson. Okay. Uh, any further discussion? Hearing none. All in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Oppose. Same sign. Motion carried.

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I did go through every page, but I didn't look at every committed to memory. Well, >> technically you guys already approved everything that you're going over and this is proving the approving. >> Yeah, I got question and I missed the

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first part. So, this audit was is that different than the state audit or the county in total? >> This is not an audit. The audit would come through the state department or different office. >> This is just a report of the

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transaction, right? >> Does this become part of the overall audit? I mean, does it >> No, most likely review part of it and so they'll look at projects and verify the information.

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>> Okay. Then the last item I have is what we're planning to do next year for construction. We have I believe budgets are due here at the end of the week, maybe the setup finally fall. So I put together this

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list of things that we're planning to do next year. Uh what we're looking to do uh through the city of Norcross uh get that project cleaned up, that road cleaned up. It's pretty bad shape. That' be about 1.4 for $6 million right now.

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It's estimated. Uh we'll also get started our saw five project in Hoffman. That'll be a two-year project. We'll start in 2027 and we'll probably finish in 2028 with the rail intersection down there. That project's about 2.65

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million. Uh the third project was reservicing 26 from 82 with a 20. Uh that's about $1.89 $9 million and we have two bridges that we're going to be

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replacing over Fox Bridge on County Road 35. Both of those are about $320,000 and we got about half million dollars of chip seals on roads that are currently in decent shape that keep that on.

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Uh this leaves us with some money still left over unallocated in our account. So in case we do get a few more bridges or few one more bridge, we can actually fit that in that next year as well. Uh on the second page, I just broke down

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exactly where all the funding is coming from. Total is about 7.18 million projects that we're going to do next year. So try to get as much done as possible. Question Matt, the Conro side project,

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do you anticipate they start on the south end in the railroad and the state highway part or the north end? >> It would start on the north end. The railroad part of it would be in 2028 that's matched with uh Mindut's rail

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division is going to be doing a project with CP rail down there and they're going to be receiving funds to update that crossing there. So if we do that in 2028 that would offsets what offset we would have to pay for that signal cross

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>> in the LI grants that goes towards the whole project. That would go first project. >> That's still with 1.4, right? >> Yep. That won't change. It is subject to change. I wrote on there, you know, the city of Norcross, I know, is does have

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an engineer that they've been talking to. I guess he he did reach out to me and ask they were thinking about potentially doing a project on their water bin. and I was wondering if I we were set in the date that we do our project and I told them if the city comes forward and they want us to delay

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the year so they can work on their stuff. I'd be perfectly fine with that but the road does need to get done. So they reach out to them again. I haven't heard back if they are going to do a project or not. So, so has there been any discussion or is it up to the

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township to address the eighth of a mile or whatever it is to the elevator site that township road on Highway 5? >> Yeah. Well, we would redo that intersection to the extent extent that

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needs to and it would still be a gravel road. we would just read through their portions. We tie it back into their or as far as them wanting to transfer ownership or any of that or I haven't had any discussion.

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>> Let me rephrase it. If there would need to be discussion, does that need to commence to happen from the township rather than north? >> Yes, that would be it's a township road, so they want work done on their road. That would be up to them. Okay.

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>> Thank you. So Matt, the north county line there, that is that just a grind it off, relay it. Is that what they're talking up there? >> 26. >> 26. That would most likely be reclaimed similar to what we're doing on

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>> right now. Okay. How's it going on 20 up there? So far it's going good. Got everything reclaimed and they started stabilizing uh yesterday. I started on the north end, got through the first curve there,

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picked it up today, and going to continue going after they get the stabilization done. It'll probably be about a week to let everything cure out, then look to come and start paving. >> Good. Okay. We have anything else for

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>> Can you email the railroad and remind them harvest is coming, that crossing on 21 is getting not pleasant again? >> Yep. I know Patra did speak with their guy probably a week ago and he said they'd have it paid within two weeks. So

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that two weeks is up I would say. So they need to need to call them again. Don't get b I drove it yesterday. Yeah. It was getting bad again. >> If you know it and you get lined up right, you're okay. You don't you're in trouble with certain wheel tracks. It's

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6 in right. Yeah. Very good. So I got a question, Mr. Chair, and maybe a statement that can come from Matt. Can we add more CASA miles to this county? >> No. >> Okay. >> We are at we don't have any miles bank

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zero. >> Okay. So there's your probably your township question that couldn't get answered maybe. I don't know. >> Yeah, we wouldn't be able to add anything to the CASA system unless we remove something from system. You'd have to switch it.

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>> Yep. Any other question from that? >> Well, thank you, Matt. All right. Thank you. We can take a little break here. We're getting a few minutes early, so Yeah. >> Get out of the elevator.

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top I was after 10. >> Yeah. Friday. We just kind of Washington close to it. They need How are you? Good. How are you? >> Good.

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That is the final commissioner. Yeah. >> The last time you came to the fourth that kind of makes the catalyst. Yeah. one of our public. >> I know. I know. But

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not everybody. Yeah, they're open. very responsible. He's quite a character. better ask questions. >> We're still a little early, but the week will go. Okay, >> sure. >> You're the man.

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You going to adjourn the meeting? Are we going to leave or what's the other? >> All right. So, next up on the agenda is um the EMS contribution agreement. So, the EMS committee, as you are aware, um worked on a local sprint paramedic

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program for Grant County um in preparation for when the state pilot project that's that's being funded by the legislature ends. Um and the board did approve uh that plan. Um, and just a little update for everybody in the room.

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Um, since the plan was approved, um, the committee has met and there's been a couple updates, um, as the board discussed as far as like a capital schedule when we look at the sprint truck in the ambulances, the number of years of rotation. And so, um, all of that has been updated. And the next step

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that the committee had in front of them was to look at a some sort of agreement. So, when the county gives some gives uh those levy tax dollars to an EMS entity for capital for an ambulance or the an a

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sprint truck, we wanted something um a legal document to kind of outline what that agreement looks like and and what happens, you know, in different types of scenarios. So, in the packet was that contribution agreement that the county attorney wrote and the committee went over. Um the one thing and we have two

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committee members here. Maybe you guys want to join us at the table. Um Maya and Eric are here so they can add to the conversation if I misspeak. Um one of the things that we talked about was the ability to trade in if we could if a

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piece of capital is purchased with that funding. We wanted to make sure that um it was established that it could be used towards a tradein um and or if a EMS service would decommission or dissolve, you know, another EMS service could get

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that piece of capital to be able to use it. So, we're getting the best return on any investment used with levy dollars towards our EMS program. So, that is what this contribution agreement outlines. I'm not going to obviously read it. You guys had it in your packet. I think it's important to know that the

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county attorney wrote it, reviewed it, approved it, and do you guys have anything you want to add about the work on the agreement? >> No, I think you just the biggest thing was it it just stated that the vehicle went to the county at the end of its life. We wanted to make sure that if the

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entity was going to get another vehicle, they could trade that in. So, um, just to make clarity that we weren't going to get a bunch of old ambulances sitting in the backyard because that's what the agreement said, we'll make sure that they could be used for that.

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I just want to highlight we had a terrible accident out in the interstate. Um, there was two sprint paramedics, one from Ottertale. I was working that night in Ottertale and Doug or Grant County. Um, our two state patrol officers that were on duty. We had a debrief later um

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a couple days later and they both uh highlighted how important it is to have these vehicles roaming our areas um to get that uh um elevated care to these people individuals as fast as possible. So another uh county that's looking at

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our program is Pope County. They reached out to me a couple nights ago wondering how that they can start a program like the one that we're running today. Um, Henning's looking at our services in Grant County and and are going to mimic how we operate. So, there's services in

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the area that are watching Grant County specifically to see what's going on and how we're working well with the committees, the commissioners, and things like that to bring life-saving uh care to our community. So, thanks for all that you guys have done for us at

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EMS and and hopefully we can give back to the communities. And so this contribution agreement so um the board has already approved to give um funding to Hoffman for their their next ambulance. So the idea would be

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then this agreement we would go to the city of Hoffman with it and it would be something that's discussed and agreed upon you know and then they would receive the money. So we have that agreement on a piece of capital. Um and so the first step is approving the

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agreement and then next steps would be sending it to the amp EMS services you know in the cities and letting them know that this is part of the agreement and stuff and we can definitely come to their meetings and do a little work session and talk about it now with them but als you know just informing them

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that you know when that financial transaction takes place there will be an agreement that goes goes along with it. >> So I see the spreadsheet goes out 40 years. Are we? >> Yep. We're going to get there. First is the agreement. That's the budget. We're going to talk about that next. But PE

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>> is agreement. Commit us to 40 years of commitment. >> No. No. >> Okay. No. Be per per vehicle. Like it would be per vehicle. You could you could stop at any year. You know, you could stop next year. Um that's not our hope. Our hope was to plan out for 40

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years because then I'm hopefully retired and gone and then somebody else can deal with it. Um I think the long-term um idea is to show we have a plan for a long time, right? Um obviously plans can change and needs can change, but we had

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to come up with a robust plan of how we can continue EMS care in Grant County. Um and that's partnerships and things like that. Um so I think 40 years was was 30 years didn't map out because there wasn't enough turnover of trucks. So we wanted to go 40 years. So it

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showed each each entity getting a vehicle basically >> and and the agreement doesn't have to do with that budget plan. We're going to talk about the budget plan next. The first thing is making sure that the board feels okay with this agreement contribution. So um we can get get it approved by motion today so then we can

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share it with the other EMS entities in Grant County so they have time to review it and talk to their people and we can work together, you know, if we need to make any revisions or whatever in the future. Um, so, so I guess I'm looking for a motion from the board today to to

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approve that agreement as it's presented and then we'll continue the committee will work with the cities and then we'll come back and then the other discussion item is is the budget that was also attached. >> I got one more question. Does does it address or reference at all the primary

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service area? >> Yes. There's provision in the agreement that says if a primary service area, if an ambulance service dissolves, it's kind of that first right or refusal to the other Grant County services. So, we can

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keep keep that capital that's purchased with levy dollars in Grant County for the constituents of Grant County. >> Thank you. >> They were looking for a motion. >> I'll make that motion. Hey, Doyle makes a motion. We have a second. As a member

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of the EMS committee, I will make a second. Okay. >> Bill second. Any further discussion? Hearing none, I'll call the question. All in favor signify by saying I. >> I. I. >> Oppos. Same side. >> So motion carried.

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>> The second piece is that kind of 40-year schedule with the budget on there. Um, >> and I won't take away from their thunder. I'll let them talk about it. But the the committee's idea was let's look at this appropriation that 165,000 a year that the county board will um

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hopefully keep approving to to build that budget and how that budget would be used based on the schedule. Okay. And the schedule is the number of years when we would look at replacement so we can keep that safe viable capital usable for

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EMS in Grant County. And that includes three, you know, three ambulant, you know, ambulances for the three different EMS entities, but then one sprint truck, cuz remember there's two, but there's only one that's a part of the pilot program. The other one is Lake Regions.

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And so the the the pilot program, sprint truck, the one that allows the paramedics at higher level of care to get to scene faster and to help fill those crews when they're short, that capital schedule um is 5 years. And I'll

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let you guys talk about why you think five five years, you know, because the number of miles and then the ambulance schedule is different. And so the 40 years was a way to show if this continues going forward, if the board agrees to keep moving forward with this

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program, how those levy dollars would be used according to that replacement schedule. So I'll let you guys take it from there. Well, first the schedule based is off of use. Um, Lake Region is busier in in El

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Lake than Ashby and Hoffman. So, the miles and the wear and tear will be um faster than than the other two. So, we figured a 10-year schedule um for Elbow Lake and a 15ear schedule because that's about what Ashby's at right now, 15ear

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turnover. Um Hoffman because of financial problems weren't able to. they're at about 22 years on their vehicle, which this vehicle is way out of date. Um the safety features are um are unacceptable as well. Um so those are the schedules for those. Um the

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5-year plan for the the sprint truck is based off of about 100,000 miles, 20,000 miles a year. Um so anything over 100,000 miles, you're getting to get to that wear and tear where you don't want to be traveling at

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a high rate of speed. Um, it also gives us a little bit of um, still worth money where we can trade off the vehicle and have some capital back into the the um, purchase of a new truck itself. So, that was kind of our thought process behind the the the years of of when we're going

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to move on to the next vehicle. So, and then just mapping out for 40 years. Part of that is to say, you know, there gets to be a point in the map where there's close to a million dollars sitting in that fund. Well, then within the next two years, there's two purchase, you

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know, there's two $400,000 purchases. So, just to show that, you know, that fund is going to eb and flow there with the purchases, but they're as those the 10 and the 15 years, they overlap every, you know, 30 year mark, right? you're

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going to see that all of a sudden it's three in a matter of five years or whatever versus, you know, you can't build that back up if it's we don't want anybody to say, "Oh, there's a a nice fund of 600 grand and thinking it's not going to anything because we do have it

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planned out where in a couple years majority of that money's going to be spent on new capital. So um I think laying it out the the 40 years just shows the the progress of of how this has gone this plan is going to work. So

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did the committee discuss the funding or the passion for the people side you know training and recruitment and retention. No, I think I think the

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county, at least in my opinion, I think that goes back to the entities themselves, right? I think they have to have some stake in the game of working um and and trying to recruit. It's it's another aspect that's very very difficult right now. Um and that's why

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it's so important in my opinion is that we the county helps pay for that one potentially full-time person that can help. Now, that's a crew member during the day for Hoffman, Ashby, and Elbow Lake. It's not just for Elbow, it's for

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all three entities. Now, you you you bring that need during the daytime hours down greatly because we're we're pairing, we're we're partnering together to have that these two paid people. So, Lake Region has some stake because they have me during the day, so they're

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paying my wage. So now we will likely have two people 24 hours a day to help cover all three services. So I think it's really big. But the next thing will be recruitment and retention. But that that's going to money can't solve that problem and and that's what everybody

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says that's what the state does is they throw money at you and all that does is create more problems down the road because then you buy stuff and and um I've never been a fan of of throwing money at that aspect of it. That's just a you need to really work with your communities. Uh and that's what we're

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going to start working with with Ryan and others in Ash. So, but a great point where because that's where Hoffman's struggling the most. Ashley is going to be in that area too during the next few years. >> Thank you. >> So, next steps um you know like I mentioned with the agreement now that

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it's been approved, we'll share it with the other EMS entities in the cities. Um, another next step that the committee plans to do is invite um, elected senators and legislators to come to Grant County so we can give a presentation on our local program um, so

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we can show the state that we are prepared and ready when the pilot project sunsets that if there's any leftover money in the leg legislature for this pilot project, we'd be happy to put it to use because we already have a a good solid working plan. So, um, when

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that meeting gets scheduled, I'll make sure to invite the board to that as well. But that is kind of one of our next steps as a committee is we want to bring in the people that make decisions on that legislative money to show them where we're at with our local plan. >> Kina, I got a question. Are they are

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they going to put something together for a task force, an EMS task force, or not? >> I I don't know. I don't talk to the legislature. I've got enough to be right here in Grant County. >> That's you, Bill. That's you. I'll start making phone calls. um >> you probably did you reach out and emails to them as far as an in following

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the process. The first step was getting everything approved um at the local board here and >> back to this spreadsheet where it's at. You know, you can't bind boards out too far, right? >> You know what I mean? I mean, that's that's an there's no way you could do that, nor should we, right?

