The Polk County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday morning at the Polk County Government Center.
NW REGIONAL CORRECTION CENTER-ANDREW LARSON
The board was first approached by Tri-County Northwest Regional Corrections Center Executive Director Andrew Larson with a resolution from the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) was seeking a resolution with all counties across the state to endorse the efforts of the Community Supervision Work Group to revise the funding formula and to Urge Legislature to pass a new significant appropriation for Community Supervision across the state during the 2023 Legislative Session. Larson presented that probation was a form of community supervision under three delivery systems whose current form of funding was outdated, and the funding mechanisms used to fund them created inequalities in service and outcomes. Counties are at a disadvantage because they are not at the table as a state agency; therefore, they must rely on the Department of Corrections (DOC) to include county funding in the governor’s proposed budget. “Minnesota has the lowest percentage of their general f is devoted to Corrections spending, including both prisons and Community Supervision. The reason why that has worked in Minnesota is because there is a very heavy reliance on Community Supervision, also known as Probation or Parole,” Andrew Larson explained. “Unfortunately, what has happened is that all of the funding that the state provides to counties and the Department of Corrections has not kept up with the cost of doing business. I used Tri-County as one example, but in the last ten years, our cost to provide Probation services has increased by approximately 62%. During that same period, the subsidy that we’ve received from the state has only increased by 10%.”
The simplified formula will be based on data from a workload study that is currently underway and will be used to calculate the actual cost of probation. Once the required staffing is determined, the Workgroup will determine the daily cost of probation for each case which will be the basis for legislative appropriations. This will ensure that counties are part of the same funding stream as the DOC, so the entire system is funded as part of the state budget. Larson reported that several new bills were in the works that had received support from both Democrats and Republicans. The board approved their support for the appropriation unanimously.
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES-JON STEINER
The board was next approached by Environmental Services Administrator Jon Steiner on a Beltrami Trailer Hauling Contract. He reported that Beltrami, Hubbard, and Polk County have shared a contract for hauling waste and recyclables between facilities with Dukek Trucking, Inc. of Bemidji, which expired at the end of 2022. Beltrami had bid the cooperative hauling contract last August to be in effect until 2025 and was executed on October 18 to change the rates from the 2020 to 2023 Contract from 12% to 15% when adjusted for the $5/gallon base fuel price. The board approved the contract unanimously.
2023 Tip Fees at Solid Waste Facilities
Steiner then requested the board to approve a Tip Fee List for the Polk County Solid Waste Facilities. The Polk County Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) and Landfill (LF) had incurred significant increases to their budgets related to fuel increases, service provider costs, repair, and maintenance costs. The tip fees for the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and C&D wastes were increased at the beginning of August by $5 per ton to $80 per ton for MSW and $30 per ton for C&D. “The tip fee is for the Municipal Solid Waste and the Demolition Debris, which is most of the activities we do. Those are changed last summer/fall, but we also do some spinoffs of those with different things like compostable materials, shingles, concrete, and things like that. So, we just updated those numbers based on the increase in the tip fee before. Then we changed some of those numbers as it relates how that comes in from outside our Service Area,” Steiner explained. “Our Landfill Space has been kind of a premium as we’ve gone through this process with looking at the long-range footprint of the landfill and dealing with wetlands out there. We did increase the fees a little bit so that if we are taking something from outside that group, we’ll get a little bit more for it and maybe discourage some of it from coming in. So we’re conserving that space for our needs.” The board approved the tips unanimously.
Solid Waste Program Updates
Steiner then reported they had received two Wetland permits for maintaining the long-term growth of the Polk County Landfill. But, they were currently working with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as there was a plant that wasn’t supposed to be out there to anyone’s knowledge, but said they hoped to complete the process in the next 30 days.
