Polk County Commissioner Warren Strandell released a County Line Column last week. It highlights what the county is currently dealing with, such as the 2022 budget, and a few items with Tri-County Community Corrections. The column can be found down below –
Local government units are pretty much ready to start a new year… the past year with the COVID issues and a few other things, too, wasn’t the greatest. The same goes for people. For me, the old year ended with a few things that went upside down. One, which I hope will get fixed yet this week, had to do with the technology part of my life. For some reason, probably its age, I couldn’t get my computer to talk to my printer to get things to print… not to either one of my printers. My favorite IT guy determined that the “driver” wasn’t doing its thing. I have no real idea what a driver does except that it probably drives some bit of information, say from the computer to the printer. That makes sense but when I was told that the printer has a driver, too, I was lost. Age a problem??
Okay, forget having to understand that part of the problem, which likely has something to do with that age issue mentioned earlier… both the 17 years of the LaserJet printer and my age. I came from a different era, one that understands an engine and how valves open and close as the cylinder moves up and down. But not today’s technology. I never really had any formal education on how computers perform. My OJT (on the job training) began in an office setting where I could just holler out “Hey, how do you do this?” The answer was quick and I could get on with what I was doing. That office setting went away years ago and despite with my years of stumbling along in the technology world I’m still on the No. 1 turn when others have no problem crossing the finish line.
Okay, so that was problem No. 1. Another age thing?? Problem No. 2 is that the ice maker on my refrigerator has quit working. Probably another age thing. The Maytag unit looks a lot like the refrigerators of today but it has passed the quarter century mark in its lifetime. I can probably get along without ice this winter but not next summer, especially not if we have a repeat of last year.
Problem No. 3 has involved trying to make my checking account balance. I think I might have gotten that issue solved, or at least close to it. After deducting a check that wasn’t in my book but was in the bank’s accountings, I was only off three cents this month. We’ll know better when the next statement comes out in a couple weeks. So, that’s some of what has been on my plate the last few weeks.
On the county workplan For Polk County, things seem to be in place for the coming year. The levy — that’s what funds the county’s share of operations — will be increased 3.5 percent for 2022. While no one likes taxes, costs go up. The county has a really good employees and, especially in today’s climate, they have to be taken care of financially. If county salaries aren’t competitive there are big problems. With all of the opportunities that are out there today, more pay and better benefits don’t always help. For a bit of history on levies, the county’s average annual levy increase over the past 14 years has been 2.76 percent. I think that’s something that commissioners and county administration can be pretty proud of, especially when we have been able to both construct (the Northwest Regional Corrections Center jail and Justice Center) and maintain other county buildings, roads, equipment and keep a really good staff.
The $17.5 million in bonds that were sold to pay for the jail portion of the Justice Center will be paid off in four years… in February 2026. The other part of the $25.5 million Justice Center project — the part that houses the Polk County Court system, the Tri-County Community Corrections Administration and Probation Department, the Polk County Attorney’s Office, and Polk County Public Health — was paid for in cash when the center was built. Knowing that there were buildings and space issues that would have to be dealt with, commissioners and administration had over several years stashed away some $8 million to help address that problem.
Per diems paid debt The $1.3 million a year that has been needed for debt service on those bonds has been more than paid for by the income from per diems that other jurisdictions have been paying to house their inmates when they have space issues. So, the jail hasn’t been costing county taxpayers anything. It has been a very good investment. Not all is roses, however. The Red River Valley Juvenile Center, a part of Tri-Valley Community Corrections, is in the process of having to be extensively remodeled. What will probably be a $1.3 million rebuilding job was brought on when a pop-up rainstorm occurred last May at the same time that the roof was being replaced.
While the structure of the building wasn’t really affected, the Residential Living unit portion of the Center and the electrical equipment room, which contained all of the electronic security equipment, were destroyed. Heating, ventilating and other upgrades will now be a part of the work. Bidding will be done in mid-January. Litigation is underway to see who pays for what.
Jail population reduced A staffing shortage that was at least partly brought on by COVID but had gone on for some time before that too has forced the closure of one 60-bed general population unit of the Regional Corrections Center jail. That has reduced the occupancy of the jail from a maximum of 200 inmates down to 140 and will reduce significantly the income that has been derived from housing prisoners from other jurisdictions. Tri-County Corrections is in the process of trying to recruit and to train new corrections officers, who when ready to work shifts by themselves work 12-hour days. Pay and benefits are good.
While emotionally draining in the training period, the job provides lots of time off for other endeavors. The Juvenile Center building and corrections officer shortage are the big issues, but there will always be issues that have to be addressed. Polk County accounts for 87 percent of Tri-County Corrections operations and is the owner of the buildings. That puts the county right at the front of everything.
That’s some of what is on the county plate. There will always be something that needs to be done and we could certainly get along without COVID.
Thoughts for the day:
When everything has been said and done, much more will have been said than done. — Gerald Hamerlik Complaining about a problem without proposing a solution is called whining. — Teddy Roosevelt
Disclaimer:
Thoughts expressed in this column are those of the author and are not necessarily a reflection of the opinions of the other members of the Polk County Board.