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>> You know that. So, but chances are it might be a whole different crew, which it's going to be by the time you get up to here. >> I guess I'm hoping so. I'm hoping so too. If I'm here reporting, it's going to be a long day. >> Yeah. >> What about me? >> Okay. Are there any other questions

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about EMS? >> Because there's two other items here and I think we've now just got us behind schedule. So, >> anything else? >> Great. >> All right. The next item I have is the strategic planning committee appointment. there was a public member

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seat that um was open and we had two people interested that um sent in the paperwork to apply for um so then we were going to have them come to the board and talk to the board but since that decision was made um some one of the member one person withdrew so there

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is one person that is interested in that appointment that's Donald Lacy his um application was uh in the packet so I'm looking and asking the board looking to think the board would like to approve the appointment of Donald Lacy to one of

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the three public members since on the strategic planning committee. >> No second. >> Okay. Uh Troy Johnson made the motion second by Bill the Valley. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All in favor signify by

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saying I. >> I. Same sign. Motion carried. >> Okay. Okay. And the last thing I have, um, Chad, our county auditor, reached out to me, um, and I, uh, put in the board packet the information about the county canvasing board. Two

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commissioners needed to, uh, be on that board. So, he would like to know what two commissioners would like to be on on it, and they will be meeting um, on August Thursday, August 13th at 10:00 a.m. It's the same location. It's

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just a date and a time change. And we would need two commissioners. So, I'm asking the board what two commissioners would like to be on the county. >> What do they mean? >> I'll I'll I'll be on it. >> I don't believe he can. >> Stay away from Dwightville. Y

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>> Well, we can't. They're up for election. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Oh, sure. >> Both of them can be on the canvasing board because it's for the primary and they're not on the ballot for the primary. >> Okay, I'll be on it then. Well, else what day is it?

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>> It's Thursday, August 13th at 10 a.m. >> So, that's different than >> Yes, there's a change. >> Yes, that's February. >> Billy, you want to do it? You're in town, chair. >> Okay. So, Dwight and Bill will be on the

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county camping board. It's Thursday, August 13th, 10 a.m. >> And that's all I have. >> Great. Thank you, >> Ashley. Good morning. Um, I am coming today with

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a anou from the between grant county and the teamsters to allow our building maintenance worker to work two additional hours a day. So, two overtime hours or up to 10 hours um of overtime a week to fill in the gap from 2 to 4. So,

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his schedule right now is he comes in at 6:00 before everybody gets to work and he has 8 hours done at 2. So we have a gap from two to four um that we're looking to fill and uh he has agreed to do this plan and the teamsters has

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agreed as well. So I'd be looking for a motion to um approve the MA. A little bit more background on that was this was asked for by facility maintenance prior to

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the combining with the BSO. So we want to we want to move that up to this year because of that additional duties. So I'll make that motion. We have a motion. Do we have a second? >> I'll second it.

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>> Second it. Uh any further discussion hearing? Hearing none. All in favor signify by saying I. I. >> Oppos. Same sign. Motion carries. >> That was now. Thank you. >> Okay. Sheriff.

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Good morning. >> I just put a a together a PowerPoint just to explain. I know a lot of people have questions about the operations of the Grant County Sheriff's Office. And I also uh we provided some statistics um again

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which people. So um speaking so this is our mission statement. It's the mission of the Grant County Sheriff's Office is the goal to provide a safe and crime-free atmosphere. Also

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the goal to protect the public and their property. Police officers of the Grant County Sheriff's Office were swearing to uphold the federal state constitution and to enforce federal, state, and local. Um, this is a statute that provides some

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guidance which everyone had questions on. What does a sheriff's office do? So, these are the legal duties. I know there was a couple commissioners that wanted this um state statute. Um it just provides uh a guidance of you know that we will u pursue and apprehend felons.

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We'll execute all processes that receipts and orders to um or issues made by the lawful authority and for the sheriff to deliver you know patrol um

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see this start the slideshow >> I can help We have it in front of us here. So, >> Oh, okay. >> There we go. Thank you. >> You can add live, David. >> Yeah. Um, so we'll investigate recreational vehicle accidents involving

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personal injury or death. Um, the that are outside the boundaries of a municipality, searching and dragging for bodies, and searching and looking for lost person. Um, all right. So, this is the operations of the Grant County Sheriff's Office. We

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have currently budgeted for 11 sworn peace officers which includes seven road deputies, two investigators, a chief deputy and sheriff. Um currently we have two um deputy positions that are open. We have three full-time

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telecommunicators as that's what we call dispatch. We have one local system administrator who also does uh 911 telecommunications. We have one administrative assistant, 911 telecommunicator, and one records

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telecommunicator and supervisor TAC. All employees except the sheriff are represented by the law enforcement labor services uh which is LS union. All wages and benefits are and hours of the total hours of work and other conditions of employment is covered under this

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resolution um from LS which is negotiated by the personnel committee and approved by the Grant County Board of Commissioners. So, um, this is our 911 telecommunicators, the dispatchers, um,

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or telecommunicators. They work 20,000 or 2,80 hours annually. They work 120 hours on a 21day cycle. They run 12-hour shifts working every other weekend and there's no scheduled overtime

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um using all the 911 dispatchers, the LSA and the administrative assistant and our records dispatch to cut out on overtime if there is any. Um our deputies and investigators deputies work 2,223

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hours annually. They work 171 hours in a 28 day cycle. There's no scheduled overt. and we work approximately 12 hour shifts. And so how our deputies do it, we have two shifts in a 24-h hour period and we

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have two deputies per shift. Um some of the duties of the 911 telecommunicators um obviously they receive emergency calls and non-emergency calls. They dispatch all calls to the patrol fighter and EMS. and they also do record entry,

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warrants, things like that. Um, duties of the Grat County Sheriff's Office deputies. Um, we respond to all emergency and non-emergency calls. We patrol the execution of civil process investigations and followup. Uh, we do

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both water safety report writing and testifying in court. And then obviously we do some uh city ordinance enforcement. Um, Grant County Sheriff's Office employees are trained specifically for We have um one use of force instructor.

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We have two firearms instructors. We have one taser instructor, one member of the SWAT team, which is through Autotail. We have two drone operators. We currently have one DARE deputy that we added last year. Um, we have two

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deputies that are the internet crimes against children. Um we have blind uh drug risk evaluator blessing. Uh we have we currently have three EMTs which are all uh telecommunicators

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and we have um nine first responders on our patrol staff. And then we have three uh field training officers and we're also affiliated with the toward toward zero death the TV.

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So I just thought I would put in um what our mandates are for training. Um the state does a really good job of mandating training but they failed to give us money to provide this city. So um so this is just for telecommunicators

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what they have to do. So annually they have to be CIS computer access and security cert certifications. Um they have to do the armor radio system training which is uh you have to get it initially and then every two years. Um

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they also have to be completed the emergency medical dispatch certification. um depending on their position they have to go through the TAC training um civil process training depending on their positions again neyers certification which is based on

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their job description which is Tina and Brenda's position and then the LSA certifications which I believe right now it's two classes but they also have to be certified by the state which is another blessing that they have to give

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so um now mandated ated training for the peace officers. Obviously, you have to be post licensed. You have to have had your EMSB, which is a first responder training. Um, annually, we have to be firearm certified. We have to do

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>> for alarm. Um the emergency vehicle operation course um which is our debt that is um every five years um annually have to do with us

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and taser is annually and the less lethal weapons that is also annually and that is like our less lethal shotgun prep the ball or mace um sieges compliant we have to do that annually and the armor radio chain which is

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initially and then every two years after. Um now these are Minnesota postboard mandates for pieces. Um which is even more stringent. Um they so every three years our license is good for three

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years. We have to provide we have to complete 48 hours um of law enforcement related continuing education credits. 16 of those hours has to be has to have um six credits in crisis intervention and mental health. autism, four credits,

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conflict management, which is one credit, and recognizing and valuing valuing community diversity and cultural differences to include implicit bias. Crimes motivated by bias is also one credit. And then there's three electives

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which we have to pick from the list above. And then starting in 2027, um the sheriff has to have a officer wellness inservice day. And so there's there's more to come on that. Um there's

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also like three different bullets that you have to hit. So um so and then other training we have to do is right to know which the county provides. Uh the OSHA, the fire extinguishers, bloodborne pathogens. Um

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obviously our DMT, the breath test every three years we have to do that. First aid, CPR every two years. DR that's annually, SFSTs and AI for TCD program that's every five years and then other

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certificate certifications for deputies or LSAs that might have to to be ongoing and then SWAT training is monthly. So to help alleviate some of the the training mandates um we we started using

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patrol online um and they can give it to us. Uh I think it's $90 per officer per year. And so some of these mandates, we can get those through. Um so instead of sending people somewhere because that costs a lot of money, you know, if it's

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overnight stay, you have a lot of lot of money that goes into that person. >> A lot of them are done while they're working. >> Yes. And they're done while they're working. So that helps a lot. Um I just put this slide in here for deputies

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equipment. Obviously, it's it's a lot that we have to have. Um, I don't think I need to go through the slide, but that's just a little bit of of what we have to carry. Um, obviously I'm I'm a grant writer, so I like to

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help get funding as much as I can as it it's needed, obviously. Um, so some of these that we do every year, the TCD, um, obviously the body of Canada, which is a federal grant, uh, triple AAA public safety grant, um, the courthouse

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security, um, and actually that just came out again, so we're going to be meeting soon. Uh, the Oakley settlement funds, the firearm storage grant that that was needed. And uh every year we we get a

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little bit of push back from Misty um through this grant for our medical like our for medical supplies or our like we call them our ditch bags. So they help provide funding for that because you know if somebody uses something that we

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you know we're just out the money. So, um, here are some other agencies that help alleviate some of the budget and the finance. Um, and which we use a lot as a Minnesota BCA. We can use them for technical resources. Um, agents, we're

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looking for more manpower and equipment as well as the West Central Regional Drug and Violent Task Force crimes. Um, I can call these two up and I'll have I can have people here within 15 20 minutes. So it's it's great and they have a lot of resources that we can we

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are part of so we can use their resources. Um and Douglas County we also use them quite a bit for our celebrate forensic downloads. Um a lot of crimes uh need to be investigated further and so everything your life is on cell phone

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and so um getting a forensic download of your cell phone is needed probably on every crime. So, um I know that there was a lot of questions earlier on uh this spring about um the overtime that was used in

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2025. Um so, the Tina and I provided um just a layout of what the overtime was used in 2025. Um and you can see at the bottom, this is for all the deputies and dispatchers.

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And you can see that the most of the overtime comes from our holiday and sick pay, which is nothing that the sheriff uh does. That's all the union contracts. Um you know, we have 11 holidays.

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So if people end up working them, they obviously get overtime. And then this the sick and vacation, every employee needs sick and vacation time. So, um, but yeah, if you just go down the line, it's SWAT, you know, DARE,

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um, which DARE is also reimbursed. So, but that doesn't show it in our budget, but DAR's own, you know, DARE is reimbured. Um, our training, we receive money back from the state for training. Um, it's typically roughly about $10,000

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that we give back, but it changes every year. um our TZD that's all overtime um and that is also paid back u but that doesn't show it in our line items. So, um, obviously incidents if we get a call

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out or if something something seriously happened, um, but that didn't account for a lot of hours. Um, court, you know, that's something we can't really, that's just part of the nature of our

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job. Uh, military time. Um, in 25, we had two individuals from our sheriff's office that were involved in the military. And so and then we have our own county attorney training and yeah so so I we did this

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for 25 and then the next slide is 24 and you can see the higher numbers is the holiday and sick time. So that is something that you know every shift has to be filmed. It's not like a retail if somebody calls in sick I have to fill that shift.

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>> I got a question for you. >> Yeah. you said on that towards zero deaths. Um the deputies are working overtime on those shifts, right? >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, but when we get reimbursed from the state that that was not shown in the overtime budget.

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>> No. No. And so, >> so then that's not totally accurate then. >> Nope. And that's why the budget finance committee has been told all of this. It's our payroll system doesn't organize it well with our budget. So

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there's there's a lot of items that are taken out of our regular hours and our overtime budget that it looks like it we're over but we're not because like we're getting money back. We got 22,024 I believe from TCD. Um like it's it

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doesn't show it very well. So you're saying it comes back in as income rather than reduction of costs. Correct. >> But with our payroll system, there's not enough line items, so it can't take it out of the red. >> No. >> No. >> The net is the same.

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>> Yes. No. No. >> There any way to fix that? >> Again, a new payroll system. That's what Chad said. >> Because that's not an accurate >> people see there, >> right? Yeah, that's not accurate. So, >> yeah, but the budget finance committee,

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they they all understood this, you know, when we talked about it, public safety committee, it was all brought up. So, Grant County is made up of seven cities, 16 townships, and numerous lakes spreading across 548 square miles. Of

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these seven cities, six are contracted with the sheriff's office. These city contracts have been around since 1989, which saved the city's thousands of dollars throughout the several years. Um, I just wanted to put the statistic

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in here because these are um, obviously we do a lot of civil process survey a lot of civil process and these civil processes that we do do not receive an incident report. Um, but I just wanted to list it. 25 we had 201 civil

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processes. 24 we had 194 and 23 we had 195. So, um, that's a lot of service that we do every day. We're doing something. But, um, a lot of times we're making two to three attempts per or more

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per paper service. So, that our civil process we it keeps us pretty busy. All right. So this is kind of getting down to the nitty-gritty here. This is a city calls for service in 25. This is just for the cities. Um so the first

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column or the second column is the population of our cities. The third column is what in 2026 what the contract payments were. Um the hours of service is the next column um which are annually and then the calls

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for service of what we took in from that city. And then the last one is the percentage of calls. Um and I believe in 2025 we had 49 was it? I think I covered that >> 49. >> 4939 >> 4939.