PUBLIC HEALTH-SARAH REESE
The board was next approached by Public Health Director Sarah Reese on the planning of the 2023-24 Influenza Season. She reported that over the past several years, individuals have had more opportunities to get the influenza vaccine from local sources like pharmacies, and they would reduce their private purchases order for the season. “We met with the board today to discuss the planning we’re doing internally because do need to order our flu vaccine. We get a variety of different types of vaccines. We do some private purchase ordering as well as with the Uninsured and Underinsured Adult Vaccine (UUAV) Program, so we were discussing with the board where our role in assuring that folks have access to the flu vaccine. Whether that is for individuals that meet the criteria to get the UUAV vaccine and we are able to provide that internally. While we’re closing that gap to ensure people have what they need, more importantly, is our ability to refer and connect community members to where they can get the vaccine where it’s easiest and most convenient to them and close to home,” Reese explained. “We always want to promote individuals getting it from a private partner if they can. Whether that’s a local pharmacy, a business that provides that business on-site, or their local clinic, we want to ensure that people can access the vaccine in various ways. So, part of our role is to communicate to community members where and how they can get the vaccine so they can access it in a way that best fits their needs.” Public Health would continue to inform residents of local resources and that the Uninsured and Underinsured Adult Vaccine (UUAV) Program for free or low-cost vaccines for eligible Minnesota residents ages 19 and older would continue to be available.
Agiliti Biomedical Services
Reese then informed the board that Agili would perform preventative maintenance, electrical safety inspections, and repairs on their general biomedical equipment. The hourly rate for biomedical services performed on general biomedical equipment and travel time during Normal Working Hours is $135.00.
SOCIAL SERVICES-KAREN WARMACK
Social Services Director Karen Warmack next approached the board with a request to replace an eligibility worker position in their Income Maintenance unity under the supervision of Jon Street.
Approval of the Contract with Lutheran Social Services (LSS)
Warmack then requested the board to approve a Semi-Independent Living Services (SILS) contract with Lutheran Social Services for $35,000, which included training, counseling, instruction, supervision, and assistance provided to a person with developmental disabilities or related conditions for 2023.
Contract with REM
Warmack then requested the board to approve a SILS contract with REM to provide semi-independent living skills of $145,000, which included training, counseling, instruction, supervision, and assistance provided to a person with developmental disabilities or related conditions for 2023.
Contract with the Department of Human Services for Crisis Services
The final item Warmack brought forward was a contract with the Department of Human Services with Polk County Social Services for Children and Adult Mental Health Services to include a mental health mobile crisis response service to people living in Kittson, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Polk, and Red Lake for $3,971,747 until the end of 2024. The board approved all contracts unanimously.
PROPERTY RECORDS-SAM MELBYE
The board was then approached by Property Records Director Sam Melbye with two resolutions to repurchase two tax-forfeited properties. The first plot was from Ronnie Locken for Lots 1 and 2, Block 4, Highland Park Addition to Winger. The other was an application by David Nordskog for a part of the Southwest Quarter of the Northeast Quarter (SW1/4NE1/4) and the Northwest Quarter of the Southeast Quarter (NW1/4SE1/4) of Section Twenty-two (22), Township One Hundred Forty-seven (147) North of Range Forty-two (42) West, of the Fifth Principal Meridian, and described as follows: Beginning at a point 35 feet South and 35 feet West from the Southwest corner of Block 11, Original Townsite of Winger; thence West to quarter line between the SE1/4 and SW1/4 of Section 22, Township 147 North of Range 42 West, thence due North on said quarter line a distance of 249.5 feet; thence due East to the West line of Second Street in the Townsite of Winger; thence due South to the point of beginning a distance of 249.5 feet. The board approved the resolutions unanimously.
FACILITIES DIRECTOR-RICHARD LANGOIS
The board finished the meeting hearing from Facilities Director Richard Langlois on a motion to hire a new full-time Custodian I position. He explained they had recently been asked to take on additional custodial duties at the Transfer Station in Crookston, but the current staff had full schedules and could not absorb extra duties. So a new Custodian I position will be needed to fulfill the tasks.
Assistant Facilities Director position
Langlois then requested for the board to approve him moving forward with hiring a full-time Assistant Facilities Director, as that position has been vacant since he took the Director. He believed the position would be necessary moving forward and was included in the budget for the department. The board approved both requests unanimously.
The Polk County Commissioners will next meet on Tuesday, February 21, at the Polk County Government Center.
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