The Polk County Board of Commissioners met inside the Polk County Government Center on Tuesday morning to hear reports from the Social Services and Planning and Zoning Departments.
SOCIAL SERVICES-KAREN WARMACK
Social Services Director Karen Warmack first approached the board with multiple items. The first being some requests to replace a Social Worker in the Disability Services Division and another that provides Behavioral Health outreach and civil commitments, along with any other vacant positions because of the replacement. She also requested the replacement of a Case Aide position in the department to perform administrative support duties after the previous candidate returned to Court Services. The board approved all motions unanimously.
UCARE and MEDICA Grants
Warmack then came forward with a resolution for a UCARE Community grant for Homemaking Services of $11,000 to serve people over the age of 65. She then made a resolution to receive a $6,400 grant from Medica for staff and community partner training on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion provided by the Greater Mankato Council. The board approved both grants unanimously.
Violence Intervention Project and UCARE Contract
Warmack then requested the board a contract with the Violence Intervention Project to provide supervised visitation services to families in Polk County that are separated and have children in foster care and need contact and visitation to be in effect until December 31, 2023. Her final item was that Polk County Social Services and Polk County Public Health recommended that they end their contractual relationship with UCARE and providing care coordination services to their Special Needs Basic Care (SNBC) product as they are undergoing a program change to revamp the product. She noted that both Services and Public Health had received many complaints about UCARE recently, and the new plans would increase the number of cases they would receive by 200, which they couldn’t complete properly. “UCARE is changing their rate structure and looking for different partners to provide that service in our community. So, we support the separation of that contract,” said Warmack. Warmack explained that the different rate structure will decrease payment rates for care coordination and require adding additional staff, which their current rate structure does not support the cost. The board approved the motion unanimously.
ADMINISTRATION- CHUCK WHITING
Polk County Administrator Chuck Whiting approached the board next to give an update on Management Information Services, reporting that he had assigned Network Administrator Levi Webster as the Interim Director of the MIS Department and requested for the board to approve a spending authority for the use of the procurement card. As well as for him to approve authority for the Interim MIS Director to purchase things with a limit of $10,000 for a single item and a cumulative limit of $20,000. The board approved the motion unanimously.
American Rescue Plan Status and 2023 Budget Update
Whiting then came forward with a request from University of Minnesota Crookston Chancellor Mary Holz-Clause for the Crookston Rotary Club to request ARP funds to be used for a tuition program to advance literacy and workforce development within the county for $148,000. Whiting then went into an update of the county’s budget for 2023, reporting that they are currently over their limit by $721,565, with requests from the Highway Department and Landfill Department for $600,000 each but was waiting for a few decisions and deals. “The City of Fertile had put in for improvements to the Agassiz Recreational Learning Center for $144,000, they have some building improvement planning that they’re doing, so we’re waiting to hear from them,” said Whiting. “The City of Crookston has made a couple of requests for Lift Station Improvements and wellfield study, and we’re waiting to hear back from them, so we’ll follow up soon.” Commissioner Willhite said that he would contact Crookston Interim City Commissioner Charles “Corky” Reynolds on the update on the station and hopefully have an answer to give him. He also reported that he was still waiting for some requests but that others had changed their usual requests. One was the county’s MCIT dividend notice originally being received at $92,453, which was down from last year’s dividend by $72,257, and the Minnesota Worker’s Compensation Reinsurance Association (WCRA) received a check for $130,344 due to investment returns and favorable claims being better than they expected. Another was from the County’s County Program Aid (CPA), from the state being down by $11,579 from last year to $1,382,824 and making a Net Levy of $27 million (or a 4.35% levy increase for 2022).
PLANNING AND ZONING- JACOB SNYDER
The board then heard from Assistant Environmental Services Administrator Jacob Snyder on a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to Tony and Wanda Sorum for a 1,080 sq. ft. garage for cold storage on a 54,450 sq. ft. lot on Lake Sarah in Knute Township with Planning Commission conditions. The board approved the motion unanimously.
Viking Gas Transmission Project CUP
He then came forward with information on an application sent by Viking Gas to create an expansion of about 13.2 miles and add two existing valves to their pipeline. The project’s start date is under Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) review process as the project will go through four townships in Minnesota and North Dakota, including Grand Forks, and they will have to alert many landowners in the affected area. “They have consultants they’re working with within other bodies that were trying to seek information about the FERC process, a Federal review process. So it’s just navigating and getting the board information. There will have to be some action taken on the matter at a later board meeting date,” Snyder explained. Snyder explained that the office did issue a CUP to their headquarters in Tabor Township that has a natural gas turbine compressor and asked them to consider the project when more information is shared with the Planning & Zoning Staff.
The Polk County Board of Commissioners will next meet on Tuesday, September 20, in the Polk County Government Center at 8:00 a.m.