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>> Yep. And then we also broke up um all this the statistics for all of the 16 townships. And so it's the second column is the population. Third column is the calls for service in that township. The

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burden permits that were given. Obviously there's a lot of burn permits in our townships. And so that's like the first one is Lawrence Township. So 12 permits are included in that 34 calls for service. Um

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so I just wanted to remind people that the population is obviously estimated um when 31 oh yeah so 31.5% of calls are quoted as a sheriff's office which are not listed because

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um they're more like or a P registration which is predatory vendors but that's all uh data privacy um UAS permits to purchase gun permits housing checks um so that is included in

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that 31.5% and then obviously the percentages are are approximate um so here is the overage and our contracted cities um over time

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so every year um we obviously over in our times. Um, Ashby, Barrett, Herman, and Hoffman all are at 730 hours. Elbow Lake is 2,920 hours, and Mundle is 96.

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So, the last column shows the overages of how much, you know, and that's based off of calls or longer investigations. So, uh, so then now I go back to all the calls in 2024,

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which is 4,439. And so it'll show just like the 25s. Now, this is just 24's data. And then here's all for the townships again. And again, people have to be know

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that 32.7% of all calls coded at the sheriff's office is um you have to include that percentage as well to get your total number of calls. Um and those are Ps

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permits but are uh gun permits, permits to carry, things like that, housing checks. So none of that sheriff is uh like if there's 50 people in Ela Lake that apply for gun permits, none of that is put on

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>> private data. We can't like it's private who has a permit to carry. Right. >> Right. So we can't put that in a city. It's private that there's a P. We can't put that in a city. So everything then gets quoted. We use grid numbers, right? As you

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probably remember, grid number 226 is for the sheriff's office. That is how we keep it private because the data can't get off there. >> And again, Mr. Chair, if I can add, that's a Grant County cost. That's not a city cost.

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>> Correct. Correct. >> On any city, period. >> Correct. >> I mean, we do get funding from the No. We they we charge for the gun permits the permit carries. But >> yeah,

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so this is the data for 24. Um here's Oh, was that the overages? Okay. So here's all the calls for service. In 23 we had 4,500 um total calls. Here's the townships. And in 2023, we

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had um the 31.2% is of the 226 grid um of that's private data. So, and then here's our overages again for all the cities in 2022.

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All right. So, I know that I I've reached out to obviously several other counties and just to see how they're doing their contracts and um like we said before, there's a hund different ways you could do it. It's just whatever

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works best for that county. So, um some of the agencies do it based off population, their contracts based off population and the calls for service from the previous year. So, um, this was provided to me and I just wanted to be able to share

330
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this because it is it's a different perspective of what we're currently doing. Um, so you can see like 20% um 20% of our calls in 2025

331
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um came from the city of Elate. Hoffman they provided 6%. Um, Ashby is 3%, Herman was 4%, Brett is 1%. >> 4%. Yes. And then Wendell is obviously a

332
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pretty small percent, but um, so this different way of this different way of thinking outside, you know, I think we do have to think outside the box. Um, we've heard the cities, they want something more equitable. um you know the data that we provided um

333
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you know I I'm just providing it to the commissioner so you can think about you know what would be the best option obviously we need law enforcement um and then this goes this is the options

334
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for all the 16 townships um you know the percentage the percentage is you know lower but some of them are like um looking like is 7% of the calls. So, >> so if I may

335
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>> expound on that a little bit and all, whether I should have or not, I did, but I looked at some of this and put some numbers down and communicated with your pipeline. And one of the concepts,

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if you'll go back to that first order volume based rate from the board, you'll notice 40% of the calls we always talk about, they're in the cities. 28.5% are in the rural. And so I started

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thinking and if you look at that column where it says base contract and then we would charge the cities $10,000 per hour per day. In other words, Ela Lake would pay 80,000 and the other four

338
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were would pay 20 and window a minimum of 2500. Then I started thinking we used to do solid waste based on how much tongues they did the prior year. Well, maybe we should apply that from the call

339
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volume. So in this particular case, if Ela Lake had 20.4% 4% of the call volume then and we needed to come up with $345,000 and then each one respective would be

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you got a lot of activity you'll pay more the next year. It might prevent some of the cities from wanting all this ordinance control and low hanging branch control because they know that's going to affect their rates.

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If you look at that, it comes up to $300,000. Now, I know that's short of what our desire is, but what my thought is is if our base rate, which was $345,000, and we said we'd keep the rates the same

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for the cities. I know this doesn't come up that it's short but if you look at the concept and then each year we would apply what our wages and the rate goes up for salaries. So you take 345,000 and if our

343
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salaries go up 6% it goes up 6% and then you apply the percent of calls to that new number. They would pay a base amount to be on contract and then they pay for what they use and there's no option

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because I don't think we can let the cities out of their contract. We have to come to some resolution but this is a this is an idea can have whether it's really good or indifferent I don't know I don't know if it's bad but it's indifferent.

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So there you go Mr. Chair. >> Thank you. And some counties do do this. They use this model the pro, you know, it's based off your population um and you know, picking the magical number for how much it costs for a

346
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deputy um and based on the costs. >> Mr. Chair, I got a question. So, we don't address the overages at all, right? It's just out there, right? It's just it's ours work that we don't get to bill anybody for

347
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So, I think some of that should be plugged into, you know, these yearly contracts if you want to do it yearly because if you got more, why would we want to work and not get paid? But, I mean, we're that's a Grant County cost, not a town cost then, right? So, we're

348
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really, you know, we're backfilling, you know what I mean, the town's contracts with overage really in the big scheme of things. But really, I think that's just showing that's not like it's probably not overtime. That's the deputies working and they're like, "Okay, I just

349
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spent this extra time in Elbow Lake." I don't think it's Yeah. I mean, some some of it's legit calls and some of it's just they're patrolling, >> right? >> And they've just documented it. >> Okay. >> Mr. Chair, I had a couple of questions.

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>> What does CJIS stand for? the BCA DJ since >> criminal justice. >> Thank you. >> But >> probably doesn't mean anything, but I had to ask. >> So, you have you have two positions open, but what I see we have one

351
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starting in August, right? >> We don't know that yet. >> I thought we had one that had been >> He's got to take his post testing. >> Okay. Because if that one were to start in August, then we have the chief deputy in which

352
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>> if it's promoted from within, then there's another spot, but otherwise if it's brought from outside, it wouldn't be >> right. Right. And so I can tell you that um it'll be brought from within. >> I'm not asking that to get into that.

353
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That's so yeah, I mean it my understanding was that individual had accepted the position and if they're not through their postboard postboard tested yet that's obviously an issue but >> so I was wondering about the two so

354
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how much of the training because it says a bunch of the training can be online how much of that can be online on shift rather than have to go obviously the emergency vehicle operation can't be on >> No there's I the the 16 that are mandated by the post

355
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board, we can now do that all online. So, that has helped immensely. Initially, they have to be sent to that program or to that training, which is it's called CIT training. Um uh so, usually when we get new deputies,

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we have to send them down and it's 5 days. Um the last couple of years that we've had new deputies uh region forward crisis uh team has paid for that which has helped a lot because it's over $1,000 that you know that training and then

357
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it's typically down in the city so you don't pay 5 days of lodging which is expensive expensive. So >> a firearm and use fors can't be online. That's got to be >> Yep. Yep. And so that's why we have our own instructors so we can do it. Well,

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we try to do it while we're on shift. Um, yeah. >> When 24 to 25 for the training overtime? Are there years where you're do your renewals have to be at a three-year base? So, there's years you're doing

359
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less and you're doing more. >> Um, yeah. Yeah. But like annually like the firearms and use of force annually. Y >> well I had well two more points. One was

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the calls for service for rural. So all township we talked about each call for services I call to activate my burning permit for the day. No >> that's not >> we took the burn permits off of the percentage. >> Okay. I thought it was because it say when I call five times.

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>> No. You only get one call for service when we create the burn permit. >> Give you the number so we can track it. >> Um otherwise when you call in that's we don't do a call for service for >> right. And then my other part was for the board where we talked about

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contracts was my understanding is that you were going to mandate a contract to the the cities. >> Well, thank you for bringing it up. thought a lot about this and I remember you've heard me say it before. I was on

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the city council in Land. What year was it when we went to the county? >> 1989. >> Thank you. In every case when these cities went to the contract with the county, it saved

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the respective cities money and the county subsequently built the system to offer law enforcement to those cities and of course for all. So we built this thing and it's evolved.

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I don't think they should be able to just get out of it because they booked the savings somewhere and I was on the council for 18 years. I remember they've saved us money and all of a sudden it's like they're pulling the rug out from

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under us and I don't agree there should be and that's why I was I thought a lot about this where I said there should be a base amount you're going to be part of the system and then we're going to charge you based on your calls. And then I looked at the need and I said, "We

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need three and a half deputies." Let's say all the cities said, "We're going to do our own. Maybe three and a half deputies can handle everything. That's not practical." But if you take 100,000 times that, 350,000. Now we're looking at 345.

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And then we always wonder, how are we going to do it when the budget goes up? Well, we tell the cities if our contracts for salvage go up 6%. that 345 is going up 6%. You're sharing in that. It's not all coming back to the county.

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We're going to share in it. And we tell them this is what it is. And if you'll notice, every one of the contract rates in our analysis went down except Hoffman's because the analytics showed that 6.6% of the calls was theirs and everybody said 100 and Hoffman stayed

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about the same. So yes, I think we should require it, but I think we should charge them based on what they use cuz this system ain't all so bad. The other part is, and we haven't talked about it today, I think we got to challenge the

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public safety committee within the closed doors to look at the costs of running this department. It that can't be done here. And they got to come back with a recommendation. And if there's no gold to take out of it, then you tell us. If there is some gold

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to take out of it, then you bring it to us. But this is the funding side. And yes, Commissioner Gson, I think we should commit them to this. And if they don't, then maybe they just don't get much

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service. Well, before we go any further down that route, the question becomes is can you mandate that they pay Well, maybe they're taxpayers can because you haven't sat in the public safety committee meetings and I'm not saying every town and I'm not saying

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everybody in there, but there were individuals who just flat out said, "No, we're not spending that money." So, I mean, I I mean, that's it. I don't disagree with the concept here because we were looking at options, but at some point between now and the end of September, we've got to eliminate

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options and we got to have a funding source. But sitting in those meetings and anybody that said in there, please speak up if I'm not saying this accurately, there were individuals that just said, "No way. Not going to happen."

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>> So, I mean, to turn around now and have the board say, "You're paying this. each of us represent. >> We better make sure we have the legal right to do that before we go out. I mean, we're now getting back into the whole we're going to go sit there and dictate to a city. I mean, we spend

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March, April, and May fighting with the state, telling them to stop telling us what to do, stop spending our money. >> But each of us represent the city. >> Mhm. And if Bill of Valley needs to sit in the city council meetings every month to convince them this is a good deal and

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Bill of Valley should same with Doyle Spear and Dwight and Troy and Ken. It's our job and the numbers bear out that 40% of the calls compared to 28.5

379
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are in the cities. But you got to look at the cost. So yes, I hear you. But I think if we approach them correctly, I think they'll sign on. I got more faith in these city councils than than maybe we've heard at this

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point. >> Well, they did say that they will they they will pay something. They just don't like our motors, right? >> So maybe if they've seen the statistics and that stuff that would help. I don't know. I mean, we've never really been

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asked for our statistics of exactly how much everything is and um >> but they get your hourly uh monthly hours, which when I was in the sheriff's office, we were always over in all the town. Didn't really think much of it

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other than we had a duty to to uh serve our public and uh stop that criminal activity. Oh, >> and so every month, yes, they get the overs and they also get what happened in their in their towel. >> I just got to mention something and out

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of respect for the budget and the public safety committee, I didn't get to share this with you prior because I just kind of hatched this in the last two days. So otherwise, I'm >> Well, I I agree with Commissioner Johnson on that.

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>> You specify which one? >> Which specify which one? I'm going to I'm going to spectacular on uh on the uh contract hour being a good deal. I for the life of me can't understand

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when I hear that it costs too much or or uh you know we don't want to do it anymore. Well, you got citizens in your jurisdictions there that need protection. any career calls answered and uh and and that that's what we all

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need. So, you know, no, we can't make them pay, but if they don't, what are we going to do? Are we going to cut two, three deputies and the services go down and and the public safety is is uh rising up, you know, that I mean,

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there's there's stuff going on out here that uh that is not good. And uh so you know, no, we can't make them pay, but in the long run, somebody will pay that and it's not it's it's too bad. But but

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yeah, we can't we can't operate without that 350,000 with the staffing we've got. So, you know, the other piece is this ordinance enforcement or support. It becomes part of a call. We should,

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the last thing a city should do is tell a department, you got to drive around looking for low ang branches. If they want to drive, if if the a city wants the law enforcement to drive around looking law enforcement eight hours a day, it's all you're going to get.

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But maybe they'll have staff that does it like they do in Austin. That would take care of that because they'll they'll be paying on that the next year. Okay.

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Well, anything else for the sheriff today? Yes. I got just going to reiterate it. This is about funding. I I have to tell the public safety committee and no, I'm glad I'm not in the room a lot of days. I'm sorry, but

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you guys have worked hard and fond needs to work harder is you need to look at the costs. I don't know where they're at, but if there's any gold in this thing, you got to take it out of it. So, what if I told you which I told the public at a meeting, is that

393
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if you want to cut expenses, all the expenses that are not staff related are staff related. If you want to cut expenses, what are you going to say? Well, we're going to go down one car, so two deputies have to change now. So, if

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you want to cut a car out of there, if you want to cut an ax on use out of the contract, I mean, you get where I'm going with this. Is the additional expenses. I'm not saying there's not some to find. I'm saying it's going to be extraordinarily hard to root them out

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because everything is tied to equipping that officer you put on the street. And that might be the answer. I mean, for those of us that run a business, at some point you can only take so much. >> I'm not going to tell you there isn't something there. I want to just temper

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your expectations in that the expenses there. And obviously, there's expenses related to dispatch as well. But I think when we get that review done that the vast majority of them are going to be to equip that officer to be on the street >> and that should be the report then. And

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you look at it accordingly. And if that's what we got out of it, but like I said before at prior meeting, if we don't look at both sides, the costs and the funding source, we haven't done our due diligence. And I come with an idea

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on the funding source and I'm going to challenge the public safety committee committee and the sheriff to come with a number on the costs. The big task, right? So, we still there's another idea to add

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to what we already have for numbers of ideas. We have, you know, we have seven. I suppose you could count that as part of a contract. So, you're not really adding an idea. We need to eliminate ideas because what if we don't have any

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contracts signed by the end of September? I mean, the board has to have an idea of what they plan on doing. And that's what been saying since May. We got to have that plan cuz the meetings I've sat through with public safety is I would not

401
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anticipate all I've heard now there's other cities say yeah they'll sign it. I haven't seen that returned yet but I would anticipate that they're not all going to sign even a new formulated bond. So we need to know what we're going to do and we're down now to less

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than two months. We have an offer, a counter offer on the table that we need to address. I would think today from El Lake that we had, we also had a letter from some another individual from a different city, but it

403
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wasn't from the wasn't from the city. So, I don't know that we need to address that one, but we had an offer from the city, >> but Elakes was off the starting point and you came with this. What was there? 171,000 169,000

404
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171. So, $21,000. That's our offer. That's it. You you pay 80,000 grand base rate for eight hours a day plus the percent of the use 20.4%. The analytics support the concept.

