The Polk County Board of Commissioners met Tuesday morning at the Polk County Government Center.
Public Health Director Sarah Reese brought items to the board for approval during the meeting. The first item was renewing service contracts for the Inter-County Head Start nurse and Nutrition consultant. “Our current contract has been put in place for multiple years, and we evaluate each year when looking at the next year,” said Reese, “We then propose a slightly higher rate because our nursing wages have continued to increase relative to what the county has.” The contract renewals were approved by the commissioners.
The board was also presented with a learning service agreement with Walden University. This request was for approval, allowing student nurses to have clinical experience at Polk County Public Health. This is the first student from Walden University who is interested in taking clinicals through Polk County. The board also approved this agreement.
The final item that Reese was seeking approval for was to have an environmental scan performed through Polk-Norman-Mahnomen County. This ensures the gathering of information about events and their relationships within an organization’s internal and external environment, which was also approved by the board.
Reese also provided the board with updates on the Polk County Opioid Settlement Advisory Council. This is a council made up of nearly twenty members, who meet once a month. They have been meeting since December of 2022 and have missed one meeting in July due to a community survey that was implemented. “The council is made up of a variety of individuals from organizations from across Polk County,” said Reese, “It is inclusive and made up of a variety of people that are defined in the memorandum of understanding by the attorney general’s office for the opioid settlement.” This council includes individuals involved with law enforcement, attorneys’ offices, social services, mental health providers, and individuals in recovery.
The council has recently gathered a broad observation of the opioid situation in Polk County in terms of prevention efforts, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction. “We’ve had members of our council provide information and background about the work that they are engaged with to give the council a broad perspective,” said Reese, “Some people may come to the council who are very well versed in recovery or the criminal justice system, or the medical system. But maybe they don’t have as much information in other sectors or areas of the county.”
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVE THE PURCHASE OF THREE TANDEM AXLE DIESEL TRUCKS
Polk County Engineer Richard Sanders presented the request for approval to purchase three tandem axle trucks to the board. Two county trucks are scheduled to be replaced in 2024, and the other is scheduled for replacement in 2025. With two of them being purchased in 2012 and the other in 2013, they are nearing twelve years of usage and are contracted to be replaced after twelve years of use. Sanders stated the importance of getting on the purchase list sooner rather than later because the state contract will start at the beginning of 2024, and delivery wouldn’t be finalized until 2025.
“Right now, the way the labor force is, and the manufacturing of tandem trucks, and how the dealers receive their trucks, you almost have to get a list to the dealers saying that you want several trucks so that when a contract comes out for those truck that you’re one of the governing units getting that truck.” Said Sanders.
All three trucks will go toward the 2025 equipment budget, which will reportedly take the entire budget, estimated at $900,000. “Typically, we spend about $900,000 on equipment,” said Sanders, “Trucks are not cheap, and the snowplow equipment going on those trucks is more expensive than the trucks themselves. So, our 2025 budget will be slim; it will be the three trucks on the list for today.”
The consent agenda included approving bills and disbursements in the amount of $53,186. It also included the approval of minutes from the August 22 board meeting.
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