405
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If they say no, I don't know them. So, are you and this maybe I'm stepping on Dwight's toes here. Are you making a motion to decline their counter offer and offer them that? >> Well, what I would say is when you say

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them elbow >> the city. >> Yeah. Would we be talking about a motion to offer the concept in the home or that >> would you would offer it to all the >> Yes. >> define the city of Lakes or offer that to all of the cities?

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Well, I'd defer to the chair to say, do we have some more discussion before someone makes a motion? >> Well, I I think we should have more discussion, but I also think that if any town wants to sign a contract, let them sign it. Uh if if they're there, at

408
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least then we know in the preliminary that we got X amount from this town, X amount from that town. Then we'll figure out the rest. But I think I think that they if they want to sign a contract, the existing contract, then let them sign it and we'll see from there. One

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thing to remember in the next it if you went to this plan, $44,785 would go to the wedding. So it doesn't fund fully the 385,000 >> the first year. >> Yeah. And then what my concept was, we

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told them we'd leave the rates the same for 27 and 28, but and that's where some of the specifics have come in, but we would then if the increase in the cost of the staff or 6%, we would be going up 6%. So when 29 came, they're going to

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capture the increase in costs. And you're thinking, well, that's going to be a huge. Yes, it will be a huge but we have to there has to be a formula based on some analytics that we can show them and

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that's my story and I'm sticking to it. So what does the board think about letting if if some city wants to sign let them sign it? What do you think? >> I go along with it 100% Mr. chair. Plus,

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the only two cities that I know that are grumbling is Herman and El Lake. Rest of them are on board. I don't know that I would say Meritt's on board. >> I'm different, but that's beside the point. So,

414
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it's not it's it's here. >> But you take like a baron for instance, they're they'll save $9,000. You show them into this this analytics. So, we're like I say, every city goes down except often the way it works out

415
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based on the costs. Well, let's address the cities who want to sign it. If they do, what do we do? We need a motion to allow that or don't we? >> Yeah, because we passed a motion and we weren't going to do that. >> Yeah. Okay. I'll make a motion to let any city sign the contract if they so

416
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choose at the terms over the two-year. >> Well, this isn't the one that's on the table. >> I have a question if you may. So, if you approve this, so is that our original

417
02:14:54.639 --> 02:15:09.920
offer, do you have to abide by that or what if you change it? What if everyone else gets to like do this? That's at a cheaper rate. >> We haven't approved that offer even yet. So, the offer that currently sits on the

418
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table is we were going to use the 2026 rate for I'd have to look back, but it was two or three years. I don't remember what, but I mean currently that's what's on the tape. Now, if that gets changed, that gets >> if you go with a different formula or

419
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whatever, do those towns that sign the contract have to get out of their contract and go with a cheaper route? >> Parties to a contract can amend the contract if they sign. >> Okay. >> So, I'll make that motion. >> Do we have a second?

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>> I'll second it. >> Okay, we have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? >> So, I'm not Are we making a motion to accept what I have here for a couple days offer? >> No. >> No. No. This would be

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>> everybody. >> You go back to Mayor June. Go back to the board passed a motion where we would all the towns had to accept. Ashley, Barrett, Hoff, and Herman, and Elboy. Those five all had to accept or we won't take any of them. This is undo it, man.

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>> Okay. So, it's not necessarily formalizing. No. Well, that's that's something we can work on. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> So, if uh if uh if any town wants to sign that contract, uh then uh they can go ahead and get it done.

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>> Can I just repeat it for the record just to make sure everything is clear? >> It is. >> Okay. Motion was made by Dwight, seconded by Bill, and I don't know if it's been carried or not, but it would state that any city can sign the current

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offer contract. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, any further discussion? >> It's a bad deal. >> What? >> That's a bad deal, but I just want to vote. >> Okay. Any further discussion? Okay. Um,

425
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you know, why don't we do a roll call vote on this one? >> Okay. >> No. >> Bill, >> yes. >> White, >> yes. >> Troy,

426
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>> no. >> H, >> no. Okay. Motion fails. Okay. So, where we at here?

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Are we kind of uh into your phase of the public safety committee board? >> I think we've kind of moved there. I don't know if we ever officially did, but we kind of moved in there. You know, that's the whole we got reminding everyone we need to be by the end of

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September. We need to have a plan. We've got a list of options. And obviously this is one that we can make a a number eight or we can you know or add it into a different you know you

429
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could replace here somewhere in there it says contract with the city we could you know you could take out what the old offer was and put this one in in that place however you want to do it but I think we need to respond to the city of GL's offer

430
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formally. And then if we're not going to go through and remove options at this point, I think because we're less than two months away and the city councils are going to meet once,

431
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maybe twice, we need to have a counter proposal or if if that's what we want to do. I mean, I will I'll make the motion to not accept the city of Noble Lakes counter offer. Okay, we have a motion not to

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accept Lakes color offer. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> We have a second by Bill Valley. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All in favor signify by saying I. I

433
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>> oppose. Same sign. Motion carries. So, just to follow up on Troy and once again, I apologize because this information wasn't made available to you commissioners prior to the meeting or till that night which you got sent out.

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But I think between looking at the costs and looking at and fine-tuning this become making it part of the option. I think we got to challenge that between the budget and public. So either do their work really quick and hard

435
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and whether this if you like the option becomes one of the options then advice. If not, then we'll borrow. >> Well, we did receive I mean, we just turned down a counter proposal and I mean, if if the board thinks that this

436
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is a good option to go with, I don't know where I sit on it, but I mean, it should be actually sent to let's not rely on the cities having seen this meeting and then taking it up on their own. I think if that's the route we want

437
02:20:30.720 --> 02:20:47.439
to go, we need to dispers that we should have a motion to make that counter or make a new offer rather than cuz the one still sits there that's gotten no traction. We had a counter proposal. So, I mean, are we just going to sit here, the clock's

438
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ticking? Are we just going to sit here and let it run out till the end of September? the the only and to that story the only piece I'm a little concerned is when I said that we would capital the increase in the cost of the staff

439
02:21:04.399 --> 02:21:21.520
on an ongoing basis. I think that's got to be communicated and that's really not this is a shot from >> I can tell you that 7% next year to pay them the three and a half% general increase and three and a half% step. So if >> you take 345,000 times 1.07 07 whatever

440
02:21:21.520 --> 02:21:39.439
that number is, then that would be the new rate. But some of those fine tune and then we always got to get on paper and and so when we can communicate to these people, look, we committed to leave your rate the same for 27 and 28, but this is what's happening in 29.

441
02:21:39.439 --> 02:21:58.960
I I think if you if you don't tell them and then you do it. >> I had a question too. So, so we have these options the public safety committee puts together and we have just an added one to it. Are you

442
02:21:58.960 --> 02:22:14.160
wanting us to start eliminating or are we going to have like a work session or who's who's going to what what is how are we going to start eliminating and who do you want eliminating? What is your projection like? How how do

443
02:22:14.160 --> 02:22:36.080
you what's your expectations? Good question. I guess my expectation with the public safety committee brought us here and we need direction from the board. The committee is not saying we're not going to do what the board directs. We just need the direction as far as I'm concerned. Get them to

444
02:22:36.080 --> 02:22:54.640
sign the contract the existing one. >> Well, we're not going to go and say we're mandating you pay this. No, I but but what we can say is, you know, it costs a lot more money to have your own police department. >> Well, they've been here and they've heard that

445
02:22:54.640 --> 02:23:11.600
>> cost a lot of money. We see >> I'm guess I'm under a different I I don't know that that's just go and get them to sign. I don't know how you expect that to happen. >> I maybe it's time to swap out the public

446
02:23:11.600 --> 02:23:28.720
safety committee then. I mean, if you want to go and sit down with all these cities and meet with them and tell them you just need to sign this, you sure can. It's been tried and here we are. We I mean, we started this conversation in May.

447
02:23:28.720 --> 02:23:49.840
>> Up to HR's individually, we we got to get it done. Get your book councils and get it done. That's that's who you represent. Don't be sitting here. I would like to meet with the with the council in town here with the sheriff

448
02:23:49.840 --> 02:24:07.120
and talk about what's their expectation. What what do they really want for the revenue that they want to pay? What what is their expectation? Because traditionally, you know, you can't provide that level of service including ordinances for the price tag, you know, and then even go them going on their

449
02:24:07.120 --> 02:24:23.760
own. There's no way. So, what is their expectation? Well, I think their offer has a lot I could tell you. >> Yeah. No, no, >> I don't I don't know. >> Half price. Everybody wants a half price deal. >> I'd like to go down to the car lot, pick out a brand new Chevy pickup, and write

450
02:24:23.760 --> 02:24:42.399
him a check for $40,000, but that ain't happen. So, they need to come to terms. Well, in and the savings that's like I said in 1989, one of the cities being IE Hofflin, they realized savings whatever

451
02:24:42.399 --> 02:25:02.960
that many years that is >> that should be clear enough. >> Absolutely. That's what I mean. The overages and everything, >> right? >> I believe and our county attorney's here to correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe a motion is needed to resend the

452
02:25:02.960 --> 02:25:20.520
motion that failed. Is that correct, Justin? >> No. So, the motion failed, >> which means that the board's prior motions a motion indicating that either all or none at this point says,

453
02:25:20.560 --> 02:25:38.399
but I I do sheriff, I'll I'll gladly go with you to Ashby, but the only problem is, you know, we the motion failed to accept because some of them are going to want to sign. So that's uh that's that's kind of a big

454
02:25:38.399 --> 02:25:55.760
deal. But I'll go with you and we'll we'll we'll see how that goes. Will you do that? >> Yeah. >> Okay. I'll set I'll set it up then. And I think uh >> the other commissioners do the same thing. Go go go sit down with the city council

455
02:25:55.760 --> 02:26:12.560
and see how it goes. But so Dwight along that line all the options that Brian and his team put together we have to decide on what option that's going to be on the new contract or if there's not a new contract then we're going back to the

456
02:26:12.560 --> 02:26:30.240
old one and from this discussion coming. So when when we go we should have agreed on the new analytics. If you don't ask a different option what is on the table with what was presented in May

457
02:26:30.240 --> 02:26:50.560
and or April whatever it was and we've had nobody rushing to pass on that. Do you think we should have a work session to go through the options? Is that are we able to do that?

458
02:26:50.560 --> 02:27:06.080
>> Yeah. But a work session can be decided. No, actually, >> but I mean the the posting requirements and everything is the same to have a actual meeting as opposed to a work

459
02:27:06.080 --> 02:27:25.040
session. So you still got to post it. We're still going to record it. We're still going to do all the things. It's just how you're lab. Well, the reason we've been told they didn't want to pay what they want to pay.

460
02:27:25.040 --> 02:27:42.080
This is a a little bit different than less. Like I say, the analytics saved everybody money except the way it works out for Offman who sold. This is a trade in a sense and meeting that in the middle but we're

461
02:27:42.080 --> 02:28:01.920
and it does transfer some of them but 28 and a half% of the calls are from rural area. So if we move $44,000 to the levy, one thing that's not totally auto. So we need a new contract so we can go

462
02:28:01.920 --> 02:28:22.800
to them and say here's what it would work under this. >> I'll get to that. Well, we got to get there quickly. Or do you want the public safety committee to start eliminating the options? >> I think so. I think it has to start

463
02:28:22.800 --> 02:28:39.840
there. >> Get get together. >> Well, we do have a meeting on >> We had a meeting on Thursday. It's I really think that's the board's role to eliminate options. You know, my thought is if you wanted to have this fine-tuned,

464
02:28:39.840 --> 02:28:58.319
we're meeting here on Friday. This could get if if this is the direction the board wants to go, revamp it this way, get it fine-tuned by Friday and then we meet at 1:00 on Friday just to approve what is there because

465
02:28:58.319 --> 02:29:13.840
we're going to be here anyway. I don't know how late we're going. I know it's what >> I'm sorry >> joint powers. We had joint powers. So, I mean, Ken's not going to be here, but the rest of us will be here.

466
02:29:13.840 --> 02:29:32.720
>> Well, I can log on if you need to vote. >> I mean, to that that gives Ken wanted more time to fine-tune that formula. The current offer we have out there has gotten absolutely nothing. So, I don't know if this is the best option or not. It's an option and if you want to get it

467
02:29:32.720 --> 02:29:52.280
fine-tuned, we can we have a few days we could do that between now and then. I don't know that that actually eliminates any of our other options, but it's you've chosen an option and you're doing something other than watching the clock go.

468
02:29:59.600 --> 02:30:18.000
Okay. Anything else to for today? Well, we going to do that. What are we going to do? Well, so we have a special meeting on Friday is what you're saying. Well, I'm asking. >> Well, we can we can sure do that. We

469
02:30:18.000 --> 02:30:38.399
need a motion for that. >> Are you going to >> post? >> Are you going to discuss all the options or just that option >> and better discuss them all? >> Because we're going to discuss them all and I would say looks like we should be done by noon. So I'd say it's 1:00 would

470
02:30:38.399 --> 02:30:54.080
really want to do it. You can call a meeting. You just do it now. Okay. You don't have to post it, but Okay. Well, we'll call a meeting then for Friday at 1:00 regard to this issue.

471
02:30:54.080 --> 02:31:11.120
>> Do you want us to get have Chad get us more numbers like for some of the other options? I mean, I know he's provided some, but >> let's look at it Thursday morning and see that. Yeah, we can go through all of them again and

472
02:31:11.120 --> 02:31:31.760
see if there's something different we need. >> Okay, you put that together or did you who's got the Excel spreadsheet for this? Can you send that to me? >> I can I won't sell it and take money

473
02:31:31.760 --> 02:31:49.040
from you. Well, like I say, I apologize for not sharing it, but I didn't really have I just want to say one more thing that uh you know

474
02:31:49.040 --> 02:32:04.560
this this is a good deal for the town and uh I'm a little bit disappointed that uh that it come down down to this because of the the service that they get for the money they paid sort of And uh

475
02:32:04.560 --> 02:32:20.880
so so these options, you know, I'll listen to them, but the best option is for them to sign those contracts because they're an excellent deal for the towns and we're not putting anything back onto the

476
02:32:20.880 --> 02:32:37.520
county uh rural egg. Even if it's just $44,000, it's still $44,000. But these are good deals for the cities and u I've sat in that seat that the sheriff sits in 22 years worked hard to

477
02:32:37.520 --> 02:32:54.160
provide them services for both towns and I thought we did a real good job of it but things change when when uh time goes by. Okay. I know that in Herman that uh their budget in 1991 when they came on

478
02:32:54.160 --> 02:33:10.319
with the county probably might have been a little less than what you're paying now, but I I bet it isn't much. And same for Hoffman. Ashby Ashby was happy. They saved a ton of money. El Lake saved a ton of money, but they're not happy.

479
02:33:10.319 --> 02:33:27.840
And uh so I I just got to make my feelings known here that the these are good deals and everything the sheriff showed us today comes along with law enforcement personnel and the cities don't have to worry about any of that.

480
02:33:27.840 --> 02:33:45.760
None of it. They can just say call the sheriff if if they got a complaint. So and my feelings on that are they're not going to change. So anyway, we're going to move on. Uh, do we have that >> time on Monday? I can be there

481
02:33:45.760 --> 02:34:02.080
>> or I can get >> We're set. >> Special meeting 100 p.m. Friday. >> Okay. >> All right. Thank you, J. >> Thank you. >> Um, okay.

482
02:34:02.080 --> 02:34:22.000
I'm sorry for for the wait. Come on in. some discussions get kind of late. No, we're happy to be here. Beautiful day outside, nice and cool. Um, I'm Aaron Smith. I'm the director of the Ving

483
02:34:22.000 --> 02:34:50.960
Library Systems for you. I also have with me this morning as well from the source of the library. So I'm here to present our annual report from 2025 go

484
02:34:50.960 --> 02:35:08.319
way back to 2025 and then request for 27. Um so just again thank you for having us here today and a special thank you also to commissioner um for serving on the Viking library system governing board.

485
02:35:08.319 --> 02:35:24.000
We appreciate his engagement um service on that. I'm learning a lot, >> right? >> Because I I had no idea, but it's a good thing. >> Yes. Yes. Um I believe so as well. Viking Library System is fortunate to

486
02:35:24.000 --> 02:35:39.200
have six member counties and those include Grant, Douglas, Ottertale, Pope, Stevens, and Travers. And we serve 11 member libraries within those six counties. And 2025 was our 50th year of providing regional public library

487
02:35:39.200 --> 02:35:56.319
services. and Grant County was one of the LS's original signitories back in 1975. So, thank you for 50 years of partnership in providing cost-effective services to um everyone in Grant County. How we serve Viking Library System is a

488
02:35:56.319 --> 02:36:12.720
federated regional library system. We're one of 12 such systems in the state and our mission is to connect, promote, and strengthen public library services in West Central Minnesota. And that mission is except for the west central Minnesota part is the s same mission for all of

489
02:36:12.720 --> 02:36:28.960
the 12 counties or 12 systems rather. We accomplish our mission by providing essential services to member libraries that are governed and administered locally as well as direct services to rural residents and specific communities like senior care facilities, child care

490
02:36:28.960 --> 02:36:43.920
facilities, schools um through our bookmobile and outreach services. Few highlights from 2025. We offered 12 bookmobile stops in Grant County and circulated nearly 7,500 items at those

491
02:36:43.920 --> 02:37:01.280
stops. Most of the stops we visit every other week, save for some of the long-term and senior care facilities which we may visit monthly and provide um rotating collections. Um some uh strategic activities. Oh, actually I'll touch on delivery as well.

492
02:37:01.280 --> 02:37:18.160
We we delivered 16,200 items through the Thorson Memorial Library in 2025. So that um includes both those items from the Thorson Memorial Library that went out to other member libraries in the system and items that they received

493
02:37:18.160 --> 02:37:34.800
didn't. So a good sharing program there as well. Some strategic activities that we're focused on in 2025 and 2026. We are evaluating our integrated library system. That's the backbone database that we use for the online catalog and

494
02:37:34.800 --> 02:37:50.880
then the client side that the um library staff use at the library. We've been with the same vendor although they have of course changed ownership um since since we automated. And so it's time to look at that agreement and to do a

495
02:37:50.880 --> 02:38:07.600
request for proposals to ensure we're getting both best value and also um a vendor that is future focused for libraries. So, we will be putting out a request for proposals later this year um to do that investigative work. We also are updating our strategic plan for the

496
02:38:07.600 --> 02:38:24.800
next um 3 to five years this year. And we're launching civic hubs at all of our member libraries to help both foster civic literacy and engagement in the communities that we serve through a grant. Um and that's been in recognition of our 250th um anniversary as a country

497
02:38:24.800 --> 02:38:41.120
as well to provide um that that kind of connection and display at the libraries. A bit about the funding. Funding for providing residents of the system with these services is shared among the member cities, the member counties and the state. The member counties provide

498
02:38:41.120 --> 02:38:56.240
funding for the bookmobile service. non-resident reimbursement which goes back to the library to use as a part of their operating budget delivery and inter library loan the automated system so that integrated library system I

499
02:38:56.240 --> 02:39:10.880
mentioned earlier and then the technical network and professional consulting support that goes along with those services state dollars in turn provide funds for the admin administration staff also for facility expenses so we have a

500
02:39:10.880 --> 02:39:27.680
headquarters in Fergus Falls Um it also state dollars also support the broadband and internet service both for our office in Fergus Falls as well as the 11 member libraries. So those expenses are state funded eBources and content use

501
02:39:27.680 --> 02:39:44.000
overdrive or the beat app um on your phone and listen to audio books or read ebooks. those um that service is funded through state dollars and member library um also dollars also towards that the

502
02:39:44.000 --> 02:40:01.120
outreach services to the long-term care facilities and child carees that is state funded and then funding for local arts history and cultural events um through the legacy amendment those um are also state dollars that support those programs and then the cities is

503
02:40:01.120 --> 02:40:17.120
the third leg of the stool and they support the member libraries, the staff, the collections, um the facilities. So those dollars don't come to Viking, they go directly to the member libraries, but without that third leg, we'd be pretty.

504
02:40:17.120 --> 02:40:34.080
So we're very grateful to the to the cities for their support of their member li of our member libraries as well. Um the Viking Library System board after some discussion like you've all had approved submitting a 2.5% budget increased request to Grant County for

505
02:40:34.080 --> 02:40:51.439
2027. That budget request is 80,619. Um and it would be a $1,966 increase. Um that is represented in that um 80,000 plus for um 2027.

506
02:40:51.439 --> 02:41:07.920
So it says 2.5% increase over 2026 funding levels. And at that point I will um rest address any questions that you might have and then I also um have Lucy provide an update from the Thorson Memorial Library

507
02:41:07.920 --> 02:41:23.120
as Bill. >> Anybody have any questions? >> Yeah, I got a question. Um Mr. Chair, this legacy funding is that that's sustainable somewhat. you know, it looks like 90ome,000 and then you get 96,000

508
02:41:23.120 --> 02:41:39.040
and now 27 they're talking 93,000. So is that I mean that traditionally should actually stay funded 100%. So why are they not doing that? >> It's a great question. So like I see we

509
02:41:39.040 --> 02:41:56.240
do every bienium the libraries do uh need to re request that funding uh because it is a grant part of that sales tax and is grantf funded. So we do every year um present a request and typically we re receive close to stable funding.

510
02:41:56.240 --> 02:42:10.880
There was a slight reduction which you're seeing um in our financials from the last bienium. Um but we antic you know we always go in and we always ask for more. So it just depends on the on the legislative >> what's collected and you know what I

511
02:42:10.880 --> 02:42:26.399
mean that that's all lottery money that that's been scattering back out throughout the state. >> Yes. And it's pretty consistent. Even though libraries were not written into the original legislation um since 2008 when the funding um became available,

512
02:42:26.399 --> 02:42:43.520
libraries have received support those funding. >> I think I was on the board at that time and that was the talk. I think Billy Hubersonson, he was on that committee at that time. >> So we you know that you know that's a huge number that that has to stay sustainable. You know what I mean? To

513
02:42:43.520 --> 02:43:00.160
mitigate some of our costs out here too, right? I mean even when you when you're spreading this kind of cost and you it it's a multi- you know sectional board here you know what I mean with different counties and things like that that revenue should stay intact 100% I think

514
02:43:00.160 --> 02:43:16.319
>> and we it does have a sunset period and we are well aware of that and so the arts um the library community is hoping to work with the arts community as motans at that time to consider extending those funding streams because it has made a remarkable difference in

515
02:43:16.319 --> 02:43:32.479
the small libraries. Lucy can speak more to that than I can. >> Well, and then I'm hearing through rumblings that they're looking at your budget pretty hard too, Lucy. Right. The city of Lincoln. >> I have not heard any rumblings, but our city budget has uh not increased in the

516
02:43:32.479 --> 02:43:59.840
last five years. >> Any other questions? if you have any of us have any questions about appreciation for your continued funding. I will say for cost effectiveness like like you're saying what a good deal to

517
02:43:59.840 --> 02:44:16.960
replicate all the resources and services we get from headquarters um would would cost so much more than this quest. um they are our IT, they are the consulting, without um without Gail at headquarters to do all the programming

518
02:44:16.960 --> 02:44:32.399
that we do, we would need more staff. That's just the the truth. So, we really get so much out of this relationship and I just want you to know that we're always grateful for it. >> Still wish I had my blue card with a

519
02:44:32.399 --> 02:44:50.960
little piece of metal on it. Yeah. >> Well, one one thing you guys have really done is you've changed your business model on how a bookmobile is built and going to just buy a cabin chassis and then just flop it out. I bet you cut the cost by

520
02:44:50.960 --> 02:45:07.920
at least a third again. >> Yeah. I think this particular model too, we anticipate it will last us far longer than the bus. Yes. That we had previous models. >> Yeah. Nobody wants them when you're done doing them. They're rusty. You shot, you

521
02:45:07.920 --> 02:45:22.080
know, that there really doesn't fit anything else, right? I mean, what do they do? Is there people when when I I think we were trying to get rid of a couple of them or at least one of them when I was up there. The bids were

522
02:45:22.080 --> 02:45:40.160
nobody wanted it. Like $2,500 bid off a bar used delivery van. >> Yeah. >> Good. Wonderful. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Well, we'll uh take your

523
02:45:40.160 --> 02:45:56.880
information and we'll make a decision. When is it? I believe September. >> Yeah. The preliminary budget is right now. notes on the board for September 15th to be approved and then we'll reach back out to all the requesters.

524
02:45:56.880 --> 02:46:15.920
I appreciate that. >> Appreciate your time. Thank you. >> Thank you for what you do. >> We're going to you going to recess now or let's do you do committees? Oh, yeah. Absolutely. >> We've done a lot of committee reporting

525
02:46:15.920 --> 02:46:32.240
right here. But that's all right. >> Okay. Let's go through some committees. Okay. Quickly. Budget and finance committee. Go ahead and build a >> Yeah, let's go forward.

526
02:46:32.240 --> 02:46:48.160
>> Does the board want to review what we have for preliminary levy on August 18th? There's been a commissioner's part that's been sent out, but do we want where we're at on the 18th to review it? Do we want to set time aside for that?

527
02:46:48.160 --> 02:47:06.800
Do we want what's there at that point? >> I would say yes because this final got to be done at the next meeting. >> No, so it's not even the 15th. There's still two after the 18, the meeting on the 18th, but the second one is pretty

528
02:47:06.800 --> 02:47:21.760
early. I'm not advocating for another meeting, but I mean it's pretty early in the the month. >> I would suggest if you have data for us to look at, let's provide what's available. >> Provide it and if we need to offer you

529
02:47:21.760 --> 02:47:37.680
some direction or ideas that we still got tool meetings. >> Sure. >> I I agree. Then one other thing came up. We had audit entrance meeting last week. Does the board want to have

530
02:47:37.680 --> 02:47:53.840
an audit entrance part or an exit meeting or you know if there's a new unusual f you obviously you'll get the reports whether we have one to the board or not. I think normally we operate is then if

531
02:47:53.840 --> 02:48:08.960
there's a finding that's unusual we would have a full report but otherwise it's just you know the auditors would come online and give the report rather than just email them >> right >> you know >> but if you want I mean that they we

532
02:48:08.960 --> 02:48:28.960
needed to ask so are we currently just fine with the emails and if we do have something then we'll say we want to have a meeting have them here sure that's it that's what I'd Okay. Anything else? Hey, building committee

533
02:48:28.960 --> 02:48:46.640
meeting on Thursday, right? But I don't I won't be here. >> The basement's been getting cleaned up. Historical society got a bunch of stuff for the sale. >> Yep. I have it on my trailer. Landscape cleanup is complete.

534
02:48:46.640 --> 02:49:04.720
>> Okay. Okay. EMS committee. I think we kind of covered that, didn't we? >> Personnel personnel committee Doyle. >> Um, so one question that's come up and I've talked with other counties that are

535
02:49:04.720 --> 02:49:21.760
looking at it as well is do we want to look at offering a voluntary early retirement? They can help save they can help save money and none of it is mandatory obviously. It's the if the board's interested in

536
02:49:21.760 --> 02:49:42.800
it, personnel would work with auditor, treasurer, budget committee, and we would come up with a package of what that would look like. It would have to come back here before it was approved obviously and in that it would show potential savings

537
02:49:42.800 --> 02:49:58.960
if there are any. I think that's part of doing our due diligence. So, I would say I'm in favor of that. >> And I don't have a lot more information on it right now because I didn't want to spend a lot of time if the board didn't want to look at it.

538
02:49:58.960 --> 02:50:23.120
>> That's not for us, commissioners. >> Huh? >> Not for us, commissioners. >> It's not for us. >> Oh, I don't think it hurts to look at. I guess we could. Sure. >> What are you looking for? >> Well, we're not looking for anything. I just If the if the response was, "No,

539
02:50:23.120 --> 02:50:38.800
we're not interested in that," then we won't spend any more time. Sure. >> Well, there might be a cost saving, but >> maybe >> it's a it's a deal though where you lose experience, too. >> But, uh, yeah. So,

540
02:50:38.800 --> 02:50:58.399
okay. Highway committee. I think we went over that. Yeah, I didn't get I didn't get an email to say getting >> Matt covered it like pretty much. >> I covered my concern. >> Yep. So, public safety committee.

541
02:50:58.399 --> 02:51:14.800
>> I think we've covered that one. >> Yeah. Yeah, we we did. Solid waste committee. We didn't meet last was here. Just one item. Not it's not part of solid waste but it's in his arena is we

542
02:51:14.800 --> 02:51:32.439
passed that moratorum and that started the one-year clock. Was it 18 months or one year? >> One year. >> And so we proved in the minutes. >> Yeah. Yeah. And so

543
02:51:32.560 --> 02:51:49.040
are we going to we said we want it to pass but we haven't passed it yet. No. voted on. >> We're right if we want to do it. I don't know if that started the clock or if we have to have a formal >> it'll be coming back to the board and he's doing all the posting and

544
02:51:49.040 --> 02:52:04.479
everything. He'll come back. >> But my point was is if that's the case then I mean on the time schedule that that uh document what's the word for the document that moratorum no but for the ah

545
02:52:04.479 --> 02:52:20.720
>> the living document. >> Yeah. when he >> the ordinances >> or he had for the whole the pro whole program he said was going to be worked on in 27 or 28 and Reed's timeline. Well, that doesn't coincide with what we said at the one

546
02:52:20.720 --> 02:52:36.000
year. >> Yep. He's making the adjustments. He's Yeah, he's on schedule for everything and everything's in in process. >> So, we're the time is right. He'll bring it back. But everything is he's just adding it in >> to what he's already doing. Nothing else

547
02:52:36.000 --> 02:52:53.200
got set aside or anything like that. >> We can do another one year moratorum if we're >> okay. This is committee report. So moratorium isn't an agenda item. So >> yeah, >> but it was discussion.

548
02:52:53.200 --> 02:53:11.200
>> Okay, we're good. That's all. Okay. Strategic planning committee. >> We appointed a new member. We haven't yet otherwise. >> There is a meeting at the end of the month. >> There you go. Okay. Horizon Public

549
02:53:11.200 --> 02:53:28.800
Health, uh, we're meeting Monday, right? >> Yep. >> Um, Western Prairie, we're meeting on Friday. >> Yeah. >> That's here. >> Correct. >> Then we're going to have one o'clock meeting. Yeah. Okay.

550
02:53:28.800 --> 02:54:25.279
So with that, anything else on committee report? Okay, with that then we'll recess until 1:00. Did I do that right? >> Sure. Fellow Americ's gonna have some things out. >> I recognize most of you. I'm Rebecca

551
02:54:25.279 --> 02:54:41.120
Lynn Peterson. I'm the director of development and philanthropic services at West Central Initiative. Um I asked Greg if he could be here with me today and he's out delivering promise act checks around the region. >> I think he's already delivered three to

552
02:54:41.120 --> 02:54:56.240
Grant County. So >> I'll interrupt you for a minute. >> Yeah, please do. Um, okay. So, it's 1:00 and we're going to uh go back into a new commissioner meeting. Um, and uh, so we

553
02:54:56.240 --> 02:55:12.960
have an appropriation request from West Central Initiative where we're going to talk about and I just want to let you know that we won't make a decision today, but it'll be till next month. >> No problem. So, >> yeah, at your leisure. And, uh, I it's

554
02:55:12.960 --> 02:55:29.359
been great to work with Tina. Uh, I realized that you needed a lot more financial information while our CFO was out of town all last week. So, if there's anything else that you require that we need to get to you after the fact, we're happy to do that while

555
02:55:29.359 --> 02:55:45.279
you're making your decision. Um, but I did send along a narrative with the report and I just wanted to take this time to update you on some of the work that we've been doing in your county. Um, and so in addition to the narrative,

556
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I just wanted to tell you about the grants and loans we've been making this past year. Uh, a total of $239,419,000 in grants and loans. Some of those came from our community and you'll see those listed on the one pager that Neil handed

557
02:56:02.800 --> 02:56:17.920
out about your county. We host the Elbow Lake Area Community Fund, the Empowering Women through Education Foundation, which is statewide. Herman Community Growth Fund, Curry Fund, Regionwide, Thorson Memorial Library Fund, and West

558
02:56:17.920 --> 02:56:33.920
Central Area Education Foundation. So, um, that's been a very active group. Actually, all of these have been fairly active. And so, we did make a grant through the education fund of $4,000 from their interest on their endowment

559
02:56:33.920 --> 02:56:48.880
with us. Uh, city of Elbow Lake is working on splash pad maintenance with their fund and city of Wendell is working on a playground and pickle ball court and they received a $10,000 grant toward that. Also, our early childhood

560
02:56:48.880 --> 02:57:05.279
dental initiative, a $500 grant. uh city of Ashb received a m municipal solar cohort grant and uh excited to report that one of our co-workers Jill Almanson who lives in Ashby said just two weeks

561
02:57:05.279 --> 02:57:22.560
ago they had a power outage and the backup battery kicked into gear and they had power until they got power back up. So, these uh projects are turning out to be quite successful in our communities. And then the $1,000 grant to the Hoffman

562
02:57:22.560 --> 02:57:39.520
Kensington area food shelf I want to talk about for a minute. One of the things that we're able to do, not just because of our EDA economic development designation as a regional development organization to bring state dollars and federal dollars into our region is our

563
02:57:39.520 --> 02:57:55.920
partnership with the foundations that serve us as a community foundation. And so we have a strong partnership with Mcnite that continues to fund our rural democracy program, but we also have an anonymous donor that's taken quite an interest in greater Minnesota. And they

564
02:57:55.920 --> 02:58:10.560
are working with all of the Minnesota initiative foundations across the state. And so last year they gave us dollars to distribute to food shelves when people were having food insecurity problems. And they really wanted us to focus on

565
02:58:10.560 --> 02:58:27.760
communities of $1,000 or less. Now, they're looking at a grant that we sent to them looking for emergency responsiveness, uh, for things like small towns that don't have an emergency alert system, those kinds of things. Uh, so we're hopeful that that will come

566
02:58:27.760 --> 02:58:44.240
through and so we can continue to work with some of your small communities. We also have a strong partnership with Auto Bremer Trust and last year through their specific criteria we were able to recommend West Central Area Community Action and they received a considerable

567
02:58:44.240 --> 02:58:59.760
amount of money through that and this year we're recommending funding for them again. So that's those are some things that we are able to do not just as an economic development authority but also as a community foundation. Um, so in

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your year end report from 2025, I just want to walk through some things very carefully and give you some time for questions. Um, so in the very back page, I'm going to start in the back. Uh, on the very back page, it talks about our

569
02:59:16.880 --> 02:59:33.680
West Central Initiative board and our economic development district board. One of your members, Phil Leval, and I don't see Phil here today. Oh, there he is. I can't read the name tag. Yeah, thanks, Bill. >> I'll save it there.

570
02:59:33.680 --> 02:59:49.840
>> Uh, yeah, I got new glasses. All right. Anyways, you're on our economic development board. And on our West Central Initiative board, we have had Kari Crept, who decided she wanted to not be on the board because there's a bit of a conflict of interest between

571
02:59:49.840 --> 03:00:04.479
that and doing the early childhood work for Grant County. >> Yes. >> So, she's still doing the early childhood work. >> Yep. So, we'll be looking for board members from around here for the future as we kind of reconfigure our board. Um,

572
03:00:04.479 --> 03:00:19.840
so, uh, then the next page again, third, page 30, one of the grants that we made, uh, Grant County collaborative from our discretionary funds. And then the next page in on page 29, it mentions the auto

573
03:00:19.840 --> 03:00:37.040
bremer trust community responsiveness fund. Um the next page over it's the early childhood grants and you're mentioned there and also the food shelf support Pman Kensington. Um municipal solar cohort there's the

574
03:00:37.040 --> 03:00:53.040
city of Ashb and we've added Hoffman to that list just recently. Next page in this is where Camille and I work in the philanthropic services ways to give and um you'll notice that you're

575
03:00:53.040 --> 03:01:10.399
listed sorry I'm two pages ahead of you on page 26 you're listed as one of our contributors um through your appropriation and then we have several grant county members who contribute as individuals along with businesses then the next page our

576
03:01:10.399 --> 03:01:27.439
philanthropic services team. We're doing a lot of work with transfer of wealth and I will leave with Tina our gift planning guide for estate planning. We'll be doing a transfer of wealth presentation here in Elbow Lake on the 30th.

577
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>> The 30th of September. >> September. >> Yes. >> At city hall in the Sanford room. >> Okay. >> So, we've got one that will be in Wilin County um in a couple of weeks and we already have 32 people signed up. So, I think we'll have a nice uh showing.

578
03:01:42.479 --> 03:01:57.040
>> You guys will do an invite >> on an email. >> Yep. Lenolina, it will be the attorney that will be the topic speaker. >> We've been getting a lot of interest in this, especially from people my age, and

579
03:01:57.040 --> 03:02:12.880
maybe you're in this baby boomer era, um, who are trying to figure out where to leave their wealth. And there's a lot of conversation about just left 5% of your assets to your community. if everyone did that, what it would mean for the community along with, you know,

580
03:02:12.880 --> 03:02:29.279
your estate plan for your children and the other things that you want to leave your assets to. So, that's coming up. Uh, then we're going to skip ahead to the component fund page on page 21 and the work that we're doing there. And as

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03:02:29.279 --> 03:02:46.640
I mentioned earlier, we have several funds in Grant County. Skipping ahead, um we're doing a lot with sustainable agriculture and you'll remember that we had a big project growing Grant County here. So, we work with Ashb and West Central area schools.

582
03:02:46.640 --> 03:03:02.399
Skipping ahead to the next page, I mentioned our early childhood dental network. Uh we're doing a lot of work in that and our transportation. The next page in 14 and 15, our rural belonging. We've switched it up a bit and we received some funding from the

583
03:03:02.399 --> 03:03:20.000
Aspen Foundation to do a weaver program and we're accepting applications from individuals and nonprofits $2500 to $5,000 to join this cohort of weavers and do fab fabulous things in your community. So we encourage

584
03:03:20.000 --> 03:03:37.040
individuals and nonprofits to apply for that going forward on pages 12 and 13. October 2nd, we have our second rural democracy summit in Morehead, Minnesota. And I mentioned next pages in our

585
03:03:37.040 --> 03:03:52.720
municipal solar cohort in both Ashb and Hoffman. And then that brings us to the front of the book. So, lots of bedtime reading here. Do you have any questions for us? any

586
03:03:52.720 --> 03:04:07.920
comments about what you're working on that we should know about? We're in the midst of publishing our new sets um comprehensive economic development strategies, the five year plan for the

587
03:04:07.920 --> 03:04:25.200
region. So Greg's working on that right now to submit to the EBA in Chicago. >> Mr. Chair, I got a question here. So Ben Benshshire, is he going to stay with the director of civic partnerships? probably not. He's still working part-time for us

588
03:04:25.200 --> 03:04:40.880
as he's running for office. And so, um, he's, you know, he was instrumental in starting that program, right? >> And now that he's running for public office, we just have to sort of have this separation of like what's appropriate for him to be with us while

589
03:04:40.880 --> 03:04:59.040
he's out campaigning for uh an office. So, I'm sure that when it gets closer to the election, we'll see less of him and depending on what happens, he may or may not be working for us after. >> No, but he could probably do some consulting in his office for you guys.

590
03:04:59.040 --> 03:05:14.560
>> Absolutely. >> Or just endorsing or what, whatever. >> I think a lot of greater Minnesota is pretty excited to have somebody like that who could be there advocating for everybody. >> Yes. in rural America and greater Minnesota. >> One Minnesota.

591
03:05:14.560 --> 03:05:33.600
>> Yeah. Yeah. I love to hear what you're saying. >> That's great. >> And I'm really sorry that I couldn't read your name from halfway across the room. >> That's okay. I us been up and running long enough so you

592
03:05:33.600 --> 03:05:49.120
can identify some of the outcomes of the savings. Well, >> this is our second year and we are seeing significant savings. We put municipal solar on the top of our build or on the top of the hill by our

593
03:05:49.120 --> 03:06:05.040
building and every day we are powering our building and generating enough power to feed back into the grid and making money off of this already. This is what we're hearing from our communities. I wish Griffin could have been here with us today because Griffin has the

594
03:06:05.040 --> 03:06:21.279
firsthand information about all of this and he can quote all the numbers and statistics. We predict that over the course of the next 20 years in Ashley they're going to make 13 save and make $130,000

595
03:06:21.279 --> 03:06:37.279
from their installation. So um we think it's a great investment. Um I know that there's speculation what about 30 years from now then what I think if it's been really successful people have like money

596
03:06:37.279 --> 03:06:52.960
to reinvest in new and upgraded solar. >> So is that partnership >> with our tale? It is >> mainly. So if you're not in Artdale community, are you are you out then or >> What a really good question cuz Griffin

597
03:06:52.960 --> 03:07:09.840
is in um I always forget Long Beach. Think it's the teeniest town down there in P County called Long Beach, >> but they're very interested in this. They are not an otter power community.

598
03:07:09.840 --> 03:07:26.640
However, we are helping them write some grants that would help offset the cost of their municipal solar. >> I'm just wondering, should we been looking at this for our law enforcement center? >> Are they are they in are they Ottertale?

599
03:07:26.640 --> 03:07:44.479
You're with Elink Municipal Power. >> Oh, gotcha. I I talked to Griffin and Cedar. I mean, they're looking for grant opportunities to offset the cost of this all of the time. I think right now they're applying for LCCMR and some

600
03:07:44.479 --> 03:08:02.319
other things that are in the work. So, wow, a question I could answer about solar because I asked Griffin if he could be here with me today. He goes, "No, I'm in Long Beach helping them with their grants." So, and he's really good at

601
03:08:02.319 --> 03:08:18.960
this. Yeah. If you if you have not met Griffin, you need to know Griffin. I bet I think they must have presented have had >> Oh, did he present to Ash? Yeah, I was there. Yeah. >> Yeah, >> I know who he is. >> Very knowledgeable.

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>> That's a couple years ago now, >> right? >> So, >> and it's your request uh just so I have it right for the minutes, 3,600. >> Yes. And this is a suggestion, right? It's your decision. Some commissioners, some

603
03:08:35.920 --> 03:08:52.720
of our cities go higher, go lower. It's I know it's an appropriation consideration for you. >> We just appreciate the partnership. It says a lot about how we can continue to work together, >> right? >> And help with a return on your

604
03:08:52.720 --> 03:09:11.200
investment. And we appreciate any feedback you can give us. I think back to your question, Ken, about the m municipal power, they all these power companies are pairing up to be able to have they got about have about 5% renewable

605
03:09:11.200 --> 03:09:26.800
>> wherever they're going with this. You know what I mean? So, and I think the city of Eve Lake has paired up with Autotel or one of these bigger power companies and and pay into that standard. >> I think I heard that >> they don't have it here. There's nothing here. It's just that they pay into that

606
03:09:26.800 --> 03:09:44.160
standard. I think I remember hearing that when Mayor Hig was talking federal government has mandated them to to to do that. >> So where are they located in Nashville on a building or >> which building? City Hall. >> That's where they were talking about.

607
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But >> yeah, that's often times the first solar powered municipal building that we heard about was in Morris on top of their liquor store where their slogan was we let me see if I get this right. We cool our beer with the sun. Did I get that

608
03:09:59.520 --> 03:10:13.520
right? >> I did. >> Ah, that's sometimes I get it wrong. >> Yeah. >> No, it's up on the roof. That's that's where I heard they were putting it that night. So, >> and I think we've got one that's on a fire hall. Um, so there's

609
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>> and that's that's the same building fireall in city hall. >> And actually, I think in other communities they put it on their fire hall building. So, that brings up another good point of uh invitation. We are celebrating our

610
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40th anniversary. So, last year you gave us an extra $40 because that was what I was suggesting. I'm not suggesting another 40. I think I suggested another 60 to even it out or something. But again, up to you. But we're still

611
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celebrating our 40th anniversary and we have an open house this Thursday, August 6, from 6 to 7 PM and you're all invited. >> 4 to 7. >> Oh, what did I say? Oh, >> yeah. >> Thanks. That's why I bring Camille so she can get me on the right page.

612
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>> Earlier that day, we're doing an empowering good conference for all of our component funds. I think I only have four of these. So, you you guys will have to come to open house together. Uh and then uh well you can tour our

613
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solar garden on top of the hill. The solar people are going to have a solar powered bounce house there for the kids and there'll be lots of fun stuff for folks to do and food and entertainment. Great music

614
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>> and a short program at 5:30. Anything you want to add, Camille, or any more questions? >> So, Tina, you had asked for a question on the amount that they were requesting.

615
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Did that include the $60 that you were you >> It did. Yeah. I think I just suggested rounding it up to an even number, but um again, >> yeah, the on your your letter it says that the appropriation request is 3,600.

616
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>> Yes. >> Good. >> But if you want it to be 3,000 or 4,000, up to you. Well, any other question? >> I'll make a statement. You know, just look at what these funds do and and the

617
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level of service that it it does provide >> and the loans and the, you know, grands and it, you know, you're touching a lot of lives here. >> I know. And this is why it's hard for us to say if you were to look at our budget um and you were to see all of the funds

618
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that we manage in there. We manage a lot of funds. Probably half of our endowment is the funds belongs to the funds that we manage. Sure, we own them. We're responsible for them every time we do our annual audit. But the communities

619
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that raise those funds get to use those funds for pickle ball or swimming pool or at our component fund gathering. John Craft is going to be there and I'm going to quiz him because he's on a panel. When they first opened their fund with

620
03:13:23.279 --> 03:13:40.319
us, they received like a $27,000 gift and he said Gail Hadstrom at Thorson Memorial Library said, "I should open a fund with you with these monies and you can help us disperse them." Uh, but we don't want to do any fundraising. I told these people on the committee they don't

621
03:13:40.319 --> 03:13:57.359
have to do any fundraising. All right, John, year two. I said, "Okay, you don't have to do any fundraising, but you could just make a brochure so like people know that you have a fund if they want to leave something for you." Your So, they made a brochure. Oh, all right. The next year

622
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they said, "Well, somebody on our committees does want us to raise some funds, so we're going to raise a million dollars." And they've raised a million dollars. They they got a matching grant from the Weedum Foundation. So they Weedum said,

623
03:14:12.160 --> 03:14:29.279
"If you can raise $500,000, we'll match it." So they're close to being there. So I'm going to quiz them on on that. John, you never wanted to raise money and now you raised a million dollars. So we take a little and we try to help

624
03:14:29.279 --> 03:14:46.640
make it do a lot. >> Very nice. I'll tell uh Ben Sher that we'll be talking to him in a place of high power, right? >> Yeah. >> Invite him to a meeting.

625
03:14:46.640 --> 03:15:03.520
>> Okay. >> Commissioners will give to our two cents worth. >> Thank you. Do you remember getting Do you remember getting our almanac last year? I brought some more. You want another copy? >> I got you. Yes, you mailed it to me.

626
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>> Okay. Everybody set? >> But my favorite turn probably need >> Thank you. >> Oh, and you should come to one of our estate planning things. >> Okay. >> So I can finish my own.

627
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>> Well, it's all in there. All right. Thanks. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you. Oh, sorry. That's the worst thing mistake I've ever made. I usually start out with, "Thank you for your

628
03:15:34.160 --> 03:15:53.279
ongoing partnership and support." I hope I said that out loud enough times. >> You did. >> Okay. >> See you. >> Byebye. >> These are situation. >> Yeah. Are they all out here? >> Are you guys ready? They're ready.

629
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>> Yep. They're ready. whatever. Yeah. So, so >> did you think I was a state trooper meet you the other day on 21? No. >> Okay. You knew it was me. Okay.

630
03:16:51.600 --> 03:17:11.760
I didn't. You must. I won't say anymore. Well, Larry and I get here and I just got done cleaning up the brush. Great business and he enlightens me on what's going on

631
03:17:11.760 --> 03:17:45.760
up in Fergus. You're still on the board up there? Yeah. Are we per the definition of a contract is two parties coming to terms and agreeing not one

632
03:17:45.760 --> 03:18:04.319
we can't compel another party to contract act. No, we can. The only thing we can do is listen to what they got to say and do what we got to do. >> Then our all or none motion is not

633
03:18:04.319 --> 03:18:20.479
accurate. >> No. No. >> Well, we don't have to sign just as >> Yeah. You don't have to enter into a contract either. >> That work both ways work, >> right? >> Yeah. Justin's foot, but the answer there was we can't tell them you're

634
03:18:20.479 --> 03:19:52.319
going to do it. Can't tell that >> and they can't tell you that you're going to provide law enforcement services outside of the statute for the cities. >> So All right, grandson. I think you call the other day.

635
03:19:52.319 --> 03:20:10.800
>> You're the county attorney, right? Yep. I got a question. What's better, a will or a trust? >> They could Google that answer. Will or what? >> Or a trust. My question is, what does that have to do with being the county? I you get so many questions about >> Did he think you were just going to do

636
03:20:10.800 --> 03:20:25.760
it because for him because you were the county attorney? >> I kind of talked with him for 10 15 minutes. >> Well, there's a lot of people that want the county attorney to do the civil work for him, right, Justin? >> I mean, I'm right now.

637
03:20:25.760 --> 03:20:43.040
>> I mean, they they try to they try to make it a criminal matter so that the county attorney and it's a civil matter, >> right? you know, and we have to have, you know, you know, we have a policy that kind of,

638
03:20:43.040 --> 03:21:02.640
you know, sets forth, you know, what we take into consideration, you know, and one of those things is whether or not someone has an adequate civil remedy, >> which they don't like to hear. >> No, >> because it costs money.

639
03:21:02.640 --> 03:21:31.520
So they'd rather move. >> Well, it costs less money now that there's AI. >> Even a prosay litigant can out a 130 paragraph civil complaint. >> Exactly. Wasn't that on the news where some AI organization infiltrated another

640
03:21:31.520 --> 03:22:17.120
AI or something like that? Cyber attack from AI against AI. That's interesting. welcome. We got everybody here. Start. I think so. Um,

641
03:22:17.120 --> 03:22:46.080
yeah. Do you think you and the H representative will sit right there? Is it Laura or Jim? >> Jim know all the answers. Well, >> we thank you for coming today and uh

642
03:22:46.080 --> 03:23:03.920
we've got uh it was presented to us all of the information that you gave to the the uh budget committee. So, if uh Jim or somebody wants to just give us a spiel there on what the request was and uh you

643
03:23:03.920 --> 03:23:21.520
know and some other information. >> Well, I'll start that and and uh you know, first of all, I I want all of you to know that I'm not here to be contentious. We're here because we have communities that uh that rely on and benefit from HRA and and we want to find

644
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a way to make that work smoothly and the way that it's intended to. Um I think all of you are aware that in the past the budget requests have been done differently than the way that they're uh uh being

645
03:23:37.840 --> 03:23:54.080
requested be done now. I think it was a year ago or maybe a little longer than that that u uh this board pointed out that there was a statute that needed to be followed or that you

646
03:23:54.080 --> 03:24:10.319
wanted the HRE to follow in uh in the manner in which it um presented its appropriations request. And that statute is very clear that the way H

647
03:24:10.319 --> 03:24:26.319
should present that request would be similar to other uh department heads. So that would include uh Justin's office, uh the sheriff's department, uh the county recorder, the treasurer,

648
03:24:26.319 --> 03:24:43.279
the assessor. Those are uh department heads. And I don't believe that they've been asked to present their appropriations request in the same manner as HR. >> So the sheriff was here this morning and laid out

649
03:24:43.279 --> 03:24:58.720
um you know information regarding at least the personnel component of hers and the board had a discussion about you know not only looking at funding but also you know looking at expenses on that. So I don't know that that's

650
03:24:58.720 --> 03:25:14.000
accurate. The other difference that I think comes up here is that those departments of course are all funded out of your general levy and HR is not. H is a

651
03:25:14.000 --> 03:25:30.479
separate levy. It's a special levy for that purpose. Um the information that was provided to you was provided to the uh to the committee before last month's meeting. And I believe it's

652
03:25:30.479 --> 03:25:48.399
pretty thorough. And um why it wasn't brought to the full board prior to last month, I don't know. Not uh but it wasn't. And uh I hope that all of you now have had an opportunity to go through it and to look at it.

653
03:25:48.399 --> 03:26:05.120
I know that one of the questions in the past involved um the uh the uh uh reserve the reserves that Had and I want and you know Jim can get into more of that if that's what you

654
03:26:05.120 --> 03:26:21.120
choose to have him do but most of those funds are dedicated funds. They aren't funds that can be used to replace a roof, to to fix siding, to replace a sidewalk, to evict people. Those funds aren't available for that. And that's I

655
03:26:21.120 --> 03:26:36.560
think there's a a document in your packet that shows what you know what those reserves actually are. And so the request that's being made is being made after deliberation by these

656
03:26:36.560 --> 03:26:54.720
folks were appointed by each of you. Um and the request isn't being made to benefit Jim Stish or or Terry Christians or Kent Marshall or being made to benefit

657
03:26:54.720 --> 03:27:10.080
each of the communities that you represent. There's uh market value housing, there's lowincome housing, and they need repairs. The budgets change and change from year to year. Uh this year there

658
03:27:10.080 --> 03:27:24.880
have been a you know significant number of uh of improvements that probably need to be made, some that have to be made. And um uh that's why the requ you know the the requests will probably change

659
03:27:24.880 --> 03:27:41.520
from year to year. And the request isn't here just to try to get as much as they can get because it doesn't benefit doesn't benefit them on on an individual basis. It benefits our communities. And so the packet I think is complete. I

660
03:27:41.520 --> 03:27:57.359
believe that all of the information that was requested has been provided to you. And um that's that that's the request and I don't know that there's anything more. or if there are any other questions uh

661
03:27:57.359 --> 03:28:12.880
regarding that. Most of that, if not all of it could be obtained by talking to your individual representatives. They're the ones that are involved in in uh uh looking at properties within their own communities, trying to assess what the

662
03:28:12.880 --> 03:28:30.160
needs are, and then coming to the board and and making the request. So, u that's the way we have done it. I'm glad that the sheriff's department was here. I don't know about the other department heads, but I uh again I uh the only

663
03:28:30.160 --> 03:28:44.960
thing that we're asking is that H uh be subject to the same requirements of the other department heads. That's what the statute requires.

664
03:28:44.960 --> 03:29:01.200
We weren't trying to hide anything, but it was this commission that asked us to um abide by the statute, and that's what we're asking you to do as well. So, um, one comment I may have, Ken, it's

665
03:29:01.200 --> 03:29:18.560
page 22 of the 2024 audit report where it talks about the significant accounting policies and one of them is the net position on unrestricted is this category represents the net position of the authority not

666
03:29:18.560 --> 03:29:35.760
restricted for any project or any other purpose. That's different than restricted. So you said the unrestricted plus was and according to the audit that is not accurate. >> Well the uh >> and I might add there's a million63,000

667
03:29:35.760 --> 03:29:52.000
in that unrestricted mental last audit. >> Um I'm not clear on what they're quoting there and and I don't have it in front of me. Um, but last year you had

668
03:29:52.000 --> 03:30:16.399
indicated uh 1.3 million in reserve. I believe that's what you're referring to now. Um, I'm not sure how that's stated in the audit and why it's stated that way. Uh

669
03:30:16.399 --> 03:30:37.920
but uh if you take the uh 1.3 million and and uh deduct all the restricted funds and I mean restricted in terms of

670
03:30:37.920 --> 03:30:54.239
how they can be used whether it's public housing section 8 u whatever The actual true balance of our reserve is 258,148. Well, I draw you then on your what you

671
03:30:54.239 --> 03:31:11.760
distributed is page 13 and 14. The third line from the bottom is the net position unrestricted and it goes across the line all the different funds and projects and then it goes to the adjusted total on page 14.

672
03:31:11.760 --> 03:31:35.279
There's million63,000 $744. It that's what you sent us unrestricted. And I read from the audit the definition of unrestricted. And like I said before, it appears that

673
03:31:35.279 --> 03:31:51.840
and that's great, but the the the my concept is the same as it was when we had this discussion when there was that data request and you answered the data

674
03:31:51.840 --> 03:32:08.880
request when you increased from $100,000 to $200,000. who specifically stated the amount. Now, you've had the same number of units since the last number of years and the and the amount has gone from

675
03:32:08.880 --> 03:32:24.880
50,000 to 75 to 100 to 100 to 200 now 200. And you said when you went to 200 it was for specific items which was a 100,000 of it for new storage space. And my point was at that at that point was

676
03:32:24.880 --> 03:32:40.319
the reason for the increase was identified in items four, five, six, and seven of your of your answer for the levy increase. I just I don't feel that the data

677
03:32:40.319 --> 03:32:56.319
bears out the increase. And I and there's so much information and and I know you say that you don't have a departmentwide budget. This number in word cell that is

678
03:32:56.319 --> 03:33:12.800
impossible to follow, but at some point if you refer to the audit and if there's unrestricted money over a million dollars and you go by what you answered to the request from the public, it bears out the motion I made for

679
03:33:12.800 --> 03:33:31.920
$100,000. This is accurate. I don't care what the audit calls it. This is accurate. These are the restricted funds and the unrestricted funds. Let me ask you a question. Did you just say the audit wasn't accurate? The accurate the audit

680
03:33:31.920 --> 03:33:46.399
is not accurate in how it identifies those funds. This is accurate in the way that it identifies the funds. The other thing that I would point out is that absolutely $100,000 for storage

681
03:33:46.399 --> 03:34:04.960
and uh and uh uh the costs that H now are significantly different than they were. Your county is no bigger than it was 10 years ago. Your county is no bigger than it was 15 years ago.

682
03:34:04.960 --> 03:34:21.040
We don't have any more people than we had when Burn Rarden and and Walt Miller were the only law enforcement here in the county. Costs change and needs change and they change with the housing that's being done in our in in every one

683
03:34:21.040 --> 03:34:38.960
of our communities. Those costs are changing. restricting the ability to uh to fix those houses, those uh uh units and to adequately uh repair them and to market them. It's, you know, I mean, I think

684
03:34:38.960 --> 03:34:53.120
you see you've got representatives here from the city of Elbow Lake and they're very concerned about this because there are things being done uh through Elbow Lake EDA and and H that have not been done necessarily been done before. And

685
03:34:53.120 --> 03:35:08.880
uh I I don't know, Ken, what you believe we're trying to do with that extra money, but I can assure you that what we're trying to do is make HR uh work as well as it can for Hoffman and Kerban

686
03:35:08.880 --> 03:35:26.239
and Barrett and Ashby and Ela Lake and and uh I I don't know, you know, it's it's not coming out of your general fund. It's a special levy and I think the request is uh is not just appropriate. I think it's I think it's critical to make sure that this

687
03:35:26.239 --> 03:35:42.160
continues. So let me just add something. We would not been aware of this had it not been brought to the attention by a taxpayer by a data request

688
03:35:42.160 --> 03:35:58.239
when the increase went from 100 to $200,000 in 2025 and based on the data request Mr. Fish answered it and it specifically said for the items for remodeling the H office, furniture

689
03:35:58.239 --> 03:36:14.160
and miscellaneous expenses associated with the remodel, maintaining the new office, new storage, $100,000. So the increase from 100 to 200 was identified those four items as the

690
03:36:14.160 --> 03:36:31.840
reason can't I I'm not disputing what you do. I it's wonderful organization but if we look we're going to refer to data at some point that I mean it had been a hundred >> well let me ask you this and and I I I

691
03:36:31.840 --> 03:36:46.560
see what you're getting I know where you're going with this >> do you want uh do you want uh uh siding for the Barrett uh apartments um uh potential $28,000

692
03:36:46.560 --> 03:37:03.840
sidewalk in Elbow a potential. I mean, is that what you think that that should be done here? That's that's not even, you know, uh they know what their expected uh maintenance is going to be and and what projects they have coming

693
03:37:03.840 --> 03:37:20.640
up. And if you don't trust them to do the job that you've appointed them to do, appoint somebody else. But they've come to you. The people that you appointed are sitting there telling you that this is what they believe they need

694
03:37:20.640 --> 03:37:36.880
to make H work the way that it is intended to work. Mr. Chair, I got a question. Let's talk about how you measure society out here on cost. Okay. Have you looked at your tax statement? What is your true H

695
03:37:36.880 --> 03:37:52.239
commitment on your tax statement? Have you looked at that? I've looked at my mom's in town and I've looked at my property else of town. My mom's is $4 on her taxes per year for H. I'm like not

696
03:37:52.239 --> 03:38:09.359
quite $14 for my HA commitment on 9 acres and you know growth setting and all that stuff. You know, a couple hundred,000 you know taxable market value on. So you're talking less than a case of beer here.

697
03:38:09.359 --> 03:38:26.080
Okay. If you want to if you want to really talk true numbers and where things are at, you know, the the commitment is so small spread over this county that people are really not taking notice. They just expect that this needs

698
03:38:26.080 --> 03:38:41.760
to be taken care of and this it takes revenue to do this. Now, I had discussions with with my representative, you know, chairman Johnson there, and she made the statement that there's 120 units that you guys have to maintain. Correct.

699
03:38:41.760 --> 03:38:57.680
>> Is it 120 total? I mean, apartments and everything. Is it 120? >> 114. >> Oh, whatever that number is. And bridges used to be $300 and now they're a,000. And AC units used to be probably 150.

700
03:38:57.680 --> 03:39:14.239
And now they're probably a thousand, you know. Well, concrete, they're going to do some concrete. That's 200 bucks placed to be able to actually do some sidewalk and flat work and things like that. So, this workmanship and and you know, all these costs have absolutely,

701
03:39:14.239 --> 03:39:29.840
you know, went through the roof and it's it's showed in in some of this building that's going on. So, you're not seeing a lot of construction going on because of the true cost, but you still got to maintain all these buildings, right? And nothing lives forever and the costs

702
03:39:29.840 --> 03:39:46.720
don't seem to go down. So, where I'm at, and I will vote for it, and I will make the motion for it, and I don't want to do it right now, but because we don't we're not there yet. But the 200,000 is not that big of an ask. We lived with those dollars last year on our tax

703
03:39:46.720 --> 03:40:02.080
statement and it's for me and my mom's property is less than a case of beer. So just to be honest here, okay, that's so you still have 114 rental units. Last one's being added in

704
03:40:02.080 --> 03:40:18.800
2019. Some of them way, you know, older than that, and I get that. So the appropriation in was 45,000 in 2017 and it was the 50 50 75 75 100

705
03:40:18.800 --> 03:40:36.319
200 200 and now another 200. While you've owned those 114 units from anywhere from 20 less than 20 years or more, you've amassed a million63,000 in in unrestricted funds in your balance

706
03:40:36.319 --> 03:40:51.680
sheet. I agree with Bill. What I'm saying is and and you tell us that you could levy up to $500,000. If you ask for 300 or 400 or 500, what would be our reason to say no?

707
03:40:51.680 --> 03:41:06.000
Because everything you're saying is right. The reason to say no would be when the representatives that you appoint come to you and say, "We don't need these funds. Our buildings are in great order. We don't have we don't

708
03:41:06.000 --> 03:41:23.520
anticipate any expenses this year. What what is being questioned here is the integrity of those people who have come with this request based on their knowledge of a of 20 buildings and 114

709
03:41:23.520 --> 03:41:41.200
units. And I understand what the cost was in 2017. What was your the cost of your new car in 2017? Right. And what is it now? I mean, it's crazy, but it is what it is. And unlike my house, I have repairs

710
03:41:41.200 --> 03:41:58.160
that need done on my house. I can I can defer them. I can wait and do it. I can try to do it myself. When we have broken doors, which we have down in Barrett right now, there's no option. Has to repair. They have to hire people and they have to

711
03:41:58.160 --> 03:42:13.760
repair and they have to pay the price uh that they are. I mean, those doors are those interior doors are $350 a piece. >> Yeah, they wereund. >> Go ahead.

712
03:42:13.760 --> 03:42:30.800
>> So, what I asked for last year, I see today in the packet in page five where it's not necessarily a budget, but it breaks out what the levy dollars are being spent on. And when they're totaled up, I see $220,700.

713
03:42:30.800 --> 03:42:48.399
So, the ask is 200. It's $20,000, $21,000 under what those projected costs of it. I don't have to like the amount. I don't have to agree with the amount, but I can see where it's going. It's going to the correct me if I'm wrong,

714
03:42:48.399 --> 03:43:04.239
Jim. I just looking there. Six buildings, 26 units for the market rate. >> Yeah. Well, >> is where the where the 100,000 there's payroll part 100,000 and payroll for the buildings. Well, I worked with co-ops and somebody just replaced a door in a

715
03:43:04.239 --> 03:43:21.520
co-op. It was $2,500 to replace a door. You can't do a whole lot in six buildings, 26 units with $40,000 for maintenance, probably $5,000 for a furnace. So, that would be eight furnaces for 40,000. Eight furnaces a

716
03:43:21.520 --> 03:43:37.600
year for 26 unit. I mean, I get it. Doesn't mean I have to like it. That's That's where I'm at is I don't have to like it, but what I asked for is right here. >> So, I got a question Jim under your page

717
03:43:37.600 --> 03:43:57.439
14. What's the levy of South? Page four. Or you have all you have public housing, you have the market rate of general rental units, ashb tiff growth levy account.

718
03:43:57.439 --> 03:44:25.439
>> Oh um just what Troy is referring to >> the budget mean? >> No. on page 14. >> That is it. The in the in the audit. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Okay. I didn't know what you're talking about. Uh page 14, which is

719
03:44:25.439 --> 03:44:39.359
actually 28 of the audit, the the levy account is exactly what uh Troy's referring to. And that was something that came out when the budget committee met with that was the bund that does the market rate

720
03:44:39.359 --> 03:44:58.800
and ash feed 2 I believe that are they're not HUD so it's not local dollars aren't going to supplement the HUD it's the local market rate unit the 26 units and six buildings

721
03:44:58.800 --> 03:45:17.120
which which would be matched up with the bottom line on this handout I gave you Okay, I'd like to say something. Um, Bertha, I want to thank the HR board because I know each and every one of you even though two of you are missing here,

722
03:45:17.120 --> 03:45:31.680
but uh I I do have a lot of faith in you people. have known you for a long time and I do know that uh that if if you didn't think you needed that 200,000 it wouldn't be interesting to her. So, you

723
03:45:31.680 --> 03:45:47.600
know, I H kind of a I'm in their corner because I've been in those buildings many many times and I see the the need that some of those people need to have that housing. Where would they be

724
03:45:47.600 --> 03:46:05.600
without it? And uh uh you know I' I've known people that moved into the uh HR housing apartment one in Ashby and I was in there and there's always things in there that need to be fixed. I see it all the time. Uh I

725
03:46:05.600 --> 03:46:22.319
was in there, he passed away now, but I was in there for a year and a half with him. And there's always little things in there and some big things, you know, and so there's a lot of expenses there. And uh and it's vital to this county that uh that we keep these structures up to date

726
03:46:22.319 --> 03:46:38.000
and and looking good because they're getting old just like I am. So I remember when they were built some of them, but uh but yeah, they're they're important. So I uh you know this this represents 38% of what what they could

727
03:46:38.000 --> 03:46:55.680
ask for and I don't I don't see where 200,000's out of line there. I mean it's a lot of it's a lot of money but you talking 114 units and all those people. I mean that uh it's just it's just a need. So that's where I'm at. I'm I'm

728
03:46:55.680 --> 03:47:12.880
gonna whenever the time comes I'm going to vote for the 200,000. I just got to ask Troy, you were referencing this what you hand this office and operational budget the 220,000 and I asked you what the the levy

729
03:47:12.880 --> 03:47:32.080
account was on page 14. So just the unrestricted fund balance in that column is $356,000. >> Let me clarify that. That is correct. This is current. That's at December

730
03:47:32.080 --> 03:47:47.920
31st, 2014. This these figures here are current. >> So the unrestricted number of 356,000 is was accurate at the end of 14 and now it's what? >> Well, the this this current sheet I had

731
03:47:47.920 --> 03:48:17.279
is adjusted reflect this past year 2025. Could I speak to one thing too and I don't know Ken because I don't have the audit in front of me but one thing I would just like to clarify is you know when you look at that balance sheet your unrestricted net assets is the net of

732
03:48:17.279 --> 03:48:34.080
your live of your assets so that could include buildings a lot of things other than cash minus the liabilities could play into that it's Kind of like if you look at a farmer's balance sheet, there's a lot of unrestricted net assets, but if it's all tied up in your real estate, there's not a lot of cash

733
03:48:34.080 --> 03:48:50.160
there. And I don't know if that's the case here, and I'd be glad to take a look at it with you, but that could explain why there's a million dollars of unrestricted net assets, but really not that much cash that's unrestricted to operate your budget with if it's tied up in properties.

734
03:48:50.160 --> 03:49:05.359
>> I'll help you. the net asset in capital assets on that same column was 1,478,000 into not include capital assets. So the million63,000 is cash. >> I would like to take a look at that. I'd

735
03:49:05.359 --> 03:49:27.040
be glad to look at it too. >> But again, this is current. >> That's current. And the 1,388,68 is as far as I know is cash. So when you say current on here, it said December 31, 2024. Should that have been in 25 or

736
03:49:27.040 --> 03:49:45.120
>> No, I I took the U for today. I took the 1,380, 680 figure off the bar >> off of the 20. Okay. >> Correct. >> Okay. >> And then use some of the figures how it was derived

737
03:49:45.120 --> 03:50:03.560
at and then adjust some of the figures. Like for instance, it includes that about halfways down includes 101,500. We have that cash, but it's a loan that we have to pay back next year. That's an example of adjust adjustments.

738
03:50:07.120 --> 03:50:25.840
Okay. Does anybody else have any other question here? Okay. So there's no decision today, but uh uh in next next month we'll uh we'll look at all of these requests and then we'll

739
03:50:25.840 --> 03:50:42.080
make a decision on it. But we thank you thank you guys for coming and thank thank the board for what you guys do. Mr. Chair, I got one more question. How much of that that 200,000 gets spread out over contractors within the county or for your the people

740
03:50:42.080 --> 03:50:58.960
that you hire to work on things like the plumbers, >> carpenters, >> snowplow people, mowing people, >> I I like your packet um on about the

741
03:50:58.960 --> 03:51:14.399
third page. I believe >> got it electronically. I think it was on the third page. >> It is. It is. I seen it. 161,000. Okay. And 24. I just want to make it public here. Yeah. So, there you go. We can share with the

742
03:51:14.399 --> 03:51:32.160
contractors. Okay. Anything Anybody else have any questions or thoughts? Well, on our last everything that we can spend in Grant County is spent in Grant County, you know, and we've had some bids that we

743
03:51:32.160 --> 03:51:51.960
don't get a bid in Grant County. Well, then you have to go out, but that's very seldom happen. Everything we we try our best to spend everything in Grant County. All right. Well, thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

744
03:51:58.960 --> 03:52:14.560
There anything else, Tina? >> Okay, then going to adjourn the Grand County Commissioner meeting at 1 2 3 p.m. Thank you everybody. Thank you.